25 Days of Christmas Carol Stories--Day 1 "Silent Night"

I have always loved Christmas, and everything that goes along with it. The decorations, the twinkle lights, family getting together, presents, music, and most of all celebrating the birth of Christ. I am that crazy person that will break on Christmas music and say I was celebrating  "Christmas in July."  I love the sacred carols that tell about Christ's birth. and the fun holiday songs. The next few blog posts will be about the stories behind some of the most beloved Christmas carols. At then end of the posts I will try and have the lyrics, or a video of the song. Merry Christmas!

"Silent Night" Stille Nacht

Josheph Mohr was born to a single mother in 1792. His mother provided as best she could for her boy. She knew that a good education would help him. The local parish priest saw that he was a smart and had musical talent so he was sent  to study at the famous abbey school in Kremsmunster. He did very well in school, and at age 16 entered seminary, and then at 22 was ordained as a priest. Since Mohr had no father, he was assigned as an assistant pastor of St.Nicholas church in Oberndorf (about 10 miles northwest of Salzburg). There he became friends with Franz Gruber, a son of a weaver. Franz was expected to follow his father as a weaver, but instead he loved music and began playing the guitar and organ. Franz attended music school and soon settled with his family in Oberndorf. 

It is told that on December 23, 1818, Mohr went to go visit a mother and her newborn child. On the way back home, he stopped by a river and meditated on what it was like the night Christ was born. He then penned the words to "Silent Night." 

Upon return to the parish he was told that mice had eaten through the bellows of the organ, and that it could not be fixed before the Christmas Eve mass service. The people feared that midnight mass would be silent. Mohr rushed to Gruber's home, and gave him the words to his poem and asked him to write a melody that could be played on a guitar. Gruber composed the music to "Silent Night" and for the first time in 1818 the song Silent Night was sung. 
**Information from http://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-are-the-origins-of-the-beautiful-christmas-carol-silent-night/

                  

Five Minute Friday: Favorite

I am linking up with Five Minute Friday today! :) The topic is FAVORITE! So in five minutes here is my favorite things! Then at the end enjoy an old classic from a favorite musical!

Playing in the rain
Pink
Paris (although I have never been there)
Starbucks
Lightning Bugs
Vintage Dresses
TV Shows: Revenge, Little House, The Astronauts Wife Club
Move: Pride and Prejudice (1995) Colin Firth (swoon)
Summer Nights
Looking at the stars
Music
Dancing when I am by myself
Long drives through the back roads
Getting lost on purpose so I can find my way back
Reading
Snow Globes
Salzburg
Peonies
Vintage Cars
having my hair washed at the salon
makeup (over the past year my collection has grown)
sleeping with my fan on
blankets
Coffee
church
God
Red
Daffodils
Enjoying the simple pleasures in life
Time with friends

Time with family

Five Minute Friday:Blue

Hello! First of all, welcome to my blog. I enjoy writing, but really do not write as much as I would like...I've had an extreme case of writers block for a long time. This week's prompt word is BLUE. And yes, I am writing this with blue letters. :D 

The first thing I thought of when I read "blue" was the amazing sky that God gives us each day. A reminder that although the sky may change from minute to minute God never changes. A reminder that God is great and the great creator. The reminder of a God who is watching over us wherever we are. The heavens truly declare the glory of God (Ps 19). I also thought of a song my mom taught me when I was a kid called "Blue skies and rainbows." Click on the video below to hear it. 

If you want to link up with "Five Minute Friday" click on the link. 5 minute friday

50 Plus Random Facts about Me

Since I haven't blogged for awhile, and for those that actually read my blog here are 50 random facts about me...some are funny..(I think). And PLEASE read all the way to the end ;)

