The Story of Jesus Christ

Each year my church presents Christmas Journey, a presentation of the life of Christ represented in individual scenes with dramatization. Visitors drive past each scene and hear narration from the Bible, as well as the voices of the actors in each scene. It is a powerful medium for sharing the story of our Savior, and thousands upon thousands come to bear witness. No matter the weather, the Journey goes on. And each year it seems a little more poignant than the last. It’s easy to forget that I’m watching friends and family portray characters. Instead, I see Jesus and Apostles and Roman soldiers and Pharisees, as well as persons afflicted with illnesses and disabilities who come to Jesus to be healed. And witnessing the healing is more powerful than one could ever imagine. It’s very easy to put myself in ancient times, to see myself in a crowd of observers being amazed and overwhelmed by visible evidence of the power of God. The Christmas Journey is our gift to the communities surrounding us, and each year I am more thankful for the people who sacrifice their time and energy for these weeks in November and December. And though I have never managed to get clear in-focus images from the Journey scenes, I do not fret over it. Being in motion makes photos challenging, but it does not diminish the power of Jesus Christ and the life he lived to provide salvation for you and me.
 
   click image to see the entire album and read the story of Christ

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

in the city of David

 
 

Christmas Journey ~ First McKinney, Texas

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

a lifetime of stories

From a much-repaired ceramic angel created at age 8 while a member of Bluebirds to a globe featuring the most famous scene from The Lion King, every ornament tells a story. This is my history.
 

click to enlarge

 
Row 1, from left:
 
Ceramic angel, handpainted by me in 1976. She has broken many times through the years but can always be put back together. A true symbol of my own life.
 
Star depicting the birth of Christ, handcrafted from Bethlehem olive wood. This is treasured for that very reason, but each time I hold it I can envision the face of the co-worker who gave it to me.
 
Silver Victorian house that was a gift for my mom. She always loved the idea of living in a home like this with a wrap-around porch for relaxing in the evening. When my parents transitioned into their RV, I took this ornament for safe-keeping. It will always belong to Mom, no matter how long I hold onto it.
 
 
Row 2:
 
The first three in this row are from a collection that represented countries around the world. For several years my parents braved the hordes in Dillard’s department store on the day after Christmas just to pick up a few more pieces from the collection — at half price. They were staples on our family tree throughout my adolescence, and when my sisters and I began decorating our own homes at Christmas, the collection was divided among the three of us. If I’m not mistaken, mine represent Norway, Sweden and Japan. I think. I’m never quite sure about the Scandinavian girls. But I love them nonetheless because my mom made special efforts to acquire them and build the collection year after year. This just might have been the beginning of my fascination with the global community.
 
The baseball Santa is my own personal treasure meant to represent my undying love for the game. I’m not big on Santa Clauses, but I’m partial to anything featuring baseball. The fact that he’s wearing pinstripes is especially funny since I acquired this ornament long before my love of the NY Yankees went into effect. I’m guessing he knew something I didn’t!
 
 
Row 3:
 
A (very blurry photo of) Mary Engelbreit ornament. This little girl with the bobbed hair and polka-dot dress was meant to be a gift for a co-worker; when that fell through I couldn’t resist keeping her for myself. She’s very representative of my taste at the end of the 90s.
 
This family monogram hung on the tree as far back as I can remember. It’s worn and dated and pretty beat up, but it’s a “Q”, and that’s us. It came to me because I am the only child who has not married, thereby making me the last of the Q’s in our immediate family. It’s probably the most sentimental piece that I own.
 
The plush Tigger pillow ornament was a gift from my best friend and roommate during college. She’s the biggest fan of Disney I’ve ever known, and being around her allowed me to look back at the things I loved most as a child. Tigger was always my favorite, and this ornament is a vivid reminder that there really were some good times during my bleak college years. And I often need to remember that.
 
