12 Days of Christmas

Here are some articles from the web to describe the true meaning of the 12 days of Christmas.

The 12 days of Christmas in Christian tradition signifies the time between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the three wise men, also known as the Magi. It starts on December 25, which is celebrated as Christmas Day, and lasts until January 6, which is the Epiphany, also referred to as Three Kings' Day.

             12 Days of Christmas Carol - Lyrics Meaning and History (christianity.com)

            Twelve Days of Christmas - Wikipedia

Merry Christmas!

Days Away

Soon, it will be Christmas day🎶 as the song goes. 

Every year, we prepare for this one day. Shopping for gifts and planning parties. But many things are missing every year. 

Going to church, lighting an Advent wreath, family prayer and spending quality time with friends and relatives. It is a time when we recognize God the Father sending His Son to us to give us the salvation that we will all be reunited in heaven. 

In the next few days, slow down, pause from the season's rush, and thank the Father for sending His Son to us. 

The Light of Christmas

December is the darkest month of the year. The days are shorter, and the dark hours take over the night.  Waiting for the dawn of morning, we feel the renewal of a new hope.  

Every year, my wife and I have an advent wreath.  There are many symbols and rituals around the lighting of the candles.  Four candles represent the weeks leading up to Christmas day and the lighting of the fifth candle for the Birth of Jesus Christ.

"The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas."  What is Advent? | USCCB   

Waiting for the light of Christ gives us hope just as we wait for the dawn of a new day. And beyond Advent and Christmas, this hope will continue throughout the year as we are in constant preparation for the second coming of Christ. 

What is preparation?

We must have our souls ready. We are both body and soul and when Christ comes again, He will be here to judge the depths of our souls to determine our worthiness to meet the Father in Heaven. 

In the next few weeks, take the time to reflect in prayer and prepare for Christ's coming.

Photo - pixabay - fincayra0204  

Merry Christmas

Most would think days after Christmas would be the end of Christmas, but actually, it's just the beginning. Birthdays are generally celebrated the day of and the days after.

Does anyone really just stop celebrating the day after their birthday? 

Then why should we stop the celebration of the Savior of the World and the Son of God?

Merry Christmas!!

A Time for Peace

I remember my grandfather telling me the story of when he was at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.  The story goes it was Christmas eve, and the Germans and Americans were separated by a river.  Fighting had taken place during the day, but as night came and midnight, the action stopped. It was Christmas. Both sides realized the peace of Christ, the peace of Christmas.  

We should all find the time this week to stop and take a break from the holiday rush. Do not lose sight of what Christmas day brings, peace and joy to the world. A time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the hope of a New Year. Remember, when the stress gets too much, fighting forces can find the time for quiet and take the peace of Christ into their hearts.

Photo: pixabay - Angeleses   

 

  

The Wait

We wait for so many things in our lifetime; some are longer than others. We wait for the perfect job, waiting for the change in seasons, waiting for the line you are standing in to get shorter, and the list could go on and on. 

But December brings us a particular waiting time. Waiting for a birth. The time of waiting for Christmas day. Sometimes the business market will push the limits on when this starts (Christmas in July), but the real wait begins at the beginning of Advent. 

The anticipation of the Lord and celebration of His coming into the world as Fully God and Fully Human. Even as we celebrate this day year after year. It is a perfect time to renew ourselves. Just as Christ became new to the world, so can we become new within Christ and continue in the spiritual life. Advent is similar to Lent in preparation for the Resurrection. 

We should primarily focus this week on the great day Jesus Christ came into our presence to dwell among us. This is the greatest gift we could receive for Christmas. No gift in a box wrapped in paper can be greater than the celebration of God becoming Man.

Photo: pixabay -  anncapictures     

December

December this the month of Jesus Christ.

This month the world celebrates the birth of Jesus during the Christmas season throughout the entire month. 

But December is Advent, and Christmas begins on December the 25th and ends 12 days on the Epiphany.

Christmas has become so commercialized with no emphasis on Christ or God. Happy holidays greeting has become the substitute phrase for Merry Christmas; this is just another way to try to remove Christ from our society.

Christians worldwide should take this month to proclaim the good news, spread the word of the Gospels, and educate those who do not know the world's Savior.

Merry Christmas

Photo: blende12 - pixabay 

July Christmas

 

This past weekend I went to Hobby Lobby with my wife; there was not much for me to look at, but this caught my attention.

It's July, and Christmas is in December. People will prepare 6 months before December the 25th, and on the 26th, all the decorations are boxed and stored away. The month of December is Advent - the preparation for Christ's birth, a time of deep reflection. The 26th is the first day of Christmas, not the 1st of July. The 12 days of Christmas are the days after the 25th. 

I will usually go on this rant every July.  Let's keep the holidays within their respective months.

Christmas

 Merry Christmas

In past blog entries at this time of the year I will go on my rants about those who spend large amounts their money on gifts for Christmas. Well, this year it seems the supply line has at least sent a wave of panic to those in the Christmas rush. The supply chain crisis has hit most business with shortages and there doesn't seem to be an end anytime soon.

