Christmas 2010

My Comes from the Lord!



Family, Food, Fun, Fabulous!

Merry Christmas

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,

for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.


St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)

Delicious Way to Start the Day

Cold Winter Morning + Apples, baked to perfection + Plump Raisins +  Honey + Cinnamon + Real Butter =Ooey, Gooey Deliciousness!

I sort of made it up but I'm not the first. Here's an easy recipe at Making Love in the Kitchen.

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" & The Story Behind It

The year was 1978. I was but eight years old. As was usual,  invited to church by compassionate neighbors, I tagged along each Sunday. I'm not sure if the invitation stood each week, nevertheless, I showed up on the Carmichael's doorstep each Lord's Day ready and eager to go to church.   Details are fuzzy, but that year, somehow, I was assigned to be Gabriel in the Church Christmas play. I had one line: 'Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men' (Luke 2:14)

I practiced my part over and over imprinting the words upon my mind and hiding them in my heart. A seed was planted that year, though sat dormant for many years until God's good grace watered it and gave it growth. It may be the first Scripture I ever memorized. It still stands out in my heart.

This song, inspired by the old hymn, was originally a poem, and is based on that treasured verse:
(Remember: you will  need to pause my Playlist to watch the video.)

Casting Crowns: I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - The best home videos are here

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Story Behind "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day": "One of America's best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), contributed to the wealth of carols sung each Christmas season, when he composed the words to 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' on December 25th 1864. 'Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men' (Luke 2:14). The carol was originally a poem, 'Christmas Bells,' containing seven stanzas. Two stanzas were omitted, which contained references to the American Civil War, thus giving us the carol in its present form. The poem gave birth to the carol, 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,' and the remaining five stanzas were slightly rearranged in 1872 by John Baptiste Calkin (1827-1905), who also gave us the memorable tune. When Longfellow penned the words to his poem, America was still months away from Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9th 1865; and, his poem reflected the prior years of the war's despair, while ending with a confident hope of triumphant peace...." Continue reading...

HT: Conservative Manifesto for the video; What Saith the Scripture? for the story.

And Can It Be (Amazing Love)

Still reading in Matthew.  Currently,  The Arrest, the Trial, The Death and Burial of Jesus. I read it slowly.

It may seem strange to be reading about the Crucifixtion of our Lord as we are in the midst of the Advent Season. I know it is not by accident that I find myself reading of the Death of Jesus at the same time we are celebrating His Birth.

The two cannot, must not be separated.

That sweet, helpless Babe, born in a stable, wrapped in scraps of cloth, lain in a feeding trough must be juxtaposed with the brutal, cruel torture that our Savior suffered upon that tree.

The whole world embraces the one event. Idealizing it, imploring us to have Christmas Spirit, Joy of the Holidays and Peace on Earth. That is all well and good as long as that cute little baby with a ring of light around his sleeping face stays in that feeding trough.

The other event, the culmination, the fulfillment of God's promise to send a Rescuer; to once and for all settle the score; to wipe the account books clean, to bring hope to a lost, darkened world tends not to stir up such warm and fuzzy feelings. Rather this event, which accomplished and satisfied God's wrath tends to stir up disdain at best and rage at worst. This is evident to me even by my aversion to read the Scriptural account. This event points the proverbial finger in my face and says: You are the reason I did this!
This Advent season, reading about the Death of Christ, I see it as a glorious event which brings the True Peace on Earth, Never-Ending Joy and Love Everlasting. I am also seeing that while the Birth of Christ is cause to celebrate ( and believe me I am!) I am more aware that this precious Baby is my King who humbled Himself for me. This newborn Babe is the One who would trade His righteousness for my filthy sin. This helpless infant is the One Who would die for me. Oh, How Can it Be?

So, I celebrate because God is Faithful!
(Please pause my Playlist before viewing)

Christmas Past

I've been in a nostaglic mood this Christmas. Spent the better part of the day sifting and sorting through a lifetime of pictures. Good times, good memories, good people. The Lord has been good to me.

The Christmas Story

The Nativity with Donors and Saints Jerome and Leonard, ca. 1510–15
Gerard David (Netherlandish, ca. 1455–1523) Oil on canvas,
transferred from wood
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a beautiful website devoted to the Christmas Story.

Listen along as beautiful, Scripture-inspired art and music accompanies The Christmas Story.