Have a Happy, Sparkly Christmas!

I wish all of my readers a wonderful Christmas, full of Good Cheer!

Dick Damron sings "The Wonderful World of Christmas"

I'm getting into Christmas early this year! Here's a great Christmas song, written and sung by my good friend Dick Damron, the legendary Country Music super-star.

'After Christmas' --- a poem

After Christmas

 The tinsel now is put away,

We’ve discarded all the holly,

now memories begin to fade

of those few brief days, so jolly.

The batteries in the children’s toys

Have died and lost their power;

The tree’s shed all its needles,

And the pot plant’s lost its flower.

We search to find some food to eat,

But the turkey seems so sad,

That piece of cheese we overlooked

Is dressed up … going bad.

We’ve all blown our diets

And loosened up our things,

Made New Year Resolutions

That we shall break by spring!

But wait … think for a moment

Of the reason it was there:

A child, born in a manger,

Empty, rude and bare.

He came as God’s great gift to man,

Eternity to save.

He’ll never fade or lose His power,

Nor shed the love of that precious hour.

In Him we’ll find the food to fill

Our hearts and minds, to do His will.

When trimmings are all packed and gone,

Still the message of the infant Son.

A message of Joy … a message of Love,

A gift to us from God above.

© 1998 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh 

A Very Happy, Blessed & Peaceful Christmas to all of my readers for 2012

May this Christmas be all that you wish for the person that you love the most, but may it be that way for everyone.

Jerzy F. Przybylski tells me that Christmas is coming to Wroclaw, Poland!

Jackie Evancho sings 'The First Noel'

I am following the career of the amazing young singer Jackie Evancho with great interest. The maturity and clarity of her voice is amazing, and she sings with passion. Her rendition of the Christmas Carol, The First Noel' is a prime example of her prodigious talent.

A Very Happy Christmas to All My Readers

     We grow up with different ideas about the meaning of Christmas, and we conjure up different images according to which idea we focus on. For some the true meaning of Christmas is lost amidst the desire to get bigger and better and more presents each year, and about eating and drinking as much as possible. In the Western world, despite the current economic woes, the majority of folk will still enjoy more or less the same sort of feast that they usually do. Now, there is nothing wrong with a feast, but there is a lot wrong with focusing only on yourself. 
     The real story of Christmas, sung by carollers like those in the picture above which depicts a Victorian Christmas scene, is the story of how God came down to dwell amongst mankind in order to offer the world a plan whereby mankind can shake off the bonds of sin and embrace the arms of heaven.
     Christ is the reason for the season. He came to give life, not to take it; to give joy to others rather than selfishly being concerned only about His own pleasure. It is in the baby in the manger that we find the real meaning of Christmas. The meaning is love and sacrificial giving, leading to eternal life.
     This Christmas, why not determine to give and share rather than take and hoard. If you do, then you will start to discover the true meaning of Christmas, and discover the joy of being loved because you love others enough to share what you have with them.

I wish every one of you a 

Peaceful and Joyful Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas ...

I love this poem which manages to stir the very heart of people in its own unique way, and that is why I post it every Christmas Eve on my blog. In many households it's as much a part of Christmas, especially of course Christmas Eve, as hanging up your stocking. Read it again or read it for the first time. Whichever category you fall in to, the main thing is that you enjoy the very special nature of all the imagery contained in the words. Also, of course, for many people it will transport you back to childhood for a moment, and that can't be bad!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore

.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at South Bay Galleria

What an inspiration I found this video to be! Good singing --- good message --- good sense of joyful spirit --- simply GREAT!

The Beatbox Nativity video

iBand Christmas video

One Christmas Morning : Recollections of a small boy

Barefoot and excited, I stepped out of the snug warmth of my bed onto   the cold linoleum that stretched across my bedroom floor, my eyes rapidly adjusting to the half-light of the room which the crack in the door allowed. Every day was even more exciting to me then than it is now, and each new day brought with it the possibility of fresh, and previously undreamed of, adventures. But today was even more special, because today was Christmas Day, and that meant it was the day when perhaps my boyhood dreams of new books, new toys and lots of shared excitement, would come to fruition.

Quietly and carefully I reached out for the sock that I had left, flat and empty, yet full of the hope of things to come, the night before. At first I had difficulty picking it out against the dark bedspread, but then my fingers seized upon the now-bulging sock and I eagerly climbed back into the cocoon of bed-clothes that had quickly started to cool down, once they were deprived of the warmth of my little body. Not that I noticed, for I was too excited to care about such a minor irritation when the riches of my Christmas stocking waited to be discovered.

