Tag Archives: Carols

Advent at the WildBerry Patch – What does Christmas feel like?

Hello!

I grew up in Ohio, and I live in Austin Texas now.

Today does not feel like Christmas.  it’s 81 degrees outside!

I started thinking, what does Christmas feel like?
Does it feel like

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire?
Jack Frost nipping at your nose?
Folks singing yuletide carols,
and dressed up like Eskimos?

Is it a White Christmas
and hearing sleighbells in the snow?

Is it frightful weather so you stay inside
and say let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?

Or should it be thinking of a
Silent Night, a Holy Night

In the little town of Bethlehem?
Where on a Midnight Clear
Angels from the realms of Glory
Sang
The first Noel?

When Shepherds ran Away to a Manger,
and asked
What Child is this?

And with these thoughts,
and, Hark, the Angels are singing,
We sing
Joy to the World, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King.

O Come all ye faithful,
All ye Merry Gentle men and women remember Christ was born on Chrismtas day!
All Good Christian men and women
Rejoice!
With Heart and soul and voice!

Christ the Lord is born!
Christ the Lord is born.

To kids from 1 to 92
Merry Christmas to You.

May your days be Merry and Bright,
and may you enjoy at least one Christmas that is white!

by M. Christine Wildman
copyright 2022

Christmas Carole booklet

Join me in ushering in the season with O Come O come Emmanuel, and sing it every day of the year! Come Lord Jesus Come!

And Join me in celebrating the Advent season.
I’ve created a season of Devotions for Advent.

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

M. Christine Wildman“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christmas Carols Considerations – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

The first Christmas Carol I’m considering is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen sung by a traditional choir.

Wikipedia contains the history of this song.

The first recorded version is found in Three New Christmas Carols, dated c. 1760.

God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s powers when we were gone astray

Glad tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Glad tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel this blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary did nothing take in scorn

Chorus

From God our Heavenly Father a blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name

Chorus

“Fear not then, said the angel, let nothing you affright
This day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright
To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might”

Chorus

The Shepherds at those tidings Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a feeding, In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,This blessed babe to find.

Chorus

But when to Bethlehem they came, Whereas this infant lay,
They found him in a manger, Where oxen feed on hay,
His mother Mary kneeling Unto the Lord did pray.

Chorus

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas all other doth deface

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

There is so much amazing theology in this Carol!
LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY!
FEAR NOT
COMFORT AND JOY!
The humility of the manger.
The messengers of God – Angels speaking to the unloved.

In the midst of life, there are so many things that come up that would cause one to dismay or fear!
In the midst of the storms, we need comfort and joy.
God came down to OUR level to give us these gifts.

I, for one, and very thankful that He did!

Now, here are a few upbeat versions! Enjoy!
Merry Christmas!

Advent Devotions

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christmas Carol Considerations – It came upon a Midnight Clear

It Came Upon a Midnight clear

The birth of Jesus was a miracle.
The timing of His birth was a miracle.
In fact, His lineage, His protection, His life and His death were all fulfillments of the prophecies.

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold!
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.

Of course the Angels sang! They were seeing the plan unfold!

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

This verse refers to the joyous gift in the midst of a weary world in darkness.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world hath 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.

When I hear this verse, I think “Peace, Be still”
and “Be still and Know that I am God!”

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

This is a reference to Christ’s return – as the reigning King.

Mark 13:32-35
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come.
34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Acts 1:11
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

My faith says this is a historical event.
There is plenty of historical evidence of the life of Christ.
It takes FAITH to believe in the fulfillment of prophecy, and in Jesus as your Lord and savior.
I believe!

My faith says that Christ is coming again – and I am to be ready.

Merry Christmas!

~~~~~

Advent Devotions
Thank you to Christmas Carol Lyrics for providing the lyrics for these Christmas Carols!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christmas Carols Considerations – O come, O come, Emmanuel

O Come O Come Emmanuel – and ransom captive Israel.
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the son of God appear.

This is the prayer for the savior to come.
The beauty of this carol is that it speaks to various aspects of Christ.

By Paul Baloche

Historically, In the liturgical churches, it was sung, each verse, for the last seven days of Advent. The seven O Antiphons were sung at vespers.

The importance of the “O Antiphons” is twofold. First, each one is a title for the Messiah. Secondly, each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah. The Latin antiphons are from the Breviarium Romanum. The English versions, which are not always literal translations of the Latin, are from the Church of England’s Common Worship liturgy.

This first version of the hymn includes five verses, corresponding to five of the seven standard O Antiphons, in the following order:
“Veni, veni Emmanuel!” = “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
“Veni, O Jesse Virgula” = “O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse”
“Veni, veni, O Oriens” = “O come, Thou Dayspring, from on High”
“Veni, clavis Davidica” = “O come, Thou Key of David, come”
“Veni, veni, Adonai”[3] = “O come, Adonai, Lord of might”

Sung by Sovereign Grace

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny ;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home ;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Adonai, Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Sung by Barlow Girl

Additional two verses, which I have not heard before, completes the 7 O Antiphons:

Additional verses trans. H. S. Coffin (1916)
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

This carol teaches about the aspects of Christ’s position and refers to his different names.

Sung By Kari Jobe

The hymn is based around the chapters in Isaiah 7 and 8, where God is promising protection from real life enemies to Isreal. The Wikipedea page explains the two views of Immanuel. One is the original Hebrew view, in Isaiah. The other is the Christian view which refers to the view in Isaiah as a prophecy as well as a promise.

By Pentatonix

For Christmas, I’m referencing Matthew 1:22-23

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[a] (which means “God with us”).

The reference within this verse is Isaiah 7 & 8

To our family, this is the first Christmas carol we sing every year,
For us, it starts the holiday – the HOLY season – by placing the focus right where we want it.
Realizing that Jesus Christ is OUR Emmanuel – OUR God with US – and that, that is the best gift of Christmas!

Advent Devotions

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, or other social media!
I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.