HE Is Risen, Indeed!

Blessings, this Easter! The victory is won.

'Nuff Said...

Alleluia! Alleluia!! He Is Risen, Indeed!

Arise My Love



May the joy of the Resurrection of Christ be yours today and every day.

He Is Risen, Indeed

May your day be filled with the joy of the Resurrection of the Christ, the Messiah, the One who has redeemed us.

Alleluia, Alleluia!!

Sin Is Expensive

(This is not something many children are ready for. You might want to watch it later if your children are with you.)

Good Friday

The joy comes in the morning, and that is true.

But I never want to forget:

What salvation cost.

The price Love paid.

The gift is free with no strings.

May your Good Friday be filled with the knowledge that you are loved beyond reason.

Christmas Spirit

Ever the encourager, Kim at mom-musings gifted me with a Christmas award:


Thanks, Kim! Sorry it's taken me so long to post this, but I'm finally feeling a little better tonight so I thought while the boys (all three of them! LOL!) are occupied, since there is no company (I was blessed by visits from both my father and my sister and her children) and since we have nowhere to go, I could visit my much neglected blog and hopefully my bloggy friends.

So, what are the rules?

The rules:
The rules for this meme are very simple. Good manners dictate thanking (and linking to) the person who gave you the award. Then simply list five things you love about Christmas and pay the meme forward by tagging as many people as you'd like to. To keep the Christmas spirit flowing, be a good sport and tag at least one person.


Five things I love about Christmas? This Christmas, I will have to say, did not turn out how I had envisioned in my rose-colored imagination. No one plans on being sick before, let alone on a holiday--especially when that "one" is the Mommy-person. I got a slow start in the first place and then kicked up the pace a little and went on a decorating binge. But (she says with quite a whiny whine) I had soooooooooo much more planned to do, so much more to bake, special menus to make, cards to send, books to read, songs to sing, people to see, places to go, blog friends to visit, posts to post, sigh ...

And I don't think those all where what God had in mind. I'm not saying He made me have pneumonia, but He can use everything for His glory. And a few days ago I had to come to terms with what was essential for this particular Christmas. And that helped narrow down the choices. So five things that I've loved about this very different Christmas? They are:

1. God. Sounds kind of cliché and trite, but it is true. He met me in everything I purposed to Him. Everywhere I made an effort to seek Him, He was there. Whether I was in church, with my family, exhausted and lying in bed--He was there. Christmas is about God and His great love for us. Let the commercialism and retailers and those who would deny Him protest--it won't change the truth: Christmas is about God, YHVH, the Great I AM's love for His wayward children.

2. My family. My guys make it all fun. My husband really took over so much for me this year. My boys just love anything anyone does to make things more festive. Spending time with my father and my sister and her children just blessed me and reminded me that to slow down and enjoy the moments.

3. Church. No matter your denomination, I bet you love to go to church during Christmas to sing and praise the LORD with other believers--other members of Our Father's vast and diverse family. I bet you love to hear the Gospel message of how the Father sent His Only Son to our world as a tiny infant, a child born not it a palace, but a smelly stable. I bet you love to hear the message of LOVE. I know I do.

The one thing I had asked for this year was to go to Midnight Mass again, just like last year (probably not what the doctor ordered--but my heart was crying for it). We went and it was wonderful. I am always amazed at how moved I am to hear the Christmas hymns, to hear the Word, to come to worship the One.

4. Surprises. Christmas is always about surprises. From the first surprise that God would send His Son as an infant, to the surprises of today. Maybe a family member got to come home, maybe you got something you really wanted, maybe it was the surprise of giving a gift to someone and you could tell you had blessed them and they were thrilled.

I had so many surprises this year--really good and sweet surprises. I have to tell you I ended up crying quite a lot--happy tears mind you. But crying leads to coughing, so I coughed a lot too. But the surprises were worth it. Someone gifted my children in an unexpected way. Someone delivered a beautiful dinner on a night I had company and hadn't had the energy to put anything together. Surprises are a wonderful part of Christmas.

5. Lights. I'm trying to imagine Christmas without light. If you didn't notice in my decorating--I like lights. I'm not sure that it always works, but I hope that with the lights we remember the Light of the World.

