Baking

Christmas and baking go hand in hand. It seems like they've been together since the beginning! For hundreds of years, breads and cakes, cookies and pies have graced dining room tables whenever Jesus' birth is celebrated.

Long ago, Christmas Eve was a day of fasting. As a way of preparing themselves for Christmas, people didn't eat anything the entire day, so they were extremely hungry when they woke up on Christmas Day. For breakfast, porridge-a hot, thick, bland cereal-was served.

As time went on, creative wives and mothers began adding dried fruits, spices and honey to the porridge to make it a special Christmas morning treat. With all these extras, the mixture was thick and stiff, so the cooks wrapped it in a cloth and dunked it in a big pot of boiling water.

Voila! Christmas pudding!

Sometime during the sixteenth century, wheat flour replace the porridge. Eggs were added to hold the ingredients together, and the resulting treat became known as boiled plum cake. The English used the word plum to mean any dried fruit, so what we actually have here is the advent of fruitcake. (And I have a feeling there may be a few of the original fruitcakes still kicking around in the back of someones pantry.)

When the terms "bread" and "cake" became interchangeable, they called it fruit bread. At one point, ginger was added in remembrance of the gifts of the Magi. (Does this make fruitcake and gingerbread cousins?)

The word Bethlehem, which is the birthplace of Jesus, literally means "house of bread". In that humble town in Judea, a baby boy was born who would come to be known as the Bread of Life (see John 6:51). He nourishes us with hope and healing, with forgiveness and love. When you're in the home of a family who loves Jesus, you can almost smell it in the air - just as you can smell bread baking in the oven!

So as you're baking pumpkin pie, star-shaped cookies, or banana bread this season - Whatever wonderful smell is coming out of the oven - let it remind you of the Bread of Life who gave "Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for the sweet-smelling aroma" (Ephesians 5:2, NKJV).

~Here is one of the Springer's most loved Christmas treats that we enjoy every year. Happy Baking

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass dish). In a 13x9 inch baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter, pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Layer with remaining ingredients; press down firmly.

2. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered.

ENJOY!

Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus!

Santa lives at the North Pole...
JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year...
JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies...
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.

You have to wait in line to see Santa...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap...
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"...
JESUS knew our name before we were born. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly...
JESUS has a heart full of love

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO...
JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"...
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys...
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree...
JESUS became our gift and died on a tree...the cross.

We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Cold Winter Nights and Let-It-Snow Cocoa!!!

Well, I hate to admit it.......but the Weatherman (AKA my husband) says that we are about to be hit with the white stuff!!!!  Now, being from the south, I'm NOT a big fan of it at all.  In fact, I like to say that I'm allergic to snow.  I like how pretty it is before all the kids walk through it and all the cars make it that ugly shade of grey on the side of the road.  ICK!  Plus, being from the south.......I don't like to drive in it at all.  There is a running joke in Georgia that goes a little like this..........At the first sight of a single snow flake, all the grocery stores in the state will run out of milk, bread and toilet paper!  And they aren't kidding :)  Everything shuts down and no one will leave their houses until the white stuff is gone.

With all of that said, it's gonna get really cold.  There is nothing better on a cold winter's night than a nice warm mug of cocoa.  I made our first batch last night.  I don't want to toot my own horn (toot toot!!) but I think that I have the world's best recipe for hot chocolate.  Guaranteed to make your family think that you hung the moon!

I've had a request that I post my recipe online.  Now, I have to say this about my recipe, you can make regular chocolate hot chocolate or vanilla hot chocolate.  I personally like it either way.  Ryan on the other hand says that the regular chocolate hot chocolate rocks.  :)  He's not biased or anything!  So, here ya go.  Here is my recipe for "Let-It-Snow Cocoa".

Let-It-Snow Cocoa

2 c. whipping cream
6 c. milk
1 tsp.  vanilla extract
12-oz. pkg. white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips (Very important to use Milk Chocolate not Semi-Sweet)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Stir well to blend before serving. Makes 10 servings.

The Wonder Of Christmas!

