On this, the 5th day of advent, we remember the Christ Child. Read the full story of Jesus in Luke 1-2.
Rejoice! Worship and give thanks! Long ago, a Child was born, a horn of salvation for us from the house of David. Jesus, the Messiah, God made flesh. For all of us.
Happy birthday, Jesus! Thank You for being clothed in humanity for our benefit. You came because You loved us, will always love us.
Hallelujah! Sing with joy and great adoration!
Let our hearts celebrate the birth of Jesus.
On this, the 4th Sunday of advent, we consider the wise men, otherwise called the Magi. It was not on a whim they traveled long distances to find the One who was born King of the Jews. Studiers of the stars, they discovered one very special star announcing the birth of a king. The King. So they set out seeking He who was heralded by the Star. Matthew 2:1-12 tells the rest of the story.
The Magi came prepared to worship and honor the new King, placing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the foot of the Child. Gifts fit for a King. Oh, my heart, what gift can I place at the feet of the King?
Let us prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
On this, the 3rd day of advent, we take a peek into God’s birth announcement. Luke 2:8-20 gives the full account.
With great exultation, He sent angels to share the good news of Jesus’ birth with shepherds who were out in the fields watching over their flocks.
Even though they had cold and lonely jobs and were considered to be low on the societal scale of popularity, the shepherds were the first ones to see and hear God’s announcement of the birth of His Son. To add icing to the birthday cake, God’s messengers, His angels, filled the sky with the brilliant joy-filled news and praise music!
The shepherds believed the news and rushed to see this Babe lying in a manger. Oh, to believe and seek the Messiah.
Let us prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
On this, the 2nd day of advent, we celebrate the birth of Christ. Many of us are familiar with the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, but I always love to read it and refresh the details in my mind. Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-7 tell that Joseph and Mary, who was with child at the time, traveled to Bethlehem the town of David, because Joseph was of the house and line of David.
While they were there, the time came for her firstborn son to be born. Because of the census and the crowds, there was no room for them in an inn, so Baby Jesus, God’s one and only Son, was wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger.
The Son of God, come to earth as a helpless babe.
Let us prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
On this, the first Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the prophecy found in Isaiah 9:2-7. This prophecy foretold the coming of the Messiah, God’s one and only Son.
And He will be called Wonderful. Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.
Let us prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us to you! The Quantrells, Bachmeiers, and Aucutts (I couldn’t fit all the names on the picture).
The Quantrells, plus the Ginger. Who views herself as a Quantrell. 🙂
The Bachmeiers and Aucutts, plus two 4-legged family members, Bear and puppy Timber.
Next year, I will try and remember to take a tripod so everyone can be in the same photo.
Wishing you and yours a blessed and joy-filled Christmas and a happy new year!
Happy Birthday Jesus!
xoxo
Ah, the good old family tradition of going tree hunting. That’s what we like to call it here in the northwest. After purchasing forest permits, we loaded up and drove to the nearby mountains to hunt down our tree. We found this fun creation. Not sure about the purpose, but it was great for photos. And possibly, with additional brush and a campfire, it might be quite cozy!
Poor people. They just have to put up with my attempts at taking pictures! As the almost shortest member with arms just as short, selfies are often quite comical.
Dogs (3, but never in the same picture), adults, and grands had a great time. A heavy blanket of snow added Christmas cheer and plenty of opportunities for the dogs to race, roll, and rumble. Snow gear was welcome in the often up-to-my-knees snow.
The Bachmeiers and Aucutts, plus Bear and new canine member Timber, crowd into the tree shelter. I mean, look at that! The dogs are facing forward and almost everyone is looking AT the camera. It’s a Christmas miracle.
The Quantrells also get a gold star (even grinning Ginger) for faces forward, eyes on the camera. Two Christmas miracles in one day!
The senior Quantrells took their turn in the tree shelter with all the grands. All eyes on the camera! Whoohoo! In the category of who is taller than Nana, the answer is nearly 50%.
My partner in life, love, and crime. We wish you all “Happy Christmas!”
Little Naches River area, WA state
I LOVE rubber stamping. This year was short on time to create, due to so many things. As December approached, I realized I needed to supplement my stash of Christmas cards. So, I dug out the embossing powder and hot gun (because I haven’t used them for quite some time, and I had IDEAS), some favorite (and a few new) rubber stamps, washi tape, colored pencils, and decorative papers.
Fun, fun, fun for me! Living in an RV, space is at a premium. I began by allowing myself just a few craft items to play with in the evening. Embossing pad, powder, and hot gun. Then next evening, OH, I need the cardstock, fun paper, and paper cutter.
After that, OH, I keep forgetting the washi tape and glitter tape. Don’t forget the colored pencils. And yes, a few more stamps to add sentiments inside and to the back of the cards. And that bag of paper scraps would be perfect to add to some of the cards!
LOL. By the end of the week, I had a bunch of new cards, but also several trips of supplies that needed to be returned to the Huckleberry Hutch and put away.
But it was worth it. Fun cards! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
What craft do you LOVE to do? Especially during the holidays?
Silent Night, The wonderful story of the beloved Christmas carol
Written by Brigitte Weninger
Illustrated by Julie Wintz-Litty
NorthSouth Books, 2018 English translation
I adore Christmas music. And Christmas books. When I recently replied to an email from NorthSouth Books, sharing which book I would love to read (from a generous list of choices), I won a copy of Silent Night, The wonderful story of the beloved Christmas carol. Merry Christmas to me!
Gorgeously illustrated, this lovely picture book has a longer text, but it easily engaged my attention as I read about the history of the beloved song. Seasonal yes, but I’ve been known to listen to Christmas music nearly any time of the year. Music and history lovers will enjoy reading how the song was born. Enchanting, beautiful, and perfect.
Thank you, NorthSouth Books!
Love, Laughter, and Life 