Now I am supposed to pass this on, and so to everyone who commented on my posts through Advent to Christmas (and if you comment on this one too!), I'd like to share this award with you. I wasn't sure where Christmas this year was going, and your sweet comments, e-mails and encouragement blessed me more than you will know.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your days have been merry and your families blessed with joy.

Julie

Merry Christmas! Welcome LORD Jesus!

Lyrics and music by Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Christ Be Our Light

Christ Be Our Light

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Refrain
Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow’r to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Refrain

Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Refrain

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Refrain

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Refrain

Gift of Hope

Child of wonder, close Your eyes
Rest here in my arms tonight
Someday You will save the world
But tonight I'll hold You, right here in my arms

Precious miracle of life, child of love
Gift of hope, the gift of light
From the Father above
And You were made for all mankind
But You will always be mine, child of love

Gabriel's promise has come true
God has blessed this world with You
And as I humbly hold You now
In my heart I know I'm holding heaven's child

Precious miracle of life, child of love
Gift of hope, the gift of light
From the Father above
And You were made for all mankind
But You will always be mine, child of love

Precious miracle of life, child of love
Gift of hope, the gift of light
From the Father above
And You were made for all mankind
But You will always be mine, child of love

Child of wonder, close Your eyes...

Ready or Not...

Christmas comes whether we are prepared or not.

For a woman often referred to by friends and family, alike as “Miss Merry Ho-Ho”, for a person who has almost always decorated the day after Thanksgiving (sometimes earlier), for someone who has loved Christmas even when things were bad…for this holiday junkie, Christmas almost didn’t make it to my house this year.

Oh…not the real Christmas, not the real Reason of the Season, Advent has been especially helpful to me this year. The sights and sounds may have looked “normal” around here, but the heavy waiting of Advent has been preparing my heart. The two books I have been reading are great helps, I highly recommend Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin, Jr. and Christmas out of the Advent Box by Benjamin Husted and his family.

But the “Holly Jolly” Burl Ives, Bing Crosby “Silver Bells” Christmas wasn’t appearing.

And I was okay with that. In fact I was really ready to crawl into a hole and pretend that it all was not happening. I’ve told some of you this already, but last Christmas I put so much work into making it special and at the same time normal for everyone, that I think I was too busy to notice how hollow I was.

This year, however…I ran out of steam. And it became glaringly obvious.

I am pretty confident the painting project wasn’t my best and brightest planning. The outcome is great (photos to come), but the timing….Ehhhhhhh…hmmmmmmm…

The Nutcracker the boys participate in doesn’t help much, I am sure. Much as they love it, as I love it, as wonderful as the opportunity of performing with a professional company is, the rehearsal schedule combined with the class schedule of two is grueling. We were at the school seven days a week from mid-October to the week after Thanksgiving. The week after Thanksgiving was dress rehearsals, sometimes lasting until past 10 p.m. The easy part is when it’s performance time. People look at me like we are nuts (and I am sure we are) but the boys are in ten of the twenty shows the company does. But we are done with classes and so the performing is the “fun” part.

There has always been a fear in the back of my mind that we would get too caught up in it and forget that Nutcracker is not synonymous with Christmas—it is a cultural icon, a lovely tradition, but it is not the real reason.

Because of celebrating and participating in Advent this year, I think our focus readjusted a bit, I know it was lifesaving for my focus. Next year I plan to really have a lot more prepared so that we might open our hearts more to the Babe in the manger who becomes the Savior on the Cross of Calvary. But I am learning that if my focus is off, the family follows quickly.

Blogging has taken a back seat this year. Last year I posted often starting with this and ending with that and a lot in between. I had so much I wanted to share this year…but so often felt God’s hand on mine saying, “Don’t touch that keyboard.” So I listened most often. I’m sure not well enough, but I tried.

Early on I thought I would participate in Boo Mama’s Tour of Homes. I had a wonderful time with that last year. But there was no way I was going to make the start of it on the 15th. I didn’t start putting up decorations until Saturday.

And I finally finished today. At about 5 p.m. (those photos also forthcoming--and it makes last year look simple).

For me there was a lot of emotional baggage involved with decorating. I inherited so many of my mother’s, countless ornaments, I can recall a memory associated with almost every one. Some remind me of people I’m missing who have died, relationships that have lost their bloom, bitty babies that have grown to large and active boys. There also is a lot of soul searching about whether my decorating is the best use of my time and if someone would see Christ in my Christmas. Lots of praying.