I determined to extract the items one by one, savouring each one as I did so in order to get the most pleasure from the exercise, but soon I was too excited to bother about being patient, and I upended the stocking onto the bed-cover, the contents spilling out in the half-dark of the fast-approaching dawn. As they tumbled out they knocked together, and something rolled off the bed and onto the floor, seeming to me to make enough noise to wake the whole household. I held my breath, hardly daring to move, listening for the sound of my mother's tread on the landing below. It seemed ages, although it was probably only about thirty seconds, until I was reassured that all was well, and that nobody had heard. I knew that if I got caught at my game then everything would be taken from me until later and I would be told quite firmly to go back to sleep. 'Go back to sleep!' I thought. How can you go back to sleep when there's a whole world waiting to be discovered in the unwrapping of a small present?

My fingers found the little orange and I started to pick off the peel, savouring the fresh smell of citrus as I did so, my mouth watering at the thought of the treat to come. I picked off one segment at a time, enjoying the lingering taste of each before I moved on to the next, getting the most out of my prize. Then came the sweets and then unwrapping of a model car and unrolling the rolled up colouring book, quickly discarded because I had no crayons in my room. Soon I had checked and re-checked every item, had eaten all that I could except for the nuts which I was unable to get into. As I had wondered before, I wondered once again at the wisdom of nuts, so difficult to open, being part of the treasure trove in my stocking.

Satisfied finally from my  adventure in the solitary confine of my room, I let the warmth of my bed gradually lull me back into sleep. No doubt in the morning I would recall it like a half-remembered dream, and start looking forward, as boys do, to next Christmas, when the excitement would wake me once again in the half-light. But for now there was the rest of today to enjoy, with the promise of untold, yet not unimagined, happiness as the day unfolded.

Rudolph - I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas

I hope you enjoy this cute video dear reader!

The Amazing Grace Christmas Light House

Now these really are CHRISTmas lights! 

This incredible light display, honouring the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, involved the use of over 50,000 lights!

'Twas the Month Before Christmas

'Twas the Month before Christmas 

'Twas the month before Christmas

when all through our land,

not a Christian was praying

nor taking a stand.

Why the PC Police had taken away

the reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

about Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ' Holiday'.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit,

pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X- BOX, an I-Pod,

something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa,

hoping to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

at Lowe's the word Christmas - was nowhere to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears,

you won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty,

are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen,

on Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

to eliminate Jesus in all public matter.

We spoke not a word, as they savaged our faith,

forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded,

 The Season's real reason, was stopped 'fore it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' underneath your 'Dream Tree,'

 sipping your Starbucks, just listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say,

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,

not Happy Holiday!

Poem for Today: 'After Christmas'

After Christmas

The tinsel now is put away,

We’ve discarded all the holly,

now memories begin to fade

of those few brief days, so jolly.

The batteries in the children’s toys

Have died and lost their power;

The tree’s shed all its needles,

And the pot plant’s lost its flower.

We search to find some food to eat,

But the turkey seems so sad,

That piece of cheese we overlooked

Is dressed up … going bad.

We’ve all blown our diets

And loosened up our things,

Made New Year Resolutions

That we shall break by spring!

But wait … think for a moment

Of the reason it was there:

A child, born in a manger,

Empty, rude and bare.

He came as God’s great gift to man,

Eternity to save.

He’ll never fade or lose His power,

Nor shed the love of that precious hour.

In Him we’ll find the food to fill

Our hearts and minds, to do His will.

When trimmings are all packed and gone,

Still the message of the infant Son.

A message of Joy … a message of Love,

A gift to us from God above.

© Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Happy Christmas!

I pray that today will be a very special day for each of you, dear readers. May it herald a change in your life that will last into eternity as you think about the reason for the season, Jesus Christ.

A Great Nativity video

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

I love this poem which manages to stir the very heart of people in its own unique way. In many households it's as much a part of Christmas, especially of course Christmas Eve, as hanging up your stocking. Read it again or read it for the first time. Whichever category you fall in to, the main thing is that you enjoy the very special nature of all the imagery contained in the words. Also, of course, for many people it will transport you back to childhood for a moment, and that can't be bad!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMASby Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Santa or Satan?

      From a very early age our children are taught about the man in red who comes to visit them every year at Christmas to give presents to them provided that they have been good children through the year. They grow up thinking that Santa is the reason behind the season, and increasingly the real reason for the celebration is hidden from them. In the secular society in which we now live it is no surprise that Nativity plays, if a school dares to mount them, often feature pantomime characters or characters from the latest craze.
      All of this serves to marginalise the story of the Nativity to the point where children fail to understand what it's really about. Sadly, they grow up thinking that Christmas is all about Santa, and that Christians seem to constantly attempt to hijack Christmas!

So here's a thought ...

      Have you ever thought about the fact that Santa is derived from the same letters as Satan? Is it really not true that the whole concept of Santa, despite the rosy cheeks, flowing beard and twinkly eyes that fit so well with the red and white outfit, is designed to hide our children from the truth?
      Have you noticed that so many children are afraid when they meet up with a Santa for the first few times?