Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A Christmas Story, Chapter 4, In His Steps


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The following is Chapter 4 of A Christmas Story by Mike Furches. You can see the preceding prologue and Chapters in the archives or links section of this page. This story is copyrighted by Mike Furches and intent to publish in book form in 2015. This is the variation prior to final edit prior to publication.


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CHAPTER 4
IN HIS STEPS
By Mike Furches
 
Several months passed before and the Hamm’s hadn't heard anything from Detective Hay or the Owasso Police Department. From discussions with Detective Hay the Hamm’s understood this was typical. Unfortunately, lost or stolen goods where seldom recovered. There was hope though with the robbery occurring when it did that there would be a for recovery, or at the least, partial recovery of the items and the thief or thief’s  getting caught.
Turley was a small community just to north Tulsa. In the early 1900’s Tulsa was home to the largest race riot in United States History. A part of Tulsa known as the Greenwood District or The Black Wall Street was burnt to the ground and over 300 people were killed. To the southwest of Owasso was Turley, a small predominantly African American Community with a vast difference between the levels of living between the two. Owasso was an upper middle class community and predominately white while Turley is a lower income community. Separating the communities is Highway 75 and once crossing the highway it is fairly evident at the two differing neighborhoods and the environments the residents live in.
Detective Hay as was the case for most crimes committed in the Owasso City limits had filed reports with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Tulsa Police Department. It was not unusual that criminals crossed city limits to commit their crimes in the hopes of making it more difficult to get caught. Turley was small enough that the Tulsa Sheriff’s and Tulsa Police Department provided the bulk of protection. 
It was during the middle of February when Detective Hay received a phone call from the Tulsa Sheriff’s Department. On the other end of the line was Sergeant Jackson. Sergeant Jackson was a large black man, in his mid thirties, standing six feet one and weighing 200 pounds. He was a local man who had been a football star when in high school at Booker T. Washington and went on to play college football at Oklahoma State University. He took joy in serving the North Tulsa community because he realized it gave him the opportunity to be a good example to the young black men and women in the neighborhood looking for a way out of poverty. While there was still a significant number of impoverished homes in the area, they had seen an upswing of better jobs and home improvements in the area. Sergeant Jackson was involved in his church which had helped see to the redevelopment of the area. He had a deep voice that reminded one of a preacher they might see on one of the local television stations on any given night. He was a deeply religious man who loved his church but also loved giving back to his community.
“Detective Hay please?”  Sergeant Jackson asked when calling the Owasso station.
“Just one moment please”  The receptionist said in a pleasant voice.
A few moments later, “Detective Hay here.”  Detective Hay said.
“Hey Bob.  This is Mike Jackson with the Sheriffs department here in Tulsa.”
“Hey Mike, how you been doing haven’t seen or talked you in a while, I guess it's been since our churches did that pastor exchange a few months ago. What was that February during Black History Month?” Detective Hay asked in an obvious good mood talking to one of his friends in the faith whom he occasionally  worked with.
“Yea,  I guess it has been since then. We definitely need to get together more often.”  Sergeant Jackson said while at the same time in good spirits.
“Well lets make plans to go fishing next week up at Lake Oolagah. I’ll load the boat up and you can meet me here at the house around 5:00 in the morning. How about it? I am ready for a mess of crape.” Detective Hay asked.
“Sounds great. I’m off then and maybe we can have some luck with the stripped bass this time, you know I like catching those big ones as well." Sergeant Jackson changed his tone to a more serious one at this point, "Now to why I called you. Do you remember that robbery at Christmas with one of the families from your church?” Sergeant Jackson asked.
“Yea do you have something on it?” Detective Hay asked.
Sergeant Jackson responded, “You bet. We think we have at least one of the guys.  Possibly the only guy. I saw a kid driving a motorcycle that fit the description of the one stolen today and pursued him. He took off through a field near Turley and ended up wrecking the motorcycle after I pursued him for a little while. He ran into a fence while he was looking back.  Anyway, he destroyed the bike and tore up his leg some. He is doing fine, he had a few stitches and is down at Juvie right now. We’ve been trying to contact a parent but can’t find them. A typical story of a young man without any type of positive parental influence. Anyway, he is a young black man, 15 years old with a history of theft and gang problems. Anyway the serial numbers on the bike matched the one that was stolen. Unfortunately, the bike is destroyed. I doubt if it is salvageable except for a few parts here and there. We conducted a search of his parents house under reasonable suspicion. We also found a few things from the robbery but assume most everything else had been sold. Believe it or not though the kid, James Brisco, confessed to the theft. Is going to go before the judge on this one and may even end up doing some type of time likely also the fines and restitution that goes with it since it was at Christmas and got some press.”
“You’re kidding?” Detective Hay asked jumping in.
“Oh no I’m not.” Sergeant  Jackson responded. “The judge here gets pretty ticked when some one flees an officer in pursuit, that on top of everything else, with the confession will do him in. No one here forgot about the theft, especially it being at Christmas and all. Anyway the judge indicated some time back through the prosecutors office that he wanted us to pursue this one quite seriously. We don’t know what he can to do with the restrictions on juvenile offenses and all. I know you guys get as tired of all of the serious Juvies getting off as much as we do but the judge is considering pursuing this one as a habitual Juvenile offender which could keep him locked up for at least 3 years, possibly 5.”
“Well I guess you need the Hays’ to come down and identify the recovered property to make it stick don’t you?” Detective Hay asked, already knowing the answer.
“You bet, especially if they want any of their possessions back and the chance to see this kid get his due for this crime.” Sergeant Jackson stated.
Hesitating a moment and taking a sigh of relief Detective Hay responded, “Give me a couple of hours and I’ll have Charlie and Tayra right down.”
“Sounds great, will see you in a couple, I’ve got to finish the paperwork on this one anyway. About the time I get through will be about the time you arrive, maybe a few minuets early. If I’m not in the briefing room I’ll be at the second floor break room, just bring the Hay’s on up.”
“Will do, see you after while” Detective Hay said as he hung up the phone and reached for his rolodex in the same motion. 
After finding the number and making the call Detective Hay started, “Hey Charlie,  I hate to bother you but you need to get in touch with Tayra right away and have her meet you at your house. I’ll be by to pick you up within the next thirty minuets. You’ll never guess what kind of news I have for you…”
*****
James Brisco was a young man who looked no older than his fifteen years of age. His mannerisms were the only thing about him that had him seeming older. His eyes where cold and almost as dark as his skin. He had a medium to dark chocolate complexion and while he acted and looked like a tough kid it was evident by his youthful features that he was a young man.  James was a little less than six feet tall but had a slender, yet, muscular build. He didn't look like a body builder but more like a long distance runner, weighing around 160 pounds. He had short cropped hair, shaved on the sides and around the lower half of the hair line. It was short  and manicured, looking very nice and well kept. 
James Brisco took pride in how he looked. With the exception of the tear in his pants leg where he had wrecked the motorcycle his pants where long and baggy and obviously a designer line. His jeans matched the brand of his shirt. Both were neatly pressed and Brisco, as he preferred to be called had obviously taken pride and the time in his personal hygiene. He also wore his Jordan shoes with ankle socks. Even though he had just received a few stitches he strutted when walking. He exhibited pride and confidence in his every move.
Charlie and Tayra made a positive identification of the motorcycle and the few stolen goods recovered. Detective Hay took them back behind the one way glass to view him prior to being placed in lock down. It was unusual to let a victim view the perpetrator prior to sentencing  but one allowed at times due to the unusual circumstance of a crime. It was allowed here though due to the department catering to the request of one of their own from another department, Detective Hay.
Charlie and Tayra spoke a lot with each other after leaving the jail, most all of it centered around what would happen to James Brisco. Why was he so hard and confident? Why was it so important to him to look good in hid appearance and dress? It was obvious from what Detective Hay said that he didn't come from a family with money. For all practical purposes he didn’t have a family as Charlie and Tayra had known, certainly not one that seemed to care about him. 
As Detective Hay drove them home he brought up the thought that carried some weight in the decisions The Hamm's would make over the next weeks. “You know I just can’t figure it out myself.” Detective Hay stated with some concern, “I find myself in conflict with my faith all the time. I mean I really appreciate the move in the department to where my job is much safer for me but also to the point where there is not as much conflict with my faith, but sometimes it is hard. I mean just think about it, here I am working with the two of you and your kids and I want to see everything done right by you, but I am also now working with this kid who has never had much of a chance. Have the two of you been by Turley before?” Detective Hay asked.
“Not lately.” Charlie answered. “Why do you ask?”
“Well to look at this Brisco kid you would think he was well to do, but in reality he lives in this little shack with 2 younger brothers and a younger sister about 1 block off of 66th Street and Lewis. I drove by there before I came to get the two of you to try and get a read on the kid. I knew it would take a few minuets for the two of you to get home so I got the address from Sergeant Jackson and drove by. Well this kid apparently from what I was told has pretty much been raising his younger brothers and sister by himself. Anyway it’s just tough sometimes.”  Detective Hay responded with concern.
Tayra jumped in the conversation, “It seems like you would get used to it though Bob.  What makes it so difficult?”
“Do you remember that book by Charles Sheldon called ‘In His Steps?” Detective Hay asked.
Both Charlie and Tayra shook their heads yes but didn't saying anything.
“Well you know there is a question in the book which makes me think. You know the one where you are supposed to ask yourself, ‘What would Jesus do?’, like those bracelets that are so popular. Well, you see a kid who has obviously done wrong and you know the family has also likely done wrong. Well what do you do with that question about what would Jesus do? Really think about it, ‘What would Jesus do in this case?” Detective Hay just shook his head for a few seconds after asking this question again. Not so much as a point of reference for Charlie and Tayra to think about but something he was thinking himself.
As Detective Hay started to get on Highway 244 and go towards Owasso Charlie spoke up, using Detective Hay’s first name, “Bob, would you mind going ahead and going north on Highway 75 and showing us where the Brisco kid lives?” Tayra shook her head in affirmation of Charlie’s  question. “I think the both of us would like to see where this kid lives as well.”
“Sure no problem.” Detective Hay answered.
Charlie and Tayra were surprised at how small the house was. It was a white frame house in desperate need of painting. It was clearly less than 800 square feet. There was a garage to the side of the house used for storage and a fence around the yard which clearly indicated, ‘Keep Out’. In the front yard was a lot of toys for the brothers and sister. The house had bed sheets hanging from the two front windows for curtains and it was clear the windows needed replacing due to either being broken. The sheets were blowing in and out due to the wind. This was a neighborhood Charlie and Tayra would not have felt safe in except for the security and sanctuary of the police car they where riding in.  
Tayra asked while looking at the toys as they drove by. “What will happen to the children Bob, the two little brothers and the sister?”
“Right now we are trying to locate the parents or relatives. If we get in touch with them and they want them, then depending on the conditions of their homes and the lives they live, they may or may not get custody. Until then they will go into foster care, probably separated from each other. It all depends on a lot of different things though. It is my guess that James was raising them by himself the best he could, so they’ll more than likely end up in foster care.”
Charlie and Tayra just shook their heads in shock while at the same time thinking of the earlier question Detective Hay had asked of himself, “What would Jesus do?”.