 
Row 4:
 
The Lion King film was released just after my college days, and it filled me with much-needed joy. I was awed by the artistry of the film, and I was impacted deeply by the story. My interest in Africa was even refueled, although it would be years before I realized that fact. I loved every little thing about The Lion King, and my college roommate gave me this ornament to document that fact. It’s still very precious to me, even though I’ve not watched the film in many years.
 
A snowman with wired arms balanced by a pair of ice skates. So funny, so adorable, and an instant reminder of a fun little friendship that just sort of happened without effort. The friendship came at a time when I desperately needed something good in my life, and each time I pull this little guy out of the Christmas stash I am immediately reminded of those few months hanging out with Jenny. It was just the kind of friendship I was seeking at the time. I learned that God gives us certain seasons with certain people, then teaches us how to treasure those moments without expectation of more.
 
This little cross-eyed mouse girl is a tiny thing, barely an inch in height, and she was part of a set of mice characters purchased in college for our tiny little tree. I think only a couple of these mice have survived the years, but I especially love this girl because of her face. And just like the others, I am reminded of my ten-year friendship with my roommate and how we tried to make a fun Christmas out of zero budget. Those decorations are some of my favorite memories.
 
 
Row 5:
 
A quilted candy cane that found its way to me through an office staff ornament exchange. Though it was never my style, I kept it because it is exactly the style of the giver. I knew Ellen for several years before working with her, as she was the mother of a high school classmate, but when we became colleagues we developed a great friendship. Seeing this candy cane brings Ellen to mind, and I just can’t bear to give it away.
 
Along with the Chimneysweep that I love so much, I also have this miniature smoker designed like Santa. Both were symbolic of the types of gifts I sold while working at a holiday shoppe one Christmas season after graduating college. This was the first job I managed to obtain after almost a year of seeking employment in my field. I finally reached the point of just taking a job to bring some kind of income, and this turned out to be quite a lot of fun. It’s the last retail job I ever took, but the store was filled with all kinds of German woodcrafts and Bavarian trinkets. I learned more about Germany during those few months than I’d ever known before, and I was able to take away some fantastic little treasures, as well.
 
And finally, a globe featuring an Old World map. This is one of three from a six-ornament set. The other three went home with my best friend after we graduated college. We divided all of the ornaments we’d acquired during the four years we lived together, and I have kept most of them to put on my tree each year. I’ve lost touch with that friend, so I don’t know if she still has her portion, but I keep mine because they represent the best and longest frienship I’d ever had. Though sometimes it’s bittersweet now, I still wouldn’t give them away for anything in the world. They tell a story. And whether I like it or not, these stories are my history and cannot be changed.

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

the decor

I’ve decided not to decorate my flat this year. My chief reason being that it has been such a disaster area for so many months and the cleaning project isn’t going very quickly, so Christmas decorating has been least on my mind. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy the Christmas surroundings — I rather enjoy it very much — but it’s more about priorities this year. When my original plan of cleaning the apartment fell through due to a week-long illness during the Thanksgiving holidays, I actually felt a bit of stress over not having my place ready for the Christmas trimmings. And that’s stress that I absolutely did not need. So I wavered back and forth on whether to spend my evenings clearing the rooms (even though I’m dead-dog tired when I come home at night), or whether I might just give myself a break this year and concentrate on fully cleaning and organizing and finding all those lost things that have disappeared during 2009. The latter seemed much more prudent to me.
 
So there will be no Christmas decor in my home this year, but that certainly doesn’t mean that my surroundings are not festive. As I mentioned before, the foyer of my office building is fully decked out, and my sister’s home has every surface covered with little electronic displays of ice skaters and carousels and dancing and snoring Santas. She has a fully decorated tree downstairs and another upstairs, and the boys have decorations in their bedrooms, as well. Since our family spends Christmas Eve and Day at their home, the decorations are just as much for us as for their immediate family. There are also neighborhood displays of lights and inflatable Harley-riding Clauses, not to mention the many, many photos that I see daily from Facebook friends. I’m not missing Christmas in any way by not having a tree in my own place. Especially since my tree is only 3 feet tall and holds less than 20 ornaments. Instead, I’m living vicariously through everyone else and feeling satisfied with my decision.
 
