Listen to 'The Drummer Boy.'

Dear Charlene,

I was encouaged and challenged by your Mustard Seed Meditation. I immediately thought of Seattle Based Christian author Tom Sine who wrote a book in the 1980's "The Mustard Seed Conspiracy." Your celebration would fit in to what he is saying about alternative lifestyles. Tom is a friend and this morning I emailed him to let him know your wonderful idea. Ten years ago I worked with a friend of mine on a series of anonymous 'Mustard Seed Conspiracy' cards. These were on nice paper stock and had a beautiful design and caligraphy. The message was along the lines of 'A single mustard seed when planted....(inside) will yield a tremendous harvest. Thank you for being a part of Christ's Mustard Seed conspiracy at _____ Church.' We also enclosed a little bag of mustard seeds, decorated the card with gold leaf ink and sent them to thank and recognize people in our church who practiced the mustard seed gift.

To this date - no one knows who sent these unique cards. Thought you would like to hear about our idea!

Tom Balke

December 21

Tom,

I was more than delighted to get your note. What a wonderful synchronicity or (as we like to call it, God-incidence)! I've posted your note on the Mustard Seed Testimony page. The Mustard Seed Conspiracy is such a wonderful idea! I hope it is taken up and used in many places. Thank you for sharing this with me and, ultimately, the WWW.

Blessing upon blessing to you and your house this Christmastide!

Charlene

Dear Charlene:

As I was surfing for Christmas Carols I happened upon your Mustard Seed. OK, I guess that I didn't "happen" upon it since I feel that I was meant to read it. I will remember it always.

Thank you and bless you. Have a Christmas filled with peace.

Jill

December 21

Jill,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me about the Mustard Seed. A Mustard Seed Christmas has been such a special blessing from that first Christmas in 1995 and much more so since I started sharing it.

Thank you also for your blessing of peace. I've been enjoying a peace this Christmas season, despite external circumstances, that must come from the Lord.

In turn, I send blessings of Peace and Hope, Joy and Love to you and your family and friends this blessed Christmastide.

Charlene

Dear Charlene

I read "A Mustard Seed Christmas" and am blessed greatly. Thank you. It is a reminder and an encouragement that God is in control in my life. Yes, like a mustard seed, it will flourish by the year.

May you and your family be blessed yet again this Christmas in FAITH and HOPE in our Lord God.

Yours in Christ
Bob Tan Hwa Tong

December 21

Bob,

Thanks for writing to me to tell me what my mustard seed story has meant to you. May the reminder it has given you (and me) to remember that "god is in control" continue to bear much fruit in both our lives.

Blessings of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love to you and yours this Christmastide,

Charlene

Charlene--I'm writing again--know I just wrote you about "Momma Mary"--I just read your mustard seed story and I have one on a similar note.

My husband returned to the Catholic Church last year after being away for many years--we spent 5 years amongst the Amish and Plain People worshipping with them in their homes and barns. We were always worshiping the Lord but there was something missing and he decided to go talk to a priest. To make a long story short he "rejoined" the church. I, knowing that a family that prays together stays together, went to the Catholic Church with him--having been brought up a Lutheran, this was not all that different to me. Anyway...to keep the story moving...I joined the RCIA group in September just to see what was going on--I sat on the "fence" all throughout the year and with lots of counseling from many different parishioners and priests--I made my promise to the Lord at the Easter vigil. But the point of this whole story was that during RCIA--at one of our retreats--towards the end, everyone was given a cutting from a plant--to put into water and grow it as your faith grew--well--I was at the end of the line and my poor cutting--was only one leaf and a tiny stem. Everyone, I think knowing how I was teeter-tottering, volunteered to swap pieces with me--well, I don't think I have to continue this story--you have probably guess the ending--I have a beautiful plant that has grown through faith, love and hope!

Thanks again for this beautiful site--I cried through your mustard seed story. I wish my sister could have read it the year we lost my Dad--she was devastated. She, unfortunately, does not have a grasp on her faith--she is a Lutheran but only goes through the steps for her children.

S.O.

December 21

S,

Thank you so very much for sharing your "mustard seed" story with me. I have placed it online - with just your initials - on the "testimonies" page. I believe that everyone's story is a gift. It still has me in awe just how potent and powerful this little story from my life has been for so many others.

We are called, as Christians, to be witnesses to what we know. That makes it crucial that we tell our stories. May God bless you and your family richly in the telling of your stories and may many others be blessed by it.

