Colors of Christmas

I love all the colors of Christmas:

• Stained glass windows in churches
• The many colorful lights that adorn trees and houses
• Red poinsettias and holly berries, red velvet dresses on little girls in the Christmas program and red bow ties on choirboys
• Pine green Christmas trees and wreaths, shiny green holly leaves, and powdery green mistletoe
• Silver tinsel, silver bells, icicles, moonbeams reflecting on new fallen snow, and stars twinkling in the deep blue of the nighttime sky 
• Gold ornaments and ribbons on gaily wrapped gifts
• Purple mountains and purple robes on  the Wise Men
• Pure white snow that transforms the dreary landscape into a glistening winter wonderland

All those colors inspired me to write this poem:

COLORS OF CHRISTMAS

Silver stands for our redemption,

purchased at great cost.

Red stands for the blood of Jesus,

shed to save the lost.

White stands for the purity of our 

robes of righteousness;

Washed white as snow by Jesus' blood,

we stand in holiness.

Green stands for our Christian growth;

to feed on God's Word is a must.

Blue stands for our loyalty to Christ

in whom we trust.

Purple stands for His majesty;

King of kings is He.

Gold stands for the heavenly place

He has prepared for me.

by AnnaLee Conti

As you enjoy all the colors this Christmas, I pray that you will experience the myriad facets of the Light of the World, JESUS, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.

Merry Christmas! 

Update on Footsteps of Faith: 

Due to the pandemic, the publication is taking a bit longer than I had hoped. The projected released date is now late January 2021. 

The Christmas I Learned about My Heavenly Father

Here is an excerpt from the new book I 'm writing, Following in Footsteps of Faith--a true event that happened one Christmas that still impacts my life. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

In the early 1950s in Juneau, Alaska, when I was 5 or 6 years old, most families did their gift shopping by mail in the Territory. The arrival of the Sears and Roebuck Christmas catalog signaled the beginning of the holiday season. We kids spent hours poring over the Christmas catalog, studying page after page of toys and dolls, looking for the exact gift we wanted.

As I turned a page, my eyes fell upon the most beautiful doll I’d ever seen—a bride doll dressed in lace and tulle, with a veil over long, blond curls that could be combed and styled.

I ran to show my mother. “This is what I want for Christmas!”

With sadness tingeing her voice, she said, “Oh, honey, you’ll have to pray and ask Jesus for that doll. We don’t have enough money to buy presents this year.”

By faith, my parents operated the Bethel Beach Children’s Home in a big house on the beach just outside of town. They received little income for caring for the children—as many as thirteen children, nine of them under five and two babies in cribs—orphaned, neglected, or abandoned. Others had only one parent and no one to care for them while the parent worked.

Bethel Beach Children’s Home in Juneau, Alaska, c. 1950

I am the girl in the back row second from left

My dad worked full time to support our family and the home. My mother cared for all the children as well as doing the cooking, the laundry, and the cleaning. We children did our assigned chores, but Mother was usually without other adult help. Both parents provided us with a lot of love and Christian training.

That year, every night until December 24, when I knelt to say my bedtime prayers, I asked Jesus to give me that beautiful bride doll for Christmas. My request wasn’t very significant to anyone but me. You might even say it was selfish. It certainly would not change the course of history if I didn’t receive that doll.

Christmas morning, when we children, wide-eyed with expectation, tripped down the stairs and peeked into the large living room, we discovered gaily wrapped presents under the tree for each of us. The tags all read, “From Jesus.” When I unwrapped my gift, the beautiful doll I’d prayed for lay inside.

Years later, my mother told me the rest of the story. That Christmas Eve, Behrends, the only department store in Juneau at that time, had invited my parents to come down to the store to pick out gifts for all the children—free of charge. Among the unsold toys, she found the bride doll for me.

That Christmas, this young girl learned that the God who created the Universe cares about every detail of her life, including what she wanted for Christmas. And to this day, that sense of my Heavenly Father’s love has never left me.

Other books by AnnaLeeConti available at www.AnnaLeeConti.com/books.html

Significance of the Swaddling Cloths

I just realized it's been more than a month since I wrote a blog post. In addition to doctors' visits, preparations for Christmas, and several snowstorms, I've been working hard on my new writing project--a book which I'm titling Following in Footsteps of Faith. It is a sequel to Frontiers of Faith,  the story of my grandparents, Charles & Florence Personeus, pioneer missionaries to Alaska, 1917-1982. The new book tells the faith-building true stories of my adventures in following in their footsteps even from early childhood.

Courtesy Google.com

Before I continue work on my new book, I want to pause and wish you all a blessed Christmas and  God's best in the New Year.

From the first Christmas I can remember until now, my family has always read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke on Christmas Eve. We've sung the carols and reenacted the precious story every year in church. This year, however, I gained insight into the wondrous story that I had never known previously: the significance of the swaddling cloths to the shepherds.

Bethlehem, meaning "House of Bread," is only 5 miles from Jerusalem. King David watched his father's sheep on the hillsides around Bethlehem, the town designated in Micah 5:1 as the birthplace of the coming Messiah, who would be called "The Bread of Life."

Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, near the Sea of Galilee, about 80 miles north of Bethlehem. We all know the Bible story of the taxation census ordered by Caesar Augustus that required all men to return to their hometowns to register. Joseph, as well as Mary, were both of the lineage of King David. In spite of Mary's advanced pregnancy, she accompanied Joseph on the journey. As they arrived in Bethlehem, she went into labor.

Bethlehem at that time was overwhelmed with travelers who had come to register. Frantically, Joseph searched for a room. All he could find was a shepherd's cave. At least it was clean and provided shelter. Mary gave birth and wrapped the Babe in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. This fact is mentioned three times within 20 verses in Luke 2, calling attention to its importance.

Out on the hillside, shepherds were watching their sheep that night. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared to them and announced the birth of "Christ the Lord," saying,

Courtesy Pinterest.com

And this will be the sign to you: you will find the Babe wrapped in 

swaddling cloth, lying in a manger.

  

The message was punctuated by the singing of a radiant angelic choir:

Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

Now, these were not ordinary shepherds. The shepherds of Bethlehem were "Levitical Shepherds," chosen and trained to take care of the sheep that were to be used as sacrificial lambs in the Temple in nearby Jerusalem.

The Law of Moses required that the sacrificial lambs be "spotless and without blemish." To assure that, special treatment was required. When an ewe was ready to give birth, she was taken to a special birthplace, a cave designated for the birth of the sacrificial lambs. The newborn lamb was carefully wrapped in swaddling cloths, bandage-like strips of cloth to protect it from blemish, and laid in the manger there.

When the shepherds heard the angel's news, they knew immediately where they could go to see the Baby--to their cave where the sacrificial lambs were born.

As soon as the angels went back into heaven, the shepherds hurried to see the newborn Babe, the One of whom John the Baptist later called "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

Today, amid all the tinsel, lights, sounds, and gifts, let's not forget "the Reason for the Season"!

The Sacrificial Lamb is now our Shepherd.

He is Emanuel, God with us!

He is the the Lamb without spot or blemish--the One who was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin,  the One who can sympathize with our weaknesses and give us help in our time of need. Praise His wonderful Name!

Consider giving a book for Christmas. See http://annaleeconti.com/books.html

God's Christmas Gift

For Christmas, I'm sharing the Prologue I wrote for our church Christmas play this year:

Courtesy Google.com

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the earth, male and female He created them, in His own image, and breathed into them the breath of life.

God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

The Lord God planted a garden, and there he placed the man and the woman. And God said, “You may eat of every tree in the garden except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day you eat of it you will surely die.”

But the serpent tempted them, and they did eat of the forbidden fruit.

Immediately, their fellowship with God was broken, and they were cast out of the garden so they could not eat of the tree of life and live forever in their sinful condition.

Courtesy Google.com

But God did not leave them without hope, for He promised, “I will put enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between the [serpent's] seed and her Seed; He shall bruise [the serpent's] head, and [the serpent] shall bruise His heel.”

The world was plunged into the darkness of sin, but the Promise of a Savior shone a glimmer of hope that the people who walked in darkness would one day see a great light.

To cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness, God killed a lamb to begin teaching them that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.”

Many dark years passed. Then the Lord God found a man who worshiped Him. He said to Abram, “Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you … and you shall be a blessing … and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Courtesy Google.com

Through Abraham, God would prepare a nation to bring forth the Savior.

Later, God gave Moses the Law. The sacrificial system would point to the day and help people to understand when God would give His only uniquely begotten Son as the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us….

Courtesy Google.com

(Scripture passages from Genesis 1, 3, John 1, New King James Version.)

The Christmas I Learned to Pray

It was December 1950 or 1951 in Juneau, Alaska, and I was 5 or 6 years old. Most families did all their shopping by catalog in territorial Alaska. We kids spent hours pouring over the Sears and Roebuck Christmas catalog, studying page after page of toys and dolls, looking for what we wanted for Christmas. 

As I turned a page, my eyes fell upon the most beautiful doll I'd ever seen--a bride doll dressed in lace and tulle, a veil over long, blond curls that could be combed and styled.

Courtesy Google.com

I ran to show my mother. "This is what I want for Christmas!"

With sadness tingeing her voice, she said, "Oh, honey, you'll have to pray and ask Jesus for that doll. We don't have enough money to buy presents this year."

My parents operated the Bethel Beach children's Home home by faith. As many as thirteen children, nine of them under five and two babies in cribs--orphans, neglected or abandoned children, and others with only one parent and no one else to care for them when the parent worked--lived in a big house on the beach just outside of town. Some parents were able to pay a little; those children placed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs or welfare were subsidized. 

Bethel Beach Children's Home in Juneau, Alaska, c. 1950
I am the girl in the back row next to my dad

My dad worked full time to support our family and the home while my mother cared for all the children, did the cooking, the laundry, and the cleaning, usually without other adult help. Both of them provided us with a lot of love and Christian training.

