Emmanuel, God With Us.

Christmas Eve gift!

2010-12-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

If you were in charge of developing a town that would be the most peaceful place to live on earth, which particular features would characterize it?

My town would have plenty of open spaces for star gazing and be on top of a mountain with beautiful mountain views all around.

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.

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 angel 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.

-Luke 2:1-20

Thank you so much for reading my Advent blog! I hope you have a very merry Christmas!

the Lord's maid.

2010-12-24T01:04:00.003-05:00

If it were socially acceptable for you to play with any children’s toy, with which toy would you be spending a lot of time?

American Girl dolls, hands down.

“Go, Gabriel; go and tell Mary.”

On a wave of worship I flew, this time alone. I circled through the clouds and over the ground. Below me was the city where Mary was born. The Father was right; I knew her in an instant. Her heart had no shadow. Her soul was as pure as any I’ve seen.

I made the final descent. “Mary.” I kept my voice low so as not to startle her.

She turned but saw nothing. Then I realized I was invisible to her. I waved my wings before my body and incarnated. She covered her face at the Light and shrank into the protection of the doorway.

“Don’t be afraid,” I urged.

The minute I spoke, she looked up toward the sky. Again I was amazed.

I praised my Father for His wisdom. Her heart is so flawless, so willing. “Greetings. God be with you.”

Her eyes widened, and she turned as if to run. “Mary, you have nothing to fear. You have found favor with God. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call His name Jesus. He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; He will rule Jacob’s house forever – no end, ever, to His kingdom.”

Though she was listening, she was puzzled.

“But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”

Before I spoke I looked up into the heavens. The Father was standing, giving me His blessing.

I continued, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the highest hover over you; therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

Mary looked at me then up into the sky. For a long time she gazed into the blueness, so long that I, too, looked up. Did she see the angels? Did the heavens open? I do not know. But I do know when I looked back at hear, she was smiling.

“Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.”

As she spoke, a Light appeared in her womb.

-Cosmic Christmas by Max Lucado

a Christmas parable.

2010-12-22T23:25:00.001-05:00

What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your home? (The Christmas tree doesn’t count!)

I have many favorites, but I especially love our Advent ring.

And Jesus said a certain man, while doing his Christmas shopping, fell among muggers, who stripped him of everything, beat him to within an inch of his life, and left him in an alley behind St. Luke’s Church.

The minister came along on his way to a service, and, when he saw the man hurried into the church, afraid of becoming involved. And likewise an elder of the church came by and hurried past, as frightened as the minister. He even dropped the holly wreath he was carrying and didn’t return to pick it up.

But the neighborhood agnostic, who didn’t even believe in exchanging Christmas presents, when he heard the poor man groaning, investigated and felt sorry for him.

Bringing his car around, he helped the man into it, ignored the blood on his velvet-pile seats, and drove him to City Hospital.

“Here,” he said to the receptionist, who presented him with a battery of forms. “This is my credit card, and he is my brother. Give him a private room and the very best of care, and, if it exceeds the limit of my charge account, I’ll borrow the money and pay you. What the heck, it’s Christmas Eve!”

Which of these three men, do you think, was neighbor to the man who was mugged? And which one had a merry, merry Christmas?

-Parables for Christmas by John Killinger

the perfect gift.

2010-12-21T23:23:00.000-05:00

What would you choose as an international symbol for the word Christmas?

I would pick a star, like the one that led the Wise Men to Jesus.

“In whom (Christ) are hid all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.”

-based on Colossians 2:3

Gifts, presents, treasures. Get them or give them. Want them, wait for them, wonder about them, or worry about them. Gifts seem to be what Christmas is all about.

At the beginning of this century, William Sydney Porter wrote a story about Christmas presents. He called it “The Gift of the Magi.” Just as he did for all his stories, he wrote it using the name of “O. Henry.” “The Gift of the Magi” is one of the most popular of all Christmas stories, and it begins this way: “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.”

O. Henry’s story is about Della, the woman who had the one dollar and eighty-seven cents. It was all of her Christmas money, all she had been able to save to buy a present for her husband, Jim. Jim’s salary was twenty dollars a week. Even in those days, that wasn’t enough to have extra for gifts. Della had saved her pennies one by one out of the grocery money. When Christmas Eve came, with only one dollar and eighty-seven cents put aside to buy something for Jim, she wanted to cry. She couldn’t buy something wonderful with just those few coins.

Then Della remembered her treasure. It was one of the two treasures in that poor little family. Della’s was her long, brown, beautiful hair. Jim’s treasure was a gold watch that had come down to him from his father and grandfather.

O. Henry wrote that Della and Jim were so proud of Jim’s watch that they were sure that it was better than any of King Solomon’s riches. And they loved her hair so much that they felt like the Queen of Sheba would have been jealous of it.

But because Della loved Jim more than she loved her hair, she sold it to a lady who made fancy wigs. Della got twenty dollars for her hair, enough to buy the perfect gift for Jim – a long, lovely silver-white chain to hold and show off his precious watch. Jim, too, had found the perfect gift for Della. O. Henry’s story ends with Jim giving Della her Christmas present – a set of jeweled combs to hold up her long hair. Della had admired the combs in a shop window, but she didn’t expect to own them someday. They were such expensive combs that Jim had needed to sell his watch to buy them for Della.

So Della had her hair ornaments but not the hair to put them in, and Jim had a lovely chain, but no watch to hang on it. Della and Jim, wrote O. Henry, were “two foolish children…who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.” But, he continued, “of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.”

At Christmastime we hear a lot about gifts of love and about using our hearts and our treasures wisely in order to find the right Christmas spirit. Perhaps that is why O. Henry’s story is so popular. We admire Della’s and Jim’s sacrifices. We know that the love they had for each other was more valuable than the expensive Christmas presents that they had bought. We realize that presents can get old and boring, clothes wear out, and gadgets break, but love is the gift that really satisfies. Almost everyone wants to experience such peace and love at Christmas.

But sometimes there is a difference between what we know and what we feel. We would like to have Della and Jim’s wise Christmas spirit, but sometimes it just doesn’t seem possible. Relatives or friends might drive us crazy. There are times when we don’t feel loving or lovable. There are times of sadness, even at Christmas. At times like these, the talk about the true meaning of Christmas seems a little bit unrealistic. At such times, the presents gleaming bright and beautiful for us under the Christmas tree seem more attractive than the troublesome people or events that come our way.

At Christmas and all year round, we need more than good intentions and happy thoughts. We need God’s help. We need God’s presence. We need wisdom to live rightly and to love rightly. The beginning of the Bible’s book of Proverbs tells us that God’s wisdom brings life, joy, peace, safety, justice, righteousness, and faithfulness. His wisdom is the gift we all need, the gift we all want. It is the most perfect of Christmas gifts.

In Christ we find the wisdom that we long for. His treasures alone bring real meaning to our Christmases and to our lives.

-The Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader by Donna W. Payne and Fran Lenzo

goblin attack.

2010-12-21T00:11:00.000-05:00

If Frosty the Snowman really did come to life for a day, what one national attraction or tourist site would you encourage him to see before he melted away?

I would tell him to go see the lights at Opryland!

Cliff House, near the North Pole

December 21^st 1933

My dears

Another Christmas! And I almost thought at one time (in November) that there would not be one this year. There would be the 25^th of December, of course, but nothing from your old great-great-etc. grandfather at the North Pole.

Goblins. The worst attack we have had for centuries. They have been fearfully wild and angry ever since we took all their stolen toys off them last year and dosed them with green smoke. You remember the Red Gnomes promised to clear all of them out. There was not one to be found in any hole or cave by New Year’s day. But I said they would crop up again – in a century or so.

They have not waited so long! They must have gathered their nasty friends from mountains all over the world, and been busy all the summer while we were at our sleepiest. This time we had very little warning.

Soon after All Saints’ Day, Polar Bear got very restless. He now says he smelt nasty smells – but as usual he did not say anything: he says he did not want to trouble me. He really is a nice old thing, and this time he absolutely saved Christmas. He took to sleeping in the kitchen with his nose towards the cellar-door, opening on the main-stairway down into my big stores.

One night, just about Christopher’s birthday, I woke up suddenly. There was squeaking and spluttering in the room and a nasty smell – in my own best green and purple room that I had just had done up most beautifully. I caught sight of a wicked little face at the window. Then I really was upset, for my window is high up above the cliff, and that meant there were bat-riding goblins about – which we haven’t seen since the goblin-war in 1453, that I told you about.

I was only just quite awake, when a terrific din began far downstairs – in the store-cellars. It would take too long to describe, so I have tried to draw a picture of what I saw when I got down – after treading on a goblin on the mat.

Only ther was more like 1000 goblins than 15.

(But you could hardly expect me to draw 1000). Polar Bear was squeezing, squashing, trampling, boxing and kicking goblins skyhigh, and roaring like a zoo, and the goblins were yelling like engine whistles. He was splendid.

Say no more – I enjoyed it immensely.

Well, it is a long story. The trouble lasted for over a fortnight, and it began to look as if I should never be able to get my sleigh out this year. The goblins had set part of the stores on fire and captured several gnomes, who sleep down there on guard, before Polar Bear and some more gnomes came in – and killed 100 before I arrived.

Even when we had put the firs out and cleared the cellars and house (I can’t think what they were doing in my room, unless they were trying to set fire to my bed) the trouble went on. The ground was black with goblins under the moon when we looked out, and they had broken up my stables and gone off with the reindeer.

I had to blow my golden trumpet (which I have not done for many years) to summon all my friends. There were several battles – every night they used to attack and set fire in the stores – before we got the upper hand, and I am afraid quite a lot of my dear elves got hurt.

Fortunately we have not lost much except my best string, (gold and silver) and packing papers and holy-boxes. I am very short of these: and I have been very short of messengers. Lots of my people are still away (I hope they will come back safe) chasing the goblins out of my land, those that are left alive.

They have rescued all of my reindeer. We are quite happy and settled again now, and feel much safer. It really will be centuries before we get another goblin-trouble. Thanks to Polar Bear and the gnomes, there can’t be very many left at all.

And Father Christmas. I wish I could draw or had time to try – you have no idea what the old man can doo! Litening and fireworks and thunder of guns!

Polar Bear certainly has been busy helping, and double help – but he has mized up some of the girls’ things with the boys’ in his hurry. We hope we have got all sorted out – but if you hear of anyone getting a doll when they wanted an engine, you will know why. Actually Polar Bear tells me I am wrong – we did lose a lot of railway stuff – goblins always go for that – and what we got back was damaged and will have to be repainted. It will be a busy summer next year.

Now, a merry Christmas to you all once again. I hope you will all have a very happy time; and will find that I have taken notice of your letters and sent you what you wanted. I don’t think my pictures are very good this year – though I took quite a time over them (at least two minutes). Polar Bear says, “I don’t see that a lot of stars and pictures of goblins in your bedroom are so frightfully merry.” Still I hope you won’t mind. It is rather good of Polar Bear kicking, really. Anyway I send lots of love.

Yours ever and annually

Father Nicholas Christmas

divine heart of love.

2010-12-19T21:01:00.003-05:00

If you were going to write an editorial column for you city’s newspaper covering any Christmas topic of your choice, what would you write about?

I would write about various local Christmas light displays, such as the lights at Opryland or the best decorations on houses in the area.

The Father’s love was so unlimited that he wanted us to know that love and to find in it the fulfillment of our deepest desires. So, he sent us you, dear Lord Jesus, with a human heart big enough to hold all human loneliness and all human anguish. Your heart is not a heart of stone but a heart of flesh; your heart of flesh is not narrowed by human sin and unfaithfulness, but is as wide and deep as divine love itself. Your heart does not distinguish between rich and poor, friend and enemy, female and male, slave and free, sinner and saint. Your heart is open to receive anyone with total, unrestricted love.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Prayer

Lord, let us place wreaths on the doors of our own hearts, so that the Holy Spirit may find these doors, enter in, and take up his lodging there, and by his presence, make us holy. We ask that the entrance of the Holy Spirit create an island of calm and gentleness within us. Amen.

-Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen by Henri J.M. Nouwen

This little set of carolers is another find from our trip to Europe this summer - we got it in a Christmas store in Rothenburg.

our shepherd.

2010-12-18T19:14:00.000-05:00

In your opinion, what would the ultimate winter wonderland look like?

There would be lots of Christmas trees, covered with twinkling lights and snow, with the scent of a bonfire in the air.

Jesus said that He came to be our Shepherd (John 10:11). In Israel, 2,000 years ago, that phrase probably didn’t need very much explanation, because most people would have known someone who was a shepherd. They would have known what shepherds did. But not very many of us have met shepherds or been around flocks of sheep to understand what that means. So what does a shepherd do for his sheep that Jesus wants to do for us?

The Bible gives us a good idea of what shepherds do in the 23^rd Psalm. It was written by David, who was also a shepherd. And David writes that shepherds do eight things:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (The Shepherd provides for all the need of the sheep.)

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. (He gives them safety and rest.)

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (He leads the sheep.)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff (He protects the sheep), they comfort me. (The Shepherd comforts the sheep when they are afraid.)

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (He feeds the sheep, even in difficult situations); You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (The Shepherd pours oil on the sheep so their wounds can be healed.)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (The Shepherd promises that the sheep will always be with Him.)

So Jesus, in saying that He wants to be our Shepherd, is telling us that He wants to do those things for us! How? He promises to provide everything we need. He feeds us when we read our Bibles. He comforts us when we’re afraid and gives us peace by making His presence real to us. He helps us know where we’re supposed to go and what we’re supposed to do with our lived. He protects us. He heals us when we’re sick in our bodies or hurt in our hearts. And he promises that He will live with us and never leaves us alone.

Isn’t it great to have Someone to do all of those things for you?

-The 25 Days of Christmas by Rebecca Hayford Bauer

My dear twin graduated from college yesterday! I'm so proud!

the little ant.

2010-12-17T12:21:00.001-05:00

In your opinion, what is the most timeless toy?

Well, the most timeless toys for me are American Girl dolls.

Today I have another story about Benjamin Bear for you.

On the next day, Benjamin opened the next door and found a little ant.

