NOEL

A few years ago we added Noel to our outdoor Christmas lights. We got the four grapevine lighted block letters at Home Depot and added some poinsettias to soften it up a bit and make it prettier in the daytime. Some years the snow bank that forms in front of the blue spruce starts to bury the letters that stand up on the bare ground. We love the NOEL and you can read it from clear down the street as you drive up. Our street is on the trolley tour not because of any of our display but because there are some over the top displays just a couple blocks down that compete every year to outdo each other and the trolley passes by here on its way there.

 A little googling pulls up a site at http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/first_noel.aspx that says Noel means birthday and comes from the French language. The carol “The First Noel” was probably shared by troubadours from France to England and no one knows who wrote it. It tells the story of Christ’s birth in six verses. From the website.

 "The First Noel" portrays in vivid narrative style the story of the birth of Christ. All six stanzas are needed to complete the entire event when the hymn is sung. The sixth stanza urges us to join together to sing praises to God for the marvels of His creation and for the salvation provided through Christ's shed blood. The repetition of the joyous "noel" in the refrain is equivalent to our singing out "happy birthday" to someone.

The first noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay-in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
They looked up and saw a star shining in the east, beyond them far; and to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star, three wise men came from country far; to seek for a king was their intent, and to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest, o'er Bethlehem it took its rest; and there it did both stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three, full rev'rently upon their knee, and offered there, in His presence, their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heav'nly Lord, that hath made heav'n and earth of naught, and with His blood mankind hath bought.
Chorus: Noel, noel! Noel, noel! Born is the King of Israel!

I pray that all would have a blessed Noel this year.
Lou