The Yuletide ’tis the Season for a Christmas Wedding
June 25, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Christmas time, the season of excitement, family get-togethers, sharing and communion. It’s a time when friends and family come together not only to deck the halls with boughs of holly, but to gather together in joyous reminiscing of a year gone by and to share hopeful expectations for the coming year.
Why not add to the yule tide cheer this Christmas by tying the knot with a Christmas Wedding?
Having a Christmas theme wedding this winter is a great way to celebrate the peace and joy of the winter holidays and is a sure way to make your wedding a memorable one for years to come.
Sure, there are some who cringe at the thought of exchanging vows at a time of sub-zero emperatures, but winter weddings, especially during the Christmas season has become increasingly acceptable and is quite popular.
In fact, from a logistical stand point, a Christmas wedding may make more sense as family and friends are already on holidays which will make it easier to attend your wedding. But you will want to make sure that you send out your
invitations at least 3-4 months in advance to give your guests ample notice of your upcoming Christmas wedding. We all know how busy it can get as the Christmas season approaches so you’ll want to make sure your wedding party and guests don’t overbook themselves and end up missing your special day.
Are you determined to have a Christmas wedding but not too sure how to make it all happen? Then consider the Traditional and Elegant Christmas wedding themes, they’re really quite popular;
The Elegant Christmas Wedding Theme
A beautiful option for a Christmas wedding is to make everything very formal and elegant. Think black tie and evening dress and all the elegance of a grand ball. You could decorate the church or wedding hall with white lights and satin and trim the pews with gold ribbons. Dress your attendants in elegant evening wear and wear a glamorous vintage style gown. Whether indoors or out, make sure to include an elegant white Pashmina wool wrap, for you and your attendants to make sure you not too cold during the ceremony.
At the reception, have a large natural Christmas tree in the corner of the room decorated with ropes of white lights and golden bows. Decorate the tables with large bowls containing gold or white floating candles and white rose petals.
As a wedding favor, give guests a small gold Christmas ornament inscribed with the date of the wedding and your names. Guests will have a memorable keepsake reminder of your wedding. Wrap all the ornaments, in a white box with a gold
ribbon, and pile them under the Christmas tree. At the end of the reception invite each guest to pick their own “present” from under the tree. An elegant Christmas wedding with simple, tasteful decorations in white and gold doesn’t have to be expensive. If you are creative you can have a gorgeous and elegant Christmas wedding even if you’re on a tight budget.
The Traditional Christmas Wedding Theme
Perhaps a traditional Christmas wedding would be your style. If so, use all the traditional Christmas elements to create a romantic, warm, joyous event that will combine the good will of the Christmas season with the happiness of your wedding. Decorate the church or wedding hall with multi colored Christmas lights. Use green and red poinsettias for decorations, and carry red roses bundled together with lots of greenery tied with a gold ribbon for your bouquet.
Dress your attendants in simple holiday dresses in red and green, with gold jewelry. Use Christmas present bows to decorate each pew in the church and fill the church with gold candles.
At the reception, focus on making the room romantic and cozy. What you want to do is recreate the warmth and feeling of your living room on Christmas morning. Have a large natural Christmas tree in a corner decorated with strings of colored lights, strings of tinsel, candy canes, icicles, ropes of popcorn and cranberries, bows, ornaments, and candles.
Choose lots of different styles of ornaments, but make sure that each one is marked with the date and your names, even if it’s just marked with a pretty printed sticker on the bottom. Make sure there are more ornaments on the tree than there are guests at the reception and invite each guest to select an ornament off the tree as a party favor.
Make a nice selection of coffees, teas, eggnog, and hot chocolate. Have platers of Christmas cookies, candy canes, white and green mints, fudge, and other Christmas treats set out on tables for your guests to snack on.
You could also serve a traditional Christmas dinner of ham or turkey with all the fixings. If you are going to allow children at the reception, consider setting up a children’s area with plenty of seating, a DVD player and holiday favorites such as The Christmas Story, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and other holiday movies favorites to make the evening an enjoyable one for them as well.
