Category: Christmas

• Ready or not, it’s here!

  HYMNS OF PEACE AND COMFORT is published! This is the first full-length book in the series of books I’m writing about selected hymns and how they help us talk with God – Talking with God through Music. This book includes reflections on 51 hymns based on the theme of peace and comfort. For each hymn,…

  Marian

  December 10, 2019

  Book Recommendations, Christmas, Goals, Music, Reflections

  favorite hymns, hymn stories, Hymns of Peace and Comfort, new book, peace, talking with God, Talking with God through Music

• Christmas in Jail

  

  “This is the first time I’ll be in jail over Christmas. I’ve been in jail a couple times before, but never over Christmas. I feel so bad for my family. Being in jail hurts my family more than it hurts me. I feel so bad for my kids. I’m really hurting my family by not…

  Marian

  December 22, 2015

  Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  angels, caroling, christmas, Christmas Carols, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, God’s love, in jail over Christmas, jail, miracle in jail, mom in jail, shepherds, wise men

• Christmas brings out the Poet in me

  

  I am not a poet – but every once in a while, especially around Christmas, I like to play with song lyrics. Several years ago I was a real estate broker, and I rewrote six Christmas songs with a real estate theme. The new titles were: O Real Estate, O Real Estate   O Little Town…

  Marian

  December 15, 2015

  Assisted Living, Christmas, Music, Reflections

  assisted living, christmas, cowbells, ELCA, ELCA Good Gifts Catalog, God’s Global Barnyard, God-given gifts, Good Gifts catalog, Jingle Bells, Mrs. Neupert, National Library Week, O Christmas Tree, O Real Estate, O Susanna, old proverb, onomatopoeic, play, poet, real estate, song lyrics, Stephen Foster, time to play, Twas the Night before Christmas, write a poem

• The Worst Sin of All according to Floey

  My new dog Floey and I are still getting to know each other. Christmas Day will mark the one month anniversary of Floey’s adoption date. Mim and I and all of our 93-year-olds are so happy that she joined our family. Floey loves all of us, but it’s clear that I am her favorite. She…

  Marian

  December 23, 2014

  Christmas, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Reflections

  case weather, cash crop, christmas, Christmas shopping, commercialization of Christmas, daily devotions, devotional book, Edward Hays, Floey, foggy days, generosity, generous, God’s love, Indian Reservation, kindness, lath, life challenges, moral code, Native American, North American Indian, raising tobacco, reflections, stinginess, stingy, stripping tobacco, tobacco, worst sin

• The Best Family Tradition of All – Baking Christmas Cookies!

  For the month of December, Joan Chittister has been focusing on the role of traditions in our lives in her pamphlet, The Monastic Way. On December 11 she said: Traditions are meant to develop us emotionally, one layer of understanding at a time. It is our traditions – the Easter eggs, the Christmas trees –…

  Marian

  December 16, 2014

  Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Reflections

  Berliner Kranzer, center of our souls, Christmas cookies, Christmas tradition, cookie cutouts, family tradition, gingerbread cookies, God’s love, God-given gifts, Joan Chittister, Kringla, krumkake, listening for God, love your neighbor, mixed marriage, peppernuts, reflections, spirituality, sugar cookies, talking with God, tradition

• Living inside a Broadway Musical

  Last weekend was like living inside a Broadway musical – like “The Sound of Music.” Life wasn’t an opera – our conversations were spoken, not sung – but the whole weekend seemed to flow from one musical moment to the next. It’s almost like we were taking the message of the Psalms – to sing…

  Marian

  December 9, 2014

  Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Music, Reflections

  Advent candles, Away in a manger, Beverly Taylor, Broadway musical, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas Carol Sing-along, Christmas Carols, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, God’s love, Hallelujah Chorus, Hutchison, hymn sing, I thank you Lord for each new day, Joy to the World, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah, Madison Symphony Choir, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Christmas concert, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Youth Choirs, Messiah Lutheran Church, Monona Senior Choir, Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, music, O Come All Ye Faithful, Overture Center organ, Overture Hall, reflections, Sam Hutchison, Silent Night, sing praises, Sing to the Lord, sing with the angels, sing-along, spirituality, The First Nowell, The Sound of Music, Winter Underwear, Winter Wonderland

• Top 10 Christmas Carols and my new favorite

  What are your favorites – your top 10 Christmas carols? I made a list of mine. It was hard to stop at ten, but I did it. Then I went on the Internet to see if I could find a list of the most popular Christmas carols. Chris Wilson compiled a list of favorites for…

  Marian

  December 24, 2013

  Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

  accomplishments, Away in a manger, Before the Marvel of this night, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas caroling, Christmas Carols, favorite Christmas carols, God’s love, hymn sing, jail ministry, Jaroslav Vajda, listening for God, Merry Christmas, O Holy Night, reflections, Silent Night, Singing Christmas Tree, spirituality

• A Christmas Letter from Abbey

  This morning as I was sitting at my desk Abbey came over to me and sat down. “Mom,” she said. “I have a favor to ask.” “What’s that?” I responded. “Will you help me write a Christmas letter to send to all my friends? I don’t have fingers like you have, and it’s really hard…

  Marian

  December 3, 2013

  Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Life’s Challenges, Music, Reflections

  Abbey, aging, assisted living, Christmas Carols, Christmas catalogs, Christmas Letter, Christmas shopping, Christmas Spirit, Edith Sinclair Downing, friends, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, God’s love, Heifer International, Holiday Hounds, If I fly as birds at dawning, Laurie Loughlin, life changes, love your neighbor, reflections, spirituality, wisdom, World Vision

• Reflections on Christmas from a Church Organist

  It’s over. The busiest time of the year for everyone, but especially for church organists, is over. As I look back over this holy season, what were the highlights for me? Celebrating Christmas together with our church family at Messiah Lutheran Church. I played the organ for the 10:00 service on Christmas Eve. This is…

  Marian

  January 14, 2013

  Celebrations, Christmas, God’s Love, Jail Ministry, Music, Reflections

  accompanying singing, Christmas Carol Sing, Christmas Carols, Christmas music, Christmas season, church musician, church organist, church pianist, congregational singing, East Koshkonong Lutheran Church, God’s love, hymn sing, jail ministry, leading singing from the organ, leading singing from the piano, listening for God, Messiah Lutheran Church, playing the organ, reflections, spirituality, talking with God, whispering winds

• All I Want for Christmas

  In the 1950s, the day the SEARS CHRISTMAS CATALOG arrived in the mail was just about the best day of the year. I’d sit down in the living room, flip to the toy section, and spend the next hour or two looking at all the toys, page after page after page. When I got to…

  Marian

  December 24, 2012

  Christmas, God’s Love, Reflections, Uncategorized

  Christmas presents, family reunion, friends, God loves me, God’s love, God’s peace, homemade Christmas cookies, krumkake, life changes, listening for God, reflections, Sears Christmas Catalog, spirituality, talking with God