Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show: Recent Episodes
Steve Webb and James Cooper
Merry Christmas! We have reached the final day of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. It has been an incredible journey through the history, traditions, and scriptural accounts of the holiday. Today, host Steve Webb and James Cooper from WhyChristmas.com open the final door to share the most important story of all: the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Journey to BethlehemThe account in Luke 2 begins with a decree from Caesar Augustus for a census across the Roman world. This political requirement forced Joseph and a heavily pregnant Mary to travel approximately 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the ancestral town of David. James Cooper highlights that this arduous three-day journey was likely timed by the Roman government to ensure proper tax collection—a reminder that the first Christmas took place in a very real, often difficult world.
No Room in the InnUpon their arrival, the couple found no room in the “inn.” Steve explains that in the context of the time, this often referred to the upper guest rooms of family homes, which were overflowing due to the census. Consequently, the King of Kings was born in the lowly lower level of a house or a stable, where animals were kept. The baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger, which was simply a stone or wooden feeding trough for livestock. This humble beginning serves as a powerful testament to the nature of God’s love for humanity.
A Global CelebrationAs this series concludes, Steve and James reflect on the joy of producing this calendar from opposite sides of the globe. This international collaboration is symbolic of the fact that Jesus came for the entire world. The episode concludes with special thanks to the many contributors who made this season possible, including Rosey Grier, Bryan Duncan, and the listeners who shared their holiday greetings. We invite you to stay subscribed to the feed for future updates and to carry the spirit of Christmas with you all year long.
For a wealth of information on Christmas traditions, visit WhyChristmas.com. To explore more life-changing content, visit lifespringmedia.com.
Entities: Luke 2, Caesar Augustus, Joseph, Mary, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Manger, Swaddling Clothes, Roman Census, King David.
The birth of Jesus is the ultimate gift of love from God to the world. We hope this advent journey has deepened your appreciation for the “Reason for the Season” and the historical reality of the first Christmas.
Merry Christmas from the entire team. I’m Steve Webb. God bless you.
The post Day 25 – Luke 2: The Christmas Story Unfolds first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On this very special Christmas Eve edition of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, host Steve Webb is joined by a legendary guest: Reverend Rosey Grier. Known for his time with the Los Angeles Rams as part of the “Fearsome Foursome,” Grier lends his powerful voice to the scriptural account of another miraculous birth—that of John the Baptist.
A Miracle for Zechariah and ElizabethThe story of John’s birth, found in the first chapter of Luke, begins with Zechariah and Elizabeth. Both were descendants of priestly families and lived upright lives, yet they were well along in years and childless. While Zechariah was serving in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him with a startling message: Elizabeth would bear a son named John, who would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth and prepare the people of Israel for the Lord.
Silence and FaithBecause Zechariah questioned the angel’s message, he was struck dumb and remained unable to speak until the prophecy was fulfilled. James Cooper explains the significance of this temple service; it was a rare and holy duty to be chosen to burn incense, and Gabriel’s appearance marked a pivotal moment in Jewish history. When John was finally born and Zechariah confirmed his name on a writing tablet, his tongue was loosed, and he broke into a prophetic song of praise now known as the Benedictus.
The Connection to JesusJohn the Baptist was the slightly older cousin of Jesus. When Mary visited Elizabeth during their pregnancies, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy, acknowledging the presence of the Savior. John’s mission was unique: he was called to be a prophet of the Most High, giving knowledge of salvation and guiding feet into the path of peace. His arrival signaled that the “rising sun” from heaven was about to shine on those living in darkness.
For more beautiful stories behind Christmas traditions, visit WhyChristmas.com. You can catch up on previous days of the advent calendar at lifespringmedia.com.
Entities: Rosey Grier, Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Gabriel, Luke 1, Magnificat, Benedictus, Bethlehem, Nazareth.
As we prepare for Christmas morning, the story of John reminds us that God is gracious and always keeps His promises. John’s life was dedicated to pointing others toward the Light of the World, which is the heart of our celebration tomorrow.
Merry Christmas Eve! I’m Steve Webb. God bless you.
The post Day 24 – Prepare the Way: The Birth of John the Baptist first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
In this episode of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, host Steve Webb and James Cooper dive deep into the fascinating history and scriptural account of the Magi. While tradition often places them at the manger, the biblical narrative suggests a different timeline and a journey filled with astronomical wonder and political danger.
The Scriptural Account and MisconceptionsThe story of the Wise Men, found in the Gospel of Matthew, is often depicted alongside the shepherds in nativity scenes. However, historical and scriptural evidence indicates that the Magi likely arrived when Jesus was between one and two years old, visiting him in a house rather than a stable. James Cooper explains that these men traveled from areas likely within modern-day Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Yemen—regions then known as Persia, Arabia, and Sheba.
Scientists of the Ancient WorldThe term “Magi” comes from the Greek word magos, a title for priests or experts in astronomy and astrology. In the ancient world, these disciplines were viewed as sciences. These “wise men” were highly esteemed and wealthy enough to travel with a significant entourage. While we commonly refer to “Three Kings,” the Bible does not specify their number or royal status; the number three is traditionally derived from the three specific gifts they presented: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The Mystery of the Star of BethlehemWhat exactly was the star that led the Magi? Various astronomical theories exist, including supernovas, comets, or planetary conjunctions. James discusses the notable triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces during 7 BC, which would have carried immense symbolic weight for ancient astronomers. Whether it was a natural celestial alignment orchestrated by God or a supernatural phenomenon, the “star” served as a divine beacon for those seeking the new King.
Symbolism of the GiftsThe gifts brought by the Magi were not merely valuable; they were prophetic. Gold represented the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense, used in worship, pointed to his divinity. Myrrh, an embalming perfume, foreshadowed his eventual suffering and death. These valuable treasures likely provided the financial means for Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt as refugees, escaping the murderous decree of King Herod.
For more deep dives into the history of Christmas traditions, visit WhyChristmas.com. You can listen to more episodes of Lifespring! WhyChristmas at lifespringmedia.com.
Entities: Matthew 2, Magi, Star of Bethlehem, King Herod, Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh, Persia, Sheba, Egypt, Jupiter, Saturn, Pisces.
The journey of the Magi reminds us that seeking the truth often requires a long journey and a heart prepared to worship. Their story connects ancient science with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Until tomorrow, I’m Steve Webb. God bless you.
The post Day 23 – The Journey of the Magi: Wise Men and Stars first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
In this episode of the Lifespring WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, host Steve Webb and James Cooper explore the cultural history of the “White Christmas.” Despite snow and ice having no mention in the original biblical story, they have become central to our holiday imagery through literature and royal tradition.
The Dickensian InfluenceThe strong association between Christmas and snow is largely a Victorian invention, specifically tied to the writing of Charles Dickens. During his childhood, Britain experienced several heavy snowfalls at Christmastime. Dickens carried these memories into his work, filling classics like A Christmas Carol and The Pickwick Papers with snowy scenes that eventually became part of our collective cultural consciousness. This literary influence transformed a simple weather occurrence into a foundational element of the holiday spirit for generations to come.
German Traditions and the Royal FamilyPrince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, also played a major role in shaping these traditions. Bringing customs from his native Germany, he was accustomed to snowy winters and helped popularize the Christmas tree in the United Kingdom. This era also saw the rise of the Christmas card, which frequently featured snowy landscapes as a nostalgic nod to the “hard Christmases” of the past. These cards helped distribute the image of a snowy Christmas across the globe, making it a universal symbol of the season.
A Musical MilestoneThe episode also discusses the iconic song “White Christmas,” performed by Bing Crosby. Written by Irving Berlin in just 18 minutes, the song debuted in the film Holiday Inn, which was set in a snowy Vermont. It has since become a global phenomenon, with Crosby’s original recording selling over 30 million copies worldwide. Whether you are in sunny Southern California or a snowy Vermont, the dream of a white Christmas continues to define the spirit of the season and remains a centerpiece of holiday media.
To learn more about holiday customs from around the world, visit WhyChristmas.com. For more inspiring content and past episodes, check out LifeSpringMedia.com.
Entities: Charles Dickens, Prince Albert, Bing Crosby, Irving Berlin, Queen Victoria, A Christmas Carol, Holiday Inn, Riverside, Vermont.
Understanding the history of these snowy traditions helps us appreciate how cultural stories and music shape the way we celebrate the holidays today, regardless of the weather outside. The influence of the Victorian era continues to cast a long, snowy shadow over our modern festivities.
Until next time, I’m Steve Webb. May your Christmas be filled with joy and peace. God bless you.
The post Day 22 – Why We Associate Snow and Ice with Christmas first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
In this episode of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve Webb and James Cooper explore the history and heart behind one of the most recognizable Christian Christmas carols in the world, O Come All Ye Faithful.
The History of a MasterpieceToday we open the door to find the story behind James Cooper’s favorite carol, “O Come All Ye Faithful.” While it was attributed to many authors over the years, historical research points to an English Catholic priest named John Wade as the true author. Wade wrote the carol in the 1700s during a time of great religious upheaval in the UK.
Following the Protestant Jacobite Rebellion in 1745, life became difficult for Catholics in Britain. John Wade fled to Douay, France, where his skills as a calligrapher and musician were put to use preserving historic church music. It was here, around 1750, that he composed the beautiful tune known as Adeste Fideles. A decade later, he added six Latin verses to accompany the melody.
Translation and PopularityThe version we sing today in English did not appear until 1841. Frederick Oakley translated the first three verses and the sixth verse, while William Thomas Brooke translated verses four and five. Interestingly, for many years, Wade did not receive credit for his work. Some even attributed the piece to the 13th century saint, St. Bonaventure, or called it the “Portuguese Carol” after it was performed at the Portuguese Embassy in London in 1860 where the organist claimed it was written by a Mr. John Reading.
The carol eventually found its way into the mainstream, even appearing on the US Top Ten charts three separate times. One unique tradition regarding this song is that the final verse, which begins with “Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,” is traditionally reserved for Christmas Day or midnight mass services as it celebrates the specific morning of Christ’s birth.
Musical FeaturesThis episode features a special audio experience, including a dramatization of a cold Christmas Eve night and multiple musical renditions of the carol. Steve recommends using headphones or earbuds for this particular show to get an extra measure of enjoyment from the production. You will hear performances by:
- Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band with the theme “This Christmas.”
- Julie Melton performing the carol on the organ.
- Gary Sunblad providing a moving rendition as the Homeless Man.
- Jill Parr as the featured final singer.
To learn more about the history of your favorite carols, visit WhyChristmas.com. You can also explore more Christian content and music at LifespringMedia.com.
Entities: John Wade, Frederick Oakley, James Cooper, Steve Webb, Adeste Fideles, Bryan Duncan, NehoSoul Band, Julie Melton, Gary Sunblad, Jill Parr.
Summary: This episode provides a deep dive into the origins of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” tracing its roots from 18th-century France to its modern-day popularity, accompanied by unique musical performances and a classic Lifespring dramatization.
May the story of this carol remind you of the invitation to come and adore Him. For James Cooper and Steve Webb, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow for Day 22!
The post Day 21 – The Story of O Come All Ye Faithful first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On this twentieth day of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, host Steve Webb and James Cooper dive into the delicious and surprising history of figgy pudding and mince pies.
The Evolution of a Festive FavoriteToday behind the door, Steve and James explore the culinary traditions that define a British Christmas dinner. While we often think of Christmas pudding as a sweet cake, James explains that it actually began as a medieval porridge called frumenty. This early version was a savory soup made from beef or mutton, raisins, and spices, often eaten as a fasting meal during the Advent season.
By the late 16th century, the recipe shifted away from meat, incorporating eggs, breadcrumbs, and plenty of spirits to enhance the flavor. However, the tradition faced a major hurdle in 1664 when the Puritans banned it, along with many other Christmas celebrations, viewing it as a “bad custom.” Thankfully, King George I re-established the pudding as a staple of the holiday meal in 1714, leading to the version we recognize today.
Stir-Up Sunday and Mince Pie LuckA particularly charming tradition discussed is Stir-Up Sunday, which occurs the Sunday before Advent. Families gather to stir the pudding mixture from east to west in honor of the Wise Men. Adding a silver sixpence to the bowl brings luck to whoever finds it in their portion, provided they don’t break a tooth! We also learn about the history of mince pies, which were originally oval-shaped to represent the manger of Jesus and were once filled with actual meat.
Whether you like your mince pies hot with ice cream or enjoy the spectacular display of a brandy-soaked pudding set alight, these treats are central to the holiday spirit. You can find more fascinating details about these customs at WhyChristmas.com. For more episodes and advent inspiration, visit Lifespring Media.
The theme music for our journey is provided by Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band. Our background music today features Jerome Wilson with a festive rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
Entities: Steve Webb, James Cooper, WhyChristmas.com, Bryan Duncan, NehoSoul Band, Jerome Wilson, Stir-Up Sunday, Advent.
Content Importance SummaryThis episode serves as a reminder that many of our most beloved holiday traditions have deep, often surprising historical roots. By understanding the history of Christmas pudding and the symbolism behind our food, we can appreciate the rich heritage that connects us to generations past during the Advent season.
Thanks for joining us for Day 20. I am Steve Webb, and I hope to see you back here tomorrow as we draw even closer to Christmas Day!
The post Day 20 – Figgy Pudding and Mince Pies first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar is a daily celebration of the season’s history and global traditions. In today’s episode, we take a linguistic tour of the globe to learn how to share the joy of the season with others, no matter what language they speak.
Speaking the Language of ChristmasOne of the most beautiful aspects of the Advent season is how the message of “Peace on Earth” transcends borders. Today, Steve Webb and James Cooper explore the many ways people express holiday cheer across different cultures. From the familiar sounds of Europe to the unique dialects of the Pacific Islands, we discover that the heart of the greeting remains the same.
Listener Contributions from Around the GlobeThis episode is truly a community effort, featuring recordings from listeners who shared their native tongues. We hear Dan Johnson from Cincinnati explain the French Joyeux Noël, and Olē from the Faroe Islands shares a unique Norwegian and Faroese greeting. Maria also joins the show to teach us the traditional Russian way to announce the Nativity of Christ, Srejstvom Christovom.
From Gaelic to HawaiianJames attempts (with varying degrees of “British” accents) to navigate the pronunciations of Flemish, Danish, and Finnish. We also take a trip to the islands, learning the Samoan and Hawaiian versions of the greeting. Steve even throws in a special “Californian” version for those celebrating near the surf. It is a lighthearted but educational look at the diversity within the global Body of Christ.
To see a full list of these greetings and their spellings, be sure to visit the world’s premier Christmas information site at WhyChristmas.com. For more episodes exploring the deep roots of our faith, visit Lifespring Media.
Entities: Steve Webb, James Cooper, Dan Johnson, Faroe Islands, Russia, Madagascar, Madagascar, Samoa, Hawaii, Bryan Duncan, NehoSoul Band, Pittsburgh Symphony Brass.
Content Importance: Understanding how to say Merry Christmas in different languages allows us to better appreciate the vast, international community of believers and the universal nature of the Christmas message.
Outro: However you say it, we hope your Christmas is filled with joy and peace. I’m Steve Webb for James Cooper. Come on back tomorrow; we will be waiting for you right here.
The post Day 19 – How to Say Merry Christmas Around the World first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar is a daily journey through the history, heart, and global reach of the Christmas season. In this episode, we explore how diverse cultures—from the tropical coast of Madagascar to the festive streets of Spain—celebrate the birth of Christ with unique customs and flavors.
A Global Celebration of ChristmasChristmas is truly a worldwide event, and today we discover Christmas traditions to see how the same story is told through different cultural lenses. We begin our journey in Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa where Christmas is celebrated in the warmth of summer. Despite the heat, many residents still decorate with holly and snow scenes, blending traditional imagery with their local environment. Here, the figure we know as Santa Claus is affectionately called Dadabi Noeli.
The Julian Calendar and Orthodox TraditionsSteve Webb explains why some countries, like Russia and Serbia, celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. This is because the Orthodox Church continues to follow the Julian calendar for religious dates. Their Advent season lasts six weeks and involves significant periods of fasting, sometimes leading up to the moment the first star is seen in the sky on Christmas Eve.
Festive Foods and Unique CustomsFood plays a central role in these global traditions. In Russia, the first meal on Christmas Eve is often sosyevo, a dish of wheat or rice mixed with honey and fruit. In Poland, the sharing of the oplotek wafer signifies unity and peace among family members. Meanwhile, in Serbia, a special bread called sesnika is baked with a hidden coin; the one who finds it is said to have good luck for the coming year. This is strikingly similar to the British tradition of hiding a coin in a Christmas pudding.
The Three Magic Kings in SpainIn Spain, the festivities extend well beyond December 25th. While they enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve dinner of pavo trufado de Navidad (turkey stuffed with truffles), the primary day for gift giving is Epiphany on January 6th. This day, known as Fiesta de los Tres Reyes Mejes, honors the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus. Children leave out their shoes on Epiphany Eve, hoping the Three Magic Kings will fill them with presents.
For more beautiful stories of faith and holiday history, visit Lifespring Media. To dive deeper into the technical and historical details of these customs, check out the world’s best Christmas information site at WhyChristmas.com.
Entities: Steve Webb, James Cooper, Madagascar, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Orthodox Church, Julian Calendar, Dadabi Noeli, Epiphany, Bryan Duncan, NehoSoul Band.
Content Importance: This episode highlights the beautiful diversity of the global Body of Christ, showing how different nations honor the same Savior through their unique cultural traditions and culinary heritage.
Outro: Whether you are eating turkey, seafood, or a special honeyed rice today, we hope your heart is filled with the joy of the season. I’m Steve Webb for James Cooper. Come on back tomorrow; we will be waiting for you right here.
The post Day 18 – Discover Christmas Traditions From Madagascar to Spain first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Day 17 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar focuses on one of the most powerful and quietly courageous moments in the Christmas story: Mary’s yes.
This episode explores the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to a young woman in Nazareth and told her she would give birth to the Savior of the world. Mary’s response was not fear, argument, or resistance, but humble trust: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
The Story of the AnnunciationThe story comes from Luke chapter 1, where we learn that Mary was likely a teenager, engaged but not yet married, living an ordinary life when God interrupted her plans. The angel Gabriel called her “highly favored,” declaring that God’s grace was upon her in a unique and world-changing way.
Mary asked honest questions, but she did not refuse God’s call. Instead, she trusted God with her reputation, her future, and her safety. Her obedience stands in sharp contrast to the power structures of the world, showing that God often works through the humble and overlooked.
Joseph’s Faithful ResponseThe episode also highlights Joseph’s role in the story. When he learned Mary was expecting a child, he planned to divorce her quietly until an angel appeared to him in a dream. Joseph’s obedience protected Mary and affirmed God’s plan, reminding us that faith often requires quiet courage.
Together, Mary and Joseph model what it looks like to trust God when the path forward is unclear.
Why Mary’s Yes Still MattersMary’s response to God marks the beginning of the incarnation. Her willingness made room for Jesus to enter the world, bringing salvation, hope, and peace. This moment reminds us that God still works through willing hearts today.
For more background on Advent traditions and the Christmas story, explore additional episodes in the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar archive.
To learn more about Christmas traditions and biblical history from around the world, visit WhyChristmas.com.
Come back tomorrow for Day 18 of the Lifespring! Advent Calendar as we continue opening the story of Christmas together.
The post Day 17 – Mary’s Yes: The Story of the Annunciation first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Day 16 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar explores the rich history behind two beloved Christmas traditions: the Christmas tree and the Yule log.
In this episode, Steve Webb and James Cooper trace these symbols from ancient winter festivals through medieval Europe and into their Christian meaning today. Evergreen trees and burning logs were long associated with hope, light, and life during the darkest days of winter.
The History of the Christmas TreeEvergreen trees were seen as signs of continuing life long before Christianity. Over time, these traditions were reshaped to reflect Christian belief, especially the promise of eternal life through Christ.
One of the earliest recorded Christmas trees dates back to 1510 in Riga, Latvia. Later stories, including the legend of Martin Luther placing candles on a tree to reflect the stars of heaven, helped shape how Christmas trees were used in Christian homes.
During the Middle Ages, “paradise trees” were used in mystery plays to tell Bible stories to people who could not read. These trees represented the Garden of Eden and eventually influenced how Christmas trees were decorated.
The Meaning of the Yule LogThe Yule log tradition began in Northern Europe as a way of celebrating the winter solstice. Families would bring a large log into their homes and burn it throughout the twelve days of Christmas, often lighting it from the remains of the previous year’s log.
Over time, the Yule log became a symbol of warmth, continuity, and hope during the Christmas season.
Why These Traditions Still MatterBoth the Christmas tree and the Yule log point beyond themselves. They remind us of light overcoming darkness and life enduring through winter. For Christians, they also reflect the deeper truth of Christ leaving heaven to bring hope to the world.
To explore more Christmas customs and traditions from around the world, visit WhyChristmas.com.
You can find more Advent episodes and Christmas resources at
LifespringMedia.com.
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Day 15 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar opens the door to one of the most beloved and theologically rich Christmas carols of all time: Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
This episode is a special double feature. It is both Day 15 of the Advent Calendar and LifeSpring Carol Stories, Episode 23. Together, Steve Webb and James Cooper explore the fascinating history behind the words and music that proclaim the birth of Christ with joy and clarity.
The Story Behind “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”The lyrics were written in 1737 by Charles Wesley, one of the most influential hymn writers in church history. Wesley originally opened the hymn with the line “Hark, how all the welkin rings,” using an old English word meaning the heavens. Publishers later changed the wording to what we now sing today, a revision Wesley himself reportedly disliked.
Even more surprising is the origin of the music. The tune we associate with Hark the Herald Angels Sing was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840 for a completely different purpose: a celebratory piece honoring the invention of the printing press. Mendelssohn never intended the tune to be used for sacred music.
It was William Hayman Cummings who eventually paired Wesley’s lyrics with Mendelssohn’s tune in the mid-19th century, shaping the carol as we know it today. Later additions, including the famous descant, would not appear until the 20th century.
Why This Carol Still MattersHark the Herald Angels Sing proclaims some of the clearest Christmas theology found in any hymn: the incarnation of Christ, peace between God and humanity, and the good news offered to all people. Knowing the story behind the carol deepens our appreciation for the words we sing year after year.
If you’re enjoying this Advent journey, check out Day 1 of the Advent Calendar for an introduction to Advent’s meaning and significance. oai_citation:1‡lifespringmedia.com
To explore more Christmas traditions, carols, and customs from around the world, visit WhyChristmas.com.
Come back tomorrow for Day 16 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar.
The post Day 15 – Hark the Herald Angels Sing: The Story Behind the Carol first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Context: This Lifespring! Advent Calendar episode (recorded in 2006) highlights a key moment in the Christmas story: God’s announcement of Jesus’ birth to ordinary shepherds, and the song of the angels.
Day 14 – Shepherds and Angels: Good News for EveryoneToday we open Door 14 and step into one of the most beloved scenes of the Nativity story: shepherds in the fields, an angelic announcement, and a choir of heaven praising God. In Luke 2, the first public announcement of Jesus’ birth is not delivered to the powerful or the famous, but to everyday people doing night-shift work outdoors. That detail is not random. It is a signal. The good news is for everyone.
