#13 Steven Gibson: Carol Poem.

Away in a manger

Where lambs would be birthed,

Washed, cleaned, and prepared
For earthly priests.

Each lamb taken
To fulfill the law,

Watched over by shepherds

Ensuring no flaw.

Hark, the herald angels sang

To those entrusted with the lambs
Sending them to spread the word

“The lamb of God is on this earth”

O little town of Bethlehem,

Where tribes of Judah had begun

The first son of a new Israel

Breathes first, breathes in, breathes life to all

And in this twisted carol

Heaven doesn't touch Earth.

It grabs it, shakes it

Holds it, hugs it

Saves it, restores it

Floods it with grace

And a season of joy begins.

Steven Gibson is a teacher, worship leader, and youth leader in Plymouth, England.  His worship team "One Touch" will be releasing an album sometime 2015.  

#12 Krista Kahsen: Christmas Lights

Click the photos for a close-up/slideshow.

Krista Kahsen is a young photographer, church pianist, and hometown missionary in Michigan.  She is currently studying English through CollegePlus and enjoys being a camp counselor when she gets the chance.   Check out her blog and like her photography page below:  

www.inksimpressionsandivory.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/kristarosephotography 

 

#11 Audrey Gragert: Sup With Me

From the Artist: This painting was inspired by Revelation 3:20 NIV “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

I was struck by the intimacy of the picture of our Lord and God coming in and sharing a meal with us. Sharing a meal is something we do with friends and family, it is something we do with those we share life with. It made me think of how, when Jesus was born all those years ago, he came to a life where he ate and drank and shared life with people.

How amazing it is that Jesus, though he is a god, is not disdainful and condescending. He came all those years ago to earth as one of his creations so he could be with us in the future. He wants a close relationship with us. He wants to share our joys and sorrows. He knows our sorrow when someone we love dies and the joy we feel when we love someone. He wants to share with us the exasperation of the times when we are late and have lost our keys and the satisfaction and comfort of a good meal, and we know he can understand because he was here, just like us.

Christmas reminds me that Jesus wants a warm personal relationship with me. A relationship where we eat together and share life.


Audrey Miller is a Studio Art graduate of CSU Chico and one of the most joyful people I have ever met. She is currently a homemaker near Beale AFB in California. Check out her portfolio at Deviantart:
http://10time.deviantart.com/gallery/

#10 Living Hope: Emmanuel

Living Hope is James Metelak's name for his worship and gospel music.  James Metelak is a poet, photographer, musician, and the primary curator of Headpiece full of Straw's 25 Days of Christmas.  He teaches and works with youth in Central Asia.  Check out his other work at sandpiperparade.weebly.com, youtube or his poetry blog. 

#9 Kathryn Nellis: Blessed is She

Kathryn Nellis is a painter, musician, and creative genius.  She studied at Gordon College and in Orvieto, Italy, and currently works as a self-employed artist in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Listen to her music:  https://sistersstoriesandsongs.bandcamp.com/ 
Website: http://katiejoynellisart.com/

FB: Katie Joy Nellis Art

#8 Carl Nellis: Logos

Logos

by Carl Nellis

Let there be

words enough

for our joy.

When I think on

his mother my eyes,

back and forth

through time,

taste blue dolphin.

In a world of

corporate logos

what has not been

publicized? Story

sequences draws

a whole from

particulars.

Trappers wound

snares, sealed hulls,

launched a thousand

trips south, mouths

agape for the boundless

earth, brought demand.

A voice of breath

that would be weak

in any clamor remakes

silent space

in its own timbre.

Settlers sued

for peace, bought land,

wrote ambition on

the sandstone, the red

shale, the desert places,

the coastal harbors,

the hills and watersheds.

No beast

I know has slithered

so loudly through time.

They made music.

The piano’s three

toes hover over

carpets, a bog

toad’s. Step down,

creature, we

want to hear

that ungodly clangor.

She was not called

Maria until the end.

Bubbles explode

upward through copper

piping with the sound

of falling gravel, snapping

loops, ragged wire.

Here lies one

whose name

is writ in neon

once or twice

each year.

The beast is

crushed with what

no eye, no ear,

has ever whispered

into silent space.

Ah, narrative

thread! She

On waking,

sways, boils

water, watches

light filter

leaf grid,

snow blanket:

bodies of

knowledge, shifting

in sleep,

musk hovering

over sheets

sewn with

bone needles.

It is the silent sway

over Jerusalem

that calls us

under firs, even

from the old rocker,

a to-and-fro unheard

over the tearing

of envelopes.

Fences, roofs,

my window,

the glass

towers bending

beams toward

ivory keys.

little remains

to be

spoken aloud.

Signs everywhere

bend, bow

strings, resound.

Let there be

few enough

words for me.

Carl Nellis is a steadfast friend, an excellent writer, and a beardly editor based in Beverly, MA.  A graduate literature student at Boston College, he enjoys tea, music, frisbee, all things Scottish, and all things literary.  His profound and beautiful poems can be found at:  http://laughingoverthesea.blogspot.com/ .

#7 The Angel Gabriel

Headphones recommended

From Left to Right: 
Hana Butorova (Slovak):  Solo vocal, Harold Thalange (British):  Tenor Vocal, Myriam Heggarty (French):  alto vocal.  Maria Grace Boulton (English):  flute and alto vocal. Greta Cydzikaitė (Lithuanian):  violin and alto, Etienne Charpy (French): guitar and bass.   All are students at Glasgow University. 

Lyrics: 

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
"All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady." Gloria!

"For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady." Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me be as it pleaseth God," she said.
"My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name."
Most highly favored lady." Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk through-out the world will ever say:
"Most highly favored lady." Gloria!