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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Glad Tidings

IT'S DECEMBER, FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I shall try diligently (not) to contain my enthusiasm. (If you aren't a big fan of Christmas, just bear with me. One month out of twelve can't be that bad!)




I started getting ready for this month a few weeks back, by pulling out my copy of The 25 Days of Christmas: An Advent Celebration for the Entire Family, by Rebecca Hayford Bauer (a Goodwill snag). Originally published by Victor Books, it seems to have been picked up and republished by Charisma House and retitled Just 25 Days 'Til Christmas (and is available through Amazon). (See, so you can pick which title you want by your mood. A whole TWeNtY FiVe DAYS of ChrIStMaS!?!?! Or "Just 25 days unnnntiiilllll..." (which could freak you out if you aren't careful).

Either which way, this book won a Gold Medallion Book Award and although I am not familiar with the specifics of such an award, I am sure it is deserving. This book breaks down the Christmas story into 25 days. There are 25 devotions, 25 scripture verses you can memorize, 25 songs to sing, a suggested schedule for how to organize gift buying and travel arrangements, etc., to afford you the most peace possible during the holiday season. I love it.

It's a bit too old for our family at this point in time, but we did make a little use out of this book. Last year was our first year to really do Advent and we had Bookworm1 memorize "Away in A Manger" and we familiarized him with the Christmas story. This year we're going to memorize the following verse:

"We have been saved by believing in Jesus Christ. It's nothing that we've done . . . it is God's gift." Ephesians 2:8


We will also memorize the song, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."

I'm excited to expand our knowledge of what it meant for God to send His son down to earth. It is the best and most important message of Christmas (and life in general) and to share the wonder and excitement of it with little ones has to be the best thing in the whole wide world! We sure plan on having fun with it.

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December 1st is also the day we traditionally decorate our home (so as to be able to enjoy it for the longest reasonable period of time possible). This is how we decorated last year. I also posted this picture last year:


It is a picture from right outside our house. Yes, we have a Narnia lampost (on purpose). I have to repost the picture again because it's still one of my favorite images that Jonathan has ever captured. It's so Narnia! Happy thoughts, happy memories.

December 1st was already booked for this year though so we decorated on Sunday. I love having the house decorated for Christmas! Pictures forthcoming.

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Lastly, here are a few of my favorite Christmas songs for you to turn up the volume on and just ENJOY. (Hey, it's December 1st! It's now quite legal to listen to Christmas music!) Here's some Carrie Christmas Song Trivia For you...

Carrie's Favorite Just for Fun Christmas Song, by my artist of preference:



Carrie's favorite Christmas hymn of all times (and one rarely sung anymore):



A song Carrie will never get tired of hearing:



The Old Stand-by:



And that reminds me! It's now also Christmas Movie Watching Season, legal, no fines attached!

Who ever gets tired of listening to Bing Crosby? You can't have Christmas without him! It's illegal! So here's one for my kidlet, as an introduction to one of the greats:



And wait!!! I found one of my favorite Crosby songs of ALL TIME:



Have fun people!

Do you have a favorite song that you just love to listen to during the Christmas season? Leave a comment below with the name of the song, or a url to a youtube post and I'll go and give it a listen!

9 comments:

Elisabeth said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN7LRzuxyEc&feature=related

This Little Babe from Britton's "Ceremony of Carols". The music is moving and the words are potent and meaningful.

This is my favorite Christmas song ever.

collettakay said...

I love White Christmas! I started listening to my Christmas music Saturday.

Our Choir has been practicing our Christmas music for a while now. To see..and hear..about it please go to my blog.

http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2009/11/good-christian-men-and-women-too.html

Stephanie Kay said...

Just one?! We sing them all around here. All month long. Sunday my hubby worked hard to organize all of our Christmas music on the computer. The end result was 2 playlists - 1 secular and 1 religious. It's great depending on which mood I'm in. :)

Ronnica said...

I'm a big Christmas person, but have yet to get in the spirit this season. Thanksgiving was just so busy that I'm trying to take a breath before diving in! I know I need to get presents ordered soon, though...

Carrie said...

Elisabeth - I listened and then I looked up the lyrics. Powerful!

"This little Babe so few days old, is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake, though he himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmed wise the gates of hell he will surprise.
With tears he fights and wins the field, His naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries, His arrows looks of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns Cold and Need, and feeble Flesh his warrior's steed.
His camp is pitched in a stall, His bulwark but a broken wall;
The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes; of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus, as sure his foe to wound, the angels' trumps alarum sound.
My soul, with Christ join thou in fight; stick to the tents that he hath pight.
Within his crib is surest ward; this little Babe will be thy guard.
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy, then flit not from this heavenly Boy."

Collettakay - as you know I hopped over to your place and took a listen. There are some songs worth getting stuck in your head!

Amy @ Hope Is the Word said...

I enjoyed Josh Groban's Christmas CD last year. Now I just have to find it to enjoy again this year. ;-)

Aaron Klein said...

"If you're not a fan of Christmas..."

What?!?!?

I couldn't run a blog that catered to people who aren't fans of the most wonderful time of the year.

Sky said...

So many favorites! I love Carol of the Bells, but my favorite of all is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by the Brendon Consort. Unfortunately I could not find a sound clip. They are a Gregorian Choir. I LOVE Gregorian chants!

Barbara H. said...

LOVE the Narnia lamppost!!

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