Merry Christmas

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by:
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

A stable isn't the most sanitary place to have a baby.

A feeding bin--cold and covered with animal slobber--doesn't make the best crib.

Shepherds were the only ones who came to welcome Christ. Not the cute little children with the clean lambs and smiling, adorable faces. These shepherds were like today's garbage men--rough and dirty.

All around, life milled in the crowded city. Pickpockets wove in and out of the crowd. Blindly, everyone went on, not knowing that if they could have only stopped to peek into a dirty stable, they would have seen a miracle that the world had never seen before.

But that's who Christ came to save. The blind, the selfish, the doomed for death.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.--Isaiah 9:2

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.--Isaiah 9:6

Have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Izori

Quick Notes

I had some really good blogging ideas, but unfortunately I couldn't make use of them. I was completely out of it Friday and Saturday, because I had some kind of prolonged stomach bug. I really only dragged myself to church today because I had some things to practice that HAD to be done then.

I am going to be unable to blog for the next week or so, so I will wish you a Merry Christmas in advance! Don't lose sight of why we celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Izori

P.S. Please pray for me Christmas Eve! I'm going to be playing in church, and the last time I practiced the song it didn't sound very good. Maybe it was just because I had a headache and felt like I could throw up in the next hour, or maybe it wasn't. We won't know until it's played in front of about 350 people. =)

Merry Christmas once again!

P.P.S. NatureFreak, I saw your comment asking about the snowflakes. =) I'll answer your comment as soon as I have the time, but I'm just letting you know that it hasn't slipped through the cracks.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

*O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, o come, ye, o come, ye, to Bethlehem...*

Angels...

I just had a really good book idea (I seem to be getting a good deal of them lately). It's for Christmas. :o) (Please don't copy my idea, because I really would love to write it. Thank you!)

This is what it involves.

1. Angels
2. Snow
3. Two kids
4. Random time traveling
5. The meaning of Christmas

It's turning into something like 'A Christmas Carol' as I'm planning it in my head. I've always wanted to write something Christmas-y with meaning, and I think I've finally found it! I don't think it'll be ready for this Christmas though, but maybe the next year.

I am going to be SUPER busy the weeks before Christmas! Thankfully, I have presents for Mom, Luthien, Dad and Galdor. I think I know what I'm getting Erestor, but I'm not 100% sure. The hard thing is that Luthien and Erestor have birthdays right around Christmas, so I have to find two gifts.

I'd tell you what I have for everyone, but I think Mom and Erestor read my blog from time to time, so it will have to remain...confidential...for now *evil snicker*.

Random Writing Tip: Hide your pens. Evil ice-pixies are lurking outside, and they love drinking ink. Then they start squirming their way into your story and creating havoc! They're frosty. They're dangerous. They love ink. So hide your pens!

One last thing. I think I will change my siblings' names from Erestor, Luthien, and Galdor to other code names more pronounceable and easy to remember. So I'll have polls and descriptions of them on my sidebar. Please vote! Do it if you love me! Do it if you don't want my heart to break from lack of votes! Do it...uh, just do it.

Looking forward to Christmas,

Izori

I'm a'back, in all my crazy glory...

I'm playing 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' for our Christmas Eve service at our church. I have, oh, a few weeks to learn it perfectly (including the chords for when I fade into the background a bit) and to be able to play it alongside a guitar. Major stress? You bet.

You know, I really wanted a quiet Christmas this year.

One where I can just flop down underneath the Christmas tree and watch the halos around the lights, and then suddenly remember that Jesus came. So then I'd shout 'HALLELUJAH!' and then watch the angel on the tree give me a really odd look.

You guys are probably giving me odd looks right now too.

Random Question:

Which pseudonym (or pen name) do you prefer: Heaven Silverring or Yors Trooly?

In Short

Here's a quick look at how life as been for me.

We had a very small, quiet Thanksgiving. My grandma came over, and we ate lunch and went for a walk. Then, of course, we turned on the football. =) I detest the Cowboys, so I'm happy to say that the Saints won. Actually, it was a pretty good game.

Today we...*takes a deep breath* GOT OUR CHRISTMAS TREE I'M SO EXCITED ITS IN THE LIVING ROOM ITS AWESOME!!!! And I get to decorate for Christmas! So exciting! *sigh* This year has just flown.

I would get a start on the cookie baking, but I'm very sad to say that I am sick. Ugh. It may be just a cold, but they last a week and they give me headaches. I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to contaminate the cookies. =)

NaNo is going okay, I suppose. I'm a wee bit ahead, but I want to write even more. However, Erestor turned off my laptop and its too much of a pain to turn it on again. I'll just write tomorrow, I guess.