Having a Christmas wedding can be a lovely way for everyone to celebrate your marriage and the holidays at the same time. Use the excitement, joy, love and happiness of the Christmas season to make your wedding a memorable one. The Yuletide ’tis the season to have a Christmas wedding.
Calvin and Maria Bailey are authors of the book The Bride’s Guide to Planning a Winter Wedding as well as several wedding related articles. They have been happily married for 21 years and are currently raising 5 children at home.
Receive more winter wedding ideas, tips, money saving ideas and gift reviews by visiting their website at http://www.winterweddingbells.com and signing for their free weekly newsletter entitled The Winter-Bride.
***Please note: this article may be freely copied and distributed provided that this resource box remains unaltered, unedited and is not removed***
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The Yuletide \’tis the Season for a Christmas Wedding
Have a Blast, Have a Themed Christmas Party Folks!
June 18, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
What better way to celebrate Christmas than by throwing a Christmas party. Better yet, throw a themed Christmas party! Not only will your guests have a blast, they will be talking about your party for years! It is easy to have a Christmas party, so spice it up with something memorable and different.
Hawaiian Theme
Having a Hawaiian-themed Christmas party is a great idea, especially if you live in a warmer climate and can have it outside. Guests can come decked out in aloha and beach clothing while enjoying a terrific Christmas party. There are many decorating tips that can help make your Hawaiian Themed Christmas party an event to remember. First, find a Hawaii-themed Christmas invitation to send out to your guests. These can easily be found online or in specialty stores. Use silk flower leis to decorate your Christmas tree, and decorate your house or garden the same way. Make Christmas cookies using cookie cutters with a Hawaiian theme. You can find cookie cutters in the shape of pineapples, coconut palm trees, and much more. When guests arrive, throw some fresh leis or silk flower leis on them. There are many ways to make Christmas parties with a Hawaiian theme a huge success.
Medieval Theme
Another option for having a themed Christmas party is to have a medieval theme. There are many great ideas that can be used to make your Christmas party interesting and memorable. You can first find medieval-themed Christmas invitations online to send out to your guests. Use flickering lights to create a dungeon-like room. Use plywood to create a makeshift drawbridge, and a small wading pool full of water for a moat. Use fake weapons to decorate around your house to create a more medieval theme. Of course, you and your guests will have love dressing up as your favorite medieval maidens and knights. There are many websites dedicated to selling the party supplies and costumes you will need to make your medieval party a success!
Movie Themed Christmas Party
There are many Christmas movies that have become classics. You can base a whole themed Christmas party on any famous Christmas movie that you like. Some examples would be “The Grinch,” “Nightmare before Christmas,” or “A Christmas Story.” Pick a favorite and start decorating! Study the movie to find out what kind of clothing or costumes you and your guests should wear. Make sure you inform guests of the theme in your Christmas party invitations. Play the music of the movie – you can almost always buy the soundtrack of the movie online or in a music store. Dress up and decorate your home in the style of your favorite Christmas movie, and your guests will have a ball.
Christmas Tree Decorating Party
For a fun Themed Christmas Party idea, put up your Christmas tree, whether it is an artificial one or a real one. String it up with lights, if a real one, and use lots of ornaments, bows, ribbons, and fake snow. This is a great themed Christmas party for a party that involves a lot of children. Give them the decorations and let them have at the tree. They will have a lot of fun, and you will get a uniquely decorated Christmas tree in the process! Make sure to have lots of cookies and hot chocolate on hand for all the hungry people that will be there. When you are done, make sure to take a picture of everyone in front of the tree.
White Christmas Theme
It is not always possible to have a White Christmas, although most of us dream of one. You can make your own Christmas party theme by decorating everything in your house white. Make a white Christmas tree, string white lights, put up white streamers, white decorations, and prepare white drinks and white food. Ask your guests to dress all in white. If you’re bold, sprinkle lots of fake snow around the house. Your guests will be dreaming of your white Christmas party for a long time!
