Below are a few pictures of some of our classmates celebrating Christmas morning as a child. Today, many of us are the parents setting out toys for our children. Let's hope they look back on their childhood as fondly as we do.

Be sure and ask Melissa Nesbitt why her hair was so short in this Christmas pic of her kneeling next to the classic "Inchworm" riding toy by Hasbro. See some cool pics & the original commercial here, where I borrowed the pic below of the original box.

In this photo is Vicki Ausbrooks Fletcher opening one of her wrapped presents. In the immortal words of Pedro, I must say "I like her bangs."

Um... I'm not sure who this guy is... but I'm glad he finally received some dumbells. Notice on the floor behind him: the game of Boggle and a Rubik's Revenge. Also notice below his right knee: one ugly pullover. Finally, notice the keen foresight... here is a die-hard Rams fan... back when Kurt Warner was only a year younger and the team hadn't left LA yet.

We all have plenty of childhood memories, like the Christmas parties at school. I think it was Mrs. Wood's first grade class that all drew names to exchange gifts with another classmate. I can't remember if Bryan Tygart was the giver or receiver of the nerf football, but it was wrapped without a box in metallic green paper, so we all knew what it was by it's obvious shape.

BTW, that Nerf football remains the "biggest selling football of all time." This wonderful piece of toy trivia comes from a neat guy named Tim Walsh and his book, Timeless Toys - which sets prominently on the coffee table in my home office.

Taken from Timeless Toys, (c) 2005 Tim Walsh

After the new year begins, I'll be posting some trivia questions taken from Tim's book - some of which the answers have already been posted on this blog (remember what the best selling toy is - EVER?) Stay tuned!

On the 8th Day of Christmas... make your wish!

It's simply amazing what you can find on the internet these days. All the images below were taken from a website I recently discovered called WishbookWeb.com. These guys are doing a HUGE service to those of us who love to live in the past. They are in the process of scanning vintage department store catalogs and making them available to the public for online viewing. Ok... maybe I'm the only one who gets excited about that kind of stuff. Well just take a look at some of the pics below and I'll think you'll share my enthusiasm.

Now just think about this... remember looking through those thick Sears Wishbooks every year as you made out your Christmas list? Well, these are the VERY SAME CATALOGS that we used to peruse! Isn't that just crazy?!

Ok, still not excited? Just take a look. Some of these toys are what our classmates asked Santa for over 30 years ago!

Banana seats and flowery baskets. How many of you had one of these waiting beside the Christmas tree?
Here are the dolls that Jeri Suttle and Angela Rogers put on their list.

Phillip Clifford asked Santa for this Snoopy Drive-in Movie Theatre.

Wouldn't you? I would did.

In 1976 we were probably wearing Sesame Street clothes. I'd love to have that red-sleeved shirt with Snuffleupagus on it. Um... for my kids, of course.

Click to enlarge these Sesame Street toys. I actually have the Fisher Price Sesame Street Playset decorating my office at work. Got it for a steal at a yard sale... and they're going for no less than $75 on Ebay.

Any of you gals get a Barbie Swimming Pool?

My sister did. I must admit that I wanted to play with it. Notice the dude sitting under the umbrella... that's not Ken, it's Luke Skywalker (another one of my sister's gifts that I was jealous of).

I have a picture of me with these Batman & Robin dolls one Christmas morning. This was back before they went & messed with the cartoon characters & went all Justice League United.

This is how I'll always remember my Superfriends.

The two ads above mark the beginning of the electronic game era. That's right - you're looking at the forerunners of PSP, Wii and Nintendo DS. I had Merlin along with a basketball, baseball and football electronic game. It literally hurts my stomach to think that I no longer have these. I found a mint-in-box Merlin game today on Ebay for $132! For some reason, my sweet wife didn't share my excitement. So, if any of you are wondering what to get me this year... just sayin'.

And as we started getting older - too old for baby dolls, Barbies and Batman, we all started thinking two words: Hi Fi. We would've loved to have something like the stereo above, while our dads would've been eyeing these:
I hope you enjoyed this 8th day of Christmas. If anything, you learned that it sometimes pays not to throw ANYTHING away... you never know when it'll be a hot item on Ebay.

I'm reposting this from an earlier post, for obvious reasons, and throwing in a few extra bonus pics:

I'm not sure why the Sheridan Headlight featured our class for this picture, but my mom has hung on to this clipping for a loooong time.

