Christmas
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Merry Christmas To All, And To All A GOODnight!
Can you feel it? It goes far beyond setting the “right” atmosphere. It has nothing to do with picking the perfect Christmas tree, using the most lights and tinsel, or having the prettiest wrapped gifts. It supercedes playing the best Christmas music. It’s even bigger than following traditions or even creating new traditions with our family and friends. It is larger than any sadness I may experience. Greater than any smile I generate by handing out presents. Really…..can you feel it? It crept up on me. I was not expecting it. But I’m so glad it arrived. You really don’t know what I’m talking about? It’s the hope that I’m…
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For To Us A Child Is Born
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 earth, goodwill to men, From heaven’s all-gracious King.” The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, Edmund Sears Merry Christmas! Country shepherds were out in field minding the business that paid them. Quite literally. They were tending to their flocks of sheep. When out of nowhere, an angel of the Lord stood before them. A majestic sight and unlike anything they had ever seen before. Their natural reaction was to be afraid. The angel assured them…
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Twas The Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse….actually, I need to tell that to whatever creature is lumbering around my attic. They did not get the memo. Strange roommates aside, it truly is Christmas Eve. When I was a kid, we always got to open one present on Christmas Eve. We generally opened a smaller gift. Some years, it was videotapes or new pajamas. Or books. Or videogames. No matter the present, they always wet our whistle for the main attraction. When we unwrapped the gift, it really gave us a preview of the wonders that awaited us on…
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Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
I come from a poor family. We didn’t have much. But the Laaaaawd’s been good to me. Now those are lyrics from a song, but they really are my testimony. As I sit and think about Christmas from over 30 years ago, I can see how much the good Lord has blessed me and my family. Back in those days, we had some steadfast traditions that revolved around food. You should know by now that I have a billion food related memories. Christmas baking holds a special place in my heart. My great-grandmother would be on a roll. She would bake and bake. The top of the deep freezer would…
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Ho, Ho, No!
Is that the sound of Santa’s reindeer on my roof?!?! Nah…it’s just some creature that is seeking refuge from the cold in my attic. As long as he stays up there and I stay down here, things will be A-okay! Speaking of Santa and reindeer, I would like to tell you a little story about myself. Do you have time? Great! I was always an inquisitive kid. It was very important to me to try and make sense of the world. I read everything that I could get my hands on. And I do mean everything. Notes were not safe around me. Bible Study Mama caught on to my habit…
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Holding On To Hope
The week of Christmas is here. It may seem weird to you, but being in the middle of a pandemic makes this Christmas that much more special. Do not get me wrong. It is devastating that so many families have lost loved ones due to COVID-19. People have been unemployed or underemployed. Our Christmas traditions have had to change. And yet, the Christmas story has brought me hope and comfort. Just think about it. Newborn babies are irresistible. Innocent. Fragile. With their whole lives ahead of them. Even the toughest people generally have a soft spot for babies. And Jesus was no typical baby. His arrival on the scene was…
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And To All A Good Night
The last Christmas of the decade is over. Let’s have a recap shall we. The alarm clock went off early Christmas morning. No, I wasn’t making children get up to see all the goodies that Santa left. Bible Study Mama and I had a full day planned, so I needed to get to the races. We started off the day with the 6 am morning worship service at my church. I surprised her and told her that her Christmas gift would be to sit WHEREVER she wanted to in the church. In case I haven’t mentioned it before, she LOVES being as close to the front of the church as…
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Merry Christmas To All!!!
I know it rubs some people the wrong way that we celebrate Jesus’ birth in the winter. Biblical scholars have surmised that Jesus was likely born during the summer months. The Bible doesn’t give a calendar date for His birth either. I’m sure that was intentional. I don’t care about knowing the exact date. I’m just grateful that I have the opportunity to celebrate this joyous occasion. On Christmas Day last year, Jesus was not high on my priority list. I was focused on myself and doing whatever it took to avoid addressing some real life hurts. God has been gracious and merciful and kind to me. I’m thankful that…
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Silent Night
When it comes to Christmas music, “Silent Night” is a classic. I love to hear a clear soprano rendition of this tune. Curiosity got the best of me, and I dug a little deeper into the origin of this timeless song. Joseph Franz Mohr, a pastor in Austria, was in a tizzy on Christmas Eve 1818. He was in desperate need of a song for Christmas Eve midnight mass. Although he had written a poem, it needed to be paired with music. He walked three kilometers to a friend’s house to get some help. His friend, Franz Xaver Gruber, was an organist. Together, they were able pair the words with…
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A Christmas Miracle
Watching Hallmark movies during the Christmas season is one of my things. My mom and I sit and watch these improbable story lines. We must suspend belief and not question situations, because it takes the fun away. It takes the magic away. On Saturday, we watched “A Christmas Miracle” starring Tamera Mowry-Housley. Do ya’ll remember her from the TV show “Sister, Sister” or her current daytime talk show “The Real”? In this movie, she is a recently divorced single mom who has moved from rural Georgia all the way to the big city of Denver, Colorado. She is an aspiring journalist and is ready to get her feet wet in…