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 The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.

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Friday, October 24, 2014

A Christmas Story, Chapter 3, Robbed

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The following is Chapter 3 of A Christmas Story by Mike Furches.  You can see the preceding prologue and Chapters in the archives or links section of this page. This story is copyrighted by Mike Furches and intent to publish in book form in 2015.  This is the variation prior to final edit prior to publication.



www.thevirtualpew.com

From A Christmas Story
By Mike Furches
Chapter 3
Robbed
            Christmas morning came quickly for the Hamm’s. Tayra was correct in her assumption, it was close to 8:30 before Sammy and Brenda woke up. Kari was doing great and sleeping  through the night, usually from around 9 PM in the evening until 8 AM. It was closer to 10:30 PM on Christmas Eve before she went to sleep meaning that it would likely be as late as 9:30 or 10 before waking if her parents didn't wake her.
Charlie’s intended the family walk into the family room together to see what was under the tree. Tayra and Charlie always did this as a family tradition. The presents the children received were put out the night before, especially the large presents difficult to disguise. Everyone except Kari was excited standing outside the doors of the family room. They were jovial because they knew they were getting to celebrate the birth of Christ but they also recognized and enjoyed the tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts.
"Everyone ready to go in and see what Santa has left us?" Charlie asked with excitement.
"Yea." Everyone responded with enthusiasm.
"All right lets do it." Charlie answered opening the door.
The look of joy and excitement ended abruptly for Charlie and Tayra. Inside the family room was a turned over Christmas tree and no presents. Brenda and Sammy would have thought it a practical joke had it not been for the surprised look on their parents faces. They also noticed the muddy foot prints throughout the living room going from the tree to the open window facing the street. Not only where there no presents under the tree, when Charlie and Tayra looked outside they also noticed that the motorcycle was gone.
Little Kari started crying as her mother had started. Tayra realized what had happened and that their Christmas was not going to be so good. It wasn’t that Tayra was upset about not getting anything, she realized the children wouldn't have any presents for Christmas. Everything was gone and there was no way they could replace it. They Hamm's had little money left and the presents purchased were purchased throughout the year. While some had theft insurance their policy only covered disaster. Charlie and Tayra removed the theft clause to save money. After all, they lived in a good neighborhood and didn't worry about things like this. It seemed to Charlie as if time was standing still during the time the family stood in the door way. No sounds were made with the exception of Tayra and Kari who were both crying. Charlie put his arm around his wife and told Sammy, "Son get me the telephone."
"Here Dad." Sammy said after getting the phone. Charlie dialed 911.
"911, what is your emergency?" The dispatcher said.
Charlie responded in a monotone tone, indicating signs of shock, "Can you send someone here right away. We’ve been robbed."
 ******
            The Hamm’s felt lucky because they knew Detective Hay who was a member of their church. Detective Hay was a slender man standing six feet tall. His salt and pepper hair gave him a measure of dignity and respect. He was a gentle man, yet, firm with the law. Detective Hay was in his mid fifties and had made the police force a life long career. He was a policeman who sincerely cared about serving the public and helping out people in need.
When holiday duty came up he was the first to volunteer because he realized that many of his fellow officers were younger and would appreciate the time with their families. It was hard enough being a police officer without taking time away from ones family.
When getting the call Detective Hay thought the address sounded familiar but he didn't put it together until he got to within a block of the Hamm’s. He never made many calls to the neighborhood due to the lack of crime but he had visited it on occasion for Bible studies and small group activities through the church.
Detective Hay always tried to serve the victims of crime. He had some challenges since joining the Mennonite Church. He questioned how he could love someone he may have to shoot while on duty and what it meant to ultimately love someone. Historically the Mennonites where people who refused to take up arms, often times during war serving as conscientious objectors. He struggled with the issue and was able to resolve it by requesting to be put on robbery investigation duty or other jobs within the force that had it less likely to draw his weapon. Since he had been with the force for close to 30 years his request was honored. It was also the little things of helping his fellow officers which made the decision to serve in this capacity possible. It was tough to accept among some of the officers and even some in his extended family at first, there was concern about if he would be able to pull his weapon and protect others, including his fellow officers if the need ever arose. He had shown his willingness with conviction and firmness on one occasion shortly after asking for special privileges and it gave assurance to his fellow officers that he could be trusted. It was still difficult for him to carry a gun but he knew the chances of using it may be required but those chances were minimal. Even in situations where warrants were served the department had the general rank and file serving most of the warrants. While there were times Officer Hay had some difficulty with his job, he took his job seriously and the obligation to protect human life while seeking justice was clearly illustrated in his work.
While Detective Hay had made serious changes and requests due to his religious beliefs, he didn't pressure others to hold to those beliefs. In private and respectful conversations he was clear as to his position that Jesus Christ was God’s Son and the only means of salvation. He  realized long ago that the Holy Spirit was the one, sometimes with the help of people, who put people under conviction about changing their need of God.
Detective Hay felt close to the Hamm’s. He saw the family at church and had been involved with them in numerous church activities. He always felt you could tell a lot about a family by the children in that family. Being involved with the police force for as long as he had been helped educate him to the importance of the family raising children appropriately and involving them in church. He realized that many of the problems he had encountered through his years on the force was primarily from individuals had a lack of positive parental influence. Many of those families were single parent homes where the parent raising the children worked and left the children at home much of the time to fend for themselves. This was not always the case but it would surprise most at the magnitude of the problem. On occasion Detective Hamm watched television shows, hear messages or participate in community discussions addressing this problem. It was often done without a true understanding of what was happening in society. It was obvious to him that if people truly understood the magnitude of the problem there would be more efforts to address the lack of parental influence in society as opposed to coming up with numerous excuses that allowed the problem to continue and in many ways, even get worse.
Detective Hay investigated the scene for close to an hour, speaking primarily with Charlie and Tayra. They were reluctant to involve the children to much because Detective Hamm, Charlie, Tayra and the other police officer at the scene knew how difficult it would be for the children to hear about everything they would have gotten for Christmas. There were several times that both Charlie and Tayra cried when describing what was stolen. It brought out the reality that as far as the knew, this Christmas, their children would have nothing.
There were times Detective Hay and Officer Likens involved the children because the children had purchased gifts for the family from earnings from chores around the house and part time jobs. As Charlie listened in to when his children were questioned he was proud of how Sammy and Brenda handled themselves. They were dealing with the situation much better than he or Tayra. Charlie also felt peace come over him as the investigation concluded because he realized his children had learned the true meaning of Christmas. To them, this was the observation of Jesus Birth and that was more important to them than the gifts they would have received. It is not as if the children didn’t hurt about their presents being stolen, they did but Charlie also realized that God had blessed his and Tayra’s efforts at  raising their children.
"Where do we go from here?" Charlie asked Detective Hay as he and Officer Likens started to leave.