Christmas Costume Party
It is always fun to dress up. Christmas parties don’t have to be an exception! Ask your party guests to dress up in their favorite costumes. Some popular favorites would be Santa Claus, an elf, Christmas tree, Angel, Snowman, Mrs. Claus, or a candy cane. Hold a costume party, and give out prizes for the best costume. Couples may dress up in themes themselves.
Humorous Christmas Theme
Let your Christmas party be a very merry event and have the place decked out. This is a great party idea for a kid’s Christmas party. The room can look like a circus, with red and green streamers and balloons strewn about. Guests can dress as clowns to make the atmosphere more humorous! Kids and adults alike will have a great time at this themed Christmas party.
For the best Themed Christmas Party Venue Finder visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk/expressvenuefinder.aspx or FREE call 0800 158 44 00 now. Jigsaw Conferences venue finder team can help. We are a specialist corporate venue finding agency and because we are funded by hotels and conference venues, the service we offer is completely FREE.
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Have a Blast, Have a Themed Christmas Party Folks!
Finding the True Meaning of Christmas and Avoiding the Holiday Blues
June 4, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Thoughtful people are sometimes troubled by shallowness and consumerism during the holidays. Don’t be troubled. The engineer keeps searching for a solution, the scientist for a break-through, and the researcher for a cure. They do not quit just because others do not share in their pursuit of answers.
In your quest for life’s meaning and purpose, be as patiently persistent as they are. Enjoy the niceties and fellowship of the holidays, and also look for the deeper meaning of life. It is okay to have fun and be thoughtful at the same time.
Looking for real answers to life’s meaning is like a treasure hunt. You have to seek for it. What is the old saying about not cursing the darkness, but lighting a candle instead? Likewise, instead of lamenting the materialism, look for real meaning (and then share it with others).
Maybe, just maybe the meaning could be right here amidst the busy-ness. So instead of being distracted by resenting the advertisers and harried shoppers, let’s keep seeking. Why, we are even told to do so in the Book where the original Christmas story is told.
The wise men followed a star, seeking the Christ Child. The shepherds sought the baby Jesus after having been given a hint by the angels (“you will find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger”). Even Jesus’ mother had to seek for Him. We are told that Mary sought for Jesus, and found Him in the temple teaching.
Time and again, the process of seeking is said to be important. The centurion whose daughter was sick came to seek Jesus, and when he found Him, the daughter was healed. Jesus told parables involving seeking: where, for example, the master came back and sought the servant, where the prodigal son sought his father, where the bridesmaids sought the bride, or where the shepherd sought the lost sheep. When Jesus was killed, Mary and Martha came to seek Him, but He was risen. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “seek and ye shall find.”
Today we must also seek for Jesus and what He represents. The shallowness of consumerism at Christmas time should not trouble us. It simply means that He is not to be found there. When our religious, moral or political leaders are revealed to be opportunists or frauds, it should not trouble us. It only means He is not to be found there. When their words are shallow, it means He is not to be found there. Thus it is revealed where there is no use looking for Him.
But He is here. He even gave us some hints where to look. He said wherever two or more are “gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Maybe He also wants us to figure out what “in my name” really means. He also hinted that the Kingdom of Heaven is all around us. He also said the Kingdom of Heaven is within. He said words to the effect that “if you love me and obey my commandments, then the Father and I will come and make our abode in you.” Was that a clue about how to find?
But don’t forget that He said: “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” Was this another hint: this time about seeking to do what is right first, instead of self-seeking and expediency first?
He said that in the last days people would say, “He is here or He is there,” but He would not be found there. He is not where most people expect Him to be.
Little children love Santa Claus or love their dolly. This love is beautiful and sweet, but it is an emotional thing. Alas, many of us have had feelings for Jesus in the same way. We adults must seek for something deeper.
In human terms, the meaning of Christmas may be about giving, about sharing or about family. This is fine as far as it goes. The presents, the friendship, the Christmas stockings, the Christmas story, the music and the candles are nice and they have their place. But the true seeker keeps seeking. Without rejecting the niceties of Christmas, the seeker keeps searching for the real Jesus, that’s all.
