Tag Archives: Christmas Spirit

Homeschoolers Helping Homeschoolers

Christmas. Love.  Joy.  Hope. The heart of Christmas is giving.  It beats in a rhythm that begs to be heard.  The call for compassion, to prepare an offering for the hurting, is answered by hearts who desire to fill the cracks of the broken. Despair.  Sadness.  Exhaustion. The brokenhearted are blinded by despair.  It comes with the territory when traveling through difficult trials.  They cannot see the shining star on the top of the tree and wander lost. Sugar plums no longer dance in their dreams for nightmares do not share a stage.  A family hurts. Hands hold an exhausted … Continue reading →

Tis the Season of Getting

I am going to just throw this out there;  I don’t see anything wrong with buying your children a lot of gifts.  Christmas may not be about gifts but we all know gifts help make the season bright.  If we didn’t believe that we wouldn’t give to Toys for Tots, Operation Homefront, or go into an insane amount of debt every year.  Like it or not, gifts are here to stay and I do not feel that is negative.  Who doesn’t like to unwrap a gift?  Who doesn’t like to see their children’s eyes light up when they open that … Continue reading →

Finding the Christmas Spirit

I’ve been talking with a lot of friends about their feelings regarding the holidays. Many of them are suffering from a lot of stress right now and are having a hard time feeling the Christmas spirit. I know people who have lost their jobs just before Christmas, had injury or diseases befall their family, or had accidents. It seems that December is just a bad time, year after year. How do we manage to feel the Christmas spirit with all that turmoil? After thinking about it for a while, I’ve come up with a theory. I think December is the … Continue reading →

It’s Fun Being an Elf!

Back in 2000, and at the end of every November since, I’ve undergone a transformation: I become an elf. Every woman does to an extent, I suppose. There are gifts to buy, wrap, and in some cases ship, decorations to be hung, and songs to be sung. Some even dress the part and don pointy ears, hats, and shoes. My Elfin Ways I forego the costume because it makes me too conspicuous and I’m the kind of elf who operates in stealth. You see, my deeds are quite evident, yes, but to keep the holiday magic alive it’s crucial I … Continue reading →

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983)

Yesterday, Lauri reviewed the book “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” by Barbara Robinson. Today I’m reviewing the made-for-TV movie of that book, which is a must-see for me each and every holiday season. Our narrator is Beth Bradley, a serious-minded young lady who has a wide-eyed view of life and is learning to be a little cynical. She’s the daughter of Grace (Loretta Swit) and Bob (Jackson Davies) devout members of their local church. She and her brother Charlie attend Sunday School every week and are looking forward to the Christmas pageant, although Charlie really doesn’t want to be a … Continue reading →

The Power of Christmas Music

We’ve been taught about the power of hymns to bring us closer to the Savior. As I’ve been driving around town running my errands the last few days, I’ve also found that certain Christmas music also has that power – the car is one of the only places where I’m really able to listen to music and hear the lyrics. I’d like to share with you a couple of my favorite Christmas songs and explain just why they impact me so greatly. The first is “O, Holy Night.” I have loved this hymn for as long as I can remember. … Continue reading →