Good News - December 2018

Approaching the holidays with anticipation, we look forward to family gatherings and celebrations with friends. As you prepare for this season, Good News Wants to Know... What is your family's most unique Christ- mas tradition? Among our favorite Christmas tra- ditions is to daily read the Palm Beach Atlantic University Advent Guide. For 22 years, the University faculty, stu- dents and alumni have been contribut- ing daily devotionals for the Advent season. Once published only in print, the guide is now available online to a wider audience. Our Christmas prayer is this guide offers inspiration, hope and unity for our Christ-first community. We receive an abundant blessing of joy each day. WilliamFleming, President, Palm Beach Atlantic University We have a couple traditions that our now adult children continue to ap- preciate. The first is a “real” tree that goes up Thanksgiving weekend at the time when we begin decorating inside and out. The second, a restaging of coming down the steps (now as adults) with their children to see if Santa ate his cookies and what he left in their stockings hanging on the mantel before opening presents from under the tree. William “Bill” C. Davell, Director, Tripp Scott Attorneys at Law The Denisons’ most sacred Christmas tradition is fighting over whose in-laws most deserve the grandkids. Bob Denison, President, Denison Yacht Sales Our family Christmas tradition consists of the days up to Christmas watching as many of the Classic Christmas movies – usually outside under the stars in our back- yard – and riding through our neighborhood on our bikes rating the Christmas dec- orations on each home. On Christmas morning Wendy makes monkey bread, we read Luke 2 and exchange presents with each other. Chris Lane, President First Priority of South Florida After waking and reading through the Christmas story from selected parts of each gospel and after going into the stockings and exchanging gifts, the kids have a silly string fight and throw our daughter, Amanda, kicking and screaming, into the pool. H. Collins Forman, Jr., P.A. Since many international students at FloridaAtlantic University are in the States during the Christmas break – missing their families as well as their nations – I usually host several of them for a traditional dinner at my home. After they share about their family's traditions, I take the opportunity to express what Christmas is all about and what it means to me. Deborah Cusick, FAU Campus Volunteer, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Our family Christmas tradition that continues to stand out to us is three fold: at- tending an old-fashioned Candlelight Service with carols, attending a Christmas Eve Service, and shopping for a 'live' Christmas tree. Though these may seem common place to some, I am realizing the value of these traditions more and more as the years pass by and all of us grow older. I'm looking more and more forward to the promised reunion of loved ones who've 'been promoted,' the return of Jesus Christ our Savior, and possibly seeing my daughters carrying on these traditions with their families. Merry Christmas to all! Dennis DeMarois, Director, The Gathering Palm Beach For many years our entire family gathers for a special Christmas dinner that we call “the African Chop meal.” Since my parents were missionaries in Africa and we grew up there, this is the time we remember that time with rice, spicy curry, and at least 10 toppings to include coconut, pineapple, peppers, tomatoes, onions, okra, banana, etc. It is delicious, brings back memories and reminds the family of growing up together in a very rural village in a foreign land. Don Campion, President, Banyan Air Service Christmas morning starts with a Rich Mullins song “You Gotta Get Up” played loud enough for everyone in the house to hear. After the gifts are opened, we read the Luke 2 Christmas story and unwrap the final gift – a wrapped baby Jesus from our Nativity. We then sit outside on our patio, eating monkey bread and waiting for the traditional jump into the swimming pool (no matter the temperature) Doug Sauder, Pastor, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale I am not sure how unique it is, but my wife and I and our four children for years attended the midnight service and sat in the balcony at Christ Church as a family. The view from the balcony to this day is a vision in my mind that brings me a little closer to God! Fred Scarbrough, DVM, Founder, Scarbrough Animal Hospital and HOPE South Florida I like to run these questions by my “adult children” to get their feedback. So... one said she remembers she and her sister and brother would sleep by the Christ- mas tree the night before Christmas Eve as they didn’t want Santa to catch them the following night as he made his rounds. My other daughter remembers the “world fa- mous rum cake” that I have been baking for over 20 years (and still make) that they now make as a Christmas gift for their friends. I would read “Mary’s Dream” and we would all sing Happy Birthday Jesus Christmas morning. The reading of “Mary’s Dream” legacy lives on with our daughter and son-in-law who live in Chicago with our two granddaughters: “I had the strangest feeling that if our Son had gone to this Year celebration, He would have been intruding. Everything was so beautiful, Joseph, and everyone so full of cheer, but it made me want to cry. How sad for Jesus not to be wanted at His own Birthday celebration. I’m glad it was only a dream. How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real.” Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus! Gita Santangelo, Community Prayer Partner We had Elfie. He was an invisible, magical character (me) who would hide small presents around the house on Christmas Eve. When the gifts were all hidden, Elfie would ring a bell to let the children know it was time to hunt for the presents. JoAnne Daudt, JoAnne Larson Daudt, P.A. Oyster Stew!As a child I was forced to eat this traditional Norwegian simple stew made with oysters heated in a scalding hot mixture of flour-based cream and milk topped with cracker & paprika! My Grandpa would say “uff da feeda” (surprisingly disgusting!) Now I relish the stew and carry on the fatherhood tradition of making it every year. It is “veldig veldig bra” (very very good)! John Offerdahl, former Miami Dolphins All-Pro Linebacker and founder Offer- dahl’s Off-The-Grill Wants to Know… William Fleming H. Collins Forman Deborah Cusick Dennis DeMarois William C. Davell Bob Denison Chris Lane