O tidings of comfort and joy

...Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns...
...Joy to the world with truth and grace...
...Rejoice! Rejoice in the Most High...

...angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing over the plains. And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains...shepherds, why this Jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?...

...far, far away on Judea's plains, shepherds of old heard the joyous strains...

...good Christian men, rejoice with heart and soul and voice...

...joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies...

...it came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth, with news of joy foretold...

...O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant...

..."Fear not," said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind, "Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind"...

...thus spake the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels praising God and thus addressed their joyful song...

...on on they send, on without end, their joyful tone, to every home - dong ding dong ding... dong! Bong!...

...sing we joyous all together, fa la la la la la la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather, fa la la la la la la la la...

...have I made my point yet? Joy. Joyous, rejoice, joy. All those carols - tidings of comfort and joy, joy to the world. We went to some friends' house for dinner this evening, and driving back I was struck by how very, very happy I am. Just now. A few days before Christmas, when there seems to be an air of excitement pervading the air, and everybody has holidays and it IS peace on earth, good will to men. Joy. Tidings of great joy. Christmas is a time for us to be unbelievably, incandescently, forever joyful. Jesus came. He didn't have to. He came, and went from deity to human, and lived with us. Isn't that cause for joy, at the very least?

I can sing carols, and be happy. I'm happy when we see family, and sit around and talk, and just be content. Gifts are good. Gifts are a perk.

But could I be happy without them? I think so. Because I have the greatest gift ever given, and it's that Jesus came and died for ME.

Don't forget, this Christmas.

~Sil

"...and the Coke villain died and they all lived happily ever after. And that's the true meaning of Christmas."

This is what happens...

...when you give me a laptop at two in the morning.

When reality fades to a vision of twilight
And dreams become one with the silver moon’s mist
Gossamer sparkles conceal what may or might
Be the beginning of something we wished.

Like ghosts of the phantoms of memories faint
The bright shadows beckon us on
We turn to look closer but swiftly they paint
An illusion of nothingness hither and yon.

So we walk in the silver light, dancing with stars
With eternity’s wind at our backs
Should a dream of a dream linger there – see, afar?
We’ll not trace it. Dreams leave no tracks.

The fairies’ laughs tinkle like crystalline bells
As they flit under luminous skies
They whisper of things lost in the mountains and fells
Of a dreamworld only we dare espy.

Feel the waking? Before your enchanted eyes
Bright shadows and dark moonlight
Mingle in dawn’s flush of dazzling skies
We cling to our fantasy, woven of midnight

But once more, till fairyland’s lanterns bring starshine
We’ll let the dream fade in a sunlit disguise.

(comments and constructive criticism appreciated!)

~Sil

*phone rings*
Mom: It says Maryland. Got any friends there?

LAPTOP

Ladies and gentlemen (or, y'know, whoever's reading) I am typing this blog post on my. New. Laptop!!! And I think I'm in love. It's little and white and...well, whatever it is isn't quite as important as the fact that it's MINE. And I can sit on the couch and type my heart's content and share with NOBODY. That's right, nobody is using this thing besides me. Ever.

Oh, and it needs a name. Suggestions?

*Happiness*

~Sil

"Amy, when can I get on the computer?"
"NEVER! HA!"

A piece of wonderful

That phrase (coined by Erin :D) describes today quite accurately.

You know how generally in books, when people get out of bed and are really grumpy, their day just gets worse from there? Exact opposite. I took about half an hour to drag myself out of bed, due to an exhausting (but quite enjoyable) evening washing dishes for a wedding. We started at 6:30 and weren't done until 11, but it was pretty fun. Anyway, I got my butt out of bed, and to church, where quiz practice went well and I didn't have to act in skit thing (BIG relief) because one of the Three Kings we needed was sick. Candy after church, because that's what we do at Christmas, and candy makes me happy. Then I actually looked good in our family picture. And THEN everybody except me went out in the afternoon, so I got to stay home alone and play the Nutcracker very loudly, and play Third Age.

Until Jamie (PotR) came on MSN with my Christmas present. And let me tell you, it's the most amazing Christmas present in the history of presents.

So I think most of you reading this know what Star Crystal is, and who Merrin is. Well. Jamie writes music. And for Christmas she gave me four tracks of a Star Crystal soundtrack. That she wrote. That was an hour and a half ago and I'm still grinning ear to ear. Merrin has a theme, the opening sequence has music, Vryngard has a theme, and our first romantic scene (Renegade Banquet) has music. I'm so going to be whistling Star Crystal music all week. It pretty much made my entire month so far.

I'll have Christmas banquet pictures when I feel like posting them, and I'll do our family ones...but I'm gonna go listen to Merrin's theme again :)


^poster I made for Crystal

~Sil

"Some families are Amish - our family is hammish."

I really have nothing to say

I just felt bad about not posting for so long. Seriously, I have pretty much nothing to blog about. Let's pick some things...

Reading Three Men in a Boat this week, for literature, and REALLY enjoying it. Very funny book. Also got some library books, finished Song in the Silence by Elizabeth Kerner (interesting book about a young woman and dragons, gotta have dragons) and I'm now on Pawn of Prophecy, the first book of the Belgariad by David Eddings. I read that series a long time ago and am now rereading it.

New desktop! I've had my other one for so long. Old one <---clicky, new one <--clicky. Once I get my laptop I'll probably just set them to switch back and forth because I can't decide which I like better. One week, by the way. Yay.

And...that looks like it...I have youth Christmas banquet on Friday, meaning much dressing up (yay) and I shall have pictures to post, I hope.

~Sil

"I was very productive and went and did actual things in your absence."
"Glad to know I'm so distracting."

It's December!

And that means Christmas carols and shopping and making very sure I wish people a Merry CHRISTmas and scowling at Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings cards and counting the days and getting sudden and very good ideas about presents and getting a laptop and holidays and last but definitely NOT least - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

Yeah, I'm excited. In case it was hard to tell. We went out to Camp Nakamun yesterday, which got me in a very Christmas-y mood, and sang carols and played games (Shadows Over Camelot!) and had yummmmmy turkey dinner. I have exactly nine more days of school before I start holidays. Which means 15 days until laptop!

Today was a bit up and down...I alternated between feeling unmotivated and feeling excited. I think I was kinda scatterbrained. Anyway, not much else to report. Excited Amy over here.

~Sil

Me: You can never have too many giggles!
Jessica: Well...you could at a funeral...