Alphabet Advent

Zzzzzzzzzz Merry Christmas! Thank you for following my Christmas series. Your comments and support have been inspiring. I hope that you are able to feel the love of your Savior today and find ways to serve and honor Him through the new year. Lastly, I hope that after all the wonderful celebrations, you are able to sleep in heavenly peace. With love, Jocelyn

Yule Log yule log /yul lɔg/ noun 1. a large log traditionally burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve. 2. a log-shaped chocolate cake eaten at Christmas.   Martha Stewart’s directions for buche de Noel

Xριστός or ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ – Christos in Greek   In Greek the letter CHI (X) starts the name of Christ. The X has been incorporated into symbols of Christ since early Christianity. Labarum or Chi-Rio The Chi-Rio was used by Constantine as a military standard in the early fourth century. The symbol is composed of the first two letter of Christ in Greek.   Coin of Magnentius with large Chi-Rho at ecliptic angles and including the Alpha and Omega .   IX  Monogram   This symbol is formed from the initials of Jesus Christ in Greek: IHCOYC XPICTOC . It is found on sarcophaguses as early as the end of the third century. Sarcophagus in Constantinople, circa 400

Wisemen

Vintage

Ukulele Evelyn and I love playing the ukulele. Maybe if we practice more this year, we can upload a video of the two of us playing together. Until then, we hope you enjoy this medley of two of our favorite Christmas carols.  (Updated 2019) Previously U is for Unwrap Loading... Click for results.

Timeout Everyone needs a moment to step back and take some time to themselves. With the traditions that need organizing, the gifts that need to be wrapped, the cookies that need to be baked and delivered, the tree that needs tending, and so forth, I find it imperative to have a self mandated timeout. Instead of setting the timer for 31 minutes and sitting on a chair in the kitchen, I enjoy listening to some guided imagery. I can put my feet up, snap in my headphones, and take a vacation to a land of relaxation and dopamine release. Here are some links to free guided imagery and relaxation tracts for you to enjoy: From Belleruth Naparstek with Kaiser Permanente: kp.org/listen Relaxation and Wellness Stress Management Self Confidence Panic Attacks and Anxiety Healthy Heart Weight Loss From the Counseling and Career Center at Brigham Young University Autogenics Body Scan Breathing Meditation Performance Rehearsal Progressive Muscle Relaxation Self-hypnosis Visual...

Spider   My mom makes Christmas stockings for everyone who joins our family. The Christmas before my niece was born, several of us gathered together to participate. I don’t have much patience for most crafts, so I left the beading to my mom and sisters. I was asked to sort through beads and sequins to help speed along the process. I found all the spider sequins and explained that we needed to add Christmas spiders to the stocking. I was amused. Andrea was not. The next Christmas, I received a package from Andrea. Inside was a Christmas spider with the following story: A long time ago in Germany, a mother was busily cleaning for Christmas. The spiders fled to the attic to escape the broom. When the house became quiet the spiders slowly crept downstairs for a peek.   Oh what a beautiful Christmas tree!   In their excitement they scurried up the trunk and out along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed all over the glittering tree. As they climbed, t...

Reindeer   Did you know that reindeer are the domesticated version of caribou? They are both classified as Rangifer tarandus , but caribou are slightly larger and might eat you for lunch. The reindeer will happily pull your sleigh as you deliver goodies to your neighbors.  Reindeer have some pretty amazing adaptations for surviving the cold weather. They are completely covered in hair from their noses to the bottoms of their feet. The hairy hooves give reindeer excellent traction while navigating the frozen tundra. The wide hooves can also be used for paddling while swimming.  They also have two layers of fur. The first coat is a fine, soft wool that stays close to their skin. The top layer has long, hollow guard hairs that use trapped air to hold in their body heat. In addition to providing insulation, the guard hairs help the reindeer to float when they swim across rivers.  Reindeer also have highly adapted noses. Their noses actually warm the air before it enters ...

Questions Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. Here are your answers:  We believe Christ was born in the spring. How did we come to celebrate his birth in December? Joanne Why December? What is the origin of the threat of coal-in-your-stocking that is near-universally dreaded by children the world over?  Daniel  Coal and La Befana Who decided there should be 12 days of Christmas and why did it stick? Is there something special about 12 days?  Nicki Twelve Days of Christmas How do you wrap oddly shaped presents? Brent Wrapping Presents What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Tamara and Andrea Favorite Traditions Hot chocolate or hot eggnog on Christmas morning? Tamara Hot Cocoa vs. Eggnog What are your top three Christmas smells? Tamara Do You Smell What I Smell? What are the benefits of an artificial tree versus a real tree? Tamara Faux vs. Fresh Christmas Trees What is your theory on how Santa fits down the chimney? Catherine Science

Poinsettia Maria and Pablo quietly walked along the dusty road. Earlier they had been chattering with excitement and joy. Their entire village was celebrating the birth of Christ. A life size nativity was being displayed at their church. Traditionally everyone would bring exquisite gifts for the Christ child on Christmas Eve, but Maria and Pablo did not have anything to give their Savior. Their hearts were heavy as the walked empty handed into town. In a moment of inspiration, Pablo suggested they gather the green plants along the way to create a soft bed for the manger. With renewed enthusiasm they quickly picked the softest of plants and scurried to the church so they could place their gifts before the Christmas Eve service began. The door creaked as the children slipped into the chapel. They began carefully placing their gift in the manger. They tucked and twisted the leaves so the baby Jesus would have a soft bed. Maria silently prayed that their gift would be acceptable. A warm ca...