Therefore, if you have a sense that the true meaning of Christmas is lacking, you are probably right. If you feel like something is still missing and you haven’t really found Him–even though you may have said you have and want to have–then keep searching. That is what He told us to do.
Roland Trujillo M.S. is Director of the Center For Common Sense Counseling and host of a popular San Francisco radio program that offers personal growth strategies and help with relationship and stress issues. Roland’ also hosts The Roland Trujillo Show on KCAA Radio in Riverside and San Bernardino. Roland has been on the air for over 18 years. He has helped many people overcome emotion-based problems that have a component of resentment, unforgiveness, and judgment. Learn more at commonsensecounseling.org
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Finding the True Meaning of Christmas and Avoiding the Holiday Blues
Decorate Your Home With the Christmas Spirit, for the Ultimate in Holiday Decor
June 3, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Capture the elusive Christmas Spirit and bring it home for the holidays! Remember what it was like when you were a kid at Christmas time? When you were filled with that warm fuzzy Christmas feeling that seemed to penetrate the whole house? How did our parents do it? Was it the innocence of childhood or is there something more to it? Get started today and your home will be bursting at the seams with that old time Christmas feeling.
Practice acts of shopping kindness. Smile at people. Smile and say hello to the busy clerk behind the counter. Let them know you’re not just another impatient customer waiting in line. Smile at the harried mother with fussy young children. Let her know your not judging her parenting skills. Let that person with only one item go ahead of you at the cash register. It feels so good when they flash an appreciative thank you your way. Open doors for people. Smile at them. Let that car merge into your busy traffic lane. Wave a friendly hello. In a single shopping trip you will have given the gifts of patience, kindness, acceptance and courtesy. It’s free, it’s fun and the more you give the more you’ll get!
Get sentimental. Snuggle on the couch and watch the classics; ‘Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘A Christmas Story’. Share childhood stories of holidays’ past with your children. Tell them how scared you were of the Abominable Snowman when you were little. How you would squirm in your seat when he had Rudolph trapped in the cave! Listen to Bing Crosby sing ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’. Sing ‘Frosty the Snowman’ when you’re stuck in traffic and laugh at yourself. Surprise an old relative or friend with a phone call. Hang mistletoe. Stop and take notice of children all happy and excited in their holiday dresses.
Engage the senses. Make Christmas warm and fuzzy again. Sautee onions in a frying pan and then run out onto the front porch for a few moments. Step back in and enjoy the smell of home cooking! Play Christmas carols while you’re making dinner. Dance in the kitchen to ‘Little Drummer Boy’. Laugh. Flirt with your husband. Hug your kids. Hug the dog! Light those cinnamon scented candles you’ve been saving forever. Sit in the dark and stare at the Christmas tree lights. Make hot chocolate, spiced cider or eggnog.
Appreciate! Take the time to really appreciate all that you do have. Be thankful that you have a home to come home to, a warm bed to sleep in and food in the cupboard. Say a silent thank you for the loved ones in your life. Say thank you for good health, transportation, indoor plumbing, garbage service, family pets and your house plants that keep on living. Remind yourself that even the poorest people in America live better than many around the world. Take the time to acknowledge what a luxury your hot shower really is. Appreciate; really, really appreciate what you have right now, today! Give something, anything, big or small to charity. Be thankful you have it to give.
