(Or at the very least a blessed mess!)
The Lord is my strength and my
shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am
helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
Since this is my very first time that I have participated in "Thankful Thursday", I want to thank the creative women who came up with this wonderful idea!! A thankful heart is a joy-filled heart; and thanks to Iris, there are many of us who have joy filled hearts today! Thank you so much for your beautiful and inspiring blog!
I want to thank God that while I was "dead in my trespasses and sins" He saved me! There are no words to adequately say thank you for such a gift!
I am very thankful that Congresswoman Gifford is coming along so quickly in her recuperation from being shot and pray that she will continue to do so, making a full and complete recovery!
Today I am very thankful for:
Thirty-six years of being married to the same loving man, being his helpmeet, mother of his three wonderful daughters, and keeper of his home!
Having my mother living with us at 92-years of age.
Being able to be a stay-at-home-mom for most of our children's lives.
That we home schooled our children, even though I was trained as a business teacher in high school.
The Lord's protection of our son yesterday; when his rental car malfunctioned, and he was able to safely get the SUV off the busy city street, get towed and back to work.
The fabulous fireplace that is in our home and for all the wood we have been given this year. There is no feeling like walking into a snugly warm home heated with wood!
For living in a wonderful neighborhood with neighbors who will plow out your driveway from the heavy snow. Mom was having a hard day and all of a sudden I heard the mower w/ the plow in our driveway--what a gift!!!
For two beautiful grandchildren being brought up in the fear of the Lord.
For today's high of the lower 40's. Finally KCMO can start thawing out!!
Wow, today is our 36th wedding anniversary!“Where did the time go?!”It seems Olin and I have always been married; and then, like only a few weeks ago that we said our “I dos” to each other.To say that there have been adventures in the past 36 years is putting it very mildly!!Has it always been “wine and roses”?NO!!!Have there been “mountain top experiences”?MANY!!And in between those two extremes, I am pretty sure is where the answer to the above question is found.God, Olin, and I have rejoiced together, rolled up our sleeves and worked through whatever was before us, or cried and took comfort from each other’s love. Of course, there were times (I must admit way too many) that Olin and I let each other down.Thank you dear Lord for carrying us through those times that we were more interested in serving self than You and our spouse.
To say that marriage is in trouble today is, at the very least, a gross understatement!I hope that what I write will help young married women or women still praying for their future husband to run the race and finish well in God’s sight.In Titus 2: 3-5 it gives the mandate to older women (I’m 59 yrs. old; I qualify.) “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”I fear that today, all too often, young couple’s “I do”; really means, “I’ll try until I deem it isn’t what I really wanted or until I find something better.” In most wedding vows are the words, “for better or worse, in sickness and health to love and to cherish until death do us part”. You have or will someday may make this promise to him and to GOD!That is a promise that was meant never to be broken!
So once the gravity of becoming Mrs. Olin Miller really set in, I read LOTS of books, prayed many hours--but not nearly enough, rolled up my sleeves and began the journey of being Olin’s helpmeet, mother of his children, and keeper of his home.No small order; but with God’s help at every corner, I would not trade it for ANY OTHER job in the entire world!It fact it isn’t a job, but a gift!This gift as you carefully unwrap it only continues to become more cherished and alluring; but only, as you give it the proper care that a gift of this magnitude deserves. Remember the silver you were given as wedding gifts?Just like each piece you were given, if you take care of it daily and polish it weekly it will shine brightly and reflect your image.Ignore it and it will become so tarnished, eventually so black that you will have a TERRIBLE time ever getting it back to its original state.Your marriage is exactly like the silver you were probably given or may be given as gifts!!!