"It’s hard to say Charlie. Usually we start checking around to see if anyone is trying to pawn the stuff or sell it in some way like at Craigslist or eBay. That takes some time. We have a huge back load and often times the stuff has been sold by the time we can get an officer out. I do believe that in this case though, with it happening at Christmas, that we have a good chance of finding out who stole the stuff. I know I'll make it a point to speed up the investigation right away. I also know that most of the force have families of their own and will be thinking about if this had happened to them. Most of them are really good and I see them taking this case personally." Detective Hay responded, showing concern, yet being honest and sincere.
"Is there a chance that we’ll get any of the gifts back?" Brenda asked. Charlie started to say something because he felt the question might not be appropriate but he realized that for his children the answer might be important.
Detective Hay responded while looking at Charlie and then turning his response towards the children. " I think we’ll probably get some of them back but it’s hard to say. That’s why I won’t make any promises other than we'll do our best." Detective Hay turning towards Charlie continued, "I will say this though. I am confident that whoever stole the gifts from you will be caught and be held accountable."
"Thanks Bob" Charlie said as Detective Hay left.
Detective Hay, knew this was the first time since arriving that Charlie used his first name understood that Charlie had confidence in him and appreciated  his handling of the investigation. This was why he had joined the force, to help people in their time of need. In a strange sort of way he was glad he could help someone from his church. He knew he could make help someone he cared about and who was a part of his spiritual family. He would hope to never have to help in this capacity but he knew the world was not a perfect place. He responded to the Hamm’s as he left. "You’re welcome and I promise I'll do my best. I’m also going to pray for you and if there is anything me or my family can do to help please let us know and we’ll be right here."
"Thanks." Tayra said, not wanting to say more because she might start crying again and realizing that Charlie was already to choked up to say anything else.
As the left, Officer Likens didn't say anything, but thought "If only other Christians cared the way these seems to." He was going through his own issues related to faith and it was good for him to see examples like had just seen.
******
It was surprising at how quickly the afternoon arrived at the Hamm’s house. The first guest started arriving around 1:30 PM on Christmas Day. The first where the Loewens. They where a family which had been involved at the church for over 50 years. Jack and Zelma where Mennonites who had been raised in the Mennonite Church. Jack’s great grandfather and Zelma’s great grandmother arrived in America at the turn of the century as immigrants from Prussia. The Hamm's where surprised at the amount of food the Loewens had brought with them.
It didn't take long before the Hamm’s realized that Detective Bob Hay had called the church to inform the prayer line about what had happened. After getting in touch with Pastor Steve it wasn't long before many of the church members on the phone making calls requesting prayer and support for the Hamm’s. This was one of the aspects of the Mennonite Church that had drawn Charlie into the church. The concern and love the people showed each other,  especially in times of need. It was unparalleled to any church Charlie had ever been a part of or visited.
By the end of the afternoon the Hamm’s had more than 10 families visit their home bringing gifts of food and presents for the children. Many of the items which had been described to Detective Hay was told to the pastors of the church, who in return, shared the information with the members of the congregation. Detective Hay even came by with his family and had his oldest son who had gone to college follow him on a motorcycle that had belonged to him to give to Sammy. The Hamm’s where amazed at the number of gifts they received. Almost all of the gifts had been replaced. It was upon seeing the motorcycle that Detective Hay's son gave that Charlie broke down in tears, again.
Charlie appreciated the gifts but he was confident that neither he or his family deserved this outpouring of love. "Bob, you didn’t need to do this. I mean a motorcycle is really too much to give," as Bob presented Sammy the keys.
"I don’t want to hear it Charlie. Dave and I spoke about it and the fact that he is in college now and never drives the thing anymore made it an easy decision. Dave decided that he was going to buy a new motorcycle this summer anyway and that he wanted to see his old bike go to someone who would appreciate it."
"That’s right Mister Hamm" Dave responded. "Besides, isn’t that a lot of what Christmas is about? Dad always taught us that the ultimate gift that first Christmas was something we didn’t deserve but God gave it to us anyway. Just let this old yellow motorcycle be a reminder of what God gave us in His Son, a sacrifice but a sacrifice given out of love."
Dave was a tall young man, standing over six feet three inches, he weighed close to 220 pounds and had always been active. His long, shoulder length, black hair blowing in the cool wind have convinced a passerby that he was a Native American from behind but he wasn't as far as anyone in the family knew. "Well thanks and I know Sammy really appreciates it." Charlie responded with tears starting to form.
"Yea, really thanks." Sammy responded doing everything he could to keep from shouting with joy about the most excellent gift. Sammy knew the bike wasn't new but that didn’t matter. The motorcycle as far as he was concerned was just broken in. The speedometer had less than 10,000 miles and the Yamaha Enduro with a 250cc engine was the perfect gift, both ready to play in the dirt and drive on the streets. This, was as far as Sammy was concerned, better than any bike his parents could have bought him for the simple reason that it allowed him to enjoy the best of both worlds. He could use it to drive to school and run errands because it was street legal but it was also made so that he could ride on many of the trails around the Arkansas River and many of the lakes around the area. Lake Skiatook not only was a large lake with lots of trails but there were many hills he could ride on and enjoy. Sammy overheard his father tell Detective Hay about the motorcycle which was stolen. It was a street bike and would not have been one he could play on like the one just given him. Sammy gladly accepted the keys with the understanding that if the other motorcycle was recovered then he would have to give this one to someone in need of transportation or in need of a blessing. With this in mind, Sammy gladly accepted the motorcycle.
Before long the evening was upon them and it was almost time for the family devotions which was a regular event in the Hamm’s household before bed. That evening was an example to the family of how God continually provides for His children. God seemed to always provide the needs and often times offered the wants as blessings. There was the obvious example of the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s Son but there were many other examples on this Christmas Day. God used the Church and its people as messengers of love. Kari received many gifts, much more than what was originally under the tree. Brenda got her stereo and Sammy his motorcycle. Neither of the later two where new but they where both gifts the children would enjoy because of the way they received them but they where also bigger and in some ways nicer, although older than what Charlie and Tayra had gotten them.
For Charlie and Tayra they received the gift and reminder of a new expanded family. Many in the church who came by with food and gifts where members they had not known so well in the past. Yet now Charlie understood even more of his own need to be around and help when need be these who went out of their way to show love for the Hamm's. God blessed the Hamm’s this Christmas season despite what they had experienced earlier in the day. Charlie especially realized, "While one may not have awareness of what to expect through the day, if given opportunity, despite the storm clouds that may present themselves early in the day, given time, God can still make rainbows despite the storms in life."
As the days went by many more from the church brought gifts and food for the family. This continued until the middle of January. It was a Christmas season the Hamm's would look back on and for years, remembering the Christmas that almost wasn’t. As they discovered though the meaning of this Christmas had not really sunk in due to the fact that God still had something important to show them, the members of Discovery Bible Fellowship and others Charlie did not yet.  

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 The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.

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Thursday, October 16, 2014

A Christmas Story, Chapter 2, Christmas Eve

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The following is Chapter 2 of A Christmas Story by Mike Furches.  You can see the preceding prologue and Chapter 1 in the archives or links section of this page. This story is copyrighted by Mike Furches and intent to publish in book form in 2015.  This is the variation prior to final edit prior to publication. 