In case you were wondering, this is a taste of what you would have seen from me.
 

Nativity — This ceramic set was left unfinished by my grandmother when she passed away, and my mom and I thought the pieces looked best in their natural state. click to view entire scene

 

miniature Christmas village

 
   

These are my favorite Christmas figures: Father Christmas and what I call “Seussian” trees. click each to enlarge
 

It is possible that I may begin to miss having all of my little trinkets around as Christmas draws near, but right now I’m really okay with the decisions I’m making. There is plenty of Christmas happening all around me on a daily basis, so I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything. And in the evenings, when most people will be sitting in the glow of their tree lights, I’m recalling all of my favorite memories and reminiscing about my own Christmas experience throughout the years. And that’s brought far enjoyment than any Charlie Brown tree would have been able to bring.

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

all I need

Sometimes
 
all you need
 
is a
 
mirrorball
 
to put you
 
in the right
 
frame of
 
mind.
 

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

the music

My Christmas Experience relies heavily on the music of the season. For years I have chosen one new Christmas album to purchase for my collection, and each year I look for exactly the right one to signify that particular year and reflect that year’s interests. As such, the genres are eclectic, like my taste in music, and previous years’ purchases have included Contemporary Christian, Worship, Pop, R&B, Broadway performers, and many, many compilation CDs featuring various artists. My happiness comes from pulling out my library and revisiting those moments in my life. As with practically everything related to me, all the albums have memories attached. And though some of the music has become dated, you will find me smiling constantly while the music plays. The albums are reflective of my life and my journey, so listening to the songs is truly nostalgic. And adding a new CD to the collection each year is one of my greatest Christmas joys.
 
The collection shown below lists my all-time favorites. These are the CDs that I play first and most throughout the season. The Amy Grant CD is actually a compilation that I put together years ago from her first three Christmas albums, with a little John Tesh thrown into the mix. It was inspired by Grant’s Christmas concerts with the Nashville Symphony, which I saw on television one year. This compilation remains in my top 3 favorites for the holidays. No matter what else Amy Grant has done, it is her Christmas music that I love the most. And by combining the best tracks into one list, I created for myself an imaginary concert for my own enjoyment. Very few CDs rival this in my affections.
 

Michael W. Smith – Christmastime / Amy Grant collection / Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas / Diana Krall – Christmas Songs / Christina Aguilera – My Kind of Christmas / Kenny Loggins – December / Sarah McLachlan – Wintersong / James Taylor – A Christmas Album / Linda Eder – Christmas Stays the Same / SheDAISY – Brand New Year / Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas / MercyME – The Christmas Sessions

 
For this year’s selections I have chosen two albums and a single track as my new additions. You’ll notice that they are very reflective of my taste in music during 2009. The Sugarland CD represents my country music phase, while the remake of Wham’s “Last Christmas” was an absolute must to mark this year of GLEE. And Chris Tomlin just couldn’t be passed up, as his music is the epitome of worship.
 
      
 
Along with all of my CDs, I have collected a library of single tracks by various artists that I’ve loved at one time or another. There are also some classics mixed in and some that were simply free downloads I chose to try out. I love that I can now shuffle up these tracks every day and hear them in a different order on the iPod, allowing each song to feel new. Do I have an all-time favorite Christmas song? This very question was asked by my cousin Patti Lacy on her blog. My answer reiterated some of what I’m writing here: As a child I never realized the importance of the Christmas season to my overall well-being, but as I’ve become older I can pinpoint the exact moments that my heart begins to swell and my spirit soars — the first glimpse of a street lined with lighted homes and the playing of Christmas music. I’m in agreement that none of it should happen before Thanksgiving, if only for preserving the anticipation that the holidays incite, but once December arrives I am ready to fully engage in Tinseltown.
 
