Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

Looking for a different way to decorate for Christmas led Mae Carol Sails of Thorsby to choose a new way to honor the reason for the season.

For the past six years, Carol has displayed her “CHRISTmas cross” at the door to her home each December as a reminder of the Savior behind the celebration. She said she always capitalizes the word Christ in Christmas to emphasize that this is what the holiday is all about.  The cross is decorated with tightly wound lighted garland and bows. The inspiration came from a photo she had seen years ago.

“I have gotten so many compliments on it,” Sails said. “I’m real proud of it.”

After having the cross up a few years, Carol added a manger to her display in front of the cross.

“(Jesus) sacrificed his life from the manger to the cross for the remission of our sins. … From the manger to the cross, we know he (Jesus) went through a whole lot from the manger to the cross,” Sails said. “There was nothing pretty about that old, rugged cross, but the beauty in it shines in our lives forever.”

She said she plans on continuing the tradition of putting out the display for the rest of her life.

Some have asked Sails if she could make them one for their house, but this is not something she has pursued.

“Maybe when I retire, I will,” Sails said. “It does take a long time to do it, but it is well worth it.”

While the garland stays connected to the cross year after year, the bows do have to be replaced because they fade over time.