From A Christmas Story
By Mike Furches
www.mosaicwichita.com
CHAPTER 2
Christmas Eve

            The Hamm’s home was a nice, two-story split level located in one of the new subdivisions in Owasso. Owasso was a fast growing bedroom community North of Tulsa, and predominately Caucasian. The income for most homes was in the middle to upper class status. Few minorities lived in Owasso although there had been a influx of Hispanic workers. There was a large transfer of Hispanics from Texas for chicken processing plant. There were few Blacks and Asians. There was a larger number of Native Americans due to the large population of Original Americans in the area as a hold over from Oklahoma Territory being set up for reservations. The Original American population was larger than other population groups with the exception of Caucasians but in comparison with other communities across Oklahoma, Owasso had fewer Native Americans per capita than most communities across the state. Even with this the case Owasso took pride in its Original American heritage.  Even the name Owasso meant End of the Trail and it respected everyone making up its community.
Charlie and Tayras’ home sat off of 76th Street North. Driving to work Charlie accessed Highway 169 just by pulling out of his driveway, turning west, going approximately 2 miles and getting on Highway 169 South towards Tulsa. Highway 169 a 4 lane expressway into Tulsa allowed him to be at work in 20 minuets. The actual mileage between the two cities limits was only three miles but with the early morning traffic it took longer to get to work.
Friends and family visiting the Hamm’s from out of state were surprised at the number of lakes in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is among the top states with the number of miles of coast line, including all bodies of water. The area surrounding Tulsa is hilly with plush green surroundings. During the seasons, especially the fall, there are flowering plants throughout the region. This all created a much more beautiful impression of Oklahoma than most realized.
In the area around Owasso there was a change in scenery with fewer hills especially to its north going towards the Kansas state line. All across Tulsa and most of the North East region of the state there was a number of forests with beautiful streams and hills. There were other areas where it was flat, and not much to see other than the tall grass prairies. When going North towards Kansas, Owasso was the first area where this became obvious.
The Hamm’s moved to Owasso due to its close proximity to Tulsa and American Airlines where Charlie worked and it had a good reputation for their schools. While many schools had good reputations in the area, Owasso students tested exceptionally well on state and national tests and it was close to work. A large percentage of students went to college where they also excelled. This was important to Charlie and Tayra due to their own interests for their children to do well and prepare for the future. After living in Owasso for awhile they realized that not everything was as rosy as they had first thought. Owasso like any community had their share of problems but it was a community they where still pleased to live in and be a part of. They also knew that while every community and every school has some to be desired, it was still superior to others public schools in the area.
******

Charlie enjoyed Christmas more than any of the holidays and his house showed it. While the region surrounding Tulsa was noted for their decorations during the Holidays Charlie and Tayra had a house which exhibited the holiday spirit. The two-story-split-level home had lights surrounding the frame of the house all of the way around the eves. They had candles in each window and a large beautiful lighted green wreath on the front door adorned with red ribbons. In the front of the yard was a unique full sized, life like nativity. It had all of the traditional things, the shepherds, three kings, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and animals but it also had a figurine of Santa Claus kneeling at the manger of the baby Jesus. There was a flood light on the nativity changing colors and a hidden speaker playing the songs, Away in A Manger, and It Came Upon A Midnight Clear. The house was not decorated in a gaudy way as many houses often were during the holidays, it was neat and attractive. It was a house people drove by when out driving and looking at lights and many were impressed with it because of its simplicity and appreciation that it wasn't as much like the Griswold house with Steve Martin from the movie A Christmas Story. Instead there was a lot to see and it was tastefully done.
Charlie sat on the living room couch with his arm around Tayra looking at the Christmas tree and listening to a mix of Christmas music he had put together on his Mp3 player. It included everything from Classic Christmas Carols like Joy to the World and songs by Andy Williams and other Classical artists to some newer contemporary Christmas songs like Tennessee Christmas by Amy Grant, and others by Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace and others. He even had a few Chipmunk Christmas songs for the kids but truth was, Charlie liked those songs as much as the kids. Charlie and Tayra put the kids to bed almost two hours ago and were confident they were asleep. The two of them were starting to get tired themselves.
The Hamm’s were not going to have a huge Christmas this year but they were going to have a very nice Christmas. Charlie always saw to it that his family got most of what they wanted for Christmas, not because he believed in the commercialism of Christmas but he saw it as an opportunity to show his family how much he loved them. Charlie and Tayra also made it a point over the last 15 years to make sure they had their children go through their possessions and clear them out prior to Christmas most of the time delivering the goods to ministries and other places they knew there would be children who would appreciate any gift they got. They did this annually with the gifts being used and others practically new but all of them almost like new. Charlie never liked giving away things that were of no value. He had volunteered on a regular basis at a church named Mosaic that did a lot of work for the homeless. He had unfortunately seen soiled toys, stuffed animals, blankets and the like donated to that ministry, even at time seeing people donate spoiled food. Pastor Mike at Mosaic always expressed his gratitude for the gifts but had decided some time ago that he just didn't have the manpower to sort through donations of the sort. Through this Charlie learned to think beforehand about what type of impression it would give to someone who had always been given used broken items or items of no value like the things he had seen donated to Mosaic.
In the background of the living room there were the soft carols of Mannheim Steamroller and Kenny G now playing. The music was all instrumental but easy and pleasing to the ears. It was nice because Charlie had just taken off the music of The Tractors, a popular country swing band out of Tulsa that he enjoyed. While their music and c.d. was enjoyable it was definitely upbeat and at times humorous. Charlie moved closer to Tayra putting his arm around her and snuggling up to her. "Church sure was good tonight wasn’t it?"
"Yea everything except the rain storm and getting there a little late." Tayra responded as she reached down and placed Charlie’s hand in hers. She gently rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb as they sat there snuggle up with the soft sounds of Christmas playing through their sound system.
Charlie chuckled, "Well at least I don’t have to wash my hair tonight before foing to bed."
"I guess not." Tayra responded with a smile as she snuggled even closer, putting her head on his chest.
"Charlie?" Tayra asked.
"Yea, Honey."
"Do you really think the kids will have a good Christmas this year, I mean Brenda and Sammy didn’t really get a lot of stuff?"
"No but they got pretty much what they wanted and what they wanted cost a pretty penny. We got that stereo and ring for Brenda and Sammy has a new motorcycle parked out front that he doesn't know about yet. That’s besides the other little things they have under the tree like clothes, c.d.’s and things from others in the family." Charlie responded.
"Yea I guess that’s right." Tayra answered. "I can’t wait to see Sam’s eyes, especially after the presents for Kari and Brenda have been opened. He'll get down to his last present, the little box you have hid under the tree stand that tells him to go look outside. I guess that up until then he'll be thinking he doesn't have much and didn’t get much this year. Then he"ll see his new motorcycle." Tayra’s eyes lit up because she remembered the times Charlie fooled the family into thinking they were not getting much and surprised them with either wrapping boxes in boxes to disguise the gift or to at times kidding them and telling them exactly what they had in a present all of the time knowing they didn’t believe him. This was a pleasant memory for Tayra because Charlie didn't give her an engagement ring when they got married because he just didn't have the money. It wasn't until they had been married for three years before she got her ring. It was the Christmas he wrapped the ring in a box with a brick in it, telling her all of the time it was her ring but knowing she didn't believe him.
The two sat there talking and reflecting on past Christmases when the clock chimed that it was now 1 AM.
"I guess it's bedtime. We have everything out and the kids know better than to come in here until we are up. I know they will be up by at least  they will be up 6 AM trying to get us up." Charlie said.
Tayra replied, "I really think they will sleep in tomorrow until at least 8:00. Sammy and Brenda are old enough that they know what they need to do and Kari is so young that she doesn't realize what is going on."
"Yea, I guess we have a couple of years before we start getting woke up at 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning. Of course Sammy and Brenda could fool us, we will have to wait and see, and pray that they sleep in." Charlie said laughing. Then realized the clock had chimed at 1 AM he bent down to her as she lay her head on his chest and kissed Tayra, "Merry Christmas honey."
"Merry Christmas." She responded after the kiss. "Come and lets go on to bed and get some rest." They got up from the couch and started walking down the hallway towards their bedroom. They turned off the lights on the tree and around the house, including the outside. They left the living room area shutting the sliding privacy doors into the living room which keep the room from being visible to the kids once waking up. They children may wake and go to the kitchen to get something to eat before Charlie and Tayra but Charlie and Tayra knew they would not go into the living room until everyone was up. Charlie and Tayra had also given strict instructions that Sammy and Brenda were to either be in their room doing whatever, or in the kitchen eating breakfast but they were not to go into the living room or outside. This would keep Sammy from seeing his motorcycle parked in the driveway which was only visible from Charlie and Tayra’s bedroom and the living room. As Charley and Tayra walked upstairs they peeked into each of the children’s bedrooms and sure enough they were sound asleep. It wasn’t long until they were both in their room sound asleep.

The lights were turned off both inside and out, and the person in the car parked a half a block down noticed, the Hamm's were obviously going to bed.
******
The Hamm's sleep restfully except for a brief moment when Charlie thought he heard a noise downstairs and later a vehicle leaving near their house. He started to get up but realized  that Tayra had not moved. He thought that what he heard was from a dream or his imagination. After all the furnace often kicked in it made noises and Charlie thought it could have been the sound he thought he heard. After thinking about this a few moments he went back to sleep without any difficulty. 