Because of your husband, (God’s gift to you) you are blessed to help add names to the Toledoth.Not acquainted with word Toledoth, Olin and I would highly recommend you getting the DVD, “The Next Name in the Toledoth” from WorldviewAcademy and viewing it together—it is excellent!Children are truly a blessing from God and will hopefully see decades in the future that you will not.What legacy do you want them to leave?What kind of life’s partner do you want them to be?What do you want your grandchildren, great-great grandchildren or if the Lord should tarry longer the last grandchildren of yours to live on this earth to stand for and do for the Lord?You and your husband are raising children that will one day hand the baton you handed them to their children.Make sure it is securely in their hand so they can build upon it and do the same with your grandchildren!Remember more is “caught than taught”!You and your husband are your children’s primary teachers and your marriage is their classroom.This gift of marriage takes lots of prayer, creativity, time, tears and work on your part!You and your husband, in God’s eye, have become one and the job you do together parenting your children will either be an influence through the generations of excellence and glory given to God or much, much less.The choice is yours ladies!!!So much depends on you, the keeper of his home, and how YOU handle the situations in your marriage.
It is said that marriage is a 50/50 proposition.I am here to tell you that that is FALSE!!! Many times you or your husband will be required to do much more than that.With God’s help and guidance I have always been surprised how sweet a memory the difficult time was and that in so doing whatever was required, all our needs and many of our wants were also met.Ruth Bell Graham is report to have said that it was the Lord’s job to change Billy; her job was to love him.Love covers a multitude of sin and forgiveness next to a home being built on Christ is second most important corner post of any marriage.I would not say never go to bed without ending a argument; but if you, DO NOT GET UP WITH AN ATTITIDE OR GRUDGE against the man you love!!If you are well rested a disagreement is sometimes much more easily settled.Ladies, if you cannot reach an agreement, God put the husband in charge of your marriage.Since you said “I do” this is where you now say “I will” go with your decision, even though I do not agree. This is one of the hardest things I have ever done.But since the decision was in no way going against God’s law, for the good of my marriage and our family I went along and pray for a good outcome of the decision.If you are in a similar situation and fighting this idea, I can only tell you to do it.I’m counting on God’s instruction manual of marriage and the fact that in so doing it God will receive glory, if my attitude is right.There’s the rub!
If you are having a disagreement with your hubby, or he has done something that has hurt you (ladies he may not even know that he hurt you) please go and read Darlene Schacht’s, The Time-Warp Wife.I love her blog, it is a wonderful help and encouragement to me in being a Godly wife.I so encourage you to become a follower of her and those like-minded blogs that help us think on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”Philippians 4:6
My RX for having a marriage that lasts, “for better or worse, in sickness and health to love and to cherish until death do you part”, is first and always relying on God.The only thing that is more important than your husband is your relationship with God.Pray for your husband always.One of my favorite books is Stormie Omartian’s The Power of a Praying Wife.Pray together often and put yourself last in the relationship.Remember we were made their helpers not visa versa.In so doing, you will be VERY surprised and thankful what will happen to your relationship.One of my most used quotes around here is, “If it isn’t going to matter in a hundred years, why am I getting upset about it now”.Forgiveness is so important.When I know I am right and feel like I cannot forgive Olin, I quickly hear my voice praying the Lord’s Prayer to our girls each night for years. . . “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”Forgiveness is a choice we make, being rewarded not only here on earth but also in heaven. When I say I love you it means exactly that.It is not dependent upon what you do or have not done.Again, it is a choice on my part and yes sometimes love can look like just hanging on with hopes of a better day around the bend! Finally, a great gift I gave myself and my family is purposing in my heart before I was married that divorce was NOT a word that would EVER come out of my mouth!Again a choice, a line drawn in the sand and most of all I said “I do” and that means I WILL, by God’s unfailing grace!
Is our marriage perfect? NO!While writing this post my heart has been telling me I don’t do this or I sure could be better at that.That of course goes without saying, we are all human.In writing this, I have added to my goals as a wife in 2011.Oh, a note to you younger women who also have blogs—your posts have been so heartwarming!This married woman of 36 years has learned so much from you.Thank you so much!One of the goals I have for us is to create a unique “date-night” each month.Hopefully they too will become a special part of our marriage.In closing I would like to leave you with a favorite poem of my on marriage.I hope you too will enjoy it through the years!