This is the wonder of Christmas: that God chose to send our deliverer to earth in the form of a baby. The offspring who would crush the serpent's head, so long ago promised to Eve, is promised again in Isaiah as He who would be the light of the world, but He is given to us as a child! Against all the forces of evil arrayed against Him the Christ arrives among us as a newborn baby, and yet He is a King. He would grow and live His life as we do, with the same cares and concerns but overcoming all trials and defeating all attempts by the prince of darkness to pervert Him, to become our perfect sacrifice and ultimately our King in glory, so that you and I, as we celebrate our own Christmas, may look forward to the promised inheritance that awaits us in glory...all because of the birth of a Child.

~The picture above is of my little Jackson!  He was in awe of our Christmas tree :)  He is 17 months old.

The Legend of The Christmas Tree!

As the story goes, a professor named Martin Luther was walking alone through a forest one December night in the early 1500's. As he made his way home, the stars seemed to twinkle with an unusual brightness against the velvety blackness of the clear night sky. In fact, when he passed under the rustling branches of the evergreens, it seemed to him that miniature stars were dancing in the trees all around him.

It wasn't the sudden gust of cold wind that took the professor's breath away; it was the unexpected wave of worship that caused him to shiver. Luther was overwhelmed by the awesome beauty of God's creation.

The legend goes on to tell how Luther chopped down a small fir tree and set it up in his family's living area. He desperately wanted to somehow capture that moment in the starlit forest. Yet as he attempted to describe the beauty he had seen, words completely failed him.

Suddenly Luther had an idea. He went through his house and gathered up all the burning candles. One by one, he carefully placed them on the branches of the tree, and the little fir in the middle of the Luther home began to dance with twinkling lights. This wise papa's plan had worked! The Luther children's eyes were suddenly opened to the meaning of Psalm 19:1: " The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship."



My Very Own Christmas Tree:

Purchase a small Christmas tree and place it in your child's room. Together string a strand of Christmas lights around the tree. This will not only be her/his special tree but it will also act as a night-light during the holiday season. Morgan has her own Christmas tree. :)

And The Stockings Were Hung.....

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there"

There was a kindly nobleman whose wife had died of an illness leaving the nobleman and his three daughters in despair. After losing all his money in useless and bad inventions the family had to move into a peasant's cottage, where the daughters did their own cooking, sewing and cleaning.

When it came time for the daughters to marry, the father became even more depressed as his daughters could not marry without dowries, money and property given to the new husband's family.

One night after the daughters had washed out their clothing they hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. That night Saint Nicholas, knowing the despair of the father, stopped by the nobleman's house. Looking in the window Saint Nicholas saw that the family had gone to bed. He also noticed the daughters stockings. Inspiration struck Saint Nicholas and he took three small bags of gold from his pouch and threw them one by one down the chimney and they landed in the stockings.

The next morning when the daughters awoke they found their stockings contained enough gold for them to get married. The nobleman was able to see his three daughters marry and he lived a long and happy life.

Children all over the world continue the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings.

 In some countries children have similar customs, in France the children place their shoes by the fireplace, a tradition dating back to when children wore wooden peasant shoes.

In Holland the children fill their shoes with hay and a carrot for the horse of Sintirklass. In Hungary children shine their shoes before putting them near the door or a window sill.

Italian children leave their shoes out the night before Epiphany, January 5, for La Befana the good witch. And in Puerto Rico children put greens and flowers in small boxes and place them under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings.

New Holiday Favorite!!!

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I did some shopping!  SURPRISE....I know :)  While in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, I got to visit the Williams Sonoma store.  This is one of my favorite stores to shop for all things kitchen.  While browsing around I came across these cleaning products.  Oh My Goodness!!!!  They smell soooooo good :)  And the good thing about them is that they are made with all natural products.  I actually bought the Winter Forest set whice includes Hand Soap, Hand Lotion, Dish Soap and a Countertop Spray.  Every thing smells like a Christmas Tree.  I actually love to fill the sink with water and the dish soap just so the my kitchen will smell like a big ol' wonderful fresh cut Christmas tree!

They also sell a set that smells like Peppermint (loved it too....almost bought both!) and another set smells like Chestnuts.  You'll have to check out their website  http://www.williams-sonoma.com/ 

I hope that ya'll had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends that we haven't seen in a very long time.  It was good to get back to Oklahoma......but my allergies were saying ,"Girl, you better get home quick before we kick your butt"!  I forgot how much "junk" is in the air in Oklahoma :(

Well, I'm working on getting the house in order for Christmas.  As soon as the tree is up and all the decorations are in place, I'll take pictures!