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

A Christmas Story, Chapter 1: The Center Candle



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CHAPTER 1
THE CENTER CANDLE

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 The Advent Service was a Christian Celebration rather new to the Mennonite Brethren Church. It is a celebration of Jesus' birth carried out on the four Sunday’s leading up to Christmas. Advent is celebrated mostly in Liturgical churches, Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran and others of the sort. While practiced over the years, Advent was foreign to many Anabaptists. Many Mennonites didn’t have the closest relationships with people of these faiths and many were originally against observing Advent. As far as most Mennonites were concerned it was the faith of many of the Liturgical churches who had been responsible for the martyrdom over the years of thousands of their ancestors. The Martyrs Mirror and Foxes Book of Martyrs illustrated the stories of many Anabaptist Mennonites. While the Mennonites Anabaptist faith was a faith that displayed love to others; it was also a faith that knew its history.
Many faith groups had come a long ways over the course of centuries and the Mennonite and Liturgical churches had come to respect certain aspects about each others faith. As many Mennonites started understanding the importance of Christ commandment to love all people they had a better understanding of Advent and the focus on Christ during each Sunday leading up to Christmas. The focus on the prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament, holiness, the respect, understanding and role of the angels, shepherds, Jesus birth, and the reverence shown to God during this season was something the church readily accepted and incorporated into their services.
Advent services in many Mennonite churches where not what rigidly religious. They often involved children and humor. They included anything that helped the congregation think about Christ birth. The Mennonite Church was much closer in theology and beliefs to their Baptist friends than those of the Liturgical faith groups. Mennonites see themselves as  people of faith who believe that the most important things in their lives is loving God, accepting Christ, and showing others Jesus love through their examples and actions. It was for this reason and a time of reflection regarding the ultimate gift of God that many Mennonites started observing Advent.
********
This Christmas Eve was one where Santa was going to have difficulty getting his reindeer to land on the rooftop at Charlie and Tayra Hamm's house. It was raining the proverbial cats and dogs and the temperature was just cold enough to give you a cold chill. The hope for snow was there but the temperature was only supposed to get down into the low 40’s. This was unfortunately typical for the winter months of Northeast Oklahoma. There was the understanding that local native Will Rogers knew what he was talking about when he said; “if you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait a minute.”
Charlie and Tayra had 3 children, Sammy a 16 year old high school sophomore at Owasso High School, his twin sister Brenda named after Charlie’s late mother and the newborn daughter Kari.
Sammy was a well built young man who enjoyed sports, especially football and wrestling. He stood 6 feet tall, weighed 180 pounds and it was obvious that he spent a lot of time in the weight room. He seldom carried more than 10% body fat. This was due to his participation in wrestling and trying to keep his weight at a comfortable weight while at the same time maintaining the benefits of training in the weight room. As far as many of the girls at school were concerned, he was a "hunk". His long blonde hair, reaching down just to the center crest of the top of his back was always clean and kept back in a pony tail. When it wasn’t in a pony tail it would come down to his shoulders around the slender curvature of his face. Of course this changed for Sammy during wrestling season when he kept his hair shorter so he wouldn’t have to wear a hair covering underneath his headgear. He tried the hair cover once but it kept getting pulled over his eyes. He eventually decided the length of his hair wasn’t worth the discomfort. 
Sam’s’ hair seemed even brighter next to the contrast of his dark skin. His mom, of Cuban decent passed to him his dark complexion but he definitely got the blonde hair from his father's side of the family. This along with his dark brown eyes had him at the top of the popularity list at school. It wasn’t his features though that was responsible for him being at the top of the popularity list. He was a genuinely nice kid who studied hard and always going out of his way to be friendly with the new faces showing up at one of Oklahoma’s largest and fastest growing schools, Owasso High School.
Brenda, Sam's twin sister had many of the same features. She was shorter, only standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall and slender only weighing 115 pounds. She also had long blonde hair, a little longer than Sammy’s, especially during the winter months when Sammy was wrestling. He occasionally wrestle in the summer months but he didn’t have the restrictions during Freestyle and Greco wrestling that he did during High School folk-style wrestling.  They were three different styles with different rules, one of which was hair restrictions.
Brenda’s face was a tad rounder than Sammy’s, she had green eyes instead of brown and was also physically active and involved with sports. Her sports of choice were soccer and anything having to do with running. She ran on the track and cross-country team at school and while not a superstar, was a valuable member of the teams she was on because she took the team concept seriously. While cross-country and track in particular always seemed like an individual sport, Brenda always appreciated the value of contributing to a team score which was a reflection not just on her but her teammates and school.
While Brenda didn’t have the large biceps due to being a female she did had a solid muscular build, especially so in her legs. She often worked out with weights with Sammy and her dad but she did not spend as much time training her legs as her brother and father. Her legs where just as developed as Sammy’s and more so than her fathers due to all of the running and soccer. She preferred to participate in natural training methods for her legs since she was did so much running.  She also trained her core abdominal muscles and upper body which gave her a solid and firm physique.
Brenda was a girl many of the boys at school talked about wanting to date because she was so attractive. They didn't know her dad wouldn't allow her to date most of them and she wouldn't consider dating them anyway. She knew some of the boys only wanted to date her because she was attractive or saw her as a challenge, almost like a game competition. A date with her would be something to talk about among their friends. Brenda was careful when she started dating. She only went out with people who either attended church or took their faith in Jesus seriously. Her faith, as it was for everyone in her family was important and she was committed to be an example of Christ to others by living as much as possible with a Christ like attitude.  She believed that she should maintain a lasting love and perfect love in Jesus. She wasn’t interested in a dating relationship at this point in her life, a friendship, yes, but anything more; ‘no thank you!’  
Brenda knew her witness to others was important enough that when in public she knew that as much as possible, she needed to exemplify and model Christ. This was prevalent in all areas of her life and she had been outspoken about it among her friends who did not always understand why she was so dedicated to being a Jesus Freak.
Brenda had taken a purity pledge that she would not have sex with anyone until married. She held the conviction that to remain a virgin prior to marriage was possible and while it may be hard, she still made a commitment to save herself for marriage. She believed that sex was a way of expressing the ultimate love towards another individual and that in God’s eyes sex constituted marriage and exemplified that perfect and ultimate love. Many of her friends, even her Christian friends did not understand this and many of them refused to practice what they had heard from the pulpits of their church and in scripture. Brenda was reassured because; almost every time one of her friends had sex and talked about it there was always the feeling of regret, if not in the moment, then certainly later when in some occasions pregnancy occurred, or in others when the relationship with the other person was over. Brenda knew there was nothing wrong with children but she also understood the difficulties of raising children those without full-time jobs had in providing for and caring for those children. In  most cases, it was the grandparents who became the parents whether the children having children realized it or not. Brenda had seen first hand that far more times than not, the sexual escapades were spoken about in disrespectful ways and the relationships between teen lovers tended to be short instead of enduring. Brenda spoke to friends who had remained a virgin until married and knew from speaking to them that she was making the right decision. Not only was it possible, it was what was best.
Kari the youngest child of Charlie and Tayra was a miracle baby. She had a much different physical appearance than either Sammy or Brenda. Kari was a little girl, only 6 months old was petite when born and a pleasant surprise at the time. Charlie and Tayra where both in their late thirties and had not planed to have anymore children. They soon realized they didn’t have complete control over that decision. They weren't displeased with Kari, in many ways she brought everyone in the family much closer. Kari rekindled the joy of parenthood for Charlie and Tayra.
Kari’s birth brought back joyous memories of when Brenda and Sammy where babies. Charlie and Tayra were able to enjoy Kari a little more because there was only one baby as opposed to two. Kari was a bundle of joy to the Hamm’s and even Brenda and Sammy enjoyed the addition of a baby sister. It was hard for Sammy and Brenda to believe she was as different in appearance from her siblings as she was.
Kari weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces when born and was 20 inches long. She gained weight quickly and was now wearing 9 month sized clothes. She had dark hair, almost black with a little curl to it. She looked like her mother Tayra when she was that age. Kari was an exceptionally good baby. She slept through the night from the second week they brought her home from the hospital and she hardly ever cried or pitched fits. It was a joy to wake her and change her in the mornings because she always seemed to have an infectious smile on her face.   
Charlie and Tayra were both in their late thirties. Charlie was 38 and Tayra 37. They met while in college and married when Charlie was 20 and Tayra was 19. While in college they both realized they were young and had a ways to go before finishing college but they also understood the love they had for each other and wanted to get married as soon as possible. They never regretted their marriage at an early age and the length of time they had been married and their children where evidence they made the right decision.
