Christmas is a time when we find our way back home, whether in person or in our hearts. It's a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, relive childhood memories, continue cherished traditions, and share hospitality and good will with others. It is a privilege for me to share my love of Christ with you.
For the past month, we have heard on the news that there will be no Christmas this year. Because:
1) there is a shortage of Christmas trees
2) there is also a shortage of toys
3) trucking delays effect everything!
4) shortages are forecast for canned pumpkin for pies, frozen turkeys to cook, and chocolate!
Lastly
5) there will be a shortage of Christmas cheer.
No Christmas cheer? Hah! Christmas isn’t about the presents we buy or the money we spend. It’s “a time when we find our way back home, whether in person or in our hearts. It's a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, relive childhood memories, continue cherished traditions, and share hospitality and good will with others.” Christmas joy can be found by continuing much loved traditions, or starting new ones, by remembering Our Savior. Throughout the month of December, I will be sending stories, poems, scriptures and thoughts about Christmas. I will also include simple craft or decorating tips and recipes. As always, the highlight for me is the music. I love Christmas music, it fills my soul with light and lifts my spirit, even on the craziest of days. I hope you will enjoy the music this year as much as I enjoyed the time spent listening and transcribing the lyrics. Sundays will have a scripture, a quote, a link to an instrumental song and a story. May the Lord bless you and help you to find joy and peace this Christmas. ~~~ Marilee ~~~
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Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
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"I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world." -Norman Vincent Peale
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I wish there was away to link to these songs without the YouTube ads, but if there is a way, I don’t know how to do it. The link will take you right there.
David Deyl - Somewhere in My Memory (From *Home Alone*) - YouTube
Candles in the window
Shadows paint the ceiling
Gazing at the fire glow
Feeling that gingerbread feeling
Precious moments
Special people
Happy faces
I can see
Somewhere in my mem'ry
Christmas joys all around me
Living in my mem'ry
All of the music
All of the magic
All of the fam'ly home here with me
Candles in the window
Shadows painting the ceiling
Gazing at the fire glow
Feeling that gingerbread feeling
Precious moments
Special people
Happy faces
I can see
Somewhere in my mem'ry
Christmas joys all around me
Living in my mem'ry
All of the music
All of the magic
All of the fam'ly home here with me
Somewhere in my mem'ry
Christmas joys all around me
Living in my mem'ry
All of the music
All of the magic
All of the fam'ly home here with me
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RECIPES
This years recipes will be quick and easy snack/treats. If any of you have a recipe you’d like to share, please send it to me or place it in the comments. This is a no-bake recipe – quick and easy to make with your children:)
S’More
Cookies Please
2
eggs
1
cup white sugar
3/4
cup butter
2
1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2
cups miniature marshmallows
12
ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3
tablespoons peanut butter
1/2
cup chopped walnuts
1/2
cup shredded coconut
1.
Beat eggs. Combine eggs, sugar, and butter or margarine in a large
saucepan. Bring to a boil and let cook on low for 2 minutes, stirring
constantly. Turn off heat. Add the crumbs, marshmallows and
coconut.
2.
Spread mixture into a lightly buttered 9x13 inch dish.
3.
Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together and spread over
the top of the bars. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into small squares to
serve.
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TRADITION
I received a package in the mail from my niece, Connie, several days ago. I texted her and asked her if I should open it. She said yes. There was a card with the gift and the message from Connie said, “I give that gift to someone new every Christmas! It’s your turn! In the package, there was a bright red gift box tied with a gold metallic ribbon. I opened the gift, and in it there was a nativity from Africa. The “stable” was made from a coconut shell and the people and animals were painted rocks. Connie and Ron picked a perfect present for me, and started a new tradition. This year, I will find someone to share a gift box with.
Each day, there will be a new “tradition” suggestion.
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KEEPING
BABY WARM
~
by Lynda H. Laughlin
It
was an inexpensive dime-store Nativity set, and he was only three
years old. His back was toward me, but I could see that his chubby
little hands were busily working on something at the old
table.