Laundry, Layouts And A New Laptop

Well, our Christmas vacation has come to an end. I can't tell ya how hard it is to leave home every year and head back to Champaign. As we back down the long driveway at my dad's house, I always get that huge lump in my throat and fight back the tears. I tend to be a bit weepy all the way to the Georgia/Tennessee line. But, I usually shake it off by the time we get to the the north side of Chattanooga. Reality hits me between the eyes by then!

With the end of vacation always comes the ominous mountain of laundry. You know, the dirty clothes always tend to make their way in with the clean. Just how does this happen? So, in order to make sure that you get ALL of the dirty clothes clean you realize that you MUST wash everything. Ugggggggg. Laundry and I tend to go round and round in a vicious circle.

Ryan got me a new laptop computer for Christmas so he has been transferring all of my STUFF from the other computer to the new. I didn't realize just how much STUFF I had on the other computer. Of course, I also have had to endure the lectures on how laptops work and all of that techie stuff that Ryan insists that I know. I just smile and say, yes Ryan you have already told me that like 10 times now. I get it!

As you can tell, I have changed the background of the blog. Out with the old and in with the new! Now I need to work on the music portion. I really don't think that you want to hear Christmas music going into the new year. I sure don't!

Well, better get back to the massive mountain of laundry. I think that I need a maid for 2009! RIGHT!

Santa Claus

Once upon a time, in about the third century, in the city of Myra in modern-day Turkey, there was a young man named Nicholas. As a lad, Nicholas loved God and at an early age showed signs of becoming a strong Christian leader. By the time he was a teenager, he was often called the "Boy Bishop" and was greatly loved by everyone in the community.

Nicholas's family was very wealthy, and from the moment he received his inheritance, Nicholas began to give it away to the poor and needy. He especially loved to give gifts to children, though he always did it secretly. The best-known tale of his generosity involves three young sisters who were too poor to pay their wedding dowries. Nicholas wanted to help, but he didn't want to receive any credit for the act of charity.

Legend has it that Nicholas climbed onto the roof of their house and threw a gold coin down the chimney. The coin landed in the oldest girl's stocking as it was hanging beside the fireplace to dry. The second daughter's dowry was provided in the same mysterious way. So when the time came for the youngest girl to be married, her father hid himself on the roof and waited. Nicholas's secret was revealed, and he was loved even more than before.

Hundreds of years later, this good bishop was declared Saint Nicholas, pronounced Sinter Klass by the Dutch. Today, he is known far and wide as Santa Claus.

You may also have heard the name Kris Kringle. This comes from the Dutch work Christkindl, meaning "Christ child." Although this name is often used interchangeably with Santa Claus, it was originally created in an attempt to refocus people's attention on Jesus as the real gift-giver.

The truth is that Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, and Kris Kringle all reveal the giving heart of God, who is the original Father Christmas.

The Wise Men

Who ever said there were three of them? Or that they were at the stable with the shepherds? Or that they were even kings? A popular Christmas carol makes its vote clear: "We three kings of Orient are bearing gifts..." The Bible, however, never refers to the Mgi as kings, and they most likely journeyed from Persia rather than from what we now think of as the Orient.

Now, before you saw the crowns off your Nativity figurines, you should understand that certain Old Testament prophecies suggest this interpretation. However, when Matthew tells the story, he never calls them kings - and he doesn't call them by name, either.

The Gospel of Matthew refers to these travelers as "wise men" or "Magi," translated from the Greek word magoi - from which we get our word magician. But don't think card tricks and bunnies pulled from top hats here! These magicians were priests, powerful men of great wealth who counseled the kings of the Medo-Persian Empire.

So where did the "three wise men" story get started? That's likely a presumption based on the fact that three gifts were presented to Jesus. Which brings up yet another misconception. The Magi were not even present in the original manger scene. By the time they brought their baby shower gifts to the party, Jesus was probably close to two years old.

And what strange gifts they were!

Gold? Frankincense? Myrrh? A gold rattle, perhaps, or a little gold baby spoon. But who would bring spices to a toddler? Let's see if we can clear that one up.

Gold signified royalty and acknowledges Christ as the King of kings Frankincense was used in worship and denotes the deity of Jesus. Myrrh was most commonly used in preparation for burial and represents the death of the Son of Man, who would rise to sit at the right hand of the Father as the Son of God.