My favorite carols as a child were often those fun little jingles attached to any number of stop-motion television specials (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph, The Year Without a Santa Claus). But as I came to understand the depth of celebrating our Savior’s birth, I have come to love the classic hymns just as deeply. My favorite traditional carols are probably “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “Joy to the World,” although I’m much more partial to modern tunes. Michael W. Smith’s “Christmastime” evokes all my favorite emotions, and Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven” is a particular favorite that puts me into Mary’s mind in a way I could never imagine. I love MercyME’s original “Gloria” and can never get enough of Kenny Loggins’s CD December. But above all others, my sentimental favorite came from the unique pairing of Bing Crosby and David Bowie. My holidays are not complete until I listen to Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy. In my mind, there was never anything greater.
 
I can also add to those titles the song Do They Know It’s Christmas?, which was recorded by all of my favorite artists in 1984 under the moniker Band Aid. It was a recording made to benefit efforts to provide food to the starving children of Ethiopia, which had only just been reported through news media around the world. The song is still powerful, even today, and hearing the voices of those artists I loved as a teenager immediately brings me back to the first time I saw the music video. I never tire of hearing the song, and I’m still thankful for the efforts of Bob Geldof in bringing the project to fruition. This was my first true understanding of what the world was like outside my small town, and to say that it shaped my thinking is an understatement. Seeing celebrities come together to raise money for an African country was so unusual and so new at the time. And watching it, then reading stories of Africa, changed my heart forever. And at Christmas, that’s the emotion I always want to feel.
 
click image to enlarge my Christmas playlist

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

what I wish for Christmas

I had to do a little shopping today, unexpectedly, and I was not happy about it at all. I had purposefully spent 5 hours last evening traveling from store to store browsing Christmas sections to avoid having to go back out today. Saturdays during Christmas season don’t make me happy. And I avoid it at all costs. But today I was forced into the madness, and I was struck yet again by the lack of humanity that can exist during this season. A store clerk was actually shocked when I asked how his day was progressing. “You’re the only person who’s spoken to me,” he said. “Everyone has been talking on cell phones and never looking up to see me.” I probably shouldn’t be surprised by the behavior of people, and yet I genuinely am every time I hear things like this. It saddens me that, during a season meant for good will, people cannot take even a moment to acknowledge a stranger, cannot greet one another with smiles and polite words. Everyone is so busy trying to manage their own agendas that basic kindness is lost.
 
I was not happy to be out and about today. Shopping was the last thing I wanted to do. But it was necessary, and there was no reason for me to be unpleasant to other people just because my day had been rearranged. I’ve heard this kind of rescheduling called a “divine appointment” — the unexpected (and sometimes unwelcome) shuffling of our plans to accomplish God’s purposes. I hope to always think of it this way, and especially during this overly busy season. It takes no effort at all to be polite. It doesn’t hurt us to notice the people around us. And kindness should be automatic. Why not treat people as you hope to be treated? It’s important! It’s necessary, as we all share one earth and all are equal in the eyes of God. My challenges and less joyful moments do not give me cause to ignore common courtesy. There are no good excuses. No, not one.
 
The highlight of my day occurred while bustling around to finish my task quickly. I was still a bit saddened by the store clerk’s words, and my mind was filled with all the ways that we can hurt each other without even realizing it. I sat in a parking lot waiting for a car to back out and leave a space for me to fill, and no less than four cars came down the aisle and whipped around the reversing car, causing the driver to stop again and again before pulling out. Again, I was shocked. Are we really so busy and in such a hurry that we cannot wait for a car to pull out? The driver couldn’t see how many were waiting in the aisle. He was doing his best to pull out. But person after person forced him to stop. When I finally was able to take his parking spot and begin walking toward the store, I came upon a young woman trying to pull out of another space. She was in a tight spot with not enough room to maneuver out straight. I noticed a slight look of concern on her face as she tried to gauge the distance from her car to the bumper in front of her, so I stopped walking and waved my hand to guide her forward. She then reversed and began to inch back toward another car, and I guided her in this, as well. Two more times I helped her inch forward and backward to clear the parked cars, and with each successive moment the two of us developed broad smiles. We looked each other in the eyes and shared a chuckle at the situation. When she was clear and able to drive forward out of the aisle, I gave her a thumbs up. She responded with a wide smile and short laugh, nodding her head in appreciation. We didn’t speak a word, but we shared a moment of fun. I never once thought about my schedule, and I never even noticed the line of cars that had pulled up behind her. I didn’t care what those people were thinking. I found the moment to be great fun and so rewarding. A shared moment with a stranger took all of my sadness away.
 