It was a cold and snowy day here in Kansas City and is perfect evening for Grandma’s Clam Chowder!As you have read in my blog, Mother is a very SPECIAL lady and if I have not said it before, an excellent cook!Years ago, she either “concocted” or found this recipe for clam chowder somewhere in her myriad of cookbooks or recipes she collected to “tryout”. Mother would only fix this chowder when the weather was REALLY cold.Many times we would give the hint that we were hungry for clam chowder.The reply seemed too often to be, “It is not cold enough!”Consequently our daughters would be asking from the beginning of fall, “Is it cold enough, Grandma, for you to make clam chowder for us?”You can only imagine how happy our family was when the day finally came that it was cold enough!When we arrived for a yummy supper, we were always greeted by Grandma and the crackling of fire in the fireplace.As we climbed the steps to the dining room we were greeted with soft music, a bountiful table and the wonderful aroma of Grandma’s steaming hot clam chowder! Many family memories were made around the dining room table at Grandma's!! Enjoy the clam chowder and start making memories for your family.
Merry Christmas to you all!As usual, my plan to write and mail the annual Miller’s Christmas letter early has failed once again to be done!But I am determined to have it mailed before the 4th Sunday in Advent is celebrated.Therefore, I think I will have a busy morning ahead of me!!
The year 2010 was very busy, full of many adjustments and I know has been filled with both very sweet and sad memories for us all.Our year’s story begins just a day after Christmas 2009.Mother had another one of her “events” on December 26, 2009, so we brought her up to our home to stay until she felt better and was stronger.Soon it became very apparent that Mother would be living with us permanently.I know that it has been very hard for Mother to accept; but she has been so very gracious about it all.I can only imagine how I would have felt; knowing that our daughters were moving everything out of our home, getting it ready to sell, and seeing myself getting only weaker when I so desperately want to get stronger and better!Mother has filled her day working on a cross-stitch quilt that I started years ago and put up for a someday in the future.She is determined to get it finished!What a wonderful gift-thanks Mom!
Kathleen has been very busy with teaching and finishing her Masters this year.
For the past 4-trimesters, we have seen very little of her.But yesterday, December 17th and her b-day, she graduated from NorthwesternMissouriStateUniversity with a Masters in Education (Teaching Elementary Self-Contained).In what little free time Kathleen has had; she ran the bookstore for her church, helped family and friends by babysitting so they could go out for a well deserved “night out” and stayed connected with her friends either in person or on Facebook.Kathleen is looking forward to her next classroom and is already preparing for it.I am wondering just where that classroom will be?It is enough to rest in the knowledge that the Lord knows where and it is all under His control!
Kathryn has been just about as busy as Kathleen!She too is rarely seen here at home.This year she became a licensed agent at OMI.There is again “shop talk” around our family table as it used to be when Granddad was still here.Kathryn’s goals are to get her Dad’s desk completely organized, get her license to sell health insurance, and begin her CSR and CIC.I think she is going to be BUSY!!When Kathryn is not at the office, she is a wonderful help around the house and keeping Grandma entertained.Currently Dad, Kathryn, and I have had our free time occupied splitting a very large and donated woodpile that seems to be replenished before we get all of the last donation split and stacked at the back fence. It is a “fun” job but sometimes a very COLD job.Kathleen is great to have hot chocolate, coffee or hot tea for us as the night progresses.
Mackenzie and Brandon again were the highlight of Nana’s summer.I look forward to their 5-week visit with us!We had lots of fun with trips to the different libraries & their story hours, playing at the parks, swimming, long walks with LOTS of questions and lots of old fashion fun playing in the backyard and in the playhouse.Both Mackenzie and Brandon like to help in the kitchen.I’m betting that this coming summer there may be flour on the ceiling and sugar on the carpet; but the memories I pray will last a life time.My Grandma always said she did not bother to really clean the kitchen until after I went home in the summer.I think history is in the process of repeating itself—and I am thrilled!!I have already started planning what we will be doing this coming summer-I can’t wait. Justin and Kristen are fine.Justin continues to love his job with All State Insurance and Kristen is so blessed to be able to stay home with the children.She is still making amazing transactions with the stacking of coupons and saving lots!She has become very interested in organic whole foods type of cooking and is very vigilant about the about of sugar and what fats her family eats.I am so happy that she is doing this and hope she will continue cooking this way always.
