Wiese Windmill: December 2009

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Celebration

We celebrate Christ year round in our home. We also see the Christmas season as an opportunity to properly focus on Christ’s birth and what it means to us.

Yes, we have a Christmas tree. The top of the tree points to Heaven and God. The branches reach out to others like Jesus does. Jesus died on a tree – so we remember that He came to die for us. We place an angel on the top because it was the angels that announced the good news of Jesus Christ to the shepherds.

Luke 2:

9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest,...

Fairly new additions to our celebration is our singing angles - they are beautiful, they sing three songs in harmony "Silent Night," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "Angels We Have Heard on High."

What do angels look like? Where do they come from? What do they say?

Angels always indicate the miraculous, mysterious, and majestic work of God in some way. This brings up a point of truth. Angels are special creatures of God who were created by God and ordained to serve and praise Him. They are also messengers of God revealing the Messiah.

The nativity set was designed and painted by myself while teaching at Portland Christian School. I was much inspired and tutored by Miss Lois Campbell.

Our oldest granddaughter Rachel, gave us the gold stockings a few years back. There are 5 angels on the mantle one for each of the children. The tree candle holder is Polish pottery is from Nicki. The gold pine cone is from a friend and the "3 ships a sailing" are part of Nick's love of sailing.

This Sinterklaas was on Nick's first tree. I guess that would make him 74 years old.

Nestled just below the tree top angel are these four tiny little ornaments which were on my first tree. (clear gold, red, white with red/green, and the light green with pink - off to the back and right)

I guess one of the Christmas customs or traditions I am slow to give up is that of sending Christmas Card greetings. I know it is expensive; that's why I buy my cards after Christmas for the next year. I consider $.44 for postage an acceptable amount to spend to wish my friends a "Merry Christmas" and announce again the good news. For the past 30 years I have sent cards depicting angels because they were the messengers from God announcing the birth of Christ. It is getting harder and harder to find cards with angels and even more so several boxes of the same.

2009 Cards

Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy that shall be for all people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you He is Christ the Lord.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

This year we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary

We remember the joy of discovering one another, the concerns that parenting can bring, the challenges of working together, the mixed feelings of having an empty nest, the wonder of being grandparents, and the delight of having a happy marriage. Together, we have managed to survive a half century of life’s ups and downs. Not many people manage to make it through the first five years – much less 50; and then there are those who most definitely could have - would have made it, but the Lord saw fit to call one of them home. By the grace of God we have lived long enough as a couple to build a legacy that can’t be measured in possessions, but rather lives touched by our union – children, family, friends.