Take a lesson from the Grinch. He learned that the Christmas Spirit can’t be purchased, wrapped up and put in a box. It’s something that comes from within. It isn’t created with pretty decorations; it makes the decorations prettier. It isn’t created with ham and turkey dinner; it makes the ham and turkey taste better. It isn’t created by putting up the Christmas lights; it makes the lights shine brighter. Christmas Spirit is created in your heart. And it grows every time you express it with your love and appreciation. Practice giving it and you’ll discover what Dorothy from the ‘Wizard of Oz’ learned. What you were looking for was in your own backyard all along! Now you’re home is ready for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
Cathy Robertson is an Artist and writer for Fine Art Castle. Have fun, informative decorating & design articles delivered to you! Sign up for our monthly Newsletter today at http://www.fineartcastle.com/decoratingtipsanddesign.aspx . Or stop by and take a peek at our Fine Art Prints for your Canvas Art decorating needs at http://www.fineartcastle.com
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Decorate Your Home With the Christmas Spirit, for the Ultimate in Holiday Decor
Christmas- The Biggest Celebration Around The World
June 1, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Christmas is the largest celebration around the world each year. Other holidays get a single day, but Christmas is emphasized for an entire month, one twelfth of every year. During the Christmas season, billions of people set aside their normal routines to decorate their homes, send out greeting cards, buy gifts, go to Christmas parities, attend church services, sing Christmas songs, watch Christmas TV specials, and travel long distances to be with their families. Christmas sights and sounds fill the air everywhere. There are stores, and even careers, that are exclusively dedicated to preparing for and celebrating this holiday. When Christmas comes, you can’t miss it. It’s everywhere.
If you stop to think about it, it is astounding that the simple, unassuming birth of a peasant boy born two thousand years ago in the Middle East has caused such commotion-his birthday even causes traffic jams today in places like New York City, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro. The Bible gives us the original Christmas story.
There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Regardless of your background, religion, or circumstances, Christmas really becomes a holiday which celebrated all around the world, and it influenced the economy and culture of these countries, China is one of these countries. In this paper, the author will analyze both the positive and the negative influences of Christmas on China’s economy and culture. And arguing about the positive attitude we should have toward Christmas.
What do you prepared as your Christmas gift? If you are still not taking your mind, browse on UGG online outlet
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Christmas- The Biggest Celebration Around The World
80s Christmas Movie Quotes
May 22, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Batman – “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” – The Joker
Trading Places – “Hello, Security…… Merry Christmas!!!” – Billy Ray Valentine is calling security on Winthorpe as Santa until he pulls a gun.
Lethal Weapon – “Riggs, sshhhhhhh….. after all we’ve been through….. if you think I’m gonna eat the world’s lousiest Christmas turkey by myself…. you’re crazy!” – Murtuagh invites Riggs in for Xmas dinner. (Riggs then brings in Sam the dog who fights with Burbank the cat ending credits with “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”.)
Santa Claus: The Movie – “When you’ve got a hit like we have, Patch, the people don’t want to wait a whole year…. they’re dying for a sequel!….. A sequel. That’s it. We’ll bring it out on March 25th. We’ll call it……………… Christmas 2!!!!!” - The Evil B.Z. is planning to bring out the elf dust in the form of a candy cane ASAP.
Better Off Dead – “Ah, come on! It’s Christmas Eve! I could be home right now, drinking this monster eggnog my brother makes with lighter fluid.” – Charles De Mar begging Lane to ski the K-12 so he can leave.
Better Off Dead – “Do they have Christmas in France? Karisss-mmmaassss!” – Ricky’s Mom (who later blew up) is asking Monique about the holiday.
Die Hard – “All right, listen up guys. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except… the four assholes coming in the rear in standard two-by-two cover formation.” – Theo over the radio when the Feds storm Nakatomi plaza.
Funny Farm – “I’m sure that all of you in the spirit of the joyous Christmas season will find it in your hearts…….. perhaps not!” – Andy Farmer is pelted with a snowball as he tells the townspeople the good news that they are staying and will not pay the town.
Gremlins – “And that’s how I found out there was no Santa Claus.” – Kate tells Billy her heartwarming childhood holiday story. (If you don’t remember…. it’s not heartwarming at all!)
A Christmas Story – “Deck the harrs with bows of horry….Fra ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra. Tis the season to be jarry….. Fra ra ra ra ra , ra ra ra ra. Jingle bras jingle bras jingle all da wey.” – The singing waiters of the Chop Suey Palace.
Scrooged – “Acid rain. Drug addiction. International terrorism. Freeway killer. Now, more than ever, it is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t miss Charles Dickens’ immortal classic “Scrooge”. Your life might just depend on it.” – The promo for IBC’s Christmas special.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – “What? What happened?…. Huh… woof…..Guess it wouldn’t be any…. Woop… Wouldn’t be the Christmas shopping season if the stores weren’t any less hooter than they… hotter than they are.” – Clark is just blousing… browsing… when the buxom sales clerk offers her assistance.
