timeless and eternal

 

"Like God, Christmas is timeless and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting. It is something even more than what happened that night in starlit little Bethlehem; it has been behind the stars forever. There was Christmas in the heart of God before the world was formed."

~ Roy Rogers

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The Hope of Christmas

Matthew West - The Hope of Christmas (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Take me back to eight years old
The little church on a dead end road
With a candle flicker in one hand
And dad's hand in the other
Take me back to silent night
My heart was full and the world was right
'Cause right now the world looks nothin' like
Those innocent Decembers

These days peace on Earth is hard to find
And I need you to remind me one more time

You're still the hope of Christmas
You're still the light when the world looks dark
You're still the hope of Christmas
And You're still the hope of my heart

Watch the snowflakes fallin' down
Like a blanket on this town
For a moment we can hardly see
The pain this year has brought us
May the sick find healing's touch
May hatred's fight be one with love
And may every heart make room for You
The one who came to save us

'Cause You're still the hope of Christmas
You're still the light when the world looks dark
You're still the hope of Christmas
And You're still the hope of my heart

You're the hope of Christmas

I bowed my head to pray tonight
Felt my little girl by my side
She slipped her tiny hand in mine
And we both talked to You
And it took me back to 8 years old
My daddy's hand and a story told
About Heaven's love and the manger lo
And a promise that's still true

You're still the hope of Christmas
You're still the light when the world looks dark
You're still the hope of Christmas
And You're still the hope of my heart

You're still the hope of Christmas
You're still the light when the world looks dark
You're still the hope of Christmas
You're still the hope of my heart

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God's Kids

One cold winter day, a ragged little urchin stood on a street corner of a large city selling newspapers. His feet were bare and he had no coat. As he stood there shivering, a woman walking past noticed the child. She approached hi and said, "Come with me dear. I want to buy you a coat and some shoes."
A smile lighted his cold little face as he took her hand. She led him to a large warm department store, where she had him completely outfitted from head to toe with heavy winter clothing.
The boy was putting on the last of his new clothing as the woman paid the bill and quietly slipped out of the door. When he finished dressing he looked for the lady to tell her thanks but he was told by the clerk that she was gone.
He ran from the store frantically looking up and down the street. He must find the lady to thank her. At last! There she was walking down the street. He ran quickly to her, took her hand and said, "Lady why did you go? I wanted to thank you."
"You're welcome dear," she smiled.
The little boy then looked up into her face and said solemnly, 'Lady, who are you? Are you God's wife?" "No," she softly replied, I'm just one of His children. "Oh, I knew it!" he smiled with tears in his eyes. "I just knew you were some relation!"

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Fudge Cookies

6 oz chocolate chips

2 T butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. flour

1 t. vanilla

On low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Remove from heat and let cool. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

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As I have watched 2 of our grandsons the past 2 days, I’ve thought a lot about what memories I want to leave them with, what traditions we establish. This afternoon I noticed the older of the boys had the fisher Price nativity on the floor (which is fine, they know that is for them to play with) the angel was on the manger, everything else was spread all over and inside the stable was as many toy cars and trucks as he could fit in it. He told me that baby Jesus loves trucks, and he wanted Jesus to be happy. I thought to myself, well here is a new tradition for this year: figuring out what we can do to make Jesus happy. ~~ Marilee

Christmas Love (sweet story)

available online from multiple sources

Heart Touchers - Christmas Love by Candy Chand
Christmas Love by Candy Chand - Beliefnet

Christmas Story: CHRIST WAS LOVE | Motivational Stories (academictips.org)

"Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. But once again, despite my plans, chaos prevailed. I had cut back on nonessential obligations -- extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and yes, even the all American pastime, overspending. Yet, still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and, of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old filled with hopes, dreams and laughter. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production.

Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress-rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, just as I promised, on the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in 10 minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment -- songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. The melodies were fun, cute and lighthearted, but nowhere to be found was even the hint of an innocent babe, a manger, or Christ’s sacred gift of hope and joy. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love", I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row -- center stage -- held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her -- a small, quiet girl in the front row who was holding the letter "M" upside down. She was entirely unaware, that reversed, her letter "M" appeared as a "W." Fidgeting from side to side, she soon moved entirely away from her mark.

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at the little one's mistake. But in her innocence, she had no idea they were laughing at her as she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

One can only imagine the difficulty in calming an audience of young, giggling students. Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood -- the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

CHRIST WAS LOVE

And, I believe, He still is.~ Candy Chand ~ a true story

December 22

 

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Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Meet Me In St. Louis | Warner Archive - YouTube

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

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Life happened yesterday.  Her is the material I had prepared for it. ~  Marilee

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I found this story on several sites, and wanted to share it.

Bailey's Jesus - Kenneth Cope

The sun is shining: Bailey's Jesus (chondima.blogspot.com)

Do You Know Bailey's Jesus? - Ginger Tucker (beulahfoundationforchrist.blogspot.com)

Bailey’s Jesus

(by Ginger LaGrone Tucker)

God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Savior.

Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.

Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart. It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watched as Joseph and Mary traveled to the Inn and was thrilled when she saw the baby Jesus in His mother’s arms.

When Jesus, on a young donkey, descended the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, “Jesus, Jesus! There’s Jesus!” Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every fiber of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us. “It’s Jesus. Look!” I thought she might actually pass out.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Jesus through the eyes of a child in love with Him, seeing Him for the first time. How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, “Jesus, Jesus!”, afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. This was so much fun.

Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. “Stop it!” she screamed. “Bad soldiers, stop it!” As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. “Bailey it’s OK. They are just pretending.” “They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!”

She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking “How cute!” Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him. In a most powerful scene, the soldiers led Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back. They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten. Bailey was now hysterical. “Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it,” she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. “Jesus, Oh, Jesus!” People all around us began to weep as we all watched this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had.

Going back and forth between her mother’s lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught. I kept saying, “Bailey, it’s OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers.” She looked at me like I was crazy. In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. “Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!”

The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A super bowl touchdown cheer couldn’t come close to matching this little one’s reaction to the resurrection. “Jesus! He’s OK. Mommy, it’s Jesus!”

I prayed that she wasn’t going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.

 

Luke 2: 48-49

48 and when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold , thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my father’s business?

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Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life." -Corrie Ten Boom

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The Holly and the Ivy

(traditional British folk song. The first written references to this song was found in 1823)

The Holly and the Ivy - YouTube

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry,
As sweet as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet savior.

The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas Day in the morn
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To do poor sinners good

The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all.

The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.


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Thanks to Ev for sharing this with me ~~ Marilee

Ev: This is a tradition we did as my children grew up):

"One December we gathered our family together for a family meeting. We asked our 11-year-old son how it would be if on his birthday the family members gave presents to everyone but him. He didn't like that at all. We went on to ask if there was a holiday when we gave gifts to others but not to the person whose birthday we were celebrating. It didn't take the children long to realize we were talking about Christmas. That year, however, we wanted to make Christmas more meaningful by giving gifts to the Savior, whose birthday we were celebrating.

Three-year-old Laralyn headed to her room and returned carrying her favorite doll. "Daddy, could I give my dolly to Jesus?" she asked. We explained that the Savior knew of her willingness to give Him her most prized possession and that He would want her to take care of the dolly for Him. She was delighted and said, "I love giving gifts to Jesus."

By now our children had become more reflective. What could they give the Savior? We discussed what He would want. We talked about how He paid for our sins and wanted us to give them up. We talked about how He would want us to give of ourselves through service and sharing our talents. Gifts could also include being more obedient in such areas as journal writing, scripture reading, and keeping the commandments.

We put a little white box on the fireplace mantle (for our family it's in the manger by the fireplace) and asked our family members to write their gifts (letters) to Christ on slips of paper and place the slips in the box. then we explained on Christmas morning, before all the other gifts were opened, we would finally have family prayer and then share with each other the gifts we were giving to the Savior for the coming year. (ours is Christmas Eve)

My little box for notes to Jesus with goals - in the manger I made years ago with my sis Marilyn

As the years have come and gone, the traditions of the white (ours gold trimmed) box has helped our family focus on the real meaning of Christmas and on our love and gratitude for the Savior."

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Here’s another tradition which was sent to me. Mary’s family places a pickle on their Christmas tree after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve. The child who finds the pickle first, gets to open the first present on Christmas morning. I’ve been trying to track down the history of the pickle. Here’s what I’ve found so far. Some say that the tradition started almost two thousand years ago when Saint Nicklaus resurrected 2 young boys whose bodies he found in a pickle barrel. Another legend says that it all began in Germany hundreds of years ago, and that German immigrants brought it here to the states with them. Another legend states that during the Civil War, a captured soldier named John Lower, was sent to Andersonville.  Starvation was a reality in that prisoner of war camp.  Lower wished for a pickle to ease his hunger-his last meal. A compassionate guard brought him a pickle.  John lived, and every year after that he put a pickle on his Christmas tree.  A 4th story says that the legend of the pickle was started by a salesman in Michigan who had lots of glass fruit and vegetable ornaments in his store. People bought everything but the pickles, so he made up a legend to sell his ornaments. Whoever made it up, it could be fun. You could even make up your own legend.  For example, our oldest daughter loved sweet pickles, even as a baby.  Her Grandpa would give her a sweet pickle and she would fall asleep sucking on it like a pacifier.  We could make up a legend about that the pickle ~ Marilee

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Here is a fun recipe for Grinch popcorn.  Follow this link, or goto my pinterest page.

Grinch Popcorn - Two Sisters (twosisterscrafting.com)

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Christmas Blessings

By Willis A. Potter

The many blessings we receive stem from our Savior’s birth

When as a babe in Bethlehem, he came to dwell on earth.

We find the Christmas holidays bring extra love and cheer

And we enjoy the happy times with loved ones kind and dear.

The Christmas trees, the caroling, the myriad Christmas lights,

The gifts, games and special treats add all to our delights.

Our foremost blessing is the gift of God’s beloved Son,

Who will forgive us as we repent and right the wrong’s we’ve done.

As the rock of our salvation, Jesus came mankind to save.

His atonement brought redemption from our sins and from the grave.

He gave us the Beatitudes, taught us faith and prayer,

He taught us not to lie or steal, to be honest kind and fair.

The Good Samaritans kindness was our Savior’s teaching tool,

To love our neighbor as ourself, we must heed his golden rule.

He said, “I am the Good Shepherd,” we become his faithful sheep,

As we can love and follow him and his commandments keep.

For blessings at this Christmas time, we thank our Savior dear,

May each one share his love and care all through the coming year.