Each morning, at LJA, for school worship we read old-fashioned Christmas stories. Most of these stories have been from the Joe L. Wheeler Christmas in my Heart series. Joe Wheeler, PhD, is professor emeritus of English at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland. He is also a general editor at Focus on the Family and executive director of Zane Grey’s West Society. His famous Christmas stories are published by Pacific Press.

One story was about Mrs. Moring, a school music director, who was too ill to direct the teenagers’ performance. The question on everyone’s mind was, “How could the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah be sung without their dedicated director?

Another day, we learned about a famous love story from a Canadian World War II soldier. He spent four years defending world freedom while his sweetheart had married someone else. How could he ever forgive the shame of being thrown away like a piece of trash?

Students seemed to particularly enjoy hearing Gracie’s Miserable Merry Christmas. Sometimes unusual things happen when one goes snooping for their Christmas present early.

Ask one of the students if you would like to hear the endings of these stories. Or, perhaps, you might want to start collecting the Joe Wheeler’s Christmas in my Heart books. There are 21 of them and counting. Merry Reading!