- A NIGHT WITH SANTA -

karleigh 3, santa (old), ruby 4 & kiara 5

here's some pictures of our girls with santa last night - they'd a great time telling him what all they wanted him to bring - now for the kicker... between you & me, ruby's going to be the ONLY one of the three that'll be getting what she asked for! - kiara asked for another live cat (NOT GONNA HAPPEN) - karleigh asked for a dora & boots doll (NOT GONNA HAPPEN) - ruby asked for a doll (YEAH, 1 OUT OF 3 ISN'T BAD, HUH?) - i know my girls & they'll love whatever they get, but man, couldn't they ask 'him' for something they'd already asked 'us' for?

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the history of the twelve days of christmas

this' one christmas carol that's always baffled me - what in the world do leaping lords, french hens, swimming swans & especially the partridge that won't come out of the pear tree have to do with christmas? - from 1558 until 1829, roman catholics in england weren't permitted to practice their faith openly - someone during that era wrote this carol as a song for young catholics - it's two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church - each element in the carol has a code word for religious reality which the children would remember...

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the partridge in a pear tree = jesus christ

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2 turtle doves = the old & the new testaments

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3 french hens = faith, hope & love

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4 calling birds = the 4 gospels

(matthew, mark, luke & john)

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5 golden rings = the first 5 books of the bible

(genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers & deuteronomy)

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6 geese a laying = the 6 days of creation

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7 swans a swimming = the 7-fold gift of the holy spirit prophesy

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8 maids a milking = the 8 beatitudes

(matthew 5:3-10... "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven", "blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted", "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth", "blessed are they that hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied", "blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy", "blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see god", "blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of god", "blessed are they who're persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

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9 ladies dancing = the 9 fruits of the spirit

(love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self control)

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10 lords a leaping = the 10 commandments

(exodus 20:3-17... "you shall have no other gods before me", "you shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below", "you shall not bow down to them or worship them, for i, the lord your god, am a jealous god, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third & forth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me & keep my commandments", "you shall not misuse the name of the lord your god, for the lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name", "remember the sabbath day by keeping it holy - six days you shall labor & do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the lord your god - on it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates - for in six days the lord made the heavens & the earth, the sea & all that's in them, but he rested on the seventh day - therefore the lord blessed the sabbath day & made it holy", "honor your father & your mother, so that you may live long in the land the lord your god is giving you", "you shall not murder", "you shall not commit adultery", "you shall not steal", "you shall not give false testimony against your neighbor", "you shall not covet your neighbors house - you shall not covet your neighbors wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor"

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11 pipers piping = the 11 faithful disciples

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12 drummers drumming = the 12 points of belief in the apostles creed

(i believe in god, the father almighty, creator of heaven & earth - i believe in jesus christ, god's only son, our lord, who was conceived by the holy spirit, born of a virgin mary, suffered under pontius pilate, was crucified, died & was buried & he descended to the dead - on the third day he rose again, he ascended into heaven, he's seated at the right hand of the father & he'll come again to judge the living & the dead - i believe in the holy spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body & the life everlasting - amen

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so there's your history for today!