Who would give such strange gifts to a baby? Wise men would.

Nativity Scenes

The Nativity scene, also referred to as the creche, or crib, is the symbol of Christmas. It illustrates the night of Jesus' birth and the beginning of His-story. But we know that God wrote this story long before the first Christmas Eve.

From the moment when Adam and Eve sinned, mankind was seperated from God. This broke the Father's heart, and so immediately He set the plan in motion to send His Son, the Messiah, to restore the Father's relationship with His children - because this relationship is the reason He created us in the first place.
Like and father who has an extra-special present already wrapped and ready to give to his children, God could hardly wait to give the gift of His Son to the world. But just like the dreaded sticker reads, "Do not open 'til Christmas," God chose to wait until the fulfillment of time. That didn't mean He couldn't drop a few hints along the way. Throughout Scripture we see that God revealed bits and pieces of the big surprise to His children. Even not knowing all the details, they knew enough to get excited. Because of this, the children of Isreal knew that God was going to send the Messiah to redeem His people. The Scriptures revealed that the child would be born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, and would be a decendant of their beloved King David. Some believed that other Old Testament passages may have pointed to the star of Bethlehem and the gifts of the Magi.
Can you see how many of the pieces in the nativity scene illustrates a fulfillment of prophecy? The stable in Bethlehem, Mary the virgin mother, Joseph the direct descendant of David, the star, the wise men bearing gifts from the East, and, of course , the baby Jesus.
The the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12, NKJV).

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Many years ago, a candy maker wanted to make a candy at Christmas time that would serve as a witness to his Christian faith. He wanted to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus.

He began with a stick of pure white hard candy; white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus; hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church; firmness to represent the promise of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. He thought it could also represent the staff of the Good Shepherd, with which he reached down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane — a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the true meaning is still there for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Immunizations & Crazy Cold Weather

Sorry that I am posting so late this evening. I had to take my sweet little Jackson to the doctor today for his 6 month well-baby visit and immunizations. I just hate those days. I have dreaded it all weekend. There is just nothing more that can upset me than to see my sweet, happy smiling little boy happy one second and then the look of total pain and shock the next. I don't know who cried more, me or Jackson. I will say this, he didn't cry as long this time as he did his last set of shots. Dummy me, I forgot to give him Tylenol before we left for his appointment. By the time we got home this afternoon, you could just tell that he didn't feel well. Sweet baby is sleeping well at the moment. I just hope that he will sleep all night.

The weather is CRAZY cold! Yesterday we could go outside without a jacket, today it is below freakin zero with the windchill. I can't wait until Sunday so that we can drive south and thaw! I'm really hoping that Atlanta has nice weather while we are there. After enduring the last few winters here in the frozen tundra, we deserve some warm weather at Christmas. Ryan says that we should warm up to the upper 30's by Thursday. Thanks! Nice heat wave!

Well, better run. Need to finish up a few things before it is time for bed. I promise more Christmas meanings to come............Stay tuned!

Christmas Dinner

Jesus was always inviting Himself over for a meal - and what a dinner guest He was! You never knew quite what to expect when He stepped through the door. You might witness a miracle between the first course and the second. You might hear, for better or worse, surprising truths about yourself. You might find yourself serving a ragtag cast of characters from the other side of the tracks. One time Jesus even provided the wine - 180 gallons of it!

One of His last acts before He died was to break bread with the people closest to Him. Today we remember His death on the cross for our sins when we drink the cup and eat the bread of Communion.

Knowing all this about Jesus, we shouldn't be surprised that the first celebration of His birth was a feast - specifically, the Feast of the Nativity, which originated in Rome during the fourth century. Although there are no records of such a feast in the early church, and you won't find it in the Bible, it isn't out of character with either. The Old Testament brims with feasts designed by God and given to His people. And as we've seen in the New Testament accounts of His life, Jesus loved to eat with His friends. (Sounds like a pretty good endorsement for feasting to me.)

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, tells us that the great banquet will be one of the first things we experience together in heaven. As one angel put it, "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Do you know how to get invited to the party? Jesus said, "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends" (Revelation 3:20).