Shopping this year has been odd. I picked up some things in September and October, little odds and ends. I had my sister’s family done…but my own family? I just was not “feeling it.” Doesn't that sound awful? It wasn’t that I didn’t want to give gifts to my sons. I have no problem with giving (although I have great issue with commercialism). I just didn’t feel like shopping.

So my dear, sweet husband has done almost all of the Christmas shopping for me. As I said, I had some small items squirreled away, but he braved the masses and the throngs so that I didn't have to do that. And to be really honest, I don't know that I could have. He must have seen the look on my face when I told him I really didn't feel like I care about much right now.

My boys are full of hugs and help, offering to do chores outside their assigned and checking on me to see how I am.

And right now I am okay.

This wasn’t one of my most cheery posts, but sometimes honesty is the best policy. I've dealt with depression on and off most of my adult life and have found that when I confront it head on and call it what it is, I am able to ask for help more and most important pray more during the dry times.

Sometimes the pray is little more than, "LORD, please..." or "Oh, Father..." and I run out of words, but He knows what needs to be said. It is times like these that I turn to the prayers that I learned as a child or the wisdom of those who have walked before and I cling to their words.

I’ve found that I actually have been able to focus and pray for others more this year. Know that if I’ve promised to pray for you or a family member I’ve been doing just that. While this is a season of wonder and rejoicing it doesn’t mean that there still aren’t many needs out there.

One of my younger friends, a still “new” mommy, has shared that she too is having a hard time with all of the “stuff” that her family associates with Christmas. She’s been asking me if she’s “odd.” I’ve told her I think her heart is just right and that it sounds like God is wanting to make big changes in her life. I think she’s a little scared of that.

I know I am. I feel like I am headed for changes to. Changes aren’t comfortable—even the good ones sometimes are full of growing pains. I just pray that I am ready to say “Yes LORD!”

I think my wrapping of heaviness is starting to come off slowly. I’m hoping my next posts are more fun and uplifting. Hopefully I won’t be regaling you with my “rogue” taco sauce woes—but if that is what shows up, so be it.

Praying you are feeling anticipation for the coming of the Christ.

Offer Him your gift,

Julie

Grains of Gratitude

An eleven day old baby.

I got to hold one this week.

A precious, sweet new soul—tiny and fresh and a gift from God. She joined a family as the sixth and joyfully welcomed child. Her oldest brother smiled when he told me about her. Both parents have that air of contented love about them. I was grateful her sweet mama let me hold her for a while and I was grateful to listen to her mother talk about their trust that the LORD will provide for each child the things that will help them grow to what He wants them to be. What a blessing.

A one-year-old’s birthday party.

My goddaughter’s birthday party.

Family and friends, food and fun, loud and joyful Celebrating the gift of a child’s milestone of one year. She sat on my lap for a bit, allowing me to hold her as long as I didn’t squish too tight or snuggle to close. We played with a pink stuffed dog and a brown stuffed horse. She delighted in playing, “watch the grown-ups dive for the toys when I throw them on the floor.” My sons had a great time and I got to sit and enjoy good company. All celebrating a child’s life.

Can you imagine over 2000 years ago Jesus was a baby, tiny and fresh from God? Stretching in His sleep, relying totally on the care of his parents. Can you imagine that He grew the first year and just like our children, reached milestones—rolling over, sitting up, crawling, striving to walk, talk…just like our children, just like us.

I am so grateful for a Savior who felt all of our feelings, experienced all of our experiences. In this busy time of year, during this time of run here, drive there, it is easy to feel disconnected from the true meaning of the holiday that is coming. My house still isn’t ready for Christmas, but this week I was given gifts to prepare my heart.

It’s beginning to look feel a lot more like Christmas.

What are you grateful for?

Grains of Gratitude is from Christine at Brady's Bunch.

The King Shall Come

Preparing for Jesus: Meditations on the Coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas and the Kingdom by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Friend, unto you the Lord says, “Surely I am coming soon!” (Rev. 22:20).

And what do you say to that promise? Do you by your unconscious behavior utter doubt? Does and earthbound vision deny the possibility? Are you scared to consider an end to the world?

