As the day of massive giving fast approaches, I am thinking about giving…what I have to give…what I want to give and what I am able to give…learning about giving and what it really means is on my mind today.
I can..
Give Hope
Give Love
Give Joy
Give In
Give Back
Give a Little…
Give a Lot…
Understanding…yourself and others…
“Annunciation” by Fra Angelico, 1450
I keep a copy of these words of wisdom in my prayerbook…I read them each morning…I do my best to live it…during the Christmas Season I encourage you to do the same…
This Christmas…
Mend a quarrel…
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust…
Write a love letter…
Share some treasure…
Give a soft answer…
Encourage youth…
Keep a promise…
Find the time…
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed…
Forgo a grudge…
Forgive an enemy…
Listen…
Apologize if you are wrong…
Try to understand…
Flout envy…
Examine your demands on others…
Think first of someone else…
Appreciate…
Be kind…
Be gentle…
Laugh a little…
Laugh a little more…
Deserve confidence…
Take up arms against malice…
Decry complacency…
Express your gratitude…
Go to church…
Welcome a stranger…
Gladden the heart of a child…
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth…
Speak your love…
Speak it again…
Speak it still once again….
“This Christmas” December 1959 issue of McCall’s magazine, written by the editors.
“Dream of St. Joseph” by Rembrandt, c. 1650
12 of My Favorite Things About Christmas…
Please play along…share yours
“Legend of St Francis: 13. Institution of the Crib at Greccio” by Giotto (1297-1300). This fresco commemorates one of the oldest living nativity scenes organized by St. Francis.
- Advent and the birth of my Savior…each Christmas eve I place six white roses by the nativity creche at my church so there will be something to welcome and honor Him into this world…symbolically…
- Midnight Mass…
- Placing baby Jesus in the manger Christmas morning…
- Doing some acts of kindness anonymously…
- Buying presents for my church’s angel tree… and lest you think me a saint-I am not…
- Talking to all my children on the phone Christmas day…
- A Christmas Night of Lights (Lake Lanier, Calloway Gardens, my hometown, etc.)
- The Christmas Parade of Boats on the Intercoastal Waterway…photo by http://www.ruscelli.com/night_photography_creative.htm
- My pink Christmas tree in California…
- Christmas morning champagne breakfast with Chip and Susie…see video here…scroll down to The Beach House
- Christmas Eve dinner and festivities in California…
- Playing Christmas carols on my dulcimers…
- My undecorated Christmas tree…
- Baking cookies and bread and making fudge…
- Dancing in the Nutcracker…
- The Christmas Eve Luminaries in my hometown of Ravenswood, WV photo http://www.aoc.nrao.edu
- The Christmas I was in the hospital and all my family was crowded into my room…
- Watching my children open their gifts…
- My mother’s white fudge…
- Watching my father decorate the tree and the house…and his gifts of money inside a walnut…how did he do that???
- Rushing downstairs in the early morning to open presents…
- The Christmas I got Mr. Muffin…
- My grandfather singing carols…
The Ghost of Christmas Present, a colored version of the original illustration by John Leech (1843) - Remembering Christmas past…and holding those thoughts dear…
An actual manger (feed and water trough) found in an archaeological site in Israel (Megiddo). This could well be the sort of “bed” that cradled the infant Jesus. Image courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org.
A scene from the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Okay I know I did two sets of 12, but once I started thinking about it…I could not stop…I have been very blessed with a full and glorious life…with much to remember…
some images from www.markdroberts.com
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