Silent Night
She ran around the corner, right in the middle of club. Screaming and crying. I wrapped her in my arms and wouldn't let her go. She was only 7, living in a home of chaos. And I held her tight until her sadness passed. Then we sat, silent, regaining our Hope.

Holy Night
We were singing "Shout to the Lord" and there was a ten-year old girl, singing with her hands folded and her eyes shut. Thinking about God. Worshipping.

All is calm
Club was done. All the kids were home safety. The floors were swept and the dishes washed. It was quiet. I knelt down on our worn wood floor and thanked God for what he was doing among us. Then I switched the lights, shut the door and turned the key.

Round yon virgin, Mother and Child
She was twelve. Pregnant. Raped at a party. There was no question about keeping the baby. Her mom had five girls of her own, all living in a one bedroom apartment…one more would make no difference. So at thirteen, the baby of the family became a mother of her own.

Holy Infant So tender and mild
I met the mom and her three daughters last fall. The youngest was just a tiny little baby. And when things got tough the mom sent that baby away with the father. He had hardly had any contact before that moment. The mom waved as the bus pulled away.

Sleep in heavenly peace
She had a fever and shouldn't have been at club. But a few weeks earlier her mom had yelled at us when we tried to take the little girl home. She wanted this hour and a half without her kids so she could go get drunk and if she was lucky…high. So we placed our jackets on our kitchen counter and hoped the sick little girl would fall asleep.

Sleep in heavenly peace
It was a great day at our local public pool. Thirty tired kids on the bus ride home. And I wrapped my arms around two slightly damp boys and smiled as they slept.

Sleep in heavenly peace
Here. Especially here. God has come. Emmanuel, God with us.