I just happened upon this blog post and wanted to share;
"My open letter to Santa Claus
Dear Santa,
First, may I call you St. Nicholas? I'm much more comfortable with that name.
So St. Nicholas, now that the holidays are over I'm writing to tell you that I'm very concerned. I mean, what happened? For hundreds of years you were this beloved saint, a bishop who loved children and saved three sisters from a life of prostitution. You supposedly punched out a heretic at the Council of Nicea and then proclaimed the Truth. You were cool before cool was a word.
But now you're seen as just being a fat guy in some silly red suit. Sure, people think of you as jolly and an all around good guy, but you've been stripped of all your coolness and left as little more than a large elf who gives overindulged kids whatever they want for Christmas...
.....PLEASE go finish, this is a great post.
http://learningtobeanewlywed.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-open-letter-to-santa-claus.html
It has been an incredibly busy holiday season and I still have much to do. We are celebrating "on the cheap" this year, first there is no extra money to spend and second, my kids are grown and buy stuff as they need it. We did get the grandkids bright and shiny new toys because they are God's gift to us and we like to spoil them. But everybody else is getting handmade.
The gandkids are at the Santa age and I have mixed feelings about the whole Santa legend. It is a lot of fun, so true, fun little songs, concerns from them that Santa will burn his behind so we can't have a fire on Christmas eve...etc etc. My husband and daughter morph into stone faced liars as they perpetuate the myth, I squeem as I look at the impersonators dressed in red, waiting to take the kids adorable handwritten lists...as one lonely reindeer looks on. You know, I'm just not sold on this whole thing.
When I was a young mother we went to church. Now there is a reason for the season.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Here is a very nice compilation http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/12/6-part-harmony.html pretty easy to understand, useful for a family sharing time. And some substance for the holidays.
Turning holiday into Holy Day...
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But Mary was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
Well, my best to you, I hope you are in the middle of a very meaningful merry holy holiday!
The best gifts of all around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family wrapped up around each other.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Bright Christmas Greetings!
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Confession: I have a lot of Christmas stuff. Ok, I should say I have a LOT of Christmas stuff. Some of it is old, some of it is toddler shiny plastic, some of it has precious memories, some of it is for making precious memories. There is nothing like those last moments before going to bed at night with the fire glowing warmly and the house dark except for the Christmas lights. It is the time for peace, and it's so easy to settle my busy brain down and just wrap that Christmas joy around me like a blanket.
Wishing you warm Christmas joy and the peace that comes from the light of the world!
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God. Luke 1:35
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:9-12
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:13-14
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. ” Micah 5:2
(6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. Isaiah 9:6-7
And if you were around back then, here's a little treat!
haha, can you believe we were ever that young?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Advent
Starting the Christmas countdown...What a cute idea to recycle some stuff into an advent tree!
but still cute. The matchboxes are big enough that you could hide a real little treat in there. I especially like the idea of the hershey kisses...wink.
and this one...
I love this pop out tree advent calendar, it is a reproduction from the early 1900's.
This one looks really nice too, a little more grown up.
So what is Advent?
Ad·vent noun \ˈad-ˌvent,
Definition of ADVENT
1: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting
2a : the coming of Christ at the Incarnation b : second coming
3not capitalized : a coming into being or use
Origin of ADVENT
Middle English, from Medieval Latin adventus, from Latin, arrival, from advenire
First Known Use: 12th century
Advent is the 4 week period before Christmas when the Church celebrates the first coming of Christ and anticipates his second coming. An advent calendar is more than a way of marking the days until Christmas,
take a look at this one!
This one is a 'Jesse tree'.
"The Jesse tree is a symbol of Jesus' family tree.It also takes us through that first long Advent which lasted from the Fall to the Incarnation." She has included printables for all 4 weeks so you can make your own tree. The one below is the first week.
What an awesome tradition to bring life and deeper meaning into this holiday season.
There is so much fluff and falderah that comes eagerly and willingly in my Christmas plans, decorating, cookie making, gift buying, Christmas books and tv, toys and games...I just love this season. I was really happy to find this page with crafts and activities for the kids that give a spiritual reason why we celebrate so here's the link..
Lots of fun stuff to pick and choose from. There's even candy recipes. hehe.
Of course I notice the candy recipes...
and...yes... in case you're wondering, these fat rolly polly guys are the spitting image of my fine self!
So as we begin this advent season this is what I want to share with you.
(meditation:)
First Week of Advent
"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake!...You do not know when the Master of the house is coming.'" Mark. 13:33 First Sunday of Advent
O Jesus, your voice sounds through the house of my world: Be on your guard! Stay awake!
Yet I hardly hear you. Busy with so much, I go about the things I do like a servant trapped in household routine, hardly giving a thought to what my life is about. My spirit within has grown tired and you, my God, seem far away. How can I hear your voice today?
Speak to my heart during this season of grace, as you spoke to your prophets and saints. Remind me again of the journey you call me to make and the work you would have me do. I am your servant, O Lord. Speak to me in this holy season and turn my eyes to watch for your coming.
O Emmanuel, Jesus Christ,
desire of every nation, Savior of all peoples,
come and dwell among us.
find the other 3 weeks here: http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/admedit.html
And I know if you merely read this recipe, you can just about smell it coming out of the oven.
Buttermilk Gingerbread
•1 cup all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk (or use 1/2 cup regular milk soured with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice)
1/4 cup melted butter or shortening
Sift together the flour, salt, soda, and spices. In a mixing bowl, combine beaten egg, sugar, molasses, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add sifted dry ingredients gradually; stirring to blend. Beat until smooth. Turn batter into a greased and floured 8-inch or 9-inch square pan and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes.
So here's wishing you seasons greetings, happiness and true joy beyond what you can even imagine, God's gift to His people!
PS please leave a comment and a link with your favorite advent activities!
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