80s Movie Quotes wishes you all Happy Holidays!!! Thanks for counting down the 12 days of Christmas quotes with us.
Jake Harold is an avid 80s movie fan. Daily, he jots down his favorite movie quotes of the 80s on his website www.80smoviequotes.com.
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80s Christmas Movie Quotes
How Popular Christmas Carols Came About
May 16, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Christmas Carols are sung mostly during the holiday season but most of us find ourselves humming them periodically during the course of the year. They come out of our mouths mindlessly and we rarely stop and wonder where they came from. Most revolve around the birth of Christ but the variety, history and popularity of Christmas carols is fascinating. Two of the most popular songs of all time are Christmas carols.
Silent Night – was a poem written by an Austrian priest, Joseph Mohr, in 1816. It became a Christmas carol on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Obendorf, Austria, a village near Salzburg, when Joseph decided he needed a carol for Christmas Eve services. He gave the poem to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber who wrote the melody in a few hours. It was composed for the guitar which was Joseph’s favorite instrument. It is the most famous Christmas carol of all time.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman – was first published in William Sandy’s “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern” in 1833. The author is unknown. Most people sing and interpret this song as God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman thinking it means for merry fellows to rest. The rest wasn’t intended to mean lie down but to keep as you are, to stay merry. Rest ye merry means to remain peacefully content and so the true meaning of the song is hoping God will bestow this contentment on the gentleman. Even Dickens misinterpreted the comma as God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman when he refers to it in “A Christmas Carol”. Scrooge didn’t like the carol being sung at his keyhole speaking of merriment. Bah Humbug.
What Child is This – with words written to the melody Greensleeves. It originated in Elizabethan times and is mentioned by Shakespeare in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” when it is played as traitors are hanged.
Jingle Bells was written by James Pierpont in 1857 for a Thanksgiving program at his church in Boston. Everyone liked it and so it was repeated at Christmas and it has been a Christmas song ever since.
O Little Town of Bethlehem was composed by Lewis Redner with words by Bishop Phillips Brooks in 1868. The Bishop had been to the Holy Land a few years earlier and was inspired by looking down on Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine at night.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – A twentieth century carol created for Montgomery Ward by Robert May. Montgomery Ward asked May to write a Christmas story to be given out to shoppers during the holidays. May was inspired by the tale of the Ugly Duckling and his own sad youth as a small, shy child and created the idea of the reindeer outcast shunned by the other reindeers because of his bright red nose. He wrote the story in rhyming couplets. It almost didn’t get published because his boss at Montgomery Ward thought that the public would view the red nose as caused by drinking. May eventually acquired the copyright for the song and it was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. It is the second best selling song of all time with White Christmas being the first. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is also a popular Christmas ornament with a festive Christmas wreath hung around his neck.
Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.
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How Popular Christmas Carols Came About
Starting a Christmas Tradition Using the Bible
May 8, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today … a Savior is born.”
This exciting announcement is part of “The Christmas Story,” a free Audio Bible program about the birth of Jesus Christ.
“The Christmas Story” is an audio dramatized, word-for-word reading from the New Testament Gospels of Matthew and Luke and is produced by Faith Comes By Hearing, the world’s foremost Audio Bible ministry. This realistic audio recording was produced using multiple character voices, musical backgrounds and sound effects.
You can enjoy this free holiday program:
- By downloading or listening online at www.FaithComesByHearing.com.
- At the iTunes store.
Faith Comes By Hearing produced this short, family-friendly program, which runs about 11 minutes, to help people engage in the Bible this holiday season and hear the Christmas story in a dramatic, audio format.
“During this season and during hard times, people are more open to spiritual things and more attentive to their need for God. Gathering your family around to hear this Bible story is an easy way to share God’s love and message of hope. You can even start a new, memorable Christmas tradition,” said Jon Wilke, Faith Comes By Hearing spokesperson.