"What
are you doing?" I asked him impatiently annoyed at him for
touching the decorations after he had been told not to.
As
I started toward the scene of his latest mischief, he turned toward
me with wide blue eyes filling and a single tear starting down his
cherubic cheek. Then I saw it. A carefully folded tissue had been
tenderly placed over the small ceramic infant.
"Baby
Jesus was cold, Mommy," he whispered.
Ten
years have passed, and the tiny Nativity has been replaced by a much
larger one. But this year, as every year, I found a carefully folded
tissue covering the Baby Jesus. I think I know who did it, and I hope
he never stops.
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I
read a news article entitled “Drama
on Christmas Eve: Baby Jesus’ Journey to the Crib. written by Fr
Seán O'Dowd, and published in Africa December 2000 while
looking for story ideas.
I didn’t
write anything that year, but remembered
the basics of the article
for some time, finally writing it in story form in
2010.
~~ Marilee
The
church was beautifully decorated and filled to capacity. The choir
sang in perfect harmony and the congregation joined them in song as a
10-year old girl and her classmate walked down the aisle of the
church and ascended the stairs to the stage. Chosen to play the
all-important parts of Mary and Joseph, they took their roles
seriously. Weeks of practice led up to their performance that Holy
night.
Mary,
concentrating deeply on the treasure she carried in her arms,
stumbled. She missed the top step and fell, landing on all fours.
Baby Jesus lost an arm in the mishap and also suffered severe head
injuries. Joseph gathered up the baby and the severed arm from the
polished floor. Mary dusted herself off and the procession
continued.
When
they arrived at the manger, Father Tony realized what happened and
was very angry. All of planning, the practicing, the time spent in
rehearsal had been in vain. His first words to Joseph and Mary were,
“Look at what you’ve done.”
After
everyone left the church, Father Tony went to the office and got the
first aid kit to repair the damage from the accident. There was no
time to get a new baby before mass. He had to do something! He went
to work and re-attached the arm, putting it in a sling, then took
bandaids, gauze and tape and bandaged the Christ child’s head.
Satisfied with his efforts, he thought about how disappointed he was
with the performance. He had set so many lofty goals, made so many
plans for this performance. People would get more involved in the
parish. They would give of their time and talents. They would donate
funds for missionary work and provide for the needy. What would
happen to those dreams now?
Finished
with his task, Father Tony carefully placed the wounded baby Jesus in
the crib. Gazing at the baby laying in the manger, he felt himself
relax and bowed his head in prayer. His thoughts turned to Christ as
he realized that here was someone who understood the meaning of pain
and suffering. Someone with whom he could share his own pain,
especially the pain of failing to present a perfect pageant to honor
Him. The peace of Christmas then began to permeate his whole being.
Later, he turned off the lights, left the church and retired for the
night.
On
Christmas morning the parishioners
arrived for Mass. Big, strong, fearless-looking men arrived, but
inside many of them were men who had been made redundant. There were
some
men
whose marriages had broken down and whose hopes for a happy family
life had been shattered. In the wounded Christ, they found a Savior
who understood where they came from. The women too, seeing a
patched-up Christ, loved him and wondered how they could heal the
wounds of their own children when they failed to be perfect.
The
youth were amused at first. Then they began to realize that an
injured Christ reached out for their sympathy and that maybe there
were times when their own friends had need of sympathy and
encouragement. The children saw that the Savior too had bumps and
bruises and realized he understood that mistakes and accidents
happen.
The
toddlers hoped that baby Jesus didn’t have a headache. One little
three-year-old offered to go home for a baby aspirin, if
necessary.
Each
person’s heart was lifted and courage received as a result of the
broken doll.
Father
Tony wondered whether they should put the manger away for another
year or leave it out as a symbol of Christ’s understanding. He
repented of his harsh words towards Joseph and Mary. Was it just an
accident? No, he thanked God for the blessing.
