Today on this final Sunday of Advent we would like to celebrate small towns. How many of you grew up in a small town? Small towns are just a little bit different. As someone has written, “You know you live in a small town when . . .”

A baby born on June 14 receives gifts from local merchants as the first baby of the year.
You speak to each dog you pass by name and he wags his tail at you.
You can’t walk for exercise because every car that passes you offers you a ride.
You can name everyone you graduated with.
You have to drive an hour to buy a pair of socks.
You get a whiff of manure and think of home.
Someone asks you how you feel . . . and actually listens to what you say.
There is no town idiot everybody has to take turns.

Small towns are just a little bit different.

Janelle White’s …