“At the ministry website, www.FaithComesByHearing.com, people can download this Audio Bible program to their personal computer, iPod or listen live,” he said. “People can also download a free audio New Testament in one of 400 languages.”
Founded in 1972 as a non-profit ministry, Faith Comes By Hearing records and uses Audio Bibles to disciple Americans as well as the world’s poor and illiterate people with God’s Word in audio.
Since more than 50 percent of the world’s population cannot read, Faith Comes By Hearing helps those hear God’s Word in their heart language. Through innovating industry-leading audio technology, Faith Comes By Hearing has helped people in more than 150 countries hear the Word of God in their own language. Currently, Faith Comes By Hearing has Audio New Testament recordings available in more than 400 languages.
While on a post 9/11 deployment, Jon D. Wilke began reading the Bible and accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour. Now he is using his years of print and broadcast journalism experience to serve God.
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Starting a Christmas Tradition Using the Bible
12 Ways to Create Your Own Family Christmas Holiday Tradition – Part I
April 30, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Family Christmas Holiday Tradition gives us freedom and guidance in a time that is otherwise hectic and stressful, and often unorganized. Tradition gives us a blueprint of how our family anticipates and loves the holiday season, what they expect, how they love to celebrate.
Tradition gives us the opportunity to lay out our Christmas holiday activities well in advance. We can prepare a plan of action, and organize our holiday events using a true and proven site map. That takes off stress from last minute activities, e.g., the frantic search for needed holiday decor, or the headache of coming up with the right holiday menu.
But what shall we do, if our family does not have a Christmas holiday tradition yet? Simply, we create our own tradition. Let’s open the music box of our own childhood memories. What was it that made Christmas holidays so special? Was it the heavenly scent of cinnamon, orange and fir, all woven into the air in a potpourri of Christmas promise? Or do we remember mother’s Christmas story at candlelight? Was it the holiday music that touched our heart? With our own Christmas holiday memories at heart, let’s manifest our own family Christmas tradition! Here are twelve ways!
1. Build the excitement and joy up in your and your family’s heart. Start by decorating your home to invite Christmas promise into your family’s life. My mother used to decorate every picture in our home with a little fresh and wonderfully smelling fir twig. When we saw that mother was preparing for the holidays, excitement built up in our lives.
2. On December 1st, we brought in a fir wreath with four candles. Often three of those candles were purple, but one was pink. Living through the first two weeks, we children were eagerly looking forward to the third Sunday when the pink candle of Joy and anticipation was lit.
3. Of course, we had an Advent calendar and one of us was allowed to open a window each day. This meant that we children went to great length to ensure that we were good kids – cleaning up our rooms, removing the trash, washing the dishes, etc. – so every one of us got a turn to open a window.
4. It was custom that a Madonna statue was carried from house to house in memory of Maria’s search for a place to give birth to her child. So when it was our turn to open our family door and heart to Maria, our mother would bathe the room in warm, gentle candle light. We sang the old carols and prayed. It was an honor to accommodate the statue for one night, and every family tried to prepare a special welcome.
5. On the 4th of December, mom would bring in St. Barbara twigs from the garden. These cherry twigs, now brown and barren, will open their blossoms in the holy night. We watched the Barbara twigs carefully every day with excitement and wonder. Because out of these seemingly dead brown twigs, soon little green leaves would develop in the warm family room.
6. The 6th of December was St. Nicolas Day. That was a day of joy for children. In the window we would find a red crackling plastic sack with apples, mandarins, nuts and chocolate. But in our family it was also tradition that St. Nicolas would visit in person. I remember one special visit, when St. Nicolas admonished my little brother who was very bad to me at the time. The little guy did not know that anyone would know – especially not St. Nicolas, the old wise man with the sparkling eyes and the long white beard, who supposedly came directly from heaven into our home. From that day one, my little brother did not bother me ever again. I guess he learned his lesson.
This ends Part I of our Family Christmas Holiday Traditions. Be sure to read Part II also. We’ll discuss the traditional Christmas celebration, share a beautiful and moving Christmas story, and much more.
