1.0Safe Place with Ruth Grahamhttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/safeplacewithruthgrahamRuth Grahamhttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/safeplacewithruthgraham/author/rgrahamrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="jQeSPsoCiH"><a href="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/safeplacewithruthgraham/2014/12/what-good-is-christmas.html">What Good is Christmas?</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/safeplacewithruthgraham/2014/12/what-good-is-christmas.html/embed#?secret=jQeSPsoCiH" width="600" height="338" title="“What Good is Christmas?” — Safe Place with Ruth Graham" data-secret="jQeSPsoCiH" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> This is Christmas week. There is an excitement and an anticipation. Strangers greet each other cheerily. Family travels great distances to be together. Lights glitter from windows. Good smells emanate from the kitchen. Children cannot sleep. Mothers are exhausted. And fathers wonder how to pay for it all. Yes, this is Christmas week. Maybe there…