Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to […]
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1. On the first day of Christmas an Angel appears to Mary with the most unexpected news of all {Luke 1:26-38} 2. On the second day of Christmas Mary travels to visit Elizabeth and the babe within her leapt {Luke 1:39-45} 3. On the third day of Christmas an angel gives Joseph a vision to keep Mary as his own {Mathew […]
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Noel is how we choose to say Christmas Peace on Earth we long for all the time Family and all those we hold dear Christmas cheer to lift our heart and mood Christmas magic to never lose hope Holly jolly for a bright, happy and cheerful time Yuletide a reminder of the Christmas season Scrooge for the miser down the […]
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Mary’s Boy Child is a popular Christmas carol written in 1956 by Jester Hairston. Hairston roomed with a friend who asked him to write a song for a birthday party. He wrote the song with a calypso rhythm for the culture of those attending and titled the song “He Pone and Chocolate Tea”. However, the song was never recorded in this […]
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Spend time with family we hold so very dear Kiss under the mistletoe with the one we love Give gifts to our family and those we hold dear Decorate the Christmas tree to reveal our style Send Christmas cards to let friends know they’re not forgotten Sing Christmas songs to lift our moods and enjoy this time of year Christmas […]
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Joy Exaltation Peace on Earth Good will toward men Nostalgia for memories we long to hold Generosity to help others most in need Forgiveness reigns in our heart when it’s been broken Majestic because Christ came to earth Miracles make us believe anything’s possible at Christmas Heartfelt to show others all they mean to us
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The Friendly Beasts is another strong contender as one of the oldest Christmas songs. It was written in French about the animals surrounded Christ at the nativity. The song is about the gifts that five animals {a donkey, cow, sheep, camel and dove} brought to baby Jesus. The song dates back to the 12th Century. The French lyrics were set to […]
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Hot chocolate with marshmallows to make us smile Christmas cookies of every shape, color and design Turkey and ham warms our tummy on that special day Pies of every flavor and size to top it all off Eggnog is a special delight for us all to behold Gingerbread to decorate in a variety of ways Peppermint reminds us it’s almost […]
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Of the Father’s Love Begotten is another song considered among the oldest Christmas hymns. It started as a Latin poem titled “Corde natus” and was written by the Roman poet Auerlius Prudentius. He wrote it for his Liber Cathemerinon. The song was paired with the plainchant, Medieval melody “Divinum mysterium”. Over the years the plainchant was musically embellished. The melody first appears in […]
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Christmas Trees of every size, color and theme Flickering Lights blinking to music so light Falling Snow to whiten the ground Shiny Packages to entice our curiosity Nativity Sets to remind us of Jesus birth Horse drawn carriages to dream of days gone by Carolers on the walk wrapped against the cold air Santa with his elves and reindeer to […]
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A friend was searching for the oldest Christmas hymns and stumbled upon this hymn. So, it lead me to search out the stories behind these old Christmas hymns. The song was composed in Latin by St. Hilary of Poitiers in the fourth century. The Latin translation is “Jesus refulsit omnium”. The song is said to have been composed after the first […]
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Popcorn popping to string the tree Cranberries warming to create a scented memory Gingerbread filling the kitchen Fresh cut Christmas trees to fill the air Hickory logs burning in the hearth Pumpkin pie to bring out stomach to a rumble Cinnamon in a variety of dishes Oranges simmering on the stove Scented Candles filling the air Scented pine cones ensconced […]
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This year has been unique all by itself and as I thought about ways to celebrate the Christmas season I decided we will celebrate the most wonderful time of the year using our senses. We will explore Christmas through the sights, sounds, smells, taste, feelings, words, and traditions of the season. How we celebrate each of these may vary depending […]
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A great and mighty wonder is a little-known Christmas Carol. The hymn is German in origin. The hymn was written by St. Germanus I. He was born in Constantinople of a patrician family in 634 Greece. He was ordained in Constantinople and subsequently became bishop of Cyzicus. He was present at the Synod of Constantinople in 712, which restored the […]
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The Wise Men have worshiped at the feet of the Christ child or baby Jesus. They then bestow three gifts to him of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When they leave, they probably planned to head back to Jerusalem and inform King Herod of the child’s location as he requested. “We do not find that the wise men promised to come […]
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As with Gladness Men of Old is considered an Epiphany hymn more than a Christmas hymn. William Chatterton Dix wrote the hymn on January 6, 1859 while recovering from an extended illness. He was bed bound at his home in Glasgow, Scotland and unable to attend that morning’s Epiphany service at church. While reading the account of the Epiphany or […]
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After a long journey, the wise men have finally arrived at their destination. Can you imagine the commotion as they ride up and tie their camels to the hitching posts? “We may well imagine their expectations were raised to find this royal babe, though slighted by the nation, yet honourably attended at home; and what a disappointment it was to […]
Read more There’s A Star in the East is a Christmas Carol. Reginald Heber is credited with writing the song. He was in 1783 England and named after his father. He professed his admiration of the hymns of John Newton and William Cower and one of the first High Church Anglicans to write his own hymns. In 1811, he was appointed Bishop […]
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Bethlehem Morning was written by Morris Chapman. The song was made popular by Sandi Patty. Chapman was born in Mississippi in 1940. He served as pastor to several churches in Texas before becoming CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1992-2010. The song takes one to the morning of Jesus birth. Merry Christmas!
Read more The song is a traditional spiritual of African American origin. The origin of the song is unknown. One source claims sister Margaret Allison of the Angelic Gospel Singers, a 1950s performing group, wrote the song. However, this has not been proven. She did write the song “Glory to the Newborn King,” which many believe may have morphed into Jesus, Oh […]
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