People will continue to be rude and indifferent. They will continue focusing on their own little lists without acknowledging the people who are serving them. They will continue to miss the joy of unexpected moments. I wish it were different. I wish that everyone would shop with their heads up and cell phones put away. I wish people would help each other in big and small ways. I wish for acts of kindness that surprise the recipients. It’s what I would want for myself, and so it’s what I choose to do for others. That is the real meaning of CHRISTmas.

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

inspiration surrounds me

Christmas inspires me.    Hand-crafted artistry pours forth from magazines, television, blogs and store windows. Mothers and fathers take on projects to ensure that children receive their hearts’ desires on Christmas morn. Homeowners string together miles of cords to create that just-right display of light. And shop owners pull out all the stops to catch the eye as throngs of customers fill their aisles. There is color and sound and sparkle and somewhat controlled chaos, and every bit of it thrills my heart. I am genuinely inspired by the artistry, by the work that goes into each display. Even the smallest and most unassuming element can draw me near. On the first floor of my office building the tenants have taken up the challenge and created a welcoming suite of treasures to greet me each morning and bid me farewell each evening. But the grandest tree and most noble of Nutcracker statues can in no way overshadow the bright little urns of poinsettias that liven the corners of the foyer. This simple little silk plant winks at me daily through the dazzling rhinestones that cluster in the center of each flower. I never imagined that such a tiny gesture could fill a soul with daily inspiration.
 

 
       

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

a month for special things

I have a few everyday items that I bring out only at Christmas. Candles that smell like cinnamon spice are best when used in the month of December. While that fragrance evokes the holidays for me, I simply don’t enjoy it as much during any other time of the year because there is no payoff in the days ahead — there is no Christmas right around the corner. These stemmed glasses with the winter scene lose their special quality if I pull them out before the weather turns cold, and using them after Christmas makes me a little sad for the time that just passed. Red and green towels just seem a little out of place if placed near a vanity in November or even January. There are no rules that say winter items must be relegated to December or Christmas colors are taboo the remaining eleven months of the year, but they do lose their special qualities. They become too commonplace. And for me, that’s a significant loss of the joy that comes from this one month of the year. I don’t want Christmas to be common. I don’t want to lose the thrill I get when I reach to the back of the cupboard and pull sparkly glassware from the shadows. The days of Christmas are full of anticipation and excitement, and reserving certain things for just one month brings renewed elation every year. It is a discipline that helps me create the perfect Christmas mood right at the beginning of the season.

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.
 

 

feels like Christmas

 

Today felt Christmasey. The temperatures had dropped dramatically, there was snow on the ground in the morning hours, the skies stayed gray and the winds blew cold all throughout the day. Out of the back of my closet came a beloved corduroy skirt, and on my feet were my favorite kind of winter footwear: clunky brown boots. Throughout the work hours, my iPod sounded a Christmas playlist while hot tea of cinnamon apple spice steamed from my Christmas tumbler. Even lunch was the perfect cold weather comfort food of creamy soup made from Chicken and Wild Rice. And the evening included an unplanned dinner with my parents — another comforting soup in the form of chicken, vegetables and lentils. These are the moments that create my holidays. This is my Christmas experience.
 

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Documenting the days of Christmas was inspired by Ali Edwards’s December Daily project and the Holidays in Hand class by Jessica Sprague.