December 15

Happy Dec. 15 2010

Carol: Joy to the World


Family Activities: Idea: Christmas Symbols: Simplify for little children

1. The Christmas Wreath made of evergreens: The circle represents eternity. Eternal life is ours in Jesus Christ. In ancient times a wreath symbolized a glorious victory. What could be a more glorious victory than Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice and Resurrection.

2. Christmas Bells: “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” Psalms 100:1

3. The Candy Cane: Jesus is the good shepherd and the shape of the cane is symbolized as the shepherds crook. The white is purity and the red is the color of blood which represents Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

4. The fragrance of Peppermint: symbolic of hyssop, a bushy herb used in purification rites. David asks God, “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Ps 51:7) As we share and break a candy cane recall His words, “This is my body which is broken for you.”

5. Christmas Gift: Jesus Christ was the best gift of all. Heavenly Father as the giver. The gift: His Son. The recipient: anyone who accepts in faith the promise of His love and obeys His voice.

6. Christmas Lights: “ I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) As we receive this illumination from Him, we are commissioned to share it with each other. For Matthew records in 5: 14 the Ye are the light of the world.

7. Christmas star: The Christmas star is perhaps the purest object in all our Christmas symbolism coming very directly from the Christmas story. “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship Him.” (Matt. 2:2) Did you ever really notice that they didn’t just come to visit, to see, but they came to worship. Let a star cause us to think beyond this star of Bethlehem to the words of Rev. 22:16. “I Jesus…am the root and the offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star.”

8. Holly, with its prickly thorns and bright red berries can serve as a vivid reminder of the crown of thorns our Savior wore with drops of blood where the berries grow. From there we can focus our thought on one of the crowns. He has promised His followers. “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Peter 5:4)

Adapted from Margorie Gordon “Where is Christ at Christmas?”
Recipe: Christmas non eating soup: (Great for the kids to do, even little ones, it can even be their secret Christmas soup)
Get a small pan and put some water in it. Add cinnamon or cinnamon sticks, some yummy smelling spices like cloves, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and place on simmer. Add some peels of clementines or oranges as you eat them and keep simmering until January…yep, you read correctly…all season long!
You will have to keep adding water, and spices when needed. But your nose will know, and your family and friends will think you are baking all season long! (“Home Goods” has some cute inexpensive sauce pans if you want the simmering pan to look cute too, but that isn’t necessary)

Idea:“Our across-the-street-neighbors tradition:”

The Family/Friends Cookie contest
(Different version of a cookie exchange)

Rules: 1. Each person lets the hostess know the type of cookie they are bringing so there are not duplicates.

Each guest is to bring a bag full of cookies that cannot be seen through.

All the bags are placed on a table closed, except the guests take 3-4 cookies out of the bag, cut in small bite sized pieces and place on a plate to be judged, next to their bag. (You could even blind fold the tasters if you didn’t want everyone to do it.)

All the guests receive a judgment sheet that is used to rate the cookies.

Each guest walks around the table tastes the cookies, then makes a judgment.

At the end of the judging each guest puts their favorite on a slip of paper, and places in a box.

As the party goes on, the Hostess tallies the votes and comes out with gift for the best cookie of the night. This neighbor actually makes a plaque that hangs in his kitchen with the winners name on it…you could give any thing…

Then the cookies are placed on the plates and everyone gets to take a different cookie from each plate so they have an assortment when they go home! They just put them back in the bag they brought.

Cute!
(by Ruth Calvert)