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“On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me seven swans a swimming….” by Cindy LaTouf The Seven Swans a Swimming reminds us of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear/Respect of the Lord. For many of us, New Year’s Eve is a day of festivity: We’re going to ring in the New Year! Maybe you are headed to a big party—possibly a quiet celebration with a few friends.…

“On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, Six geese a-laying” by Brendan Rossell Smith In this time of Advent, Christmas, and the beginning of the New Year, I have been thinking a lot about creation and what that means for us. There is some possible symbolism to each day of the 12 days of Christmas, whether it was the intention of the composer of the carol or not, that all point to the birth, life,…

“On the Fifth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Five Golden Rings,” by Joshua Page. 5 Golden Rings”; the best part of the song, in my opinion! What comes to mind when we sing this part of the song? The Lord of the Rings Trilogy comes to mind, with the Rings of Power being a force in which one can live far beyond a traditional life span. I also wish I had five golden rings! Nevertheless, the…

“On the Fourth Day of Christmas, my True Love Gave to Me, Four Calling Birds” by DeAnna Page Four Calling Birds symbolize the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John! Each of these gospels tells a story and looks at the life and work of Jesus Christ from a different perspective. But they all have a common theme; God sent Jesus as the Savior of the World! What an amazing gift we have in God’s word; may we never take…

“On the Third Day of Christmas, my True Love Gave to Me, Three French Hens” by Cindy LaTouf The Three French Hens represent Faith, Hope, and Love. Faith is often referred to as the cornerstone of our Christian life as it is what connects us to and receives the blessings God desires to give us.  “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) That definition underscores one of the key aspects of what…

By Joshua Page “On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Two Turtle Doves.” Two turtle doves! When I sing that part in the song, so many memories come to mind. I think of couples that are inseparable, I think of animals, that mate for life, and I also think about Home Alone 2 when Kevin receives two turtle doves from the toy store owner. Kevin then gives one to a homeless woman as a reminder…

By Sydney Yancey “On The First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.” Prayer for Christmas Eternal God, by the birth of Jesus Christ you gave yourself to the world. Grant that, being born in our hearts, he may save us from all our sins, and restore within us the image and likeness of our Creator, to whom be everlasting praise and glory, world without end. Amen. -Laurence Hull Stookey, The United…

By Rev. Jim Buckman Mary Meyer and her family had just gone to the mission field in Liberia, West Africa. It was their first Christmas away from home, and it was a busy time. She and her husband were working in an orphanage where they were helping to supervise 50 children, along with their own three small children. Mary was trying to make Christmas a special time for the children at the orphanage and for many of the families in…

By DeAnna Page Luke 2:1-20 When I read the Christmas Story from Luke, it makes me think about how scared the shepherds must have been at first and then how exciting it was! Here they were, out in the field watching over their flocks of sheep, and suddenly an angel appeared to them. I’m sure they were terrified and amazed at the same time. Just think how excited they had to of been when they actually realized what the angel…

By Suzanne Clegg: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a…

By Leandre Majerus: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:14 NIV Christmas can be such a stressful time for us all. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season; there may be family conflict, there may be sickness, we may have lost a loved one. Before we know it we are longing for peace especially like the peace we hear in Christmas carols.…

By Suzanne Clegg: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 When I was pregnant, it was fun to have people ask me about the baby. Even strangers would approach me and ask things like, “Is this your first?”, “Do you know what you’re having?”  I guess it was pretty obvious I was with child! God declares that he is sending his Son, and that…