This year there will be three trees in our house. We have had as many as five in years past, so I suppose we are downsizing. This one is located in the den/tv room and is my favorite. The majority of ornaments on this tree are photos of the grand kids. I have taken photos of the “grandcrew” every year. There is one photo ornament of each grand child from their first Christmas until their eighteenth.

We have four grand children and only one that is under eighteen now, so there are seventy-one ornaments. This year we did add one of the oldest grand daughter and her husband, so we may be starting a new trend. I love this tree because every ornament is a memory of Christmas past shared with my favorite people.

If you’re looking to start a Christmas tradition, I can’t think of one that will bring you more joy in the years to come than to hang memories on a tree.

And now for the music.

Have you ever wondered what it was like on that night that the Savior of the world was born? I believe we get a glimpse of how God works in the lives of men. In Scripture, Isaiah 55:8 declares that God’s ways of doing things are the same as our ways and that His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts. God could have brought His Son into this world in a blaze of glory and made Christ’s presence known to every human. Instead, God entered this world as an infant and He came through a family of no particular importance to the world around them. I believe that the circumstances of Christ’s birth are an example that anyone can approach the throne of God seeking His grace. Christ did not come to save only the rich and powerful. He came to save the lost and brokenhearted, which can come from any station in life. On a cold winter night in Bethlehem the Light of the World was born in the light of a stable.

Aww…some Monday

This little Santa is over 60 years of age. He stands about 14 inches tall and was a promotional item from Coca Cola in the late 50’s. A friend of my parents worked in a Coca Cola bottling plant and when these appeared in the office, she secured one and gave it to my mother. This year Santa is standing next to a small tree in the home office that is dressed in an outdoor theme. That carton of Coke in the foreground is a commerative product celebrating the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball national championship in 1994. You will probably see more of that tree and decorations in a later post.

Christmas Music Marathon Day 4

Seven hundred years prior to the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah give us a description of the Savior and His mission in this world. Isaiah told us that the Messiah would come to this earth in human form and there would be nothing unique about His appearance (Isaiah 53:1-3). Luke 1:26 – 37 tells the story of Mary receiving the news from an angel of the Lord that she would soon give birth to the Savior of mankind. This announcement must have been overwhelming to the teen aged mother to be. The question comes to mind, “Mary Did You Know?

And what about Joseph? How would he react to the news that the woman he was engaged to was already expecting her first child and they had not even gotten married yet. Matthew 1:18-25 tells us that the angel of the Lord delivered the news to Joseph and the couple were obedient to the will of the Creator. After all, “It Wasn’t His Child.”

Christmas 2019 was a very special Christmas for our family, especial my wife and me. Earlier in the year I was diagnosed with two types of cancer, prostate and a large cancerous tumor in my abdomen. I had surgery in October of that year to remove a 30 lb. tumor. By mid December I was undergoing radiation treatments for the prostate cancer. When this image was taken at our home, I was about six weeks removed from the surgery. As I write this post I am cancer free. God gifted medical professionals to successfully treat the cancers and my Savior provided me with family and friends to minister to me throughout the journey. I just celebrated another birthday because my Creator still has work for me to do in His kingdom. The very least I can do is celebrate the birth of the Messiah. To God be the glory!

Children bring a special joy to the home during the Christmas season. They embrace every tradition from wrapping packages and decorating the tree to attending special Christmas services at the church. This image of the grand kids. This image is from about 2007. The oldest grand daughter is now married, the other two are in college and the grandson is a junior in high school and stands 6′-2″. We have been blessed to live in the same town and share Christmas every year since their birth.

The Bible tells us that there were shepherds in nearby fields on that first Christmas night. They were the first to hear the birth announcement of Christ from a heavenly host of angels. This fact alone tells us that a relationship with God and a place in eternity is available to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, regardless of our position in this life. The message is, “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Welcome everyone to my eleventh annual Christmas Music Marathon. It’s hard to believe that I have been blogging this long and that the marathon is still my favorite thing to do each year. If you are new to the blog, here is how it works. Every day between now and Christmas I will post a photo and at least one music video that attempts to focus our attention on the true meaning of the holiday. In this day and age it is easy to get distracted by the troubles of the world, social media and just the general commotion surrounding Christmas.

This year I intend to spend a lot of time traveling down memory lane. This image is of me and I am probably three or four years old. I grew up when cowboys were popular on television and in the movies so I got all of the cowboy gear for Christmas. This is probably 1949 or 1950. Now, let the music begin.

One tradition I have regarding this marathon is to begin by thinking about that first Christmas night. We are celebrating the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us the story of Christ’s entry into this world in the second chapter of Luke. Everyone was commanded to register in their hometown and pay their taxes. Mary and Joseph entered Bethlehem and proceeded to look for a place to stay. There was no Christmas shopping or twinkling lights. There was just a cold night with no place to stay. Let’s take a walk through Bethlehem.

