The Christmas Song and Dance with an Angel

Jeff Westover Christmas Music 0 Comment
The Christmas Song and Dance with an Angel

Imagine the scene — a man deep in the throes of despair weeps in prayer to God, asking for forgiveness of his many sins. But he is not a man one would think to be burdened down by the guilt of wrong doing. He was a monk. But life was not going well for Henrich Suso and like many people of faith he blamed himself for his misfortunes. After his prayer was finished, he climbed into bed, sure to have another fitful night of tossing and turning over his worries. Somewhere in the dark of night as he slumbered aRead more

Reaching Out to Serve at Christmas

Jeff Westover Christmas News, Christmas Online, Christmas Opinion 0 Comment
Reaching Out to Serve at Christmas

Christmas represents for many people an ideal time to think of others. Many have time off, some have extra resources and most have a desire to lend a hand at this time of the year. That is one of the keystone message of Christmas. But finding opportunities to serve is not always so obvious for some. We offer something simple, something inexpensive and something nearly everyone can do: send cards through Operation Christmas Cheer. Operation Christmas Cheer was born of a desire to give back as part of our Annual Christmas Card Exchange. We knew how WE felt receiving cardsRead more

An Elf Named Moe

Jeff Westover Christmas Music , 0 Comment
An Elf Named Moe

Every once in a while a Christmas song comes along that speaks such truth we just have to share it. That’s way it is with Carl Stuck’s new song, An Elf Named Moe. Moe, you see, is one hard working elf. Carl bumped into him at the airport one day and Moe told him all about it: We love the idea that Santa does not do it all alone. In fact, we believe in a world where elves not only carry a big load but they have stories to tell of their own and personalities nearly quite as big asRead more

Over the River and Through the Wood

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Thanksgiving 1 Comment
Over the River and Through the Wood

“Over the River and through the wood” is a phrase endeared to many that evokes the memory of Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Many know it as a poem first, many more know it as a Christmas song. Christmas was never it’s original intention. It was always, from its title forward, meant to be a tribute to Thanksgiving. It was written by an extraordinary woman named Lydia Maria Child in 1844 – decades before Christmas and Thanksgiving became federal holidays. Despite that fact, the poem was based on a nostalgic longing for the Thanksgiving holiday celebrations of her New England youth.Read more

Pumpkin Pie Poetry

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Christmas Foods, Thanksgiving 0 Comment
Pumpkin Pie Poetry

The Thanksgiving of old America included a serious reverence the people of the 18th and 19th centuries had for pumpkin pie. Said the editor of the Philadelphia Ledger in 1837 “that he should like to be thrown into a pumpkin pie as large as Lake Superior, only deeper, and obliged it eat his way out.” Some historians and foodies would have you to believe that pumpkin was a staple of the early American diet. But don’t you believe it. There was nothing normal or routine or regular about it. It has been, from the very beginning, a harvest food foreverRead more

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Jeff Westover Christmas Music, Sacred Christmas, Thanksgiving 1 Comment
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing has become for many an anthem of Thanksgiving — as close to a Thanksgiving carol as there can be. The song was written in the mid-18th century by a 22-year old theology student. His name was Robert Robinson. As a youth, Robinson was a bit of a wild child, having lost his father when he was just 5 years old. As he entered his teen years he became too much for his mother to handle so she shipped him off to London to apprentice for a barber. At 17, Robinson set out on aRead more

Ode to Joy to the World

Jeff Westover Christmas Music 0 Comment
Ode to Joy to the World

Tis the season for new Christmas videos and the Piano Guys just released their newest Christmas tune titled Ode to Joy to the World. Yes, it’s a mash-up as only the Piano Guys do it and it’s a great, if not joyful, set-up to the season ahead. Take a look and a listen: Joy to the World is actually a hymn, written by one of the most prolific hymn writers in history, Isaac Watts. As a child, Watts showed remarkable propensity for rhyme, much to his father’s chagrin. After the family prayer time, one day, the sober minded elder WattsRead more

The Thanksgiving History You Never Hear

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Thanksgiving , 0 Comment
The Thanksgiving History You Never Hear

Modern media is flooded each Thanksgiving with tales of the myths and distortions of America’s most widely celebrated holiday. That is the most amazing thing about Thanksgiving. It is full of ironies and falsehoods and ignored facts. On one extreme you have those who cling to the Charlie Brown version of Thanksgiving. This is what most of us were taught in grade school – that the pilgrims walked off the Mayflower, made nice with the Indians and enjoyed a festive meal. On the other extreme you have those who say the Thanksgiving at Plymouth of 1621 never happened at allRead more

Josiah, His Turkeys and His Sweetheart

Jeff Westover Christmas Past, Holiday Humor, Thanksgiving 0 Comment
Josiah, His Turkeys and His Sweetheart

(Editor’s Note: This Thanksgiving story was published sometime in the early 19th century. Like A Visit from St. Nicholas it was published as a tradition year after year in many newspapers. We found it in the Boston Traveler from 1836, though we noted it dating back as far as 1824 in another newspaper. This is a delightful look an old American Thanksgiving traditions – as well as a great story of love.) Have you ever been in Windsor, Vermont? If so, you have heard of Josiah Baker. Indeed, you have heard of him even tho you have not been inRead more

A Christmas Story of 1887

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Christmas History 0 Comment
A Christmas Story of 1887

Editor’s Note: This Christmas story originally appeared in a Columbus, Ohio newspaper on December 24th, 1887. It was subtitled ‘As Compared to the Ordinary Christmas Day’. It is shared here in its complete form, with punctuation, spelling and vocabulary exactly as it was printed in the original. Such humorous stories were very common in local newspapers of the era. What was funny then is just as funny now. For more about Christmas of the 19th century, take a listen to the latest episode of the Merry Podcast. It was the 24th of December; from a force of circumstances that renderRead more