Charlie was a handsome man and looked younger than his age, primarily due to his almost fanatical efforts at taking care of himself. He enjoyed lifting weights with his son and daughter and playing soccer for the American Airlines soccer team which played in a Tulsa adult league. Charlie had blonde hair much like that of his twins and he stood six feet 1inch. Sammy, his son was about the same height was expected that he would grow at least three more inches, putting him at two inches taller than his father.
Charlie was the type of man admired by his family. He made every effort to be the best father and husband he could. Even in difficult times Charlie found ways to take care of his family and keep them strong in their faith. Charlie had put on some weight since college, while in college he weighed 175 pounds but had gained 25 pounds since graduation. Much of the weight gain was due to working out so much and had gained muscle instead of fat. Charlie was into body building and was faithful in his workout regimen. He worked out at least 4 times a week and worked each body part at least twice a week except for legs which he worked once a week. He also alternated the types exercises for each body part at least twice monthly. He understood the concept of shocking the muscle with variety if it was to keep growing. His high protein diet and supplements helped. He had fallen in love with the supplements from a company called Advocare based out of Texas. He became familiar with them when his son started using the products during wrestling season.
With Charlie’s close cut, cropped blond hair, thick neck and 20 inch biceps he was a man that on first appearance one would not want to challenge in a fight. While he was well developed in a muscular perspective, he was also lean enough that he was quick and not muscle bound like many weight lifters he had worked out with in the gym. Even then though, Charlie understood that the myths of being muscle bound and not being agile were in fact, just that, myths. He knew that many of those in the gym had diligently worked on flexibility and many were in fact more flexible than he. Charlie’s only weak body part was his legs. His legs had the muscle mass but he was always jealous to some extent of his daughter Brenda’s muscle definition. He understood this was due to her large amount of aerobic activity. Charlie held down his aerobic activity to weekly soccer games and practice once a week and 30-45 minuets of aerobic activity for warm up or cool down purposes combined before and/or after his weight training work-outs.
Charlie’s high calorie intake from his meals enabled him to maintain muscle mass. He knew there was something about genetics when it came to body building and his legs where just a weak part of his genetic make up. He would never enter a body building contest, wouldn’t even desire to but Charlie had done all he could with what God gave him. He believed his body was a temple and others who saw him on the beach or at the local swimming pool saw that as well. 
Charlie, originally from Wichita, Kansas realized his greatest asset was his wife Tayra. She was of Cuban descent and they met while in college at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Charlie’s mom wanted him to go to either Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas or Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas but Charlie was offered a scholarship to play football at Furman in Greenville and decided to go there. It was a larger school which had an excellent athletic and academic credentials. It was a school which gave Charlie the chance to play against larger schools including Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech and Florida State among others. For a young man coming from Kansas this was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up. He gladly turned down the opportunities of two NAIA smaller colleges to compete on a NCAA Division 1 level where he would have the chance to compete against top NCAA Division 1 teams, plus have the opportunity to see another part of the country.
Furman was good for Charlie. It was during his freshman year when he turned his ankle during football practice when this seemingly bad event had him go to physical therapy where he first met his future wife, Tayra. She was an assistant athletic trainer. She caught Charlie’s attention immediately. She was an assistant trainer for the football team and seemed to always be helping one of the athletes with an injury. Charlie noticed her prior to his injury working on some of the athletes in the training room. She was beautiful with long, dark, almost black, wavy hair. Tayra was of medium height, standing five feet, five inches tall and weighing less than 120 pounds. She was small and petite next to Charlie with her dark skin and small physical. The two of them made a picture perfect couple.
The first thing Charlie noticed about her was her nose. It wasn't her most obvious feature, but as physical features go, Charlie had noticed that with beautiful girls it was always their nose or toes that showed some imperfections. This was not the case with Tayra, everything about her, including her nose was beautiful. To hear Charlie say it, "The only imperfection with my wife is that she has a few blemishes in her toes but now everything else, including her nose, is perfect."
While Tayra was of Cuban decent she had never lived there. Her parents where immigrants to America from Havana. They came to America prior to her birth and even though her parents still spoke in a thick Cuban accent they preferred to speak English as their language of choice after becoming Americans. It was the primary language Tayra had learned with the exception of 1 year of Spanish and French in high school and picking up a few words at home when her parents would slip back to their original language, especially when becoming angry about something. Her parents insisted, ‘We chose to come to America; we will speak and see to it that our children speak English. It is the only way we can assure they have an equal opportunity among other children.” Tayra was grateful for this approach as she never had to deal with the difficulties she had observed with many of her friends who didn't speak English. 
Tayra’s family lived in Southern Florida not to far from Miami in a small city named Homestead when first coming to America. During her mothers’ pregnancy the family moved to Atlanta. Tayra was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She was the youngest child and she grew up in Atlanta and Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta until the completion of high school. Tayra would visit Homestead on occasion but mainly for family reunions and vacationing in Miami.
It was while working on Charlie’s ankle in the training room at Furman University that Tayra immediately noticed how polite he was. Furman University was noted for having athletes who where also honor students, not the typical jocks most schools had that played football. Even with this reputation, Charlie stood above many of the other athletes with his politeness and manners. He was, in every since of the word, a gentlemen. His handsome features and sense of humor got Tayra’s attention. It didn't take long for her and Charlie to hit it off. By the end of the football season they were sitting together on the plane or bus trips to the away games. Tayra was spending a lot of study time with Charlie and it wasn’t long before they realized their love for each other, of course they were so innocent their friends saw it long before they did.
One of the reasons Charlie and Tayra got along so well was that even prior to college they were committed to their Christian faith. They spent as much time going to church as to movies. They were both involved in Furman’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and were open to sharing their faith with others. They were also involved in Bible study groups together. Their faith and love not only grew for each other but also for their Lord, Jesus Christ. They weren’t like a lot of people who went to church. They didn’t just preach to others with words but like the quote from St. Francis of Assisi, they chose to “preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.”  They realized of course the importance of using words, but they also understood the importance of living their lives in such a way that others approached them with questions about spirituality. 
Charlie and Tayra had been married for 18 years and they where just as much in love as ever. They seldom argued and made the effort to never go to bed angry even on the rare occasion they did argue. If there was ever a seemingly perfect couple in their love for each other, it was Charlie and Tayra. Many people wondered how they had such a wonderful relationship, always holding hands or sitting in church with Charlie’s arm around his wife. It wasn’t uncommon to even see Tayra reach up to give Charlie a kiss, maybe a little peck of gratitude, but on rare special occasions, a meaningful, loving, romantic kiss.  It was clear, the opinions of others around them were not as important as their love for God and each other.  They often said it was without a doubt their relationship and love for God that enabled them to love each other the way they did.
Charlie and Tayra were Christians who took their faith seriously and even before Charlie became involved with The Promise Keepers, a Christian organization for men; he had practiced the concept of loving his wife in the same way that Christ loved the Church. He was understanding, kind, and gentle in all regards concerning being a father and a husband, yet in some things related to his faith, he was firm and without compromise, especially in the loving of his family and training his children in the ways of the Lord. His living as an example of Christ was one of the many reasons his wife and children loved him so much and truly respected the decisions he made. The family often prayed about difficult decisions and sometimes Charlie had to make the bottom line decision but he always involved his family and did what was best for them. This was why, even when sometimes making the wrong decisions his family was willing to follow his lead and example. He wasn’t a ruthless leader. He sought advice from his family and with a great deal of prayer he was often submitted to the desires of his family and their wisdom in doing what was best for them, even to the point of sacrificing his own desires.
******
 The Hamm family was happy living in Owasso, a bedroom community just north of Tulsa. One could easily see the Tulsa skyline from the city limits of Owasso and people were moving to Owasso to capture some of the small town feel. Unfortunately, it was growing so fast that it was hard to distinguish the difference at times. The Hamm’s had lived in Owasso for the last 10 years and enjoyed the church they attended.  Discovery Bible Fellowship, formerly Westport Mennonite Brethren Church sat on the corner of Highway 20 and Old 169 approximately 18 miles north of Tulsa. While Tulsa had expanded in all directions including the north around Owasso and Collinsville, Discovery Bible Fellowship was approximately halfway between Owasso and Collinsville.