As you sit at the table for Christmas dinner and thank God for the food, remember Jesus. If you've invited Him to step through the door and be Lord of your life, what better time to do it than at Christmas? It's His birthday, and - from then on and forever - it will be your, too.

~ (Here is an all time favorite drink at the Springer's house at Christmas)

I can't imagine that Wassail was not served at the very first Feast of the Nativity. Even if it wasn't, we can still serve it at our Christmas feast.

CHRISTMAS WASSAIL

1 gal. apple cider

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 6oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 6oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Combine 2 cups of the apple cider with the allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a large Dutch oven or Crock Pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining cider, brown sugar, lemonade, and orange juice to the hot mixture, stirring well to dissolve the sugar, heat until very hot (do not boil). Makes 41/2 quarts.

Enjoy! :)

The 12 Days of Christmas

I know you've heard of Chrismas cookies and Christmas carols, but have you ever heard of Christmas code? It just may be that the song "The Tweleve Days of Christmas" is really about more than partridges and golden rings.
For nearly three hundred years, it was against the law in England to be a member of the Catholic church. Well, that didn't keep Catholic parents from wanting to teach their children about God, but in order to do so they had to be creative.
And here, once again, is where we leave the world of certain history and move into the misty realms of legend. As the story goes, several of these concerned parents got together and wrote "The Twelve Days of Christmas." They used a secret code hidden in the song to teach their children about the things of God. Let me crack the code for you!
"My true love" represents God, who gives all the gifts listed in the song.
"A partridge in a pear tree" is Jesus, who gave His life on a tree (the cross).
"Two turtle doves" symbolizes the Old and New Testaments.
"Three French Hens" are faith, hope, and love.
"Four calling birds" speak of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
"Five golden rings: correspond to the first five books of the Bible, also-known as the Pentateuch.
"Six geese a-laying" stand for the six days of creation.
"Seven swans a-swimming" are the seven gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6-8).
"Eight maids a-milking" point to the eight beatitudes (Matthew 5: 3-10).
"Nine ladies dancing" signify the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
"Ten lords a-leaping" represent the Ten Commandments.
"Eleven pipers piping" are the eleven faithful disciples. And finally.....
"Twelve drummers drumming" call to mind the twelve points of the Apostle's Creed.
Learning this song would help the children remember some important facts about Christianity. Best of all, they could sing it publicly! When they did they declaired their allegiance to the King of kings.

Opening Presents

Traditions! At no other time of the year are traditions more important than at Christmastime. A tradition is like a secret password that allows you into the club and tells you that you belong to something bigger than yourself. Traditions bind people together as family, church, nation, or culture.

Some Christmas customs and rituals cross cultural lines; others define them. In Australia, Santa's sleigh is pulled by eight white kangaroos. In Finland, it is traditional to take a sauna bath before Santa's visit. In Spain, Papa Noel delivers presents by climbing up balconies. And in New Zealand, Christmas is in summer, so families head to the beach for a yule-"tide" picnic.

When and how to open gifts is another traditions that varies world over. Should presents be opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Do you put them under the tree or hide them in the branches? Are they wrapped or unwrapped? One thing is certain: In the end, it doesn't really matter how a present is opened as long as it is opened.

What if you had put a lot of thought into finding the perfect present to give someone you love very much? This gift cost you more than anybody could ever know, but to you, this person was worth it. Now how would you feel if the one you adore never opened the gift, or refused to even receive it?

God gave the gift of His Son, Jesus, to you. Have you opened your heart to receive Him as your Savior? The Bible says, "It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you"(1 Corinthians 11:2, The Message). This Christmas, it would please the Lord if you would open the gift He has given you.

You don't even have to wait until Christmas. :)

(The above picture is of my mom and my sister Jennifer. Christmas 1980. Jenn was 4 years old.)

The Colors Of Christmas

When we think of Christmas, we often paint a picture in our minds with strokes of green and red against a canvas of white, with a touch of silver and gold here and there. Why are these colors most commonly associated with Christmas? Who was the first artist to choose these hues from their palette? It was God. It is He who paints the seasons with colors.

Think about it. Which colors come to mind when someone mentions Easter? Azalea pink, lavender iris, buttercup yellow? The most common colors of springtime in bloom. The same is true for Thanksgiving, when we decorate with pumpkin orange, roasted-turkey brown, and maple-leaf red. At Christmastime, God decorates the world with splashes of holly and berries set against a backdrop of snow - with a flash of the sun reflecting in an icicle, just for dramatic effect.

