Christmas Greetings!

Music credit:"Nightfall" by Melody

Make a Smilebox collage

Tired of Christmas Music?

The day after Christmas, my daughter Joy said, "I'm glad Christmas is over. I get tired of hearing Christmas music everywhere I go."

I agree with her to a point. What passes for Christmas music in the stores is often nerve-jangling junk. Still, it is hard for me to put away the really good Christmas music that we play at home. I usually keep playing it at least until New Year's Day.

Most years I add a new CD to our Christmas collection. This year I didn't do that, but I am just about to remedy that.

I discovered that Fernando Ortega has a new Christmas album! I am an Ortega aficionado. You can view details and listen to a few excerpts here.

Low Key Christmas

I love Christmas festivities: concerts, special books, recipes, parties, and the like. But many years I have been guilty of cramming too much into the schedule. I wanted my kids to hear ALL of the books and learn ALL of the carols and make too many cute ornaments.

This year I streamlined and culled. No shopping trips for clothing--we wore clothes we already owned. Only one Christmas party. A few books and poems, savored more slowly. One concert, Handel's Messiah, our traditional kick-off to the season.

We had a wonderful Christmas!

Our stay-at-home day included dinner guest, singing our favorite carols, a scrumptious meal, good coffee, musical "jams" on newly-unwrapped instruments, Boggle games, and jogging camaraderie at the end of the day.

The day after Christmas can be such a letdown, but today I am feeling a lingering sweetness that is like a benediction settling my soul with contentment.

"And all the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them."
Nehemiah 8:12

