Tell Me A Story: JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2013: CHRISTMAS CARDS/FAMILY PHOTO SHOOT

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

CLICK on images to enlarge.

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2013

What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

Do you send Christmas cards either through snail mail - or email greetings and facebook postings?

I do all three, and not just because I'm a first-born-overachiever.

It's my heart's desire to reach out to as many people as possible with the Good News that God sent us a Savior.

What do you talk about in your Christmas letter?

Vacations?

Awards?

Promotions?

Problems?

Probably not.

Some people are lonely during the holidays. Some are overcome with sadness because of health struggles, family problems, job issues and loss of loved ones.

No one is immune.

We all need prayer,

and tangible demonstrations

of love and support.

Each year I create our family Christmas cards with family photos, my songs, and messages of what God has whispered to me throughout that year.

I love to give and receive Christmas cards.

Christmas Eve our family spreads the cards we have received on the floor under the Christmas tree.

We take turns reading each card aloud.

Some years this has taken one hour!

It's like all those who send cards and photos are with us on Christmas Eve.

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2011. Editor: Marcia Norwood

Then we read or recite the Christmas Story, from The Holy Bible:
Luke, Chapter 2,
and finally we open gifts.

We celebrate the FUN Christmas (Santa Claus, Gift-giving, Elves, Snowmen, etc.) and the REAL Christmas: Jesus' Birthday.

Christmas 2007: Grandson Joshua's Baptism at Lake of the Ozarks. Copyright 2007 Marcia Norwood Note: Pastor Joey (in this photo) went to Heaven this week. He'll spend Christmas 2013 in Heaven with Jesus.

Do you take family photos as a keepsake or for your holiday cards?

I make my children and grandchildren dress up in matching/coordinating outfits and pose for our Annual Family Photo Shoot. Sometimes - they even have fun!

Here are samples of our family photos that might inspire you to take some of your own photos, or confirm your convictions not to.

Christmas 2013

Theme: "What Does the Fox Say?"

Have you heard the song, "What Does the Fox Say?"

Did you see the stars dance to the song

on "Dancing With the Stars?"

I purchased berets and scarves

for a French "Joyeux Noel" photo shoot -

but my girls rejected that idea.

We compromised on the FOX theme.

Dancing With the STARS: "What Does the Fox Say?"

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo.CKN5FS3RgA9w77w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTByZWc0dGJtBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMQ--?p=dancing+with+the+stars+what+did+the+fox+say&vid=7f6fefe4e854130877f497f888334621&l=2%3A44&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.4554629370806797%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5UZWPwzyWbM&tit=What+Does+The+Fox+Say+-+Dancing+With+The+Stars&c=0&sigr=11at7r6hc&sigt=11e5fqki2&pstcat=arts+culture+and+entertainment&age=0&&tt=b

Christmas 2012

Theme: "The Church Mouse"

According to the narration in the "Silent Mouse", the true story of the famous Christmas carol "Silent Night Holy Night" started in a little town in Austria where a chain of strange events happened on Christmas Eve. According to the story this carol was miraculously created by a poor church mouse when it walked over a blanked music sheet and its little paws imprinted their marks on the paper, thus the carol "Silent Night, Holy Night" was composed.

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcdXWBHJi4