A quiet November night finds a mother of three young children contemplating a troubling situation. As Christmas approaches, her kids are overly absorbed with what they want for presents. The slew of TV commercials and newspaper ads has them diverted from what their mother learned in her childhood about the true meaning of Christmas: the spirit of giving, as exemplified by the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

What could she do, with the odds stacked against her? How could she teach her children about the true spirit of giving? And more importantly, would any such attempt stick?

She...