The Shepherd's Song

Vintage Picture from The Graphics Fairy

The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?
My God, no hymn for Thee?
My soul's a shepherd too; a flock it feeds
Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.
The pasture is Thy word: the streams, Thy grace
Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers
Out-sing the daylight hours.

~~~~George Herbert, 1593-1633

Joseph's Dream

Joseph's Dream
Georges Dumesnil de La Tour 1593 – 1652

"But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 1:20

I recently did a Biblical study on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. One thing that struck me was that Mary was a very literate young woman. This is obvious from her beautiful "Magnificat," which is a literary gem that is saturated with correlations to Old Testament scriptures.

It is refreshing to see a painting depicting Joseph as a literary man as well, a deviation from the usual rendering of him in his carpenter role. In my mind, a man who is skilled with his hands AND his intellect constitutes the highest ideal.

I still wonder, though, why is Joseph usually depicted as being bald???

Mary, Did You Know?

The only thing better than listening to your favorite Christmas music is to hear it sung by one of your own. My daughter Melody sang this at our worship service today and I thought I would share it. I hope you enjoy it!

Book Review: Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas

This year I have deviated from my usual Opal Wheeler book, entitled Sing for Christmas. I've borrowed it every Advent season from the library and we know most of the stories of the Christmas carols by heart.

My new find is Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins. It adds richly to our repertoire of Christmas lore by incorporating the stories of modern Christmas classics into the mix. I have found myself skipping the chapters on the carols and reading the stories of how "Mary, Did You Know?" , "Do You Hear What I Hear?", and "White Christmas" were written. The short chapters are perfect for family circle time.

The carols are heirloom treasures, but I am also unabashedly fond of some of the more recent Christmas songs as well. "Something old, something new" could apply to Christmas as well as to weddings, in my opinion!

Here's a little quiz I designed from the pages of this book:

1. Which Christmas song became popular after a cowboy singer introduced it at a rodeo at the Madison Square Garden?
2. Which song was used by the Catholic church to teach doctrine "in code" ?
3. Name the Christmas song that President John F. Kennedy declared to be his favorite.
4. The first song ever to be broadcast on radio waves was a Christmas song. What is its title?
5. A hyperactive young man was encouraged by his parents to develop his musical/performing skills. He eventually penned the lyrics of which modern-day classic Christmas song?
6. Name the song that became a holiday prayer during WWII?
7. A poor Appalachian waif sang a Christmas folk song that was passed down to her by previous generations. A historian was entranced by the haunting strains, and made it famous. Can you name the song?

answers: 1)Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 2) The Twelve Days of Christmas 3) Silver Bells 4) O Holy Night 5) Mary Do You Know? 6) I'll Be Home For Christmas 7) I Wonder as I Wander

Hello! Cupcake

This was my daughter's final creation for her "Hello! Cupcake" class at co-op. The class title was taken from this book. Artiste has always been enamored with nutcrackers, and draws them incessantly at Christmastime.

We had such fun at co-op this session. My children enjoyed enrichment classes in photography, beaded jewelry-making, chess, creation science, and cooking. These opportunities add another dimension to their homeschooling experience, and I am thankful.

A Merry Literary Christmas

A Merry Literary Christmas

When Christmas shopping time
draws nigh.
And I am faced with gifts to buy,
I think about one relative
Who always had one gift to give.
And every year her present came.
And every year it was the same.
While other gifts were round and fat,
(Their secrets hidden) hers was flat.
Rectangular, the corners square,
I knew exactly what was there.
I'd pass it by without a look---
My aunt had sent another book!
I'd only open it to write
A "thank you" that was too polite,
But every year when Christmas went
I'd read the book my aunt had sent,
And looking back, I realize
Each gift was treasure in disguise.
So now it's time to write her here
A thank-you note that is sincere.

So---thanks for Alice and Sara Crewe,
For Christopher Robin and Piglet and Pooh,
For Little Nell and William Tell
And Peter and Wendy and Tinker Bell.

Thanks for Tom and Jim and Huck,
For Robinson Crusoe and Dab-Dab the duck,
For Meg and Jo and Johnny Crow
And Papa Geppeto's Pinocchio

For Mary Poppins and Rat and Toad
King Arthur and Dorothy's Yellow Brick Road,
For Kipling's Kim and tales from Grimm,
And Ferdinand, Babar and Tiny Tim.

I loved them all, I'm glad I met them.
They're with me still, I won't forget them.
So I'll give books on Christmas Day
Though I know what all my nieces say--
I know it from the way they write
A "thank-you" that is too polite.

Alice Low

This is from THE FAMILY READ-ALOUD CHRISTMAS TREASURY by Alice Low

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Do you give books for Christmas? I've always thought it ideal for each child in our family to receive: *a book *something new to wear *something to play with.

It is true that books don't always seem exciting at the moment, but it is something they can savor much longer than cheap toys that are quickly broken or discarded.

Barrel of Blessing or Barely Blessed?

Do you read short stories at Christmas time? One of our family's favorites is A Miserable, Merry Christmas by Lincoln Steffens. If you have horse lovers in the family, do read it!

Yesterday I had a chance to read The First Church's Christmas Barrel ~~a little online jewel that Carol recommended. It is reminiscent of the Pollyanna era when missionaries were sent charity barrels from their home churches. Sadly, some of the barrels did not contain gifts worthy of the workmen. I had a college friend who was an MK (missionary's kid) and she told me they had received a large box full of USED tea bags. Yes, the well-to-do lady who sent them included a note that said, "These tea bags have only been used once." UGH!

I believe there was once a very wise man who said, "I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing."

The most heart warming story I've read this year is a TRUE story you won't forget. Go on over to Liberty and Lily and read Donna Jean's testimony of a congregation who knows what real giving is. Bring your kleenex with you!

In a Minor Key

I bought this for Selah's rendition of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", which is my favorite Christmas song. It is preceded by a simple strings counter- melody that is just hauntingly beautiful. This past week I've taken my four children Christmas shopping (individually) and have been forced to listen to the jangly, cotton candy junk that passes as holiday atmosphere in most stores. This music is tonic for that; most of the numbers are in a minor key and are soothing and reverent.

