Merry Christmas

Christmas is coming this week, and it has been on my mind quite a bit. I know that Christmas is one of those holidays that means different things to different people. That makes the holiday very personal. I don't know how you celebrate the holiday, but I thought I might share a few thoughts about what Christmas means to me.

I've been listening to Christmas music for weeks now. (Haven't we all?) It seems to permeate everything this time of year, and I often find myself singing along after only a few notes. Some songs are focused on the season, some on friends and family, and others on Christmas traditions. Other songs, the ones that have the most meaning to me, are focused on the babe in a manger who is at the root of all of the annual festivities. It is he to whom I find my thoughts repeatedly returning.

You see, I believe in Christ. I know that not everyone does, and I have no problem with that. Belief is a choice, and my choice is belief in Christ. That belief starts with the babe in the manger, but grows to a hope centered on the eternal gift offered by that child.

In the Wyatt home this year, Christmas will be quiet. We had most of our progeny with us on Thanksgiving, so they won't be here for Christmas. My wife and I will, nonetheless, read Luke's recounting of the annunciation and birth of the child. We will give to each other nativities and ornaments that help us focus on that babe in the manger. We will sing "Silent Night," contemplate the blessings we enjoy, and allow our believing hearts to fill to overflowing with gratitude.

On Christmas Day we will, no doubt, have a special meal, even if it is a meal for just two. We will open gifts and enjoy our time with each other. Even though it is just the two of us, the Christ child will very much be with us.

However and wherever you celebrate Christmas, I hope it is a peaceful, happy, and important day for you. I wish you nothing but the best this year and always.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

—Allen

WordTips (menu) for 20 December 2025

Repaginating in a Macro

When creating a macro that extensively processes a document, you may need to periodically force Word to repaginate the document. This can be done with the Repaginate method, as discussed in this tip.

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Removing a Subdocument from a Master Document

Just as you can add subdocuments to a master document, you can remove them. Doing so is relatively easy, and it doesn't actually delete the subdocument from your hard drive.

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Become a Mail Merge Wizard

Do you want to become a mail merge magician? Discover everything from the basics to being able to complete all your documentation needs—it's all here! Experience the magic today!

Creating a Simple TOC

Sometimes a table of contents created by Word can have a few too many bells and whistles. Here's how to get rid of the hyperlinks that Word automatically adds to a TOC.

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Brackets around Footnote References

When you insert footnotes in a document, Word allows you to modify the formatting applied to the footnote references. What it doesn't allow is for you to specify any extra characters that should be included with the reference. Here's a way you can add any extra characters you want, such as a set of brackets.

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WordTips YouTube Channel

Do you like to learn visually? Make sure you check out the WordTips YouTube channel. New videos are added weekly. (I typically try to add them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

New video: Jumping to a Relative Endnote
Endnotes are easy enough to add and accumulate in a document. For this reason, Word makes it easy to jump from one endnote to another using the techniques described in this Quick Tip.

New video: Stop a Table Row from Splitting Over Two Pages
Do you want your table rows to be split between pages? Word allows you to format the table so that rows stay together and don't split.

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