That year, every night until December 24, when I knelt to say my bedtime prayers, I asked Jesus to give me that beautiful bride doll for Christmas. My request wasn't very significant to anyone but me. You might even say it was selfish. It certainly would not change the course of history if I didn't receive that doll. 

Courtesy Google.com

But that Christmas morning when, wide-eyed with expectation, we children tripped down the stairs and peeked into the large living room, we discovered gaily wrapped presents under the tree for each child. The tags all said, "From Jesus." When I unwrapped my gift, the beautiful doll I'd prayed for lay inside.

Years later, my mother told me the rest of the story. That Christmas Eve, Behrends, the only department store in Juneau, had called my parents to come down to the store and pick out gifts for all the children in their children's home. Among the unsold toys she found a bride doll for me.

That Christmas, this young girl learned that the God who created the Universe cares about every detail of her life, including what she wanted for Christmas. And to this day, that sense of my Heavenly Father's love has never left me.

I Corinthians 13 for Christmas

I collect paraphrases based on 1 Corinthians 13. Years ago, I found this Christmas version. I don't know who wrote it, but it reminds me to focus on the message of Christmas and not get caught up in the tinsel and commercialism. This is a repeat blog post from last year. I don't know about you, but lest I get too involved in preparation for the holiday, I need this reminder every Christmas!

Courtesy Google.com

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkle lights, and shiny balls but do not show love to my family, I am only a honking horn or clanging bell.

Courtesy Google .com

If I slave away in the kitchen baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I am just another cook; it means nothing.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and hand-crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the church choir cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point of the season.

Courtesy Google.com

Love stops cooking to hug a child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, even though I am harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

"The greatest of these is love."

What is your biggest challenge to demonstrating your love at Christmas?


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To Put a Face on God

I once heard the story of a missionary to Egypt who was trying to teach the people about the Incarnation of Christ.

In spite of his best efforts, the people shook their heads. "We don't understand."

In desperation, the missionary asked an elderly believer how he could explain the reason for Jesus' coming. The man thought for a few moments then replied, "He came to put a face on God."

The elderly believer was right on. That simple explanation brought the light of understanding to the eyes of the people.

Through the millennia before Christ came, people wondered what God is like. Then God sent His only uniquely begotten Son. Jesus told His disciples, "He that has seen Me has seen the Father."

Now that Jesus has come and moved in love among us, no one ever again need ask that question.

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means "God with us." Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

God saw our greatest need and sent His Son Jesus. I love this reminder on a Christmas card:

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was to be cleansed from sin, so God sent us a Savior!

"Immanuel, God with us."

The Word did not become a Philosophy to be discussed, 

nor a Theory to be debated, 

nor a Concept to be pondered. 

But the Word became a Person to be followed, enjoyed, and loved.

Another unknown writer said:

Christ came as a tiny Baby that He might better understand our sufferings.

He was born into poverty lest we think Him a monarch.

He came not to dominate but to motivate; 

not to condemn but to forgive; 

not to oppress but to free our souls; 

not to compel but to teach us the truest meaning of unselfish love.

This Christmas season, I pray that you may truly experience "Immanuel, God with us."

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Christmas Version of 1 Corinthians 13

I collect paraphrases based on 1 Corinthians 13. Years ago, I found this Christmas version. I don't know who wrote it, but it reminds me to focus on the message of Christmas and not get caught up in the tinsel and commercialism.

Courtesy Google.com

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkle lights, and shiny balls but do not show love to my family, I am only a honking horn or clanging bell.

Courtesy Google .com

If I slave away in the kitchen baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I am just another cook; it means nothing.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and hand-crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the church choir cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point of the season.

Courtesy Google.com

Love stops cooking to hug a child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, even though I am harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

"The greatest of these is love."

What is your biggest challenge to demonstrating your love at Christmas?

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Colors of Christmas

I love all the colors of Christmas:

• Stained glass windows in churches
• The many colorful lights that adorn trees and houses
• Red poinsettias and holly berries, red velvet dresses on little girls in the Christmas program and red bow ties on choirboys
• Pine green Christmas trees and wreaths, shiny green holly leaves, and powdery green mistletoe
• Silver tinsel, silver bells, icicles, moonbeams reflecting on new fallen snow, and stars twinkling in the deep blue of the nighttime sky 
• Gold ornaments and ribbons on gaily wrapped gifts
• Purple mountains and purple robes on  the Wise Men
• Pure white snow that transforms the dreary landscape into a glistening winter wonderland

All those colors inspired me to write this poem:

COLORS OF CHRISTMAS

Silver stands for our redemption,

purchased at great cost.

Red stands for the blood of Jesus,

shed to save the lost.

White stands for the purity of our 

robes of righteousness;

Washed white as snow by Jesus' blood,

we stand in holiness.

Green stands for our Christian growth;

to feed on God's Word is a must.

Blue stands for our loyalty to Christ

in whom we trust.

Purple stands for His majesty;

King of kings is He.

Gold stands for the heavenly place

He has prepared for me.

by AnnaLee Conti

As you enjoy all the colors this Christmas, 

I pray that you will experience the myriad facets

 of the Light of the World, JESUS, 

 whose birth we celebrate today.

Merry Christmas!