Tag Archives: Christmas

Silent Night

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To me, this song encapsulates the awe and solemn wonder of the Christmas season. When I think of this song, I think of singing it by candlelight, considering the miracle that God became a man.
This weekend I was struck by the amazement of the incarnation and the love of God. As I considered the extent of my own sinfulness, I was struck again by the depth of God’s love. As amazing as it is to consider the “how” of the miraculous resurrection of Christ, studying the “why” is more profound.
Why was God willing to take the wretchedness of death upon Himself for the good of mankind? How deep is God’s love!
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25b
12 days of Christmas, Day 6

You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

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Ah, now THIS is a holiday classic. Who can have Christmas with the Grinch? This song is not only fun, it is full of clever lyrics. That just brightens my day.
Growing up, every Friday after Thanksgiving we would decorate the house for Christmas. This would culminate with decorating the downstairs Christmas tree (the one with all the memories), ordering pizza, and watching a Christmas movie (usually the original Grinch, Rudolph, and/or Frosty). This is one of my favorite memories.
Unfortunately, times have changed and my brother and I no longer help with decorating. (You wouldn’t expect us to actually WORK when we were home for a couple of days, would you?) Things changed even more when my parents moved into a new house.
So to end this touching memory I want to leave you with this:
“You’re a three decker saurkraut and toadstool sandwich…with arsenic sauce.”
Now that’s an insult.

Mary Did You Know

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I have learned that the readers of this blog are as athletically challenged as I. That’s why we sit around and type what we hope are witty and insightful posts and comments, right?
I really like the song “Mary Did You Know” because it links Jesus’s birth to His work, death, and resurrection. So many songs at Christmastime give a simple picture of Jesus’s birth as if He were merely royalty. Worshiping Jesus is definitely warranted, but we also should view His work on our behalf with awe. He deserves all the more praise for willingly forsaking the joys of heaven for the sorrow, frusteration, and weakness of humanity which is wholly undeserving.
By forgetting the awesomeness of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, deity taking on flesh, we are prone to the commercialization of Christmas. Remembering the reason why we celebrate Christmas helps to keep all the hustle and bustle in perspective.

Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy

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Another one of my favorite Christmas songs is the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. It’s a great tune, both light and substantive as only classical music can be.
I remember going to see the Nutcracker performed as a child. I loved it. I’ve always enjoyed plays and ballet (singular, because I think this is the only one I’ve been to).
A little known fact is that I actually took ballet class for 2 years in middle school. Yeah, I know that is surprising as I have neither the body type nor the classic femininity and poise associated with the dance. Really, it was just a fun form of exercise to take the place of gymnastics. I’ve never excelled at any sport, or in this case dance, that I tried: soccer, gymnastics, basketball, ballet, or tennis. Though that didn’t stop me from dreaming of representing America in the 1996 or 2000 Olympics!
What is something that you wished you had excelled at when you were a kid? Is there something you had aspirations of being but not the abilities?
12 Days of Christmas, Day 3

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

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I live 1,271 road miles away from my family. I think that has a lot do with why I like this song.
Growing up I don’t particularly remember liking this song. I didn’t hate it, but it had no meaning.
When I lived in Oklahoma, it still didn’t have a whole lot of meaning. Being 3 hours away from the family is not a huge deal. The only day I remember longing for home at Christmas was when I worked Christmas Eve and then had to drive home. Thankfully Walmart closes at 6 that day and I was working the jewelry counter so I could leave immediately and not have to “close.” (Though I would have love to see them close the store since they only do it once a year!)
This will now be the 3rd year I have to fly home for Christmas. While holiday traveling isn’t nearly as hectic as they make it out to be on the news or in the movies (think Home Alone…but then again, I don’t have any children to forget), I’m still occupied with the though that I just want to be home.
My parents moved three years ago, so their home is not the house I grew up in. But it is still home. I love to see it dressed up for Christmas and I love the smell of Mom’s cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven. I love to see what lights my dad decided to put up and whether or not he will be kind enough to turn them off when I go to bed so I can sleep. I love seeing my brother and his dog Boomer, who gets spoiled by my parents as much as any grandchild I know.
This year I can say that, Lord willing, I will be home for Christmas. That might not always be the case, but as the song says, “I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams.”

12 Days of Christmas, Day 2

Let There Be Peace on Earth

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For 12 days in the month of December, I’m going to give you 12 days of Christmas or in other words my 12 favorite Christmas songs. These will be both secular and Christian. Along with the song title I’ll give you some background on why it is special to me.
The first song I will mention is “Let There Be Peace on Earth” as sung by Vince Gill. This song particularly struck my fancy when I first got his Christmas CD probably 15 years ago. I thought it was cool because his daughter Jenny, who sings on the track, is about my age.
I don’t agree entirely with the lyrics, but I think it makes a good point. If I want there to be peace on earth, I first have to be right with God. I should walk in harmony with my brothers and sisters, but unfortunately not all have chosen to become sons and daughters of the King yet.
I hope you enjoy this little bit for December! Commiting to blog 12 days in a month is not nearly as big as commiting to blog everyday!
12 Days of Christmas, Day 1