The little bear continued his long, long journey. Sometimes when he felt tired and discouraged he would look up and see a little black dot in the sky. It was the eagle following the star, and it cheered the little bear and gave him energy to continue.

In the middle of a field the little bear discovered a large anthill. The ants all stopped work to greet him – all except for one ant who was busy leveling a large pile of sand one grain at a time. The little bear watched her in amazement. “Why are you doing that” he asked.

“My friend is at the bottom of the pile!”

“I would be glad to help you,” said the little bear.

“No, no! Your paws are much too big,” said the ant. “You could hurt my friend.”

“Ant,” said the little bear, “you will never remove the sand pile by yourself, even if you live to be 100 years old.”

The ant paused for a moment, then said, “I am going to try to save my friend anyway.” And she continued to work.

Suddenly there was movement among the other ants. They had been listening. The little bear watched as the ants began to help, each carrying off one grain of sand at a time. Before long, the entire pile was gone and a little ant crawled out safe and sound!

“That was amazing!” said Benjamin.

“You see, Benjamin,” said Mother Bear, “faith can move mountains.”

Forever’s Start.

2010-12-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

You’re in charge of developing a brand-new sport – a Christmas sport. The season begins on Thanksgiving and ends on December 25. What is your new Christmas sport going to be?

The days are growing noticeably shorter; the nights are longer, deeper, colder. Today the sun did not rise as high in the sky as it did yesterday. Tomorrow it will be still lower. At the winter solstice the sun will go below the horizon, below the dark. The sun does die. And then, to our amazement, the Son will rise again.

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come

In your fearful innocence.

We fumble in the far-spent night

Far from lovers, friends, and home:

Come in your naked, newborn might.

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come;

My heart withers in your absence.

Come, Lord Jesus, small, enfleshed

Like any human, helpless child.

Come once, come once again, come soon:

The stars in heaven fall, unmeshed:

The sun is dark, blood’s on the moon.

Come, Word who came to us enfleshed,

Come speak in joy untamed and wild.

Come, thou wholly other, come,

Spoken before words began,

Come and judge your uttered world

Where you made our flesh your home.

Come with bolts of lightning hurled,

Come, thou wholly other, come,

Who came to man by being man.

Come, Lord Jesus, at the end,

Time’s end, my end, forever’s start.

Come in your flaming, burning power.

Time, like the temple veil, now rend;

Come, shatter every human hour.

Come, Lord Jesus, at the end.

Break, then mend the waiting heart.

-Madeleine L’Engle

This nativity was a gift from Mary Love to Mom last year. It's from 10,000 Villages and we've been enjoying the light coming through it in the kitchen window.

Posted by Mary Love because Sarah Beth and Carl are driving from Texas to Tennessee today!

he shall be a king.

2010-12-15T08:22:00.001-05:00

If you could go anywhere at all to reflect and meditate on the meaning of Christmas, where would you go?

I would want to go to Bethlehem.

Luke 1:31-33:

The angel said to Mary:

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great. He will be called the son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

So now, the word. The very first word of the herald from heaven, announcing the child to come.

Who is he? What sort of hero approaches? What is this Mercy soon to be born among us?

Why, he shall be a king! He shall be the king whom God had promised a thousand years earlier to David – not only a king like David, but a king to fulfill all that David represented. For David was a king bounded by time and space. His reign existed within the history of humankind. But this King shall gather time and space into his kingdom, and shall himself embrace the history of humankind, for of his kingdom “there will be no end….”

In the eternal view, God was looking at the son of Mary, the only begotten “Son of the Most High.” And here is the deeper meaning of the angel’s words: Messiah is coming. In Messiah shall the house of God be built (wherein, with God, we all may dwell eternally). In Messiah shall goodness finally arise to rule the world. In Messiah shall we find a place of peace; for “I will appoint a place for my people Israel,” said the Lord (v. 10). “I will plant them that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. Violent people shall afflect them no more…and I will give you rest from all your enemies.”

This is he who is to come; this is the hero: Jesus.

“You shall call his name Jesus.”

Jesus. He is our mercy. Jesus. Jesus.

-Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin Jr

paksu and valkotukka.

2010-12-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

If you were the coordinator in charge of staging a nationwide Christmas event, one in which every American theoretically could participate, what would this grand event be?

I would organize a nationwide Christmas caroling event, where everyone could gather in stadiums or churches or schools and be linked together by webcams.

Cliff House, North Pole

December 23^rd 1931

My dear Children

I hope you will like the little things I have sent you. You seem to be most interested in Railways just now, so I am sending you mostly things of that sort. I send as much love as ever, in fact more. We have both, the old Polar Bear and I, enjoyed having so many nice letters from you and your pets. If you think we have not read them you are wrong; but if you find that not many of the things you asked for have come, and not perhaps quite as many as sometimes, remember that this Christmas all over the world there are a terrible number of poor and starving people.

I (and also my Green Brother) have had to do some collecting of food and clothes, and toys too, for the children whose fathers and mothers and friends cannot give them anything, sometimes not even dinner. I know yours won’t forget you.

So, my dears, I hope you will be happy this Christmas and not quarrel, and will have some good games with your Railway all together. Don’t forget old Father Christmas, when you light your tree.

Nor me!

It has gone on being warm up here as I told you – not what you would call warm, but warm for the North Pole, with very little snow. The North Polar Bear, if you know who I mean, has been lazy and sleepy as a result, and very slow over packing, or any job except eating. He has enjoyed sampling and tasting the food parcels this year (to see if they were fresh and good, he said).

Somebody haz to – and I found stones in some of the kurrants.

But that is not the worst – I should hardly feel it was Christmas if he didn’t do something ridiculous. You will never guess what he did this time! I sent him down into one of my cellars – the Cracker-hole we call it – where I keep thousands of boxes of crackers (you would like to see them, rows upon rows, all with their lids off to show the kinds of colours).

Well, I wanted 20 boxes, and was busy sorting soldiers and farm things, so I sent him; and he was so lazy he took two Snowboys (who aren’t allowed down there) to help him. They started pulling crackers out of boxes, and he tried to box them (the boys’ ears I mean), and they dodged and he fell over, and let his candle fall right POOF! into my firework crackers and boxes of sparklers.

I could hear the noise, and smell the smell in the hall; and when I rushed down I saw nothing but smoke and fizzing stars, and old Polar Bear was rolling over on the floor with sparks sizzling in his coat: he has quite a bare patch burnt on his back.

It looked fine!

That’s where Father Christmas spilled the gravy on my back at dinner!

The Snowboys roared with laughter and then ran away. They said it was a splendid sight – but they won’t come to my party on St. Stephen’s Day; they have had more than their share already.

Two of the Polar Bear’s nephews have been staying here for some time – Paksu and Valkotukka (‘fat’ and ‘white-hair’ they say it means). They are fat-tummied polar-cubs, and are very funny boxing one another and rolling about. But another time, I shall have them on Boxing Day, and not just at packing-time. I fell over them fourteen ties a day last week.

And Valkotukka swallowed a ball of red string, thinking it was cake, and he got it all wound up inside and had a tangled cough – he couldn’t sleep at night, but I thought it rather served him right for putting holly in my bed.

It was the same cub that poured all the black ink yesterday into the fire – to make night: it did and a very smelly smoky one. We lost Paksu all last Wednesday and found him on Thursday morning asleep in a cupboard in the kitchen; he had eaten two whole puddings raw. They seem to be growing up just like their uncle.

Not fair!

Goodbye now, I shall soon be off on my travels once more. You need not believe any pictures you see of me in aeroplanes or motors. I cannot drive one, and don’t want to; and they are too slow anyway (not to mention the smell). They cannot compare with my own reindeer, which I train myself. They are all very well this year, and I expect my posts will be in very good time. I have got some new young ones this Christmas from Lapland (a great place for wizards; but these are WHIZZERS).

Bad!

One day I will send you a picture of my deer-stables and harness-houses. I am expecting that John, although he is now over 14, will hang up his stocking this last time; but I don’t’ forget people even when they are past stocking-age, not until they forget me. So I send LOVE to you ALL, and especially little PM, who is beginning her stocking-days and I hope they will be happy.

Your loving Father Christmas

P.S. This is all drawn by North Polar Bear. Don’t you think he is getting better? But the green ink is mine – and he didn’t ask for it.

-Letter from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

I have another cookie recipe to share today - Lemon Cheese Logs!

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour, Golden 86 (white whole wheat)

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 pkg. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate morsels, melted

Colored or chocolate decorating sprinkles

Cream sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Beat in egg yolk. Stir in flour, nuts, salt, and lemon peel. Refrigerate covered at least two hours.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape about 1 tablespoon of dough into a log, 1-inch long. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Slip the parchment paper with the baked cookies onto wire racks to cool. Dip ends of logs into melted chocolate and then into decorating sprinkles. Let stand on wire racks until the chocolate sets. Store between layers of wax paper in airtight containers at room temperature no longer than 10 days or in the freezer no longer than three months.

Makes 9 dozen

From the kitchen of Sally Bennett, 11-08-10

the light shines in the darkness.

2010-12-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

If you could go back in American history to experience Christmas dinner and conversation with a typical family of that day, which of the following years would you want to go back to?
a. 1620, the year the Mayflower arrived.
b. 1787, the year the Constitution was signed.
c. 1863, midway through the American Civil War.
d. 1899, the turn of the century.

I think I would have to go with d, the turn of the century.

Have you ever noticed that when you open a closet door, the room you're in doesn't get darker? Instead, the closet gets lighter! That's what the verse in John means when it says, "The light shines in the darkness: the darkness can never put it out!" (John 1:5, Simple English Bible). "The Light" that verse was talking about is Jesus! Jesus came to fill our hearts with light. And He promises that if you will open the door of your heart to Him, He will come in and make it light! He will do for us exactly what happened with the closet.

Before Jesus came, the world was in total darkness. That doesn't mean there was no sunshine, but that people's hearts were dark with sin and there was no light to show them how to find God.

Before Jesus came, there were no pastors or missionaries. There were priests and prophets, but they taught that someday the Messiah - the Savior - would come and help them find God again. Then into this darkness, Jesus was born.

The Bible calls Jesus the Light of the world. He is the Messiah that the prophets said would come someday. He is the One who would give us a light to find our way back to God. If you're lost and can't find you way, what do you use to find your way around? A light! That's why God sent Jesus and called Him a light...so that Jesus could help us find God and not be "lost in the darkness of sin" any more.

When we put lights on our house and Christmas tree, or put candles around the house at Christmastime, it's to remind us that Jesus came to be our light. The next time you're driving around and you see a Christmas tree or some beautiful lights on a house, you'll know why they're there! Because Jesus is the Light of the world!

-The 25 Days of Christmas by Rebecca Hayford Bauer

The first picture is of the massive 50-year-old Christmas cactus that my parents inherited from my grandfather. It's a treat every year when it blooms. The second picture is picture that my dad took of the snow in my parents' backyard this morning! Sadly, I missed it, but I guess I can't really complain about getting to spend time with my fiancé in Dallas.

the grand miracle.

2010-12-12T14:42:00.001-05:00

A large snowman has been built in a popular city park; it is your job to supply the hat for his head. What hat would you choose to make this snowman unique?

I would of course choose my "hatband."

Supposing you had before you a manuscript of some great work, either a symphony or a novel. There then comes to you a person, saying, "Here is a new bit of the manuscript that I found; it is the central passage of that symphony, or the central chapter of that novel. The text is incomplete without it. I have got the missing passage which is really the center of the whole work." The only thing you could do would be to put this new piece of the manuscript in that central position, and then see how it reflected on the whole of the rest of the work. If it constantly brought out new meanings from the whole of the rest of the work, if it made you notice things in the rest of the work which you had not noticed before, then I think you would decide that it was authentic. On the other hand, if it failed to do that, then, however attractive it was in itself, you would reject it.

Now, what is the missing chapter in this case, the chapter which Christians are offering? The story of the Incarnation - the story of a descent and resurrection. When I say "resurrection" here, I am not referring simply to the first few hours, or the first few weeks of the Resurrection. I am talking of this whole, huge pattern of descent, down, down, and then up again. What we ordinarily call the Resurrection being just, so to speak, the point at which it turns. Think what that descent is. The coming down, not only into humanity, but into those nine months which precede human birth, in which they tell us we all recapitulate strange pre-human, sub-human forms of life, and going lower still into being a corpse, a thing which, if this ascending movement had not begun, would presently have passed out of the organic altogether, and have gone back into the inorganic, as all corpses do. One has a picture of someone going right down and dredging the sea-bottom. One has a picture of a strong man trying to lift a very big, complicated burden. He stoops down and gets himself right under it so that he himself disappears; and then he straightens his back and moves off with the whole thing swaying on his shoulders. Or else one has the picture of a diver, stripping off garment after garment, making himself naked, then flashing for a moment in the air, and then down through the green and warm and sunlit water into the pitch black, cold, freezing water, down into the mud and slime, then up again, his lungs almost bursting, back again to the green and warm and sunlit water, and then at last out into the sunshine, holding in his hand the dripping thing he went down to get. This thing is human nature; but associated with it, all nature, the new universe. That indeed is a point I cannot go into here, because it would take a whole sermon - this connection between human nature and nature in general. It sounds startling, but I believe it can be fully justified.

Now as soon as you have thought of this, this pattern of the huge dive down to the bottom, into the depths of the universe and coming up again into the light, everyone will see at once how that is imitated and echoed by the principles of the natural world; the descent of the seed into the soil, and its rising again in the plants. There are also all sorts of things in our own spiritual life, where a thing has to be killed, and broken, in order that it may then become bright and strong and splendid. The analogy is obvious.

-"The Grand Miracle" by C.S. Lewis

This nativity set came from Israel. Our tradition is that each time you do an act of kindness, you get to place a piece of straw in the manger. And, of course, Baby Jesus doesn't appear until Christmas Ever.

in the midst of our dark world.

2010-12-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

You’re the author of a new Christmas novel that you hope will one day become a classic. What would you choose as the setting for your Christmas story?

I probably wouldn’t be able to resist setting it in Victorian England.

