Christmas Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem

 

Please see The Carols We Love: The "Story Behind the Story of Twenty-two Classic Christmas Carols, Daniel Partner, Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, OH, 2002.
David McCullough tells the story of this carol, "Phillips Brooks wrote "O Little town of Bethlehem" in 1865 after he visited the Holy Land and Bethlehem.  He wrote it as a way to remind himself of his trip.  A few years later he asked Lewis Redner to put the poem to music.  Redner felt like a failure, until Christmas Eve, and the melody came to his mind like a revelation, waking him from his sleep." 
This is a nostalgic view of the first Christmas, and then of subsequent Christmases.  It concludes with a personal prayer, telling us how to find Christ today. Come to us!  Abide with us!
4. O holy Child of Bethlehem, 
Descend to us, we pray; 
Cast out our sin and enter in, 
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell:
Oh, come to us, abide with us, 
Our Lord Emmanuel! 

Here is the Nat King Cole version

Christmas Carols: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Please see The Carols We Love: The "Story Behind the Story of Twenty-two Classic Christmas Carols, Daniel Partner, Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, OH, 2002.

The Piano Guys have a very nice version of this song.  This song was first written in Latin in about 1200.  It was sung in monasteries for vespers as part of advent.  It has five verses, but each verse calling the Lord by a different name, imploring him to come.  The names are: Emmanuel (God with us), our Wisdom from on high, Our Lord of might, Rod of Jesse's stem, Key of David, Dayspring from on high and Desire of nations.  In using these different names, it points to different aspects of the Savior, who is God, who gives wisdom and shows the way, who is the descendent of Jesse and David, and holds the key to the kingdom of God, he chases the darkness away, and we yearn to come onto Him.
  

The Carols We Love: We Three Kings

 

Please see The Carols We Love: The "Story Behind the Story of Twenty-two Classic Christmas Carols, Daniel Partner, Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, OH, 2002.
"We Three Kings" is the most memorable work of John Henry Hopkins Jr. who was a church man and music teacher for the most part.  He did publish a book of carols, another book of poems, and the biography of his father, a prominent Episcopalian priest.  "We Three Kings" is prominent for its message.  The story of the Three Kings is found in Matthew chapter 2.  The number of kings is not given, but they brought gold frankincense and myrrh.  There is a verse describing each of the gifts, and then a conclusionary statement: "King and God and sacrifice."  The gold represented Jesus as king, the frankincense as God (it was used in the temple) and the myrrh told of his final sacrifice.  Myrrh was used in embalming.  You can access my sons and I singing this for a ward party in Manteca through the link.

The Carols We Love: Away in a Manger

 The Carols We Love: The "Story Behind the Story" of Twenty-Two Classic Christmas Carols by Daniel Partner, Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, OH, 2002.

The Carols We Love by Daniel Partner, Barbour, Uhrichsville, OH, 2002.
This is one of my favorite carols.  There are so many versions.  Here I sing combining several different versions.  This carol is credited to Martin Luther, but this book explains more likely written by J.R. Murray as was published in his Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses in 1887.  He entitled it Luther's Cradle Hymn. 
This song simply tells the Christmas story, but then adds a prayer at the end.  It is beautifully done.  Tony is featured in the movie.

San Jose Community Artwork

 

I worked in San Jose for nearly 28 years and these are some of the things I saw around town while commuting or just walking.  This set includes a metal horse, and a San Jose Sharks mural.  The horse is on Bascom Ave. close to San Carlos, and the mural is close to the San Fernando light rail station.  And then a few from the downtown area, including statue from the front of the art museum, Quetzalcoatl statue and a mural in the down town area.  Then below a series of children's sculptures from Guadalupe Park.  And lastly some murals along The Alameda.

San Jose Guadalupe Park Children's Statues

The Alameda Murals

With my new work location sometimes I walk the Alameda to get to the train station.  This sends me past Recycle Books which is a fun place to stop.  I am becoming more familiar with The Alameda.  I have observed a couple murals of note and enjoy the stores.  Unfortunately Schurra's Chocolates has closed.  

This is on the side of Recycle Books

Across the street on the side of a small store

Behind Whole Foods

Booklet: A Christmas Dress for Ellen: Thomas S. Monson

This is a story from President Monson, the master story teller.  It is adapted form the First Presidency Christmas Devotional 1997.  Christmas stories always choke me up, and this is no exception.  It is because people are so willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others.  This is about a family living in Canada, who had no prospects for Christmas, or for even having Christmas Breakfast let alone presents.  Mother had sent a letter to her sister living in Idaho with a list of their needs, at the request of her sister.  The citizens of Malad, Idaho sacrificed to meet those needs.  However no package had arrived in Canada.  father had been to town, and stayed until noon checking the railway and the post office.  However, sacrifice was not over.  The packages arrived late Christmas Eve at the post office.  The postman, George Schow, was going to leave the delivery until after Christmas.  However, after prayer, he felt he had to go, even with the snow, and the distance.  His own horses were worn out, so he borrowed horse and sleigh, and took his oldest son with him.  They would not arrive until after 3:30 a.m.  Mother was still awake, worrying about her children.  It was five before they started the trip back to town, to arrive around noon.  They wore the husband's clothes for the return trip after warming theirselves by the fire.  Their own clothing was wet and cold.  This gave mother just a few hours to set everything out for Christmas.  When the children woke they smelled bacon cooking for breakfast.  Ellen was last to wake, as she knew they would have no Christmas.  However, she found a red Christmas dress.
That is what Christmas is about.