Cracked Wheat For Christmas

Ted C. Hindmarsh

Review

For Dr. Alexander Pennington III, Christmas is nothing significant—except that it gives him an excuse to leave his practice on the West Coast to visit his affluent family in New England. This is his opportunity to show them what a success he has become. He's gained a prestigious degree, established a reputation, and still adheres to his family's sophisticated code that permits no sentimentality, no special treatment of the poor, and no faith in anyone other than self.

Alexander points his car eastward and keeps the pedal to the floor all day long. Suddenly, there's big trouble! His brand-new high-tech automobile, filled with expensive Christmas gifts, breaks down on a secluded mountain freeway turnoff. He finds himself stranded in a raging blizzard on a cold winter night. All the money and influence in the world can not help him now.

But the Stewarts, a family with three small children, can. Dr. Alexander Pennington III, experiences a Christmas unlike any other in his life—a Christmas that would make every member of his high brow family reach for the smelling salts. In the Stewart's small, isolated mountain home, Alexander struggles to maintain his snobbish beliefs while sensing strong feelings emerging for these young children upon whom he must depend for survival.

The warmth and caring of Christmas comes alive in this touching tale. The story's powerful portrayal of love parallels the teachings of the Savior as it celebrates His birth. This tale stands supreme among the increasingly rare, "feel-good” stories that add deep meaning and joy to life.

Table of Contents

1. Doctor Alexander Pennington III, 7

2. The Incident, 15

3. The Stewarts, 27

4. The Day Before Christmas, 38

5. A Struggle With Love, 57

6. Christmas Morning, 69

7. The Rescue, 75

Sample Page

Finally, following one frustrating delay after another, the shiny new automobile accelerated down the on-ramp to the east-bound Interstate. It was leaving California to bear its owner to his family and associates in New England. (He thought of them as his associates; because he wasn't sure they could really be called his friends.)
Thirty-year-old Doctor Alexander Pennington III sat at the wheel of his new status symbol, relieved to be on his way at last. He was looking forward to two full weeks of freedom from the pressures of study, work, and political shenanigans he'd endured for the past several years—efforts that were finally making it possible for him to pay for this marvelous piece of machinery.
Both Doctors Alexander Pennington I and II had expected this of him since his birth, and he knew that both of them waited anxiously for a full report. Neither was happy about his choice to work in the West, and even less excited that his primary involvement was research. How can one have a prestigious practice bulging with wealthy patients if all one does is research? To his exclusive New England family, Alexander Peninington III knew that temporal success was everything. Wealth and influence must transcend even love for family. Respect should be centered on possession and control.
Oh, Alexander III had been trained well, but he loved his work on artificial organs, and he had fought hard to win a position on the research staff of the noted university that was pioneering the effort. It put him in an enviable situation where he could control his time, for the most part, and he wouldn't have to spend his life at the beck and call of hypochondriacs and eccentric weirdos!
Doctor Alexander Pennington III was pleased with himself, and now that his salary was beginning to match his ability, Doctors Alexander I and II would have to be pleased with him too!
The digital clock on the space-age dashboard indicated 1:00 p.m., December 23rd. He was going home for the holidays. He probably should have flown, but then he wouldn't have had this all-important status symbol along. If he really pushed it, Alex knew he could still be there for Christmas Eve, which would give him two whole weeks to spread his tail feathers and strut!

	Order Information

Title: Cracked Wheat For Christmas Author: Ted C. Hindmarsh Retail Price: $6.98 Available: Now ISBN: 0-88290-265-2 Order Number (SKU): 1964 Pages: 80 Size: 5.5" X 8.5" Binding: Paperback