I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God’s saving power…. Our temptation is to be distracted by them…. When I have no eyes for the small signs of God’s presence – the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends – I will always remain tempted to despair.

The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises.

Hidden Hope

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

And a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and might,

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

-Isaiah 11:1-3

Prayer

We welcome you, small child of Bethlehem, whose coming we await with quiet attention. Shield us from the shouts, the screams, the empty promises of the season, and encourage us to turn our hopes to your coming. We know that the promise is hidden in the stable in Bethlehem and rooted in the offspring of Jesse; let us look for our salvation there. Amen.

-Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen by Henri Nouwen

Here’s a picture of my nephew, Patrick, with his Advent calendar. He doesn’t quite understand the concept of just pulling out one figure a day yet, but he still has fun.

now comes the morn.

2010-12-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

If you were creating a movie about toys coming to life, which toy would be your main character?

I think I would go with Raggedy-Ann.

O Oriens

O come, O come Emmanuel

within this fragile vessel here to dwell.

O child conceived by heaven’s power

give me thy strength: it is the hour.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high;

like any babe at life you cry;

for me, like any mother, birth

was hard, O light of earth.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,

whose birth came hastily at night,

born in a stable, in blood and pain

is this the king who comes to reign?

O come, thou rod of Jesse’s stem,

the stars will be thy diadem.

How can the infinite finite be?

Why choose, child, to be born of me?

O come, thou key of David, come,

open the door to my heart-home.

I cannot love thee as a king –

so fragile and so small a thing.

O come, thou Day-spring from on high:

I saw the signs that marked the sky.

I heard the beat of angels’ wings

I saw the shepherds and the kings.

O come, Desire of nations, be

simply a human child to me.

Let me not weep that you are born.

The night is gone. Now gleams the morn.

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel,

God’s Son, God’s Self, with us to dwell.

-Madeleine L’Engle

This picture is of my sister-in-law’s Advent ring and praise tree. They burn the candles every night at dinnertime. I love her idea of writing their thanksgivings on ornaments!

to you Christ is born.

2010-12-09T14:15:00.001-05:00

If you could spend Christmas in any European country, which one would you choose?

The Francophile in me wants to say France, but I think Austria would be pretty magical for Christmas.

Well, I’m now in Houston to visit Micah’s family! I have a thought for you today by Martin Luther.

The angel said to them, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people; for there is born to you this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The Gospel teaches that Christ was born, and that he died and suffered everything on our behalf, as is here declared by the angel. In these words you clearly see that he is born for us.

He does not simply say, Christ is born, but to you he is born, Neither does he say, I bring glad tidings, but to you I bring glad tidings of great joy. Furthermore, this joy was not to remain in Christ, but it shall be to all the people. This faith no condemned or wicked man has, nor can he have it. Christ has a pure, innocent, and holy birth. Man has an unclean, sinful, condemned birth; as David says (Psalms 51:5): “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Nothing can help this unholy birth except the pure birth of Christ. For this purpose Christ willed to be born, that through him we might be born anew.

O, this is the great joy of which the angel speaks. This is the comfort and exceeding goodness of God that, if anyone believes this, he can boast of the treasure that Mary is his rightful mother, Christ his brother, and God his father. For these things actually occurred and are true, but we must believe. This is the principal thing and the principal treasure in every Gospel. Christ must above all things become our own and we become his. This is what is meant by Isaiah 9:6: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” To you is born and given this child.

-Martin Luther

I also have another cookie recipe to share today – this one is for Candy Cane Cookies, another Bennett favorite.

1 cup butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Mix butter, sugar, egg, and flavorings. Add flour and salt and combine to make dough. Divide dough in half and blend the red food coloring into one half. Refrigerate the dough for two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using approximately 1 teaspoon of dough, roll a 4-inch strip from each color. Place the strips side-by-side, press lightly together, and then twist the strips like rope. Crook the top to make a candy cane shape. Complete cookies one at a time or the dough will become too dry to shape. Place on parchment-covered baking sheets.

Bake 9-10 minutes, until lightly browned. While still warm, sprinkle the cookies with a mixture of peppermint candy and granulated sugar.

Makes 3 dozen candy canes.

From the kitchen of Sally Bennett, 11-9-10

20,000 silver sparklers.

2010-12-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

As the Christmas season draws near, what song is it that you can’t wait to hear?

Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming!

Top of the World, North Pole

Xmas 1929

Dear Boys and Girl

It is a light Christmas again, I am glad to say – the Northern Lights have been specially good. There is a lot to tell you. You have heard that the Great Polar Bear chopped his paw when he was cutting Christmas Trees. His right one – I mean not his left; of course it was wrong to cut it, and a pity to for he spent a lot of the Summer learning to write better so as to help me with my winter letters.

We had a Bonfire this year (to please the Polar Bear) to celebrate the coming in of winter. The Snow-elves let off all the rockets together, which surprised us both. I have tried to draw you a picture of it, but really there were hundreds of rockets. You can’t see the elves at all against the snow background.

The Bonfire made a hole in the ice and woke up the Great Seal, who happened to be underneath. The Polar Bear let off 20,000 silver sparklers afterwards – used up all my stock, so that is why I had none to send you. Then he went for a holiday!!! – to north Norway, and stayed with a wood-cutter called Olaf, and came back with paw all bandaged just at the beginning of our busy times.

There seem more children than ever in England, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, which are the countries I specially look after (and of course North America and Canada) – not to speak of getting stuff down to the South Pole for children who expect to be looked after though they have gone to live in New Zealand of Australia or South Africa or China. It is a good thing clocks don’t tell the same time all over the world or I should never get round, although when my magic is strongest – at Christmas – I can do about a thousand stockings a minute, if I have it all planned out beforehand. You could hardly guess the enormous piles of lists I make out. I seldom get them mixed.

But I am rather worried this year. In my office and packing-room, the Polar Bear reads out names while I copy them down. We had awful gales here, worse than you did, tearing clouds of snow to a million tatters, screaming like demons, burying my house almost up to the roofs. Just at the worst, the Polar Bear said it was stuffy! And opened a north window before I could stop him. You can guess the result – the North Polar Bear was buried in papers and lists; but that did not stop him laughing.

Also all my red and green ink was upset, as well as black – so I am writing in chalk and pencil. I have some black ink left, and the Polar Bear is using it to address parcels.

I like all your letters – very much indeed my dears. Nobody, or very few, write so much or so nicely to me. I’m specially pleased with Christopher’s card, and his letters, and with his learning to write, so I am sending him a fountain pen and also a special picture for himself. It shows me crossing the sea on the upper North wind, while a South West gale – reindeer hate it – is raising big waves below.

This must be all now. I send you all my love. One more stocking to fill this year! I hope you will like your new house and the things I bring you.

Your Old Father Christmas

-Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

great planning.

2010-12-07T11:18:00.002-05:00

If you were a photographer who was given the chance to go back in history to capture a Christmas photograph, where would you go and what year would it be?

I would go back to the first Christmas and take a picture of the wise men arriving in Bethlehem to see Jesus.

Have you ever wondered how God makes His promises happen? I used to imagine God doing something kind of mysterious that made everything go the way He wanted it to. But as I grew up, I found that the way God usually makes His promises happen is through great planning! Mary and Joseph are a good example of how that happens.

God had promised Mary that her child was to be the Messiah. Mary would have known enough of the promises about Messiah’s coming to know that He was supposed to be born in Bethlehem. That wasn’t where Mary lived, and she could have spent all of her time worrying about how she could work it so that her baby could be born there. But she couldn’t have made it happen on her own.

Instead, Caesar Augustus, the ruler of the Roman Empire, gave the reason for going there. God worked everything in such a way that Caesar suddenly decided that everyone should be taxed. In order to do that, they would have to go to the town of their birth. Joseph was born in Bethlehem, so to Bethlehem they went!

God planned the whole thing!

How to get to Bethlehem was Mary and Joseph’s problem. But God used the things that were happening around them to get them where He wanted them to be when He wanted them to be there! And He did it so that He could cause a miracle to happen that would bring blessing to the whole world.

God wants to do the same kind of thing in each of our lives…. Sometimes when God gives people promises, they want to make the promise come true without His help. That never works. Whatever He promises, you will need His help for it to take place. You can’t make it happen on your own.

That is what Bethlehem is a picture of: God bringing you to the place that He wants you to be so that He can do something great through you. God has different things for different people to do. And He tells people things at different times in their lives. No matter what God tells you or when He tells you, you can be sure that He will also bring about the perfect time for that to take place.

When God gives you promises, don’t spend your time worrying about how they will happen. Listen to the Lord as He works in circumstances and talks to you through His Word. If you really want to do His will, He won’t let you make a mistake. God will get you where you need to be when you need to be there so that he can work His great purpose in you.

-The 25 Days of Christmas by Rebecca Hayford Bauer

My mom found this nativity in Kenya – it’s made from banana leaves!

the precious stone.

2010-12-06T10:50:00.002-05:00

If snow could fall in any flavor, what flavor would you choose?

I think I would choose peppermint.

Each day during Advent, Benjamin Bear opens a door on his Advent calendar to discover a new picture, and each day, his mother tells him a little bit more of a story about a little bear who is journeying to Bethlehem.

Benjamin opened the next door and uncovered a precious stone.

Early in the morning the little lamb and the little bear met a man who sat staring at a bright red stone.

“What are you doing?” asked the little bear.

“I’m thinking,” said the man. “For many years I’ve been thinking.”

“What about?” asked the little bear.

“I would like to ask you a question, little bear,” said the man. “I will give you this precious stone if you can tell me where God lives.”

The little bear said nothing for a while. Then he said quietly, “I will give you this precious rosebush if you can tell me where God does not live.”

The man looked at the little bear for a long time. “Little bear,” he finally said, “you are very wise. Where are you headed?”

“To Bethlehem, where a new King is to be born,” answered the bear.

“I wish I could go, too,” said the man, “but one of my legs is far too weak.” With effort he stood up and limped a few steps.

“Here!” said the little bear. “This cane is for you! Just follow the star. You’ll make it, I’m sure.”

Benjamin sighed happily. Mother Bear patted him gently. “The little bear was very wise,” she said. “God does live everywhere.”

-Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas by Antonie Schneider

Here's another one of our Advent calendars - this one is based on the world of Narnia! You can also see another Nativity set that we found in Salzburg this summer.

the miracle is love.

2010-12-05T12:57:00.000-05:00

If you were going to be Santa Claus for a Christmas Eve, what one amenity or convenience factor would you insist that your sleigh feature?

I would have to have endless supplies for making hot chai eggnog lattes.

There’s a miracle in Christmas –

There’s a stillness in the air

And excitement in the shining eyes

Of children everywhere

There’s a miracle in Christmas

As each silent night unfolds,

And we see again the promise

That this holy season holds.

There’s a wonder in traditions,

In the stories passed along,

In our thoughtfulness toward others,

And in voices raised in song.

There’s a reassuring comfort

In the joy glad tidings bring

And an inner peace from honoring

And praising Christ the King.

There’s a magic in the season,

In the kindnesses we do,

Whether joys are shared by many

Or among a special few.

There’s awareness of our gratitude

For blessings from above;

There’s a miracle in Christmas,

And the miracle is love.

-Jan Miller Girando

Well, it’s the second Sunday of Advent! Today I’m enjoying the sense of magic that comes with the season of Christmas – we’re having some snow flurries today! Anyway, one of the magical parts of Christmas to me is when we finish decorating the tree and step back to admire the twinkling lights and glittering ornaments. I enjoyed this little story about the tradition of decorating Christmas trees.

As the story goes, a professor named Martin Luther was walking alone through a forest one December night in the early 1500s. As he made his way home, the stars seemed to twinkle with an unusual brightness against the velvety blackness of the clear night sky. In fact, when he passed under the rustling branches of the evergreens, it seemed to him that miniature stars were dancing in the trees all around him.

It wasn’t the sudden gust of cold wind that took the professor’s breath away; it was the unexpected wave of worship that caused him to shiver. Luther was overwhelmed by the awesome beauty of God’s creation.

The legend goes on to tell how Luther chopped down a small fir tree and set it up in his family’s living area. He desperately wanted to somehow capture that moment in the starlit forest. Yet as he attempted to describe the beauty he had seen, words completely failed him.

Suddenly Luther had an idea. He went through his house and gathered up all the burning candles. One by one, he carefully placed them on the branches of the tree, and the little fir in the middle of the Luther home began to dance with twinkling lights. This wise papa’s plan had worked! The Luther children’s eyes were suddenly opened to the meaning of Psalm 19:1: “The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.”

-“Lights on the Tree” from The Adventure of Christmas by Lisa Welchel

God enfleshed.

2010-12-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

If you had a miniature Christmas village set up in your home, what shop, building, or other object would be the most prominently displayed in your little town?

I would probably have a beautiful church with a tall steeple.

A sky full of God’s children! Each galaxy, each star, each living creature, every particle and subatomic particle of creation, we are all children of the Maker. From a subatomic particle with a life span of a few seconds, to a galaxy with a life span of billions of years, to us human creatures somewhere in the middle in size and age, we are made in God’s image, male and female, and we are, as Christ promised us, God’s children by adoption and grace.

Children of God, made in God’s image. How? Genesis gives no explanations, but we do know instinctively that it is not a physical image. God’s explanation is to send Jesus, the incarnate One, God enfleshed. Don’t try to explain the Incarnation to me! It is further from being explainable than the furthest star in the furthest galaxy. It is love, God’s limitless love enfleshing that love into the form of a human being, Jesus, the Christ, fully human and fully divine.

Was there a moment, known only to God, when all the stars held their breath, when the galaxies paused in their dance for a fraction of a second, and the Word, who had called it all into being, went with all his love into the womb of a young girl, and the universe started to breathe again, and the ancient harmonies resumed their song, and the angels clapped their hands for joy?