Olin continues to be active in Lion’s Club, cemetery work and the office.The office takes most of his time. Although this summer, Olin had a great garden that kept me busy canning for several weeks! It is always nice when he get to spend time here at home.He is really enjoying having Kathryn at the office with him.They are making quite a team!
This year has flown by as I was taking care of the family, canning, moving Mother and getting her home ready to sell. But most of all I’ve tried to spend quality and cherished time with Mother.My newest accomplishment is having my own blog and trying not to have to ask the girls too many “how-to “questions.Please stop by for a visit anytime at, http://seeingadayfullofblessings.blogspot.com .
We all wish for you a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Blessed New Year.Thanks for all the cards and letters we have already received; we so enjoy hearing from you!With this letter and wishes we send all our love you and your families.
Next Grandma read a poem entitled "Christmas" by Gertrude Hollis. Unfortunately, I cannot find this poem in any of her books or notes. If you should have a copy of it, I would surely appreciate you sharing it with me! Also not found on YouTube, "Shadows so Softly Enfold Thee" was sung by Mr. James Thompson.
Out of the Glory Grace Noll Crowell
Out of the glory which He had with the Father
Before the world was, the Lord came down;
Out of the radiance and the dazzling splendor,
To the shadowed dusk of a little earthly town!
Only the stir of the sleeping beasts about Him,
Only coarse hay to line His manger bed
After the glory-after the glory to find there
But a single light from a star-lamp overhead.
Out of the glory. . . .Oh, the wonder that Jesus
Once came o the earth to meet our human need!
That God the Father loved us enough to send Him
Is marvelous, all but incredible act indeed.
That Christ should leave the companionship of His Father,
The magnificent splendor for a lowly birth,
Is cause for rejoicing-let the whole earth praise Him;
The Saviour who came to save our small lost earth.
Mrs. Snoddy then sang one of Grandma's all time favorites (mine too), "Birthday of a King"
The Light of Bethlehem
Thomas Curtis Clarke
Above a world entrapped by fear,
There shone a silver star.
The doubters saw it not, nor cared;
The men of faith, from afar,
Knew that the Light of Love looked down,
And followed it through field and town.
Through desert lands they made their way
Past mountains bleak and wild;
They came to humble Bethlehem
And found a little Child.
Their hearts were stirred; their feet had trod
A rode of peace-they learned of God!
How blind are we who walk through night
In desert lands of sin!
Our ears are deaf, we cannot hear,
Amid the strife and din.
The voice of One who came to tell
The Word of Truth – that all is well.
Our hearts are broken by the years,
But still there shines a star
Above a little manger – home.
Oh, that we might, from afar
Retrace our steps through fear and night
To faith and hope, and Bethlehem’s light.
The Christmas Star
Merle K. Heicher
How strange the portent of the star!
It seems to hold within its light
A revelation from afar
With which to pierce the present night:
It holds the hopes of ancient men
Who by their faith lived life aright,
And taught us with prophetic pen
The message of this wondrous night
How rich the token of the star!
We feel the stir of angel’s wings,
And in the fields in dulcet bar
The heavenly host around us sings:
We stand in awe with shepherds old;
We kneel with Oriental kings,
Our myrrh and frankincense and gold,
Each one a precious tribute brings.
What peace!The guidance of the star!
It shines across the coming years,
It loosens us from sins that mar,
It casts away our shackling fears.
What joy! The brilliance of the star!
No more can sorrow start our tears,
It sets the gates of heaven ajar
And lo, the glorious Christ appears.
The clip is so reminiscent of the old phonographs of my grandparents. Our girls remember with fondness playing with Granddad & Grammy's old Victrola in the basement of their home. The sheet music that is featured at the beginning is the exact piece of sheet music I learned to play "Star of the East" on the piano. Guess I am old enough to be a Nana!
