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'Twas the Night Before Christmas
“Inspired by the traditional cadence of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (public domain), this retelling follows the biblical Christmas story.”
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land,
God’s plan of salvation was finally at hand.
From the book of beginnings, and the very first sin
God’s word made it clear how by grace He would win.
Prophecy hinted at what it would be
The king, long-awaited, would set us all free.
People were living as they always had been
They knew he was coming, but didn’t know when.
An angel told Mary, a young virgin maid,
”God’s Son you will carry, do not be afraid.”
But Mary and Joseph planned to be wed.
How would she tell him? What would be said?
Joseph was shocked as she told him the news.
He truly loved Mary, but what should he do?
Surely this story she told was not true,
But, if he didn’t marry her, what would she do?
An angel convinced him to make her his wife.
She’s telling the truth; God’s Spirit made life.
The babe is from heaven, make Jesus his name.
He’ll save them from death; his praise they’ll proclaim.
Caesar Augustus declared by command,
All people be counted throughout all the land.
To each one’s hometown was where they were sent.
So Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem went.
When they got to the house where there was no room.
They stayed in the stable, the babe would come soon.
A bright star in the sky, and some animals near,
The Christ child was born, that much was clear.
Shepherds near Bethlehem, out in the pasture,
Were watching their sheep, in case of disaster.
When up in the sky they saw a great light!
And an angel appeared and filled them with fright.
“I have good news,” he said, “Don’t be afraid.”
“A Savior is born, in a manger he’s laid.”
Thousands of angels then filled the night sky.
Saying, “Glory to God,” and they praised Him on high.
They wished peace on the earth, salvation was near.
And goodwill to all who trust in him here.
The shepherds departed to see their new king.
And on their way back, great news they did bring.
They told of the angels, and that awesome sight,
Then of the promised king born on that night.
Mary and Joseph watched their small son,
Not knowing the future... but He was the one.
This one little baby would grow up to give
His life for all people so that they could live.
The Savior, God with us, was here for a bit
Now waiting in heaven, with God he does sit.
Salvation he brings, fulfilling God’s plan
To save all His people, each woman and man.
Stay tuned until spring, when the story goes on.
The tomb will be empty one morning at dawn.
Laura Langhoff Arndt is an author and teacher of the faith with an MA in Classroom Instruction and is the Director of Christian Education certification in the LCMS. She is the founder of the blog, Carpenter’s Ministry Toolbox.
What AI Says about AI and Education
I was a teacher for MANY years. I taught before and after cell phones, laptops, and then smartphones in class. Kids have always tried to cheat, whether with tiny notes slipped up their sleeves, in their phone cases, or written on their desks. When phones got cameras, kids started taking pictures of their homework answers and tests to share with their friends. Now, technology has evolved into Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its impact on education could be detrimental to our kids' ability to learn.
My husband recently asked Microsoft Copilot, “What might happen if students rely only on AI for learning?” These are the pros and cons that AI says about AI and education.
Benefits
- Efficiency and Access: Students can get instant explanations, summaries, and practice problems without waiting for a teacher.
- Personalization: AI can adapt to a student’s pace, offering tailored exercises or clarifications.
- Breadth of Knowledge: It can expose learners to vast resources they might not otherwise encounter.
Risks
- Critical Thinking Erosion: Students may accept AI answers uncritically, without learning to evaluate, question, or synthesize information themselves.
- Shallow Understanding: AI often provides surface-level clarity but doesn’t replace the deep struggle that builds mastery.
- Bias and Errors: AI can present outdated, biased, or incorrect information. Without human oversight, students may absorb inaccuracies.
- Loss of Human Formation: Education isn’t just about information – it’s about mentorship, dialogue, and character formation. AI can’t replicate the relational and moral dimensions of learning.
- Creativity Stagnation: Over-reliance may discourage original thought, humor, or imaginative leaps that come from wrestling with ideas.
Artificial Intelligence is not independently intelligent like humans are. It is fast and has been given parameters, but it can make mistakes. True education of the human brain requires more than collecting information. While AI can search more quickly and retain more information, it cannot think.
What AI Cannot Do or Does Not Have
- Consciousness: AI does not have consciousness – it processes inputs and outputs without “knowing” it exists.
- Self-Awareness: Humans experience awareness of themselves, their emotions, and their existence.
- Emotions: Humans feel joy, sorrow, love, and compassion in ways that shape decisions.
- Empathy: AI can simulate empathy in words but does not feel emotions.
- Creativity: Human creativity comes from imagination, memory, and personal experience. AI generates patterns based on data but lacks the spark of lived inspiration.
- Moral and Ethical Judgment: Humans wrestle with right and wrong, shaped by a conscience, culture, and faith. AI follows programmed rules and cannot truly weigh moral responsibility.
- Intuition and “Gut Feelings”: Humans often make leaps of understanding without explicit reasoning. AI relies on data and algorithms – it doesn’t have instinct.
- Learning from One Experience Across Contexts: Humans can take a single lesson and apply it broadly (e.g., the idea that fire burns leads to caution being applied in many different situations). AI usually requires large amounts of data and struggles with transfer learning outside its training data.
- Embodied Experience: Humans live in bodies, sense the world directly, and integrate touch, taste, smell, and movement. AI has no body – it only processes information symbolically.
AI is powerful at pattern recognition, speed, and scale, but the human brain brings consciousness, emotion, morality, and lived experience—things AI cannot replicate.
God created humans to be more than computers. He gave us things that no machine, no matter how often it says what we want to hear, can have. We have a heart and a soul, and many unique abilities that can’t possibly be replicated. If we’re not careful, our kids will become passive consumers of information rather than active learners. They will go for the grades, miss out on the learning, and lose the ability to think for themselves.
Laura Langhoff Arndt and Microsoft Copilot
In Every Issue
Family Ministry Idea: Rice Krispies Holiday House or Church
Some people love to make gingerbread houses during the Christmas season. They may make gingerbread or use graham crackers. Ever think of using Rice Krispies treats? They are so easy to make, easier for kids to work with, and you can even use chocolate chips or Cocoa Krispies to make them brown like a cabin. You can see by the picture that I should have taken a bit more time with my church. Check out the sites below to get some ideas.
Helpful websites: Rockin’ Mama, Baker’s Table, Sweet ReciPEAS, Carpenter’s Ministry Toolbox (This one has recipes for royal icing and candy windows.), Randy Slavey (This one has helpful step-by-step instructions.)
Family Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We all have friends and family members who struggle through the holidays because they don't know you. Help us to support them by showing them your love and light and reminding them that Christmas is not about what we see in movies, on TV, or on social media. Encourage us to live our faith so people can see it, and help us not to get lost in the tinsel, lights, and materialism of the season. We thank you, Lord, for all you do for us, as we remember the reason you were born. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.