eee Ci

NEWS, MIRROR CHRISTMAS EDITION

o

reat peace
have they that love. Trumpeting
our wishes that all the
seasons of your life will be
filled with peace and love,

Kinnaird Central Food Mart
Ltd.

Sor the
CHRISTMAS SEASON

Castlegar Plumbing and

0
Christmas

Our Christmas wish ,
good wilt
to att men,
peace,
and the
happiness
of gluing.

Castlegar Equipment
Rentals Ltd.

Authorized Canadian Liquid Air Depot
417 Cascade Ph, 365-7433

Christmas

Anniversary of the past

By REV. A.V. MAGLIO

Getting ready for Christ-
mas is the preoccupation of
believers and unbelievers
alike.
When Charles Dickens
wrote his famous book “A
Christmas Carol,” he showed
that there was but one
“Scrooge” for a goodly num-
ber of the “Bob Cratchit”
type.

There were fewer un-
believers than there were
believers in those days. It

took Morley’s ghost to con-

vince Scrooge that Christmas
was a reality —a present day
reality.

Christmas is not just an
anniversary of things past. If
that were the case, then it
makes sense: that churches
should be ‘over-crowded for
Christmas and half empty for
the rest of the year.

The truth is, Christmas
is not just a fairytale. Itis not
just Santa Claus. At’ Christ-
mas, God, through one of His
Three Personages, really
came into this world. He
came to bring His Love into
this world.

If Christmas were just
an anniversary of things
past, it surely has established
itself very well, in compari-
son to other events of the
past. The very fact that
Christmas is the business
world’s biggest moneymaker
should be enough to make us
think there niust be some-
thing in it that bogles the
mind. No, Christmas is not
just a thing of the past. It is,
indeed, a present day reality.
Tf we will but let Him, Christ
comes personally into our
lives every day.

For the innkeepers of
Bethlehem, there was no
room for Christ to be born in
their establishments. No, his
mother was forced to go into
a stable to have Him. In how

many ways is there no room
for Him in the lives of many
people today?

A few months ago, Mal-
aysian authorities were
about to tow the latest
arrivals of boat people back
out to sea. They were show-
ing an indifferent world that
there was no more room for
Him on their overcrowded
beaches.

The most recent figures
show that abortions in Can-
ada have increased by nine
per cent. There is no more
room in this big country of
ours for unwanted babies.

For a long time, univer-
sity students have been
docked marks for mentioning
God in their philosophy
exams. The Lord's Prayer is
banned from our classrooms.
There is no room for Him in
our educational system.

T could go on to mention
such things as profit for
shareholders must come be-
fore justice for the poverty-
stricken; and the waste of
this world’s goods should
take precedence over the
rights of those who do not
have anything to waste..In
many ways there is no room
for Him.

He who came at Christ-
mas said: “As long as you did
it to the least of my brethern,
you did it to Me.” Think
about it. Are we producing
more “Scrooges” today than
“Bob Cratchits?”

es

May you have the spirit of Christmas’
which 1s peace, the gladness ot
Christmas which ts hope and the heart
of Christmas which.is Love

CHRISTMAS
GREETINGS

On this wonderful holiday of Peace and Joy
we send our heartfelt greetings, and wishes
for your Christmas to be merry and bright.

Castle Bowl (1976) Ltd.

Castlegar

May your holidays be a perfect picture
of family fun and togetherness. Please

accept our thanks for your loyal support.

$Od-o/25

‘To all our fine

friends, we extend our very best

+ wishes for a most joyous holiday and
offer our appreciation for" your patronage.

Our Christmas wish

good wilt

toalimen, « |
peace,

and the
happiness
of giving.

From the Management & Stalt

Camera Crafts

1358 Cedar Ave., trail

HOLIDAY

V V. just know your

Christmas will be a

"grand slam of a holiday!

It's a pleasure to be

at your service.

fame oo

“Outfitters of Champions”
ve. seeazze

Warmest Wishes,
Old Fashioned Cheer,
Merry Christmas,

Anderson Insurance

CASI pao

Aecncies Ltd.

Ph, 369-3392

Happy Year!

_Yesterday’s Treasures

601 Front St. |

NELSON “Ph, 352-7109

What have we to be
cheerful about this ‘Christ-
mas? :
We live today in a world
that has so mueh strife.

Every time we turn on the’

radio or television we find
reports of conflict between
people, between nations.
There are wars and threats
of war, many, I am sorry to
say,. fought in the name of
religion.

But the Bible tells us
that these things will happen,
For those that read God's
word this comes’as’ no sur-
prise. In Matthew 24 verse 6
it says “And ye shall hear of
wars and rumors of wars.”

In the Far East — Cam-
bodia, Vietnam — we see
thousands of people with
very little food, many very
sick with many diseases,
They are sent from one
country to the next with no
place to call home.

But again we are warned
of this in God's word. Matt-
hew 24, verse. 7 says “For
nation shall rise against
nation and:kingdom against
kingdom and there shall be
famines and pestilence and
earthquakes in divers
places.”

You may say ‘that have
we to look forward to?’ You
may say ‘I may as well go
partying and drinking this

hristmas; it may be my
last.’ You could be right — it
may be your last on earth.

Have you ever really
thought. why we celebrate
Christmas? Why is it a happy
time? Why do we give gifts?

Approximately 2,000
years ago, a child was born as
was foretold in the Old Testi-
ment Scriptures: In Luke 2
verse 10 it says “For to you is
born this day in the City of
David a Savior Who is Christ

So you see, it’s a very
(ase day to remember. It is
to remember the birth of
Jesus Christ, and the gifts we
give are like the gifts the
wise.men brought to Jesus.
They were given in love.
Ours should be given in the
same deep love; if you don’t
love the person, don’t give a

it.

We today have made a
mockery of that remem-
brance, as we have commer-
cialized Christmas to line our
- own pockets. Jesus told the
rich young ruler who asked
how he can enter the king-
dom of heaven to sell all his
possessions, give his money
to the poor and follow Him.

Let us remember this

Christmas the man who was:

born and died on the cross
that we may have everlasting
life. If we live the kind of life
that he laid out for us in
God's Word, then we shall
have peace in our hearts even
if not in the world around us;

NEWS/MIRROR CHRISTMAS EDITION

Christmas

It's vitae to say ale you ee

your loyal patronage throughout
1979, and wish everyone the best
of the Christmas season.

PETE’S TV Ltd.

CASTLEGAR

SEASON'S

eas ——-GREETING

“even if our neighbors don’t
forgive; love in our hearts
even if the world does not
love.

John 3 verse 16 says
“For God so loved the world
that He gave His only son so

that whoever believes in Him ff

should not perish but have
everlasting life

This Christmas, remem-
ber whose birth we are
remembering and why. Have

a happy time this Christmas. -

Have a cheerful Christmas

God wants us to be happy:

and cheerful. Go to the
church of your choice this
Christmas and thank God for

- whatever happiness you have

and ask Him for more, by
accepting His son Jesus
Christ as your personal
Savior.

May the love of the Lord
Jesus Christ be in your heart
this Christmas.

Holy Night

In the awesome

stillness of that

, Holy Night, the Christ
Child was bom. ~

May the true meaning of

Christmas fill your heart and homel

Todd and Gail Verhaeghe & Family

ATCO FLOORS.

Carpet Sales & Installation

1002 Columbia Ave., Castlegar

May your Christmas-be a .
bountiful feast of harmony

and joy with your loved ones.

“Serving you is always a pleasure

. thanks.

O01 Buy 364-2559
NELSON

409 Kootenay St.
352-3612