God uses the language of color to help His people understand eternal truths. "Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool'"(Isaiah 1:18, NIV).

Over the years, tradition has ascribed special meaning to the colors of Christmas. Green suggests life - the eternal "ever-green" life we have in Christ. Red recalls the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for us. White speaks of the purity of the spotless Lamb. Gold celebrates the divine nature of God's Son and reminds us that He is the great King. Silver commemorates the price that was paid for His betrayal - and our redemption from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

As we decorate this Christmas, let the green of the wreath, the red of the poinsettia, the white of the snowman, the gold of the trumpet, and the silver of the tinsel remind us of the Master Painter and prompt us to praise Him for His creative us of color in our world.

(The picture above is of my mother and myself. Christmas 1971. I was 8 months old.)

The ADVENTure of Christmas

I was given a book a few years ago for Christmas. I always put it out on the side table next to the couch because the cover is just so cute and festive this time of the year. I picked it up this evening and was thumbing through it and realized that I should share some of the things in the book with you. So, over the next few days I'll be posting a few things that I thought were interesting. The book is called, "The ADVENTure of Christmas ~ Helping children find Jesus in our holiday traditions": Written by Lisa Whelchel

I so want to instill the things that I have learned from this little book in my children as they grow up. Only to pass these learning's on to their children. And so on , and so on. I wish that I would have been taught these little tales as I was growing up and was being taught what Christmas really means. I just hope that you too are inspired to pass these little nuggets of knowledge on to your children as well. Happy reading!

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

It is said that in the seventh century a zealous young English missionary was the first person to use the evergreen tree as a symbol for God. Winfrid, who would later become known as Saint Boniface, used the tree as an object lesson. He taught that each point on the triangular-shaped tree represented a different person of the Holy Trinity --Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Legend has it that one day Winfrid came upon a group of men offering a sacrifice to an oak tree as an act of worship. So angered was he by this idolatry that Winfrid swung his ax and felled the oak tree with one mighty blow. According to the tale, a fir tree eventually grew from the stump of the oak. Struck by this occurrence, the missionary proclaimed that the tiny new tree represented Jesus' victory over death on the cross and and the eternal life mad available to us by the King of kings.

The Christmas tree is a beautiful reminder of why Jesus was born in the first place-to die for you and me. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24, NIV). As we put up the Christmas tree in our homes, it can only deepen our joy if we remember His death at this time of His birth. It is because He died for us that we can receive the eternal life represented by the evergreen boughs.

Have you ever noticed that the boughs of your tree extend out like the arms of Jesus stretched out upon the cross as He offered His life to anyone who would come to Him in faith? And your Christmas tree is very definitely pointing toward heaven and, as Jesus did with His words and actions, drawing our attention to the Father who loves us.

So, when you stand before your Christmas tree, stand tall, as the tree does, and be a witness for Jesus. Let it direct your attention to the Father above. Fix your eyes on Jesus, then open your arms wide to touch others with His Spirit of love. Then you, too, will be pointing people toward heaven- and to life beyond the power of death.

Christmas a go-go!

Well, looks like Christmas is in full gear here at the Springer house. Ryan finally got down all of the Christmas "stuff" from the attic, so now it's time to decorate. Morgan (bless her little heart) actually put all of the Christmas balls on the tree by herself last night. She did a really good job too! Ryan and I both were so busy with other things that we just didn't have time to help with that part of the tree decorating. Funny how having a 5 month old can throw a kink in your plans.

I am going to be putting up all of the other decorations today while little guy is down for his naps. Let just see how much I really get done. You just never know how long he is going to sleep. That has become a guessing game around here!

I have only bought a few gifts so far. I'm usually that last person running around one of the malls in Atlanta Christmas Eve. Retailers must really hate me. They want to get home to their families to enjoy their Christmas Eve festivities and there is that ding-dong who waits until almost closing who can't seem to make up her mind. Yep! That would be me! Sorry about that all of you retail people. I promise to do my very best this year to get out of the mall by noon. Right!!!!!!!!!

Ok, well I guess I better get at it folks. I'll try to get Ryan to take a picture of the end result so that ya'll can see the final outcome. Until then, Happy Decorating!