I came down today to behold Galdor closing the oven door. Of course, a two year old around an oven is not a good thing, so I chased him away. However, I did NOT find out that he had slipped a plate with fake food in there until Mom opened the oven door to pop in lunch and found a nicely roasted fake lemon half. That kid...

I'm sorry this was such a boring post. =( Maybe tomorrow I can come up with some last minute NaNo tips.

Christmas is over.

We lit all five candles in our advent wreath on Christmas Eve, and then went to church. Our associate pastor talked about the wise men and how their display of faith was probably one of the greatest in the Bible. They actually followed a star--a STAR!! How many people would leave their country because of a star?!--and followed it all the way to a tiny town to kneel before a little baby. Ever wondered if you, in their place, would have done that?

Okay, now on to gifts.

All of my presents were given with love, so I can't choose a favorite. One pair of grandparents gave me (among other things) a laptop! I have been dreaming of one for a loooong while.

Then my mom gave me a Celtic Tinwhistle in the key of D! I can play it very well already! If blogger cooperates (it's been giving me trouble with videos lately) I can show you a video of me playing. You also might finally get a glimpe of my face.

Then my grandma gave me a new camera! One step up from the first one.

Erestor gave me a Bionicle--Mata Nui, to be exact.

And there was COFFEE SOAP!!!! This is from my friend at church. Since she appears on my blog so much, I'll give her a name. Now she will be called...Herenya. Okay, so Herenya gave me a bunch of things, but among those was coffee soap.

Those were just a few things among so many others, and thank you very much for all of them! (if you happen to read my blog, grandparents and relatives and Herenya!)

Soon I'll maybe show you a really cool picture of the advent wreath that I got.

Oh, also, and I have two prayer praises.

One, we had relatives over last night that kind of...well, you know relatives. But thankfully everyone was really nice! We actually had some very good talks about Christianity.

Two, Dad is doing really well! He didn't seem very exhausted last night, although he's sleeping in today. This is kind of a prayer request mixed in: he has ten pounds to gain, and he's going to have a PET scan on the 1st of January. PLEASE pray that there's no more cancer.

So Merry Christmas, y'all!

Izori

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and palced him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7

Ever wonder why Jesus came down?

He didn't have to, that's for sure.

At the cross dying for us, He could have called on a legion of angels to take Him down. He could have just ignored us here on earth and thought about more pleasant things. After all, it was OUR fault, NOT his, that got us into the mess we are in now.

But he did, and it certainly wasn't pleasant for him.

He was born in a dirty barn, put in a feeding trough filled with straw and animal drool (and maybe even splinters from the wood), in a dark, cold, crowded city. Not to mention Mary and Joseph had just completed a long, hard, dangerous journey. It wasn't going to get much better, either. Jesus lived a life filled with suffering, and a cross was waiting for him.

He did that because he loved us that much. And he didn't even have to.

I often-times wonder why God doesn't just throw up his hands in disgust and pronounce me hopeless. I've thrown much more than my share of spiritual temper-tantrums, rebelled against Him too many times, and have a total lack of trust in Him daily. I mean, if I were God, I certainly would have lost my patience a looong time ago. I don't deserve him.

But isn't it really great that He DID come?

Merry Christmas!


Izori

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!

Where has the time gone?! Tomorrow--Christmas Eve! Day after that--CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! The day that I have been waiting in suspense for ever since July ('Just six months 'till Christmas, mom!'). I remember being so excited that Christmas was a month away on November 25. And now it's December 23!!

Every wonder where the time goes? It's just gone. I personally think that it goes down the sink drain...but that may not necessarily be true.

So, to make sure that I'm 100% ready for Christmas, I have a feeling I won't be blogging until a wee bit later this year. I have a post scheduled for Christmas, but that doesn't really count.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS AND READERS!

Izori

Finally something to do with Christmas!

Or was going to. I was going to post a video of me playing 'Away in a Manger', but the video was taking so long to upload that I finally gave up.

So, I suppose I'll write about Christmas-y stuff.

We've just started making cookies--I've made the dough for candy cane cookies, and mom and Erestor have just made peanut butter blossoms. The inside of our house is decorated, but Dad and I haven't got around to hanging to icicle lights outside yet. Hoping to before Christmas!

And I've almost finished making gifts! All I have to do is make something for grandparents.

While I'm posting...would anyone like me to do another post on making up names? Because I just made up two names that I think sound SO beautiful. Aryn (wait, is that made up? I thought I had thought of that, but Blogger isn't marking it as a mis-spelled word) and Elìan (okay, this one's a 'mis-spelled' word).

I've been thinking what names I would name kids (if I had any), because that'll probably come in handy sometime in my life. Here are all the names:

boys

Shane
Ein (pronounced like Ian, but spelled the way I like it :)
Patrick (maybe...I really like that name, but I'm good friends with someone who has that name. Why'd you have to steal that name, dude?)
Darren
Haldir (hey, I really like that name! I know someone who's named Galadriel! Now THAT'S a beautiful name!)