1) I am a down home Arkansas girl through and through..born there and lived there for 13 years. Arkansas will always be home
2) I had open heart surgery when I was four.
3) I received Christ as my Savior when I was 6.
4) I was baptized on January 1, 1990 at 12:01 am....my church put my name on the board outside at "first baptism of the decade"
5) I had pizza for my birthday every year until I was 12
6) Growing up I loved Salad bars...and still do
7) I repeated 5th grade
8) I didn't like school, because of the social aspect of it...but loved the learning part
9)  While kids in my class played and talked I had my nose stuck in a book
10) My favorite TV show growing up was {and is} Little House on the Prairie
11) My Aunt Phyllis bought me the entire series when I was a kid
12) I still have to read them all.
13) I really don't mind the number 13
14) I hated celery growing up
15) I used to dream of being a concert pianist...never got out of level 2 of piano
16)  I also wanted to be in an orchestra....even if it was just dinging the triangle
17) I wanted to be an astronaut, meteorologist, nurse, doctor, teacher, cardiologist, and a missionary at one point in my life...but not all at the same time...but really wanted to be a missionary teacher
18) I love dark chocolate, and think milk chocolate is too sweet
19) I love cupcakes
20) Red Velvet is my favorite
21) I love baking them too
22) I love to cook
23) I want to be on Food  Network someday
24) I love listening to piano music
25) Pet peeves: first one...shopping carts not put back in a shopping cart return and in the middle of a parking spot
26) Second pet peeve...opened toilet seat lids...I have to have my shut all the time..
27) I love Starbucks..or coffee for that matter
28) I like a lot of different genres of music
29) I just recently got into makeup (like more the the basics)
30) I enjoy beauty videos...because of them I subscribed to Ipsy and Birchbox
31) I love writing...but sadly have had writers block for a long time
32) I love riding with my car window down on nice days
33) I have a bad habit of my gas light coming on
34) I love eating at Chipotle
35) I love traveling...I've been to Germany, Austria, Mexico, NYC, and Canada on mission trips
36) I dream of traveling the world
37) I used to live in Florida...for seven years
38) I love  Jane Austen
39) Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book
40) Chronicles of Narnia is my favorite series
41) I love pink
42) I love peonies, roses, daisies, and gardenias and sunflowers
43) I enjoy binge watching shows on Netflix
44) I love Paris....and the Eiffel Tower and dream of going there someday
45) I love vintage 50's clothing
46) I will only eat the blue box Mac and cheese....on occasion the Velveeta kind and homemade but the blue box is my favorite
47) I love photography...esp picture of nature
48) I've never had a boyfriend
49) My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast..and I don't own a DVD of it
50) I have a pet fish named Gershwin...and in the past have had Winston, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and  Rachmaninoff

51) I can't sleep unless my ceiling fan is on (the noise is soothing) and every door is shut in my bedroom...including the closet...and they have to be closed all the way--the slightest crack bothers me. It also has to be completely dark- even the red lights on clocks bother me.

BUT the best fact of all is that I have a Savior who loves me and died for my sins on the cross many years ago. He did not stay dead, but rose again the third day...do you know Him? I am going to share some verses through some pictures.

We all have sinned...we all have lied, cheated, stolen, taken the Lord's name in vain. Read the 10 Commandments and I guarantee that you have broken a number of them...I know I have. Sin separates us from God...because God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. But God had a plan, since the beginning of time and it was to give us the most precious gift you can ever receive and it was His Son Jesus Christ.

As you have read in these passages, Christ gave His Son and He is the only way to Heaven...through the shed blood of Jesus. Some people think being really good, giving to charities, going to church, praying, etc. But truth be told no one is good enough for Heaven. The only way is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 

All you have to do is call on Him to be yours and He will be....because He loves you. 

Admit that you have sinned

Believe that He died and rose again

Choose to receive Him

It is as easy as A-B-C 

If you have any questions please reply below...

Spring

SONG OF SOLOMAN 2:12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

Spring has to be one of my favorite seasons. I love seeing the bare trees spring back to life after months of being bare. I love seeing the brown grass turn a lush green. The popping up of daffodils and flowers in the grass make my heart smile. It blooming of trees, the cool air, the smell of grass, and the twittering of birds. Spring reminds me of how great of a God we have, and seeing the earth being painted with new things. It reminds me of the Resurrection of Jesus after He died on the cross for our sins. It reminds me of new things to come. Spring is a beautiful time of the year. 

Five Minute Friday: Plan

I have always been a planner...have had my mental to do lists, reminded myself of things via my phone...had my own little plan for my life. When I was in high-school my plan was to go to college, and study Elementary Education and minor in missions. The Lord had other plans for me...I did go to college, but studied Practical Christian Training {a.k.a full time Christian ministry} and minored in child-care. My desire at the time (and still is) was to go to the mission field and teach...I graduated from BJU, and moved back home in January 2007. My plan was to stay home, live near my parents, and get a job near home. But, the Lord had yet another plan for me...to move to Florida, live there for seven years and to teach in a small Christian school. Those were the best years of my life, although there were many years involved--years of heartbreak and homesickness. My plan in January of last year was to stay around Jacksonville, and teach...but yet again, the Lord had another plan, and I felt the push to move back home. The Lord put me in a place that has been a whole different world for me, a place that I really have had to learn to show Christ in my life. I now work in a secular daycare--and I enjoy it. I miss teaching my kids Bible stories and singing Bible songs. But I am learning the way I live my life shows my kids, the parents, and my co-workers Christ. I feel like at times I have failed...but yet with the grace that God gives He has helped me. He has placed several Christian co-workers in my life, many who have been an encouragement. 

