Happy New Year

"Yet the old house, the room, the merry voices and smiling faces,
the jest, the laugh,
the most minute and trivial circumstances connected with those happy meetings,
crowd upon our mind as if the last assemblage had been but yesterday."

~ Charles Dickens

Wishing all my friends a Happy New Year, with thanks for all your wonderful comments throughout the year!

Hugs,

Home at Christmas Time

"My favorite place in all the world
Is home at Christmas time,
For there is where we gather near
The precious ones we love so dear,
And hold them in our hearts once more
To last throughout the coming year."

~ Nancy Nowiszewski,
Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Keepsake, 1984

A Special Tree

For the last three years my homemaking list has participated in a homemade ornament swap. It's been so much fun to think of projects, and then make one for each member participating. This year we were up to 12 participants!


I have a small "Charlie Brown" tree that sits on a chest in the front window here in the office, and that's the one that gets decorated with all the handmade ornaments from my list friends. I also have 24 tiny books from an Advent calendar that tell the story of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Those, too, decorate the branches of this tiny tree. As you can see, I think I'll have to use a larger one next year!

Advent - Day 24

The Visit of the Magi - Matthew 2: 1-12

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.'

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written:

'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.'

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

Advent - Day 23

I love today's passage! As a mother, I think my favorite verse is the one that says, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." That's just what moms do... remember all the special times in their children's lives so they can save those precious memories and think of them throughout their lives.



The Shepherds and the Angels - Luke 2: 8-20

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angels said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel

This is one of my very favorite songs during the Advent season. Since Christmas is almost here, I thought I'd share it with you today.

"Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel"

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow'r to save;
Bring them in vict'ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Translated: John Neal, 1818-66
Author: French Processional
Tune: Veni Emmanuel
1st Published in: 1854

Advent - Day 22

Birth of Jesus - Luke 2: 1-7

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."