My memory bank is filled with Christmas music that I remember from my childhood: Julie Andrews, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis. I hope the Selah music will be treasured in my children's hearts and that it will call up for them similar sweet associations.

Book Review: The Christmas Mystery

If you have ever read Jostein Gaarder's book, Sophie's World, you know this author can twist the plot in such a way as to boggle the mind. The Christmas Mystery is a little more innocuous than Sophie's World, and a little more meaty than most Christmas "fluff" stories. I first read it several years ago on the advise of my friend Krakovianka, who recently updated her original review here.

Our family is enjoying it a second time through this year. It is set up similar to an advent calendar, where one entry per day can be read aloud.

The story of Joachim, a ten-year old Norwegian, begins with his purchase of an old, faded advent calendar which he chooses in lieu of a glitzy one with plastic characters or chocolate behind each flap. His choice is rewarded when he opens the flaps each day to discover an on-going drama centering around a little girl named Elisabet. The drama is written in installments on small slips of paper which are hidden behind each flap on the calendar.

Elisabet, the childish subject of the drama, is on a journey. She is chasing a little lamb who is on pilgrimage to Bethlehem to be present at the nativity. Thus, the journey becomes both a geographic journey and a journey back in time. History buffs will love the incidental vignettes woven into the story. As the journey progresses, more and more members of the nativity scene join as traveling companions.

In the end, Joachim meets the real Elisabet and the twining of several stories come to a culmination.

This book is a nice change of pace from the many syrupy selections that are featured at the big bookstores this time of year.

Fairy Tale Week-End

As the parent of musical children, I have spent literally hundreds of hours driving kids to lessons, assisting in practice, and attending recitals. At least once a year we get to reap the fruit of our efforts. My daughter has a yearly engagement with a very elegant lodge in a neighboring city, where she provides an hour of piano music for the dinner guests. In return, our family receives a free night at the lodge. It is always a wonderful retreat in the midst of the busiest of seasons, sure to include a roaring fire, a horse and buggy ride through the woods, a sumptuous meal, and of course my daughter's music. Each year she is able to include more of her own compositions in the repertoire, which is a great delight to hear. You can't see the piano in this picture, but it is just to the left of the fireplace, which is in the center. There are soaring acoustics and it is just an all around delicious treat that we count a gift from a loving Heavenly Father.

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." James 1:17

Mathematical Probability and Messiah

Yesterday, in my teen Sunday School class, we discussed eight of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. There are actually over 300 predictions, but we scaled our study down to just eight. Some of the predictions included the place of His birth (Bethlehem), the piercing of His hands and feet (Psalm 22), the appearance of a forerunner, his burial among the rich, etc.

Then we discussed mathematical probability. What are the chances that ONE MAN could fulfill even eight out of the hundreds of predictions?

With a little help from Peter Stoner, who devotes a great deal of time to this issue in his book Science Speaks, we discovered that the probability was:

1 chance out of 100,000,000,000,000,000 !!!

I think I would have enjoyed math more as a teen if I could have seen these kinds of connections. My hope for my students is that they will see that God has provided for us abundant evidence so that any thinking person may have complete confidence in His Word and His Son, Jesus.

Even Peter, who walked with, listened to, and touched the Messiah gave credence to the more sure word of prophecy:

"And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts."
~ 2 Peter 1:19

That is my prayer: that those teens in my class will pay attention to the prophetic word and that understanding would light their lives. So let it be done, Lord.

Adoremus

We sometimes engage in family singing while in the car, and at this time of year Adeste Fidelis is in our repertoire. A Christmas moose like the this one is displayed on the roof of a local business, and one of the kids once pointed to it and said, "Look Mom! It's the adoremus!"

How did a moose get to be a Christmas symbol anyway????

Book Review: The Greatest Gift

This little story by Philip Van Doren Stern is the one that inspired the movie It's a Wonderful Life. I picked it up on a whim off the holiday shelf at the public library. Like many families, we watch the movie perennially, and I was curious to learn its roots.

The story itself is very simple as compared to the movie. There is little character development, and some of the best known characters from the movie are missing, i.e. Potter, Uncle Billy, Violet, and the policeman/cab driver duo. Yet the book is charming in a simple way, and the 50th anniversary edition pictured here has appealing black and white drawings. It's a quick read~~our family finished it in half an hour.

I found the most interesting part of the book was the afterword, written by Van Doren Stern's daughter. In it she traces the history of this little story, beginning with how the idea for it simply dropped into her father's mind while he was shaving on a February morning in 1938. In his own words:

"The idea came to me complete from start to finish--a most unusual occurrence, as any writer will tell you, for ordinarily a story has to be struggled with, changed around and mixed up."

Mr. Van Doren Stern never considered changing the initial idea, but knew that he had to learn to write it. His usual genre was Civil War history, so this was quite different from his normal realm of work. He wrote his first draft a couple of months later and declared it "terrible." He put it away for a season.

Two years later, he pulled it out and tried writing it again. The results the second time were little better than the first.

In the spring of 1943, five years after the idea came to him, Stern rewrote the story for the third time. This time he passed it on to his agent, who tried unsuccessfully to sell the story to magazines such as Saturday Evening Post. No one would touch it.

Van Doren Stern tells what happened next:

"By this time I had become fond of the story that nobody wanted. I revised it again and had 200 twenty-four-page pamphlets printed at my own expense. I sent these out as Christmas cards for Christmas, 1943."

Wouldn't you love to own one of those Christmas cards today?

That mailing produced a contact that led to the purchase of the story for movie rights. But because no one could work out a decent screen treatment, there was another time lapse of several years.

