All is calm,
all is bright.
My sweet and wonderful friends,
Christmas is almost here.
Can you feel the joy,
the excitement,
the anticipation?
How I love the twinkling Christmas lights,
the smell of cookies baking in the oven,
the cozy nights sitting by the Christmas tree
while the snow gently falls to the ground.
How I love curling up by the fire
with a charming Christmas story,
playing family games late into the evening,
and seeing the joyful smiles of others
when they wish you "Merry Christmas."
While I love all of these things,
the most precious thing I love about Christmas
is the celebration of the birth of our Savior.
It's truly a delightful time of the year,
isn't it, my friends?
'Tis a joyous season. . .
one filled with rejoicing.
Even the angels sang and rejoiced
over the newborn King.
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
- - Charles Wesley - -
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
See Him in a manger laid
Jesus Lord of heaven and earth;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
With us sing our Savior’s birth.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
- - French Carol - -
And she brought forth her firstborn son,
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,
and laid him in a manger;
because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
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, good will toward men.
- - Luke 2:7-14 - -
There's a song in the air!
There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer
and a baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire
while the beautiful sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem
cradles a King!
There's a tumult of joy
o'er the wonderful birth,
for the virgin's sweet boy
is the Lord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains its fire
while the beautiful sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem
cradles a King!
- - Josiah G. Holland - -
What a beautiful scene is drawn for us
in this joyful Christmas hymn!
As we visualize once more
the glorious chorus of angels,
the brilliant star,
and Mary watching over her babe
in the lowly manger,
we feel like joining the "heavenly throng"
in their "tumult of joy"
to greet our Savior and King!
- - Kenneth W. Osbeck - -
Sing, my friends!
Sing with exuberance!
Sing as though you were actually joining
the angels in their song that continues to ring.
The shepherds had an angel
The wise men had a star
But what have I, a little child,
To guide me from far,
Where glad stars sing together
And singing angels are?
Christ watches me, His little lamb,
Cares for me day and night,
That I may be His own in heaven;
So angels clad in white
Shall sing their "Glory, glory"
For my sake in the height.
- - Christina Rossetti - -
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
- - John Wade - -
Are you feeling the Christmas JOY,
sweet friends?
It's contagious!
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
- - Isaac Watts - -
Did you know that Joy to the World
is a paraphrase of the last part of Psalm 98:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD,
all the earth: make a loud noise,
and rejoice, and sing praise...
Let the floods clap their hands:
let the hills be joyful together
Before the LORD;
for he cometh to judge the earth:
with righteousness shall he judge the world,
and the people with equity.
- - Psalm 98:4, 8-9 - -
Although it was originally a song of rejoicing
for Jehovah's protection of His chosen people
and the anticipation of the time
when He would be the God of the whole earth,
this psalm was intended by Watts
to be a New Testament expression of praise.
It exalts the salvation that began when God became incarnate
as the Babe of Bethlehem
who was destined to remove the curse of Adam's fall.
The text was originally titled
"The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom"
when it first appeared in a hymnal of 1719
by Isaac Watts.
- - Kenneth W. Osbeck - Amazing Grace - -
Sweet friends,
I hope this post has brought you much joy.
I hope you are rejoicing over the birth of Jesus.
What a precious, precious gift we have been given.
The time has come for me to take a break from my blog
to enjoy this blessed Christmas Season with my family.
It is my hope that you have a lovely Christmas
filled with love and tender moments.
We celebrate at Christmas
that Christ was
BORN,
but also that He
LIVED.
- - Craig Christensen - -
Love and hugs to you, friends.
Merry Christmas!