It is important to pass the true meaning of Christmas on to the next generation. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4 that we are to train our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 2 Timothy 3:16 declares that all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. Teaching our children songs about the glory of the Creator is a wonderful thing. Carrie Underwood and her five-yer-old son, Isaiah sing Little Drummer Boy.

Come back tomorrow for more music and images of the season. Have a blessed day.

Autumn Leaves Part III

Aww Mondays

Monday’s Music Moves Me

It’s Thanksgiving week at 4M and the theme or challenge this week is to put a playlist together that spells “Grateful” I am being pulled in three directions. I could just do a playlist that spells “grateful” and pull the songs from any genre. I could do a playlist that focuses on the One to whom we should be grateful for all of life’s blessings or I could develop a playlist of songs that give a preview of things to come here on Driller’s Place.

Thursday is Thanksgiving and that means the Driller’s Eleventh Annual Christmas Music Marathon will begin on Friday and continue through Christmas day. I do hope you will find time to stop by and view the daily featured video(s) that attempt to focus on the true reason for the holiday celebration. I think I am going to combine the latter two themes to spell this week’s theme.

I supposed I could just post this song and be done, since it is simply titled, “Grateful.”

We have all spent a sleepless Christmas Eve waiting on Santa Claus to arrive or, later in life, playing “elf” by assembling the toys that Santa has left the kids. But when the sun comes up and the kids explode from their rooms, there will be plenty of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.

On that first Christmas there were shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem and the angels appeared to them with the good news that a Savior had been born. They left their flocks and went to see the Christ child and when asked how they knew of the birth of the Messiah, their response was, “Angels We Have Heard On High”.

We celebrate Thanksgiving and say we are thankful for all of the good things in our lives, but who should we be thankful to? Psalms 100:4 tells us, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good.” What should we be be thankful for? Again, the Good Book tells us “…in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for your.” (1Thessalonians 5:18) Be thankful.

I have my Christmas lights on the exterior of the house and the tree is covered in lights. Every light that shines at Christmas is a declaration of the birth of a Savior.

Most of us dream of a white Christmas. There is just something magic about a layer of snow on the ground that makes a Christmas celebration very special. Of course, the whole family participates in the construcion of their own version of Frosty the Snowman.

One Christmas tradition that seems to have faded into the past is mistletoe. While it is still used as a decoration, the idea of having to kiss a person who is standing under the mistletoe appears to have been lost. Let’s revive that tradition. Maybe it will help us be a little kinder to one another.

National news is reporting that there are now three vaccines that are successful against Covid-19! If an emergency approval is granted, distribution can begin in December. That would be a marvelous gift for a troubled world. In the mean time, how ever you celebrate the holiday, just Let It Be Christmas.

Well, there you have it…GRATEFUL in song titles celebrating Thanksgiving and previewing Christmas. Hope to see you here during the marathon. Hve a safe Thanksgiving. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay joyful.

Autumn Leaves Part II

Aww Mondays

Happy Trails to You

This final post of my local trail trilogy involves a trail that is a favorite of ours. It begins a couple of blocks from the town square and ends at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The paved trail is about a mile long. Once you reach the museum there are a couple of additional miles of trails on the grounds that lead you past large pieces of art. But it’s autumn in the Ozarks and God is putting on a much more colorful display than any of the exhibits.

Crystal Bridges is a beautiful piece of architecture that houses a world class collection of art by American artists. If you are in the area, it is a must visit destination.

My wife and I spent Halloween afternoon on the trail. I didn’t bring my tripod so I didn’t get a photo of us together and now the leaves are gone and winter is just around the corner. The colors were simply spectacular this year.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a freedom of choice week and 4M, so I am going to take the opportunity to shamelessly plug something coming soon to Driller’s Place.

Eleven years ago I began what I now call my Christmas Music Marathon. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving and continuing through Christmas I post at least one photo, one video, and a short comment regarding Christmas. The purpose of this annual project is to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Christ. As a society we have become so busy, so over saturated with the commercial side of the season that we have lost the real reason for the celebration. If you want to get a better idea of how this is going to work you can scroll back to December posts of 2018 or 19. Prior to 2018 I was posting on e-Blogger. I made the transition to WordPress in January of 2018 so there are only two years of marathon posts here.

This year the photos will concentrate a little more on family photos from Christmas past. Lucy and I will take you on a journey through the years around the Christmas tree. The songs will come from secular and inspirational sources, so if you are a fan of Christmas and tired of the same old mall music, stop by here any day between Thanksgiving and Christmas to hear music that celebrates the true meaning of the season.

Needless to say 2020 has been and very different and difficult year for people worldwide. Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on our society as people have sheltered in their homes, sports were canceled, restaurants were closed, even churches quit meeting in worship services. It might leave some to ask, “Where Are You Christmas?”

Another question that we often here is, “What does Christmas mean to you?” Well the next few weeks I hope to answer that question and by Christmas day you will know what Christmas is to me. Have a blessed week.

Veterans Day

Let Freedom Ring