The program "The Stillness of Christmas" was written by Grandma. She had read an article by that same name in a very old publication, An American Annual of Christmas Literature and Art - Christmas. It was written by John Peterson and I so wish I could find a site to link with this program. Mr. Peterson's article is excellent and it is a Christmas memory that I will always cherish. It is found in the Volume 11 of the Christmas Annual, 1941.
The Stillness of Christmas
For a number of years, I have looked forward to the Christmas season with utter dread.Believing this attitude of mine to be wicked, I pushed it deeper in my heart and tried to cover it up with a feverish activity- trying to work up the Christmas spirit.Then, to my surprise, I learned I was not alone in this dread of the Christmas celebration.There were others who shared the same feeling.It was then I dragged my thoughts out into the open and examined them.
Why should one come to dread the observance of a season that marks God’s greatest gift to earth, His Son and that gift in the precious form of a baby?There was a reason for this dread-something most assuredly was wrong.What was it?Two reasons were at once obvious - over-commercialization and over-organization.These two conditions leave us first with little to nothing financially, to carry out the true meaning of Christmas – the bringing of comfort and happiness to those in need.
A child stood in the market-place,
Privation marked his wan white face,
His lips were blue, his listless eyes
Were like the gray of winter skies.
Can this be Christmas Day?
A rich man sat in cushioned ease.
Thought he, “I have what e’er I please.
Food, clothes, are mine, no wants annoy.
My wealth can buy what men enjoy.
Can this be Christmas Day?
The rich man left his house of stone
And saw the needy child alone,
Gave of himself, gave of his store,
Found peace he had not known before.
Yes! This is Christmas day!
Alfred Grant Walton
Too much of our Christmas giving is to those who have.Then the seemingly endless round of activities leave us with no time for meditation to ponder in our hearts as Mary did – for stillness – stillness to hear the angel sing and to hear God speak.
Stillness at Christmas?!!You ask in surprise.With all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, the rushing around, the blaring of the lovely Christmas hymns from public address systems practically all day long during the shopping hours – a travesty that should not be permitted, can there really be stillness at Christmas?
“There must be.For stillness belongs in a special way to the deeper significance of the season.The writers of many of the best loved Christmas hymns have called attention to that quietness which is so essential, a part of this festival time.In the first stanza of Edmund Hamilton Sear’s ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear’ is voiced the thought of a world that ‘in solemn stillness’ heard the angels sing.The quietness of a night under the open skies rested on shepherds as they watched their flocks but a deeper, far deeper stillness must have held them as the glory of the Lord shone round about them and fear gripped their hearts.And after the departure of the angels, after the glad tidings had been brought in word and melody, stillness awed, solemn, sacred, must have enveloped them for a time. Bishop Philip Brooks’ famous hymn pictures a little town asleep in the quiet midnight hours; “O Little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie!Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by'.”
"As the peaceful village sleeps through the silent night, the heavenly gift is given.There are no crowds or cheers.Humble shepherds hear the announcement and rejoice; but the little town sleeps on in undisturbed repose: How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given." So God imparts to human hearts the blessing of his heavens. No ear may hear His coming, but in this word of sin, where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.
"A silent Bethlehem, and within it a Mother and her Child slumber in dreamless sleep.The most universally loved of all Christmas songs is the familiar ‘Silent Night, Holy Night!’" Have you ever experienced a certain stillness as the night before Christmas draws on?The excitement of preparation is over, the time for which we have worked feverishly is about to come.Or perhaps the Christmas program at the church is over and as we go out into the night, suddenly we are aware of a stillness, a holy calm.In these moments of stillness as we meditate on the meaning of Christmas-in such moments Christmas enters the heart and our hearts are at peace in the stillness-it must be that peace of which the angels sang on that first Christmas night so long ago.
"True, there is a stillness at Christmas that may only be irksome to him who knows nothing of the glad tidings of great joy that make this a festival day to all who really keep Christmas.There is also a stillness of Christmas, a stillness that bring quietness to fearful longing hearts, peace and unspeakable joy to those who receive the gift of our gracious God at Christmas-time."
