Christmas Treasury 2004
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>
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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HOPE CHEST!
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Dear Hope Chest friends,
This Christmas Treasury is a bunch of tidbits culled from several holiday issues I have done in past years. I think you'll enjoy them.
I also wanted to pass along a web site that my friend Mary Lou Graham sent to me. It is a Christmas quiz with several questions about holiday traditions, then leads into the last question which is something like: "If Santa was going over his list, would you be marked as naughty or nice?" There is an answer key on the back which presents the Gospel message clearly. http://www.livingwaters.com/christmas/#quiz
Virginia Knowles
In this Christmas Treasury, you will find...
- CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
- THE PARADOX by Virginia Knowles
- WHO IS THIS MAN JESUS?
- SHEPHERDS TALE
- SANTA VERSUS JESUS by unknown author
- A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR JESUS by Valerie Frazier
- CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESE BALL RECIPE
- A CROSS CULTURAL CHRISTMAS (2001)
- HOPE CHEST CONTACT INFORMATION
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES
by Virginia Knowles
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Taking a trip through old photo albums evokes childhood Christmas memories for me. One year, when we lived in the Midwest, we traveled to Grandma and Grandpa Hess Pennsylvania homestead. We all had the chicken pox, but we had so much fun playing with our many cousins in the teepee that the grownups had constructed in the living room. In the guest room with pull-down Murphy beds, Grandma always kept a drawer full of toys for our visits. I can just smell the wood furnace, taste the fresh peas from Grandpas garden that we would shell on the porch, hear the cuckoo clock, and feel the leaves crackling under my feet as I tromped through the woods out to the smooth boulder where I received the gift of the Savior in 1976.
Christmas 1968 holds the memory of the little red wagon Mom and Dad gave me. I must have been in the pretty princess stage of childhood, because I instantly rejected it as being for a boy. My Mom, perennial fount of wisdom, merely smiled and responded that SHE would be glad to have my red wagon. She piled her own Christmas presents into it, climbed aboard in her short plaid skirt, and scooted into the kitchen. Oh, how that kindled my desire to have it back! And of course she gave it to me.
Whatever fond Christmas memories you cherish, this year I ask God to bless you with close relationships, a heart of service, and the thrill of discovering anew, with a childs heart, the Reason for the Season.
THE PARADOX by Virginia Knowles
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Come, see where He lays,
Good Shepherd and Little Lamb
King of Kings and Servant of All
Prophet and Prophecy Fulfilled
Physician and Wounded One
High Priest and Atoning Sacrifice
Counselor and Rejected One
Builder and Foundation Stone
Righteous Judge and Condemned Prisoner
Ancient of Days and Newly-born Babe
God and Man
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WHO IS THIS MAN JESUS?
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Jesus is a paradox, a seeming contradiction in terms. Who is he? What is his nature? And why did he come? If you have ever wondered how to understand or explain the mystery of Jesus, I invite you to look up the following passages, which correspond line by line to the facets expressed in the poem, The Paradox.
- John 10: 11 / John 1:29
- Revelation 19:16 / Mark 10:43-45, Philippians 2:7
- Luke 7:16 / Matthew 1:22, Luke 4:16-21 (Isaiah 61:1-3)
- Matthew 15:29-31 / Isaiah 53:4-6
- Hebrews 7:23-28 / Hebrews 9:11-14, 10:19-22
- Isaiah 9:6 / Isaiah 53:3, John 10:22-33
- Hebrews 3:3, Matthew 16:18 / 1 Peter 2:4-9
- John 8:1-11, Acts 10:42-43, Acts 17:30-31 / Mark 14:60-65
- Daniel 7:13-14 / Luke 2:8-20
- John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:19-20 / 1 Timothy 2:5, Romans 1:1-4
Eminent British author and Cambridge professor, C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), was an atheist determined to refute the claims of Christianity. In the process, he came face to face with the inescapable truth about Jesus Christ. He became an ardent believer and penned such works as Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy (autobiography), and of course, the beloved allegorical Chronicles of Narnia in which Aslan the Lion represents Jesus.
The same rather maddening -- and liberating -- thing happened to American Josh McDowell, author of More Than a Carpenter and Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Josh McDowell quotes C.S. Lewis in asserting that Jesus is either Lord, liar or lunatic. He cannot merely be a Good Teacher. Either he was who he claimed to be, or he cruelly deceived those who trusted in him, or he had the sanity of a scrambled egg. And each of us is ultimately and eternally accountable for who we believe Jesus to be.
As Lewis wrote in A Grief Observed, You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldnt you then first discover how much you really trusted it? ... Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief.
The glorious promise of John 1:12 is this: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. This Christmas season, may we receive the greatest gift of all -- Jesus.
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SHEPHERDS TALE
by Virginia Knowles
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A prayer I make to stay awake,
To watch the sheep safe in my keep,
When I should see, in front of me,
An angel bright in darkest night.