Owasso was one of the fasted growing communities in the state and the area around the church was blossoming with the development of new housing and commercial properties.   While there were ample farms near by, Charlie anticipated it would only be a few years before most of them were memories. This growth was a good thing in many regards due to the development of jobs near Owasso, especially American Airlines and Whirlpool. Of course with the growing community and dependency on those jobs one would hope for and pray for a stability which would last.  Anything to threaten that stability for new homeowners and families could be devastating. Some of the older manufacturing jobs that refused to keep up were already feeling the pressure. Some of them closed and others had cut back drastically creating for some, the inability to find jobs that could sustain their way of life. Of course there were disadvantages as well, along with the growth came the loss of a small town feel and many of the small town ways, where neighbors knew their neighbor and cared about all of the complexities that existed in their lives. A community that had a small town family feel, was quickly moving to a larger modern world where the individual was more important than the community and ones on concerns were based on self interest as opposed to community interest.
Discovery Bible Fellowship was one of the oldest Mennonite Brethren churches in Oklahoma and had been at its present location since the late 1890’s. The church, a nice, attractive, plain brick building, with an attached large fellowship hall and community center had grown over the years both is its space and numerically. It had over 300 members each Sunday Morning and was still growing in numbers. The church changed its name to adapt to a more contemporary format in design and style of worship to reach the young families moving into the community. During the holidays, just as was the case in many churches, there was even more who attended. The only down time in regards to attendance was during the summer months, largely due to vacations but also because some members still operated farms and ranches in the area. During the summer the farms and ranches needed extra attention due to harvest and other reasons. The thing impacting the most during certain times of the year was the weather. One never knew if they were going to get rain, tornadoes, excessive heat, draught, strong winds, or any other weather extreme which could be devastating to the crops or herds, requiring immediate attention.  
******  
The Hamm’s arrived at church late due to Tayra having to change a diaper for Kari prior to leaving the house. The rain didn’t make getting to church any easier. It was raining hard, and at times in heavy sheets as was often the case in an Oklahoma thunderstorm. Normally during a hard rain one had to worry about possible tornadoes but the cold front over the Tulsa area was stationary and there was no threat of any severe weather other than rain and the dangers which came with lightening, which were at times, many. Most of the lightening was distant though so the weather was more of a nuisance than anything. The threat of tornadoes occurred more in the spring and fall months. During those times it was not unusual to have the winds, hail, and horizontal rain that concerned many that a tornado was eminent. This was just a regular Oklahoma storm that while harsh, wasn't dangerous.
As Charlie drove into the church parking lot he drove around to the front of the church to let Tayra and the kids out under the drive through covering. This way they wouldn’t get wet. There was an unusually large number of people at Church for the Christmas Eve Advent service, especially with the rain. Most everyone at the service was already in the Church. The service had started at 7:00 PM and it was now 7:12. Charlie finally found a parking space but it was a distance from the Church entrance. He would have used the umbrella they kept in the floorboard of the backseat but Brenda or Sammy got it when they got out with their mother. It started raining harder as Charlie got out of the car to go into the Church. All he could think of at the moment is how they got out at the covered entrance way and how they really didn't need the umbrella.
Tayra, Sammy, Brenda and Kari waited in the front vestibule for Charlie. As he walked in he just looked at Sammy standing there with the umbrella. Sammy was unfortunately all too familiar with, ‘the look.’  Sammy would be the first to tell you that his father had the look that said everything one wouldn't want to hear audibly but the message was still clear from his facial expression. Sammy had seen it many times while in wrestling tournaments doing some bone headed move that cost him a takedown, a point, or in a rare instance, a victory.  It was the look Charlie gave Sammy after seeing the umbrella, dry as all get out.  Sammy realized he had the umbrella and didn’t need it as much as his dad. Sammy was smart, he had learned from experience, that in times like this, it was best to say nothing. As Charlie drip dried in the vestibule, Sammy knew, he hadn't thought things through when getting out of the car.
 After a brief stop at the restroom for Charlie to attempt to dry off with paper towels and a blow dryer and comb his hair, Tayra took Kari to the nursery. A few minutes later Charlie, Tayra, Sammy and Brenda walked into the church sanctuary. Upon entering the sanctuary, the Hamm’s waited briefly for Pastor Steve, to finish a prayer. They walked into the sanctuary as the Minister of Worship, Pastor Phil, was getting ready to lead the church in singing ‘O Little Child of Bethlehem.’ The congregation was standing so it didn’t bring as much attention to the Hamm’s arriving late as it could have otherwise.
The church was beautifully decorated with evergreen branches around the windows and pews. The evergreens, and decorations decorated the beautiful Oak window casings and eaves. There were candles in each window with a large, real Christmas tree up at the front of the church. It was at least 8 feet tall and beautifully decorated in green and red decorations. Over in a corner at the front of the church was a nativity scene. Above the nativity was a large banner with a golden star and the words written in candy apple red, ‘Unto us this day is born a Savior’.
Pastor Phil saw the Hamm’s standing at the back of the church waiting to come in.  He realized they were late and Charlie was obviously wet from the rain. Pastor Phil didn’t want the Hamm’s any more embarrassed than they already were so he had the congregation stand so the Hamm’s could walk in and find their seats more comfortably and with less embarrassment. This helped because the only vacant seats where in the first three rows of the sanctuary and the first place with enough room for the family to sit together was on the second row. The Hamm’s had to walk in front of people in the row, thankfully stepping on fewer toes than they would have if everyone was sitting down to get to their seats but they were finally in their seats, including Charlie, with his still wet, blonde hair and all.
As they walked in several people in the church made comment of them coming into the service late. Not to complain or make them feel bad but to mention how they had obviously had a rough time prior to getting there. The family was well respected among those in the church who knew them and the comments, some out loud was kind of making fun of in a respectful way as well as kidding the family, especially Charlie.  Discovery was a church where people genuinely cared for each other. It was obvious that Charlie had a rough time that evening but there he was, still smiling and taking time to stop and say hi to people as he walked past them despite some of them kidding him. The look and emotion displayed towards Sammy was gone and no one knew he had been even a little upset over the umbrella incident. Sammy using wisdom left the umbrella at the coat rack at the church entrance. 
Sammy and Brenda were sometimes embarrassed by their father's outgoing attitude but tonight wasn’t one of those times. After all, it was Christmas Eve and tomorrow was the big day.  Sammy and Brenda didn’t know exactly what they were getting for Christmas because their parents always went out of their way to disguise the gifts when wrapping them. The kids did know they would have a nice Christmas because of past history. They had also forgone the mistake of looking for presents early in the past. They had done that once, opened up the presents and tried to rewrap them only to be discovered. That particular Christmas, the presents had been donated to charity and while some of them were replaced, the children had learned a valuable lesson. Out of that experience though, they also started a tradition of taking some of their toys and clothes and donating them to local charities and homeless programs which served the less fortunate each Christmas.
Christmas was Charlie’s favorite holiday and he went out of his way to see to it that his wife and children had a Merry Christmas. The motivating factor for this was when he was a child, times were tough. Despite the tough times, Christmas was still special for Charlie as a child. It was a time when the simplest of gifts was appreciated. His attitude and simplicity was passed on to his wife and children because his attitude was so contagious. 
"For our next hymn lets continue standing and sing ‘Away in a Manger,’ and as we sing lets reflect on the baby Jesus and what He gave up in coming to earth for us. He left His Father in Heaven due to His love for each of us. He was born into a poor family so that He could relate to all people on earth and offer each of us salvation. Let’s worship the Lord as we reflect on this, on this Christmas Eve." Pastor Phil instructed the congregation as the guitars and piano started in the playing of the song ‘Away in a Manger’.
While singing the song some in the church raised their hands as a sign of gratitude and thanks as they reflected on the gift God had given to humanity. Charlie sang without much reflection on worship because as kind, polite and reflective as he was, he was still trying to get dry and at the same time dry his hair without making it any messier than it was. Fixing his hair was a loosing battle. He finally gave up on it when he saw Tayra raising her hands in worship while at the same time being distracted by Charlie as she gave him one of her looks. "Sorry Honey." Charlie whispered as he straightened his hair one last time and winked at her.
"Thanks." Tayra said, with a smile showing love and compassion as she accepted the apology; at the same time once again, closing her eyes and raising both hands in worship.
After the song Pastor Phil prayed, "Father in Heaven we thank You for giving us Your Son. Thank you Lord, you gave the ultimate gift for our salvation and the hope and purpose in living this life. Father, please forgive us for the sins we have committed which made it necessary for Your Son to come to earth as that babe. Jesus we thank you for your willingness to come and give yourself up for us. Be with us now as we go into a time of reflection and teaching on this the anniversary of your birth. In Your name we pray, amen."
Pastor Steve was a rather large man. He stood six feet tall and weighed 260 pounds. His salt and pepper short cropped hair cut needed a little length to cover some of the thinning spots but his jolly round face, complete with his light complexion and green eyes always seemed to compliment his impressive smile, complete with the squared and dimpled chin. Despite having a double chin the dimple still showed and there was that special glimmer to his eyes.  He was kind and gentle and always went out of his way to help others. He often spent time with Charlie and his family having lunch, dinner, and on occasion visiting Charlie and Tayra’s small group Bible study. While Pastor Steve grew up in a Christian family, gone to college and then seminary, he came across as a regular guy who worked hard at getting to know people in the congregation.  Charlie had met many pastors who seemed to have never lived in the real world and never tried to understand those living in the real world. Pastor Steve wasn’t one of those pastors. Charlie and others in the congregation appreciated his honesty, even during the times that he may confront them about something they had done wrong. Because he had gone out of his way to love those he came into contact with, he had earned the right to confront those when things were wrong. Pastor Steve was truly, one of the good guys.