There aren't that many boys' names as girls' names.

girls

Aryn
Elìan
Colleen
Brigett
Fiona (I really, really, really like that name--it's Scottish)
Angela
Mikaela :)
Galadriel (I just had to add it. I love that name. Although, if I named just two kids after a LotR character, and then ALL of my kids turned out to be fans of LotR, they'd be awfully jealous of poor Galadriel and Haldir. And we don't want that happening!)


Tell me what y'all think of the names!

Izori

Tag from Olive Tree!

And not one, but TWO tags!

1. Do you believe Jesus is the reason for the season?
DEFINITELY!

2. Have you ever been in a Christmas Play? What were you?
Uh...I don't think so.

3.What is your favorite thing you get in you stocking?
Maybe the pop tarts. We only get to have them once a year.

4. What is your best Christmas memory?
I loved all of them, so I really can't decide!

5. What is your favorite Christmas beverage?
Hot chocolate, or egg nog, or cider...

6. What do you put on your tree top?
An angel.

7. Where do you get your tree?
At a Christmas tree farm. We have never had a fake one.

8. Do you go somewhere for Christmas or do you host?
We usually go to our friends' house, or to our grandparents. But we spend the actual day at home.

9. Do you have any traditions?
Oh, yes. The cookies for Santa, the Advent Wreath, the decorating of the Christmas tree, listening to The Nutcracker music...it goes on and on.

10. How much do you like Christmas?
If I could count the ways...we'd be here a LONG time.

11. What do you do on Christmas Eve?
Go to our Christmas Eve service (it's awesome--our pastor does GREAT sermons!), and then at different times during the night we sneak down and put Christmas presents under the tree.

12. What do you do on Christmas Day?
We open presents, open stockings (in opposite order), and then we used to go to our friends' house, but they moved to Florida :(

13. What is your favorite Christmas song?
All of them! Carol of the Bells, Jingle Bell Rock, Silent Night, Let it Snow, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, Angels We Have Heard on High, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, etc.

14. What do you really want for a gift this year?
A new camera; my old one's kind of broken. A laptop, and an older sibling. There was a miscarriage before me :(

15. Favorite treat?
Cookies, candy canes...

16. Do you usually have a white Christmas?
*sniff* No. There was only once. That's why I love Let it Snow and I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.

17. How long did you believe in Santa Clause?
About six or seven.

18. Who's your favorite reindeer?
Rudolph.

19. The Christmas present you always wanted but never got?
A dog, an older sibling, and other things.

20. Last one. What is the best thing about Christmas to you?
The fact that Jesus cared enough to come down here.

And then this other tag.

What is your favorite Christmas carol?

See above tag, question #13.

Do you have an artificial tree or do you get a real one?

Real. I kind of consider getting a fake one cheating.

Where you live do you get snowy Christmas's?

Why must you repeat this painful question? NO!

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

All of them.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

Christmas. Because that's when Jesus was born. Or at least when we celebrate it.

Do you go caroling?

Sometimes.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

I don't know. I don't really watch a lot of Christmas movies. I'd have to say Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer.

Do you like listening to Christmas music?

Oh, yeah.

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Well, I believe that there was a St. Nicolas.

What is your favorite Christmas meal?

Mexican food. It always reminds me of Christmas. Oh, that's another tradition--we have Mexican food on Christmas day.

Do you write people Christmas cards?

Yeah.

Do you have a manger scene?

Are you kidding?! They're all over the house!

Will you wish anyone Merry Christmas?

You bet.

Liked the tag?

Yeah. I'd have enjoyed it more if Erestor wasn't making odd noises and punching the back of my seat. For 11, he can be rather...juvenile...sometimes. (Erestor, cut it out!)

Now I tag...

uh...

I tag...
EVERYONE! And igirl.

Izori

Random Stuff

Just finished cleaning out Ana's fishbowl. And actually, I believe that Ana is a boy, so therefore I will call him Ano.

You are probably thinking, "Oh, what a selfless older sister Izori is! She's taking care of Luthien's fish for her!" Well...actually, it's so that Mom and Dad will notice that I'm a responsible young lady and will buy a dog for me for Christmas...okay, it's not really. Luthien's too young to take care of Ano herself, so I do it. And I really like it anyway. I hold conversations with Ano and his room service (the shrimp. Erestor named him Vestus, but I call him Shrimp). Did you know that Shrimp's favorite character in LotR is Gollum? Erm...

Speaking of Christmas...I have my Christmas playlist up on my blog now!! I'm in a really Christmas-y mood. My playlists are at the bottom of my blog, immediately after the 'older posts'. You will have to turn off the first one to listen to my second one (which is the Christmas playlist).

Enjoy,