- “A Sky Full of Children” by Madeleine L’Engle

As I read this passage, I was overcome with wonder at the magnitude of the fact of the Incarnation. How wonderful that God would shake off his infinite splendor and join us, “human creatures somewhere in the middle in size and age,” and become one of us so absolutely. L’Engle is right – the Incarnation cannot be satisfactorily explained. It is far too marvelous and mysterious for human comprehension. Somehow, someway, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Another beloved Bennett family tradition is baking lots of Christmas cookies. My mom and I started baking this week, so I wanted to share one of our favorite cookie recipes with you. Our Pealing Bells cookies are a Bennett family original – Mom found a picture of the idea but completely re-imagined the recipe. Here it is!

Pealing Bells

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour, Golden 86 (white whole wheat)

1 cup finely chopped almonds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon almond extract or cherry extract

25 maraschino cherries, halved and well drained

Cream sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Beat in egg yolk. Stir in flour, nuts, salt, orange peel, and almond extract. Shape dough into two 8-inch rolls. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut logs into 1/4-inch slices. Place the rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place a cherry-half near the bottom of each slice for a bell clapper. Fold in the sides of each slice, overlapping at the top and slightly covering cherry. Pinch in the sides to resemble a bell shape.

Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until done. Slip the parchment paper with the baked cookies onto wire racks to cool. Store between layers of wax paper in airtight containers at room temperature no longer than 10 days or in the freezer no longer than three months.

Makes 5 dozen bells

From the kitchen of Sally Bennett, 11-08-10

star of wonder.

2010-12-03T12:04:00.002-05:00

Where does Santa summer?

I’m pretty certain that he would summer in the most beautiful place in the world in order to gain inspiration for all the new toys each year. Therefore, he must summer in the Swiss Alps, specifically the Berner Oberland.

“And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

-based on Isaiah 40:5

Stars are made of many materials: tinfoil stars, paper stars, jewelry stars, plastic stars, musical stars, battery-operated stars, and kid-colored crayon stars. In modern times, the appearance of Christmas stars marks the beginning of a wild buying season. Two thousand years ago, the Christmas star led wise men to look for Jesus.

The story of the Bethlehem star is told only in the gospel of Matthew (chapter 2, verses 1-12), In that record there are lots of clues about the star and its meaning. Those clues have fascinated astronomers, Bibles scholars, and ordinary people for almost as long as the story has been told.

Matthew tells us that wise men from the East had seen an unusual star that they identified with a newborn “King of the Jews.” They called it “his star.” This king was so important that the magi planned a long, hard, uncertain journey to find Him. They were not guided by the star to Bethlehem but went, instead, to Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews, looking for the new king.

Herod (who was the official king of the Jews) and his people were disturbed to hear the wise men’s story. Their confusion suggests that they might not have seen the star themselves – that it was only noticed by people like Magi whose job it was to study stars. Herod didn’t like the idea of another king in his kingdom, and he ordered the Jewish priests to tell him where he could find this new king. The priests told King Herod and the Magi about an Old Testament prediction that a ruler would be born in Bethlehem. And so the Magi traveled about five miles south of Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where they found Jesus. Matthew tells us that as they set out again, they were “overjoyed” to see the star. It sounds almost as though the star had disappeared and then appeared to them again for the last few miles of their journey.

Matthew wrote about the star in a matter-of-fact way until the end of the story when he said that, as the Magi left Jerusalem, the star “went ahead of them” and “stopped over the place where the child was.” No ordinary star or planet could lead like that – like a guide with a flashlight directing a group through a dark forest. For this reason, many people believe the star was a miracle star. Certainly God could have used a supernatural phenomenon to guide the Magi. Others have thought that the star’s appearance was a natural rather than a supernatural event – that God used ordinary circumstances to work His will.

One of the oldest and most popular of the natural explanations for the star suggests that it was not a star at all, but a close meeting of two planets as they traveled in their regular orbits. Astronomers call that a “conjunction.” Around the time that Jesus was born, there was a very rare triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn (three meetings in about a year’s time). The triple meeting fits many of the clues given in Matthew’s gospel. For example, the series of three conjunctions could explain why the wise men seemed to have first seen the star in their homeland, then along the way, and then again after they left Jerusalem.

What did those travelers from the East really see? Was the star’s appearance a special miracle, or was it a comet, supernova, star giant, fireball, group of planets, or something else? All of the theories fit part of the clues, some better, some worse. But no theory fits them all.

In spite of all the uncertainty about what the star was, it is very certain what the star meant. It was something God used to bring wealthy, powerful, highly educated men to meet a baby in Bethlehem. Whatever the Magi saw in the sky filled them with a great longing to find the King of kings. From the first time that they saw His sign, they worked and waited with joy and hope for the fulfillment of their search. In that time, the star – His star, the glory of the Lord – was revealed to just a few wise men. That star marked the advent of the birth of Jesus.

There is another advent, though, another coming. The Bible says that Jesus will come again a second time. The Second Advent won’t be marked with a star seen by just a few people. When Jesus comes again, the whole sky will be filled with His glory, and all of humanity will see it together.

For now we are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. All of creation, and we ourselves, groan inside, longing for our salvation. It is coming.

This is our hope. After all, “The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

-The Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader by Donna W. Payne and Fran Lenzo

from cliff house.

2010-12-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

In your opinion, what would be the ideal temperature for Christmas Day?

I think around 29 degrees would be perfect, because then it could snow and not melt without it being too cold.

One of my favorite Christmas books is Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien. It contains a series of letters that Tolkien wrote for his children that feature misspelled words from the Great Polar Bear, shaky handwriting from Father Christmas, and beautiful illustrations of their adventures.

Cliff House

North Pole

Wednesday Dec. 23^rd 1936

My dear Children

I am sorry I cannot send you a long letter to thank you for yours, but I am sending you a picture which will explain a good deal. It is a good thing your changed lists arrived before these awful events, or I could not have done anything about it. I do hope you will like what I am bringing and will forgive any mistakes, and I hope nothing will still be wet! I am still so shaky and upset, I am getting one of my elves to write a bit more about things.

I send very much love to you all.

Father Christmas says you will want to hear some news. Polar Bear has been quite good – or had been – though he has been rather tired. So has Father Christmas; I think the Christmas business is getting rather too much for them.

So a lot of us, red and green elves, have gone to live permanently at Cliff House, and be trained in the packing business. It was Polar Bear’s idea. He also invented the number system, so that every child that Father Christmas deals with has a number and we elves learn them all by heart, and all the addresses. That saves a lot of writing.

So many children have the same name that every packet used to have the address as well. Polar Bear said: “I am going to have a record year and help Father Christmas to get so forward we can have some fun ourselves on Christmas day.”

We all worked hard, and you will be surprised to hear that every single parcel was packed and numbered by Saturday (December 19^th). Then Polar Bear said “I am tired out: I am going to have a hot bath, and go to bed early!”

Well you can guess what happened. Father Christmas was taking a last look round in the English Delivery Room about 10 o’clock when water poured through the ceiling and swamped everything: it was soon 6 inches deep on the floor. Polar Bear had simply got into the bath with both taps running and gone fast asleep with one hind paw on the overflow. He had been asleep two hours when we woke him.

Father Christmas was really angry. But Polar Bear only said: “I did have a jolly dream. I dreamt I was diving off a melting iceberg and chasing seals.”

He said later when he saw he damage: “Well there is one thing: those children at Northpole Road, Oxford (he always says that) may lose some of their presents, but they will have a letter worth hearing this year. They can see a joke, even if none of you can!”

That made Father Christmas angrier, and Polar Bear said: “Well, draw a picture of it and ask them if it is funny or not.” So Father Christmas has. But he has begun to think it funny (although very annoying) himself, now we have cleared up the mess, and got the English presents repacked again. Just in time. We are all rather tired, so please excuse scrawly writing.

Yours, Ilbereth, Secretary to Father Christmas

Very sorry. Been bizy. Can’t find that alphabet. Will look after Christmas and post it. Yours, Polar Bear.

Each year at the Bennett household, a wide assortment of nativities appear around Christmastime. My mom has been collecting nativity sets for many years, and now has sets made of everything from wood to banana leaves to rolled-up magazines. Her nativities come from many different countries, including Kenya, Israel, and England. This is one of our newer ones - we found it while we were in Salzburg this summer!

before the hero comes.

2010-12-01T10:02:00.004-05:00

Let’s kick things off with an icebreaker.

When does it really start feeling like Christmas to you?

I suppose that one of the first sure signs of Christmas for me is when the Starbucks Christmas drinks appear, which often coincides with the wonderful day when I allow myself to pull my Christmas music back out.

Today I have a selection for you from a book that my mom just discovered this year called Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin Jr. I love the way that he explains the concept of Advent by describing it as the first act in the “play” of the liturgical year.

Throughout my life it has been my good fortune to experience the story of Jesus with every turning of every year. The number of the years of my unfolding age is also the number of times I’ve traveled with my Lord from his birth to his death to his triumphant rising again.

And because the story has been more than told to me; because it has surrounded me like a weather; because it comprehends me as a house does its inhabitants or a mother does her child, the life of Christ has shaped mine. My very being has been molded in him.

And because my response to this story has been more than an act of mind, more than study and scrutiny; because the story invites my entering in and my personal participation; because I have experienced the life of Christ with deeper intensity than I have my own daily affairs, the Gospel story now interprets for me the world’s story. It is through the Gospel narrative, as through a window or a template, that I see all things, that I relate to them and come to know them.

In every sense of the phrase: I find myself in Jesus.

As I enter his story I enter him. As his life embraces mine, he embraces me, and I am his….

Act 1: Advent

Before the hero enters, people anticipate his coming. Old promises are remembered. New promises are made. Excitement sparks and burns in the hearts of all the players: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, you, me, the children. Daily the excitement blazes hotter and hotter until we can scarcely stand it.

Who’s coming? What’s his name? What’ll he be like? What’s he going to do?

People prepare. Christians examine themselves. They clean up their lives, interior and exterior, making themselves ready to meet the hero at his coming. So kindled are many emotions that good hearts break into song both in heaven and on earth, waiting, waiting for … Christmas.

A life shaped by Jesus such as Wangerin describes is the kind of life that I desire to be cultivated in myself. I pray that in this season of Advent, my heart will soften and grow as I prepare my heart for the coming of Jesus so that I will find myself in Jesus all the more each day.

In the Bennett household, we have many Advent calendars that we love, but probably our favorite is a felt one that my mom made around 34 years ago as a creative way to inexpensively share the idea of an Advent calendar with her friends. My older siblings loved it so much that they would get up earlier and earlier each morning to find out which figure they would discover as they pulled one out of a pocket each day. As you can see, this morning I pulled out a little lamb.

the return of advent.

2010-11-30T10:34:00.003-05:00

Well, the Advent blog is back! Despite my recent graduation from Boston University, I’m actually finding myself quite busy these days, what with planning a wedding and other little things like that, so I was worried that I might not have enough time to write this year. However, I had so much fun last year that I couldn’t resist jumping back in, especially after a particularly inspiring conversation with my mom, who is an Advent aficionado.

For those of you who read along last year, some things will look the same, but my mom and I have come up with a few new ideas as well. Since I’m home in Nashville for the majority of the Advent season this year, I’ll be able to share a little more with you about various Bennett family traditions, such as Advent calendars, nativities, and Christmas cookies. Of course, I’ll still give you stories, music, devotionals, and icebreakers, among other things. I hope that you’ll contribute your thoughts and meditations as well!

If you’re new to the idea of Advent (or just want a refresher), here’s the brief introduction I posted last year - http://somanyforeignroads.blogspot.com/2009/11/advent.html.

Advent starts on December 1^st, so check back soon – the blog officially begins tomorrow!

run toward his light.

2009-12-25T08:06:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoyed reading my blog as much as I enjoyed writing it! I would love to hear your feedback, in case I decide to do this again next year. Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

You are a painter and have just been commissioned to do a large oil-on-canvas painting that depicts something about the holiday season. What scene would you choose to paint?

I think I would paint the wise men following the star.

And who are you?

Not an angel, no.

Not Herod.

But perhaps you are

A magi, mapping the miracle

On a chart of stars;

A Shepherd

Trading sleep

For a chance to seek

A golden child

In swaddling clothes;

A Simeon

Who has hoped for a lifetime

To find the one called

Emmanuel, God with us.

Or are you like Mary,

Prayerfully waiting for the King of Kings

To be born in you?

Well, He is here!

Sing! Sing, “O, Holy Night.”

Run toward His Light!

-Voices of Christmas by Nikki Grimes

christmas eve gift.

2009-12-24T08:19:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve! On Christmas Eve in the Bennett family, we all try to be the first person to say Christmas Eve Gift. If you get someone, then supposedly they have to give you a present. So, Christmas Eve gift!

If, like Santa, you could take a night flight in a sleigh over any city in the world, which city would you choose?

I think I would have to choose Paris.

I know I have shared a lot of favorite things this month, but Cosmic Christmas (also known as An Angel’s Story) by Max Lucado is possibly my most favorite Christmas book. It tells the story of the birth of Jesus through the eyes of the angel Gabriel. I won’t tell you the whole story, but Gabriel fights to protect Mary and Joseph through her pregnancy and their journey to Bethlehem. Towards the end of the story, Jesus is finally born, and I want to share this passage with you.

We were a wreath of Light around the stable, a necklace of diamonds around the structure. Every angel had been called from his post for the coming, even Michael. None doubted God would, but none knew how He could, fulfill His promise….

Within moments the Awaited One was born. I was privileged to have a position close to the couple, only a step behind Michael. We both gazed into the wrinkled face of the infant. Joseph had placed hay in a feed trough, giving Jesus his first bed. All of God was in the infant. Light encircled His face and radiated from His tiny hands. The very glory I had witnessed in His throne room now burst through His skin.

I felt we should sing but did not know what. We had no song. We had no verse. We had never seen the sight of God in a baby. When God had made a star, our words had roared. When He had delivered His servants, our tongues had flown with praise. Before His throne, our songs never ended. But what do you sing to God in a feed trough?

…Sophio was whispering. I drew near to hear his words:

‘A child has been given to us; God has given a Son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be: Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father who lives forever, Prince of Peace. He will be wounded for the wrong they did, crushed for the evil they did. The punishment which will make them well will be given to Him. They will be healed because of His wounds.’