This year as never before, the children of men who would hear the song of the angels atChristmas-time, who would experience the stillness of Christmas – must first hear the Voice that says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.”
This program was a beautiful mixture of both the secular and sacred sides of Christmas. The program was begun with a medley of secular Christmas music; the only song mentioned was "White Christmas". Since this is the anniversary year of the movie, I could think of no better video clip than Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney!! I remember when the movie would be aired around the holiday. Mother and Daddy would have Grandma and Grandpa at our house so they could see it. They did not have a TV and WOULD NOT have one. They had their radio and love to read. Grandmother so enjoy the movie and especially the music.
It was no surprise to find that Grandma had "Twas the Night Before Christmas" read by a Mrs. L.B. Eubank. Grandma read that poem to me so many times, that I could a one time easily recite it as she read it to me. I was sadden to see that when I was looking to the poem on the net; all the sites I checked had become politically correct in the refusal to say "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.", and use "Happy Christmas to all. . .". How sad!! Anyway if you do not have it memorized, or need to check your memory as I would, click here.
Then Grandmother "switched gears" and began the beautiful sacred side of this program. She started it with "Mrs. Rice and Mrs. Snoddy playing a piano duet of "O Holy Night". Liberace was a favorite of Grandmother's; so when I found this clip, I thought it was perfect!
Next, Grandma had a "Prophecy Solo" sung by Mrs. Snoddy, "Unto Us A Child is Born" from Handel's Messiah. At a very early age I learned to appreciate and love classical music. The Messiah was a favorite of mine, because it was a favorite of Grandmother's. Not in a prideful way, but I so wished she could have lived to see me sing in the "Messiah" when I was college. That will always be a favorite memory of those days!
Of course no Christmas program would complete without the reading of the Scriptures. Mrs. J.E. Jones read Luke 2:1-20. (One of my favorite memories of this particular Scripture was when Kathryn was in 2nd grade and she had to memorize it. I so cherish the memories of helping her learn God's Word and hearing her little voice recite what she had learned that day in school at the supper table!) After Mrs.Jones reading of the Scripture, the club women sang "Silent Night". The first clip I am posting is "Stile Nacht" or "Silent Night" spoken in German. The reason for this is that Grandmother's parents were a young German couple who came to America for a better life. When Grandma's oldest sister, Amelia, was having trouble in school; because she did not understand the American language very well, Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma vowed to only speak German when the children were not around. The idea was a great idea. Their legacy was five children all who loved the Lord and did very well.
Mannheim Steamroller's recording of "Silent Night" has to be one of the most beautiful renditions of the song. I hope you will enjoy it!! It almost takes me back to the old upright piano of Grandmother's and listening to her play and knowing all was right in my world.
My Grandmother McMillan loved Christmas!!! The very second you walked into their home you were greeted with the love that is the essence of Christmas. Grandmother loved the holiday season, was an amazing cook with something always good just about to come out of the oven. She was a wonderful author and avid reader of literature. She was asked to do many programs for the different clubs she was in. I am now the bless recipient of many of her programs she gave and I want to share them with you. I hope they will add a new a wonderful dimension to your holiday. I was blessed to grow up hearing many of the poems, stories and programs. I so remember with such love sitting in their living room with Grandpa or Grandma reading to me from the Bible, storybooks, poems, etc. We would always end the evening gathered around the old upright piano with Grandma playing the Christmas hymns and all of us singing.
The following Christmas blogs are an assortment of poems and programs that she wrote or compiled. I am having to post several blogs because to the amount of music Grandmother had her friends sing in the programs. I am pretty sure she accompanied many of the solosts. Hope you enjoy and that the messages bring you closer to the real reason of the season--JESUS!
The Road to Bethlehem
Come, take the road to Bethlehem!
For on a Christmas night,
Illumined by a host of stars,
Its holy way is bright-
As bright as when an amber star
Hung poised above His bed,
And Mary bent in joyous awe
Beside a drowsy head.
The very One the Magi knew
And knelt before as King,
Will take with joy a questing heart
As richest offering.