Now is the time for the world to re-focus and get their priorities in order.  Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ.  The focus on the material gathering of the latest new gifts is not what Jesus wants us to aim for in the month of his birth. He came into this world to give us the greatest gift - the love of the Son of God, who came to saves us from the evil of everyday life.  If we would just listen to his words and apply it to our life - this is the best gift anyone could receive.

Take time this month to pray, read the Bible and give thanks.

Christmas Movies

 I've been a classic movie fan for awhile, so I thought I would post some of my favorite Christmas movies.

1. Its a Wonderful Life (1946)

2. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)

3. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

4. A Christmas Carol (1938)

5. The Greatest Gift (1942)

6. Miracle on 34th Street (1942)

7. White Christmas (1954)

8. Holiday Affair (1949)

9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

10. Holiday Inn (1942)

11. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer (1964)

12. Frosty the Snowman (1969)

13. The Little Drummer Boy (1968)

The Sounds of the Season

 Christmas Music

The music of the season with all the happy good feeling tunes of Christmas, maybe with the exception of Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley but its Elvis - its good.

So, here are some good classic Christmas music

Keep Christ in Christmas

Tis the Season

This is the time of the year when the world is focused on the birth of Jesus Christ. It is especially a prayerful time not only for the faithful but even for those who are lukewarm in their faith.

I believe this year especially we all need to re-group and turn our eyes to God and pray for the end of this pandemic. 

This time of the year I will usually rant on about how much people will spend their dollars on Christmas gifts, but this year I'm going to focus more on the good then the negative. The world is in a state of hearing bad news everyday and I will have the good news here.  

Keep Christ in Christmas

Pax

  

Tis the Season

Just some thoughts on the greeting Merry Christmas. I remember a time when that was the only greeting you used during this time of the year because most people recognized the season of Christmas as the time to remember Christ birth. Nowadays it seems to be a term that is not a greeting or phrase to say. It is acceptable to use Happy Holidays instead. This is a very generic term and does not acknowledge Christ in any way. And for those of us who say Merry Christmas, we are looking as if we are out of the ordinary. 

One thing that comes from this time of year is for those who do not go to church on a regular basis will usually go on Christmas day. I always hope that Christ will infuse into their hearts a new faith and the faith that would carry them throughout the year. I believe if non-believers would attend church on a regular basis then on Christmas or Easter it would only strengthen their faith. I know in order to do this, it takes commitment, with going to church every Sunday. This process is only one of many steps to bring those non-believers who say Happy Holidays back to the faith. 

Keep Christ in Christmas

Every year during the Christmas season I will usually rant about the purchase of gifts and the absence of Christ. Society has focused to much on buying gifts. The Black Friday sales have turned the shopping malls into a mad chase for the best deals and the sometimes there is a lack of christian charity towards one another. Christmas is about the birth of Christ and not how many presents someone has under the Christmas tree. I will say one positive thing, is people will go to church during this time and hopefully continue go throughout the year.

Please Keep Christ in Christmas  

Christmas Mailings

On December the 16th the US Postal Service process over 600 million pieces of mail.

Interesting with today's technology that mail is still one of the primary sources for sending Christmas greetings. I know when I receive a card in the mail it is more personal than receiving an e-mail Christmas "card".

The Postal Services is going through some difficult financial times trying to survive and compete with e-mail. I'm not sure where the future of the first class letter will be 20 years from now, but I do believe the Christmas card will be a tradition that will be here for a long time.

December 1st

The first day of December

This post is a follow up to black Friday post. But this one is for a different reason if you are a Christian keep in mind the reason for the season of Christmas. 

Do not get so caught up in buying gifts that you forget. 

The reason why Christmas is celebrated - Jesus Christ  

Washington Praying

1967 Christmas Issue

Scott #1336

1967 Christmas Issue

City first issued - Bethlehem, GA

128,460,000 issued

What Christmas is About

Happy Holiday or Merry Christmas

This seems to be the topic every year. Why has it come to this? The season is Christmas and the 25th of December has always been the day we celebrate the birth of Christ. Society has recognized that other holiday’s also happen about the same time, which is fine except, this is Christmas, and not all holidays combined. If someone wants to say Merry Christmas, than say it. The term should not be offensive, because it is that time of the year. We express holidays and special events throughout the year and no one seems to take offense. What if I said Happy 4th of July to someone from England? Would it be offensive to them because the United States defeated them during the Revolutionary War? Or what if I said Happy St. Patrick’s Day to someone who is not Irish, would they be offended.

My point is this is the season for Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ. No one should take offense to the fact that Christian Americans do this every year. Just as Christians should not take offense to other faith holidays. If I lived in another country where Christianity was a minority, I would not protest because Christmas was not recognized by the majority of society. So the day when Christianity becomes a minority in the United States which I don’t think will happen any time soon. I will continue to say Merry Christmas.