“Can’t be.”

“Prove it.”

Sadly, the sign of our mistrust shall be the doubt itself, together with all the anxieties and suspicions and loneliness which doubt engenders. And these will last until we come to trust, or else until his coming comes to pass.

Jesus says, “I am coming soon!”

And how do you respond? Oh, let it be as a bride responds to the promise of the bridegroom, adorning yourself for his return, joyfully shouting with the Spirit, “Come!” (Rev. 21:2, 9;22:17). Then your joy, your present beauty, your complete sense of assurance and belonging—these shall be signs of the Lord’s trustworthiness and of our turst, signs of his love until he comes in glory.

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

The King Shall Come when Morning Dawns

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks;
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child
To bear, and fight, and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.

O brighter than the rising morn
When He, victorious, rose,
And left the lonesome place of death,
Despite the rage of foes.

O brighter than that glorious morn
Shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
And we His face shall see.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And earth’s dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn,
The day that aye shall last.

And let the endless bliss begin,
By weary saints foretold,
When right shall triumph over wrong,
And truth shall be extolled.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings:
Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray,
Come quickly, King of kings.

Set to the tune: Morning Song/Kentucky Harmony

This is the tune, the words in the video are to Nunc Dimittis


Also set to Morning Song/Kentucky Harmony

Awake, Awake to Love and Work

Awake, awake to love and work!
The lark is in the sky;
The fields are wet with diamond dew;
The worlds awake to cry
Their blessings on the Lord of life,
As He goes meekly by.

Come, let thy voice be one with theirs,
Shout with their shout of praise;
See how the giant sun soars up,
Great lord of years and days!
So let the love of Jesus come
And set thy soul ablaze.

To give and give, and give again,
What God hath given thee;
To spend thyself nor count the cost;
To serve right gloriously
The God Who gave all worlds that are,
And all that are to be.

Advent Links

I'm really slow and out of it this morning. Rehearsal ran until 10:15, which meant we left the theater at 10:30, which meant we didn't get home until near 11 and then winding down was hard for the boys and me.

So thankful for those school days in July!! Taking the day off of school. We fly to rehearsal early today--3:30!! Home early!!

Here are some advent links to make us think:

Conversion Diary: Musings of a Former Atheist

Soul Pockets

Thoughts from a Soldier's Wife

Happy Hearts at Home

Christ's Rose

Danielle Bean

The World Is About to Turn

"The word Advent is derived from the Latin adventtus, which means "the approach" or "the arrival." The verb is advenio: "I arrive. I come. I am coming."
Who is coming? From Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin, Jr.


"Centuries before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God was planning for the great event of His birth. In the eighth century before Christ, Isaiah prophesied about the coming of Christ to establish a kingdom of peace--eight hundred years before it happened!" From Christmas Out of the Advent Box by Benjamin R. Husted



Advent, Day Four

It is December 3rd and I am not prepared. I already feel behind.

Behind what?

Good question.

I am behind the world's standards of retail Christmas. I have not decorated, I haven't got my music in the CD player, I am still in my jammies. I am behind the times with my "dated" beliefs, according to some. I am behind.

And yet, when I pause, I realize I am not behind. God knew I would be here. And when I pause and if I listen very carefully I can hear Him. I can and am preparing my heart for Him.

Is 25:6-10a

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.

On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

There is no work I can do that will outdo the work of the LORD. There is no holiday I can decorate for and prepare food for that will outshine the feast that is planned for us.

Come, LORD Jesus, Come!!

Canticle of the Turning
by Rory Cooney

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on the servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

Antiphon: My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of you justice burn. Wipe away all the tears, For the dawn draw near, And the world is about to turn.

Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn, You will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn.

Antiphon

From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone. Let the king beware for your justice tears ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn;
These are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn.

Antiphon

Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast:
God's mercy must deliver us from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound, 'Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God, who is turning the world around.

The music is uplifting--to listen, click.

The world is about to turn! One day the world will quit operating on "me" time, on retail time, on sinful time. One day we will be operating on God's time.

What a joyful day that will be.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Advent, Day One

Isaiah 63:16b-17,19b;64:2-7

You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.

Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?

Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.

Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.

There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.

Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.