The poorest man may lay the gold
Of worship at His feet,
And love is frankincense; and myrrh
Of sacrifice is sweet
O that we might from far
Retrace our steps through fear and might
To faith and hope and Bethlehem's light.
Here by the Babe of Bethlehem,
Is comfort for the sad;
World-weary hearts, made old by sin,
Grow young once more, and glad;
And all, both rich and poor, may come
And find a sure release
From cares that fret, and doubts that prey,
through Him, the Prince of Peace.
O Wondrous Child of Bethlehem!
O Man of Majesty!
Who lifted high above the star
The cross of Calvary!
Christ of the lowly manger,
Christ of Gethsemane,
Bless an hear this Christ night
That takes the road to Thee!
Dorothy Louise Thomas
Bethlehem Caravan
Charles Hannibal Voss
Over the wind-blown sands,
Under a sapphire sky,
The Magi came from Eastern lands
With frankincense, gold, and myrrh in their hands,
At the call of an Infant's cry.
By caravan trail they came,
In the silver hush of the night,
With their eyes fixed on a starry flame
That sparkled and shone for One whose name
Is Savior, and Light of Light.
Camels and men are gone,
The earth might cease to be,
But the gifts that they brought to that tiny Son
Will be remembered by everyone
Throughout eternity.
The Consecration of the Edwin Markham
Common Way
The hills that had been lone and lean
Were pricking with a tender green,
And flocks were whitening over them
From all the folds of Bethlehem.
The king of Heaven had come our way,
And in a lowly stable lay:
He had descended from the sky
In answer to the world’s long cry-
Descended in a lyric burst
Of high archangels, going first
Unto the lowest and the least,
To humble bird and weary beast.
His palace was a wayside shed,
A battered manger was his bed:
An ox and ass with breathings deep
Made warm the chamber of His sleep.
Three sparrows with a friendly sound
Were picking barley from the ground;
An early sunbeam, long and thin,
Slanted across the dark within,
And brightened in its silver fall
A cart-wheel leaning to the wall.
An ox-yoke hung upon a hook:
A worn plow with a clumsy crook
Was lying idly by the wheel.
And everywhere there was the feel
Of that sweet peace that labor brings-
The peace that dwells with homely things.
Now have the homely things been made
Sacred, and glory on them laid.
For He whose shelter was a stall,
The King was born among them all.
He came to handle saw and plane,
To use and hallow the profane:
Now is the holy not afar
In temples lighted by a star,
But where the loves and labors are.
Now that the King has gone this way,
Great are things of every day!
What Makes a Christmas?
What makes a Christmas? Is it place, or time,
A Christmas card, a holly wreath, a rhyme?
Is it a gift tied up with ribbons gay,
Does it mean Christmas when you “Merry Christmas” say?
The bells may softly chime “O Holy Night!”
The Christmas tree may glow with candle light,
The table may be spread with festive cheer
And yet no Christmas spirit hovers near.
No, Christmas is from all these things apart,
It needs but a warm and open heart;
And sorrow, pain, and fear are swept away
When Christmas comes into the heart to stay.
For Christmas is but faith, and trust, and love,
A lifting of the eyes to Him above-
The Christ who cam to earth to set men free,
God’s gift of love supreme to you and me.
And as the angel choir their anthems sing,
The story of God’s love to man they bring
,’The promise of abiding peace impart-
‘Tis Christmas when Christ dwells within the heart.
-Jesse Williams
“PEACE ON EARTH”
Our God will not be mocked.The angels’ singing
Was not vain words flung on the empty air,
But vital prophecy and truth set winging
That will not be denied.Today’s despair
Is pierced by golden shafts.The sunlight breaking
Its way through clouds should bid our darkness cease,
And ease our anxious hearts long numbed by aching.
There shall be peace on earth, there shall be peace!
Men will give glory to their God, and nations
Will yet turn to Him, unified at last;
Class after class of high and lowly stations
And race after race will turn, their warring past,
And brother will kneel by brother, each tongue naming
One name, and like a spring flood this release
Their pent up praise, too long withheld, proclaiming
Him Counselor, the might God, the Prince of Peace.
