John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
"Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” Dale Evans
If I Were There - Official Music Video
This is a lovely video of a choir in a Christmas background showing children sitting around a nativity, singing in a group, and a young girl playing the piano.
If I were there, I’d find the manger
And bow before the tiny Savior.
I’d sense the peace that filled the air
If I were there, if I were there.
I love reading. One of my favorite authors growing up was Jules Verne. I read “20,000 Leagues under the Sea,” “Journey to the Center of The Earth” and “Around the World in 80 Days” more times than I can count. I used to lay under the covers with a flashlight at night, reading about Phileas Fogg and how he made a bet to do the impossible – to circumnavigate the world in 80 days. He traveled by train, by balloon, by stagecoach and by elephant accompanied by his servant, Jean Passepartout. (I took French in school because I loved that name!) Bad things happened along the way. He was mistaken for a bank robber and hunted by Inspector Fix throughout much of the book. Phileas discovered a young widow about to be sacrificed in a funeral pyre with her husband’s remains in India. He rescued her. He was spied on. Passepartout was kidnapped - Phileus rescued him. He missed his connections. What can I say - it’s an exciting book! Phileus finally made it back to London and realized that he returned one day too late. He missed the deadline by 1 day. Tragic. It was so sad. Then he discovered it was not too late! He forgot about the international date line! He went to his club, strode through the doors and proclaimed to one and all, “I’m here.” What does that have to do with Christmas? Each of us is on a journey back to God. At times it seems hard, almost impossible to accomplish. We don’t know how to manage the trials and the obstacles we face. We find ourselves saying, “Where do I go from here? Do I even have the time to get there from here?” We do. Our Savior provides us with the time and the guidance we need. Thank you, dear Savior, for Your love, Your example, Your guidance, and your peace. Throughout this month, we’ll be talking about the power of love and peace in our lives starting with Christmas and lasting forever.
Baguettes
2 c warm water
2 t sugar
1 T yeast
1 T olive oil
5 - 51/2 c. flour
1 egg for egg wash
Combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Allow to activate and bubble for about 5 minutes. Pour liquid in bread maker or bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, then add 4 cups flour, salt and oil. Mix on low speed until combined. Add in the remaining 1 - 1 ½ cups flour, starting with 1 cup. The dough should form a soft ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic-y and smooth. If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add flour 2 Tablespoons at a time until it pulls away. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface and divide in half. Roll up length wise and press down gently to push out any air pockets. Pinch the ends and tuck the ends under. Preheat the oven to 415*. Using an extremely sharp knife, make slashes diagonally across the top of the bread. If you don't have a super sharp knife, make the slashes before rising so as not to flatten the rise. Bake at 415*F. Put the bread in the oven and throw in a small handful of ice cubes (4-5) on the bottom, quickly closing the oven door. Bake for 20 minutes. While baking, whisk egg in a small bowl. At minute 12, pull out and spread with egg wash, then return to the oven for an additional 8 minutes. The bread will be done when it's deep golden and sounds hollow when turned over and thumped on the bottom with the end of a wooden spoon.
* hint: Don't let the dough rise longer than an hour with this one! Usually dough is fine if the first rise is a little long, but not with this recipe. I've made the mistake more than once, and the dough is always sticky and difficult to work with. If you do go longer than an hour, the bread will still turn out and taste delicious, it's just harder to shape into beautiful loaves.
This site has more than 500 free Christmas printables for children
Christmas Worksheets | Education.com
There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. The contest stirred the imagination of artists everywhere. Many artists wanted a chance at winning the prize. Paintings from far and wide began to arrive.
The king looked at all the pictures, uncovering one peaceful scene after another as the on-lookers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew as only two pictures remained veiled. As the king pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.
It was a picture of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a beautiful blue sky with fluffy white clouds. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace. Surely this was the winner.
The king uncovered the last painting, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? This picture had mountains like the previous painting but these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked closely, he saw a little bird had built a nest on a branch of a tree. A tree that reached out in the direction of the tumultuous waterfall. Yet there, in the midst of the rush of angry water, undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, sat the mother bird on her nest – in perfect peace.
The king chose the last picture.
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