Wonderful Advent posts and links:

The Anchoress

Momopoly

Praying for Grace

My Domestic Church

O Night Divine

Sin is Expensive

(This is not something my children are ready for. You might want to watch it later if your children are with you.)

Good Friday

The joy comes in the morning, and that is true.

But I never want to forget:




What salvation cost.

The price Love paid.

The gift is free with no strings.

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Merry Christmas to everyone! God bless us one and all!

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.

Words: Henry J. van Dyke
Music: Ode to Joy, from the 9th Sym­pho­ny, Ludwig van Beethoven

Watch and listen to Steve Green on YouTube

A less traditional version that might give Beethoven pause from Sister Act


Technorati tags: Christmas, song, Beethoven, Ode to Joy, Holiday

Blessed by the Best Ideas—Blessed by the Best Gift

Christmas Eve Day
To all my friends:

May Peace, Joy, Love, Mercy and Grace fill your homes. Hug your familes, enjoy your church services, eat all the wonderful goodies, listen to some uplifting music...and most of all...
Remember to rest in His love.

The "Reason for the Season" is there, just like always--waiting for you to receive your gift, the best gift of all. How are you doing to remember to focus on HIM?

So many other bloggers have blessed me so much and helped me slow down. Their posts that have brought me so much joy during these days leading up to Christmas. Take some time with a warm mug of your favorite holiday beverage & visit them. Leave them a lovely comment--because you know for bloggers, the comments are just like chocolate!

Please let me know if you have something you would like to share with everyone!! There is still plenty of time.

This post begain almost forty days ago and it started with this:

I've been thinking about what I want my family to focus on this year and thought I would share some links to bloggers that have blessed my heart with their ideas. Will you share your traditions with me? I will be keeping this post near the top (with a link at the very top) and adding as long as someone has blessings & joy to share. If you have an idea on December 24th I'd like to know. Or even on January 24th, although we might be letting the post sink to the bottom by then.

So...Do your Christmas holidays begin the day after Thanksgiving? We know in the retail world they now begin the day after Halloween! (Or sooner.) So when does the season begin at your house? Do you start on December 1st and count down the days until the 25th? Do you do the Twelve Days of Christmas? Do you include the Feast of St. Nicholas? Does Christmas last until Epiphany at your home? (Of course some of us leave the tree up until almost February--but that wasn't because of celebrations.)

Some bloggers have started preparing for and remembering Christ's birth already. For forty days prior to the holiday they are getting their hearts prepared. And the ways are wonderful.

Debbi at Deb on the Run is at the beginning of a different forty day journey to Christmas, to Christ. Only she is not filling it with goodies and baking--at least until the Feast of the Nativity. Right now the Eastern Orthodox Church is celebrating the Nativity Fast. This post also contains a link to some wonderful Scripture boxes to be used in the celebration. She shows some of the process here and also talks about some planting they are including in their preparations. I spent the beginning of last year celebrating Divine Liturgy with an Orthodox Church that I loved. The beauty & richness of their celebrations leave me grasping for words. It truly touches every sense. Updated to add: Deb is getting ready for the Feast of St. Nicholas and shows us some "coins" that her family will be using.

This year Liza at Liza's Eye View is on a forty day journey to Christmas. She is doing the John 3:16 Devotional by Max Lucado: 40 Days with the Son. I will be following this with interest. I had already picked out different book to follow. But next year??

So what book did I have planned? This year I will be using the book Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin, Jr. I ran across it at the Christian bookstore that I like to shop at.

With the boys I will be reading Child of the Promise by Stormie Omartian. This is a perennial favorite of ours. I will be going into more detail on this book soon.

Some other bloggers have some wonderful children's book suggestions! Renee at 2 Peas in Pod linked to the Holidays Near and Far booklist and Leah at South Breeze Farm has some wonderful choices that journey to Bethlehem!! I know that memories that last a lifetime come from sharing a good book with a child. Be sure to visit these ladies and find these titles.

Kim at mom-musings shares with us a book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, that sounds like something I know my family will enjoy. Take a look!

Maybe you start your holiday on December 1st. Some do a Jesse Tree. Some do Advent calendars and some do Advent Wreaths (links here and there).