Be not afraid! the angel bade.
Good news of joy! A baby boy
Is born today, on bed of hay.
The Savior mild, the Lords a child!
Now in the sky the angels fly,
And gladly sing of newborn King.
Give God high praise, hosannas raise,
And peace on earth through Jesus birth!
All shepherds know that they should go,
To follow them to Bethlehem.
Where baby rests is not the best,
A scratchy stall holds Lord of All.
But God above sends Gift of Love.
Forgiving sin, he lives within.
Now spread the word, till all have heard
Amazing story, to God be glory!
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SANTA VERSUS JESUS
Unknown author
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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!
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A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR JESUS
by Valerie Frazier
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Aside from a Christian background and a stable home where love and discipline go hand in hand to shape their values, one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to create family traditions. These simple experiences, which occur year after year, develop valuable memories. Id like to share just one of our Christmas traditions with you.
Because Christmas is Jesus' Birthday, we celebrate it like we would anyone else's. But His birthday cake has special symbolic meaning.
1. The shape of the cake is round representing God's unending love for us.
a. Bottom Layer - BLACK (Chocolate) representing the fact that all men have sinned. This is the reason Jesus came to earth.
b. Center Layer - RED (Red Velvet, Strawberry or Cherry flavored with red food coloring) symbolizing Jesus' blood that was shed for our sin.
c. Top Layer - GREEN (Pistachio flavor with green coloring) denoting the new life we have in Christ after our sins have been washed away.
2. The frosting is pure WHITE standing for the righteousness and purity of Christ.
3. A border of RED hearts stands for the brothers and sister united in
Christ circling the earth as His witnesses.
4. On the top is a GOLD (or Yellow) star typifying the star that shone
heralding His birth and lighting the way to where it had taken place. This should be a six-pointed Star of David. Six is the number of man that showed us that the Grace of God includes us all - not only the Jewish people whose Messiah is our Savior.
5. In the center of the top is one large RED candle representing Jesus who came into the dark world to bring it light and truth.
We gather around with the cake in the center and each person is given a smaller GREEN candle. Dad or Mom reads the Christmas story out of Luke, or some of the children who have memorized it recite it. Then we light the large RED candle and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.
After everyone takes their smaller GREEN candle and light it from the middle one representing Jesus, they put it in the top of the cake. This represents the fact that we all are to be the light of the world. We sing "Silent Night". Someone prays, thanking God for sending His Son. We blow out the candles and proceed with our Christmas Celebration.
If you haven't created a family tradition such as this, now is the time.
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CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESE BALL RECIPE
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Mary and I went to a "Homes for Christmas" event sponsored by the ladies' ministry at our church last year, and one recipe we sampled was so delicious that Mary made it to take to a friend's surprise birthday party. It's not exactly the healthiest recipe in the world, but yummy! To cut down on calories, you can try a reduced fat cream cheese like Neuchatel. This recipe came from Charity Bianchi.
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter (no substitute)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- graham crackers
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A CROSS-CULTURAL CHRISTMAS (2001)
by Virginia Knowles
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When I think about the winter holidays, I know that much of our behavior is determined by our own culture: the stories we are told, the music we hear in the malls, the expectations of our family and friends, the decorating habits of our neighbors, whats hot at the toy store... Ours is largely a culture of materialism, with a "gimme" mentality so prevalent about this time of year. I dont know how many of you admonish your children, "Its the people, not the presents, that count!" It seems like I say the same thing over and over again each year. Yet each year countless moms and dads like me still get sucked into the rat race of endless rounds of Christmas shopping for people who may or may not be satisfied with the results. This can cause such tension in many families!
After I think about my own American Christmas experience, my thoughts turn to a more cross-cultural perspective. It sure is fun to try out holiday foods, crafts, decorations and activities which are popular in other lands. The Christmas season can offer a treasure trove of geography and history ideas for home school families! Our local library has lots of books about Christmas customs around the world. It would be interesting to do a little study on which elements of the holiday are universal, and which are ethnic or regional. This might change our perceptions about what is necessary for "doing Christmas right." Could we try something different for once?
But this is all earthy stuff, a mere shadow of the reality. As John Bunyan, the 17th century English theologian, wrote: "The love of our Lord Jesus Christ to poor sinners, prevailed with him to lay aside his glory, to leave the heavenly place, to clothe himself with flesh, to be born in a stable, to be laid in a manger, to live a poor life in the world, to take upon him our sorrows, our infirmities, our pains, our sins, our curse, and the wrath that was due to man; and all this he did for a base, undeserving, unthankful people, yea, that were at enmity with him."
Talk about culture shock! (I guess God could handle this just fine, but it sure would throw me for a loop!) Why did he come? To die on the CROSS for our sins, and to call us to the true "CROSS culture" laid out in Matthew 16:24: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
I am so grateful for the many dear believers in Jesus who have been such a shining example of this to me, and I only hope that this will be at the heart of our holidays this year.
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