Christmas is a bridge. We need bridges as the river of time flows past. Today’s Christmas should mean creating happy hours for tomorrow and reliving those of yesterday. – Gladys Taber
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Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
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Straight No Chaser is an American acappella group that was formed in 1996 at Indiana University. I really enjoy this version of Carol of the Bells, but want to let you know that “Ding Dong” is repeated 14 times before the music starts. The ding dongs lasts the first 53 seconds of the music. (If you want to watch a really funny version of The 12 Days of Christmas, search for it and look for the 1998 original version.)
Carol of the Bells
Straight no Chaser
Carol of the Bells- Straight No Chaser - YouTube
Ding dong (14X)
Hark!
how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw
cares away."
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To
young and old
Meek and the bold
Ding,
dong, ding, dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All
caroling
One seems to hear
Words
of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air
Oh
how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and
dale,
Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring
While people
sing
Songs of good cheer
Christmas is here
Ding, dong,
ding, dong
(Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas)
That is
their song
(Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas)
With
joyful ring all caroling
On, on they send
On without
end
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home
(repeated 2 x)
Ding dong ding dong
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RECIPE
Coconut Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies from Kaylee M. (This is her great grandmother’s recipe. Thank you, Kaylee)
½ c. shortening 2 ½ cup flour
½ c. sugar 1 t. baking soda
1 c. brown sugar 1 t. salt
1 t. coconut extract 1 cup nuts
2 eggs 12 oz. bag chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375°. Spoon walnut sized balls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. To cook as a bar cookie, press into 13x9 pan. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake for 25 minutes.
Rocky Road topping: 4 cups mini marshmallows, 1 cup chocolate chips. Spread over slightly cooled bars, broil for 2 minutes until golden brown
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TRADITION
When our children were teenagers, they were given the opportunity to visit older members of our church, to have “grandparents”. I remember Margenne and Eldon and Mickey and Dick telling us how much they enjoyed those visits. The past year has been a time of loneliness for all of us, especially the elderly or those shut-in. Here’s a way to create happy memories for your family and to brighten the lives of those around you.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (activity)
This is kind of a Secret Santa project. Buy these items in advance along with the twelve notes you will be leaving with them.
Have your family begin dropping them on the doorstep of your special friend on December 13th. Do this in the evening after dark, of course, so the children can ring the door bell and run, without being caught. We had a funny thing happen one year. We were doing this and took turns making deliveries. On this particular night it was my turn. I was ready for bed when I realized that I hadn’t made the delivery. I was in a long nightgown, had on a tattered robe and my fuzzy monster slippers. I thought about being sensible and getting dressed, but that would be a waste of time! I’d just get in bed when I got home. I drove to the house, sneakily made the delivery, and ran back to the car before they could catch me. I locked the keys in my car with the engine running! Talk about embarrassing, so I suggest wearing street clothes just in case you have to knock on their door and call your spouse to come and unlock the car for you.
Make up your own notes or use a variation of these:
ON THE FIRST DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...a partridge
in a pear tree...(sorry, but it’s the wrong time of year for trees, and the partridge flew away, we can't find the partridge, so here are some pears)
[Leave this note, along with a can or bottle of pears]
ON THE SECOND DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...two turtle
doves...(but we don't have any...so will candy turtles on a bar of Dove
soap do?)
ON THE THIRD DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...three French
hens...(Our brown french hens won’t leave their nest, so we're giving you 3 chocolate eggs courtesy of the French hens.)
ON THE FOURTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...four
calling birds...(we can't find those calling birds, but here are 4
messages they left for you before they flew off.) [Leave this note plus
4 messages describing what a wonderful person they are]
ON THE FIFTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...five golden
rings...(aren’t you glad pineapple is golden? leave note and can of pineapple rings)
ON THE SIXTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...six geese a
laying...(you don't really want messy geese all over the house, do you?
How about some eggs that they left behind?) [Leave note and half dozen
eggs]
ON THE SEVENTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...seven
swans a swimming...(the swans must have flown south for the winter, so here is their favorite bubble bath.
ON THE EIGHTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...eight maids
a milking...(here's some milk we got from the eight maids.) [Leave note and carton of
milk]
ON THE NINTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...nine ladies
dancing...(here is some lotion to rub into their tired feet just in case they’re out all night)
ON THE TENTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...ten candy canes used by the ten Lords who sprained their ankles jumping around.
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...eleven
pipers piping… A bubble pipe and solution which will make enough bubbles for all of those pipers
ON THE TWELFTH DAY of Christmas, your true love gave to you...twelve
drummers drumming… You could use sugar cookies with “Drums” piped on them or a cake that has been decorated like a drum, or anything else you can tie in.
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This lyrics of this short poem can also be sung to the tune of jingle bells.
Christmas
bells, Christmas Bells,
Ring them
all the day.
God the Father sent
His son on that first Christmas Day.
Oh,
Christmas bells, Christmas bells,
ring
them all the day.
God the Father
sent His son to us on
Christmas day.
The legend of the Bells
as told by Marilee
Shepherds, who lived near Bethlehem, were out at night in their fields watching over their sheep. Suddenly a bright light filled the sky. It was so bright that the shepherds had to close their eyes for a minute because it hurt.
When they opened their eyes, a beautiful angel was standing in the air just above them with his arms opened wide.
The angel spoke to them: "Do not be afraid. I'm here to bring you good news for all people. Today in Bethlehem, a baby has been born. He is the one that will save the world. You will know the baby because He will be wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laying in a manger."
Suddenly the sky was filled with angels who appeared and proclaimed, "Glory to God, and peace to all people on earth."
The shepherds were amazed. They had to go find this baby the angels were talking about.
As they flocked to Bethlehem they passed a blind child sitting by the side of the main road. He had heard the angels and wanted the shepherds to lead him to the baby Jesus. He tried to follow, but couldn’t keep up, he was too slow. None of them took the time to lead him. When the streets were quiet again, the boy heard the faint toll of a cattle bell in the distance. He thought that perhaps that cow was in the very stable where the child was born. He followed the sound of the bell to the very stable where the Baby Jesus lay.
The legend says that every year, at Christmas time, the sound of the bells will lead believers to Our Savior.
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