And when they were come

 

Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

❄❄❄❄❄

The greatest gift you will ever receive will never be found under a Christmas tree. It is far too valuable to be stored in any other place but in the depths of your heart.

 

 ❄❄❄❄❄

Celtic Woman

O Holy Night

Celtic Woman - O Holy Night (2020 Version) - YouTube

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the Soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
Oh, hear the angel voices
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother
And in his name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we
Noel, Noel O night, O night divine

Noel, Noel O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel O night, O night divine

❄❄❄❄❄

DECORATING HINT:

Gather pine cones at your nearby park. Boil them in a big pot to kill anything living in them.. They will close up tight while wet. Let them sit on newspaper in a warm area for several days to dry. The pine cones will open up beautifully. If desired, brush a little cinnamon oil on them. Buy ribbon in your favorite Christmas colors. Tie ribbon into bows, and using florist wire, tie the bows to the pine cones. Use the same wire to tie the pine cones onto your tree. Beautiful, Fragrant and Natural!

***

For a festive atmosphere, take down your pictures and wrap them like a gift, then hang them back on the wall for great holiday cheer! You don't have to do this all around the house, maybe just in the entry, or the dining room, or a picture or two in each child's room.

***

For a children's holiday party, use a colorful woolen scarf as a table runner. Tuck silverware into matching mittens and fill hats with small bags of candy or cookies.

❄❄❄❄❄

TRADITION

I want to express my gratitude to all of my book club friends for listening to me last night - especially Shelley and Tami. I went google docs several days ago, and nothing showed up. Everything was gone. I couldn’t sign in to the account to open it because I couldn’t remember my login info. I lost a lot of memories as a result of my accident 2 years ago. My google docs page has stayed open all of that time. But for some reason I must have signed out. All of my Christmas files were there and because it was stored in google, I didn’t have it backed up anywhere else. Google couldn’t help me, they said I had to give them the email address I registered with. I didn’t know what it was. I hope someone at our book club meeting might be able to give me some suggestions. Shelley is the editor of our paper and I thought for sure she could help me. She referred me to Tami. Tami made some suggestions, then asked if their might be someone I had sent an email to from that account who could help. That made me think of Cindy, my good friend Cindy who I shared files with several years ago. I called her today and she gave me my information. I am very grateful to her. Listening to friends and problem solving with them is a wonderful tradition to follow during the craziness of December.  I greatly benefitted from good friends who took an extra minute for me.  earthshaking?  No, not to them, but everything to me.  Thank you.  I’d like to include this tradition sent in by Debbie. "Something our family has done since our first Christmas together (22 years ago!) is we have a box that is wrapped with Christmas Wrap. On the outside it says "The Greatest Gift Given". Inside the box is a picture of our Savior. We open this box last & the children listen as Mom once again explains the true meaning of Christmas. It is a tradition of which I hope my children will want to pass on."  ~~ Marilee

RECIPE

Disappearing Bacon Yummies (Multiply by as many as you want to make with the warning that they are gone instantly!)

1 ½ t. Cream cheese

1 t. brown sugar

1 slice bacon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Mix cream cheese and brown sugar together in a small bowl; spread over bacon slice. Roll up and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

❄❄❄❄❄

At Christmas
(Edgar Albert Guest, 1881-1959)

A man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season's here;
Then he's thinking more of others than he's thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.

When it's Christmas man is bigger and is better in his part;
He is keener for the service that is prompted by the heart.
All the petty thoughts and narrow seem to vanish for awhile
And the true reward he's seeking is the glory of a smile.
Then for others he is toiling and somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas he is almost what God wanted him to be.

If I had to paint a picture of a man I think I'd wait
Till he'd fought his selfish battles and had put aside his hate.
I'd not catch him at his labors when his thoughts are all of pelf,
On the long days and the dreary when he's striving for himself.
I'd not take him when he's sneering, when he's scornful or depressed,
But I'd look for him at Christmas when he's shining at his best.

Man is ever in a struggle and he's oft misunderstood;
There are days the worst that's in him is the master of the good,
But at Christmas kindness rules him and he puts himself aside

And his petty hates are vanquished and his heart is opened wide.
Oh, I don't know how to say it, but somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas man is almost what God sent him here to be.

❄❄❄❄❄

He Fixed My Car, and My Christmas

EXTRACTED FROM Heartwarming Stories of Christmas Kindness | Reader's Digest (rd.com)

In 1958, I was a first-year high school teacher in Beatty, Nevada. On Dec. 22, I headed home to Idaho in my 1951 Hudson to spend Christmas with my parents.

Just south of Fillmore, Utah, a radiator hose broke and the car started to overheat. I hitchhiked into Fillmore and got a ride to a Chevron station. I explained my plight to the owner, Dan Brinkerhoff, who sent a tow truck to bring in my car.

Dan discovered that the engine had become so hot it had warped the head, so he called a nearby wrecking yard and found the needed part. I boarded a Greyhound bus, bought the part and then caught a return bus to Fillmore.

By that time it was dark, and Dan had closed the station. He immediately went to work on my car, laboring for several hours while I slept curled up in the backseat. Finally, he woke me and announced I was ready to go. When I went to settle up, he would not take a dime for anything he had done.

I got to spend the holidays with my parents, and I shall forever remember Dan for the wonderful thing he did for me.—Glen Gillette, Las Vegas, Nevada

There are many more wonderful Christmas stories at this site.