In the original song O Holy Night, what phrase captures the heart of Christmas—the same truth seen in the nativity, in wartime sacrifice, and in everyday acts of love?

🎄 A Special Christmas Edition of Woodward Shoutouts 🎄

“O Holy Night” — Just Voices, Just Truth

Start your Christmas with this unforgettable rendition of O Holy Night, sung simply and beautifully by sisters Lucy and Martha Thomas—just voices, just reverence, just truth.

He Came Quietly. And Changed the World Forever.

Woodward Shoutouts – Christmas Special Edition

Sunday, December 21, 2025

The Night That Didn’t Look Like Much

It didn’t happen in a palace.

There were no banners. No trumpets. No crowds cheering.

Just a young couple. A tired mother. A borrowed stable.

And a baby laid in a manger

Most people missed it.

Rome was busy counting power. The world was loud with

ambition. But God came quietly. The way He often does. And that quiet moment changed everything.

Why Christmas Still Matters

Christmas isn’t about perfection.

It’s about presence.

God didn’t wait for the world to clean itself up. He stepped right into the mess. Into fear. Into uncertainty. Into the ordinary.

That’s the heart of Christmas.

It reminds us that faith doesn’t need stage lights. That love often shows up small. That hope can be wrapped in weakness and still carry the weight of the world.

For families gathered around tables.

For grandparents holding traditions together.

For mothers praying quietly.

For fathers carrying burdens no one sees.

Christmas says this: You are not forgotten.

In a year that asked a lot from many of us, this season pulls us back to what lasts—faith, family, sacrifice, and grace.

Carry the Light Forward

Soon the decorations will come down. The songs will fade. Life will speed back up.

But the light doesn’t have to go out.

Carry it with you.

Into conversations.

Into patience.

Into forgiveness.

Into the quiet places where it’s needed most.

The same God who came quietly still works the same way today.

The greatest gift came quietly—and it still changes everything.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5

Upcoming Events — Where the Community Gathers

🎄 Santa Fire Truck Cruise
Tomorrow at 6:00 PM
Sirens will sound, lights will flash, and Santa will roll through town the old-fashioned way. Bundle up the kids, step outside, and wave. It’s a small-town moment worth catching.

🕯 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Wednesday, December 24 at 5:00 PM
A quiet evening. Soft hymns. Candles lit one by one. A chance to slow your heart and remember why Christmas matters.

🎶 Live Music on Main Street
Monday, December 22 at 12:00 PM
Local music, right in the middle of the day. Stop in, listen awhile, and let the music carry you into the week.

🍖 Ham Cook-Off & Bi-Weekly Dart Tournament
Tomorrow at 4:00 PM
Good food. Friendly competition. Plenty of laughter. Come hungry and stay for the stories.

🎬 SNACC Time (Sunday Night at the Movies)
Tomorrow at 6:00 PM
Popcorn, a good movie, and neighbors sitting side by side. Sometimes fellowship looks just like this.

❄️ KidzRock Winter Fun Days
Monday, December 29 at 10:00 AM
For the little ones home for the holidays. Games, fun, and a place to burn off some Christmas energy.

Big Point:
Traditions don’t survive by accident. They survive because people keep showing up.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15

Roxy Is Still Waiting

Roxy doesn’t know what Christmas is.

She just knows cold nights. Long days. And watching people walk past her kennel without stopping.

She was left behind. The only heeler still there when the rest found homes. Not because she’s broken. Not because she’s mean. But because life never gave her a fair start.

Roxy spent her whole life outside. No couch. No warm corner. No one teaching her what it means to belong. And still—somehow—she loves people. She leans in close. She presses her head against your leg like she’s saying, Please don’t leave yet.

She wants to cuddle. Really cuddle.

The kind where she sighs when you sit down.

The kind where she finally rests because she feels safe.

Roxy doesn’t need perfection.

She needs patience.

She needs a little training.

She needs a home where someone looks at her and says, You’re mine now.

She’s spayed. Vaccinated. Healthy. Ready.

All that’s missing is you.

There’s a quiet dignity about her. Like she’s waited her whole life to give her loyalty to someone who won’t walk away. If you open the door, Roxy will walk through it—and never forget you did.

This Christmas, someone could give Roxy what she’s never had.

A warm place.

A steady hand.

A forever home.

And in return, she’ll give you everything she has.

Because the dogs who wait the longest often love the hardest.

Who will Roxy spend Christmas with? 

Adoption doesn’t change her past—but it changes her future forever.

You give your all to your dog.

 You feed them, walk them, rearrange your life, and worry late into the night.  

Still, self-doubt has a way of creeping in. 

Deep down, you wonder: Am I doing enough? Am I letting them down?  

Many local pet owners quietly struggle with...

“War’s in a Hurry—and It Can’t Wait for Christmas Woodward, 1943”

Tucked into the bottom corner of this old Woodward County Journal is a message that stops you cold.

It doesn’t shout.

It doesn’t decorate itself with holly or cheer.

It simply says:

“During the holidays, please use Long Distance only if the call is vital. War’s in a hurry and it can’t wait… not even for the holidays.”

It’s December 1943.

Families were scattered. Sons overseas. Husbands gone.

Brothers writing letters instead of coming home. And even something as simple as a phone call mattered. The wires were needed—for troop movements, for orders, for lives depending on clear communication.

So people sacrificed.

They didn’t call just to say hello.

They didn’t tie up the line with small talk.

They waited. They wrote letters. They trusted.

Christmas still came. But it came quieter. Leaner. More deliberate.

This newspaper page tells the story of a town doing its part.

Going to movies when they could. Gathering at church. Reading about neighbors. Buying eggs. Sharing what they had. And remembering—every single day—that freedom had a cost.

It’s easy to forget how much was once asked of ordinary people.

They gave comfort.

They gave convenience.

They gave peace of mind.

And they did it without complaining.

Big Point:
Real sacrifice doesn’t make headlines—it just does what needs to be done.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

This Christmas, that old message still speaks.

Slow down. Be grateful. And remember the quiet strength that built this town.

A Christmas Blessing

As this Christmas week unfolds, may your homes be warm and your tables full—not just with food, but with grace.

May you notice the quiet moments.

May you hold your people a little closer.

May you remember that the greatest gift didn’t arrive loudly—but faithfully.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for being the kind of community that still shows up, still gives, and still believes the small things matter.

From all of us at Woodward Shoutouts,

Merry Christmas. May peace be with you and those you love.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” — Luke 2:14

Love,

Matt

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”