Monthly Archives: December 2010

Merry Christmas

“And the angel said to them,

‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

And this will be a sign for you:

you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths

lying in a manger.’ 

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’”

Luke 2:10-14 (English Standard Version – emphasis added)

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Party Randomness

On Saturday night, I attended a youth choir alumni Christmas party at the home of my former music minister and his wife…the latter of whom was the youth choir director for all but one of my years in the youth group.  It was SOO much fun to simply hang out and catch-up with one another for a few hours in such a relaxed environment!

By the end of the night, we were all gathered in the living room reminiscing about and sharing memories from the annual summer “Youth Choir Mission Tours”.  From Chicago to Wilmington to Baltimore to our own backyard and beyond, it was such a great opportunity to remember where the Lord has taken us through the years. 

Good times.

Yes, even when charter buses got “stuck” for hours, hotel arrangements were changed at the very last minute, fireworks sounded a little too much like gunfire, and platforms on which to perform were smaller than the ideal size!

But I especially loved seeing and hearing about everyone’s current stage of life and how we’re all serving the Lord in the specific (and often very different) areas to which He has called us for this particular season…that made my heart happy!

And for your amusement, here are some random happenings / thoughts from the evening:

Octopuses (octopi?) really do have “beaks”.  Who knew? 

Stories are better with sound effects.

Apparently, it is actually possible to play “Happy Birthday” on the violin using only one string (this was proven by the aforementioned music minister).

Jam thumbprint cookies are just so “jam” good.  Ha!

And to clarify, the Christmas Eve service will take place on Christmas Eve.  Just in case there was any question…

I hope you are having all kinds of fun with friends and family at your Christmas parties this year as well!

{Guest Baker} Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

 

I haven’t had much time for baking recently.  And even when I have made time for baking over the last several weeks, it’s been for a specific purpose and squeezed into a too-tight schedule, so taking pictures of the product (much less the process) has not been a top priority.

But my roommate, B, has been on a Christmas cookie baking spree this week, so I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite recipes from the week.

Chocolate sandwich cookies filled with peppermint icing.

 

Oh. Yum. 

Seriously.  I have eaten WAY too many of these cookies, but they are SOOO good! 

And who ever said cookies didn’t make for a balanced and nutritious breakfast anyway…?

As much as I really do love to bake, I think I could get used to this way of baking…B mixes the dough, rolls out the cookies, watches the clock, and I just “assist” while sampling and taking photos.

Lest you think otherwise, though, I wasn’t a completely useless assistant.  I made the final decision regarding the appropriate shade of red for the icing…an important part of the process if I do say so myself!

Ingredients:

2 boxes Devil’s Food cake mix

4 eggs slightly beaten

2/3 cup oil

8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

3-4 cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Peppermint extract to taste

Red food coloring (optional)

 

Instructions:

  1. Beat cake mixes, eggs, and oil. Batter will be stiff.
  2. Roll dough into balls (or use a cookie dough scoop) and place on ungreased baking sheets (parchment paper on the cookie sheets is optional).
  3. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (do NOT over-bake).
  4. Immediately after cookies are removed from oven, flatten lightly with spatula, and move to wire cooling rack.
  5. In another bowl, beat cream cheese and butter.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth.  Add peppermint extract to desired minty-ness.  Feel free to add red food coloring to desired shade of red at this point as well.  Or not.
  6. Spread icing onto bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie.

 

These cookies are soooo good (and even better when made by your roommate while you “assist” in the kitchen…just sayin’)!

Enjoy!

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas…

 

Not to mention it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. 

It is cold in these here [southern] parts!

And busy!

 

However, in between:

studying for and completing a Greek exam,

Christmas shopping,

rehearsing for and singing in a powerful and Christ-centered Christmas concert at church,

seeing White Christmas on stage,

baking for and attending a cookie exchange,

tackling the necessities of life (minor details like working and grocery shopping…),

and preparing for the remaining craziness that tends to characterize the month of December,

my roommate and I did manage to spend the Tuesday night after Thanksgiving decorating the house for Christmas.  And by “managing to spend” what I really mean is that we had to plan two weeks in advance to actually both be HOME on that night!

 

But back to the decorating…

Our Christmas decorations tend to lean toward simple and classic with a few elements of whimsy thrown in for good measure.

 

The color scheme was once again red/silver/cream, and I just love it!

The vase filled with tons of mini-ornaments atop this festive table runner serves as the centerpiece for the kitchen table.

We also have several Christmas plates that are placed strategically throughout the kitchen and living room.

 

Speaking of the living room, B’s Willow Tree nativity is highlighted on one side of the room:

 

And the tree is on the opposite side of the room:

 

Somehow, we started collecting bird ornaments, and they provide a fun and modern twist to the whole ensemble.

 

 

But, the mantle is probably one of my favorite parts of the entire living room.

 

(Even if we did forget to find an extension cord for the lights in a timely manner…)

And if you’re interested in seeing even more Christmas decorations (including some incredibly beautiful and creative ideas for future decorating), I highly recommend checking out one – or both – of the following:

The Nester’s Christmas Tour of Homes 2010

Kelly’s Korner: Show Us Your Life – Christmas Tour of Homes

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

I have a bit of a fascination with origins. 

