Our church, Trinity  United Methodist in Rome, Georgia, began a Live Nativity in 1957. And for the past 54 years, for the five nights before Christmas, Trinity folks have dressed up as Mary and Joseph, wise men, shepherds and angels to represent the birth of Christ.

[caption id="attachment_902" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="My niece Haley and great nieces Sophie and Lily as angels in 2010."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/angels2010.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-902 " title="angels2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/angels2010.jpg" alt="" width="479" height="447" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="text-align: center;">Adults stand in 30 minute shifts. Children rotate in and out every 15 minutes or so.<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nativity2010.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-904" title="nativity2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nativity2010.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="291" /></a></p>


[caption id="attachment_901" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Several people serve each night, helping people to get into costume."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/LilyDressed2010.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-901 " title="LilyDressed2010" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/LilyDressed2010-300x234.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="234" /></a>[/caption]

Our church is on a major five-lane road, in the middle of town.  So hundred of cars pass us every night in the two hours (7 pm - 9 pm) that we present the Live Nativity.

Our family has been a part of Trinity Nativity since I played the part of an angel, as a teenager, in the 1960s.  And over the years, even before we moved to Georgia, we would stop by and take a turn, whenever we were in Rome, visiting my brother Terrell.

[caption id="attachment_909" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Once everyone is dressed, we stand for a photo. Then we pray that as people drive by they will remember that Christmas is Jesus&#39; birthday."]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NativityInside.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-909 " title="NativityInside" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NativityInside.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="238" /></a>[/caption]

<div class="mceTemp mceIEcenter"><dl id="attachment_913" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 490px;"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/fullnativity.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-913" title="fullnativity" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/fullnativity.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="251" /></a></dt><dd class="wp-caption-dd"></dd></dl></div>
Our familyusually