When Christmas holiday draws near, don’t let yourself be burdened by stressful last minute holiday preparations. Follow your time proven family holiday tradition – and if you don’t have a holiday tradition yet, manifest your own! Utilize some of the suggestions I shared with you from our own family Christmas holiday tradition.
Maria Schasteen is editor of aroma-essence.com, Nature’s Most Trusted Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils Store. Look for Christmas Spirit, Joy, and Essence of the Season to support your Christmas holiday tradition because scents stay with us forever.
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12 Ways to Create Your Own Family Christmas Holiday Tradition – Part I
Things to Do at Christmas
April 23, 2011 by admin
Filed under Christmas Stories
Christmas is one of the few times when families are likely to get together, so ensuring that everyone has a great time is crucial. In some cases you may need to plan activities that will help to keep everyone amused throughout the festive season and the internet is a great place to look for things to do. In this article we look at the top 10 Christmas activities worth considering using when you have family and friends over this year.
1 When it comes to decorating the home ready for Christmas then why not get the whole family involved. You could even ask the children to make some special decorations themselves for hanging on the tree or around the home this year. If you are stuck for ideas then the internet is a great source for arts and crafts.
2. As on Christmas day you will be very busy in the morning preparing the food for lunch, why not prepare something the day before getting your children to assist you. You could even ask them to make some gingerbread items that can then be used as decorations on the tree or which can be used as snacks whilst waiting for Christmas dinner to arrive. But don’t allow them to eat too many else they won’t want the wonderful dinner you have prepared.
3. There is a great game that you can play on Christmas day that all your family and friends can participate in and that is “Remember That Carol”. What happens is that each person will take it in turns to announce what carol it is they are going to sing and then sing one verse of it. This is a suitable game for all to play when travelling in the car as well over the Christmas period.
4. Another great game that you can play with family and friends is charades. But this time rather than just being on any theme you base it around Christmas. So it may be a certain Christmas song that others may have to guess that the person is acting out or it could be in relation to a decoration or even an animal associated with Christmas.
5. If you want to help the younger children in your family wind down on Christmas day or even on the days leading up to it then spend 5 minutes each night reading them a special Christmas story. It is crucial that you let your children decide what stories it is they want read to them each night. Plus every year why not purchase some new books that you can read to them that year as well as the ones they already have.
6. Sometimes families like to open one present on Christmas Eve and if you want to make it a little more memorable make it in to a treasure hunt. You will need to prepare everything in advance and make sure that you give them simple easy clues to follow which they can solve and will lead them to where their gift has been placed. If you find you have not got enough time to actually spend on coming up with your own clues the internet is a wonderful source for getting some very inexpensive ones readymade that you can print off and use.
7. Another activity you may find fun is actually taking a wonder round your neighbourhood one evening to see how other people have decorated their homes. Some people spend weeks before Christmas decorating their homes, not just inside but out so that everyone else can enjoy the festive season. In some cases there may be a charity box left outside where you can make a donation and the money raised is given to a local good cause.
8. Another thing you can do to help make your family Christmas special is for the whole family to learn about where they came from. Through this you and your family can learn about the ways your family use to celebrate Christmas in the past and maybe incorporate some of the activities they use to enjoy into your own. There are plenty of places online as well as speaking with others relatives that can help you to find out just what sort of Christmas your ancestors would have led.
9. Another activity that you could consider doing that you may not have done before and especially if you have young children is to go see a pantomime. Often these take place a few weeks before Christmas and will certainly help you and the rest of the family get into the swing of things.
10. One final activity that you should consider incorporating into your own family’s Christmas festivities is to make a big thing about turning the Christmas tree lights on. Spend the whole day with your family putting the tree up and decorating it then at the end of the day you then gather together and count down to the moment when someone flicks the switch and the lights come on. Why not make it a special event for someone in your family each year as towns and shopping malls do when they get some celebrity in to turn on theirs.
Above we have offered our top 10 Christmas activities which could help to make this festive season for your family and friends special. Certainly the more involved everyone is in this special event then the more enjoyable the time will be and of course you won’t be so stressed out.
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