Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

The Pinecone | December 2025 • 9 • Reflections By Maxie Dunnam December Vesper Services 6:30pm | Performing Arts Center There is no more exciting world than the world of children. I don’t know anyone who perceives and probes the world of children and garners from it such great truth and wisdom as Charles Schulz in his Peanuts cartoons. One year during the Christmas season, he put into drawing and dialogue one of those common exchanges between children that has deep and uncommon meaning. Sally asked Charlie Brown, “Is it Christmas yet?” “Four more days,” responds Charlie Brown. “How come it takes so long?” Sally wants to know. Without even looking up from the TV, Charlie Brown gets off one of those off-the-cuff philosophical statements that one can chew on all day. “Christmas is on the top of a steep hill,” he said, “and the closer you get to it, the steeper the hill is.” The answer baffled Sally, but it sounded profound, so she is convinced and she repeats it to Snoopy. Christmas is at the top of a steep hill. With that image in our mind, I want us to ponder two sentences as we move into and through this Advent/Chistmas season. Two sentences – a diagnosis and a prognosis of our lives. The diagnosis: We have plenty of everything we need, except what we need to make what we have worthwhile. That’s the diagnosis. Now the prognosis. Christmas is possible, when we realize that the best we have without Christ is not enough for salvation, not enough to give us abundant life. We need a Messiah, a savior. Make a note and read it every day until Christmas. Christmas is on the top of a steep hill of acknowledging our need, and realizing we have plenty of everything we need except what we need to make what we have worthwhile. CHRISTMAS IS AT THE TOP OF A STEEP HILL December 4: Dr. Kimberly Reisman Director of World Evangelism, World Methodist Council December 11: Rev SamWilson Associate Pastor, Brinkley Heights Baptist Church December 18: Mullins Community Orchestra Chip Houston, Director December 25: No Vespers MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! W hitney, seated on the w ood floor w as playing w ith some of the w onderful toys she had been given for her third birthday. Some w ould w obble as she maneuvered them, others w iggled, and she soon giggled w atching them. W hitney's hair w ildly covered her head today as her mother, W anda, w as unable to corral her to tame it today. She had finally given up, sitting in the nearby w oven- tapestry chair w ith her tablet and w ork papers. W anda, a married w oman, w orked at home three days per w eek. This w as W ednesday and she had much to accomplish today. Her w rinkled brow indicated both a w earisome attitude and a degree of w orry as she addressed the document on her computer. She attempted to w rite a response to the w ork issue, but w hispered to herself, "that just isn't adequate. I need more information." She had planned to w ork out at the nearby YMCA later in the day, but she determined that w asn't possible now. She w ithdrew from the w ork-related stuff and began questioning w hether this w orking plus w atching W hitney w as w orth it. W anda focused her attention on her daughter's creativity in w alking her small toys around the little village she had created. She w as muttering something that her mother could not clearly hear. W anda reminisced how it sounded so easy to plan on w orking at home w ith our child playing quietly in the same room w ith mommy! But that w as before W hitney w as born. That w asn't reality now! W orking or w atching w hile w itnessing W hitney growing up was more demanding. W hich w as her focus? W alt, her husband, and W anda w ould have to discuss this new challenge tonight! TOPIC: "Write a poem or story using as many words as you can that start with the letter " W " Story by Sheryl Maxwell Poetry & Writing Club JOIN THE CLUB December 1st at 9:30 am in the LCR A W OMAN'S DILEMMA Sheryl Maxwell