Enter Frank Capra. He wanted it for Jimmy Stewart, who had just finished his time with the Air Force. He found the screenwriters he needed and It's a Wonderful Life was released in December 1946.

The film has a quality that transcends time-- it's message celebrates the worth of the individual.

"I thought it was the greatest film I ever made. Better yet, I thought it was the greatest film anybody had ever made."~~Frank Capra

I think I am most fascinated by the fact that this little story lay dormant for a long, long while before it was ever recognized as being significant. The writer was the humble servant of an important truth: that the individual has great value. But in order to transmit that truth in a worthy way, he had to take the time to hone his writing skills. This small book is a gem in its own way. It is not fine literature, but it is the author's personal best. And that inspired other great artists to run with the idea and transport it across continents and even generations.
Oh, the power of a living idea combined with the pen of a scribe!

Book review: Light from Heaven by Jan Karon

Jan Karon's Mitford series is my "dessert" reading. The Christmas break afforded me the opportunity to savor the last chapter of the final book in the series, Light from Heaven. It turns out the timing of my reading was perfect, since the book closes with a Christmas celebration.

If you like a White Christmas, there is a decided advantage to stepping in on the Mitford celebration. You can enjoy the snow without shoveling it or driving in it!

"The snow was falling thick and fast by the time they turned into the driveway at Meadowgate. The wreaths on the gateposts had a fine topping of snow, and the wipers had already pushed a good bit of it to either side of the windshield."

Doesn't that sound idyllic?

Whenever I finish a "Mitford" book, a sense of sweetness lingers. I'm not quite sure how the author achieves that result, because the characters she portrays certainly have flaws and foibles. But those are perhaps the very things that serve to endear the characters to my heart. Whether we hail from a rural, mountain community like Mitford or from the plains or the desert, underneath we are all people of like passion.

Father Kavanaugh, the main character, is a man of deep and vibrant faith. Very refreshing, because there is no timidity in the way he is portrayed.

Often, I find myself reaching for pen and paper to jot down the snippets of poetry that are sprinkled throughout the book. Like this one, entitled "Let the Stable Still Astonish" by Leslie Leyland Fields:

Let the stable still astonish;
Straw--dirt floor, dull eyes,
Dusty flanks of donkey, oxen;
Crumbling, crooked walls;
No bed to carry that pain,
And then, the child,
Rag-wrapped, laid to cry
In a trough.
Who would have chosen this?

Who would have said: 'Yes.
Let the God of all the heavens
And earth
Be born here, in this place'?
Who but the same God
Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms
of our hearts
and says, 'Yes.
let the God of Heaven and Earth
be born here-
in this place.'"

I LOVE that and would use it in my next Christmas greeting, but for its length. Most people don't read greetings over a couple of sentences long.

Incidentally, there is a book of Father Tim's favorite quotes and poems entitled Patches of Godlight. I own the book and love it, too, but somehow I always see the words differently when they are applied to the story.

I am a little sad to close the last page on Mitford. I've laughed and cried with those folks for many years. But of course I can and will go back and re-live their best moments. Our family enjoys taking the audio books with us on long car trips, the ones read by the author. Jan Karon has a slight southern lilt that adds just the right touch to the reading.

Light from Heaven is certainly a worthy finale to the Mitford series.

Two Christmas Books by Ruth Sawyer

Because our bookshelves are groaning, I have to keep my collection of Christmas books in a large plastic bin. Opening the book bin each holiday season is something of a special occasion, like greeting long-lost friends!

I have chosen two of my lesser-known favorites to tell you about.

Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas by Ruth Sawyer (who also wrote This Way to Christmas, which is mentioned below)


This is a charming book, especially for girls up to about age 10 or 12. It is out of print, but used copies are not hard to find. Here is the description from the cover:

"Eight-going on nine-year-old Maggie Rose, who was born on the night before Christmas and named after a real live princess, is one of "those Bunkers," a lazy and shiftless family who live in a dilapidated shack on the wrong side of the Point, a resort spot near Bangor, Maine, and are known to one and all as the laziest, laughingest, singingest family for miles around. Tim and Liz Bunker and their brood of seven children are without an ambition in the world and prefer to lean generously on the charity of their neighbors rather than go out and work. Only Maggie Rose ever wishes for something a little better; most especially, she wishes that just for once there was enough money for "those Bunkers" to have a wonderful birthday Christmas celebration all of their own.

In spite of their faults "those Bunkers" have a fine feeling for the important things in life and they all recognize Maggie Rose as something special, someone who might have come out of the top bureau drawer, had they had a bureau drawer. So when tragedy threatens Maggie Rose, "those Bunkers" are finally jolted out of their kitchen chairs, and in an unprecedented move they rally together and determinedly set about making Maggie Rose's dream come true.

Ruth Sawyer's unfailing magic...brings smiles and tears to her readers.There's the feel of Maine and Maine people in the telling-the author has a gift for absorbing local idiom, for telling a story out of the hearts of her characters."

This Way to Christmas, also by Ruth Sawyer

Text notes from the online version:

Ruth Sawyer's This Way To Christmas is a collection of Christmas stories from various cultures. But it is also a story about loneliness, isolation, and the overcoming of prejudice. David is sent away from his family because of the first world war. Irish Johanna, David's old nurse, regards the other people on their isolated mountain as "heathen". David finds comfort by visiting them, hearing their stories of Christmas, and retelling their stories to his hosts. It is no accident that each of the story-tellers represents a group which was viewed with suspicion or dislike in 1916 America. Feeling against Germans was strong because of the war; Eastern Europeans were viewed with suspicion and South Americans and Negroes were often treated as inferior races. (Sawyer herself falls into stereotypes in portraying black Uncle Joab as childish and subservient.) It is David, younger and less prejudiced, and feeling a common sense of exile, who communicates a vision of their shared humanity to his elders. In the end, they are all seated at one table, eating together as one human family.

Enjoy,
Poiema