O Little Town of Bethlehem

The very first time I heard Sarah MacLachlan's version of O Little Town of Bethlehem tears sprang to my eyes. The sweet Christmas carol we sing this time of year is in stark contrast to the reality of Bethlehem today, which is a city behind a separation wall, referred to by many observers as an open air prison. MacLachlan's mournful version of this familiar song seemed to capture the emotion I feel every time I visit.

I pictured a video, not full of politics, but full of faces and the reality of life. Every year I would say how I wanted to make this video, and every year I lacked the resources necessary. This year, a young man and member of an Alliance Church in the US came to do some promotional videography for us. He had enough time to shoot some personal footage.

As we sat brainstorming one night, this song came on and I shared with Daniel my vision. He loved the idea and spent a morning in Bethlehem, capturing the footage you see in this video. I cried the first time I saw it. It expresses what I desired to communicate. It captures the faces of the people who have become precious to me. It tells the story of Bethlehem today...yet bringing our minds back to the Bethlehem of old. I hope your heart is touched as you watch. And may you be reminded of the One who came to set us all free. Blessings this Christmas season. And, thanks, Daniel, for catching my vision!

Filmed entirely in Bethlehem, West Bank.

O Little Town of Bethlehem [Today] from daniel riemenschneider on Vimeo.

Celebrating the Advent Season

I love Christmas! I love the sights and sounds of the season. I love Christmas carols and songs, buying and making presents for those I love. I love Christmas Eve candle-lighting services, and celebrating with our church family. I love twinkling lights, decorating the Christmas tree and TINSEL!

But what I treasure most is celebrating the Advent season. As a family we sit together with only the Christmas lights twinkling, and we read an Advent passage every night of the season. The children open our Nativity Advent calendar and we sing Christmas carols together.

The anticipation of the coming of Christ to the earth and rejoicing in his arrival fills my heart with joy. We look ahead with anticipation to the Easter season and the celebration of His death and ressurrection. And to His second coming. It's all wrapped up in the Christmas story.

My heart is filled with the wonder of the season. I love the childlike faith I see in the eyes of my children. What a precious time of year!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day spent with coworkers and friends in Jerusalem. I'm missing family and friends back home...and The Chapmans. We've celebrated Thanksgiving with them for the last few years. It felt empty without them!

But, we have so much to be thankful for and it's always nice to take a moment and think about the blessings in our lives. We prepared as much as we could the night before, got up at 5:30am to put the 30lb turkey (compare it to Georgia Kate in size!) in the oven, and basically cooked and cleaned until it was time to transport all the food to our friends' house around 1:30pm. Then we ate, talked, ate some more, played some games (like a rousing game of Settlers of Catan!), talked and ate some more. We got home and put the kids to bed around 11pm. A good time was had by all! Did I mention the kids were up at 4:30am because they were so excited that it was Thanksgiving Day??? Uh-huh. I can't wait until Christmas!

To add to the adventure of the day, Scoty got a shiner. Georgia Kate nailed him in the eye with a bat! Never a dull moment! Here are some pictures from our day, including the turkey, Scot's pies, my stuffing with a little extra added by the kids, our friends, and Scoty's eye wound.

We hope and pray that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends! Take time to thank God for all He has done.

"Be joyful always, pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

The Turkey before and after! Check out the special gift we got with our turkey this year! Head on or off was Scot's question! :P

Boogies

How can we tell our kids not to eat them when they're on sale at the local grocery store?

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A beloved teacher passed away suddenly...

Today, during a routine tonsillectomy, a 26 year old teacher passed away. Ustaz Sharif was beloved by all who knew him. I had the privilege of sitting in on some of his 5th grade geography classes last school year. I also have had the opportunity to see him in action. He loved students. He could always be found going the extra mile, intervening in student conflicts, showing compassion and concern. He was a kind, soft-spoken man who didn't take any nonsense in his classroom. The children are heartbroken at this shocking loss.

I have a knot in my stomach as I think about just how quickly this life can end. This young man was full of life. He was the kind of teacher that makes a positive difference in the lives of his students. It doesn't seem possible that he is gone. Just a few days ago he chaperoned the school swimming trip. Just a few days ago he was walking the halls of the school. It was too soon for him to go. :( I suppose this is how death is: one day someone is here with us and the next day they are gone. I didn't have the honor of knowing him well, but I had a great deal of respect for him and looked forward to the day when he would teach my children. He was that kind of teacher.

Prayers for his family and the teachers and students at Frere School in Jerusalem are appreciated.

Rest in Peace Ustaz Sharif. You will be missed by many. :(

Coffee...how I love you!

Written in 1587 by Sheik Ansari Djezeri Hanball Abd-al-Kadir. But the sentiments ring true as much today as then...

"Oh, Coffee, you dispel the worries of the Great, you point the way to those who have wandered from the path of knowledge. Coffee is the drink of the friends of God and of His servants who seek wisdom.

...No one can understand the truth until he drinks of its frothy goodness. T hose who condemn coffee as causing man harm are fools in the eyes of God.

Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold it brings to every man the feeling of luxury and nobility...Take time in your preparations of coffee and God will be with you and bless you and your table. Where coffee is served there is grace and splendor and friendship and happiness.

All cares vanish as the coffee cup is raised to the lips. Coffee flows through your body as freely as your life's blood, refreshing all that it touches: look you at the youth and vigor of those who drink it.

Whoever tastes coffee will forever forswear the liquor of the grape. Oh drink of God's glory, your purity brings to man only well-being and nobility."

Ahem. Yes. Well...powerful words. I'm still waiting for that nobility and splendor. But I do love coffee!! :)

Georgia Kate's studio birthday pictures!

I realize this might be overkill for some of you! If we're friends on FB and you're also on SS, then you have seen these pictures already! :) But I can't resist sharing them on my blog because they make me smile! We took Georgia Kate for her annual birthday pictures on Saturday. Last year she refused to even smile and we walked away with 3 semi-decent pictures of a little girl who looked slightly put-off. This year? It was like a completely different girl! She was happy to smile, pose, and even dance a little! She did most of what the photographer asked of her, and we had more than 20 great pictures of our little girl!

These are some of my favorites! Enjoy the cheekiness (literally and figuratively!) that is Georgia Kate!

Georgia Kate is 4 and more!

It's hard for me to believe that it has been 4 years since Georgia Kate was born! She turned 5 on October 9, and we had a little celebration for her. We also had our visas renewed by the Israeli Government for another year, which is always a praise since it's not a given! We're thankful that we can continue our lives here for as long as God keeps the door open! We had a camping adventure with friends, continue studying Hebrew, squeezed in a trip to the zoo, and I was able to participate in a filming of the British TV show, Songs of Praise! Watch for me on BBC 1 on Sunday, December 1. I also got to meet the show's host, Aled Jones, who is quite a phenom in his own right! I had no idea!

In any event, life is NEVER boring living in this land! Here are some picture highlights from our recent adventures!













































































Today is my sister's birthday! These are the moments when it's especially hard to be away from home! Happy Birthday, Regina! Miss you tons!!!!!