James walks us through the Scripture, highlights what shepherds were like in that culture, and explains why this moment matters. The angel begins with the words “Do not be afraid,” a familiar message God also spoke to Mary. Then comes the headline of Christmas: good news of great joy, and it is not restricted to a select few. The shepherds go, they see, and they return changed, glorifying and praising God. And they tell others what they’ve heard and seen.
Today’s PassageLuke 2:8–20 (the shepherds and the angels)
Read it here:
Luke 2:8–20 on BibleGateway
What You’ll Hear in This Episode* The shepherds’ nighttime encounter with an angel and the message of “Do not be afraid.” * Why it is significant that shepherds were the first witnesses of the announcement. * The appearance of a choir of angels and the meaning behind their praise. * A simple takeaway: God’s good news reaches ordinary people right where they are.
Explore MoreWant more Christmas background and explanations? Visit James Cooper’s excellent resource site:
- WhyChristmas.com
Internal LinkIf you’re enjoying the daily format, you can find more from the Lifespring! family of shows here:
LifespringMedia.com
EntitiesEntities: Steve Webb, James Cooper, Gospel of Luke, Luke 2:8–20, Bethlehem, shepherds, angels, Nativity, WhyChristmas.com, Lifespring!
Why This Episode MattersContent importance summary: This episode focuses on Luke 2’s announcement to the shepherds, emphasizing that the first Christmas proclamation was delivered to ordinary people. It reinforces the theme that the message of Jesus’ birth is for everyone.
Credits* Host: Steve Webb * Contributor: James Cooper (WhyChristmas.com) * Theme Music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band, “This Christmas”
Come back tomorrow for the next door in the Lifespring! Advent Calendar.
The post Day 14 – Shepherds and Angels: Good News for Everyone first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today is St Lucia’s day, a very important day for people in Scandinavia, especially Sweden.
Find out more about Christmas in Sweden at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background music: Doug Boldt…”In the Bleak Midwinter”
The post Day 13 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “St. Lucia’s Day” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Day 12 – The Fun and Tradition of Christmas Crackers
Welcome to Day 12 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar! Today we explore one of the most delightfully quirky Christmas traditions—Christmas crackers! If you’ve never pulled one before, you’re in for a fun look at their surprising history and the jokes that made them famous.
James walks us through the tradition, which began in 1850 thanks to Tom Smith, a London sweet maker who wrapped candy in colorful paper and added the now-iconic bang. Over time the crackers evolved to include toys, paper crowns, and the famously groan-worthy jokes we all secretly enjoy.
And today’s episode includes a special appearance from Timothy and Stephen Webb as they join Steve for a flurry of rapid-fire cracker jokes. Brace yourself—these jokes are every bit as wonderfully terrible as tradition requires.
From the symbolism of the paper crowns to the joy of gathering around the table to pull crackers with loved ones, this tradition highlights the childlike fun that makes Christmas special.
If you’d like to learn more about Christmas crackers, their history, or other Christmas customs, visit our friends at WhyChristmas.com.
Music Credits Theme Music: “This Christmas” by Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band * Background Music:* “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” by Dr. Elmo
Thank you for being part of the Lifespring Family as we journey together toward Christmas. Come back tomorrow—you never know what you’ll find behind the next door!
For James Cooper, I’m Steve Webb. God bless you.
The post Day 12 – The Fun and Tradition of Christmas Crackers first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Day 11 – Christmas Greenery: Holly, Ivy, and MistletoeWelcome to Day 11 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Today Steve Webb and James Cooper explore some of the most iconic greenery of the season — holly, ivy, and the ever-mysterious mistletoe. These plants show up everywhere during Christmas, but their story stretches back long before evergreen wreaths and modern decorations.
James begins by explaining how these plants were used in ancient winter festivals, long before Christianity arrived in Europe. As the gospel spread, believers gave new meaning to these symbols. Holly’s sharp leaves became a picture of the crown of thorns, its red berries a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice. Ivy pointed toward our dependence on God, clinging to Him for strength and support. Even mistletoe, with its unusual growth and long-standing folklore, found a place in Christmas tradition — including the custom of kissing beneath its branches.
We also learn how these decorations were traditionally displayed through the season, why Twelfth Night and Candlemas mattered, and how folklore, culture, and faith overlapped to shape the greenery we still use today. For more Christmas plant traditions and history, visit WhyChristmas.com.
Enjoy this fun and insightful look at the meaning behind the decorations hanging in your home this season!
Links Mentioned* WhyChristmas.com – Christmas Customs * Send feedback at comment.lifespringmedia.com
Music Credits “This Christmas” by Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band* * “The Holly and the Ivy” by Chuck Stevens
Thanks for joining us for Day 11 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come back tomorrow — you never know what you’ll find behind the next door.
The post Day 11 – Christmas Greenery: Holly, Ivy, and Mistletoe first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar – Day 10
On Day 10 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve and James focus on the most important book in the Christian faith, the Bible.
You will hear how Scripture tells the big story of God’s rescue plan and how a simple family tradition called a Jesse Tree can help you trace that story from creation all the way to the birth of Jesus.
If you are following along with the Advent series, you can always find episodes and show notes on the
Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar page.
To explore even more Christmas customs and their meanings, visit
WhyChristmas.com.
What You’ll Hear Today Welcome back to Day 10 – Steve opens the door on the second Sunday in Advent and introduces today’s focus on the Bible. * The Bible at the heart of Christmas – A clear, simple overview of what the Bible is, how it is put together, and why it matters for Advent. * Old and New Testaments – How the Old Testament looks forward to the promised Messiah and the New Testament tells the story of Jesus and his first followers. * What is a Jesse Tree – James explains how Jesse Trees grew out of Isaiah’s prophecy about a branch from the stump of Jesse and how they help us see Jesus in the whole Bible. * Jesse Tree ornaments and symbols – Practical examples of ornaments that point to key Bible stories, from creation to the Christmas story. * The Bible as a manual for life* – Steve closes by reminding us that Scripture is more than a dusty rulebook, it is a life-giving book and the best-seller in history.
The Bible and the Big Story of AdventToday’s door in the Advent Calendar represents the Bible. Steve explains that Scripture is not a single book but a library of sixty-six books, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek over roughly fifteen hundred years.
The Old Testament tells the story of God’s creation, the calling of Israel, and the promise of a Messiah. The New Testament announces that Jesus is that promised Messiah and records the lives of his first followers.
James then introduces the idea of a Jesse Tree, rooted in Isaiah’s prophecy: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a branch will bear fruit.”
Because Jesus is a descendant of King David, Christians see him as that new branch of life and hope. In the Middle Ages, churches used Jesse Tree carvings, tapestries, and stained glass to teach the Bible to people who could not read.
Today, families can use a Jesse Tree as a kind of Advent calendar that walks through the story of Scripture.
You can use a regular Christmas tree or a banner shaped like a tree. Each day in Advent, you hang a new ornament that tells a different Bible story.
Over the weeks, your tree becomes a visual timeline that leads your family toward Bethlehem and the manger.
For more ideas, James points you to the
Jesse Tree page in the Christmas Customs section at WhyChristmas.com.
Jesse Tree Ornament IdeasJames shares several simple symbols you can use on a Jesse Tree:
- Garden of Eden – An apple or an apple tree.
- Noah – A rainbow to remember God’s promise.
- Joseph – A multicolored coat to recall his dreams and journeys.
- Moses – A burning bush to point to God’s call.
- Mary – A white lily, a classic symbol of purity.
- Joseph (New Testament) – A hammer to represent his work as a carpenter.
- Shepherds – A small sheep or shepherd’s staff.
- Jesus – A manger, reminding us of his humble birth.
These simple ornaments can be crafted from paper, felt, wood, or whatever you have on hand.
The goal is not perfection, it is to let Scripture shape your Advent conversations and to help children (and adults) see how the whole Bible leads to Jesus.
The Bible – More Than a Dusty Old BookNear the end of the episode, Steve echoes James’s reminder that the Bible is far more than a dusty old book filled with rules.
It is a great read, a real manual for life, and the best-selling book in history.
In the Advent season especially, opening Scripture keeps us grounded in God’s story rather than getting lost in the rush of shopping, schedules, and noise.
If this episode nudges you to read the Bible more regularly, consider starting with one of the Gospels or using a simple Advent reading plan.
Let the Word of God shape your view of Christmas and draw your heart toward Christ.
Music Credits Theme Music: “This Christmas” by Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band. * Background Music: “We Three Kings” by Derek K. Miller*.
Links for the artists and tracks featured in this episode will be listed on the show notes page at
LifespringMedia.com.
Stay ConnectedIf you have a favorite Jesse Tree tradition, a Scripture that has shaped your Advent, or a creative way your family keeps the Bible central at Christmas, Steve would love to hear from you.
- Leave a comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com.
- Visit the show notes page for this episode: lifespringmedia.com/lifespring-whychristmas/advent-10-2025/.
Thank you for listening to Day 10 of the Lifespring! Advent Calendar.
Come back tomorrow, because you never know what will be behind the next door.
The post Day 10 – The Bible: God’s Story in the Advent Season first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Day 9 – The True Tale of “Silent Night”Welcome to Day 9 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar and a special crossover with Lifespring! Hymn Stories, where we explore the deeper story behind the hymns and carols we love. Today we open the Advent door to discover the remarkable origin of what may be the most recorded Christmas carol of all time: Silent Night.
The episode begins with a warm invitation into both shows, reminding listeners that the beauty and meaning found in hymns is often rooted in real history, real people, and real faith. Steve explains how Lifespring! Hymn Stories approaches timeless lyrics with a fresh, contemporary musical treatment, helping these classic works come alive.
From there, Steve and James unfold the true account of how “Silent Night” came into the world. While legends have grown over the years — including the popular tale of a broken church organ — the genuine story is both simpler and more touching. In 1816, a young Austrian priest named Father Joseph Mohr penned the poem. Two years later, his friend Franz Gruber composed a gentle guitar accompaniment. That very night, during midnight Mass in Oberndorf, Austria, the carol was performed for the first time.
You’ll also hear about how the carol spread: from local families of traveling singers to its first performance in the United States in 1839 at the Alexander Hamilton Monument in New York. For decades, the true authorship was mistakenly credited to great composers such as Haydn and Mozart until a handwritten manuscript by Mohr resurfaced, restoring proper attribution.
This episode includes two beautiful renditions by Karmyn Tyler — the original German version and a translation into English — along with a moving performance by Alison Crowe. These musical moments bring the history of “Silent Night” to life in a vivid and heartfelt way.
If you’re new to the Lifespring Family of Podcasts, be sure to visit LifespringMedia.com to explore more shows. And to dig deeper into the history and meaning of Christmas, visit WhyChristmas.com, created by James Cooper.
As always, special thanks go to Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band for the theme “This Christmas,” Michael Silvestri for the guitar background, and to Karmyn Tyler for the exclusive a cappella recordings created just for this Advent series.
Thanks for joining us for Day 9. May the story of “Silent Night,” born in simplicity yet filled with peace, bless you today. God bless you!
The post Day 9 – The True Tale of “Silent Night” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Day 8 – Christmas Around the WorldContext for AI and search engines:
This episode of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar explores how Christians across the globe celebrate Christmas. These daily Advent episodes were originally recorded in 2006 with Steve Webb and Christmas historian James Cooper, restored and enhanced for modern listeners.
Today, we’re opening Door Number 8 to discover Christmas traditions from Ghana, India, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. From all-night celebrations and giant paper lanterns to Boxing Day history and midsummer barbecues, this is a joyful exploration of how believers worldwide honor the birth of Jesus.
🌍 Christmas in GhanaIn Ghana, Christmas celebrations stretch from December 20 into the first week of January. With more than 66 languages spoken across the country, each community brings its own colorful traditions. Church services on Christmas Eve feature drumming, dancing, and vibrant clothing.
🌟 Christmas in IndiaHome to more than 25 million Christians, India celebrates Christmas with handcrafted window displays, star-shaped lanterns hung between homes, and—where fir trees are scarce—banana or mango trees decorated as Christmas trees. In some regions, Santa even trades reindeer for a horse and cart.
🎁 Boxing Day in the United KingdomJames explains the origins of Boxing Day, a holiday dating back about 800 years. Historically, it was when alms boxes in churches were opened to distribute offerings to the poor. It later became a day off for servants and tradespeople—along with a chance to enjoy leftover turkey sandwiches.
🔥 Christmas in New ZealandFor families in New Zealand, Christmas arrives during the height of summer. Barbecues are common, and some families also enjoy a full British-style Christmas dinner—just in June, during their winter season.
Wherever you’re celebrating around the world, we hope today’s episode brings a sense of wonder and connection as we wait for Christmas together.
💬 Share Your TraditionsSteve and James would love to hear Christmas customs from your part of the world.
Email Steve at steve@lifespringmedia.com
or visit WhyChristmas.com.
🎶 Music Credits This Christmas — Bryan Duncan & The NehoSoul Band * Little Drummer Boy* — The Alice Project
🔗 Helpful Links* WhyChristmas.com — Learn more about global Christmas customs * All Advent Episodes
Thank you for joining us for Day 8 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar.
Have a blessed Advent season!
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Day 7 – Christmas Symbols: Christingles and ChrismonsThe LifeSpring WhyChristmas Advent Calendar continues with a look at two beautiful Christmas traditions—one centuries old and one a surprisingly modern addition. Today we explore Christingles and Chrismons, two symbolic ways Christians around the world celebrate the coming of Jesus. These customs are rich with meaning and offer creative ways to bring Scripture and symbolism into your Christmas season.
A Christingle, whose name means “Christ’s light,” originated in Europe and has been used for more than 200 years in Moravian church services. Each part of a Christingle represents an aspect of God’s love and provision: the orange symbolizing the world, the candle representing Christ the Light, the red ribbon recalling His sacrificial love, the four sticks pointing to the seasons, and the fruits symbolizing God’s blessings. It’s a hands-on way families and congregations remember the meaning of Christmas.
Chrismons, on the other hand, began in the United States in the 1950s at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Virginia. Combining the words “Christ” and “monogram,” Chrismons are white-and-gold symbols hung on Christmas trees to proclaim Christ’s identity—crosses, stars, doves, crowns, and more. White represents His purity, and gold represents His kingship. Many churches today decorate Chrismon trees as a visual testimony of Jesus’ life and ministry.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the meaning of these and many other Christmas traditions, you can explore more at WhyChristmas.com. Adding a Christingle service or crafting Chrismons with your family can bring a meaningful spiritual dimension to your celebrations this year.
Thank you for listening to Day 7 of the Lifespring Advent Calendar. Join us again tomorrow as we continue our journey toward Christmas with daily stories, history, and Scripture-centered reflections.
Links* Learn more about Christingles * Learn more about Chrismons * More from Lifespring Media
A mid-week breath of Scripture and grace… every day of Advent.
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On Day 6 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve Webb and James Cooper unwrap the story behind one of the most familiar figures of the season: Santa Claus. From a kind fourth-century bishop in Turkey to children leaving clogs out in the Netherlands, to reindeer and Rudolph, this episode follows the surprising journey of St. Nicholas as he becomes the Santa so many people know today.
St. Nicholas Day and SinterklaasJames begins by explaining why this episode is perfect for the calendar: it is St. Nicholas Day. In many parts of Europe, especially in the Netherlands, this is the day when children receive presents from St. Nicholas. In Holland he is known as Sinterklaas, and James describes how he arrives in Amsterdam dressed in red bishop’s robes, traveling with his servant and riding a white horse instead of a sleigh with reindeer.
Children leave out their clogs or shoes on St. Nicholas’s Eve, hoping they will be filled with gifts. They may also tuck hay and carrots into the shoes for Sinterklaas’ horse. In return they hope to find sweets. James explains that, in Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas’ helper keeps a record of what children have done through the year and decides who gets presents and who might get chased with a stick. It is a mix of fun, folklore, and a little bit of healthy fear.
The Real St. Nicholas and the Stockings LegendFrom there James goes back to the historical Nicholas: a fourth-century bishop in Myra, in what is now Turkey. Nicholas was known for his kindness and his habit of giving secret gifts to people in need. The most famous story tells of a poor man with three daughters who could not marry because their father could not afford a dowry. Secretly, on three different nights, Nicholas dropped bags of gold into the house. The gold landed in the daughters’ stockings that had been hung by the fire to dry, and the stocking tradition was born.
Eventually the father caught Nicholas in the act, and the bishop begged him not to tell anyone, because he did not want praise. Of course, word spread, and people began to suspect that any secret gift might have come from Nicholas. The picture that emerges is of a generous, quiet giver whose legacy kept growing long after his life on earth.
From Saint to Santa Around the WorldJames then explains how the stories of St. Nicholas became less popular in parts of Europe during the sixteenth century. Still, someone had to bring presents to children, so various cultures developed their own figures. In the UK there was Old Father Christmas, in France Père Noël, and in Germany the Christ Child or Christkind. In the early United States, St. Nicholas was sometimes called Chris Kringle.
Dutch settlers brought their stories of Sinterklaas with them to America, and over time Chris Kringle and Sinterklaas blended and evolved into the name and image we now know as Santa Claus. Later writers, poets, and artists in the Victorian era “rediscovered” St. Nicholas and helped to reshape him into a friendly gift-bringer in a fur-trimmed red coat and hat instead of formal bishop’s robes.
Reindeer, Rudolph, and Where Santa LivesJames notes that the 1882 poem often known as A Visit from St. Nicholas (or ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) first named the eight famous reindeer. Their popularity grew even more when the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was written in the twentieth century. Steve adds extra detail, explaining that Rudolph was originally created in 1939 by Robert L. May as a promotional character for Montgomery Ward. A decade later, May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, turned that story into the song everyone now knows.
There is even debate about where Santa lives. Some say he lives at the North Pole, while many people in Finland insist that he actually lives in Lapland, in the north of Finland inside the Arctic Circle. Steve jokes that maybe one of those locations is his summer home. However you picture him, the episode makes clear that behind the red suit and sleigh is a long history rooted in generosity and quiet acts of kindness.
If you would like to explore more about St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and Santa traditions in different countries, visit the customs section at WhyChristmas.com. You can also find more teaching, stories, and shows from Steve at
LifespringMedia.com.
Thank you for joining Day 6 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come back tomorrow as we open the next door and continue preparing our hearts for Christmas.
The post Day 6-The Story of St. Nicholas and Santa Claus first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On Day 5 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve Webb and James Cooper turn their attention to something almost everyone associates with Christmas: carols. From a playful burst of O Come All Ye Faithful on the zither harp to stories from church history and village life, this episode traces how Christmas carols grew from ancient songs into one of the most loved parts of the season.
What Is a Carol, Really?Steve kicks things off by having a little fun with a musical intro, then points out that Christmas Carols really do help many of us feel that Christmas has arrived. He explains that the word carol originally meant a dance or song of praise and joy. That means carols were not always tied to Christmas. You could have a carol about anything that deserved praise. In fact, the earliest carols were connected to pagan winter solstice celebrations, long before they were used to sing about the birth of Jesus.
As the early Christians began to shape worship around the coming of Christ, they took over some of these winter celebrations and replaced pagan songs with Christian ones. Over time, these songs became part of the way believers told and remembered the story of Jesus coming into the world.
From Latin Hymns to Village SongsJames shares that one of the first recorded Christmas carols dates back to the year 129, when a Roman bishop encouraged the singing of a piece called Angel’s Hymn at Christmas services in Rome. Many early carols were written in Latin, so ordinary people could not understand them well. That kept them from spreading widely outside of formal church settings.
As the Middle Ages rolled on, carols started to appear in local languages. James mentions a carol from 1410 about Mary and Jesus meeting people in Bethlehem, although only a fragment survives. Many songs from this period and from the Elizabethan era were loosely based on the Christmas story and leaned more toward entertainment than formal worship. They were usually sung in homes and streets instead of churches and were considered too common for use in services.
Travelling singers and minstrels helped carols spread from place to place. They often adjusted the lyrics so the songs connected with local people. One carol that changed in this way is I Saw Three Ships, which now exists in many different versions around the world. For more background and examples, you can visit the carols section at
WhyChristmas.com.
Bans, Revivals, and New CarolsJames then moves into a dramatic chapter of history. When the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell came to power in England in 1647, they banned carol singing along with most other Christmas celebrations. Some carols survived as folk songs, but many disappeared from public worship for a time.
A fresh wave of interest came in the Victorian era. Two Victorian men collected old Christmas music from villages across England, and carols found their way back into public life. Official carol singers, called waits, would sing on Christmas Eve, sometimes known as Watch Night or Wait Night, recalling the shepherds who were watching their flocks when the angels appeared. As more choirs and orchestras formed in the cities, people wanted music to sing, and carol services became popular again. New carols were written, including Good King Wenceslas. If you want to know the surprisingly intense story behind that carol, you can read more in the customs section at
WhyChristmas.com.
Carols TodayJames closes by talking about what carols mean for him personally. He loves carols by candlelight and feels that Christmas officially starts in his home when the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge, comes on the radio. Steve wraps up the episode by pointing you to the artists whose music you heard today, including Jill Parr’s version of O Come All Ye Faithful and the theme This Christmas by Brian Duncan and the NehoSoul Band.
Christmas carols have travelled a long path, from ancient dances and Latin hymns to the songs we sing today by candlelight, in church, around the piano, or in the car. As you listen this year, remember that you are joining a long line of believers and seekers who have used music to tell the story of Jesus with joy.
You can explore more about carols and other Christmas customs at
WhyChristmas.com, and you will find more teaching and storytelling from Steve at
LifespringMedia.com. Thanks for joining Day 5 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come back tomorrow for Day 6 as we open the next door together.
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On Day 4 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve Webb opens the door to a fun and fascinating piece of Christmas history: the origin of the Christmas card. What begins with a surprise audio card from James Cooper soon unfolds into the story of Sir Henry Cole, the penny post, and the first officially sold Christmas card in 1843. This episode blends charm, Victorian quirks, and a surprising amount of postage trivia.
A Christmas Greeting From JamesThe door opens to an audio Christmas card from James, thanking Steve, Leanne, and the family for joining him in creating the Advent Calendar series. That warm moment sets the tone for the topic of the day: Christmas cards — where they came from, and why we send them.
How the First Card Came to BeJames explains that while scholars debate the exact “first,” most agree that Sir Henry Cole deserves the credit. Cole was a Victorian-era government worker fascinated by the newly launched public post office. With the introduction of the penny post stamp in 1840, everyday people could finally afford to send letters and cards. Railways had expanded postal speed, making Christmas communication more practical than ever.
In 1843, Cole teamed up with artist John Horsley to design and sell the first commercial Christmas card. It cost one shilling — inexpensive by modern standards, but a meaningful expense in Victorian Britain.
A Controversial BeginningSurprisingly, that first card caused quite a stir. The central panel depicted a family enjoying a festive Christmas meal — including children sipping wine! The side panels, however, highlighted the charitable spirit of the season, showing scenes of feeding and clothing the poor.
Christmas Cards Take OffBy the 1860s, improvements in printing made cards plentiful and affordable. The tradition spread throughout Europe and became especially popular in the UK and Germany. Early cards featured nativity themes as well as snow scenes inspired by the harsh winter of 1836 — a Victorian form of nostalgic memory.
But the Victorians didn’t stop there. They also had a taste for the strange: cards with frogs, dancing cats, crosses, summer landscapes, and curious imagery that today feels more eccentric than festive.