Last year before I started blogging, I began reading several blogs. One of my favorites was another homeschool mom. She blessed me and without knowing gave me a nudge in the keister to improve my holidays. I am talking about Jeana at Days to Come . She shared last year about an Advent tradition involving a wreath and a box to open. It started with this post and followed with many Advent posts throughout last December. Of course, as always, her posts are filled with humor and the realities of family and fun, showing we can still have fun and be merry while making the holidays more memorable.NOTE: Jeana is doing a sequel to last year. Sure to be as memorable!

A wonderful Advent project post I was thrilled to find was from Ann at More questions than answers. The supplies are simple, and the Scriptures are wonderful. This would be so great for families where younger children are present, but the olders will enjoy and relate too. I was so glad Ann let me share this.

How do you include your family in your holiday? Maria at Free to Fly shares some holiday memories where she learned about incorporating her husband's and son's wishes for decorating. She also posted about what delights her about the holidays!! She is uplifting as always.

Barbara H of Stray Thoughts shared two beautiful posts: 1st Corinthians 13 Applied to Christmas and Ten Free Gifts for Christmas. I think these are so awesome! Thank you Barbara. Edited to add: Barbara has graciously shared some more posts, her own post with links to many lovely Christmas devotionals, this favorite of mine, a story of a goose, oh my word--some funnies that will make you laugh, some quotes--I love quotes, a poem and a hymn, and a way to bless missionaries during the holidays. I thought it might be to late for this year, but good to keep in mind and work on for 2008.

Kathleen Marie from The Open Window shares on Faith Lifts a devotional about the origins and interpretations of The Twelve Days of Christmas. You know, the boys and I have a set of ornaments that list these Scripture references and they get so excited when we put them on their tree. This gives so much more meaning to an old familiar song and is a wonderful post to check out!

Do you find that one of your ways to bless your family for the holidays is to cook fabulous food? Do you look for handmade & homemade ways to share gifts.

Jess at Sassy Pants has joined in to share a handmade memory and an idea for continuing the tradition. I really love to make gifts, visit her to read her sweet story.

Renee at Two Peas in Pod is sharing recipes and crafts and lots of links to other bloggers at her holiday blog Holiday Creations. She has holidays throughout the year listed on there. She has a lot of Thanksgiving going now. I can wait to see more of her warm and happy Christmas ideas.

Edited to add: Renee has some wonderful holiday thoughts here and a free book recommendation here, that I will be looking at right away. Thanks Renee!

Mrs. Pear, possibly the most organized homemaking blogger has a lovely post about passing on a traditional family recipe to Miss Pear. Lovely memories come from times like that!

All the way from Alaska, Michelle at Scribbit is hosting a Winter Bazaar with great ideas from other bloggers with crafty and fun ideas for the holidays. I think Alaska is sure to have a "White Christmas," don't you? Check it out.

A post of a different sort blessed my heart. Coach Jenny at A Coach for Life shares what "knowledge" without love gets one for the holidays. There is nothing new under the sun. It is just wrapped a little differently sometimes. This is a can't miss post. Edited to add: Jenny posted a "can't miss" link today. It isn't just for Christmas. It is for everyday. It reminds us what it is all about.

Something I think most of us are aware of , but don't often address, is the possibility for a holiday, any holiday to cause as much pain as it does joy. Heidi at God's Grace in Practice has a post titled "Blue Christmas" that really spoke to my heart. Her lovely commenters had some good thoughts to share too.

Sheryl at Taking the Challenge, hostess of Faith Lift Fridays shares a special post reminding us of the things I think we all have in common when we thing of sweet Christmas memories. Visit Sheryl for her Faith Lift Fridays for a lovely way to start the weekend.

Many thanks to those who have joined in so far. Other bloggers have agreed to join us and will let me know when their posts are up. I will be adding to this post as we go along.

Do you have some ideas for making the holidays a blessing, for remembering why we really do this? I know you do. Feel free to leave me a note in the comments or e-mail me. I would love to hear and it is a great way to share some holiday joy.
Looking forward to a holy holiday! May your Christmas be blessed and full of joy.

Technorati tags: Christmas, A Reason for the Season, Joy, Faith, Holiday

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From Heaven’s all gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Words by Edmund Sears
Music by Richard S. Willis

Welcome to Our World

Lyrics and music by Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world


Listen on YouTube

Technorati tags: Christmas, song, Nativity, Welcome to Our World, Holiday