Pastor Steve stood in the pulpit, looking over the congregation, smiling at many of the members in a personal, pleasant way as he made eye contact. He walked down to the front of the pulpit stage area to give his advent message. Pastor Steve held to many of the traditions of the earlier Mennonite History, realizing that coming down off of the stage put him on the same level as the congregation, and not one to per say look up to. Pastor Steve was not a stationary speaker, he moved around the congregation, keeping the people awake, never knowing what he was going to do next the people kept their focus on him. As he walked towards the congregation he smiled at Charlie and asked him in a loud amplified voice as amplified by the microphone for the congregation to hear. "So Charlie how’s the weather?" Pastor Steve asked as everyone responded with laughter due to Charlie still showing obvious signs of being out in the rain during the worst part of the storm.  
While some may have found it unusual, Pastor Steve had led the church in such a way that when he asked a question, people responded. "Wet" was all Charlie said, in a loud enough voice for the congregation to hear. It was good that Charlie was up front in the church as the rest of the congregation couldn't see his red face from the embarrassment. Charlie handled it well though as he ruffled his wet hair while answering the question. The congregation laughed again. Charlie and Steve had a great relationship with each other and Steve knew Charlie would take the joke well and respond even better.
"Yea it does look like it is wet out there but you know it's a good thing we have shelter to come into, dry off and get warm.” Charlie didn’t know where this was going, but it was clear that Pastor Steve was getting ready to use the situation to get his point across. It didn’t take long to see what the Pastor intended as he continued. “You know, I know we have all heard the story of Jesus birth but did anyone ever stop to think what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph on that the night? I mean what was the weather like? What were their feelings? What emotions were they experiencing? We often think of the baby Jesus, the shepherds, the wise men and all of that but put yourself in their shoes. What were they going through? The mother of Jesus had been told she was pregnant, even though she was a virgin and then the man Joseph who was engaged to her and knew he had never had intercourse with her. How could he not have some doubts?   Imagine their thoughts on this night, the night of the birth of the Savior of the World.”
For the next 15 minuets Pastor Steve spoke about that first Christmas. He drew comparisons many in the church could relate to. What it must have been like having a baby in conditions that were not the best. He also spoke of how God made the effort to relate to each of us, especially those having rough and difficult times. “As we go through those rough times we can look back on what Jesus and his family went through. We can relate to Him better if we understand and are honest with Him. Jesus and his family went through situations as hard if not harder than those we might be going through. He wasn't just the Savior from our sins, He offered Himself to be the Savior of our situation. No matter what we have gone through, this King of the Universe left the glories of Heaven to come and be born in a manger, a nice word for a feeding troth so He could relate to us.  Jesus chose to become one of us so we could better understand Him and He in return better understand us.”
Near the end of the message Pastor Steve had a small boy come up to the front of the church. Charlie had seen the boy before but didn't know his name. Pastor Steve spoke in a calm voice as he approached the advent wreath. The wreath had four white candles on the outside burning for the duration of the service but the center purple candle had not been lit. The lighting in the church was much dimmer than usual and the light reflecting off the Advent wreath and the greenery surrounding it was beautiful. This was especially so with the evergreen draped around the church and the candles in each of the stained glass windows around the sanctuary lit.
The little boy with Pastor Steve was no more than 4 years old and he had obviously not been paying attention to the activities of the evening. This was evident from the box of crayons he was holding in his little hands. The little boy was standing next to Pastor Steve trying to put the loose crayons back in the box.
"This young man represents each of us here tonight." Pastor Steve said as he walked the boy to the Advent wreath holding his hand. The small, boy, with his red curly hair, looked up at Pastor Steve as he spoke. It was clear the little guy was all boy by the worn and torn jeans and the unlaced shoe on his right foot. The grass stains on his jeans showed that he enjoyed playing outside, just like most little boys his age. 
"He is young and at times will end up getting into some trouble throughout his life, especially in the next few years. We can also be certain that he has probably already been in trouble. Is that right Jake?" The pastor asked while looking down. Jake did not answer verbally, he just stood there looking up at the big bear of a man, Pastor Steve as he shook his head yes. This brought a laugh from many in the congregation.
Pastor Steve reached down and picked up Jake, who had now put the box of crayons in his front pants pocket. As Pastor Steve reached down, Jake reached out his arms in response.  Pastor Steve had picked him and virtually every other kid in the church up and played with them in the past, it was instinctive for them to come to them. The children weren’t reluctant to be picked up by Pastor Jake and their love for him mirrored the love children must have had for Jesus. This was a part of Pastor Steve’s efforts when spending time with the children in the church. He wanted them to know and feel the love he had for them, mirroring as best as possible, Jesus love for them. He also realized it was a way to make sure that the parents knew they had a responsibility to also mirror that love.  
Pastor Steve continued his teaching, "Just as Jake’s parents are to be there to help guide and direct Jake as he gets older. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to save us and help us in times of trouble. This candle tonight represents the gift God gave us and as I help Jake light the candle I want us to reflect on how that just as a child goes to his parents for help and guidance, that if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our Forgiver and Leader, then we can go to Him and get loving guidance with the understanding that God is perfect and gives us His perfect love. The guidance Jesus gives us through his Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible is so much more perfect than what we can give each other. The love God gives is rooted in the gift of Jesus; it is a perfect love and a perfect gift." Many in the church could relate to what Pastor Steve was saying and him using little Jake had the example hitting home.
"Jake would you mind helping me light this candle?" Pastor Steve asked. Jake didn’t say a word but looked at Pastor Steve with a big smile on his face shaking his head no. “Please Jake?”  Pastor Steve asked again.  Reluctantly, with a smile, Jake shook his head yes.
Pastor Steve took one of the lit candles from the Advent wreath and used Jake’s hands to help hold it. While lighting the center candle, Pastor Steve said, "This candle represents the ultimate gift of love from God, His son Jesus Christ. As the candle burns tonight let us think of the times we can go to Christ whether in need or not. While Jesus wants us to go to Him in times of need, He also wants us to go to Him in times of thanks and worship. Let's be reminded that it was Jesus that came to be with us as a human while at the same time He was the Son of God. Jesus knows our needs and He knows how to relate to us. It is up to us as to what we will with the gift He gave each of us." Pastor Steve took a few minutes to expound on what he had said and its meaning, he wanted the congregation to think about the simple concepts he had presented while holding Jake.
When done, Pastor Steve asked the congregation to bow their heads. “Father, thank you for the gift you gave each of us in your son. Jesus, thank you for relating to each of us in a way we can understand. The gift is the best we could ever receive. We thank you that we have the opportunity for eternal life through You.”  Pastor Steve changed his tone, now addressing those in the congregation. “Now to those in the congregation, I ask you to pray silently where you are.  Thank God for something specific in your life.” After a few minuets of reflection and meditation for the congregation, Pastor Steve simply said, "In Christ name, amen." Pastor Steve then put down Jake and Jake ran into the arms of his mother. 
After the message by Pastor Steve it was still early so many of those at church stayed around for the next hour celebrating Christmas Eve with refreshments in the fellowship hall. The Hamm’s stayed around after everything was over to help clean the church and fellowship hall after everyone else left. There were tables and chairs to be wiped down and the Hamm's wanted the janitorial staff to get out of church early so they could spend time with their families. They always took into consideration those who were less fortunate, it was a part of the Mennonite tradition they held on to and the values implemented and reaffirmed from Furman University.  After everything was cleaned up Pastor Steve came over to the Hamm’s, "It’s getting close to 9:30 guys, you all go on home and get ready for tomorrow."
Sammy was there with his dad and didn’t say anything but it was obvious from his body movements and nonverbal communication that he was in agreement with Pastor Steve. Sammy was even happier when he heard his dad say, "Yea I guess we do need to get home and see if Ol’ Saint Nick is coming tonight." While Sammy was getting older, he loved Christmas and knew how much his family went out of their way to provide for the celebration.
Charlie, ignoring Sammy in a more serious tone responded to Pastor Steve, "I appreciate your message tonight Steve."
"Thanks, but get this family of yours home!" Pastor Steve responded again in a joking tone.
"OK, but thanks again and have a Merry Christmas." Charlie responded while sticking out his hand for a hand shake.
"Merry Christmas to you and your family as well Charlie." Pastor Steve said as the Hamm’s put on their jackets. They took their time getting Kari wrapped up prior to giving Steve a hug and a “Merry Christmas!” as they walked out of the church.  They noticed it was still raining cats and dogs. Charlie looked at Sammy, handing him the car keys, "go bring the car around son," Charlie said with a smile on his face.
            Sammy asked if he could have the umbrella as Charlie stood there holding it. Charlie just gave him the look and Sammy knew, he was going to get wet as Charlie just stood there, shaking his head no. Sammy took off running  to get the car. Charlie cracked a smile as Tayra looked at him with one of her looks and the rain started to come down even harder.

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