As those of old have sung...

Happy Christmas, friends. Christie & I didn't get around to sending out Christmas cards this year & I kind of regret it, so, as corny as it sounds, I'll try to make up for it here. What's a Christmas card without a poem?

Christmas Bells

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Christmas Bells
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Grand Haven is a wonderful place to live at Christmas time. Downtown is particularly festive, with lights on all the trees. My favorite place to eat is at the Dee-lite, because you can sit by the window & look at the lights & watch the people walk by. The Snug is also pretty good, & you can look at the nativity scene on the hill & there's always Christmas music you can here from across the channel.

We got a wonderful looking tree this year, we cut it down ourselves. We received some great Christmas decorations for our wedding, including an embroidered tree skirt & ornaments from the Tommelins & of course the nativity scene from my sisters.

Speaking of weddings, Christmastime is a good time to look back at the year just past. What a year 2008 was. There are almost too many blessings & highlights to mention, & some challenges too, but we're only here to talk about the positives. I'll never forget the way Christie looked in her wedding dress or how blue the ocean was. I'll never forget dancing with my mother or listening to my dad's sermon. I could never have imagined how much I'd like a dog or how welcoming in-laws could be. I could never have imagined how much fun it is to come home to my wife every night.

Christmas can be an orgy of consumerism & greed, but only if you let it be. I hope everyone can look past all that & truly find peace, the peace of Simeon at meeting his Savior or the peace of hearing your grandparents belting out the nunc dimittis on Christmas day.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Christmastime is here-Vince Guaraldi

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas-Judy Garland

Put the Lights on the Tree-Sufjan Stevens



I Saw Three Ships-Sufjan Stevens

Lo! How a Rose E're Blooming-Sufjan Stevens

Happy Monday, friends...

andrew