Merry Christmas

[cslewislover]

Merry Christmas
by Saige

I'd wish you all a Merry Christmas
But then the trouble would begin.
For this a public posting
The ACLU, they would step in.

A demand to rewrite the greeting to:
"Seasons Greeting" or "Happy Holidays".
For such a display of belief
Is not allowed these days.

A nativity scene in public
They scream and shout "Be gone".
No Jesus, no angels or crosses
They want for barren lawns.

To all the non-believers
You can have your rants and rage.
Just leave me to my sunshine
Don't rain on my parade.

So I guess I'll take the chance
Put my neck out on the line.
And wish you all "Merry Christmas"
May your holidays be divine.

[cslewislover]

O Holy Night
(Version 1, according to Wikipedia; this song was probably the first music broadcast over radio)

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of Our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world In sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd And the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks A new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts By His cradle we stand.
So led by light of A star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men From Orient land.
The King of Kings Lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials Born to be our friend.

He knows our need, To our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us To love one another;
His law is love And His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break For the slave is our brother;
And in His name All oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy In grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us Praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory Evermore proclaim.
His power and glory Evermore proclaim.

A beautiful modern version, by Gosh Groban (what a voice!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQWXfHzOKUU

[cslewislover]

My Favorite.

It Came Upon the [a] Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
With news of joy foretold,
"Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven's all gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
Love's banner all unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
Over all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
Old echoes plaintive ring,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the Angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man at war with man hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O! hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the Angels sing.

O ye, beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

A version (the song is a cycle, but this version doesn't include the last stanza -__- ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaxB0xEbO0c

[BavarianWheels]

.
.
Merry Christmas. =)
.
.

[cslewislover]

.
.
Merry Christmas. =)
.
.

Thanks Bav, I hope yours is good too. How does your family celebrate it?

[BavarianWheels]

.
.
Merry Christmas. =)
.
.

Thanks Bav, I hope yours is good too. How does your family celebrate it?

I assume like everyone else...Christmas Eve with one side of the family, Christmas Day with the other side...sometimes just my own immediate family. Depends who is in town. Is that what you meant?
.
.

[ageofknowledge]

Over them he stretched his right hand,
To subdue their stubborn natures,
To allay their thirst and fever,
By the shadow of his right hand;
Spake to them with voice majestic
As the sound of far-off waters,
Falling into deep abysses,
Warning, chiding, spake in this wise:

"O my children! my poor children!
Listen to the words of wisdom,
Listen to the words of warning,
From the lips of the Great Spirit,
From the Master of Life, who made you!

"I have given you lands to hunt in,
I have given you streams to fish in,
I have given you bear and bison,
I have given you roe and reindeer,
I have given you brant and beaver,
Filled the marshes full of wild-fowl,
Filled the rivers full of fishes:
Why then are you not contented?
Why then will you hunt each other?

"I am weary of your quarrels,
Weary of your wars and bloodshed,
Weary of your prayers for vengeance,
Of your wranglings and dissensions;
All your strength is in your union,
All your danger is in discord;
Therefore be at peace henceforward,
And as brothers live together.

"I will send a Prophet to you,
A Deliverer of the nations,
Who shall guide you and shall teach you,
Who shall toil and suffer with you.
If you listen to his counsels,
You will multiply and prosper;
If his warnings pass unheeded,
You will fade away and perish!

[B. W.]

Merry Christmas!

-

[cslewislover]

.
I assume like everyone else...Christmas Eve with one side of the family, Christmas Day with the other side...sometimes just my own immediate family. Depends who is in town. Is that what you meant?
.
.

Well, I guess. People and churches do have different traditions - just wondered. I haven't spent a Christmas like how I grew up for a quite a while, actually . . . So do you look at the Rose Parade floats (afterwards, when you can get close to them)? If I lived close by, I would want to see them, at least some years.

Merry Christmas!

-

Thanks, and to you, too!!!

I know this says Happy Holidays on it, but I thought it was pretty. Have a blessed Christmas, everyone.

[BavarianWheels]

So do you look at the Rose Parade floats (afterwards, when you can get close to them)? If I lived close by, I would want to see them, at least some years.

Not at all. I've been once to the parade. It was enough. If I watch, I watch from the comfort of my home and in HD, but for the most part I'm in bed sleeping until well after the parade has ended.

I do get to see the floats before usually. They start moving the floats to the staging area around 10pm or so New Year's Eve and well into the wee hours of the morning. They "parade" across Huntington Drive all evening long. The ones from cities and organizations east of Pasadena anyway. Most of the time I'm angry at seeing them as traffic comes to a halt as they pass by.

My hope is that it rains on New Year's day...came close a few years back.
.
.

[cslewislover]

So do you look at the Rose Parade floats (afterwards, when you can get close to them)? If I lived close by, I would want to see them, at least some years.

Not at all. I've been once to the parade. It was enough. If I watch, I watch from the comfort of my home and in HD, but for the most part I'm in bed sleeping until well after the parade has ended.

I do get to see the floats before usually. They start moving the floats to the staging area around 10pm or so New Year's Eve and well into the wee hours of the morning. They "parade" across Huntington Drive all evening long. The ones from cities and organizations east of Pasadena anyway. Most of the time I'm angry at seeing them as traffic comes to a halt as they pass by.

My hope is that it rains on New Year's day...came close a few years back.
.
.

Ha ha, yeah, I can totally understand about it being an annoyance. When I lived in Long Beach, near the water, and they closed off the roads for marathons or gay parades or whatever, I was not happy . . . But I just meant seeing them up close when they're on display, just to see what the materials look like and how they put the floats together. I think that would be interesting. As far as the rain, well, lol. Most years the air happens to be clear then and the mountains look nice for once, and then viewers from all over think that's what S Cal looks like. Lol. It's hardly ever like that though. Once in a while with the air conditions the way they are, the mountains look pretty close to where I am, when I can see them, and it blows me away. It's like so shocking that most of the time you see air - you think it's just air - but then all of sudden there's a mountain there!!!!! Then you realize how dirty the air really is. And, to live in the Inland Empire is incredibly bad for your health; there was a long-term study done that showed people growing up there have underdeveloped lungs!

[BavarianWheels]

.
.
Some of the fam drove down from Wine Country to visit for Christmas. They wanted to go and see some floats. I skewed the conversation every time it came up.
.
.

[cslewislover]

.
.
Some of the fam drove down from Wine Country to visit for Christmas. They wanted to go and see some floats. I skewed the conversation every time it came up.
.
.

Lol. Maybe they could go without you??