Oranges Nicholas was born to affluent parents who taught him of Christ. At a young age, his parents died and Nicholas decided to accept Christ’s invitation to follow him. He sold his earthly possessions and sought opportunities to help those in need. He became the Bishop of Myra and was known for his generosity and love. In his travels he met a father with three lovely daughters. At that time, a young woman needed to have a dowry in order to marry. To this father’s heartache, he did not have anything of value to offer prospective husbands. He feared that his beloved daughters would never marry because of his poverty and would therefore be sold into slavery. The next night Bishop Nicholas returned and anonymously tossed three bags of gold down the chimney. The bags of gold transformed into gold balls and landed in the shoes and socks drying by the fireplace. These gold balls secured the future for the three daughters. Centuries later, we hang our stockings and fill them with gifts and o...

Nutckracker After the Brothers Grimm wrote and modified many folk tales, they set out to create the definitive German dictionary: Deutsches Wörterbuch . They were unable to complete the task, but they published their unfinished work in 1854. In their dictionary they defined nutcrackers: Nussknacker - often in the form of a misshaped little man, in whose mouth the nut, by means of a leaver or screw, is cracked open These “misshaped little [men]” began appearing in Germany somewhere between 1800 and 1830. They reached commercial production in 1872, when the Father of the Nutcracker, Wilhelm Füchtner, created a lathe that aided production. For your nut cracking pleasure: Will it Blend? – Nutcrackers Nutcracker hands; crack nuts with bare hands Nutcracker Around Town 2020 Update

Mary, the Mother of Jesus Suggested reading: I want to be more like Mary by Shannon @ The Red Headed Hostess The Influence of Righteous Women by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Mary, Mother of Jesus by Camille Fronk

Lolcats 2017 Update

Krueger, as in Mr. Krueger’s Christmas James Stewart portrays Willy Krueger in scene from "Mr. Krueger's Christmas," a 1980 Church production available on DVD.  Photo: Deseret News archives For the full 25 minute movie, please click here: https://youtu.be/xFTYBkBX9Z0 Suggested reading: Jimmy Stewart brought life to Mr. Krueger  by Doug Robinson via Deseret News Mr. Krueger’s Christmas – Part of A Wonderful Life By Kieth Merrill  via Meridian Magazine Remembering a Classic: Mr. Krueger’s Christmas  via The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square's  blog

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring The English lyrics that we are most familiar with were written by Robert Bridges. They were inspired by the Johan Sebastian’s German lyrics; however, the original text carries a more powerful tone of dependence on the Savior and love for for him. Here is a close literal translation of Johan’s original lyrics: Well for me that I have Jesus, O how strong I hold to him that he might refresh my heart, when sick and sad am I. Jesus have I, who loves me and gives to me his own, ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus, when I feel my heart is breaking. —from BWV 147, Chorale movement no 6 Jesus remains my joy, my heart's comfort and essence, Jesus resists all suffering, He is my life's strength, my eye's desire and sun, my soul's love and joy; so will I not leave Jesus out of heart and face. —from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10 Note: I replaced the previous classical guitar video because I wanted a vocalist to share the heartfelt lyrics; however,...

Illumination The birth of the Savior means to me is that the world has a chance to change. The world has a chance to become what He intended it to become from the beginning. The world has a chance to accept His love and follow Him. I have felt this change from darkness to light. I lived a proud and rebellious life, but my soul ached. After experimenting with what the world had to offer, I began to make changes in attitudes and actions. As I did so, I grew closer to my family. One summer evening my dad called to offer some counsel, and we discussed forgiveness and change. He asked me to do something that was very difficult: admit error and show compassion to someone who had hurt me. After explaining why this was almost impossible, I told my dad I would consider his invitation. He wished that he could alleviate my pain. After hanging up the phone, I pondered his words. In a very clear moment, I knew that my earthly father couldn’t remove the weight, but that my Heavenly Father was ready...

Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus Updated 2017 The Hallelujah Chorus is Evelyn's favorite Christmas song (and Easter song, and everyday song). Last year at Christmas time, one of her preschool teachers stopped me to ask if the church we attend encourages people to shout hallelujah during worship services. I replied in the negative, but went on to explain that Evelyn requests to listen  to the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah everyday in the car. It's track 16 and she sings along with the altos and encourages her dad to only sing during the men's sections. Her teacher continued to explain that when the class is singing secular Christmas songs, Evelyn sings the Hallelujah Chorus. I can just picture it: Preschoolers: Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul,  Evelyn: King of kings, and Lord of lords!  Preschoolers:With a corn cob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made of coal.  Evelyn: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!   Preschoolers: There must have be...

Gingerbread   The English name ginger comes from French: gingembre , Old English: gingifere , Medieval Latin: ginginer , Greek: zingíberis (ζιγγίβερις). Ultimately the origin is from Tamil word 'inji ver' (இஞ்சி வேர்) or Malayalam word 'inji veru' (ഇഞ്ചി വേര്). The botanical term for root in Tamil is ver (வேர்) and Malayalam is veru (വേര്), hence inji root or inji ver. Wikipedia The Fountain of All Knowledge I know that gingerbread cookies and houses are popular, but my favorite form of gingerbread is more like cake with tart lemon sauce drizzled on top. Here’s my favorite recipe from Betty Crocker : Gingerbread Prep: 10 min; Bake: 55 min; 9 servings 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup shortening 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup molasses 3/4 cup hot water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 1. Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour bottom and sides of square pan, 9x9x2 inches. 2. Beat all ingredients with electr...