Of anything and everything.

So recently when I was listening to Celtic Woman’s version of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” (which I happen to love), I began to wonder if the standard modern lyrics were original to the piece…or at least an accurate translation of the original lyrics.

Honestly, I wasn’t even certain that the original piece had lyrics…and even if it did, I wasn’t certain of the original language or if Johann Sebastian Bach had written them when he composed the piece or not.

Well, according to Wikipedia (which I’ll agree has its limitations, but sometimes proves quite helpful), the German lyrics to the 10th movement of the cantata in which this song appears (BWV 147) are as follows:

“Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
darum laß’ ich Jesum nicht
aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.”

Now, I must confess, I don’t know German, but thanks to Google Translate (among others…), the most literal translation of the above appears to be:

“Jesu, joy,

My heart [comfort] and juice,

Jesus all suffering,

He is my life;

My eyes [desire] and sun,

My precious soul and bliss;

Therefore, I do not let Jesus

From the heart and face.”

Take a moment to reflect on that translation. 

“Jesu…my juice.”  My essence.  My being.  “My life.”

Powerful stuff! 

I don’t know about you, but after spending some time pondering these original lyrics, this song has now taken on a whole new depth of meaning for me and I love it even more!

Especially during this Christmas season, may our hearts and faces never stray from Jesus Christ, our Joy, as our soul rests and rejoices in Him.

Emmanuel: Simple Meaning. Significant Message.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:14 (English Standard Version)

Around this time last year, I was in the middle of a seven month Bible Study on the book of Ephesians. We had just finished chapter 2, and had spent a significant amount of time discussing our identity in Christ, our position in Christ, our hope in Christ, and our oneness in Christ (specifically in regard to the unity between Jews and Gentiles) as He dwells with us, His church.

And perhaps because we were just beginning to enter the Christmas season, or perhaps because of one of my favorite Christmas songs, or perhaps simply because of the Holy Spirit’s prompting, for the first time, as I began to process and internalize the significant weight of its simple meaning, the familiar name “Emmanuel” became so much more than a name we sing about at Christmas.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”

Matthew 1:22-23 (ESV)

As we see in Matthew, the name Emmanuel simply means:

God with us.

But it is reasonable to assume that the Jewish audience to whom Matthew was writing already knew that. Not only would they have been able to recognize the familiar Hebrew name, Immanuel, they likely would have been familiar with the words of the prophet Isaiah.

And yet, the meaning of the name was important enough for Matthew to explicitly translate. Almost as if to guarantee that the significance would not be lost.

He was with us.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 (ESV)

As I began to ponder the depth of the name Emmanuel, I was overcome with a fresh realization that God, as the promised and prophesied incarnate Christ, dwelt among us. Not just as an eternal Godhead far beyond my understanding, not just as a spirit, and not just as a baby at Christmas, but He literally and physically became fully human (while still fully God) to be fully with us! Powerful stuff!

Considering the throne in heaven He left to be with us as the incarnate Christ, I cannot think of a more humble, personal, or intentional expression of unfailing love.

He is with us.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

But although he could not dwell among us in human form indefinitely, just prior to His ascension into heaven, Christ left us with the promise that He is still with us. A promise fulfilled through the Holy Spirit who dwells in the hearts of believers.

Although not a new concept (check out Deuteronomy 31:6 for an early example of this promise), when understood with the background of Emmanuel, the incarnate Christ, the truth that God is always with us has the potential to become a much greater and deeper reality.

He always will be with us.

“And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

Ezekiel 48:35 (ESV)

Lastly, we have the promise of the eternal Emmanuel when Christ has won the final battle over the enemy and time as we know it has ceased to exist. His presence, as God eternally with us, will not only define this new city, but will provide its very name. For a greater explanation of this promise, you may want to read the last few chapters of Revelation.

So as you are reminded of the name Emmanuel over the coming weeks, don’t just let it pass as an expression used at Christmas or as part of a familiar tune, but take a moment to pause and reflect on the truth and depth of

Emmanuel: God with us.

Dear MeMaw

[Note to PopPaw: I know you’ll see this first, but you may want to use that highly sophisticated intercom system we’re always talking about and go “holler up the stairs” before you read the rest.]

Dear MeMaw,

This post is just for you.

I was given an important photography assignment this weekend, and as a result, you will be excited to know that I have been authorized to make a very special announcement.

The moment you have been patiently waiting for has arrived:

Your quilt is done!

 

 

As if you expected anything less, the colors are beautiful, the details are amazing, and the hand-quilting is gorgeous!  Mom did a fabulous job (as usual…).

 

 

Now, I’m not sure exactly how or when you will be receiving the finished product, but although the photos do not do this quilt anywhere near the justice it deserves, we thought you might enjoy this “sneak peak” in the meantime.

 

 

Can’t wait to see you at Christmas.  Get ready for some homemade cinnamon rolls!

Love,

Emily