Christmas
Coping with Loneliness at Christmas. Feeling low this Christmas season? You’re not alone. Amid holiday cheer, many lonely people are crying or dying on the inside. Maybe you’re one of them. I was. (Magazine article.) French
The Christmas Story: Does it Still Matter? Christmas often means time with family, hectic shopping, parties, cards and gifts. But what about the first Christmas? Why is the original story – the baby in a manger, shepherds, wise men, angels – important, if at all? The answer may surprise you. (Probe radio series transcript) Chinese
Are You Listening? Do You Hear What I Hear? Have you ever missed a great opportunity because you weren’t listening carefully? Twenty centuries ago some clues to impending good news of monumental import eluded most folks. Fascinating prophecies of Jesus’ birth and life bring revealing insights into your own life today. (Probe radio series transcript) Spanish
Best Christmas Pageant Ever movie: Humor with meaning. “The Herdmans were the worst kids in the history of the world,” declares Barbara Robinson’s classic seasonal novel, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Now, a new movie brings the Herdman children’s mischievous shenanigans to the big screen … and along the way, glimpses of touching warmth. (Short op-ed; published by Washington Examiner)
The Star movie: First-Christmas animal adventure. This fun and funny animated film tracks a slew of animals following an unusual Star to a manger in Bethlehem, where they sense something wonderful is about to happen involving a pregnant woman named Mary and her husband Joseph. Celebrity voices include Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Kris Kristofferson, Patricia Heaton, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi and Christopher Plummer. (Short op-ed)
History Channel’s Jesus TV series: Who was he, really? He’s one of history’s most controversial personalities. Was he a good man spreading love and peace? A rabble-rouser stirring rebellion? A charlatan deceiving the masses – then and now? Something else? History Channel’s series examines Jesus through the eyes of eight contemporary friends and enemies. (Short op-ed)
Coping with COVID-era holiday loneliness. Zoomed out? Exasperated by COVID-era isolation? Longing for face-to-face human interaction beyond your home? You’re not alone. Such craving is widespread, and holiday-induced loneliness brings additional challenges. Maybe some expectation management – and realistic solutions – are in order. (Short op-ed) WashingtonExaminer.com version
Christmas-themed Language-Learning Resources:
These resources were developed to help Chinese speakers learn English. They’re posted on a Chinese website, but are useful for anyone desiring to learn English. Each selection has an English text article(s) plus audio of the writer reading the same article(s) slowly. Users can read, listen, practice, and learn!
(Tech tip for this online series: Right click on the mp3 link found just above the article text to open and play that audio file in a separate browser tab or window. Then return to the original tab or window to read the text as you listen.)
Are You Listening? Do You Hear What I Hear? Have you ever missed a great opportunity because you weren’t listening carefully? Twenty centuries ago some clues to impending good news of monumental import eluded most folks. Fascinating prophecies of Jesus’ birth and life bring revealing insights into your own life today. (Language-learning version: ten short transcripts plus mp3 audio. Scroll to the bottom of this page to access the ten numbered links that have this title. They are inside the box titled “您知道吗？Do You Know?”.)