I Love the Words of Christmas

My goal to do something to remember Christmas every day has failed. I realized that other than keeping everyone alive and fed and dressed (who am I kidding, no one in my family is ever dressed!) I can only do one thing a day. So, although we were having lots of fun, my home was probably the most crazy it's ever been, so I had to take a few days off to do some serious cleaning. We've still gotten to do some wonderful things the last couple of weeks.

Last Sunday, my in-law's church had a Christmas devotional/ sing-along. Our extended Steele family got to perform a number. An hour of hearing and singing the hymns of Christmas affected me in a profound way. These are the words that especially touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes:

"Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation...Jesus to thee be all glory given. Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing. Oh come let us adore him, oh come let us adore him, oh come let us adore him, Christ, the Lord!" "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"

"Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing. Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo! (Glory to God in the Highest)" "Angels We Have Heard on High"

"Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from heaven afar; Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born! ... Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at thy birth." "Silent Night"

"And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love. For that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above, and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone." "Once in Royal David's City"

"Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care and fit us for heaven to live with thee there" "Away in a Manger"

"O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie...yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight... How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven. No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in." "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

"Born is the King of Israel!" "The First Noel"

A couple of women did a duet called "Mary's Lullaby." I was overwhelmed when they sang,

"O let me enfold thee, my baby tonight,
While legions are singing in joyous delight.
A new star has risen to hail thee divine,
For you are a king, but tonight you are mine."

I looked over at my Ben and thought about Mary holding her own beautiful baby, knowing all that the good he was going to do and all he was going to suffer. I thought of how she got to hold her Savior in her arms. This baby who would make all the wrong things in the world right. There's never been anything more beautiful in the history of the world.

To change gears a little. Tonight our family took our annual trip downtown to see the lights at Temple Square. This is where Devan and I went on our first date 5 years and 3 days ago.

And then the camera died. We stayed for as long as we could stand the cold and then left for a wonderful dinner of pancakes and hot chocolate. I have a beautiful life.