THE BOYS AND GIRLS in Mrs. Tolson's kindergarten room rest on their laurels as they admire their beautiful Christmas tree.

Here's my attempt to i.d. everyone:

Front Row L-R: Jeffrey Darnell, Fred Pemberton, Bryan Tygart, Jackie McElroy, Betty Jo Skorcz

Middle Row: Terry Mayberry, Vicki Thompson, Angela Rogers, Lee Shaw, Lynn Childers

Back Row: Vandra Williams, Kim Smith, Aaron Wilson, James Hicks, Jody Wiggins, Jon Paul Anderton, Phillip Clifford

Check out the Christmas craft hanging on the chalkboard & seen above. I remember making this reindeer... with Q-tips for antlers... probably cupcake papers for eyes & lots of construction paper.
I did some digging around and couldn't find many crafts, but I did find a box of old Christmas ornaments from my childhood - many of which were hand-crafted. I'm pretty sure we made or received all of these during our school years. It's possible that one or two were made at church, but I'm pretty sure they all came from school.

1977

1978

The back of this 3 inch tall stocking is mesh, probably revealing the candy treats inside.

1982

These apples look to be a gift from one of our teachers.

Remember these clothespin creations?

I have vague memories of when I made this... but can't remember when. I wanna say it was a cub scout project, now that I think about it. I like the little Q-tip drumsticks.

Christmas letters then…
Letters to Santa…from 1976
by Debra Howard and Robin Walters

As Christmas rolls around once again, letters to Santa begin filling the post office to be sent to the North Pole. Sheridan High School seniors may consider themselves too old to be writing to Santa in 1987, but here are a few of the letters written to the jolly old man in 1976.

These letters are taken from the Sheridan Headlight of December 25, 1976.

Dear Santa Claus,
I’m going to have a very nice Christmas. I want a lot of presents like Barbie clothes, an iron and a bicycle. I have been very good. Bring Nancy and Papa something good for Christmas.
Love,
Laurette (Lankford)

Dear Santa,
My name is Angela Rogers and I am five years old. I have been very good this year. I would like to have a baby doll that crawls and walks or one that kisses, a record player and a watch.
Your friend,
Angela (Rogers)

Dear Santa,
I want a bicycle and a doll and a little kit with lipstick and stuff. That’s all.
Love,
Gina McCool

Dear Santa,
I want an ice Bird, a thing that can make pizza, a piñata, a G. I. Joe, a G. I. Joe suit and a motor cross bike. Just the parts.
Love,
Scott Herron

Dear Santa,
I am good most of the time. I want some Walkie Talkies and Snoopy’s Drive-In Movies. I’ve been a good boy.
Phillip A. Clifford

Dear Santa,
I wish it would be a good Christmas. I want a play Six-million Dollar man doll.
Love,
Kevin Matlock

Dear Santa,
I want a Barbie set, a camper, a Barbie set Hair style and I want a airplane and a baby that tee-tees in her pants and eats real food.
Love,
Jeri Suttle

Dear Santa,
I want a toy it’s little and it’s a little airplane and a little rubber pocket knife remember rubber. And a little gun set and a calendar to put up in my room. A little picture.
Love,
Robert McClung

Dear Santa,
How are you? I would like to have a Barbie Doll, some clothes for it with a suitcase. I would like a Raggedy Ann record player with some records, but I would take whatever you got me. See you at Christmas. Hope you won’t forget me.
Your friend,
Kimberly Derrick

Dear Santa,

I love you Santa. I have been good. My brother has already been to see you. I want to tell Rudolph hi. I wish I could give you a kiss. I want you to bring me a baby bundle, a spirit maker, one of those baby buggys and one of those dolls that you can make music.
I love you Santa,
Andrea Winston

Dear Santa Claus,
I want a doll, play sink, baby bottle, and a record player. I am a big girl and I have been good. I also want a purse some clothes for my doll. I plan to get my mother, daddy and others something. I am getting my mother a paper cutter. I want to get my brother one of those long yellow square things that you can move. What do you call that? I haven’t thought of daddy yet. Well that’s all.
Kim Vailes

DEAR SANTA, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS…
By Steven Benning, Carmen Hensley, Laurie Revia and Darrin Theiss

December 1987

As Christmas gets closer (there are only SIX shopping days left), one wonders what to buy for others.