…So this is He. Immanuel. This is God’s gift. A Savior. He shall save His people from their sins. ‘Worthy is the Lamb,’ I whispered as I knelt before my God. My heart was full. I turned to Mary as she cradled her child and I spoke. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t hear me. The stars could. All of nature could. And most of all, my King could.

‘Do you know who you hold, Mary? You secure the Author of grace. He who is ageless is now moments old. He who is limitless is now suckling your milk. He who strides upon the stars, now has legs too weak to walk; the hands which held the oceans are now an infant’s fist. To Him who has never asked a question, you will teach the name of the wind. The Source of language will learn words from you. He who has never stumbled, you will carry. He who has never hungered, you will feed. The King of creation is in your arms.’

‘What manner of love is this?’ Michael whispered, and again we were covered with silence. A blanket of awe. Finally, Michael again opened his mouth, this time to sing. He began quietly, pausing between the words.

‘Glory, glory, glory to God in the highest.’

…Our praise rose into the realms of the universe. In the most distant galaxy the dust on the oldest star danced with our praise. In the depths of the ocean, the water rippled with adoration. The tiniest microbe turned, the mightiest constellation spun, all of nature joined with us as we worshiped Immanuel, the God who had become flesh.

rejoice!

2009-12-23T10:37:00.001-05:00

Suppose that a new fad was to wrap your gifts in anything other than wrapping paper. With what would you wrap your presents?

If I had lots of time, I would knit little bags so that each present looked like a little stocking.

It was the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and the manager of a certain department store hired Santa Clauses to stand outside the store. A few days later, business was so brisk that he hired others to stand there too. A week before Christmas, buying was at an all-time peak, and the manager engaged still more Santa Clauses, so that his store was veritably surrounded by men in red suits ringing bells and wishing people “Merry Christmas.”

On Christmas Eve, the manager called in all the Santa clauses and gave them their pay envelopes. When they opened them, they discovered that they had all received the same amount.

“Hey!” demanded the ones who were hired first. “What is going on here?” We have been pounding the pavement outside this store since Thanksgiving. We should have had a lot more than these other men.”

The second group agreed. “And we should have had more than these last bums!’ they said. “We have frozen our cans off a week longer than they did. It isn’t fair to give us all the same pay.”

“Why not?” said the manager. “Haven’t I paid you what we agreed to? And besides, isn’t this what Christmas is all about, that we are dealt with not according to our merit, but according to grace? So don’t let it spoil your Christmas. Rejoice in the gift of the Savior!”

-Parables for Christmas by John Killinger

I love this parable, because it once again reminds me of the true importance of Christmas. Even in the midst of the frantic last minute shopping and preparations, I don’t want to forget to rejoice in the gift of the Savior!

Let the stable still astonish:

Straw-dirt floor, dull eyes,

Dusty flanks of donkeys, 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.”

-Leslie Leyland Fields

the donkey's dream.

2009-12-22T09:49:00.003-05:00

What ingredients go into your favorite Christmas drink or beverage?

Chai tea, eggnog, and nutmeg.

Today I want to share one of my favorite Christmas picture books with you.

Once there was a gray donkey. He was walking along as usual, with a load on his back. A man was leading him. And as they walked on and on through the starry night, the donkey began to dream.

He dreamed he was carrying a city, with gates and towers and temple domes. He dreamed a child cried in the city. And doves flew all around.

He dreamed he was carrying a ship. It rocked like a cradle. It shone like the moon. And the sea danced all around.

He dreamed he was carrying a fountain. Its water splashed and sang like a child’s laughter. And a garden sprang from the desert sand all around.

He dreamed he was carrying a rose, soft as a mother’s touch and sweet as the sleep of a baby. Angels stood all around.

Then he dreamed he was carrying a lady full of heaven. They had come to a town. But only the village dogs ran to greet them. The man knocked on a door. It did not open, so they had to go on. The donkey followed him down narrow alleyways paved with cobblestones.

They came to a place that smelled of hay, with a watering trough and a cave for a stable. The man helped the lady down from the donkey’s back. Then he took the donkey’s saddle off and followed the lady into the cave.

But the donkey was left alone outside. He had walked so long, his back was aching and his legs were sore. One star high above him shone in the watering trough below. The tired donkey drank.

Just then, a cry rang out in the cave. And its echo rang like a bell, over the hills, all around. The night was so still, even the stars heard it. The man came out of the cave. He whispered to the donkey, “Come.”

Together, they went inside the cave, where the lady lay on a bed of hay. The donkey’s saddle was her pillow. She smiled. “Come,” she said to the donkey. “See what we have carried all this way, you and I.”

It was only a tiny child. Yet, when the baby opened his eyes, the cave was full of light. The donkey blinked. But he was not dreaming now. He was awake.

And suddenly, the donkey was not tired anymore, though he had carried a city, a ship, a fountain, a rose, and all the heavens upon his back.

-The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger

widening the imagination.

2009-12-21T08:17:00.003-05:00

What do you think is the most enjoyable thing to do in the snow?

I love making snow angels, but sledding down the big hill in our neighborhood is pretty awesome too.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

-Luke 1:26-45

I love that within the story of the birth of Jesus there are so many instances of people encountering angels. Seeing an angel must be a huge faith booster. As Luci Shaw would say, receiving a message from an angel would certainly widen your imagination.

It came to me, recently, that faith is “a certain widening of the imagination.” When Mary asked the Angel, “How shall these things be?” she was asking God to widen her imagination.

All my life I have been requesting the same thing – a baptized imagination that has a wide enough faith to see the numinous in the ordinary. Without discarding reason, or analysis, I seek from my Muse, the Holy Spirit, images that will open up reality and pull me in to its center.

This is the benison of the sacramental view of life.

-from Winter Song by Luci Shaw

(In case you were wondering, numinous means supernatural, and benison means benediction.)

the most monstrous firework.

2009-12-20T11:43:00.004-05:00

Regardless of the electric bill, what man-made or natural object would you most like to see strung or outlined with Christmas lights?

I think the Eiffel Tower would be beautiful with Christmas lights.

Today I have another letter from Father Christmas for you.

Cliff House, Top of the World, Near the North Pole

Monday December 20^th 1926

My dear boys,

I am more shaky than usual this year. The North Polar Bear’s fault! It was the biggest bang in the world, and the most monstrous firework there ever has been. It turned the North Pole BLACK and shook all the stars out of place, broke the moon into four – and the Man in it fell into my back garden. He ate quite a lot of my Christmas chocolates before he said he felt better and climbed back to mend it and get the stars tidy.

Then I found out that the reindeer had broken loose. They were running all over the country, breaking reins and ropes and tossing presents up in the air. They were all packed up to start, you see – yes it only happened this morning: it was a sleighload of chocolate things, which I always send to England early. I hope yours are not badly damaged.

But isn’t the North Polar Bear silly? And he isn’t a bit sorry! Of course he did it – you remember I had to move last year because of him? The tap for turning on the Rory Bory Aylis fireworks is still in the cellar of my old house. The North Polar Bear knew he must never, never touch it. I only let it off on special days like Christmas. He says he thought it was cut off since we moved.

Anyway, he was nosing round the ruins this morning soon after breakfast (he hides things to eat there) and turned on all the Northern Lights for two years in one go. You have never heard or seen anything like it. I have tried to draw a picture of it; but I am too shaky to do it properly and you can’t paint fizzing light can you?

I think the Polar Bear has spoilt the picture rather – of course he can’t draw with those great fat paws –

Rude! I can – and write without shaking.

By going and putting a bit of his own about me chasing the reindeer and him laughing. He did laugh too. So did I when I saw him trying to draw reindeer, and inking his nice white paws.

Father Christmas had to hurry away and leave me to finish. He is old and gets worried when funny things happen. You would have laughed too! I think it is good of me laughing. It was a lovely firework. The reindeer will run quick to England this year. They are still frightened!

I must go and help pack. I don’t know what Father Christmas would do without me. He always forgets what a lot of packing I do for him.

The Snow Man is addressing our envelopes this year. He is Father Christmas’s gardener – but we don’t get much but snowdrops and frost-ferns to grow here. He always writes in white, just with his finger.

A merry Christmas to you from North Polar Bear

And love from Father Christmas to you all.

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Mary Love and I went to The Nutcracker last night, so I want to share a clip from that!

the brightness of thy rising.

2009-12-19T09:44:00.004-05:00

If you were asked to choose four songs for a Christmas medley, which songs would you pick?

I would pick Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming, O Holy Night, O Come O Come Emmanuel, and Angels from the Realms of Glory.

As of last night I'm home in Tennessee! We're going to see the Messiah tonight, so today I have a reading for you from a new book that my parents have been reading that is based on the Messiah.

“Let there be light,” we demand at Christmas. And in every household that celebrates Christmas and in every store that sells to Christmas shoppers, there is light. Homes and malls are decorated inside and out with blinking bulbs of all kinds imaginable. Many people mark the days of Advent using a wreath with four candles, lighting one candle each week of the four weeks before Christmas.

Christmas in every country and in every time has included light – candles and fires, burning logs, or electric wonders. Light is the essence of life and the symbol of joy and safety. It is no accident that Jesus is called the “Light of the World,” nor is it an accident that His birthday is marked by a universal display of light….

To know a little about light is to know a little about time and space, energy, and matter. To know about light is also to know a little about what God is like. Light is the symbol the Bible uses over and over to describe Him.

The New Testament book of 1 Timothy tells us that God “lives in unapproachable light.” These words suggest that we cannot know all there is to know about God or approach Him as equals. The mysteries surrounding the God of light are represented in the mysteries surrounding the nature of light.

Light is the fastest thing there is. It travels at a speed of 186,282 miles per second. (That’s equal to about eight times around the world in one second.) Scientists have concluded that if people could travel at near the speed of light, time would slow down for them and they would get heavier. Knowing the truth of these astounding possibilities doesn’t make it any easier to understand them. Our everyday ways of understanding nature are not enough to explain light. How then can we possibly expect to explain all there is to know about God?

Experiments have also shown another surprising characteristic of light. Light acts like two completely different things. It moves like a continuous wave, similar to a steady ripple that comes from a pebble dropped in a pond. Light is also totally unlike a wave, moving in little bits similar to a line of individual bullets shot from a machine gun. We can accept the truth of this seeming contradiction because it explains the observed facts about light. In the same way, Christians accept the spiritual mystery that God can be both a human baby and the all-powerful God at the same time….

Light is the source of life itself. Light warms our body with the heat that makes our blood flow and our muscles move. The sunlight that shines on our green planet enters leaf and plant where it is changed, by the miracle of photosynthesis, into the living food energy that every animal and human must have to stay live. So we can say that light is in every life giving bite of food that we put into our mouths. The Bible tells us that “God is light,” and that “in him we live and move and have our being” (1 John 1:5; Acts 17:28). He is, in a sense, the light that keeps us alive.

God showed Himself to Moses in a burning bush. He led the Israelites through the desert by a pillar of fire. The apostle Paul found his Savior in a blinding flash of light. Christ’s birth was announced by angels in a glory of light, and the wise men followed the light of a star. God is light. And just as every young child cries for the light that will take away the night fears, so every human heart longs for the light of God’s love, every mind searches for the light of God’s truth, and every spirit cries for the salvation to lighten its darkness.

-The Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader by Donna W. Payne and Fran Lenzo

a certain small shepherd.

2009-12-18T06:56:00.002-05:00

What is one of the simple joys of Christmas that you like to savor to the fullest?

I have so many, but I especially love any chance to sing Christmas carols.

My musical selection today is especially for Mary Love and Mom because of our love of The Three Tenors.

A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill is one of my favorite Christmas books. If you haven’t read it, you should read the whole thing, but here is a summary. It tells the story of a little boy named Jamie who was born mute. When he was in the first grade, he was given the part of a shepherd in the Christmas play. He was so excited! His sister Saro made him a beautiful shepherd’s coat and his father found him a shepherd’s crook. But on Christmas Eve, it started snowing so hard that nobody could get to the church for the play. As the snow got worse, a man and a woman came through the storm and asked Jamie’s father for shelter in their stable.

Still Jamie stared into the fire. A strange feeling was growing inside him. This night was not like other nights, he knew. Something mysterious was going on. He felt afraid.

What was that he heard? The wind? Only the wind?

He lay down on his bed with his clothes on. He dropped off to sleep. A rattling at the door waked him.

He sat upright quickly. He looked around. His heart beat fast. But nothing in the room had changed. Everything was as it had been when he lay down – the fire was burning; two stockings, Saro’s and Honey’s, hung under the mantel; the clock was ticking solemnly.

He looked at Father’s bed. The sheets were just as Saro had turned them back.

There! There it was! He heard it again! It sounded like singing. “Glory to God! On earth peace!”

Jamie breathed hard. Had he heard that? Or had he only said it to himself?

The next morning, Jamie’s father takes Jamie, Saro, and Honey to the church, where the man and woman spent the night.

The woman smiled at them. “You came to see?” she asked, and lifted the cover.

Saro went first and peeped under the cover. Honey went next.

“You look too, Jamie,” said Saro.

For a second Jamie hesitated. He leaned forward and took one quick look. Then he turned, shot down the aisle and out of the church, slamming the door behind him….

To the house Jamie made his way…where he hurriedly pulled his shepherd’s robe over his coat. He snatched up his crook from the chimney corner.

With his hand on the doorknob, he glanced toward the fireplace. There, under the mantel, hung Saro’s and Honey’s stockings. And there, beside them, hung his stocking! Now who had hung it there? It had in it the same bulge his stocking had had every Christmas morning since he could remember – a bulge made by an orange.

Jamie ran to the fireplace and felt the toe of his stocking. Yes, there was the dime, just as on other Christmas mornings.

Hurriedly he emptied his stocking. With the orange and the dime in one hand and the crook in the other, he made his way toward the church….

Father opened the church door.

Without looking to the left or right, Jamie hurried up the aisle. Father and Saro followed him. Beside the pallet he dropped to his knees.

“Here’s a Christmas gift for the Child,” he said, clear and strong.

“Father!” gasped Saro. “Father, listen to Jamie!”