My plan when I went off to college was to meet my Price Charming..my Mr. Darcy {or my Jane Austen hero}...my knight and shining armor. I had several guys that I "went out" with, but nothing ever came from hanging out with them at artist series and dinner. I thought by the time I went through school I would meet him..that was my plan...I wanted to be married by the time I was 25. I am now 31 (32 in three months) and haven't had a date in 12 years with a guy...a guy hasn't shown interest...and that is okay because at this point in my life it isn't God's plan for me to be with someone yet. I much rather be in the center of God's will than with the wrong person.

With all that said...I have learned through the years that my plans are not always the plan that God has for me...and that the plan that God has for me is far more amazing than my own. He has written each chapter of my story...He is the author of my life and I am excited about what each chapter holds!

P.S. I took longer than five minutes...(so sorry) but I had so much I wanted to write and couldn't stop....:) 

A Fault in Our Stars {Movie Review}

The romantic sappy side of me is always a sucker for a good love story. It takes me out of the reality that in my non-romantic life and puts me in a fictional story filled with flowers, romance, and a first kiss...you all probably didn't know I once wanted to write a book on "Different ways to propose" thinking of romantic scenarios...yeah that never happened. But this post is not about be used to wanting to write a book, or on my lack of a love life...(I am okay somewhat with the lack of having a guy like me...I think}. Now that is said and done, I recently just saw the new movie "A Fault in Our Stars." I have heard about this movie all summer long, heard about the book and all the raves and hype about it, and I wanted to see the hype about this popular movie about two star-crossed lovers with cancer, fighting cancer, and meeting each other in support group, and falling in love. Saying that just makes my heart go pitter-patter. But sadly the movie wasn't what I expected....some parts of it was good...others I was like "What?!" Not I am not writing this to start a debate...this is a matter of opinion. 

I first started listening to the book on audible, because I wanted to "read" the book before seeing the movie. The book has so many curse words in it, I am embarrass to say I just kept on listening...oh and I never finished it. Take the curse words out and then it would have been better. The same with the movie, like anything take out the bad language and the movie would have been better. There was a surprising scene that was filled with bad words that I wished I had a censor on my DVD player to bleep them out. At the beginning of the movie they talked about the "literal heart of Jesus." I kinda took offence over this because Jesus in in my heart...and saying the "literal heart of Jesus" didn't sound right for me...kinda felt sacrilegious. Now, I know this whole scene of these kids going to a counseling/support group may have seemed helpful, but with the support group being in a church setting it certainly wasn't Biblical. 

Last, near the end of the movie it shows this couple sleeping together--it was very much implied. 

Now I won't tell you the end of the movie...or the book for that matter...but it is sad...very very sad

I can't really say if I liked this movie or not...I liked the story line...but I didn't like the language of the movie. I didn't like the reference "literal heart of Jesus" This is definitely a movie for older teens/adults. I will most likely not watch it again...for me its one of those okay I've seen it once and I don't want to see it again. 

My Living Locket {Origami Owl} Story

When I lived in Florida a friend was wearing this beautiful necklace with all these interesting charms in them. I commented to her it was pretty and asked what it was. She explained that it was an Origami Owl Locket and that you can customize it with charms. I thought that was pretty awesome, and really wanted one (especially since I at one time wanted a charm bracelet--but hate to wear bracelets). I wanted something that told a story, and if people asked I could say what each charm represented. For my 31st birthday (2014) I asked for an Origami Owl locket and a few charms. My mom and dad bought me a bigger locket than expected (I was expecting a smaller one) and the few charms that I wanted. I realized that I would have a lot more room left and can have more charms.
A few weeks ago a friend was having a Origami Owl party, and I decided to buy some charms. They came today and I couldn't be happier, and guess what I  still have room for some more. :D So here is my Origami Owl story (and a picture of my locket).

Palm Tree represents two things: My time spent in SC to go to college (4 1/2 years) and my seven years in Florida.
Apple; My love for teaching. I taught in Florida for seven years, and now I am currently an assistant teacher. I love teaching kids and spending time with them.
Travel coffee cup: my love for coffee & Starbucks
Eiffel Tower. My dream to go to Paris someday
Flip Flops: My favorite foot wear on beautiful days & my love for the beach and Florida
Coffee Cup: I love coffee
Peal: I was born in June
Sunflower: Although not my favorite flower, I love sunflowers and they make me happy.

I am deciding which charms to get next...can't wait to finish filling it up in the upcoming moths.
For sure I am going to get the cupcake one because I love cupcakes, and the daisy one because I love daises....and perhaps some of the pink Sikorsky crystals! When the locket is complete I will update this post!