For some of us, the problem is letting others know what we want for Christmas.

A recent informal poll of SHS students revealed that, of 75 respondents, 80 percent want a car for Christmas.

Other gifts in order of preference include clothes (66%), jewelry (52%), and money (44%).

Some other gifts mentioned were stereos, waterbeds, cameras, VCR’s, and toys like Puff-a-lumps, Mr. Game Show, Noid dolls, and Gumbys.

The top five gifts a guy would give a girl were kittens, jewelry, perfume, stuffed animals, and fur coats.

The top five gifts a girl would give a guy were a steering wheel and floor mats, Polo, clothes, and a billfold.

Peace on Earth

Tomorrow will begin what I'm hoping will be a fun series of posts called "The 12 Days of Christmas". For 12 consecutive days (including weekends!) we'll enjoy posts that are related in some way to Christmas from the 70's or 80's.

Before we go there, I'd like to take today's post to consider a phrase we hear & read often this time of year:

Peace on Earth

and Good Will Toward Men

Have you ever considered just what that phrase might mean - and specifically the word "peace"? For some, it may be a state of calmness or serenity, for others it may mean simply the absence (or opposite) of war. "Good will toward men"... doesn't that just mean we should all be nice to one another during the holidays (could've saved this man's life)?

This phrase is actually a portion of what the angels said to the shepherds, recorded in Luke's gospel account, as they announced the birth of the Savior:

“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14 ESV

Let's consider this angelic declaration in two parts.

First, the angels look to Heaven, i.e., they look to God. They announce that there is "glory [given] to God in the highest (highest place, or the heavens)." Secondly, only after looking unto God above, they consider man below. In other words, if the first half declares praise being given to God in Heaven, the second half describes a promise being given to man on earth.

Looking up: glory(praise) - TO God - IN Heaven
Looking down: peace - TO men - ON Earth

The first part is the purpose, the second part is the plan. Purpose for what? Plan for what? Well, we are hearing God's messengers announcing God's plan to save God's people - all for God's glory. We learn from Matthew chapter one that Jesus came to "save his people from their sins," this is God's plan. And it's being done all for God's glory, that is, for God's fame - or to display His great worth (see John 17:1-5 and Philippians 2:9-11.)

Now, if Christ came to "save" His people, this seems to assume that there are people who need saving, but saving from what? Maybe a better question is "saving from Whom?" This is where the "peace on earth" phrase comes into play. Again there is a presupposition - if "peace" is being promised on earth, we can presume that there is an absence of peace. There is in fact a war going on. But it has nothing to do with Iraq.

The war, my friend, is between us... and God. Consider these passages from the Bible:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men"

Romans 1:18

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son..."

Romans 5:10

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?"

James 4:4

It's pretty bad news... because of our inherent sin and rebellion against God, we are His enemies. His wrath is set against us. But here's where the good news begins - Christ - the God-Man, was born to die for God's enemies. He came to bear the wrath of God's anger toward us, on Himself. To put it another way - we are saved BY God, FROM God. Believers are saved by God's holy Son, from God's holy wrath. Amazing isn't it?! Here it is plainly stated in Romans chapter 5:

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God."

Romans 5:8-9 (emphasis added)

When the angels announced the promise of peace on earth toward those with whom God is pleased, this was the news that everyone was waiting for. This news was announced and even anticipated by a people who had no way of dealing with their sin. Though the Jews (the original recipients of the Bible message) performed daily temple sacrifices and rituals that pointed symbolically to what Christ would soon accomplish, these sacrifices could not take away their sin and they couldn't satisfy the wrath of a holy God against such sin.

Christ was given a lowly birth, lived a sinless life, died a sacrifical death, and displayed a death-defeating resurrection all for 2 reasons. First and foremost, to bring glory to the Father, and secondly to bring peace to those of us who will place all our trust (our hope, our confidence, our faith) in Him.

Peace on earth? You bet! You can have peace - here on Earth - with God in Heaven - through His Son Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:1). I can think of no greater Gift to receive than a promise of eternal peace with a glorious God. Do you know this peace? Do you know this Peacemaker, Jesus Christ? I'd have no greater joy than to introduce you to Him.

If you have any questions about anything I've said here, I'd love to address them with you. Just leave a comment below or email me with your thoughts.

May Christ truly be yours this Christmas and always.

School Pics