Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
What do Bells have to do with It?
A few years ago, I had the privilege to listen to a
bell choir. The group of students chimed out some beautiful Christmas carols.
Bells have long been associated with Christmas. From jingle bells on Santa's reindeer to Juju's teacher in It's a Wonderful Life proclaiming, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings."
Long before the jingling bells, St. Paulinus of Campania in Italy requested a bell-tower be built with a large bronze bell used to call his congregation to worship. On Christmas he chimed the bell four times, in celebration of Christ's birth.
Kerensa, Paul. Hark!: the Biography of Christmas. Lion, 2017.
Bells have long been associated with Christmas. From jingle bells on Santa's reindeer to Juju's teacher in It's a Wonderful Life proclaiming, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings."
Long before the jingling bells, St. Paulinus of Campania in Italy requested a bell-tower be built with a large bronze bell used to call his congregation to worship. On Christmas he chimed the bell four times, in celebration of Christ's birth.
Casting Crowns sings one of my favorite Christmas
songs, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
The song calls for peace on earth, much like the angels who sang to the
shepherds.
Fiction Book Review: Who I Am with You (A Legacy of Faith Novel) by Robin Lee Hatcher
Book
Description:
For these two broken hearts, the first step toward love will be a huge leap of
faith.
Jessica Mason isn’t looking for love when she
meets Ridley Chesterfield. Instead she is still reeling from the tragic,
unexpected loss of her husband and daughter—and awaiting the arrival of her
unborn child. Harboring the secret of her husband’s betrayal, her pain is
deeper than anyone knows.
Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out in Hope Springs,
Idaho, avoiding a political scandal and the barrage of false media headlines
that have tarnished his good name. The last thing Ridley wants is a
relationship—but when fate leads Ridley to form a friendship with his reclusive
and pregnant neighbor, he wonders if this small-town hideout might be more of a
long-term destination.
When Jessica begins to read her
great-grandfather’s Bible, she finds a connection with a man she never knew.
Somehow the verses he marked and the words he wrote in the margins open her
heart to healing. And as Ridley and Jessica help each other forgive the
people who have wronged them, they must decide if the past will define them or
if they will choose to love again.
Who I Am With You weaves together a
modern-day romance with Jessica’s great-grandfather’s story from the 1930s,
reminding us that some truths can cross generations and that faith has the
power to transform families forever.
My
Review:
I loved this book. Who I Am With You is one of those books I didn't want to end. I fell in love with the characters and want to know the rest of the story. Robin Lee Hatcher writes her characters with depth and insight. I enjoyed both Jessica's story and that of her grandfather. And I loved how the two connected through an old Bible. What a legacy! The town of Hope Springs sounds like some place I'd like to visit with its quaint downtown and surrounding mountains. The book as a whole is enjoyable and thought provoking with a beautiful spiritual thread woven throughout. This is the first in a series. I'm excited for the second one to be published. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved this book. Who I Am With You is one of those books I didn't want to end. I fell in love with the characters and want to know the rest of the story. Robin Lee Hatcher writes her characters with depth and insight. I enjoyed both Jessica's story and that of her grandfather. And I loved how the two connected through an old Bible. What a legacy! The town of Hope Springs sounds like some place I'd like to visit with its quaint downtown and surrounding mountains. The book as a whole is enjoyable and thought provoking with a beautiful spiritual thread woven throughout. This is the first in a series. I'm excited for the second one to be published. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Christmas Blessings: Joy
Luke 2:6-7
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 cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
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 cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Nine years ago on December 22, my daughter, Sara,
labored for hours. In the hospital they kept a monitor on her as the labor
pains ebbed and flowed. I sat close by and prayed this little one would arrive
soon. And he did eventually come. She gave birth to Elijah Duncan, a beautiful
baby boy. Joy overflowed from my heart when I held that sweet bundle.
Sara and James made their way to a hospital for Eli's
birth. Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to the far away town of Bethlehem. No hospital, not even a
room to stay in. Instead they rested in a cave used to shelter animals. And
there, Mary gave birth to the Prince of Peace. The manger used as a feeding
trough for the animals turned into a bed for the new born king. I've
experienced childbirth, and I can tell you I wouldn't want to give birth in a
cave for animals. But God made a way for Mary and Jesus to be safe and sound
even among the sheep and cows.
I can imagine the joy in Mary's heart when she
swaddled that sweet baby and held him tight. I wonder if she sang a lullaby to
him before she placed him in the manger to rest. Jesus birth is a beautiful gift of redemption; the beginning of the joy the
world can have if we trust in him.
He truly is the reason for the season.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Christmas Traditions Around the World: Norway's Julekurver
For years, I've enjoyed making a fun paper craft.
Until recently, I didn't know that the tradition of making woven paper baskets
came from Norway.
Close to Christmas, people in Norway cut and weave paper or
straw heart shaped baskets. They sometimes attach a handle and then fill the
basket with sweets. The hearts decorate their trees and homes. There's rumor
that Hans Christian Anderson may have started this tradition.
This is an entertaining craft to do with the whole
family.
If you'd like to try your hand at heart baskets,
follow these instructions.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Who Put the First Selfie on a Christmas Card?
We can thank Sir Henry Cole of England for the
tradition of sending and receiving Christmas cards. In 1843, he commissioned John
Calcott Horsley to create an image Henry could send to his friends and family.
The card featured a family celebrating the holiday, as well as, folks helping
the poor. With the writing of A Christmas Carol, a new light shined on helping
those in need.
Eventually Americans adopted the practice of
sending cards to friends and family to celebrate the season. In 1875, Louis
Prang mass produced affordable cards for everyone to share in. Then in 1915,
the Hall brothers created Hallmark cards. And you know the rest of that story.
Guess who had the first "selfie" Christmas card? Ohio's own Annie Oakley. She toured Scotland around the holidays and had her photo printed on the cards she sent back to friends in America.
I'm fortunate to have a few of my great-grandma's Christmas cards framed for display. I enjoy sending and receiving cards. I hope you do
too!
Cooper, James. “The History of Christmas Cards
.” Why Christmas?, 2018, www.whychristmas.com.
Green, Jonathan. Christmas Miscellany:
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Christmas. Skyhorse Publishing, 2017.
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