The woman turned back the covers from the baby’s face. Jamie gently laid the orange beside the baby’s tiny hand.

“And here’s a Christmas gift for the Mother,” Jamie said to the woman.

He put the dime in her hand.

Father, trembling with wonder and with joy, fell to his knees beside Jamie. Saro, too, knelt; and Honey, and the man.

“Surely,” the woman spoke softly, “the Lord lives this day.”

“Surely,” said Father, “the Lord does live this day, and all days. And he is loving and merciful and good.”

In the hush that followed, Christmas in all its joy and majesty came to Hurricane Gap. And it wasn’t so long ago at that.

simple things.

2009-12-17T08:56:00.001-05:00

Besides the reindeer, which animals do you associate the most with the Christmas season?

I definitely think of sheep and camels because of the Nativities that appear all over our house during the Christmas season.

An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an “extra” on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten, and the shepherds would have slept the night away.

But God dances amidst the common. And that night he did a waltz.

The black sky exploded with brightness. Trees that had been shadows jumped into clarity. Sheep that had been silent became a chorus of curiosity. One minute the shepherd was dead asleep, the next he was rubbing his eyes and staring into the face of an alien.

The night was ordinary no more.

The angel came in the night because that is when lights are best seen and that is when they are most needed. God comes into the common for the same reason. His most powerful tools are the simplest.

- The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado

I like the idea that his most powerful tools are the simplest. The simple things of God are the nearest to our comprehension, so it is reassuring that they are just as affective. Even his most simple things make our world extraordinary.

Sometimes I am given my most wondrous glimpses of Jesus in the small or unexpected things, from a friend pouring a cup of tea to looking up at the evening sky and seeing the tiny sliver of a moon and staying to watch the stars come out. I am filled with joy at the wonder of God’s leaving all that glory and coming to the poor fallen thing that has become of his glorious little planet, peopled by creatures who have the ability to choose right and wrong, and who so often choose wrong. Why does this give me hope rather than despair?

I suppose it gives me hope because there is nothing that happens, nothing, that is not part of God’s concern, part of that love which expressed itself completely in the Incarnation.”

- Bright Evening Star by Madeline L’Engle

heaven can give no more.

2009-12-16T08:06:00.004-05:00

How do you think you would react if you were visited by an angel?

I think I would be completely terrified, just like the shepherds, but I would walk away with a much greater faith.

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,

and enlarge my mind;

Let me hear good tidings of great joy, and hearing,

Believe, rejoice, praise, adore,

My conscience bathed in an ocean of repose, my

Eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;

Place me with ox, ass, camel, goat, to look with

Them upon my Redeemer’s face, and in him

Account myself delivered from sin;

Let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart,

Embrace him with undying faith,

Exulting that he is mine and I am his.

In him thou has given me so much that heaven can give no more.

-from Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, edited by Nancy Guthrie

Since we have looked at the stories of the birth of Jesus from Matthew and John, I thought we could also look at Luke today.

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 cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 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 angel 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.

-Luke 2:4-20

Today I am struck by the importance of Mary treasuring up all these things and pondering them in her heart. This detail gives us an example of applying this story to our own lives. The very fact that our God became one of us through the incarnation is enough to completely change our world without even going on to consider his death and resurrection. How could He possibly be born a human baby, fully God and fully man? And yet how wonderful that this mystery is true!

I feel like this video is obligatory.

believe.

2009-12-15T07:49:00.004-05:00

If you or your family could have a Christmas photograph taken anywhere in the world, where would you want to have the picture taken?

I would want to have it taken on top of the Schilthorn in Switzerland.

Today I have another story for you.

We pressed through the crowd to the edge of a large, open circle. In front of us stood Santa’s sleigh. The reindeer were excited. They pranced and paced, ringing the silver sleigh bells that hung from their harnesses. It was a magical sound, like nothing I’d ever heard. Across the circle, the elves moved apart and Santa Claus appeared. The elves cheered wildly.

He marched over to us and, pointing to me, said, “Let’s have this fellow here.” He jumped into his sleigh. The conductor handed me up. I sat on Santa’s knee and he asked, “Now, what would you like for Christmas?”

I knew that I could have any gift I could imagine. But the thing I wanted most for Christmas was not inside Santa’s giant bag. What I wanted more than anything was one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. When I asked, Santa smiled. Then he gave me a hug and told an elf to cut a bell from a reindeer’s harness. The elf tossed it up to Santa. He stood, holding the bell high above him, and called out, “The first gift of Christmas!”

A clock struck midnight as the elves roared their approval. Santa handed the bell to me, and I put it in my bathrobe pocket. The conductor helped me down from the sleigh. Santa shouted out the reindeer’s names and cracked his whip. His team charged forward and climbed into the air. Santa circled once above us, then disappeared in the cold, dark polar sky.

As soon as we were back inside the Polar Express, the other children asked to see the bell. I reached into my pocket, but the only thing I felt was a hole. I had lost the silver bell from Santa Claus’s sleigh. “Let’s hurry outside and look for it,” one of the children said. But the train gave a sudden lurch and started moving. We were on our way home.

It broke my heart to lose the bell. When the train reached my house, I sadly left the other children. I stood at my doorway and waved good-bye. The conductor said something from the moving train, but I couldn’t hear him. “What?” I yelled out.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. “MERRY CHRISTMAS,” he shouted. The Polar Express let out a loud blast from its whistle and sped away.

On Christmas morning my little sister Sarah and I opened our presents. When it looked as if everything had been unwrapped, Sarah found one last small box behind the tree. It had my name on it. Inside was the silver bell! There was a note: “Found this on the seat of my sleigh. Fix that hole in your pocket.” Signed, “Mr. C.”

I shook the bell. It made the most beautiful sound my sister and I had ever heard.

But my mother said, “Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Yes,” said my father, “it’s broken.”

When I’d shaken the bell my parents had not heard a sound.

At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.

– The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

prince of peace.

2009-12-14T08:25:00.002-05:00

A major theme of the Christmas season is peace on earth. For whatever your reason, what do you consider the most peaceful place on earth?

I have a couple. My parents’ house is always a peaceful, comforting place to me. I also feel really peaceful when I’m just sitting in a cathedral.

Christmas is called a time of peace. People talk about it. You’ve probably seen doves or other kinds of peace symbols on Christmas cards. But what most people don’t talk about is why this is a season of peace.

When the angels announced Jesus’ birth, they sang, “Peace on earth!” because one of the names for the promised Savior was the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). They were proclaiming that Peace had now come to rule on earth! Many people thought that meant that as soon as the Messiah came, He would “protect all the good guys and get rid of all the bad guys (or maybe throw them in jail)” like some kind of cartoon super hero! But Jesus came to bring a different kind of peace. He gives us a peace that stays with us no matter what. God’s kind of peace fills your heart and makes you feel loved. It is a peace that only God can give and there is nothing else that can take its place.

Many people try to fill that place with something else. Do you know kids who are angry and bully other kids? They are trying to fill that place with power. Some kids try to fill that place with friends, or food, or lots of toys and clothes. They are trying to fill that place with acceptance. Other kids try to fill that God-shaped place with something good like getting good grades, or being helpful. But even if you try filling that place in your heart with good things, it will be like using the wrong key in a lock. It can never open the door to God’s peace, and will never make you completely happy, because you have tried to fill it with something that doesn’t fit right.

Have you ever tried to open a door with the wrong key? It might look like the right key. It might even go into the lock. But when you try to turn it and open the door, nothing happens. That is what it’s like when we try to fill our hearts with something other than God: we become frustrated, unhappy, and upset. But when we fill our hearts with the Lord, we find peace.

Jesus said, “In Me you may have peace. In the world you will have hard things happen to you; but be of good cheer, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).

That means that no matter what difficult situation we face, we can have peace. If you aren’t facing something hard right now, thank the Lord. But if you are, ask the Lord to help you, and remember: no matter what you face, the Prince of Peace is right there with you.

–The 25 Days of Christmas by Rebecca Hayford Bauer

the rosebush.

2009-12-13T10:41:00.004-05:00

If this Christmas you could be instantly transported to London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral to hear any one musical work of composition, what would you most want to hear? (It needn’t have a Christmas theme.)

I think I have to say Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky.

This is one of my most favorite Christmas carols.

When the right time came God sent His son to buy freedom for us. Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child and everything he has belongs to you.

-Galatians 4:4-5, 7

Today I have a story for you. Benjamin Bear opens a door on his Advent calendar to find a new picture each day. His mother tells him a story each day about a little bear who follows a shining star to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child.

Benjamin opened the next door and found a rosebush.

That night the snowflakes fell like gigantic stars. With tremendous effort, the little bear fought his way through the deep snow. His fur was wet, and he shivered. The little bear sank deeper and deeper into the snow. In front of him lay a little clearing. He squinted and saw something sparkling just ahead. The little bear bent down. He could hardly believe his eyes. In the middle of winter a rose was blooming! The ice crystals sparkled and glistened on its leaves.

It is so beautiful, thought the little bear. I will dig it out and bring it to the Child! His little paws scraped away the snow. He dug his claws into the frost-hardened earth until they were dull. Finally he was able to pull out the rosebush by its roots. He pressed the rosebush, stiff with frost, against his chest and warmed it.

Just then, a flock of birds flew by and began to sing. And, as if it were already spring, the rose released its sweet scent into the woods.

“A rose blowing in winter! That must have been wonderful to see,” said Benjamin.

Mother Bear nodded. “Always remember,” she said,” God’s love can warm and brighten the coldest, darkest night.”

-Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas by Antonie Schneider

redeeming all brokenness.

2009-12-12T08:10:00.001-05:00

If you were to open up a cozy, little Christmas shop, what Christmas product would be your main draw?

I would want to sell lots of different Nativity sets.

As we move into Advent we are called to listen, something we seldom take time to do in this frenetic world of over-activity. But waiting for birth, waiting for death – these are listening times, when the normal distractions of life have lost their power to take us away from God’s call to center in Christ.

During Advent we are traditionally called to contemplate death, judgment, hell and heaven. To give birth to a baby is also a kind of death – death to the incredible intimacy of carrying a child, death to old ways of life and birth into new – and it is as strange for the parents as for the baby. Judgment: John of the Cross says that in the evening of life we shall be judged on love; not on our accomplishments, not on our successes and failures in the worldly sense, but solely on love.

Once again, as happened during the past nearly two thousand years, predictions are being made of the time of this Second Coming, which, Jesus emphasized, “even the angels in heaven do not know.” But we human creatures, who are “a little lower than the angels,” too frequently try to set ourselves above them with our predictions and our arrogant assumption of knowledge which God hid even from the angels. Advent is not a time to declare, but to listen, to listen to whatever God may want to tell us through the singing of the stars, the quickening of a baby, the gallantry of a dying man.

Listen. Quietly. Humbly. Without arrogance.

In the first verse of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, we sing, “Word of God, our flesh that fashioned with the fire of life impassioned,” and the marvelous mystery of incarnation shines. “Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh,” goes one of my favorite propers, for it is indeed the mystery by which we live, give birth, watch death.

When the Second Person of the Trinity entered the virgin’s womb and prepared to be born as a human baby (a particular baby, Jesus of Nazareth), his death was inevitable.

It is only after we have been enabled to say, “Be it unto me according to your Word,” that we can accept the paradoxes of Christianity. Christ comes to live with us, bringing an incredible promise of God’s love, but never are we promised that there will be no pain, no suffering, no death, but rather that these very griefs are the road to love and eternal life.

In Advent we prepare for the coming of all Love, that love which will redeem all the brokenness, wrongness, and hardnesses of heart which have afflicted us.’

–Miracle on 10^th Street: And Other Christmas Writings by Madeleine L’Engle

aslan is on the move.

2009-12-11T08:48:00.005-05:00

What is your favorite Christmas scent?

I love the smell of Mom’s coffee cake on Christmas morning.

Today I want to share with you an excerpt from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

“Didn’t I tell you,” answered Mr. Beaver, “that she’d made it always winter and never Christmas? Didn’t I tell you? Well just come and see!”

And then they were all at the top and did see.

It was a sledge, and it was reindeer with bells on their harnesses. But they were far bigger than the Witch’s reindeer, and they were not white but brown. And on the sledge sat a person whom everyone knew the moment they set eyes on him. He was a huge man in a bright red robe (bright as hollyberries) with a hood that had fur inside it and a great white beard that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest. Everyone knew him because, though you see people of his sort only in Narnia, you see pictures of them and hear them talked about even in our world – the world on this side of the wardrobe door. But when you really see them in Narnia it is rather different. Some of the pictures of Father Christmas in our world make him look only funny and jolly. But now that the children actually stood looking at him they didn’t find it quite like that. He was so big, and so glad, and so real, that they all became quite still. They felt very glad, but also solemn.

“I’ve come at last,” said he. “She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The Witch’s magic is weakening.”

And Lucy felt running through her that deep shiver of gladness which you only get if you are being solemn and still.

I love that all that it takes for Narnia to be changed is for Aslan to be on the move. The slightest movement from Aslan weakens the Witch’s power and ends the one hundred years of winter without Christmas. In the same way, all that is needed for our world to be revolutionized is the tiniest movement of God. He is so much greater than us that his smallest workings can utterly transform us.

the risk of birth.

2009-12-10T07:12:00.001-05:00

If you could indulge in only one type of cookie this holiday season, which cookie would you be eating a lot of?

This question is really tough since we have so many amazing cookie recipes in the Bennett household, but I think I would have to stick with Lemon-Cheese Logs.

“This is no time for a child to be born,

With the earth betrayed by war and hate

And a comet slashing the sky to warn

That time runs out and the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,

In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;

Honour and truth were trampled by scorn –

Yet here did the Saviour make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?

The inn is full on the planet earth,

And by a comet the sky is torn –

Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.”

-Madeleine L’Engle

Today I want to continue the story of Jesus’ birth according to the gospel of Matthew.

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 teacher 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 worshipped 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.

-Matthew 2:1-12

I am always amazed that the Magi dropped everything to simply follow a star. They had the kind of faith that completely changed their lives. They believed that following that star was worth more than anything else in their lives, and they didn’t rest until they found what they sought. And then, after they had found Jesus, they had even more faith to let a dream direct them. I want to have that kind of faith in my life.

what can we give him?