The blessings of this holy season of Christmastide be to you, your family and friends,

Charlene

Fm: Fr Graeme ELMORE, Royal Navy chaplain in Gibraltar.

Just read yr charming story and will use it - if I may - on my daily "Godslot" tomorrow (Thursday 17th) on local British Forces Radio here in Gib. at 0715 Central European Time.

Have a blessed Christmas this year and may the mustard seed keep growing!

Hi!

Where do you buy mustard seeds? Especially the kind that I could have my children plant.
Thanks! Loved your website!

:) Donna

Dear Charlene,

Greetings in Jesus' name.
I am a pastor(Vicar) of an Anglican Parish in Ipoh, Malaysia. On Oct. 5th, 1998, my 20 year old brother met with an automobile accident and died. Since then, my parish duties have not even allowed me to have a good cry. On top of that, I have to encourage my family members to take comfort and have hope in God's faithfulness and His love. Yet, the lack of time to grief is slowly taking it's toll on me. Your mustard seed sharing has truly spoken and ministered to me in ways I still cannot put to words. It just spoke and ministered to me. It has given me added strength to celebrate this first Christmas without my dearest brother. Thank you and God bless you.

MARANATHA!!!

No Name supplied

Dear Charlene:

I came upon your site this a.m. My husband and I are experiencing a trial of our faith as we seek God as to how we will meet our mortgage obligations and elude foreclosure on a home we built with mustard seed faith. You see we had no money. But now, 4 years later we are in a financial situation where we know our only hope is the Lord.

Just wanted to share with you that after reading some scripture this a.m. with my husband before he left for work, it came to me to go to the store and find some mustard seeds and take ONE and place it in a frame and use it in our home. How surpised I was when I started out this a.m. to just do some research on the mustard seed to come upon your site and your story of your Mustard Seed Christmas. God is faithful. I believe that he spoke to us through your story today, and I look for his meeting of every need.

I will share our testimony with you as God reveals it, so I'm putting your site in my favorite places.

Thank you!

No Name supplied

Dear Sister in the Lord,

Was researching through the web looking for mustard seed tree. When I came across your site the the Mustard Seed Christmas story. It ministered to me. No, I am not at a low point in my life. Still I received direction from the Holy Spirit for my message. Blessings be upon you.

We invite you to visit us at Tree of Life.

Thanks
Rev. W.W.

Testimony # 1 - December 1997

Dear Ms. Fairchild,

I am the pastor of a tiny very hard-pressed Methodist church in Miami. My congregation is desperately poor and has all of the [problems] you would expect from such circumstances. I found your meditation by accident and I have not stopped thinking about it. I have been in tears for two days thinking about what it represents. I, too, have had a couple of mustard seed Christmases.

Today we will decurate our tree in the Sanctuary. One of the ornaments will be a cardboard ball with a mustard seed taped on it. I will tell my congregation to go home and make their own ornaments for their own trees.

I cannot tell you how much your ministry has blessed me, not just in this story but in helping me stay connected to thinking Christians everywhere.

God bless you and your husband for your faithfulness. And thank you for a wonderful sermon this Advent season.

xxxx Rev. B.

---

Dear Rev. B

I am touched beyond words by your note. I was away for a few days and returned to find this note. Thank you so very much for writing to me and sharing your mustard seed story with me. Please, please let me know the rest - how God honours your faith and the faith of your congregation BECAUSE I know He will.

I have shared my story in workshops and at other speaking engagements. I am always humbled to discover how much it touches the lives of others. The whole work of a Christian disciple is to tell the story - to witness to what he/she KNOWS. I thank God that I obeyed the feeling I had to write about my experience and post it to the Net.

May God honour you and your people with His Grace and the richest of blessings this Christmastide!

Charlene

---

Dear Charlene,

A follow-up to your reply: I put the single "ornament" on the tree last week, as I had said we would. There it sat, until this morning.

Unbeknownst to me, one of the members of my congregation had a flash of inspiration after last week's service, and hatched a plan with the rest of the congregation. During the first hymn of today's service, the entire -- whole, everybody -- congregation came forward with identical mustard seed ornaments, red construction paper in the shape of a heart, with a mustard seed taped to each ornament and a little green bit of ribbon to tie each one to the branch of a tree. Each heart had "I have faith" written on it and signed by the congregant. By the time the hymn was over, the tree was truly decorated.

God is good!

xxxx Rev. B

And yet another testimony as to how "A Mustard Seed Christmas" has been a blessing. "May you in the midst of difficult times find hope and may a mustard-seed Christmas be yours."