The Candle of Loving and Giving

This one was the calm before the storm.  We gathered our little family around the coffee table the night before Christmas Eve, and took a few minutes to talk about the wise men.  The next morning is when all the craziness would begin for our family, so this was sort of the last chance to have a calm moment and refocus them on the baby Jesus. 

The Candle of Loving and Giving is meant to represent the wise men in the Christmas story.  As Jeff read the passage from Matthew 2, and then I read from our advent book, I realized how little we know about these men.  Nowhere does the Bible say they were kings; it never says there were three of them; it tells us virtually nothing.  Yet history/legend/imagination would tell us of three kings from all over the East who followed the star to Bethlehem.  On camel's backs they trudged across the desert, all in search of the king foretold in the heavens.  In my favorite Christmas legend, they stop at the door of Babushka and invite her to join them, and add her gift to theirs.  So much mystery, so much left untold, and yet such a vital part of the nativity story.

After we read, Jeff lead us in prayer together.  I know I'm a terrible example, but I couldn't resist snapping these shots as we prayed.

 

Comments

[Expat Mom]

I think you´ll be forgiven for taking those shots, they are absolutely priceless. :) Hope you had a Merry Christmas.

[kailani]

I just love your candlelight photos. They're so beautiful!

[DeeDee]

PRICELESS!!!!!

[Julia]

Beautiful pics... hope ur Christmas was wonderful!!

[arizaphale]

Jessie I've probably said this before (I've been feverish..forgive me if I repeat :-) but I think this is a wonderful tradition to start with your kids. In Sunday School we had the candles labelled hope, peace, joy and love and each Sunday's lesson was based on those themes but I love your version and the way it links into the gospel chapters. It is also an AWESOMEly beautiful Advent candle and I am in AWE of the clarity of these shots by candlelight. What is your secret? Apart from prayer :-D
Thanks so much for snapping these shots.

[Jessica Keith]

Thanks guys. I don't really have a secret. I've just played with my camera's custom settings until I found what works with little boys. I use a high ISO (usually around 400), and try to hold my hand really still (cause I don't have a tri-pod), also the subject has to be really close to the lightsource. Unfortunately, these pictures are really grainy when printed. I hope when I get a better camera that won't be the case!
The candle names and devotions I used came from a book called Legends and Traditions of Christmas, by Trudie West Revoir.

[Debbie]

Beautiful pictures, beautiful family but more importantly beautiful memories!!

[BarbaraCompton]

The picture of Grayson makes me think of the Magi bowing in reverence before the Christ child or like what I imagine the little shepherd boy must have looked like as he came to see the baby that the angels told him about, having no gift to bring except a pure heart.The composition of the picture is magical! It evokes such reverence and peace, it brouht tears to my eyes when I saw it.