2009-12-09T08:50:00.003-05:00

If you were creating the ultimate gingerbread house, what unique features would it have?

My gingerbread house would have an eggnog moat with a peppermint bark bridge.

What mattered to Jesus was what went on in our hearts. What mattered was that we be right with God. What mattered was forgiveness, God’s loving forgiveness of us, and our forgiveness for each other. Jesus was not attracted by people who were more worried about other people’s sins (the mote in the eye, that stone in the hand) than their own love of God.

– Bright Evening Star by Madeleine L’Engle

What a relief it is that Jesus is most concerned with our hearts. Even when we make mistakes, he can see the motives behind our actions and forgive us for our sinful nature. Not only can he see what is in our hearts, he loves what he sees! I love this poem by Christina Rossetti – what better gift can we give him than our hearts?

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him

Nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away

When He comes to reign:

In the bleak mid-winter

A stable-place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty

Jesus Christ.

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a Wise Man

I would do my part –

Yet what I can I give Him,

I’ll give Him my heart.

sing we now of christmas.

2009-12-08T07:30:00.004-05:00

Out of all the musical instruments, which one do you think is the most appropriate for the Christmas season?

I think the harp is nice for Christmas.

A group of carolers went forth to carol. And, as they caroled, some carols were lost on the evening air and simply disappeared in the night. And some fell on stony ears, and as soon as they were heard, they were forgotten. And some were caught up in the general noise of the street, which at times rose up and overpowered them. And other carols went straight to their mark and gladdened the hearts of those who heard them, so that they were hummed and repeated hundreds of times as these persons went about during the Christmas season. Whoever can understand this should give thanks for carols!

–Parables for Christmas by John Killinger

On Christmas Eve in 1818, a certain German priest named Father Joseph Mohr and his organist, Franz Gruber, were struggling to repair their broken organ before the traditional Midnight Mass. After a final hopeless examination of the instrument by Gruber, Mohr set out to make several pastoral visits. On one of these visits, Mohr had the opportunity to bless a new baby. As he was returning to the church, he considered the contrast between this baby and the Christ Child who was born on this same night so many centuries ago. He was suddenly inspired to write a poem entitled “Stille Nacht,” or “Silent Night.”

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright;

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

At the church, Mohr asked Gruber to compose a melody for the poem. Since Gruber was an organist and the only available instrument was a guitar, Gruber created the melody based on the only three guitar chords that he knew. At midnight, Gruber played the simple chords on the guitar, and the two men sang the beautiful melody for the congregation.

When the organ builder, Karl Mauracher, finally came to repair the broken organ, Gruber played the carol for him. Maraucher took a manuscript of “Stille Nacht” with him and later introduced it to the four Strasser children. They sang the song so beautifully that it became known as “The Song From Heaven.” The Director-General of Music of the Kingdom of Saxony, Mr. Pohlenz, heard the Strassers sing and invited the children to perform for the King and Queen. The carol was further promoted by the translation into English by Reverand John Young Freeman. The song has been a reminder of peace and joy to many people. During the First World War, a truce was called at Christmastime. Across the no-man’s land, British soldiers heard German voices singing “Stille Nacht” and joined in English. “Silent Night” has become one of the most famous Christmas carols because two men were faithful to trust God in the midst of their struggles.

father christmas and the great polar bear.

2009-12-07T07:56:00.004-05:00

If you could decorate any famous building for Christmas (inside and outside), which building would you choose?

I think it would be fun to decorate a cathedral, so I might choose Notre Dame.

Since so many of my updates have been pretty serious so far, I thought we could lighten the mood today. One of my recent Christmas book finds is Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien wrote a series of letters to his children under the pseudonym of Father Christmas that detail the adventures of Father Christmas and his accident-prone assistant, the Great Polar Bear.

Cliff House, Top of the World, Near the North Pole

Christmas 1925

My dear boys,

I am dreadfully busy this year – it makes my hand more shaky than ever when I think of it – and not very rich; in fact awful things have been happening, and some of the presents have got spoilt, and I haven’t got the North Polar bear to help me, and I have had to move house just before Christmas, so you can imagine what a state everything is in, and you will see why I have a new address, and why I can only write one letter between you both.

It all happened like this: one very windy day last November my hood blew off and went and stuck on the top of the North Pole. I told him not to, but the North Polar Bear climbed up to the thin top to get it down – and he did. The pole broke in the middle and fell on the roof of my house, and the North Polar Bear fell through the hole it made into the dining room with my hood over his nose, and all the snow fell off the roof into the house and melted and put out all the fires and ran down into the cellars, where I was collecting this year’s presents, and the North Polar Bear’s leg got broken.

He is well again now, but I was so cross with him that he says he won’t try to help me again – I expect his temper is hurt, and will be mended by next Christmas.

I send you a picture of the accident and of my new house on the cliffs above the North Pole (with beautiful cellars in the cliffs). If John can’t read my old shaky writing (one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five years old) he must get his father to. When is Michael going to learn to read, and write his own letters to me? Lots of love to you both and Christopher, whose name is rather like mine.

That’s all: Good Bye

Father Christmas

P.S.

Father Christmas was in a great hurry – told me to put in one of his magic wishing crackers. As you pull, wish, and see if it doesn’t come true. Excuse thick writing I have a fat paw. I help Father Christmas with his packing: I live with him I am the

GREAT (Polar) BEAR

the spirit of giving.

2009-12-06T08:21:00.010-05:00

If you had written the story, what type of animal would be pulling Santa’s sleigh?

I think cheetahs would be good since they’re so fast.

Today I want to talk about St. Nicholas. He isn’t really an integral part of Advent, but I think his story is very encouraging. We are reminded of the true spirit in which we should give gifts when we remember his generosity.

Dear Grown-up:

Nicholas is a real historical figure who lived in the fourth century. He was Bishop of Myra, a city in Lycia, Asia Minor (What is modern-day Turkey). The region is situated on the Mediterranean Sea across from Greece.

The people of Myra had already heard the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before Nicholas came to serve them. The Apostle Paul had traveled there on his mission journey. This visit is recorded in Acts 27:5-6. As a Christian, Nicholas suffered persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian and was imprisoned until Constantine came into power and showed tolerance to Christians.

Tales of Nicholas’s generosity were widespread, and he became patron saint of Russia. In Europe, he was known as Father Christmas, and in America, Santa Claus. Legends about his home at the North Pole, flying reindeer, and distributing gifts all over the world on Christmas Eve were created to enhance his story, but his generosity is based in historical fact. The story of his supplying the dowries for the three girls is believed to be factual.

Nicholas’s feast day (the day he died) is December 6^th. Many families observe St. Nicholas Day by having the children in the home place their shoes by the door when they go to bed the night before. When they awaken on the morning of December 6, their shoes are filled with bags of gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins that were secretly placed there during the night.

The significance of Nicholas for us today is that his response to God’s great love for us in Jesus was to care for other people. His kindness and care for children are modeled every time we give a gift out of love.

–Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer

When Mary Love and Grace and I were little, we would set out our shoes and get gold coins in the morning.

As you give and receive gifts during this season, remember the generosity and godliness of the real St. Nicholas.

out of pure love.

2009-12-05T11:59:00.002-05:00

If you could somehow "jump into" any Christmas carol or song and actually experience what the lyrics say, which song would you choose?

There are a lot of good ones, but I think I would choose "Angels from the Realms of Glory."

I went to a lovely Christmas Handbell Concert last night. Accordingly, I had to have some handbells for my musical selection today.

Our incorporation into the mystery of Christ, the gift of divine life, is a pure demonstration of God’s love toward us. In this is love ‘that he hath first loved us….’ We were helpless, spiritually paralyzed, and he dwells infinitely far above us. We can never climb to him, he must descend to us. This is most important in the mystery of Advent – God’s descent to our lowliness out of pure love, not for any merit of our own. Divine mercy is most evident in tenderness with which the infinite God tempers the strength of his light to the weakness of our eyes and becomes a human being like the rest of us.

–Breakthrough to Joy by Thomas Merton

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

As I considered this section of the Christmas story in relation to the quotation from Thomas Merton, I was struck by how God tempered his light so that Joseph would no longer be spiritually paralyzed. Joseph was in the midst of the scandal of his fiancé’s pregnancy, but just one dim glimpse of the glory of God through the message of an angel gave him enough courage to brave the scandal and take Mary home as his wife. All that was needed to change a messy human situation was one faint reflection of God’s glorious light.

the promised one.

2009-12-04T09:14:00.002-05:00

If you had a child born on Christmas Day and had to give him/her a name that related to Christmas, what name would you choose? (Example: Holly for a girl.)

If I had a boy, I think I would name him Gabriel.

God’s Word is full of examples of God keeping His promises to people. The Bible calls them ‘prophecies,’ and they are promises that God not only makes but that He Himself keeps.

He promised Abraham that he would have a son, although it looked pretty unlikely to Abraham. But he did have a son and it was when he was 100 years old! (And you thought your Mom and Dad were old!) Joseph was given promises by God. He saw that there was something great that God wanted to do with his life. Joseph’s brothers laughed at him; but God kept His promise anyway. David knew he was to be king of Israel. The Prophet Samuel had spoken a word from God! That wasn’t very much comfort when David was hiding in the wilderness from King Saul who wanted to kill him. But guess what: God kept His promise and David did become king.

God also gave many promises about the coming of the Messiah – the Promised One who would bring salvation to all people. Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, God told where He would be born: ‘Bethlehem…out of you shall come forth the One to be ruler in Israel’ (Micah 5:2). God promised that Jesus’ coming would free us from our sin: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all’ (Isa. 53:6).

After Jesus was born, God kept giving promises. There were promises given to Joseph and Mary: that Jesus would bring a light to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). He made promises to the first Christians that they would minister in Jesus’ name and He would bless them (Mark 16:15-18). Paul’s life was spared through God’s promises (Acts 27:24-25). And the Bible even ends with the promise of Jesus’ return (Rev. 22:20-21).

That’s a lot of promises! But do you know what’s just as exciting? The Lord wants to give you promises about your life! Sometimes they will be things to share with someone else to pray over, and sometimes they will be things to think about in your own heart. Either way, they will be things to give to the Lord and let Him fulfill…because He always keeps His promises.

Maybe God will put a big dream in your heart that people will laugh at, like with Joseph. Maybe it will be something that seems impossible, like with David. But 1 Kings 8:56 says, ‘Not a single word has ever failed of all God’s good promises.’ And just like God kept His promises to all of those people He will keep His promises to you too.

–The 25 Days of Christmas by Rebecca Hayford Bauer

comfort ye.

2009-12-03T07:50:00.004-05:00

The icebreaker of the day:

What particular holiday food do you enjoy most?

I have to say date-nut role.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is listening to Handel’s Messiah. Handel began writing his masterpiece on August 22, 1741 (a day that became my parents’ anniversary a couple hundred years later). Within twenty-four days, he had completed all fifty sections that are included in the oratorio. All of his spirituality and musical talents culminated in the work that he produced in these few weeks. He later wrote, “I did think I did see all heaven before me, and the good God himself.” The oratorio premiered in Dublin to immediate success. At the London premiere on March 23, 1743 (Mary Love’s and my birthday!), King George II began the tradition of rising to one’s feet during the “Hallelujah” chorus. The American premiere of the entire work didn’t occur until 1818 in Boston’s Boylston Hall. Handel’s religious fervor and sincere faith in God shines through his work. Messiah presents the fulfillment of Redemption by the Redeemer by bringing together the prophecies of the Messiah and the story of his birth, death, and resurrection.

I think the opening words of the work are particularly appropriate to consider in relation to the “coming” that is celebrated by Advent, especially because they are spoken by an Old Testament prophet who was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned.

These words are taken directly from Isaiah 40:1-2. The coming of Christ, the Messiah, produces this comfort of which Isaiah speaks. By coming into the world of men, Jesus created a way to accomplish his people’s warfare and pardon their iniquities. By taking on the form of a man, Jesus created the way to redeem us.

waiting and seeking.

2009-12-02T08:21:00.003-05:00

Alright, here's the icebreaker of the day.

Regardless of your gender, which role in a live nativity scene do you think you're best cut out for, and why?

I would want to be a shepherd, because I would like having the angels sing for me.

People who wait have received a promise that allows them to wait. They have received something that is at work in them, like a seed that has started to grow. This is very important. We can only really wait if what we are waiting for has already begun for us…. That’s the secret. The secret of waiting is the faith that the seed has been planted, that something has begun. Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, who believes that this moment is the moment.

How do we wait? We wait together, as did Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Mary came together and enabled each other to wait. Mary’s visit made Elizabeth aware of what she was waiting for. The child leapt for joy in her. Mary affirmed Elizabeth’s waiting. And then Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary responded, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” (Luke 1:45-46). She burst into joy herself. These two women created space for each other to wait.

–Watch for the Light by Henri Nouwen

The season of Advent is our space to focus on waiting for the Messiah. We have faith in what we are waiting for because Jesus has already fulfilled the promise of a Messiah by coming into the world. Now, as we wait, we must also seek the face of God as we await his return. As we seek him and learn of him, we can wait in hopeful expectation for his second coming.

Establishing a pattern to our seeking is rather like cutting paths through the underbrush on our way through the forest to the river. We can fight our way through the underbrush to arrive infrequently at the river, or we can cut paths which lead us with relative ease to the river for refreshment, cleansing, and recreation.

–Why Not Celebrate by Sara Wenger

the light of the world.

2009-12-01T08:00:00.005-05:00

Today it is officially the season of Advent! Just for fun, here's an icebreaker to get things started. Feel free to respond in your comments.

Besides the golden rings, which gift from "The Twelve Days of Christmas" would you be most interested in receiving, and why?

For me, I would have to say eleven pipers piping. They could follow me around and play Christmas carols.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

–John 1:1-14

In thinking about how to best start this celebration of Advent, I thought it would be best to go back to the original story. Matthew and Luke both have accounts of the birth of Jesus, but for today I want to look at John’s introduction to the life of Jesus. John calls Jesus, or the “Word,” the “light of men.” Jesus came into the world that he had created in a way that was so radical that it was as different as light is to darkness. In the utter darkness, Jesus became a light that would change the entire course of history. At the moment that he became fully man while still fully God, a light burst into flame and started to spread to each person that believes in Jesus.

At my house growing up, every year my parents created a beautiful Advent ring with 24 candles. Each night, the whole family gathered together to light one more candle each day until we finally lit all 24 on Christmas Eve and then added a Christ candle in the center on Christmas Day. The image of the slowing growing ring of candles reminds me of this passage in John. Jesus was the first candle, penetrating the heavy darkness with the most brilliant light. But soon, that light spread into the hearts of men. Just as the Advent ring becomes brighter with each day in the month, so the light of Jesus grows brighter with each new heart that it enters.

If you can, turn off all your lights and light one single candle. Consider how amazing it is that this one tiny flame is still able to break through even the thickest darkness. Nothing can withstand the light; neither can anything withstand the light that Jesus brought into the world. As you enter into this season of Advent, let your light that comes from Jesus shine out into the darkness.

advent.

2009-11-30T20:20:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my Advent blog! At my house, Advent is a pretty big deal. During the month leading up to Christmas, my family has a time each day that we set aside to celebrate Advent. As I was trying to think of a way to share some of our favorite traditions with friends in the midst of finals, I had the idea of writing a blog each day during Advent this year. So here we go!

Why do we celebrate Advent? The word “advent” literally means “coming” or “arrival.” So during Advent, we celebrate the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We honor him for coming and making his home among us and abiding in our hearts by His Spirit. In our anticipation of the Messiah’s coming, we are creating a space to wait on him, seek for him, and prepare our hearts to receive him. An intentional time for Advent during each day allows us to take a break and remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

Another important part of Advent is that it draws us into community. We do things like lighting candles, reading devotionals and Christmas stories, singing Christmas carols, and eating Christmas cookies. Advent is really all about joining together to wait on the Messiah.

So, if you’re interested in taking the journey through Advent with me this year, come read my blog each day! I would encourage you to set aside just ten or fifteen minutes each day in which to focus on the coming of the Messiah. Close your books, light a candle, turn on some Christmas music, and remember what Jesus has done for us. If you choose to make my Advent blog part of that ten minutes, that’s great! I would love for people to submit lots of responses too! Since Advent is about community, everyone should feel free to contribute whatever they are meditating on each day. The more discussion the better!

I know that we’re all busy during this season, but I will also try to organize a few meetings each week to celebrate Advent as a group. I’ll let you know more about that later.

One last thing – I feel obligated to say that this blog would not be possible without the help of my lovely twin, Mary Love, and my mom, who is basically the queen of Advent.

Tomorrow is the first day of Advent so check back soon!

provence.

2009-07-18T03:13:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, my friends Joella and Phill and I explored as much of Provence as we could in two days. We left early Saturday morning and headed to Arles, where we wandered through a bustling market and bought some great souvenirs. We each bought a little knife to carry around, mainly for the purpose of being able to cut cheese whenever we need to, which is pretty often. After a lunch comprised of finds in the market, we walked past a Roman theater and a Roman arena, saw the spot where Van Gogh painted "Starry Night," then caught a bus to Nîmes.

Nîmes was only a short ride away, but it felt distinctly different from Arles. We noticed that each place we visited had a very unique ambience. In Nîmes, we spent the night in a hotel that was directly across the street from the arena, so when we opened our windows, we were looking right over it. We walked past the Maison Carrée, which looks like a miniature Parthenon, then we found the Temple to Diana. The ruins of the temple are in a beautiful park, and we enjoyed walking around the park and watching three different brides having their pictures taken. We had dinner on a square where there was a free folk dancing and singing performance.

When we got up on Sunday, we went to see the inside of the arena, then we ran to the station to get a bus to Pont du Gard. Pont du Gard is a massive bridge that was part of a Roman aqueduct. It is one of the tallest Roman structures, second only to the Coliseum. We wandered around the bridge for a while, then swam and hung out on the bank of the river.

Our final stop was Avignon, which was packed with people because of the theater festival. There were signs everywhere for all the different plays, and actors were walking around in costume to hand out fliers. There were tons of street performers, doing everything from classical piano to break dancing. We walked past the Palais des Papes and saw Pont St. Bénezet, but the most interesting thing about this trip to Avignon was definitely just the ambience of the theater festival.

Bienvenue à Grenoble.

2009-07-01T12:26:00.000-04:00

Bonjour!

I am finally in Grenoble! I have been very busy during the last week and a half, what with meeting new friends, taking classes, settling in at my homestay, and eating lots of French food. The city is surrounded by beautiful mountains, and

has two rivers that flow through it. There are lots of lovely parks, and little markets are set up every day all over the city.

For my homestay, I am living with a young woman named Sèverine in an apartment that is close to the center of the city. She is really sweet and very French, complete with a cat named Neptune. It has been wonderful, because I have gotten to meet a lot of her friends and do things like going out to a concert with her. I always look forwards to the dinners that I eat with her, because she cooks amazing French food, such as ratatouille and quiche.

ciao bella.

2009-06-24T08:08:00.000-04:00

I spent last week in Firenze with Mary Love. It was so hot that we were basically melting, but it was nice to have a few days to spend with her and relax a little bit before heading off to start classes in Grenoble. I enjoyed getting to meet her friends, cooking in her little apartment that is only two blocks from the Duomo, and going out to get gelato everyday.

Of course, I couldn't really just relax in Florence. In the mornings while she was in class, I went to a bunch of museums, and then each day when she finished we would either visit a couple more or do something like going to shop at the Leather Market. I enjoyed going back to the most well-known museums, like the Uffizi and the Accademia, but I also really enjoyed seeing some of the less prominent places, like the Salvatore Ferragamo shoe museum and the Museum of San Marco. There is nothing quite like seeing all of this incredible art in person.

the little mermaid.

2009-06-16T17:36:00.000-04:00

The next stop in my whirlwind of cities was Copenhagen. My dad and I took a walking tour on Rick Steves' recommendation with a guy who leads his tours as Hans Christian Anderson, complete with a purple jacket and a top-hat. He remained in character the entire time, which made for an unforgettably unique tour. Apparently, Danes were just voted to be the happiest people, so our guide took every opportunity to stop Danish people and ask them why they thought they were happy, despite having the highest taxes. The most common answer was that they are fine with paying taxes because they get so much for free, such as medical expenses as retirement homes. As a whole, the Danish people seem to think in similar patterns, but their thought processes make it hard for them to deal with changes in society such as immigration.

Another highlight of Copenhagen for me was seeing the statue of the Little Mermaid, which stands in the harbor as a tribute to Hans Christian Anderson. Maybe it's touristy, but I loved seeing it, if only because Ariel is my favorite Disney princess.

skansen.

2009-06-15T15:03:00.000-04:00

Alright, it has been a busy week, so I'm trying to catch up.

I met my dad in Stockholm for a couple of days last week after I left Zurich. He had a business meeting, so I went sightseeing while he was working and then tagged along for dinner (and lots of drinks) with all of his associates. Stockholm is known for museums, but my favorite one was probably the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a ship that was supposed to become the flagship of the Swedish navy in the seventeenth century, but it sank only twenty five minutes into its maiden voyage. After sitting in the bottom of Stockholm's harbor for about three centuries, it was salvaged and made into a fascinating museum. I spent about three hours there, taking a tour, watching a film, and walking through the exhibits.

Our hotel was right next to Skansen, which is an area that is reminiscent of Williamsburg. It contains houses from all over Sweden, including manors, windmills, belfries, and schoolhouses. Dad and I went to walk around at night, so none of the houses were open, but we enjoyed seeing the different styles of houses and the vegetable gardens, and we even got to see a folk dancing performance.

Since it is only a few days until the summer solstice, the days in Stockholm are about eighteen hours from sunrise to sunset right now. It was a strange experience for it to still be light when we went to bed after eleven and then to be woken by the light around three in the morning.

the beginning of a whirlwind of cities.

2009-06-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

I spent the beginning of last week with my friends Doug and Audrey and their son Abe in Zurich. I was excited to meet Abe, who is a year and a half and cute as he could be. They welcomed me into their beautiful little apartment and let me crash on the couch for a few days. It was wonderful to have some time to relax in the midst of my busy travels. After going slow for these few days, I was geared up and ready to meet my Dad in Scandinavia.

climb every mountain.

2009-06-09T07:32:00.000-04:00

Mary Love and I spent this last weekend high in the Swiss Alps in a tiny village called Gimmelwald. As Rick Steves says, "If heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be, send me back to Gimmelwald." It truly is the most breathtakingly beautiful place I have ever been. Little wooden cabins are nestled amongst hills of wildflowers, which are overshadowed by looming snow-capped mountains. Every way you look, you see something new and uniquely beautiful. We spent the weekend compulsively taking way too many pictures.

For our first day in the Berner Oberland, we took four cable cars to reach the peak of the Schilthorn. From this vantage point, we enjoyed an impressive view of the Jungfrau, which is the tallest mountain in Europe. "Jungfrau" means young girl, and she is protected from the Eiger (Ogre) by the Monch (Monk). We spent the entire afternoon walking around and around the observation deck, watching the blue skies turn cloudy as the afternoon wore on.

The next morning, the weather was dubious, so instead of following our original plan to take more cable cars up to the Jungfraujoch, we hiked up into the mountains above Gimmelwald. We walked in and out of clouds and fog, and several times we got rained on, but we thoroughly enjoyed our misty walk. The setting reminded us of The Sound of Music, so we walked around singing Edelweiss.

andrei.

2009-06-08T10:29:00.000-04:00

Towards the end of my time in Bucharest, I had the chance to visit an orphanage and a baby hospital. It was so sad to see the kids who are stuck in these places. They have been abandoned by their parents, either because the family is too poor, the child has a medical condition, or the family thinks that the state can do a better job at raising the child. At the baby hospital, I held a little boy named Andrei for about an hour, and it broke my heart to lay him down and leave him there.

On my last day in Bucharest, the Kays took me to a couple of beautiful parks. This is a picture of me with Elizabeth and Krystina Kay. I had so much fun spending time with the lovely Kay family.

dracula.

2009-06-01T17:14:00.000-04:00

Buna Ziua from Romania!

I have spent the last week in Bucharest visiting my friends, the Kay family. Today we drove through the mountains to the Transylvania area to see a glass factory and two castles. The first castle was Bran castle, which is also known as Dracula's castle. It was so refreshing to get out of the dusty, bustling city and drive into the green mountains with snow-capped mountains hovering in the distance.

In Romania, June 1st is Kid's Day, which meant that there was a little fair set up at the base of the castle and tons of children were exploring Dracula's castle. In addition, the castle has just been reopened after being closed for renovations, so the current owner of the castle was actually there to celebrate. All in all, it was a busy day at the castle. Thomas has been an excellent tourguide all week, and today was no exception. Although Bran Castle is famous because of the rumor that Vlad Tepes (Dracula) lived there, it was also the home to several well-known Romanian monarchs, so Thomas explained some of the history of the area to me as we walked through the castle.

The inside of the castle is not as creepy as one would imagine. The walls are all white-washed, because one of the Romanian queens turned the castle into a sort of summer home. Out every window and off of every balcony is a spectacular view out over the mountains, complete with tiny villages nestled into the valleys.

I have a couple more days here in Bucharest and then I'm headed to Switzerland!

the final countdown.

2009-05-21T23:21:00.001-04:00

I am currently in the midst of last minute errands and planning, because I leave for Europe in just four short days! I think that today I finally finished all of my random little errands, so now all I have to do is fit everything into one suitcase and one carryon. Of course, I also have to make sure that I'm not overpacking, so I'm trying to keep my suitcase from weighing over thirty pounds, which might prove to be a little tricky. I'm also still trying to nail down the last details of my very complex itinerary. As I try to decide which guidebooks and shoes I really need, I am overflowing with excitement for this journey. The majority of this two-and-a-half month long trip will be spent in Grenoble, France in a study abroad program, but at this point, my plans also include stops in Romania, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Scotland, and England. I am planning to post updates here regularly, so keep checking back over the course of the summer!

Today I learned a great new word: frisson, which means a sudden thrill of excitement.

Mark Studdock.

2009-04-19T21:09:00.001-04:00

I recently finished reading C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy, and I was particularly impacted by That Hideous Strength. This book constantly returns to the idea that there is a way of life and belief that is "normal" and intrinsically ingrained in the heart of each and every person. This "normal" way of life springs out of a belief in self-evident truths about God. Every person is able to arrive at these truths as a natural conclusion of their own thought processes, without any particular outside influence. The truth about God's existence is portrayed as an inevitable conclusion that will present itself to every person at some point in their life, even to the people who seem to be the most horribly sinful. The real question is not whether this truth will appear in someone's life but whether they will have the courage to make the jump of faith and believe.

One of my favorite characters in this book is Mark Studdock. He is what I would call the "redemption character" of this story (other characters that I would place in this category are Edmund Pevensie and Severus Snape - I think the redemption character is always the best one). For most of the story, Mark is completely taken in by the wrong side. Finally, he comes to the point where he sees the vanity and folly of everything he has been pursuing, and at that moment he comes to the beginning of his own realization of the inevitable truth.

"Whether because he had already survived an attack, or because the imminence of death had drawn the tooth of his lifelong desire for the esoteric, or because he had (in a fashion) called very urgently for help, the built and painted perversity of this room had the effect of making him aware, as he had never been aware before, of this room's opposite. As the desert first teaches men to love water, or as absence first reveals affection, there rose up against this background of the sour and the crooked some kind of vision of the sweet and straight. Something else - something he vaguely called the "Normal" - apparently existed. He had never thought about it before. But there it was - solid, massive, with a shape of its own, almost like something you could touch, or eat, or fall in love with.... He was not thinking in moral terms at all; or else (what is much the same thing) he was having his first deeply moral experience. He was choosing a side: the Normal.... The vehemence of his choice almost took his breath away; he had not had such a sensation before."

If you haven't read the Space Trilogy, go read it.