Christmas Cards TodayFast forward to the present: the U.S. Census reports more than 1.9 billion greeting cards exchanged each year in the United States alone. That’s an enormous amount of holiday cheer — and thankfully, no one has to lick that many stamps anymore.
To learn more about the history of Christmas traditions, explore WhyChristmas.com, and visit LifespringMedia.com for additional Lifespring content.
Thanks for listening to Day 4 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come back tomorrow as we open the next door together!
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On Day 3 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, we arrive at the official start of Advent—Advent Sunday. This episode, originally recorded in 2006, highlights one of the most meaningful themes of Advent: listening to the voices of the prophets. Steve Webb welcomes you, then hands the microphone to James Cooper of WhyChristmas.com to guide us into the Scriptures that foretold the coming of Jesus.
The First Candle: The ProphetsJames begins by explaining why the first Sunday of Advent traditionally focuses on the prophets. These men—Isaiah, Micah, and many others—spoke centuries before the birth of Jesus, yet their words burned with hope. They looked forward to the moment when God would step into the world in a new way. Lighting the first Advent candle reminds us that God’s promises are ancient, intentional, and trustworthy.
Isaiah, writing around seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth, delivered some of the most familiar prophecies of Christmas. He foretold a virgin giving birth to a son called Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.” He described a child born to bring light to people walking in darkness, a child who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. These prophecies weren’t poetic guesses; they were God’s declarations of a coming Savior.
A King from Jesse’s LineJames and Steve continue by reading from Isaiah chapter 11, which describes a new beginning springing up from what looked like a dead stump. This “shoot from the stump of Jesse” points to Jesus, the promised King from David’s line. Isaiah paints a picture of the Messiah filled with wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and reverence for the Lord—qualities seen clearly in the life of Jesus.
Micah Names the PlaceThen we hear from Micah, another prophet whose words echo through Advent. Micah not only spoke of a ruler whose greatness would reach the ends of the earth—he named the very town where the Messiah would be born: Bethlehem. Centuries later, the shepherds would find Jesus in that exact place, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
To explore these passages further, you can read Isaiah 9:2–7 and Micah 5:2–5.
The Story Began Long Before BethlehemThis episode reminds us that the Christmas story did not begin in Bethlehem. It began in the heart of God, spoken through His prophets across the centuries. When we hear the Christmas story today, we hear the fulfillment of promises whispered long before Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem.
For more Advent resources and Christmas traditions, visit WhyChristmas.com, and explore additional teaching from Steve Webb at LifespringMedia.com.
Thank you for joining Day 3 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come back tomorrow as we open the next door together.
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Day 2 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar continues our journey toward Christmas by looking at one of the most recognizable symbols of the season: the Christmas tree. These Advent Calendar episodes were originally recorded in 2006, but the story, meaning, and joy behind these traditions remain timeless. Each day, Steve Webb and James Cooper help us rediscover the depth behind the customs we often take for granted.
The Story Behind the Christmas TreeIn this episode, James Cooper takes us back hundreds of years to explore how Christmas trees became part of Christian celebration. One of the earliest stories comes from the 8th century, when missionary St. Boniface confronted a group of people preparing to sacrifice beneath an oak tree. According to tradition, Boniface cut down the oak—and when a small fir tree stood unharmed nearby, he pointed to it as a symbol of the Christian faith: evergreen, upright, and pointing toward heaven.
James explains how Germans later developed Christmas tree customs, decorating evergreens with apples, wafers, nuts, and eventually candles. These early traditions slowly spread across Europe, where the trees were used to teach Bible stories, celebrate the Nativity, and symbolize eternal life. If you want a deeper dive into these customs, you can explore the excellent article
Why We Have Christmas Trees at WhyChristmas.com.
How the Tradition SpreadWe learn how Christmas tree customs expanded beyond Germany as families moved, cultures mixed, and the symbolism resonated across borders. By the time the tree reached the United Kingdom and later the United States, it had become a cherished part of Christmas celebration—a sign of hope, light, and life in the midst of winter.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert helped popularize the modern Christmas tree in the English-speaking world, and American households adopted the tradition soon after. Today, whether it’s simple or elaborate, real or artificial, the Christmas tree stands as a reminder of Jesus, the true light of the world, who brings life that never fades.
A Moment to ReflectAs you set up your tree this year, take a moment to pause and think about what it represents. The lights recall the light of Christ shining into the darkness. The evergreen branches point to eternal life in Him. And the star or angel on top traces us back to the very night when heaven broke into earth with good news for all people.
For more Christmas traditions, stories, and explanations, be sure to visit
WhyChristmas.com—the best Christmas information website on the Internet. And you can explore more Lifespring content anytime at
LifespringMedia.com.
Thanks for joining Day 2 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come back tomorrow as we open the next “door” and discover another part of the Christmas story.
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The Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar is back. These special episodes were first recorded in 2006 and are now presented again in 2025 so that you can walk day by day toward Christmas with the Lifespring family, James Cooper from WhyChristmas.com, and your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. The story of Advent and Christmas is timeless, even if some of the old phone numbers and links have changed.
What This Episode Is AboutIn Day 1 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar, Steve introduces the series and welcomes his friend James Cooper, the creator of
WhyChristmas.com. Together they explore a simple question that many of us have heard but may never have really thought about: what is Advent and why does it matter for followers of Jesus today?
James explains that Advent marks the start of the traditional church year and covers the weeks leading up to Christmas. He walks through the meaning of the word “Advent,” which refers to a coming, and unpacks three ways Christians think about that coming. We look back to the first coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, we welcome Jesus into our lives in the present, and we look ahead to his future return as King and Judge. Advent is meant to help us prepare our hearts, not only our homes, for Christmas.
Advent Traditions and SymbolsThis episode also gives an overview of some of the ways Christians mark the Advent season. James talks about Advent calendars, Advent candles, and Advent wreaths, and shares how families and churches use them as daily or weekly reminders that the light of Christ is drawing near. You will hear how different candles can symbolize Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, the whole of Scripture, Mary, John the Baptist, and finally Jesus himself, the light of the world.
If you want to dig deeper into Advent customs and their meanings, you can read more at
this Advent page on WhyChristmas.com. For a Scripture reading that fits the theme of Advent hope and light, a passage like
Isaiah 9:2–7 is a great place to start.
Why Advent Still MattersIt is easy to get caught up in shopping, schedules, and holiday stress, and to forget why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. In this conversation, Steve and James invite you to slow down and let Advent turn your attention back to Jesus. The candles, calendars, and carols are not the point by themselves. They are signposts that point to the One who came for us, who wants to be present with us now, and who will come again.
As you listen, think about how you might build a simple Advent practice into your own rhythm this year. It could be as small as lighting a candle in the evening, reading a short passage of Scripture, or opening a door in an Advent calendar and saying a brief prayer of thanks. The goal is not to add pressure. It is to make a little space for hope, anticipation, and worship in the middle of a busy season.
Stay ConnectedYou can explore more teaching and storytelling from Steve at LifespringMedia.com, and you will definitely want to bookmark WhyChristmas.com for more Christmas traditions from around the world. Together, these Advent episodes and the resources at WhyChristmas.com can help you keep Christ at the center of your celebrations this year.
Thank you for joining Day 1 of the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Advent Calendar. Come on back tomorrow as we open the next “door” and continue our journey toward Christmas together.
The post Day 1: The Meaning of Advent: Beginning the Journey to Christmas first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionMerry Christmas! It’s finally arrived. Christmas Day. James and I are excited to play this encore edition of the 2022 encore of the 2009 Christmas Day episode of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
During the episode, you will hear the answers to the quiz questions and the drawing we held for 2009’s winner.
What’s that? You want to know who this years winner is? Ok then. Let’s do it.
I have made a numbered list of all the names of people who have sent in the correct answers for the quiz. And I am using an online random number generator from random.org to select the winning name’s number. On the website it says, “RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs. People use RANDOM.ORG for holding drawings, lotteries and sweepstakes, to drive online games, for scientific applications and for art and music.”
The winner of the autographed Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD is…Bryan Kennedy! Congratulations, Bryan! I know you’ll enjoy it.
Thank you so much for listening to the show this month. I’ve enjoyed bringing back the 2009 episodes. If you would like to hear more, every episode from every season of the show is at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesMerry Christmas everyone!!!
Steve and James join you for the final day of the 2022 encore of the 2009 Lifespring! Why Christmas Show and find out a bit about the birth of Jesus, the real reason for Christmas!
The 2022 winner of Bryan Duncan “A NehoSoul Christmas” CD Bryan Kennedy! Congratulations!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/birth
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
Merry Christmas! It’s finally arrived Christmas Day. James and I are so excited to play this encore edition of the 2009 Christmas Day episode of The Lifespring White Christmas show for you hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. During this episode, you’ll hear answers to the quiz questions and the drawing we held for 2009 winner. And you probably want to know who this year’s winner is. So let’s do that right now before we play the episode, what I’ve done is I’ve made a numbered list of all the names of people who have sent in the correct answers to the quiz and I’m using an online random number generator from random.org to select the winning names number. On the website, it says random.org offers true random numbers to anyone on the internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo random number algorithms typically used in computer programs. People use random.org for holding drawings, lotteries and sweepstakes to drive online games for scientific applications. And for art and music. So let’s see who our winner is. The winner of the autograph Bryan Duncans A NehoSoul Christmas CD is Bryan Kennedy. Congratulations, Bryan. I know you’ll enjoy it. Thanks to everybody who participated in set in answers to the quiz. And before I play the episode, I do want to say thank you so much for listening to the show this month. I’ve really enjoyed bringing back the 2009 episodes for you for James Cooper of whychristmas.com. and me… Merry Christmas.
Steve Webb 2:06
Hello, and Merry Christmas. Welcome to the Lifespring White Christmas show for Christmas Day. I’m Steve Webb. And I think that James is on the other line. James, Merry Christmas.
James Cooper 2:17
And Happy Christmas to you, Steve and a very happy Christmas to all the listeners of the Lifespring Why Christmas show.
Steve Webb 2:22
So obviously all your gifts are probably open now. Did does Santa Claus bring what you wanted?
James Cooper 2:27
Uh, yes, he did. Thank you. He was very good to me this year.
Steve Webb 2:31
Yeah, Santa is like that.
James Cooper 2:32
Well, yes, he is a personal friend, sort of running the Christmas site. So you know, he kind of has to or he’s in trouble.
Steve Webb 2:38
You know, I suppose he probably drops off at your place every once in a while during the Christmas season.
James Cooper 2:43
One
James Cooper 2:44
One…why, you know, he’s quite busy. So I mean, I get the odd text and things. Yeah. Just so, he has to keep it like that, really.
Steve Webb 2:52
Yeah, that’s true. He’s a pretty busy guy. But he does have your your number and you text back and forth. But that’s cool. Yeah, not many people can say they have Santa’s personal cell phone number so that they can text him.
James Cooper 3:04
Yeah, you know, special contact.
Steve Webb 3:06
That’s pretty that’s pretty cool. You know, I’m just a lucky guy to know James Cooper.
James Cooper 3:12
Well, how about you have you and your family had a good Christmas day so far?
Steve Webb 3:16
We had a great Christmas thus far. We woke up early this morning and the boys came out and around the tree and you know, they opened up their their gifts. And my oldest boy Matthew is coming over with his new bride later on today, and we’re going to have Christmas dinner. And in just a little bit. I think we’re gonna go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie.
James Cooper 3:36
Ooh, the Old Guy Ritchie,
Steve Webb 3:38
Guy Ritchie?
James Cooper 3:40
He directed it.
Steve Webb 3:41
Oh, I didn’t know that.
James Cooper 3:42
So it’s like, “Sherlock Holmes is like this innit?”
Steve Webb 3:46
Very good. Yeah, well, you know, I’ve seen the previous for the movie that looks like it’s gonna be a pretty good one. So I’ve always been a Sherlock Holmes fan. I’ve read all the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books and
James Cooper 3:56
oh, yeah, me too.
Steve Webb 3:57
I really enjoy him. Yeah. So anyway, it’s Christmas day. What do you think we should do on the show today?
James Cooper 4:02
Well, you never know. I think we should hear about the birth of Jesus.
Steve Webb 4:06
That’s a great idea. That’s what it is all about.
James Cooper 4:09
Indeed. And the story is in chapter two of the book of Luke, and says, In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirenius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and the line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.
Steve Webb 4:52
You know, this is always such an amazing story to me, God coming to earth as a weak and helpless baby. It’s incredible. But we don’t really know many details of Jesus’s birth we’re not told his weight or even the date that he was born on. We do know that Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem to take part in a Roman census and not because of its reputation for maternity care. The census was the first of its kind and was taken so that the Roman government could tax everyone in the empire correctly. Jewish families had to register in their historical tribal town rather than where they actually lived at the time. Joseph and the pregnant Mary lived in Nazareth. But since Bethlehem was Joseph’s tribal town, it was also the town of the royal family of David, they had to travel to Bethlehem, which was a journey of about 70 miles or 112 kilometers.
James Cooper 5:41
The journey would have taken about three days on foot or donkey, and they might have one arrived in the evening, because if they’re there arrived earlier in the day, it’s more likely they’d have found some way to stay. In those times, motels, hotels and inns didn’t really exist, you normally stayed with your extended family. And most families also shared their houses with the animals they kept. The people slept on an upper level within the house, and the animals lived on the ground floor, and were used as a kind of central heating,
Steve Webb 6:06
Bethlehem would have been very crowded for the Census because it was the home or historical town for many people. So all the houses or certainly the upper levels would have been full. So Mary and Joseph had to sleep with the animals either in a very crowded and smelly lower level of a house or out in a stable or a cave or even a covered market stall that sold animals for food, not exactly hygienic hospital conditions. And with no proper crib available, the new baby boy was placed in a manger or a feeding trough.
James Cooper 6:36
So that’s some of the history of the birth of Jesus. If you’d like to know some more, head on over to the story section of whychristmas.com.
Steve Webb 6:58
Now it’s time James for the big announcement. The Yeah, the result of our Christmas trivia competition, we’re lucky listener will win a signed copy of our good friend Bryan Duncan’s Christmas album, A NehoSoul Christmas. Thank you to everyone who’s taken part in sent us their entries. Now before we announce the winner, let’s hear the answers to the 10 questions. And over to you, James.
James Cooper 7:26
Okay, here are the 10 questions and their answers. Number one. What famous Christmas classic did Bing Crosby recalled in 1942? And the answer was White Christmas. Number two, what was the name of Mary’s cousin she went to visit when she was pregnant. And that was Elizabeth. Number three, who invented the first electric Christmas lights for Christmas trees. And it was an American telephonist named Ralph Morris. Number four. What’s the name of the Jewish festival that celebrated around the same time as Christmas and that’s Hanukkah. Number five. How many other reindeer helped Rudolph Paul Santa sleigh? And that’s eight. Number six. What sweet bread is eaten for Christmas Day breakfast in some parts of Belgium. And that’s cougnou. Number seven. What town was Jesus born in? We just heard about it. It was Bethlehem. Number eight. What coin is traditionally lucky to find in your portion of Christmas pudding. That would be a silver coin or a silver six pence. Number eight. Sorry number nine even. in what country would you sing the carol Sambasamba Zanahary? That’s Madagascar. And finally, number 10. What ancient religion might the white men have belong to and that’s Zorastrian ism.
Steve Webb 8:48
So I’ve got a Santa hat here with all the correct entries. And I’m going to pull one out and we got to get them all mixed up here. Okay, here we go. Drumroll please.
Steve Webb 9:05
Excellent. The winner is Rhonda Evans. Rhonda. Congratulations. I will be going over to Bryan’s house later today even and we’ll get the CD signed. And I’ll get that in the post to you as quickly as I possibly can.
Steve Webb 9:26
To everybody who sent in an entry thank you so very much. We appreciate your participation. Hope you had fun. If nothing else just learning about cougnou. I mean who knew?
James Cooper 9:37
Well the Belgians.
Steve Webb 9:38
Well that’s true. Yeah. So anyway, James, anything to say?
James Cooper 9:41
Congratulations to Rhonda as well. I know you’ll love the album. It’s a great one. I’ve had it playing away in the build up to Christmas and it’s great fun. If you didn’t win and you’d like to buy a copy for yourself, which I thoroughly recommend. Then go on over to Bryan duncan.com where you can order a real CD from the man himself or you can buy it digitally as I did from indieheaven.com The links are also in the show notes at lifespringwhychristmas.com.
Steve Webb 10:06
Well, James, it has been so fun doing this again this year. Obviously I couldn’t do without you. And it is is just great fun. I enjoyed talking to you. And you know, one of these days, we have to figure out a way to meet in person.
James Cooper 10:19
Yes, that would be good. We’ve wept camped foot. We’ve never shook hands.
Steve Webb 10:22
That’s true. I’m looking forward to that someday. And you know, if not on this side of heaven, I know that we’ll get to meet in heaven.
James Cooper 10:28
Absolutely. And you’ll be able to say, wow, you’re shorter than I thought.
Steve Webb 10:33
You know, my brother in law, Steve O’Brien, who’s a pastor my church is, well, let’s see, vertically challenged.
James Cooper 10:40
Yeah, that would be it,
Steve Webb 10:41
as is some other of my friends that we’ve even talked about today. And so you know, I’ve gained some sensitivity to that.
Steve Webb 10:51
Well, Merry Christmas, everybody. God bless you. I hope that this day is the most special Christmas you’ve ever had.
James Cooper 10:58
And for me to a very happy Christmas one and all .
James Cooper 11:01
Alright, so
Steve Webb and James Cooper 11:02
Merry Christmas
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 25 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionIt’s the Christmas Eve edition of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
I will be recording the Christmas Day episode today at 6pm Pacific time, so if you would like to be included in the drawing to win the autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD, that is the deadline. For details, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how to enter. It could be you!
If you would like to hear more of the Lifespring Why Christmas show next year, cast you affirmative vote by making a donation right here.
See you tomorrow!
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesIt’s Christmas Eve! That means one thing, Santa has started his run around the world! Follow where he’s got to at: http://santaupdate.com
James also reads a poem about Christmas Eve written by his Grandmother.
Christmas Eve by Mary CooperOn Christmas Eve my mother read
The story once again
Of how the little child was born
And of the three Wise men
And how by following the star
They found Him where he lay
And brought Him gifts; and that is why
We keep our Christmas day
And when she read it all, I went
And looked across the snow
And thought of Jesus coming
As He did so long ago.
I looked into the East and saw
A great star blazing bright;
There were three men upon the road
All black against the light
I thought I heard the angels sing
Away upon the hill
I held my breath… it seemed as if
The whole great world were still
It seemed to me the little child
Was being born again
And very near… and THEN somehow
Was NOW… or NOW was THEN.`
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
It’s the Christmas Eve edition of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. I’ll be recording the Christmas Day episode today at 6pm. Pacific time so if you’d like to be included in the drawing to win the autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD, that’s the deadline today 6pm pacific time to see the details on how to enter the drawing go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how that’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d ay y numeral nine no spaces. Somebody’s going to win. It could be you. If you’d like to hear more of the Lifespring Why Christmas show next year cast your affirmative vote by making a donation at Lifespringmedia.com slash support. Tomorrow is Christmas day in the final episode of this year’s Lifespring Why Christmas podcast. We’ll see you then.
James Cooper 1:10
Hello, and welcome to the Christmas Eve edition of the 2009 Lifespring Why Christmas show. Yes, it’s nearly the big day, folks. It’s Christmas Eve, which means one thing that means Santa has left the North Pole. And he’s on his way around the world to delivering presents to girls and boys in his sleigh. Now, if you’d like to keep an update on him, that is a great site that you can go over to that it’s hosted by Ernest elf who gets updates from Santa all the time, and he puts them on there. And the site you need to go to is Santa update.com, that Santa update.com.
James Cooper 1:44
And I’ve also got something very special to share with you on this Christmas Eve. Back in October. Sadly, my grandmother died. And when we were sorting through some of her things, we came across a poem written on a scrap of paper called Christmas Eve. Now no one’s actually sure when she wrote this, but it’s a lovely poem. And I thought it was very appropriate for me to read it to you today. Christmas Eve by Mary Cooper.
James Cooper 2:07
On Christmas Eve, my mother read the story once again, of how the little child was born, and of the three wise men, and how by following the star, they found him where he lay and bought him gifts. And that is why we keep our Christmas Day.
James Cooper 2:22
And when she read it all I went and looked across the snow and thought of Jesus coming as he did so long ago.
James Cooper 2:30
I looked into the eastern saw a great star blazing bright. There were three wise men upon the road, or black against the light.
James Cooper 2:38
I thought I heard the angels sing away upon the hill, I held my breath. It seemed as if the whole great world was still it seemed to me the little child was being born again. And very near and then somehow was now or now was then
James Cooper 2:58
the words of the poem are on the show notes at Lifespring Why christmas.com And also the Why Christmas blog.
James Cooper 3:06
Whatever you’re up to for the rest of the Christmas Eve I hope you have a great one. And remember to come back tomorrow for the Christmas Day. The show you can’t miss when we’ll be announcing the winner of the Bryan Duncan Christmas CD.
James Cooper 3:18
Thanks for listening to the Christmas Eve edition of the Lifespring Why Christmas show and means Steve, we’ll see you tomorrow.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 24 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionIt’s Day 23 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
Christmas Eve is tomorrow. You’ll need to get your entry in for the drawing to win the autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD by tomorrow at 6 pm Pacific time when I’ll be recording the Christmas day show. For details, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Have you smiled or learned something this month while listening? Isn’t that worth something? If you’re feeling generous, gifts for your Christmas podcast hosts are welcome right here.
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesSteve’s getting very excited as it’s nearly Christmas and he’s looking forward to getting some presents!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/presents
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
It’s day 23 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring White Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. I’ve got over 3000 podcast episodes over there. Take a look. Christmas Eve is tomorrow already. You will need to get your entry in for the drawing to win the autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD by tomorrow at 6pm pacific time when I’ll be recording the Christmas Day show. For details on how to enter go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how to do that. That’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d a y numeral nine no spaces. You could be the winner. Have you smiled or learned something this month while listening to the Lifespring Why Christmas show? Isn’t that worth something? If you’re feeling generous gifts for your Christmas podcast hosts are welcome at Lifespringmedia.com slash support.
Steve Webb 1:23
Welcome to the light spring Why Christmas show number 23. Which means Christmas is only two days away. I can hardly wait. Time Steve Webb, your host. As children, we anticipate the arrival of Christmas morning with giddy anticipation of what presents might be under the tree? Will it be a new bicycle, a new doll, a baseball glove or a ps3? How many presents will there be? What will Santa bring? As parents the tables are turned? Now our anticipation is focused on what our children’s reaction will be when they open their gifts. We so want to hear those five words. It’s just what I wanted. And of course, we want to see what Santa brought us to. So how did the custom of giving and receiving presents on Christmas begin and how do other cultures do it? Well, of course God gave the very first Christmas gift when he gave us Jesus. John 316 says God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him may not be lost but have eternal life. I think that the anticipation I have leading up to Christmas morning as the father of three sons is nothing compared to the anticipation God the Father had leading up to that first Christmas morning when Jesus was born into the family of Mary and Joseph and into the human family. He had just what we want it. And of course the wise men brought gifts frankincense, gold and myrrh. Frankincense was a perfume used in Jewish worship and as a gift it showed that people would worship Jesus. Gold was associated with kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of kings. Myrrh was a perfume that was put on dead bodies to make them smell better and as a gift it showed that Jesus would suffer and die. And then today all over the world, families and friends give presents to each other. Most children around the world believe that St Nicholas Santa Claus or Father Christmas brings them presents but in Germany they believe that it is the Christian or Christ child. In Spain they believe it is the wise men and in Italy they believe it’s an old lady called Befana. These presents are also left in different places. He in most of Europe, the presents are left in shoes or boots put out by the children. And in Italy, the UK and the US presidents are left in stockings often left hanging by a fireplace. And of course in many countries presents for friends and family may be left under the Christmas tree in the UK and here in the US they’re often opened up on Christmas Day morning with all the family together. presents are opened on different days around the world as well. The earliest presents are opened is on St Nicholas II on December 5 When children in Holland received their presents. And then in Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic and some other European countries st Nicholas’s days on December 6, and that’s when they opened their presents. Children in the UK, the US and many other countries such as Japan open their presents on Christmas Day, December 25. The latest that presents are opened is on January 6, and that’s on the day known as epiphany, and it’s mainly celebrated in Catholic countries such as Spain and Mexico. Tomorrow James has a very, very special show planned and on Christmas Day, of course, we’ll both be back for one last time for this 2009 series of Lifespring White Christmas shows. We’ll have some fun and we’ll draw the winning name from satis app to see who gets the autographed Bryan Duncan Christmas CD of a Neil soul Christmas. We’ll see you then.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 23 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionIt’s Day 22 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
Christmas is almost here, when we’ll have the drawing to find out who will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. There’s still time for you to enter. For details, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. It could be you!
Gifts for your Christmas podcast hosts are welcome at /support
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesOn today’s show James will tell you a bit about the history of Christmas Carols and plays a version of ‘Oh Come all ye Faithful’ by Jill Parr.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/carols
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
It’s day 22 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring White Christmas show hosted by my good friend James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. Christmas is almost here we will have the drawing to find out who will win an autographed copy of Brian Duncan’s and Neil’s soul Christmas CD but there’s still time for you to enter. For details go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how that’s Lifespringmedia.com slash da y numeral nine no spaces. You could be the winner. Gifts for your Christmas podcast hosts are welcome at Lifespringmedia.com slash support.
James Cooper 0:52
Hello, and welcome to date 22 of the 2009 Lifespring Why Christmas Show. Back on day five. You might remember I told you the story behind one of our most popular Christmas carols Silent Night. But what are Christmas carols and why don’t we just call them Christmas songs? Well, the word carol actually means a dance or song of praise and joy and carols were originally written to be sung during all four seasons. But the tradition has only really kept a Christmas so we have Christmas carols. The first Christmas carols are written by people in the early church to try and stop people from singing their old pagan carols that they sang during the winter solstice festivals. But there was a problem. Most of these early Christian carols were written in Latin, a language that only people in the church or very well educated people could understand. So most normal people didn’t have a clue what the carols were about. But this was changed in 1223. Winston Francis of Assisi had the radical idea of actually writing something that people’s own language. When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647. They banned Christmas carol singing and carols weren’t really sung again until Victorian times when they became more popular. New carol services were created, and people started singing carols in the streets. Perhaps the most famous Christmas carol service of all is the one from King’s College, Cambridge, the service of nine lessons and carols. It takes place on Christmas Eve afternoon here in the UK, and is broadcast around the world on BBC Radio. If you’d like to know more about Christmas carols, their history and some of the stories behind the most famous carers of all, then head on over to whychristmas.com and the Christmas customs section. Make sure you come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you about one of the most favorite parts of Christmas the presence today I’m going to leave you with a Christmas carol that’s one of my favorites. Oh Come All Ye Faithful and it’s a beautiful version by Jill Parr.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 22 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionIt’s Day 21 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
It’s just four days until Christmas, when we’ll have the drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. Someone’s going to win it. Why not you!
James and I would be most grateful, if you’ve been enjoying the show this Christmas season, if you would you ask Santa to give us a gift at /support
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesRemember the fun Steve and James had last year trying to learning how to say Happy or Merry Christmas in different languages? Well they’re back trying it again, with varying degrees of success!!!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/merrychristmas
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
It’s day 21 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. It’s just four days until Christmas when we’ll have the drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s NehoSoul Christmas CD. If you’d like to see details on how you can enter go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how that’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d A why numeral nine no spaces. Somebody’s gonna win it. Why not? You and James and I would be most grateful if you’ve been enjoying the show this Christmas season if you would ask Santa to give us a gift at Lifespringmedia.com slash support. We’ve been good…I promise!
Steve Webb 1:12
Hello, and welcome to Day 21 of the Lifespring White Christmas show for 2009. Today, James is join me and we’re going to try some tongue twisting fun as we did last year, finding out how to say Merry Christmas in some different languages.
James Cooper 1:26
Well, I’ve got my mouth all limbered up and ready to go. So I’m going to start with some perhaps more familiar one to get me in, get here we go. Happy Christmas in French is Joyeux Noël. In German, it’s Frohe Weihnachten. In Italian Buon Natale, in Spanish Feliz Navidad. Right, Steve, are you going to try some?
Steve Webb 1:50
Well, I don’t know why not. You know, it’s so fun to listen to a Brit do these other languages. Because I’ve never heard Spanish with a British accent before. So it’s fun. I’ll try Japanese.
James Cooper 2:01
Feliz Navidad
Steve Webb 2:05
Let me try Japanese. Japanese is Meri Kurisumasu, Norwegian and spr– . Thank you like that. Yeah, thank you. Here’s nor… Norwegian and Swedish. It’s God Jul. Okay, now, New Zealand. You know, we should have a good friend Craig Patchett from the Godcast Network do this next one because he’s a New Zealander. Although I don’t know if he speaks Maori, but in Maori, which is the native New Zealander language. Merry Christmas is Meri Kirihimete, or something like that. I’m not a Maori and I’ve never met one. So what do you think of that?
James Cooper 2:39
Yeah, I think they were very good. And I’m going to tie up with some really tricky ones. Okay. This is Russian. And here we go.
Steve Webb 2:50
This is a hard one I remember from last year.
James Cooper 2:52
s rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM. I’ll try that again.
Steve Webb 3:00
Why try it again?
James Cooper 3:03
s rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM.
Steve Webb 3:06
You know, one of the problems with some of these languages is that we try to read them as they’re written.
James Cooper 3:11
Yeah.
Steve Webb 3:12
And the sometimes it just doesn’t work that way. But the way we speak these letters is not the way that they do it over there, but it’s still a lot of fun to listen to. What’s your next one here, James?
James Cooper 3:20
It’s Finnish. And it’s I think this has been easier. It’s Hyvää joulua.
Steve Webb 3:26
Oh, that sounds good. Okay, what’s next?
James Cooper 3:28
And in Ghana in the Dagbani language. It’s Ni ti Burunya Chou.
Steve Webb 3:35
Okay. Geshundheit.
James Cooper 3:37
Yeah, quite. And in Chinese in Mandarin, it’s Sheng Dan Kuai Le. And in Cantonese, it’s Seng Dan Fai Lok.
Steve Webb 3:48
I’ll take your word for it. Very good. If you want to try these languages, plus lots more, then go on over to whychristmas.com and the language section where there’s over 70 different languages.
James Cooper 3:59
Well, I think we did rather well there, Steve. Make sure you come back tomorrow to listen to another Lifespring Why Christmas show. And to keep it simple to end with. I’ll just wish you all a Happy Christmas.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcript corrected by Steve
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 21 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionIt’s Day 20 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
We’re in the home stretch now. Christmas is just five days away now, when we’ll have the drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
If you’re enjoying these shows, James and I were wondering if you would you be willing to put something in our Christmas stockings at LifespringMedia.com/support
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesIt’s James’s turn to explore a part of the Christmas Story. It’s the Wise Men or Magi. Who were they and did they really see a star?
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/wisemen
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/star
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
It’s day 20 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. We’re in the homestretch now Christmas is just five days away when we’ll have the drawing to see which lucky winner will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. If you’d like to enter the drawing, all you have to do is go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d-a-y, numeral nine no spaces. And if you’re enjoying these shows, James and I were wondering if you’d be willing to put something in our Christmas stockings, you could do that right here. Lifespringmedia.com slash support.
James Cooper 0:51
Hello, and welcome to day number 20 of the 2009 Lifespring by Christmas Show. Today you’ve got me James, and we’re going to be finding out a bit more about one of the parts of the Christmas story, namely the wise men, their journey, some political intrigue, and not even a stable insight. Their story is told in the Bible in Matthew chapter two, verses one to 12, and says, After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, where is the one who’s been born king of the Jews. We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the peoples chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written. But you Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, four out of you will come a ruler, who will be the shepherd of my people, Israel. Then Herod called the Magi secretly, and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make a careful search for the child, as soon as you find him, reported me to the iTune may go and worship him. After they’d heard the king, they went on their way. And star that they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. When they opened their treasures, and presented him with gifts of gold, and an incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they’re returned to their country by another route. I guess most people picture the wise men along with the shepherds, Mary Joseph, and of course, baby Jesus, all in the stable scene. But in fact, the wise men and shepherds probably never met, the wise men traveled to find Jesus when he was actually aged one or two. And by this time, it seems that Mary Joseph and Jesus had settled into Bethlehem and lived in a normal house. But who were these wise men? And why did they traveled such a great distance to see a baby? Well, the Weizmann probably came from an area which is now made up of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Yemen, which back then was known as Persia, Arabia and Sheba. And they were indeed very wise men, that also sometimes called the Magi. The word Magi comes from the Greek word mag modules, which is also where we get the English word magic from majestic self comes from an old Persian word, Maga pootie. And this was the title given to priests in the sector of ancient Persian religions, such as Zoroastrianism. Today, we’d call them astrologers, or even scientists. But back then astrology and astronomy were part of the same overall studies and went hand in hand with each other. The Magi would have followed the patterns of the stars religiously, they’re probably also very rich and held in high esteem in their own society. Although they’re called the Three Kings or the three wise men, the Bible doesn’t actually say anything about how many of them there were. The number three probably came from the three presidents. But they came to present to Jesus. studying the stars, the wise men had seen a very new and unusual star in the sky, and knew that it told of us birth of a special King, even now, no one’s really sure what it was. Many people have tried to come up with explanations to what the star was. And these include supernovas, that’s when stars explode, comets and conjunctions of planets. If you’d like to know more about this, then head on over to whychristmas.com. And in the custom section, there’s a page on the Star of Bethlehem, which lists some of the common explanations and how they work. So the wise men headed to the royal palace in Jerusalem to honor the new king and bring him gifts, but they didn’t quite find what they were looking for. When King Herod asked the wise men to find Jesus and tell them where he was, it was for his own reasons. He didn’t want to go and worship him. He really wanted to kill him, as Herod thought that Jesus sounded like the new king that could come and take his power away. And the gifts that the wise men gave to Jesus also might seem strange things to give a baby, but Christians believe they have the following meanings. Gold is associated with kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of kings. Frankincense is sometimes used in worship in churches and showed that people would worship Jesus. And Myrrh is a perfume that’s put on dead bodies to make them smell nice and showed that Jesus would suffer and die. Frankincense and Myrrh are both resins from trees and have antiseptic and healing properties and are still being investigated by medical researchers today. When the wise men were about to go Herod and tell him where Jesus was, they were warned by God in a dream not to so they traveled home by a different room. If you’d like to find out more about the Wiseman and Harrods dastardly plot to come and kill the baby Jesus, then go to the story section of whychristmas.com. Come back tomorrow to hear a show where me and Steve will try and get our tonsils round Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas in lots of different languages. Well, thank you for listening to day number 20 of the Lifespring by Christmas Show. I’m James and I’ll speak to you tomorrow.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 20 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionIt’s Day 19 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And you’re running out of time! On the Christmas day show, we’re going to have a drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9.
Both James and I hope you’re enjoying the show. If you are, and you’d like to give back a bit of value, you can do that right here.
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesJoin Steve to find out about the Christmas decoration that you can eat most of – the Christingle!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/christingles
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
It’s day 19 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring why Christmas dot show and you’re running out of time. For what? On the Christmas Day show we’re going to have a drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. Hurry on over to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how to enter. That’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d a y numeral nine with no spaces. Both James and I hope you’re enjoying the show. If you are and you’d like to give back a bit of value, you can do that right here. Lifespringmedia.com slash support.
Steve Webb 0:58
Hey, have you sent in your entry for the Christmas trivia contest? You know, the one where you could win a signed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas? You haven’t? Well, there’s still time. Quit lollygagging around and take a break from your Christmas shopping and check out the show notes for Episode Nine of the Lifespring Why Christmas show. Go on. Do it now. Oh, and in case you want to hear a promo for the CD, it’ll be at the end of this episode.
Steve Webb 1:46
Hello, and welcome back to the Lifespring why Christmas show. There’s just one week left before the big day. I’m Steve Webb and today we’re going to learn about Christie angles. The word Christian angle actually means Christ’s light and celebrates the light of Jesus coming into the world but it’s a bit of a mystery as to how the Christian angles came into being. There are several stories of how the custom was started. There’s an ancient Welsh service called sellin egg and being a Welsh word I’m sure I didn’t pronounce that at all right. But in this service crystals are used, and the Moravian Church part of the Czech Republic has held Christingle services for over 200 years. And this is how some Czech people think the first first angle might have been made. Many years ago, children were asked to take a gift to put beside the crib in church. One family had no money for gifts, but were determined to take something they found an orange which they felt would be okay, but we’re disappointed to find that it had mold on the top. However, they thought they would scoop out the bad bits and put a candle in the top and turn it into a lantern. Thinking that it looked a bit ordinary this way one of the girls took a red ribbon from her hair and tied it around the middle. They had difficulty getting it to stay in place. So they fastened it with four small sticks on the end of which they put a few raisins. They took their ladder to church but we’re afraid of the reactions of the other children. However, the priest acknowledged their gift and told the congregation how special it was for the following reasons. The orange is round like the world. The candle stands tall and straight and gives light in the dark like the love of God. The red ribbon goes all around the world and is a symbol of the blood Jesus shed when he died for us. The four sticks point in all directions in symbolizes north, south, east and west. They also represent the four seasons. The fruit and nuts or sometimes candy represents the fruits of the earth nurtured by the sunshine and the rain. Some children in the UK make their own Christian angles and gathered together to light them in a church service that raise money for children’s charities. And so now you know one story of how the Christian girl came into being. I hope you’re enjoying the light spring White Christmas show. Please tell a friend so they can enjoy it too. Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. And Merry Christmas. I’m Steve Webb
Bryan Duncan 4:18
Hey, just because Christmas comes every year doesn’t mean you have to hear the songs the same way this year. Make it a NehoSoul Christmas with Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band. There’s almost enough songs here to play one for each day of the 12 days of Christmas. Or sit back, enjoy a glass of eggnog while taking in the whole record. It’s just that good.
Bryan Duncan 4:46
luck That’s right, it’s Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band playing A NehoSoul Christmas. Yes, you won’t recognize some of your favorite Christmas tunes until Bryan Duncan comes in singing. Put the record on while you decorate your tree this year and you will be finished in half the time. Christmas come but once a year say bells ringing. I listening. It’s A NehoSoul Christmas with Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band playing for your friends over a loudspeaker on your front yard or just long enough to re-gift all those things you got last year that you didn’t want.
Bryan Duncan 5:38
That’s right, avoid the exhaustion that comes with the Christmas season this year with a neo soul Christmas on your turntable. You could staple those lights to your eaves while snapping your fingers to a catchy little version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Merry Little Christmas. That your heartbeat. You’ll hear songs like Christmas time is here. The way Charlie Brown wished it had been sung. Christmas
Bryan Duncan 6:10
Oh, holy night. What a great time you’ll have waiting for Santa while listening to a neo soul Christmas. Holy Night. The stars are brightly shining. You too can help the neo soul band celebrate their own Christmas. Buy now. Buy early and buy often. Bye now.
Bryan Duncan 6:36
now. And it’s one.
Bryan Duncan 6:40
Buy now. Buy early and buy often. Bye bye now. Bye bye now. Bye bye now.
Elf 6:48
Yes, folks. It’s true. Supplies are limited. So if you want to copy this great Christmas CD you’ve got to order today at BryanDuncan.com
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 19 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 18 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And on the Christmas day show, we’re going to have a drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesContinuing from Steve’s Pudding yesterday, on today’s show James will be trying some Christmas Cake and Mince Pies!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/recipes
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
Merry Christmas. This is day 18 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring White Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas dot show. And on the Christmas Day show we’re going to have a drawing to see which lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day nine to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d a y numeral nine no spaces. This is a value for value podcast. It’s free and there are no ads on the show. But if you’ve been enjoying the show so far this month would you be willing to make James and Mike Christmas a little happier by sending a Christmas gift our way here’s where you can do that
Jingle 1:03
lifespringmedia.com/support
Steve Webb 1:03
And now enjoy the show.
James Cooper 1:11
Hello, and welcome to Day 18 of the 2009 Lifespring my Christmas show. Well, yesterday Steve told you a bit about some Christmas food in that Christmas pudding and I thought I’d continue with that today with a couple more bits of festive fare. Well, you might or might not have had some mince pies yet. Unlike Christmas pudding and their name, they originally filled with minced lamb rather than the dried fruit mix as they are today. And they were also first made in oval shape to represent Jesus’s manger. And often they had little pastry Jesus put on the top. I’m rather partial to a hot mince pie with some ice cream. A custom from the Middle Ages said that if you eat a mince pie on every day from Christmas to 12th Night, that’s the sixth of January, you’ll have happiness for the next 12 months. Now another Christmas favorite over here in the UK is the Christmas cake, which is a very rich fruit cake. And traditionally, the fruit in it is either soaked in brandy or rum and it’s rather than alcoholic affair. Recipes for mince pies and Christmas cakes are over in the Christmas custom section of whychristmas.com. Tomorrow Steve will be telling you about a Christmas decoration that’s made up of some edible parts the Christingle right now where did I put those mince pies
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 18 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 17 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, of lifespringmedia.com.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
On the Christmas day show, we’re going to draw the name of one lucky listener who will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
If you have been enjoying the previous episodes of Christmas goodness each day, maybe you would be willing to show James and I some appreciation by sending a Christmas gift our way. Here’s were to do that:
And have you heard about sending micropayments to your favorite podcasts? Learn more at /stream. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesIt’s day 17 and time for Steve to get his teeth into a Christmas dinner favorite in the UK, the Christmas Pudding!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/pudding
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
This is day 17 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG God casters Steve Webb of Lifespring media.com. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring why Christmas dot show. On the Christmas Day show we’re going to draw the name of one lucky listener who will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter go to Lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com slash d a y numeral nine with no spaces. If you’ve been enjoying the previous episodes of The Lifespring Why Christmas show and all the Christmas goodness we brought to you maybe you’d be willing to show James and Isom appreciation by sending a Christmas gift our way. Here’s where you can do that live stream. Dots comm slash thoughts and also remember you can send micropayments and boostagrams if you’re using one of the new podcast apps that all the cool kids are using now. You can find one for free at newpodcastapps.com And if you’ve got any questions, email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com.
Steve Webb 1:37
It’s Christmas pudding day on the Lifespring Why Christmas show. Hi, I’m Steve Webb. Listen, before we start, let me encourage you to send in your answers to the Christmas trivia contest you heard about on episode number nine. We’ll be drawing the winners name out of Santas hat on the Christmas Day show and the winner will get a signed copy of Brian Dawkins Christmas CD O’Neill sold Christmas. You can find the trivia questions at Lifespring Why christmas.com Go on over there right now while you’re thinking about it and look for the show notes for episode number nine. So let’s find out a bit about Christmas pudding. From what James tells me Christmas or plum pudding is the traditional end to the British Christmas dinner, but it’s a lot different than it was in the 14th century when the first Christmas puddings were made. Then it was a porridge called fruman tea that was made of beef and mutton with raisins currents, prunes, wines and spices. Sounds tasty. It was more like a soup then and it was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the Christmas festivities. By the end of the 1500s fruman tea was slowly changing into a plum pudding being thickened with eggs, bread crumbs and dried fruit and given more flavor with the addition of beer and spirits. It became the customary Christmas dessert around 1650. But in 1664 The Puritans banded skip ahead 50 years in King George the first reestablished it as part of the Christmas meal because he tasted at enjoy Plum Pudding by Victorian times Christmas puddings and changed into something similar to the ones that are eaten today. Over the years many superstitions have surrounded Christmas puddings. One of them is the placing of the silver coin in the pudding which is said to bring luck to the person that finds it. In the UK. The coin that was traditionally used was a silver six pence. The closest coin to that now is a five pence piece. James has a recipe for Christmas pudding at whychristmas.com If you’d like to make one for yourself, thanks for listening. Hey, do me a favor. Tell a friend about the show. Until next time for James Cooper. I’m Steve Webb
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 17 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 16 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, creator of lifespringmedia.com and host of over 3000 podcast episodes, including the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, where we are reading through the Bible in a year.
On this show, we’re having a drawing where one lucky listener will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Every day from now to Christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
This is a value for value podcast. The show is free but If you’re enjoying these little bits of Christmas goodness each day, maybe you would be willing to show James and I some appreciation by sending a Christmas gift our way. Here’s were to do that:
And have you heard about sending micropayments to your favorite podcasts? Learn more at /stream. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesOn today’s show James will tell you about the poinsettia plant and why it’s associated with Christmas.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/poinsettia
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
Hello and Merry Christmas. This is day 16 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas Show. The show is hosted by James Cooper, creator of white christmas.com and me the OG God casters Steve Webb, creator of Lifespring media.com and host of over 3000 podcast episodes, including the Lifespring family Audio Bible, where we’re currently reading through the entire Bible in a year. On this show, we’re having a drawing where one lucky winner will win an autographed copy of Brian Duncan’s and Neil sold Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter go to Lifespring media.com/day Nine to see how that’s Lifespring media.com/d Ay y numeral nine no spaces every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season of this show. If you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas dot show and this is a value for value podcast The show is free but if you’re enjoying these little bits of Christmas goodness every day perhaps you’d be willing to show James and I some appreciation by sending a Christmas gift our way if you’d like to do that, here’s where to go live stream mania dots comm slash thoughts if you’d like to send micro payments or send boosts or boostagrams, this is a podcasting 2.0 enabled show. If you have any questions about that, email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com I’ll fill you in on all the details. And now you’re ready for the show. Let’s go
James Cooper 1:35
Hello and welcome to Day 16 of the Lifespring why Christmas shed. Today I’m going to be telling you a bit about putting city as open city as the Christmas flowers that have some different pronunciations, but originally come from a place in southern Mexico called Tex code del Alarcon. The ancient as text use the red leaves or Brax. The ancient Aztecs use their red flowers also known as Braxton to make a purple dye for clothing as cosmetics and then milky white sap was the first form of latex and they used it as a medicine to treat fevers. The poinsettia was made widely known because of a man called Joel Robert Poinsett. That’s where we get the name from. He was the first ambassador from the USA to Mexico in 1825. He sent it to a friend of a friend called Robert Buddhist, a plantsman from Pennsylvania. And he was the first person to sell poinsettias under their botanical or Latin name, which is Euphorbia poached cherry Ma, which means the most beautiful Euphorbia the shape of the poinsettias, flowers and leaves are sometimes thought to represent the Star of David or the Star of Bethlehem which brought the wise men to Jesus. If you’d like to know more about poinsettias, then head on over to whychristmas.com Make sure you come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you about something that’s very associated with the traditional Christmas dinner, the Christmas pudding and if you’d like to listen to any of the other Lifespring media shows, then head on over to Lifespring media.com Thanks for listening to day 16 of the Lifespring Why Christmas show
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 16 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 15 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, I’m the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, and my cohost is James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com.
If you haven’t heard, we’re having a drawing where one lucky listener just like you will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
This is a value for value podcast. The show is free but If you’re enjoying these little bits of Christmas goodness each day, maybe you would be willing to show James and I some appreciation by sending a Christmas gift our way. Here’s were to do that:
And have you heard about sending micropayments to your favorite podcasts? Learn more at /stream. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesIt’s both Steve and James hosting today’s show as they look at Christmas Crackers and tell each other some rather bad jokes!!! Oh dear oh dear oh dear…
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/crackers & http://yxmas.com/jokes
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
Merry Christmas! This is day 15 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show and I the OG Godcaster Steve Webb, my co host is James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com If you haven’t heard we’re having a drawing here on Christmas Day where one lucky listener just like you will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter go to Lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how that’s Lifespring media.com/d a y numeral nine no spaces. And every day from now to Christmas Day we’re bringing you an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas.show. And lastly, this is a value for value podcast. The show is free but if you’re enjoying these little bits of Christmas goodness each day, maybe you’d be willing to show James and I some appreciation by sending a Christmas gift our way. Here’s where to do that lifespringmedia.com/support. And have you heard about sending micro payments to your favorite podcasts? Learn more at Lifespringmedia.com/stream. If you have any questions, email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com And now here’s the show.
James Cooper 1:36
Hello, and welcome to day number 15 of the Lifespring why Christmas Show. Today Steve has joined me to find out a bit more about Christmas crackers and we’re gonna tell you some of the good and not so good jokes in them.
Steve Webb 1:48
Well, hello to you, James. You know we don’t have these much in the US of A but they can make a great addition to the Christmas dinner table. They were first made, as you know in the UK in 1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith, and his name is still a big one in crackers in the UK. He wanted a new way of selling his sweets. Tom had been over to Paris and seen how they wrap their posh sweets called bonbons in colored paper and he wondered if he could do a similar thing. Then one night while he was sitting in front of his log fire the crackling of the fire made him think…
James Cooper 2:20
What if I wrapped my sweets in colored wrapping paper. And then you could open them and they go bang oh and I could include a toy in them as well then people would be bound to buy them.
Steve Webb 2:30
So the first Christmas cracker was born. Crackers today are short cardboard tubes wrapped in colorful paper. There’s normally a cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. In a cracker you’ll find a colorful party hat, a toy or gift and a festive joke. The party hats look like crowns and it is thought that they symbolize the crowns that might have been worn by the wise men.
James Cooper 2:51
But the most famous thing about crackers is the jokes. They are notoriously bad or corny. So for your listening pleasure… well, something like that…are a selection of Christmas cracker jokes about Christmas.
Steve Webb 3:04
You first
James Cooper 3:05
I say I say I say how does good King Wenceslas like his pizza.
Steve Webb 3:10
I don’t know James, how does good king Wenceslaus like his pizzas
James Cooper 3:14
he likes one that’s deep Pan crisp and even.
Steve Webb 3:18
These are bad. Here’s one for you. Why did Santa’s helper see the doctor?
James Cooper 3:24
You know I’m not sure about that.
Steve Webb 3:26
Well, it’s because he had low elf esteem.
James Cooper 3:31
What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?
Steve Webb 3:34
It’s Christmas, Eve.
James Cooper 3:36
Haha.
Steve Webb 3:39
That one I knew. How about this one. Why don’t penguins fly?
James Cooper 3:45
I thought it was something to do with genetics that their wings weren’t big enough to
Steve Webb 3:49
Oh, no, no, no, no, it’s because they’re not tall enough to be pilots.
James Cooper 3:55
And what does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in his chimney?
Steve Webb 4:01
I don’t know.
James Cooper 4:03
Claustophobia.
Steve Webb 4:08
James, what do you get if you cross Santa with a duck?
James Cooper 4:13
A quismas quacker
Steve Webb 4:15
of course. What else? Let’s see. I think it’s your turn.
James Cooper 4:19
Who delivers presents to baby sharks at Christmas?
Steve Webb 4:23
Oh, I don’t know. A brave person?
James Cooper 4:25
No, that would be Santa Jaws.
Steve Webb 4:29
Hey, James.
James Cooper 4:30
Yes?
Steve Webb 4:31
What carol is heard in the desert.
James Cooper 4:33
I do know this one. It’s O Camel Ye Faithful.
Steve Webb 4:38
That’s right. Hey, wait, wait a minute. I have to do this next one. What kind of motorbike does Santa ride?
James Cooper 4:46
It probably has a trailer out the back for all the presents, I’m guessing?
Steve Webb 4:50
No, it’s a Holly Davidson.
James Cooper 4:54
And how to sheep in Mexico. say Merry Christmas.
Steve Webb 4:58
Oh, let’s see. I thick it must be Fleece Navidad.
James Cooper 5:04
Well if you’d like to know more about crackers or see some more bad Christmas jokes, then head on over to whychristmas.com The links are in the show notes at lifespringmedia.com
Steve Webb 5:15
Come on back tomorrow when James will be telling you about Christmas carols. So for day 21 of the Lifespring Why Christmas show, it’s goodbye from me,
James Cooper 5:24
and it’s goodbye from him.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 15 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Today’s Bible TranslationBible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 19 NASB, Ch. 20 CEB
Associate ProducerHowie
Podcast IntroductionThis is Poetry Thursday. Our reading will be Job 19-20, which should have been the reading last week, but I actually read what should have been today’s reading, Job 21-22 instead. So by reading 19-20 today, we’ll be back on track. Sorry about that. I’m calling the episode, “My Redeemer.”
And it’s December 15th, so we’ll have Christmas Question number 15 today, sent in by Sandra Kim. Of course, our Christmas expert, James Cooper of whychristmas.com has an answer for him.
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Tom Henell on UnsplashComments on Job 19The chapter begins with Job responding yet again to his “friends” turned accusers, asking “How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?”.
And he continues by recounting how utterly miserable he has become. Even God seems to have turned his back on him, even persecuting him.
And yet in verses 23 through 27 we see that indeed, Job’s faith in God remains steadfast! He says,”As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives!” Hallelujah!
Let’s take a closer look at the word “redeemer”.
The Hebrew word is “goel”. We see the goel in Joshua 20:7-8 and Numbers 35:12-28, where the cities of refuge were established. In these chapters, goel is translated as the “avenger of blood”. It was almost always the nearest family member who was appointed as goel, and it was It was his responsibility to rightly carry out justice when a family member was murdered.
But it is important to note that Old Testament justice was similar to our justice system: there is criminal law and civil law. The “avenger of blood” dealt with criminal law. On the civil side, the goel is a “redeemer”.
According to G. Campbell Morgan, “The ‘Goel’ stood for another to defend his cause, to avenge wrongs done to him, and so to acquit him of all charges laid against him.”
Steve Lawson put it this way: “A redeemer was a vindicator of one unjustly wronged. He was a defender of the oppressed. A champion of the suffering. An advocate of one unjustly accused. If you were ever wronged, a redeemer would come and stand beside you as your champion and advocate.”
Job was saying that even though he felt that God had abandoned him, even though he felt that God was wrongly persecuting him, he knew that God was his goel, his closest family member, his redeemer, his vindicator. Job knew that in the end, God would make things right.
Oh beloved, to have faith like Job! Even in the midst of agony and despair, to know that we do have a Redeemer!
“Remember, too, that it was always considered to be the duty of the goel, not merely to redeem by price, but where that failed, to redeem by power… There are two redemptions, — redemption by price and redemption by power, and both of these Christ hath wrought for us; — by price, by his sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary; and by power, by his Divine Spirit coming into our heart, and renewing our soul.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Jesus is, even now, advocating for you and for me at the throne of God. He has redeemed us with His blood. And when the enemy, the accuser brings charges against us, Jesus is there to say, “No! This one is mine, and I have paid the price for this precious one.”
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Job 19-20: My Redeemer (LSFAB S13E075)
[GRANDDAUGHTER TWO – 0:00]
This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And here’s my grandpa, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
[TEASER – 0:15]
I think that’s the best introduction I’ve ever had on the show. That was my second oldest grandchild. She and her older sister were over at the house last couple of days. We did a lot of Christmas baking and cooking. And then her parents were over last night and we fed the family, and I had a whole lot of fun.
So Bree told you what show this is and who I am. And I’ll tell you that I’m coming to you from Riverside, California. This is a daily podcast and you and I are reading through the entire Bible in a year. I’m glad you’re here. The website is lifespringmedia.com. And this is Poetry Thursday. We’re going to be reading Job 19 and 20 which should have been the reading for last week, but I actually read what should have been today’s reading Job 21 and 22 instead, so by reading 19 and 20 today, we’ll be back on track. Sorry about the mix-up. I’m calling today’s episode “My Redeemer.”
And it’s December 15 so we’ll have Christmas question number 15 sent in by Sandra Kim today. Of course, our Christmas expert James Cooper of whychristmas.com will be answering Sandra in his usual very thorough and informative, and fun way.
But before we read, let’s pray.
[OPENING PRAYER – 1:26]
Our gracious heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your Word. And we thank you for the book of Job which teaches us how we can respond to difficulties that inevitably come into our lives. Teach us today I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Okay, let’s begin.
[JOB 19 (NASB) – 1:43]
Job, chapter 19.
(1) Then Job responded,
(2) “How long will you torment me
And crush me with words?
(3) These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
(4) Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
(5) If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
(6) Know then that God has wronged me
And has closed His net around me.
(7) “Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
(8) He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put darkness on my paths.
(9) He has stripped my honor from me
And removed the crown from my head.
(10) He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.
(11) He has also kindled His anger against me
And considered me as His enemy.
(12) His troops come together,
And build up their way against me
And camp around my tent.
(13) “He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
(14) My relatives have failed,
And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
(15) Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.
(16) I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with my mouth.
(17) My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
(18) Even young children despise me;
I rise up and they speak against me.
(19) All my associates abhor me,
And those I love have turned against me.
(20) My bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
(21) Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me.
(22) Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
(23) “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
(24) That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
(25) As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
(26) Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
(27) Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
(28) If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
(29) Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”
[JOB 20 (CEB) – 4:21]
Job, chapter 20.
(1) Zophar from Naamah said:
(2) Therefore, my troubled thoughts make me turn back—
because of my inner turmoil.
(3) I hear teaching that insults me,
but I am forced to answer based on my own understanding.
(4) Do you know this from long ago—
from when humans were placed on earth—
(5) that the rejoicing of the wicked is short,
the joy of the godless, brief?
(6) Though their height reaches heaven
and their heads touch the clouds,
(7) they will perish forever like their dung;
those who saw them will say, “Where are they?”
(8) They will disappear like a dream,
and none will find them,
carried away like a nighttime vision.
(9) The eye that saw them will do so no more;
they won’t be seen again at home.
(10) Their children will repay the poor;
their hands will give back their wealth.
(11) Vigor filled their bones
and now sleeps with them in the dust.
(12) Though wickedness is sweet in their mouths,
they hide it under their tongues;
(13) they like it, won’t let it go;
they hold it in their cheeks.
(14) Food turns their stomachs,
becoming a cobra’s poison inside.
(15) They swallow wealth and vomit it;
God dislodges it from their belly.
(16) They suck cobra’s poison;
a viper’s tongue kills them.
(17) They won’t experience streams,
rivers of honey, and brooks of cream.
(18) They won’t receive the reward for their labor;
they won’t enjoy the wealth from their business.
(19) They crushed and abandoned the poor;
stole a house they didn’t build;
(20) didn’t know contentment in their belly;
couldn’t escape with their treasure.
(21) Nothing remained of their food,
so their riches will not endure.
(22) Even in their plenty, they are hard-pressed;
all sorts of trouble come on them.
(23) Let God fill their belly,
unleash his burning anger on them,
rain punishing blows on them.
(24) If they flee an iron weapon,
a bronze bow pierces them.
(25) They pull it out, but it sticks out from their backs;
its shaft in their liver brings terror.
(26) Complete darkness waits for their trusted possessions;
fire that no one stoked consumes them;
what’s left in their tent is ruined.
(27) Heaven exposes their guilt;
earth opposes them.
(28) Their household wealth will be carried off
by rushing streams on the day of his anger.
(29) This is a wicked person’s lot from God,
their heritage decreed by God.
[COMMENTARY – 6:51]
Well, today I’d like to talk a little bit about Job 19. The chapter begins with Job responding yet again to his “friends” turned accusers asking “How long will you torment me and crush me with your words?”
And he continues by recounting how utterly miserable he’s become. Even God seems to have turned his back on him, even persecuting him.
And yet in verses 23 through 27, we see that indeed, Job’s faith in God remains steadfast. He says, ”As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives!” Hallelujah!
Let’s take a closer look at the word “redeemer.”
The Hebrew word is “goel,” G-O-E-L. We see the goel in Joshua 20:7-8 and Numbers 35:12-28 where the cities of refuge were established. Remember, we talked about that on the show. In these chapters in Joshua and Numbers, the goel is translated as the “avenger of blood.” It was almost always the nearest family member who was appointed as goel, and it was his responsibility to rightly carry out justice when a family member was murdered.
But it’s important to note though, that Old Testament justice was similar to our justice system. There’s criminal law and civil law. The “avenger of blood” dealt with criminal law. On the civil side, the goel is a “redeemer.”
According to G. Campbell Morgan, “The ‘Goel’ stood for another to defend his cause, to avenge wrongs done to him, and to acquit him of all charges laid against him.”
Steve Lawson put it this way: “A redeemer was a vindicator of one unjustly wronged. He was a defender of the oppressed. A champion of the suffering. An advocate of one unjustly accused. If you were ever wronged, a redeemer would come and stand beside you as your champion and advocate.”
So Job was saying that even though he felt that God had abandoned him, even though he felt that God was wrongly persecuting him, he knew that God was his goel, his closest family member, his Redeemer, his Vindicator. Job knew that in the end, God would make things right.
Oh, Beloved, to have faith like Job, even in the midst of agony and despair, to know that we do have a Redeemer.
Charles Spurgeon said this: “Remember, too, that it was always considered to be the duty of the goel, not merely to redeem by price, but where that failed, to redeem by power… There are two redemptions, — redemption by price and redemption by power, and both of these Christ hath wrought for us; — by price, by his sacrificing upon the cross of Calvary; and by power, by his Divine Spirit coming into our heart, and renewing our soul.”
I love Charles Spurgeon.
Beloved, Jesus is even now advocating for you and for me at the throne of God. He has redeemed us with his blood. And when the enemy the accuser brings charges against us, Jesus is there to say, “No! This one is mine, and I have paid the price for this precious one.”
[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 10:17]
Tell me your thoughts, call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511, or write me an email at steve@lifespringmedia.com, or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com.
Tomorrow is Prophecy Friday and we’ll read Isaiah 56 through 61.
[SUPPORT THE SHOW – 10:41]
Our Associate Producer today is Howie who sent in a $100 donation. Well, Howie, thank you so very much. I appreciate you, Brother. God bless you.
Beloved, value-for-value is why I can keep the show coming to you seven days a week. If the Lifespring Family Audio Bible brings something to your day, if you’d miss it, if you didn’t see it in your podcast app every day, then it clearly must bring some value to you. Well, convert that value to a number that makes sense to you. Is it $1 an episode? What else can you buy for $1 these days? What does it cost to have dinner for two at a decent restaurant? Fifty dollars? You’re there for maybe 90 minutes, right? Well, that’s equal to just four episodes of this show. If you listen to the show every day you’re getting over 10 hours of content a month. Is that worth something? I’m being sincere here. Please do pray about it and then go to
[JINGLE SINGERS – 11:32]
lifespringmedia.com/support.
[CHRISTMAS QUESTION – 11:39]
Christmas question number 15 comes in from Sandra Kim. Sandra has been a Lifespring member at least since last season if I’m not mistaken. And she asks, “When and why did the Advent tradition begin and who started it?” Sandra says, “I’m enjoying these Christmas tidbits each day. Thanks.” Well, thank you, Sandra. It’s great to hear from you again. And I’m so glad you’re enjoying these informative little moments with James. Me, too. So, James, you’re up.
[JAMES COOPER ANSWERS – 12:04]
Many of us will have opened an Advent calendar or perhaps even lit an Advent candle, but what’s it all about? Well, Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. Or if you’re using a calendar, it’s normally from the first of December to Christmas Day. Advent means “coming” in Latin, and this is the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians have used these four Sundays and weeks of Advent for hundreds of years to prepare for the real meaning of Christmas.
But there are three meanings of “coming.” The first is the most thought of and that happened about two thousand years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby. The second meaning of “coming” in Advent is now when we can accept Jesus into our lives. And the third meaning of “coming” is actually sometimes called the Second Coming by Christians as it will happen in the future when Jesus will come back to the world as Judge and King and not as a baby.
Advent starts with Advent Sunday, and that can be from the 27th of November when Advent is the longest it can be as it was in 2016, and it was in this year. And the Advent can also be as late as the third of December when Advent’s the shortest it can be as it was in 2023, and it will be next year. Advent only starts on the first of December when Christmas Day’s on a Wednesday, which will happen in 2024. So we’ve had the longest Advent. Next year will be the shortest Advent and then in 2024, we’ll have Advent on the first of December.
No one’s really sure when Advent was first celebrated, but it dates back to at least 567 when monks were ordered to fast during December leading up to Christmas. And still today some people fast, don’t eat anything or don’t eat certain foods during Advent to help them concentrate on preparing for Jesus’s coming. In many Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, Advent actually lasts for 40 full days. And it starts on the 15th of November and it’s called the Nativity Fast.
In medieval and pre-medieval times in parts of England, there was an early form of nativity scene called an “advent image” or even a “vessel cup.” They were a box often with a glass lid and was covered with a white napkin. They contain two dolls representing Mary and the baby Jesus. The box was decorated with ribbons and flowers and sometimes apples. They were carried around from door to door. It was thought to be very unlucky if you hadn’t seen a box before Christmas Eve. People often paid the box carriers or ha’penny or halfpenny to see the box.
And we have Christmas carols but some of those are actually Advent carols. These include “People Look East.” Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” “Lo! He Comes In Clouds Descending,” “On Jordan’s Banks The Baptist Cries” and perhaps the most popular Advent song of all “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
Using candles to countdown Advent have been done so for hundreds of years. Lutheran churches in Scandinavia use twenty-four little candles to count down through December from the 1700s. You can get Advent candles now where you burn a bit each day and you have to remember to blow it out before it burned through seven days and you’ve missed a week. I’ve done that on more than one occasion. And you can get an Advent crown and they’re often used in churches. The crown is made up of a wreath of greenery or candle stand and it has four candles around the outside and one in the middle or in a separate place. The first candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. Two candles are lit on the second Sunday of Advent and so on. Each candle has a different meaning. And different churches have given them different meanings over the years and it can be very confusing working out who does what on what Sunday. But what I was taught when I was growing up was that the first represents Isaiah and the other prophets in the Bible that predicted the coming of Jesus. The second represents the Bible. The third represents Mary, the mother of Jesus, and sometimes this has a pink or different colored candle in many churches. And the fourth Sunday represents John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin who told the people of Israel to get ready for Jesus. The middle or separate candle is lit on Christmas Day and represents Jesus, the Light of the World.
Perhaps the most common way of counting down Advent, well, really December, are the advent calendars that are so ubiquitous these days, And now they normally have chocolate in which is a good thing. In the 19th century, German Protestant Christians counted down to Christmas by marking twenty-four chalk lines on a door and rubbing one off every day in December. Paper calendars became popular in Germany around the early 1900s. Although some people had made their own from the 1850s. That is a debate about exactly when the first mass-produced calendar was made, but it was in the first decade of the 1900s. The first paper calendars consisted of two pieces of paper, a back piece of card with the numbers 1 to 24 printed on it, and then a separate sheet of pictures that you cut out and stick onto the numbers. The first calendars with doors were made in Germany in the 1920s. The first record of an advent calendar in the UK was in 1956. And I imagine it’d be similar in the USA. The first calendar with chocolate in it was made in 1958. And here in the UK, Cadbury’s made their first chocolate calendar in 1971. However, they didn’t really sell many to start with. Chocolate calendars only really became popular in the 1980s. But there are other forms of calendar as well. Some European countries such as Germany, use a wreath of fir with twenty-four bags hanging from it. In each bag or box, there’s a little present.
So I think it’s time for me to light my Advent candle today. And then I’ve also got to remember to blow it out.
[STEVE WEBB – 17:18]
Well, that’s where having a timer on the old cell phone comes in handy. I use the timer app on my phone several times a day. And by the way, James, you just confirmed that you and the Lovely Lady LeeAnn would get along famously because as soon as she hears this, she’s gonna want to run right out to get a chocolate Advent calendar, too. Thank you, James, for answering Sandra’s question. And thank you Sandra for sending it in.
Now, Beloved, it’s time for you to send in your Christmas question. I’m running out. I’d like to be able to feature one Christmas question on each show until Christmas. So I need you to pick up the slack. And to sweeten the offer, of course, I’m having a drawing on Christmas Day. I’m going to give away two pairs of tickets to the upcoming movie “Jesus Revolution” which will be released in February ’23. And in order to be in the drawing you just have to send in a Christmas question for every question you send in you’ll get an entry. Also on Christmas Day, I’m going to have a drawing for a signed copy of my book “Webb’s Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide” and to be entered into that drawing your question will have to be one that was answered on the show. So send your questions to steve@lifespringmedia.com and put “Christmas question” in the subject line.
[OUTRO S13E075 – 18:31]
For our Christmas music today I’ve got a jazzy little treatment of “We Three Kings” by etypejazz. Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.
[ETYPEJAZZ PERFORMS “WE THREE KINGS” – 18:55]
We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, all men raising,
worshiping God on high.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Myrrh have I; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
sounds through the earth and skies.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Hallelujah!
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcript corrected by Denise
The post Job 19-20: My Redeemer first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast Introductionhis is Day 14 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, I’m the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb, and my cohost is James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com.
If you haven’t heard, we’re having a drawing where one lucky listener just like you will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter, go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. That’s lifespringmedia.com/day9. D-A-Y-numeral 9, no spaces.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
This is a value for value podcast. The show is free, and it always will be, but If you’re finding value in the show, think about the enjoyment you get when you listen to the fun things James Cooper and I bring to your enjoyment of Christmas, then put a number to that enjoyment, and go to: And James & I thank you very much!
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesToday Steve will be finding out about the connection between Bells and Christmas.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/bells
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
This is day 14 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show. And I’m the OG God caster Steve Webb, my co host is James Cooper, creator of why christmas.com If you haven’t heard, we’re having a drawing where one lucky winner just like you will win an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. For details on how you can enter go to Lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com/d-a-y-9 no spaces. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas dot show. And this is a value for value podcast. The show is free and it always will be, but if you’re finding value in the show, think about the enjoyment you get when you listen to the fun things James Cooper and I bring to your enjoyment of Christmas, then put a number on that enjoyment, and go to lifespringmedia.com/support. James Cooper and I thank you very much. And now here’s the show.
Steve Webb 1:27
Welcome back, it’s day 14 of the Lifespring Why Christmas show. And I’m Steve Webb. I’ll be your host today. Have you sent in your Christmas trivia answers from show number nine. Remember we’ll be drawing a name from Santa’s hat on the Christmas Day show. And what does the winner get? Well how about an autographed Bryan Duncan A NehoSou Christmas CD. Autographed by Bryan, not James or I. Well, unless you want me to sign it too. I’ll be there when Bryan signs it, so if you want my autograph, I’ll do it. Though. I have no idea why anyone would want me to sign it. If you do want me to sign, note that in your email when you send your answers in. We’ll be closing the contest on December 23 At midnight, Pacific Standard Time. Today we’re talking about Christmas bells. Lots of our Christmas carols mentioned bells. There’s the song Silver Bells. I heard the bells on Christmas Day. There’s Jingle Bells and lots of others. And bells are a common decoration for Christmas. Why is that? Well, church bells are typically run to announce a major event or occasion. They’re run on both happy and sad occasions including both weddings and funerals. Bells are rung at Christmas to announce and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Makes sense. And as with some other Christian customs, some say that the ringing of bells can be traced back to a pagan tradition. Pagans would ring bells to keep evil spirits away, and ringing bells was part of many pagan winter celebrations. In Victorian times, it was very fashionable to go carol singing with small handbills to play the tune of the carol. Sometimes there would be only the bells and no singing. And bell ringing is still popular today. And it’s one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Can you imagine Christmas without bells? Why that’d be unthinkable. Tomorrow, James and I will have a jolly old time as we talk about Christmas crackers. And this is a show you won’t want to miss. We’ll see you tomorrow.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcript corrected by Steve
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 14 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 13 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
Have you entered the drawing for an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD yet? If not, be sure to go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Every day from now to Christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
This is a value for value podcast. It is, and always will be free, but If you’re enjoying the show, decide what that smile you get when listening is worth to you. Whatever amount seems reasonable in your mind. Then go to lifespringmedia.com/support. With a modern podcast app, you can send boostagrams. If your podcast app doesn’t show a boost button then find a better one for free over at newpodcastapps.com. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesHappy St Lucia’s or St Lucy’s Day! James tells you about the life of St Lucia or St Lucy, a saint who’s day is celebrated in Scandinavia, especially Sweden. They have some yummy things to eat! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/lucy
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
This is day 13 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper creator of why christmas.com and me the OG God caster Steve Webb. Have you entered the drawing for an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD yet? If not, be sure to go to Lifespring media.com/day9 to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com/d-a-y-numeral 9, no spaces. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season and if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, why not? You could do that at LifespringwhyChristmas.show. This is a value for value podcast. it is and always will be free. But if you’re enjoying the show, how about deciding what that smile you get when you listen to the show is worth to you? Whatever amount seems reasonable in your mind, then go to lfespringmedia.com/support. And with a modern podcast app, you can send boostagrams. If your podcast app doesn’t show a boost button, then find a better one for free at newpodcastapps.com If you have any questions, feel free to email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com Okay, here’s the show.
James Cooper 1:18
Welcome to Day 13 of the Lifespring Why Christmas show and also a very Happy St Lucia’s, or St. Lucie’s Day to you. This is a very special day that’s celebrated in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Bosnia, and parts of Croatia. It remembers St. Lucie, who was a young Christian girl who was martyred or killed for her faith back in 304 AD. The most common story told about her was that she’d secretly bring food to persecuted Christians in Rome, and they had to live in hiding in the catacombs under the city. And because it was very dark down there, and she wanted both hands free, she’d wear candles on her head, and Lucy means light, so it’s a very appropriate name for her. And also December the 13th was the winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year in the old Julian calendar. And so a pagan festival of lights in Sweden was turned into St. Lucia’s day. St. Lucia’s day is now celebrated by a girl dressing in a white dress with a red sash around her waist and a crown of candles on her head, but now normally electric candles are used for her safety. The crown is made of lingonberry branches, which are evergreen and symbolize new life in winter. There are a couple of special foods eaten on St. Lucia’s day. For breakfast, you might have some lost cats which are sweet buns flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins, and also some pepper cackle, which are gingersnap biscuits. If you’d like to know a bit more about St. Lucia’s day and what they get up to at Christmas in Sweden then head on over to the Christmas culture section of Whychristmas.com Have you entered the competition yet? Where you can win a copy of Bryan Duncan’s album A NehoSoul Christmas? To enter the competition, you need to know the answers to our Christmas trivia questions. They’re back on day nine of the Lifespring WhyChristmas show. Or you can read them on LifespringWhyChristmas.com Or on the whychristmas.com blog. Well, thank you for listening and make sure you come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you a bit about Christmas bells
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcript corrected by Steve
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 13 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 12 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
We’re having a drawing on the Christmas day edition of the show for an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. If you’d like to be entered for the drawing, be sure to go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Every day from now to Christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
This is a value for value podcast. If you’re enjoying the show, how much that worth to you? The price of a Christmas latte? Of a Christmas goose? Something else? Whatever makes sense to you. The podcast is free, but whatever you give would be very much appreciated. Go to lifespringmedia.com/support. And if you have a quality, modern podcast app you can stream sats as you listen, and you can send boostagrams. If your podcast app doesn’t show a boost button then you’re using an antique app. Find a shiny new one for free over at newpodcastapps.com. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com.
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesIt’s another part of the Christmas Story when the Shepherds found out about a new baby in a rather unique way! Join Steve to find out how. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/shepherds
Notes from James CooperRight here!
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
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Steve Webb 0:02
Hi, this is day 12 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb. We’re having a drawing on the Christmas Day edition of the show for an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. If you’d like to be entered for the drawing, be sure to go to Lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com/d-a-y-numeral nine, no spaces. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring. Why Christmas dot show? This is a value for value podcast. What does that mean? Well, if you’re enjoying the show, how much is that worth to you? The price of a Christmas latte or of a Christmas goose something else. Whatever makes sense to you, the podcast is for you. But whatever you give would be very, very much appreciated. Go to live stream mania dots comm slash thoughts to find out more. And if you have a quality modern podcast app, you can stream SATs as you listen and you can send booster grams. If your podcast app doesn’t show a boost button when you look down at it, then you’re using an antique app, find a shiny new one for free over at new podcast apps.com. If you have any questions, email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Okay, let’s enjoy the show together.
Steve Webb 1:49
Hello, and welcome back to the Lifespring Why Christmas show. It’s Day 12. And I’m Steve Webb. You’ve heard it said that God works in mysterious ways. Well, here’s a great example of that. If you had an announcement, a huge announcement that would affect the lives of everyone you know, to whom would you break the news? First? Would you tell the guys that come to your home once a week to collect the trash? Or would you seek out your most respected and well known friends? Well, when the time came to announce the birth of Jesus, the Messiah that had been anticipated for generations, the one who would bring peace to all mankind, God decided that he would send his messenger to some of the most low profile socially unconnected, and even smelly people of the time, shepherds. Now I don’t know about you. But I think this was God’s way of saying that the Messiah was for everyone, not just the important and well connected, not just for the religious types. This Savior was God’s gift to the world to all mankind. So it’s the middle of the night, the shepherds are outside with their sheep like good shepherds are supposed to be. There’s no light, save for a small campfire, the stars in the moon. And all of a sudden, they’re surrounded in some sort of bright heavenly light. And an angel appears before them. Nothing like this has ever happened to them. They’re terrified. But the angel says no worries, I’ve got fantastic news for everyone. Just a little while ago was Savior was born in your kind of town, Bethlehem, go check it out for yourself. And then to punctuate the announcement all of a sudden the heavens open up in there are dozens, hundreds 1000s 1000s upon 1000s of angels singing and shouting and praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Can you put yourself in the shepherds place? Can you imagine the scene and then they were gone. So the shepherd said, Let’s go see. And they went and found the baby who was just as the angel had told him he would be in some sort of stable, surrounded not by wealth and power in fine linens. But by Mary, the humble teenage girl, and Joseph, a working class guy and hay and the smell of farm animals in the light of the few candles. Having chosen these lowly shepherds to be the first to hear about the birth of the Savior, why would anyone be surprised to learn that the Messiah could be found here? See you tomorrow
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 12 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 11 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
We’re having a drawing on the Christmas day edition of the show for an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. If you’d like to be entered for the drawing, be sure to go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how.
Every day from now to Christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you’re enjoying the show would you be willing to give back some value? That would be very much appreciated. Go to lifespringmedia.com/support. And if you have one of the new, modern podcast apps you can stream support as you listen, and you can even boost the show. If your podcast app doesn’t show a boost button…take a look right now. If you don’t see the boost button, that means you’re using an old legacy app. Find a new, modern one for free over at newpodcastapps.com. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesToday we’re going to be taking a quick look at Christmas cards.
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
Hello, this is day 11 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas Show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. Welcome. I’m glad you’re here. We’re having a drawing on the Christmas Day edition of the show for an autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD. If you’d like to be entered for the drawing, be sure to go to Lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see how. That’s Lifespringmedia.com/day9, that’s d-a-y numeral 9 with no spaces. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that it LifespringWhyChristmas.show. And if you’re enjoying the show, would you be willing to give back some value? That would be very much appreciated. Just go to LifespringMedia.com/support. And if you have one of the new modern podcast apps, you can stream support as you listen, and you can even boost the show. Now if your podcast app doesn’t show a boost button…take a look right now…if you don’t see the boost button, that means you’re using an old legacy app. You can find a new modern one for free over at newpodcastapps.com. If you have any questions, email me at Steve@Lifespringmedia.com. All right, let’s get to the show.
James Cooper 1:24
Hello, and welcome to day number 11 of the Lifespring Why Christmas Show. Today we’re going to be taking a quick look at Christmas cards. I’m sure you might have had some arrive already. But why do we send them to each other? Well, it started back in 1843 with a British civil servant called Sir Henry Cole. He worked for the public post office and three years earlier had helped introduce a cheaper way of sending things through the post. He came up with the idea with an artist friend of his called John Hoesley. In 1843, the same year that Charles Dickens’ book A Christmas Carol was published, they printed 1000 of the first Christmas cards and sold them for a shilling or five pence each. Cards didn’t become popular in the States until in 1875 a printer called Louis Pring started mass producing them so normal people could afford them. By the early 1900s cards had become popular all over Europe, especially in Germany, as well as featuring the snowy scenes that we associate with Christmas cards today. Only cards also had some very unusual things on them, including dancing frogs, and little angels, and even some rather weird strange looking insects. So when you’re opening your cards, give a thought back to Sir Henry Cole, the father of their Christmas card. If you’d like to know more about them, then head over to www.whychristmas.com
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 11 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
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Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 10 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
If you’d like to win the autographed copy of Bryan Duncan’s A NehoSoul Christmas CD, be sure to go to lifespringmedia.com/day9 to see the questions and how to enter the drawing.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you’re enjoying the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringmedia.com/support. And if you have one of the new, modern podcast apps you can stream support as you listen, and you can boost the show. It took a bit to get that working, but it’s full steam ahead now. Any questions, email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesToday Steve will be explaining some more connections of Christmas plants: the Holly and the Ivy.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/holly-ivy
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 10 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
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It’s A Contest!Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashThe Announcement!Today is a very special show!
You’ll learn how you can get the chance to win a signed copy of Bryan Duncan’s “A NehoSoul Christmas” CD!
To enter, email the answers of the Christmas Trivia questions below to steve@lifespringmedia.com or info@whychristmas.com
The Questions1. What famous Christmas Classic did Bing Crosby record in 1942? 2. What was the name of Mary’s cousin she went to visit when she was pregnant? 3. Who invented electric lights for Christmas trees? 4. What’s the name of the Jewish festival that’s celebrated around the same time as Christmas? 5. How many other reindeer help Rudolph pull Santa’s sleigh? 6. What sweet bread is eaten for Christmas day breakfast in some parts of Belgium? 7. What town was Jesus born in? 8. What coin is it traditionally lucky to find in your portion of Christmas Pudding? 9. In what country would you sing the carol ‘Sambasamba Zanahary’? 10. What ancient religion might have the Wisemen belonged to?
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
Hi there, this is day nine of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me the OG Godcaster Steve Webb. Today, James and I’ll be announcing a very exciting contest. Be sure to listen closely for the details. The one thing that has changed since we did the show in 2009, is the location of the questions referred to in the episode on the show, you’ll hear me announced that the website to go to his Lifespring white christmas.com, that’s changed. The website is Lifespring media.com/day. Nine, that’s numeral nine. So keep that in mind. If you forget, come back and listen, you’ll want to know it. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring White Christmas dot show. And if you enjoy the show, and would like to give some value back you can do so at Lifespring White Christmas dot show slash support. And if you have one of those new modern podcast apps, you can stream support as you listen and you can boost the show. It took a bit to get that working but it is full steam ahead for that now. Any questions? Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Okay, let’s go.
James Cooper 1:38
Welcome to day nine of the 2009 Lifespring by Christmas show. Steve’s with me today and it’s a bit of a special occasion.
Steve Webb 1:45
Hello, everyone. Yes, that’s right. As a first here on the Lifespring Why Christmas show. We’ve got a competition. You got the chance to win a signed copy of my good friend Brian Duncan’s Christmas album at Neil soul Christmas. This CD has got some new Christmas songs on it that will become some of your favorite Christmas songs, and several Christmas standards done with a new Brian duck and twist on it. I actually got together with Brian just a few days ago and we produced a commercial for the CD that will play at the end of today’s show. So you can get an idea of what it’s like.
James Cooper 2:15
To win the CD, we’ve got 10 Christmas trivia questions for you to answer. We’ll read the questions on the show. And all of the answers are somewhere on www dot whychristmas.com. And you might also get the answers on the Lifespring my Christmas show as well.
Steve Webb 2:29
The questions will also be in the show notes at Lifespringwhychristmas.com And on the whychristmas.com blog. When you know the answers, email them to Steve at Lifespring media.com or info at Whychristmas.com. And I’ll pull the winner out of Sants’s hat on the December 25 show.
James Cooper 2:46
So let’s get on with the questions. Sounds good. James, you start with question number one. What famous Christmas classic did Bing Crosby record in 1942?
Steve Webb 2:58
Number two, what was the name of Mary’s cousin that she went to visit when she was pregnant?
James Cooper 3:04
Number three, who invented electric lights for Christmas trees?
Steve Webb 3:09
That’s a good one. Number four, what’s the name of the Jewish festival that celebrated around the same time as Christmas?
James Cooper 3:16
Question five. How many other reindeer help Rudolph to pull Santa sleigh?
Steve Webb 3:22
That’s an easy one. Number six. What sweet bread is eaten for Christmas Day breakfast in some parts of Belgium.
James Cooper 3:28
Question number seven. What town was Jesus born in?
Steve Webb 3:32
Now that’s a giveaway isn’t it?
James Cooper 3:34
Well, we we have to put one hard one in Don’t worry. Okay.
Steve Webb 3:37
Number eight. What coin is it traditionally lucky to find in your portion of Christmas pudding.
James Cooper 3:43
Question number nine in what country would you sing the Carol Samba Samba, Zanna Hari.
Steve Webb 3:49
Now that’s a hard one. And last but not least number 10. What ancient religion might have the wise men belonged to. So there are the questions and you can hear them again, of course by rewinding the show or read them on the show notes at LifespringWhychristmas.com and the whychristmas.com blog.
James Cooper 4:09
Remember, Send your answers by email to me or Steve and we’ll add all the correct ones into Santa’s hat. Come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you about two familiar festive plots.
Steve Webb 4:19
And remember you can listen to any of the Lifespring media shows it Lifespring media.com
James Cooper 4:24
for Steve Webb, I’m James Cooper and thank you for listening to the Lifespring y Christmas show.
Bryan Duncan 4:44
Hey, just because Christmas comes every year doesn’t mean you have to hear the songs the same way this year. Make it a neo soul Christmas with Brian Duncan and the neo soul band There’s almost enough songs here to play one for each day of the 12 days of Christmas. Or sit back and enjoy a glass of eggnog while taking in the whole record. It’s just that good
Bryan Duncan 5:19
That’s right. It’s Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul band playing A NehoSoul Christmas. Yes, you won’t recognize some of your favorite Christmas tunes until Bryan Duncan comes in singing. Put the record on while you decorate your tree this year, and you will be finished in half the time. Christmas come but once a year, say bells ringing. I listening. It’s a neo soul Christmas with Bryan Duncan and the neo soul band playing for your friends over a loudspeaker on your front yard or just long enough to read gift all those things you got last year that you didn’t want is a blooper. That’s right. Avoid the exhaustion that comes with the Christmas season this year. With a neo soul Christmas on your turntable. You can staple those lights to your ears while snapping your fingers to a catchy little version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Merry Christmas at your heartbeat. You’ll hear songs like Christmas time is here. The way Charlie Brown wished it had been sun. Christmas Oh, holy night. What a great time you’ll have waiting for Santa while listening to a neo soul Christmas. Holy Night. The stars are bright Alicia. YouTube can help the neo soul band celebrate their own Christmas. Buy now. Buy early and buy often. Buy now. And it’s one. Buy now. Buy early and buy often. Bye bye now. Bye bye now. Bye bye now.
Bryan Duncan 7:14
Yes, folks, it’s true. Supplies are limited. So if you want a copy this great Christmas CD you’ve got to order today at BryanDuncan.com
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 9 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 8 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
Be sure to keep listening because James and I will be announcing a contest that is coming up on this Friday’s show, the 9th of September.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support.
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesToday we learn a little bit about how Jesus’ mother Mary found out that she would bear the Son of the Most High.
Mary was very young to be having a baby by today’s standards about 14 to 16 years of age when she gave birth to Jesus. But this was a very common age for young women to be engaged in marry in biblical times. So the Son of God was the son of a teenage mother. Joseph is thought to have been slightly older around 30 or so. Joseph and Mary were a very average couple in Israel at the time. They were probably quite poor. Joseph was a carpenter and his job was seen by some religious leaders as a religious duty rather than as a profession. both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David of Israel, but at this time, his family was in the poorest state it had ever been. And Mary was also related to the traditional priest families of Israel through her cousin Elizabeth, Nazareth, the town where they lived was a small hill town on a caravan route through the country. So a wide range of people would travel and visit a town like Nazareth. Now under Jewish law and engagement, like Joseph and Mary’s was treated almost like a marriage and could only be broken by an official divorce. One day the angel Gabriel visited Mary Gabriel is a very special angel since He is God’s chief messenger Angel, and only appears two very important people in the Bible. The first thing that Gabriel spoke to Mary was greetings you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you. And these are very important words, because highly favored means God’s holy grace is upon you. And this is a divine blessing from God, something that would have never normally been said to a peasant girl like Mary, she would most likely been very scared by this. And that’s why Gabrielle said to her, Do not be afraid. He went on to tell Mary that she would become pregnant and would have a son whom she was to give the name Jesus, and he would be a great man, and he would be called the Son of God, and that God would make him king and that he would reign forever. Well, since Mary had never been with a man, she asked Gabrielle how this would come to pass. And then Gabriel told her one of the most amazing and wonderful things ever said, Gabriel told Mary, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. And then Mary, being the humble girl that she was said, I am the LORD servant. May it be to me as you have said, and with that the angel left her. And then Mary gave one of the most beautiful expressions of praise ever given. I don’t have time on today’s show to share it with you, but you can read it for yourself and the New Testament book of Luke, First Chapter, Verses 46 through 55. Thank you for joining me today. Tomorrow, James and I will both be here and we’re going to tell you how you might win a signed copy of Brian Duncan’s Neil’s soul Christmas CD is going to be fun. Today, I’d like to leave you with perhaps my favorite Christmas song ever. It’s sung here by the writer of the lyrics, Mark Lowry with the Gaither vocal band. I interviewed mark a couple of years ago and we talked among many other things a bit about how he wrote this beautiful song. You’ll get a taste of what he said in our interview as he introduces the song here to a live audience. I’ll leave you with the song. So for now, I’ll say see you tomorrow with James Cooper. Enjoy the song.
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:01
Hello and welcome to day eight of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whnchristmas.com, and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. Be sure to keep listening because James and I will be announcing a contest that’s coming up on this Friday show the ninth of December, every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season and if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at LifespringwhyChristmas.show. And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back you can do that at Lifespring Why Christmas dot show slash support. And now here’s the show enjoy.
Steve Webb 1:01
Welcome back to the Lifespring Why Christmas show. It’s day eight in my name is Steve Webb. Today we learn a little bit about how Jesus mother Mary found out that she would bear the Son of the Most High. Mary was very young to be having a baby by today’s standards about 14 to 16 years of age when she gave birth to Jesus. But this was a very common age for young women to be engaged in marry in biblical times. So the Son of God was the son of a teenage mother. Joseph is thought to have been slightly older around 30 or so. Joseph and Mary were a very average couple in Israel at the time. They were probably quite poor. Joseph was a carpenter and his job was seen by some religious leaders as a religious duty rather than as a profession. both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David of Israel, but at this time, his family was in the poorest state it had ever been. And Mary was also related to the traditional priest families of Israel through her cousin Elizabeth, Nazareth, the town where they lived was a small hill town on a caravan route through the country. So a wide range of people would travel and visit a town like Nazareth. Now under Jewish law and engagement, like Joseph and Mary’s was treated almost like a marriage and could only be broken by an official divorce. One day the angel Gabriel visited Mary Gabriel is a very special angel since He is God’s chief messenger Angel, and only appears two very important people in the Bible. The first thing that Gabriel spoke to Mary was greetings you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you. And these are very important words, because highly favored means God’s holy grace is upon you. And this is a divine blessing from God, something that would have never normally been said to a peasant girl like Mary, she would most likely been very scared by this. And that’s why Gabrielle said to her, Do not be afraid. He went on to tell Mary that she would become pregnant and would have a son whom she was to give the name Jesus, and he would be a great man, and he would be called the Son of God, and that God would make him king and that he would reign forever. Well, since Mary had never been with a man, she asked Gabrielle how this would come to pass. And then Gabriel told her one of the most amazing and wonderful things ever said, Gabriel told Mary, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. And then Mary, being the humble girl that she was said, I am the LORD servant. May it be to me as you have said, and with that the angel left her. And then Mary gave one of the most beautiful expressions of praise ever given. I don’t have time on today’s show to share it with you, but you can read it for yourself and the New Testament book of Luke, First Chapter, Verses 46 through 55. Thank you for joining me today. Tomorrow, James and I will both be here and we’re going to tell you how you might win a signed copy of Brian Duncan’s Neil’s soul Christmas CD is going to be fun. Today, I’d like to leave you with perhaps my favorite Christmas song ever. It’s sung here by the writer of the lyrics, Mark Lowry with the Gaither vocal band. I interviewed mark a couple of years ago and we talked among many other things a bit about how he wrote this beautiful song. You’ll get a taste of what he said in our interview as he introduces the song here to a live audience. I’ll leave you with the song. So for now, I’ll say see you tomorrow with James Cooper. Enjoy the song.
Mark Lowry 4:39
I’d love to sit down with Mary I want to know some things.
Mark Lowry 4:43
Be able to ask her those questions. I’ll get to heaven. But I did write a few of them down two years ago.
Mark Lowry 4:51
And
Mark Lowry 4:55
on the Gaither bus one weekend, I handed this lyric to you
Mark Lowry 5:00
Laurie green
Mark Lowry 5:02
and he called me on Monday and saying this to me over the phone
Mark Lowry 5:07
Mary teach you know
Mark Lowry 5:11
that your baby boy
Mark Lowry 5:16
will one day walk on walk Anwar
Mark Lowry 5:22
Mary did you know
Mark Lowry 5:25
that your baby
Mark Lowry 5:30
will save her son daughter
Mark Lowry 5:35
Did you know that your baby boy has come
Mark Lowry 5:44
to make you knew
Mark Lowry 5:48
this child that you deliver
Mark Lowry 5:53
will soon
Mark Lowry 5:56
de lever you? Mary did you know that your baby boy
Mark Lowry 6:06
book gives sight
Mark Lowry 6:08
to a blind man
Mark Lowry 6:11
married Did you
Mark Lowry 6:14
that your baby
Mark Lowry 6:18
will calm a straw with this hand Did you know that your baby boy has walked away angels tried when you kiss your little baby
Mark Lowry 6:41
you’ve kissed the face of God
Mark Lowry 6:47
the blind will see the deaf will hear
Mark Lowry 6:59
the Les Willie
Mark Lowry 7:03
will speak
Mark Lowry 7:26
teach you
Mark Lowry 7:31
that your baby
Mark Lowry 7:36
is
Mark Lowry 7:39
of all creation
Mark Lowry 7:44
Larry, did you know
Mark Lowry 7:48
that your baby
Mark Lowry 7:52
will one day
Mark Lowry 7:54
rule the nation
Mark Lowry 7:59
know that your
Mark Lowry 8:04
baby boy, his heavens
Mark Lowry 8:12
this sleeping child
Mark Lowry 8:15
you’re holding
Mark Lowry 8:18
is the great I AM
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcript not yet corrected.
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 8 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 7 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
Be sure to keep listening because James and I will be announcing a contest that is coming up on this Friday’s show, the 9th of September.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support.
Here’s the show. Enjoy!
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesWhy is snow connected so much with Christmas when it’s summer for half of the globe?! Find out with James Cooper!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/snow
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
Hello and welcome to day seven of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com, and me, the OG Godcaster Steve Webb, be sure to keep listening because James and I will be announcing a contest that’s coming up on this Friday show the ninth of December, every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring why Christmas dot show. And if you enjoy the show, and we’d like to give some value back you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas.show/slash support. And now here’s the show. Enjoy.
James Cooper 0:46
Hello, and welcome to day number seven of the 2009 Lifespring Why Christmas Show. Today I’m going to be taking a brief look at snow and ice associated with Christmas for half the planet in the southern hemisphere. It’s actually summer at Christmas time. So why will the snow well that’s down to Mr. Charles Dickens and his book A Christmas Carol. He wrote it in 1843 and remembered the very snowy Christmases he’d had as a child. The book became very popular, and so snow and Christmas became associated with each other. And of course we have white Christmases. Now the most famous white Christmas is a song sung by Bing Crosby, who recorded it in 1942. And it comes from the film Holiday Inn set in the snowy Christmases of the month in the USA. If we have a white Christmas, what are we going to do with all the snow? Well built snowman Of course. Now the world’s largest snowman was built last year in 2008. In Bethel, Maine in the USA. It was a snow woman called Olympia Snow and she stood 122 feet one inch tall. Well that’s 37.21 meters. That’s an awful lot of snow. The previous record also belong to Bethel, Maine, and a snowman called Angus King of the Mountain. To find out more about snow and ice, head on over to whychristmas.com and come back tomorrow to find out another little something about Christmas.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 7 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 6 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support.
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesAll about St. Nicholas!
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
Hello and welcome back. This is day six of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And me, the OG Godccaster, Steve Webb. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas.show. If you enjoy the show, and you’d like to give back some value you can do so at LifespringWhyChristmas.show/support.
Steve Webb 0:54
Welcome to the Lifespring Why Christmas show day six. I’m Steve Webb and I’ll be your host today. I hope you’ve been enjoying the shows as much as James and I are enjoying putting them together for you.
Steve Webb 0:33
support.
Steve Webb 1:06
Well, today’s a very extra special Christmassy day because it’s St. Nicholas is Day. Today many children around the world will wake up to find that they’ve received presents from St. Nicholas or Sinterklaas. St Nicholas his day is widely celebrated in Europe, especially in the Netherlands where he’s better known as Sinterklaas. Today he’ll be traveling to Amsterdam wearing his red bishops robes. He travels with his servant called Black Peter. Last night on St. Nicholas Eve which is December the fifth children left their clogs or shoes out to be filled with presents. You know when the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town it says that Santa is making a list checking it twice gonna find out who’s naughty and nice. Well in Holland children are told that it’s Sinterklaas, his servant Black Peter, who keeps a record of all the things that they’ve done in the past year in a book and that good children will get presents from Sinterklaas, but bad children will get chased by Black Peter with a stick. You know, it’s too bad. My kids have gotten too old to be motivated that way. Now that I think about it, you can find out more about Sinterklaas on the Holland page of why christmas.com So you now know about St. Nicholas in the Netherlands. But how and why did he start delivering presents? And why is he got so many names? Well, St. Nicholas was originally a fourth century bishop in what is now Turkey. He was a very kind man and had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed help. The most famous story about how St. Nick started giving presents also tells of how the custom of hanging up stockings to get presents first started. It goes like this. There was a poor man who had three daughters. He was so poor, he didn’t have enough money for a dowry, so his daughters couldn’t get married. One night, Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and into the house for the oldest daughter so that she was able to get married. This was repeated later with the second daughter, finally determined to discover the person who had given him the money, the father secretly hid by the fire every evening until he caught Nicholas dropping in a bag of gold. Nicholas begged the man not to tell anyone what he had done because he didn’t want to bring attention to himself. But soon the news got out. And when anyone received a secret gift, it was thought that maybe it was from Nicholas. So what about the stockings? Well, the bags of gold fell into the girls stockings that were hanging by the fire to dry. In the 16th century the stories about St. Nicholas became unpopular, but someone had to deliver the presents to children at Christmas. So throughout Europe, different people took on the role in the UK it was the Old Father Christmas in France. Pair Noel and in Germany, the Chris kin in the early years of the US have a his name was Chris Kringle. Dutch settlers brought the old stories of St. Nicholas to the US with them and Kris Kringle became Sinterklaas, or as we now say, Santa Claus. Good old St. Nick again became popular in the Victorian era when writers poets and artists rediscovered the old stories. In the news stories and pictures about him his Bishop’s robes soon became the hat and coat that he wears today. In 1823, the famous poem of Visit from St. Nicholas was written in this is where we first learned the names of his eight reindeer. And then of course, they became really well known in the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, which was written in 1949. Some people say that Santa lives in the North Pole, but people in Finland strongly disagree. They’re sure that he lives in the north of Finland in Lapland, which is in the Arctic Circle. You can find out more about Santa and his connection with Coca Cola over at why christmas.com So happy St. Nicholas Day to one and all And remember, be good
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 6 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 5 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me, the OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. I do a podcast called Lifespring Family Audio Bible where we are reading through the entire Bible in one year. Check it out at audiobible.link.
Every day from now to Christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support.
Design: Steve Webb. Christmas tree character: James CooperNotesThe words of Silent Night were written by a priest Franz Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria in 1816. And the music was added by his school teacher friend Franz Xaver Gruber, for the Christmas Eve service at St. Nicholas church in Oberndorf, Austria.
Fr. Mohr had asked Franz Gruber to compose the melody with a guitar arrangement. It was several years later that he added an arrangement for the organ.
There’s a legend associated with Silent Night that says that the carol was originally to be sung by the children of the village at the midnight Christmas Eve service as a surprise for their parents. But in the middle of practicing, the church organ broke so they had to sing only accompanied by guitar. However, there aren’t any records that the organ was broken at all.
The carol was originally written in German, and translated into English it went:
Silent night, holy night,
Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light,
Floats around the heavenly pair;
Songs of angels fills the air.
Strains of heavenly peace.
It’s thought that the carol might have traveled around the Austrian and German countryside with an organ repairman.
In 1832, the Strasser family performed it at a concert in Leipzig and in the USA. It was first performed in 1839 by the Rainer family in New York City.
It was translated into English in 1863 and was the carol sung during the Christmas truce in the First World War in December 1914, as it was a song that soldiers on both sides knew.
To find out a bit more about the character go to whychristmas.com and the carol stories page in the Christmas customs section.
The beautiful version you’ve heard playing under me today was by Michael Ryan on his album A Classical Guitar Christmas, and you can find out more about him and get the album from MichaelRyanMusic.com
Come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you something about a very popular visitor at Christmas.
To leave you today here’s another version of Silent Night that was recorded by our good friend Karmyn Tyler especially for the Lifespring WhyChristmas show a couple of years ago
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
Hello and Merry Christmas. This is day five of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of why christmas.com and me the OG God caster Steve Webb, I do a podcast called The Lifespring family Audio Bible where we are reading through the entire Bible in one year. Check it out it Audio Bible dot link every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. And if you’re not yet subscribed, or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring why Christmas dot show. And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back you can do so at Lifespring Why Christmas dot show slash support. And now here’s the show
James Cooper 0:46
Hello, and welcome to day number five of the Lifespring Why Christmas Show. Today I’m going to be telling you the history behind one of the most famous Carols of all silent The words of Silent Night were written by a priest Franz Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria in 1816. And the music was added by his school teacher friend Franz Xaver Gruber, for the Christmas Eve service at St. Nicholas church in Oberndorf, Austria. Fr. Mohr had asked Franz Gruber to compose the melody with a guitar arrangement. It was several years later that he added an arrangement for the organ. There’s a legend associated with Silent Night that says that the carol was originally to be sung by the children of the village at the midnight Christmas Eve service as a surprise for their parents. But in the middle of practicing, the church organ broke so they had to sing only accompanied by guitar. However, there aren’t any records that the organ was broken at all. The carol was originally written in German, and translated into English it went: Silent night, holy night, Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light, Floats around the heavenly pair; Songs of angels fills the air. Strains of heavenly peace. It’s thought that the carol might have traveled around the Austrian and German countryside with an organ repairman. In 1832, the Strasser family performed it at a concert in Leipzig and in the USA. It was first performed in 1839 by the Rainer family in New York City. It was translated into English in 1863 and was the carol sung during the Christmas truce in the First World War in December 1914, as it was a song that soldiers on both sides knew. To find out a bit more about the character go to whychristmas.com and the carol stories page in the Christmas customs section. The beautiful version you’ve heard playing under me today was by Michael Ryan on his album a classical guitar Christmas and you can find out more about him and get the album from Michael Ryan music.com All the links will be in the show notes. Come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you something about a very popular visitor at Christmas to leave you today here’s another version of silent night that was recorded by our good friend common Tyler especially for the Lifespring WhyChristmas show a couple of years ago
Karmyn Tyler 3:13
. Stille Nacht! Heil’ge Nacht! Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar. Holder Knab’ im lockigen Haar, |: Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! Silent night, holy night Bethlehem sleeps Yet what light Floats around the heavenly pair Songs of angels fill the air Strains of heavenly peace Strains of heavenly peace
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Transcript corrected by Steve Webb
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 5 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionWelcome Day 4 out of 25 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and yours truly, Steve Webb, the OG Godcaster and host of over 3000 podcast episodes at lifespringmedia.com.
Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support. Or stream sats and send boostagrams using a modern n podcasts app.Look at your podcast app. Do you see a boost button? If not, get a better app for free at newpodcastapps.com.
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesSupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:03
Hi and welcome to day four out of 25 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring Why Christmas show hosted by James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com. And yours truly, Steve Webb, the OG Godcaster and host of over 3000 podcast episodes at Lifespringmedia.com. Every day from now to Christmas day you will hear an episode from the 2009 season and if you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at LifespringWhyChristmas.show. Are you ready? Here’s the show. Enjoy.
Steve Webb 0:55
Welcome to the Lifespring Why Christmas show day four. Remember we’ll have a show today right up to and including Christmas. I’m Steve Webb, and I’ll be your host today as we learn a bit about mistletoe, one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season. Mistletoe is a plant that grows on other trees commonly willow and apple trees. The practice of hanging it in the house goes back to the times of the ancient Druids in Western Europe. It was supposed to possess special powers which bring good luck to the household and ward off evil spirits. It was also used as a sign of friendship. And that’s where the custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from. And that custom first started in England. The original custom was that a berry was picked from the sprig of mistletoe each time there was a kiss. So make sure you get a bunch with lots of berries on it. It’s traditional to take decorations down on 12th night also known as epiphany, which is the sixth of January. During the Middle Ages greenery including mistletoe was often left hanging up until Candlemas when Christians celebrate Jesus going to the Jewish temple as a baby in early February. You can find out more about some of the other Christmas plants at whychristmas.com. Tomorrow James will be back with a very special show. Don’t miss it. Until then. I’m Steve Webb
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 4 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionThis is Day 3 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper and me, Steve Webb, the OG Godcaster and host of over 3000 podcast episodes at lifespringmedia.com.
Every day from now to Christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show.
And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support. Or stream sats and send boostagrams using a modern podcast app. Look at your podcast app. Do you see a boost button? If not, get a better app for free at newpodcastapps.com.
Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashNotesWhy do we have Christmas Trees? When did the start? Today, James will be telling you all about it! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/trees
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
Hi, this is day three of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring White Christmas show welcome the shows hosted by my friend James Cooper of white christmas.com. And me the OG God caster and host of over 3000 podcast episodes it Lifespring media.com. Every day from now to Christmas day you’ll hear an episode from our 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at Lifespring why Christmas dot show. And if you enjoy the show, and we’d like to give some value back you can do that at Lifespring White Christmas dot show slash support. Or you can stream SATs and send booster grams using a modern podcast app. Look at your podcast app. Do you see a boost button? If not get a better app for free at new podcast apps.com Enjoy the show.
James Cooper 0:56
Hello, and welcome to day three of the Lifespring by Christmas show for 2009. Today I’m going to be taking a quick look at Christmas trees. Now did you know that fir trees have been used for 1000s of years to celebrate the winter solstice Festival, where people walk branches into their homes to remind them that spring was on the way. The first documented use of a Christmas tree is in 1510 in the Latvian capital of Riga. The first person to bring Christmas trees into a house might have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther, or another story says it’s st Boniface of Crediton, which is a place in Devon which is not too far away from me here in the UK. In Germany, the first Christmas trees were decorated with things you could eat, such as gingerbread and gold leaf covered apples and glassmakers started making small ornaments that people used on their tree instead. When people also used to use real candles on their Christmas trees, and of course that was a bit dangerous because trees like to catch fire quite well. So in 1895 Thankfully, an American telephone engineer called Ralph Morris invented the first electric Christmas lights. You can find out more about Christmas trees over at www dot white christmas.com. We’ll come back tomorrow to find out something else about Christmas.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 3 – 2022 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript
Podcast IntroductionHello, and welcome Day 2 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper of perhaps the largest source of Christmas facts on the internet, whychristmas.com., and me, Steve Webb, the OG Godcaster and host of over 3000 podcast episodes at lifespringmedia.com.
NotesWelcome to the Lifespring why Christmas show day two. Remember we’ll have a show a day right up to and including Christmas. I’m Steve Webb, and I’ll be your host today as we discover why Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December. There’s certainly no date given in the Bible for the birthday of Jesus but Christmas was first celebrated on the 25th of December in the fifth century in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. The date was chosen because this was also the time of the winter solstice, the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festival called Saturnalia, and another Roman festival called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which means the birthday of the unconquered sun, as in that sun we see in the sky. In choosing December, Constantine took over the pagan celebrations and used them to celebrate the unconquered Son of God, Jesus the light of the world instead. So why the 25th of December? Well, the 25th of March was also a sacred day to the pagans when they celebrated the coming of spring and new life. The early Christians took over this day as the day when Mary was told by an angel that she would be the mother of Jesus. This is called the Annunciation in the church calendar and is still celebrated by many Christians on March 25. And what’s nine months after March 25. Of course, December 25. To find out lots more about Christmas go to whychristmas.com. To hear more shows from Lifespring media, head on over to Lifespringmedia.com. We’ll see you tomorrow when James will tell you a bit about Christmas trees. Until then enjoy your Christmas season. For James Cooper wishing you all the best, I’m Steve Webb
SupportThis a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.
TranscriptDownload .txt file.
Steve Webb 0:02
Hello, and welcome Day 2 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show, hosted by James Cooper of perhaps the largest source of Christmas facts on the internet, whychristmas.com., and me, Steve Webb, the OG Godcaster and host of over 3000 podcast episodes at lifespringmedia.com. Every day from now to christmas day, you’ll hear an episode from the 2009 season. If you’re not yet subscribed or following the show, you can do that at lifespringwhychristmas.show. And if you enjoy the show and would like to give some value back, you can do so at lifespringwhychristmas.show/support. And if you have one of those great new modern podcasts apps, you can stream sats and boost the show. For more information on that, go to newpodcastapps.com. Ok. Enough of the preamble. Here’s the show. Enjoy!
Steve Webb 1:12
Welcome to the Lifespring why Christmas show day two. Remember we’ll have a show a day right up to and including Christmas. I’m Steve Webb, and I’ll be your host today as we discover why Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December. There’s certainly no date given in the Bible for the birthday of Jesus but Christmas was first celebrated on the 25th of December in the fifth century in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. The date was chosen because this was also the time of the winter solstice, the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festival called Saturnalia, and another Roman festival called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which means the birthday of the unconquered sun, as in that sun we see in the sky. In choosing December, Constantine took over the pagan celebrations and used them to celebrate the unconquered Son of God, Jesus the light of the world instead. So why the 25th of December? Well, the 25th of March was also a sacred day to the pagans when they celebrated the coming of spring and new life. The early Christians took over this day as the day when Mary was told by an angel that she would be the mother of Jesus. This is called the Annunciation in the church calendar and is still celebrated by many Christians on March 25. And what’s nine months after March 25. Of course, December 25. To find out lots more about Christmas go to whychristmas.com. To hear more shows from Lifespring media, head on over to Lifespringmedia.com. We’ll see you tomorrow when James will tell you a bit about Christmas trees. Until then enjoy your Christmas season. For James Cooper wishing you all the best, I’m Steve Webb
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 2 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Welcome to the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show for 2009! This is the fourth year for this Christmas podcast. If you’re a regular Lifespring! listener you might have heard the Christmas member of the Lifespring! family for the last couple of years! If this is your first time listening to the LIfespring! Why Christmas Show or...
The post Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 1 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Transcript Encore! Steve Webb and James Cooper are back (sort of) this year with an encore performance of the 2009 season of this fun, much-loved Christmas podcast. Steve is the O.G. Godcaster who has hosted over 3,000 podcast episodes, and James Cooper is the creator of whychristmas?com, one of the biggest (and best!) Christmas information...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas 2022 Promo first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Here is the complete version of the special edition of the Christmas Story recorded especially for the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show and whychristmas.com A HUGE thank you to everyone who’s taken part in the recording. Steve and James are very grateful! The Christmas Story Cast Gabriel: Anthony Getting – http://gettig.net Mary: Karmyn Tyler – http://karmyntyler.com...
The post REPOST: The Lifespring! Why Christmas Story first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
From the 2007 Lifespring! WhyChristmas series: Today, James and Steve talk about how Mary and Joseph, her betrothed, found out that she would bear a son, even though she had never been with a man, and that this son would be the Savior of the world!
The post LSWC14-03: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “Mary And Joseph Hear The News” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
From the 2007 Lifespring! WhyChristmas series… Today, we’re going to hear the story behind the beautiful Christmas carol, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” Written in 1849 by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian minister, this was the second of two “twin” carols. (Listen to the show for more.) Lyrics “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”...
The post LSWC14-02: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Welcome To The Show Merry Christmas! Or Happy Christmas to those in the U.K. and others who prefer “Happy” over “Merry”! The Lifespring! Why Christmas show has become a bit of a tradition for many people over the years, and this year, Steve and James decided to replay the Lifespring! Why Christmas shows from 2007....
The post LSWC14_01: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “Why The Twenty-Fifth?” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Merry Christmas! On today’s Christmas Day edition of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, James & Steve will will be sharing some Christmas greetings and there’s a chance to hear a very special version of the Christmas Story which was recorded for the show a few years ago. And of course we’ll have some top Christmas...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 07 – Merry Christmas! first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Steve’s back with another Lifespring! Why Christmas Show! This time he’ll be finding out about the history of Christmas Carols (although he won’t be singing any – honest!) Instead, they’ll be three Christmas Carols – but not necessarily how you know them! Find out more about Christmas Carols on whychristmas.com Sing some Christmas Karaoke on James’s site tistheseasonto.be...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 06 – Christmas Carols first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show today, James finds out about Christmas Trees. And there’s four more Christmas songs! Find out more about Christmas Trees on whychristmas.com The music in the today’s show: The Waikikis – O Tannenbaum Bryan Duncan – Winter Wonderland Over the Rhine – Snowed In With You | NoiseTrade The World’s Greatest Jazzband – Deck The...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 05 – Christmas Trees first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On this edition of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, Steve will be explaining just why we send bits of paper to each other in December with the history of Christmas Cards! An there’s some more great Christmas tunes. Find out more about Christmas Cards on whychristmas.com The music in the today’s show: Jeremy and Kimberly...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 04 – Christmas Cards first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today on the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, James will share the story of how St Nicholas became known as Santa Claus! And today’s Christmas tunes all have a Santa theme to them. Find out more about Santa’s history on whychristmas.com The music in the today’s show: Riley Farley and their Orchestra (from 1935) – Santa...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 03 – St Nicholas to Santa first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
UPDATE: Sorry! We put the wrong audio file up earlier! The correct file is now here. On the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show today, Steve Webb finds out why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th! And there’s more Christmas music. Find out more about the date of Christmas on whychristmas.com The music in the today’s show:...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 02 – Why the 25th? first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Happy Advent! On the first show of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show for 2012 James Cooper of the Christmas information site whychristmas.com will explain all about Advent! There’s also some great Christmas music. Find out more about Advent on whychristmas.com Open the Advent Calendar on whychristmas.com or follow the Advent Calendar on twitter @happyadvent The...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – 01 – Advent first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
If you are a fan of all things Christmas, we have some great news for you! We’re producing the Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show again this year! This will be the seventh year in a row, and we are excited to be able to share Christmas traditions, customs and lots of music with you once more. We’ll be...
The post Lifespring! WhyChristmas Show 2012 – Audio only first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
James is here with another music show, playing some of his favorite retro Christmas music! Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – The Waikikis O Holy Night – Andy Williams; The Andy Williams Christmas Album Gently Rock His Cradle – Jimmie Davis; A Country Christmas Adeste Fideles – Pat Boone; White Christmas I’ll Be Home For Christmas...
The post LSWC11: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show Music Special 2 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On this show, Steve and James find out the history behind the Christmas classic O Holy Night – and there’s James’ own ukulele version!
The post LSWC11-06: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 6 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
James is back with some more music only shows. Playing the best in retro and podsafe christmas Music! White Christmas – The Waikikis Silent Night – Allison Crowe; Tidings Joy to the World – Burl Ives; Christmas At The White House The Twelve Days Of Christmas – Doug Boldt It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas...
The post LSWC11: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show Music Special 1 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On today’s show James and Steve tell the story of the Christmas Carol Good King Wenceslas. James also plays a version of the song on the ukulele.
The post LSWC11-05: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 5 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
This time on the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show Steve and James find out the history behind Silent Night and there’s also James’s version of the carol on the ukulele.
The post LSWC11-04: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 4 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Steve tells the story behind the modern Christmas classic Jingle Bell Rock. And of course, there’s James’s own ukulele version of the song!
The post LSWC11-03: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 3 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On today’s show, James finds out the the story behind one of the most popular Christmas Carols Joy to the World and he also gives us his take of it on the ukulele!
The post LSWC11-02: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 2 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Welcome to the 2011 Lifespring! Why Christmas show! This year Steve and James will be finding out about some of the stories behind popular Christmas carols and songs. And James will also play them on his ukulele for your pleasure (we think!). Today James starts off with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
The post LSWC11-01: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 1 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Here is the complete version of the special edition of the Christmas Story recorded especially for the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show and whychristmas.com A HUGE thank you to everyone who’s taken part in the recording. Steve and James are very grateful! The Christmas Story Cast Gabriel: Anthony Getting – http://gettig.net Mary: Karmyn Tyler – http://karmyntyler.com...
The post LSWC10: The Lifespring! Why Christmas Story first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Merry Christmas everyone! On today’s Christmas Day show, James and Steve will be telling you some of their favorite Christmas Cracker Jokes! They’ll be trying to say Merry Christmas in some different languages and there’s a very special, and new, Christmas song by Mary in our version of the Christmas Story – Karmyn Tyler.
The post LSWC10-08: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 8 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we hear the final part of our Christmas Story with the Wise Men following the Star of Bethlehem to find Jesus. Also find out Santa’s original name and our Christmas Music is a unique version of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by the glam rock band Twisted Sister! In the fun section of...
The post LSWC10-07: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 7 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
James is back with another selection of podsafe and retro Christmas music! Jingle Bells – Lester Lanin And His Orchestra; Christmas Dance Party Hark, The Herald Angels Swing! – The World’s Greatest Jazzband; Hark The Herald Angels Swing Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – Big’ Tiny Little; Christmas With ‘Big’ Tiny Little Away In...
The post LSWC10: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show Music Special 2 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Find out why we have greenery such as Holly & Ivy at Christmas, hear about the first visitors to the baby Jesus – the Shepherds – and there’s a great version of Little Drummer Boy but one of our shepherds – Bryan Duncan! The Christmas Story Cast Angel: Bob Souer – http://bobsouer.com Shepherd 1: Bryan...
The post LSWC10-06: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 6 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today on the show we discover why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, hear about the birth of Jesus in the Christmas Story and there’s a very special version of Silent Night sung by our own Mary – Karmyn Tyler! In the Fun Section of whychristmas.com you can build your own Nativity Scene!
The post LSWC10-05: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 5 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Here’s the first of two very special music only shows. James will play you some of his Christmas favorites from Podsafe music and old, out of copyright, records. Christmas Comes But Once a Year – Bryan Duncan & The Nehosoul Band; A NehoSoul Christmas! Angels We Have Heard On High – Raymond Lefevre And His...
The post LSWC10: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show Music Special 1 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today on the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show James will tell you about Christmas Trees, there’s a great Christmas by Dean Krippaehne and the next part of the Christmas Story where Joseph hears the news about Mary! In the Fun Section of whychristmas.com you can ‘Decorate an Online Christmas Tree‘! The Christmas Story Cast Angel: Bob...
The post LSWC10-04: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 4 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On this show we travel with Mary to visit her cousin Elizabeth, hear the history of Christmas Carols and there’s some very different Christmas music! If you’re in the for some Carol singing – then try some Christmas Karaoke! The Christmas Story Cast Mary: Karmyn Tyler – http://karmyntyler.com Elizabeth: Natalie Nicole Gilbert – http://www.facebook.com/NatalieNicoleGilbert Narrator:...
The post LSWC10-03: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 3 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On the show James and Steve will tell you about Mary’s very special visitor, in the first part of the new recording of the Christmas Story; the history of Christmas Cards and Mark Lowry has kindly allowed us to play his version of the Christmas song he co-wrote Mary Did You Know? The Christmas Story...
The post LSWC10-02: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 2 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The Lifespring! Why Christmas show is back for it’s 5th year! On this show Steve and James say hello, tell you a bit about the show and James explains all about Advent .There’s also some great podsafe Music from Jill Parr. EDIT (February 15, 2021): There is also a good article on Advent at FaithGiant.com....
The post LSWC10-01: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show 1 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Merry Christmas everyone!!! Steve and James join you for the final day of the 2009 Lifespring! Why Christmas Show and find out a bit about the birth of Jesus, the real reason for Christmas! They will also pull the winner of the Christmas CD competition out of Santa’s hat! If you didn’t win, you can...
The post LSWC09-25: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 25 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Merry Christmas everyone!!! Steve and James join you for the final day of the 2009 Lifespring! Why Christmas Show and find out a bit about the birth of Jesus, the real reason for Christmas! They will also pull the winner of the Christmas CD competition out of Santa’s hat! If you didn’t win, you can...
The post LSWC09-25: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 25 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Steve’s getting very excited as it’s nearly Christmas and he’s looking forward to getting some presents! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/presents
The post LSWC09-23: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 23 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
It’s Christmas Eve! That means one thing, Santa has started his run around the world! Follow where he’s got to at: http://santaupdate.com James also reads a poem about Christmas Eve written by his Grandmother. Christmas Eve by Mary Cooper On Christmas Eve my mother read The story once again Of how the little child was...
The post LSWC09-24: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 24 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On today’s show James will tell you a bit about the history of Christmas Carols and plays a version of ‘Oh Come all ye Faithful’ by Jill Parr. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/carols
The post LSWC09-22: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 22 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Remember the fun Steve and James had last year trying to learning how to say Happy or Merry Christmas in different languages? Well they’re back trying it again, with varying degrees of success!!! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/merrychristmas
The post LSWC09-21: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 21 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
It’s James’s turn to explore a part of the Christmas Story. It’s the Wise Men or Magi. Who were they and did they really see a star? Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/wisemen Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/star
The post LSWC09-20: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 20 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Join Steve to find out about the Christmas decoration that you can eat most of – the Christingle! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/christingles
The post LSWC09-19: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 19 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Continuing from Steve’s Pudding yesterday, on today’s show James will be trying some Christmas Cake and Mince Pies! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/recipes
The post LSWC09-18: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 18 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
It’s day 17 and time for Steve to get his teeth into a Christmas dinner favorite in the UK, the Christmas Pudding! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/pudding
The post LSWC09-17: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 17 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On today’s show James will tell you about the poinsettia plant and why it’s associated with Christmas. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/poinsettia
The post LSWC09-16: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 16 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
It’s both Steve and James hosting today’s show as they look at Christmas Crackers and tell each other some rather bad jokes!!! Oh dear oh dear oh dear… Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/crackers & http://yxmas.com/jokes
The post LSWC09-15: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 15 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today Steve will be finding out about the connection between Bells and Christmas. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/bells
The post LSWC09-14: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 14 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Happy St Lucia’s or St Lucy’s Day! James tells you about the life of St Lucia or St Lucy, a saint who’s day is celebrated in Scandinavia, especially Sweden. They have some yummy things to eat! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/lucy
The post LSWC09-13: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 13 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
It’s another part of the Christmas Story when the Shepherds found out about a new baby in a rather unique way! Join Steve to find out how. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/shepherds
The post LSWC09-12: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 12 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On day 11 James talks about Christmas Cards. Who invented them? When where they first sent? Listen to find out! Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/cards
The post LSWC09-11: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 11 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today Steve will be explaining some more connections of Christmas plants: the Holly and the Ivy. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/holly-ivy
The post LSWC09-10: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 10 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today is a very special show! You’ll learn how you can get the chance to win a signed copy of Bryan Duncan’s “A NehoSoul Christmas” CD! To enter. email the answers of the Christmas Trivia questions below to steve@lifespringmedia.com or info@whychristmas.com The Questions 1. What famous Christmas Classic did Bing Crosby record in 1942? 2....
The post LSWC09-09: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 9 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On day 8 of the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, Steve takes a look at the part of the Christmas Story where Mary found out she was going to have a very special baby.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/mary
The post LSWC09-08: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 8 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why is snow connected so much with Christmas when it’s summer for half of the globe?! Find out with James Cooper!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/snow
The post LSWC09-07: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 7 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Happy St. Nicholas Day! Steve will be telling you about the very popular Christmas visitor and how his name and appearance have changed several times over the years!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/santa
The post LSWC09-06: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 6 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On day 5 of the 2009 Lifespring! Why Christmas Show, James Cooper will be explaining the history behind one of the most popular Christmas Carols, Silent Night.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/carols
The version playing behind James is by Michael Ryan from his CD, A Classical Guitar Christmas.
The version to close the show is by our good friend, Karmyn Tyler.
The post LSWC09-05: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 5 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today Steve will be finding out about some more Christmas greeeny – the old favorite Mistletoe. Why all the kissing?!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/mistletoe
The post LSWC09-04: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 4 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we have Christmas Trees? When did the start? Today, James will be telling you all about it!
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/trees
The post LSWC09-03: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 3 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today Steve Webb will be telling you a bit about why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/25th
The post LSWC09-02: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 2 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Welcome to the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show for 2009! This is the fourth year for this Christmas podcast.
If you’re a regular Lifespring! listener you might have heard the Christmas member of the Lifespring! family for the last couple of years! If this is your first time listening to the LIfespring! Why Christmas Show or any Lifespring! show, then welcome – it’s great to have you with us! The LIfespring! Why Christmas Show is a joint project between the Lifespring Media family and the whychristmas?com website.
On today’s show, Steve Webb and James Cooper give the listeners a bit of a heads up on what the shows will be about this year, and explain a bit about Advent.
Find out more at: http://yxmas.com/advent
The post LSWC09-01: Lifespring! Why Christmas Day 1 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
It’s Christmas Day, and Steve Webb and James Cooper wrap the third year of the Lifespring! Why Christmas show by reading about the birth of the Christ child. In addition, they have a bit of fun talking about their Christmas plans.
The post LSWC08-25: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 25” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Well it’s very nearly Christmas! For the last of our languages, we’re staying close to James in the UK to hear some Welsh, Scots and Gaelic. We’ll also be finding out about Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies and celebrating the new year in Scotland.
Thanks to Mark Hunter from the Tartan Podcast for his message!
The post LSWC08-24: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 24” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Back to Europe today, where we’ll learn a bit of Christmas culture as celebrated in Italy! Steve Webb hosts this episode.
The post LSWC08-23: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 23” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We’re off on a long journey today, as we’re going down under to visit New Zealand. Find out how to say Merry Christmas in the Maori language and also how some of James’s cousin in New Zealand might celebrate Christmas – in the middle of their summer!
Thank you to Sarah for how to say Merry Christmas in Maori.
The post LSWC08-22: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 22” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’re going to hear about the presents that Jesus received as a baby and the people that gave them to him, the wise men or magi.
Click here for the link to the online planetarium.
The post LSWC08-21: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 21” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’re going to Belgium where are two official languages for us to try! We’ll also be finding out about some Christmas traditions in Belgium.
The post LSWC08-20: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 20” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Away In A Manger Was written in 1887, and is commonly known as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn.” But did the great German Reformer, Martin Luther, really write the words? Did he sing them by the cradle of his little son, Hans?
Listen to the show for a possible answer.
This hymn is beautifully performed by David Phelps, from his wonderful Christmas CD/DVD set “O Holy Night.”
Away In A Manger Lyrics: Anonymous
Music: James R. Murray
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.
The post HS52: Lifespring! HymnStories “Away In A Manger” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today, we hear how to say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” from Marina V, a Russian-born singer who is now an American citizen. Her website is here. In addition, we hear some Russian Christmas traditions, and hear an old Russian folk story.
The post LSWC08-19: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 19” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We’re off to Spain today where we will find out how to say Merry Christmas in three languages! We’ll also hear about Epiphany, a very important celebration in Spain.
Thanks to:
Victor Cajiao of the Typical Mac User Podcast
Rob Costlow
and Roy from James’ Church!
The post LSWC08-18: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 18” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We’re off to Poland today! There are several Polish Christmas customs that today’s host, Steve Webb, especially likes.
The post LSWC08-17: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 17” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We’re visiting the Mediterranean island of Malta today; where we’ll learn another language and find out about the Maltese custom of having cribs.
The post LSWC08-16: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 16” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Our quest to learn new languages in which to say “Merry Christmas” takes us to the Czech Republic, where not only do we learn this, but we learn some of the Czech customs, including an unusual entree that is included in the traditional Christmas meal.
As a special bonus, we hear Canadian singer, Cat Jahnke’s beautiful song, “Rise Up, Shepherd, And Follow”, from her Christmas CD “O Night Divine”.
The post LSWC08-15: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 15” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Being a Sunday, James and Steve talk about another part of the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. Today, we learn about the shepherds’ role in the story of the first Christmas.
The post LSWC08-14: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 14” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Happy St Lucia’s Day! We’ll be going to Scandinavia to learn three languages in one and also hear about St. Lucia, a very important person in Sweden. Today’s language is spoken to us by Jan Martensen, thanks Jan, the husband of singer Leah Martensen.!
The post LSWC08-13: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 13” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Japan is our next stop, and you just might be surprised at how easy it is to say Merry Christmas in Japanese, not to mention which American fast food restaurant is very popular on Christmas day!
The post LSWC08-12: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 12” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We’re to warmer climes today and Madagascar! We’ll find out how to say Happy Christmas in Malagasy with a message from a friend of James and also hear about Christmas in Madagascar.
Madagascan Christmas Recipes Oh Come all ye Faithful in Malagasy
The post LSWC08-11: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 11” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We’re going north today, to the country of Finland. Host Steve Webb tackles another new way to say “Merry Christmas”, with “Happy New Year” thrown in! How does he do on this one? Also, the Finnish people may surprise you with where they say Santa Claus lives! Tune in to find out.
The post LSWC08-10: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 10” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’re off to Germany for some more Christmas Customs and another language. We’ve got some listener feedback from Joyce, a member of James’s Church, who knows how to say Merry Christmas in German. And we’ll also hear about the story behind Silent Night.
Recipe for Stollen
The post LSWC08-09: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 9” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We have lots of fun today with the Hungarian Christmas greeting, and learn a little about Hungary’s Christmas customs.
Thanks to Alex Fenson, who called in the Hungarian Christmas greeting! He has a show called “The New Forest Podcast.” Check it out here!
As a special bonus, we hear Miss Karmyn Tyler’s special recording of “Silent Night”, which she recorded in 2006 for the first year of the Lifespring Advent Calendar Show.
Be sure to listen to the entire show for a good laugh!
The post LSWC08-08: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 8” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today, the second Sunday of Advent, we find out about how Mary found out that she would be bearing the Son of God.
The post LSWC08-07: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 7” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
We travel to the Netherlands today to learn how to say Merry Christmas in Dutch. We learn about where the name “Santa Claus” comes from, too, plus lots of other customs from Holland.
The post LSWC08-06: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 6” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’re taking a Mediterranean Cruise from Protugal over to Greece! Find out how to say Merry Christmas in one of the oldest languages on the planet and a bit about a Greek Christmas.
The post LSWC08-05: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 5” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Portuguese is the language of the day, and we see the similarities between Portugal’s traditional Christmas celebrations and your host, Steve Webb’s family celebration. Though there is no Portuguese or Brazilian heritage in the family, the way Christmas is celebrated has some striking resemblances!
The post LSWC08-04: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 4” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On today’s show, James Cooper tries to get his tonsils around four different ways of saying Happy Christmas and all from India – Hindi & Urdu, Sanskrit, Bengali and Tamil! And we’ll also find out a bit more about Christmas in India.
The post LSWC08-03: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 3” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
On today’s show, we have a listener who tells us how to say “Merry Christmas” in Chinese, so host Steve Webb uses the opportunity to talk about how Christmas is celebrated in China.
Part of the discussion of China was specifically about Hong Kong celebrations, which also include a six week long celebration called Winterfest.
Here’s a video showing part of the light- and laser show associated with Winterfest:
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Special Bonus! Steve Webb recently interviewed David Phelps on the Lifespring! Show. David recently released a new CD/DVD set called “O Holy Night”, and we hear the title cut on this show!
If you like the song, buy the entire CD/DVD by clicking on the album art below. Proceeds will help support the ministry of Lifespring Media.
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The post LSWC08-02: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 2” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Welcome to the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show for 2008! This is the third year for this Christmas podcast.
If you’re a regular Lifespring! listener you might have heard the Christmas member of the Lifespring! family for the last couple of years! If this is your first time listening to the LIfespring! Why Christmas Show or any Lifespring! show, then welcome – it’s great to have you with us! The LIfespring! Why Christmas Show is a joint project between the Lifespring Media family and the whychristmas?com website.
On today’s show, Steve Webb and James Cooper give the listeners a bit of a heads up on what the shows will be about this year, and tackle the first “foreign language” Merry Christmas!
The post LSWC08-01: Lifespring! Why Christmas “Day 1” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The blessed day has arrived! Jesus, the Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords, God with us, is today born in the town of Bethlehem!
Links:
Gabe Taviano, of the God’s Mac Podcast read the scripture today.
Mario Ajero played “Away In A Manger.”
The Swingle Singers sang “The Christmas Song.”
The Swingle Singers
“Christmas Song” (mp3)
from “Unwrapped”
(The Sound Corporation)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
The post LSWC09: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “The Birth Of The Messiah” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Christmas is many things to many people, beyond the main reason for the season, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, which we’ve spent several episodes talking about, and which tomorrow’s show will certainly be focused upon.
For much of the world, Christmas is a common touchstone for us, the one day of the year that we all look forward to and cherish. It’s the date on the calendar that is consistent. Different nations have different national holidays, and there are 365 different days of the year that birthdays are celebrated, but Christmas is the same for us all. December 25th is a day where we stop, gather the family around, and bask in the joy and hope and the love. Over the years, we build up memories of this special day. We might remember our first bicycle, our first train set, first puppy, our prettiest christmas tree, the list could go on forever. And then there are the bittersweet memories.
So, with all the hustle and busy-ness that you may still be in the midst of with those last minute shopping trips, or as you’re preparing for the Christmas meal that you’ll share tomorrow with your family, let’s listen to some memories from a few Lifespring! Why Christmas listeners…
Links:
Jeff Roney
Gabe Taviano
Jersey Todd
Karmyn Tyler
Music on today’s show:
Michael Allen Harrison
“Dance Of The Snow Fairy”
from “Enchanted Christmas”
Tennessee Ernie Ford
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Medley”
from “Family Christmas”
The post LSWC08: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “Memories” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll be finding out about the presents that Jesus received as a baby and the people that gave them to him, the wise men or magi. Their story is told in the Book of Matthew, chapter 2.
Today’s Music
Tommy Harden
“We Three Kings”
from “Peace On Earth”
The post LSWC07: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “The Wise Men” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Our carol today is “What Child Is This.”
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
What words of triumph and joy! Despite the melancholic melody, this song is a song of celebration of the birth of the King of kings.
After we hear about the background of this beautiful song, we’ll hear an artist that I’m pleased to say that I personally introduced to podcasting. I found Cat Jahnke’s music at garageband.com early in 2007, loved it, emailed her, told her about podcasting, and she responded by posting several of her songs at the Podsafe Music Network for podcasters to use on their shows. Now she’s got this new CD of Christmas music, and I just love it. I think you’ll enjoy her rendition of our carol today.
Today’s Artists
Vocal rendition: Cat Jahnke “What Child Is This”
Joemy Wilson
“What Child Is This?” (mp3)
from “Gifts – Traditional Christmas Carols”
(Dargason Music)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Napster
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Amazon
Buy at GroupieTunes
Thanks!
A tip of the hat to HomeSchoolBlogAwards.com. They recently listed Lifespring! HymnStories on their Tuesday Tour of great websites for homeschoolers. Being a former homeschooling dad, I think this is very cool. Thanks Rhonda!
“What Child Is This?”William Chatterton Dix
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
The post HS42: Lifespring! HymnStories “What Child Is This?” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The shepherds are the first to hear that Jesus has been born in Bethlehem. The message is delivered by angels, a whole host of them!
Special thanks to Ed Ovett, of the “Ed’s Mixed Bag” podcast for reading today’s scripture.
The music is Doug Boldt’s “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing with Angels We Have Heard On High“.
This is your last call to send a recording of your favorite Christmas memory. Email to: lifespringwhychristmas (at) gmail (d ot) com
The post LSWC05: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “The Shepherds And The Angels” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The origins of this plaintive carol date to medieval times. In the 800s, a series of Latin hymns were sung each day during Christmas Vespers from December 17 to 23. To hear how John Mason Neale came to write this hymn, and how it is related to the Latin hymns, listen to the show.
Karmyn Tyler sang a very special, exclusive rendition of this hymn for this show. Thank you Karmyn!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Lyrics translated by John M. Neale
Music: Thomas Helmore
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Refrain
Today’s Artists
Doug Boldt…”O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with What Child Is This?”
Karmyn Tyler, with her exclusive “Lifespring! Why Christmas Show” rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Thank you, Karmyn!
Karmyn Tyler
Photography: Michael D’Ambrosia
The post HS41: Lifespring! HymnStories “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
The origins of this plaintive carol date to medieval times. In the 800s, a series of Latin hymns were sung each day during Christmas Vespers from December 17 to 23. To hear how John Mason Neale came to write this hymn, and how it is related to the Latin hymns, listen to the show.
Karmyn Tyler sang a very special, exclusive rendition of this hymn for this show. Thank you Karmyn!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Lyrics translated by John M. Neale
Music: Thomas Helmore
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Refrain
Today’s Artists
Doug Boldt…”O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with What Child Is This?”
Karmyn Tyler, with her exclusive “Lifespring! Why Christmas Show” rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Thank you, Karmyn!
Karmyn Tyler
Photography: Michael D’Ambrosia
The post LSWC04: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today, James and Steve talk about how Mary and Joseph, her betrothed, found out that she would bear a son, even though she had never been with a man, and that this son would be the Savior of the world!
The post LSWC03: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “Mary And Joseph Hear The News” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today, we’re going to hear the story behind the beautiful Christmas carol, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”
Written in 1849 by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian minister, this was the second of two “twin” carols. (Listen to the show for more.)
Lyrics
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O ye beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
“Calm On The Listening Ear”
Calm on the listening ear of night
Come heaven’s melodious strains,
Where wild Judea stretches far
Her silver mantled plains.
Celestial choirs from courts above
Shed sacred glories there,
And angels, with their sparkling lyres,
Make music on the air.
Artists On This Show
London Fox Players & Tim Mather
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” (mp3)
from “20 Peaceful Christmas Favorites”
(Classic Fox Records)
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Benjamin
The post HS40: Lifespring! HymnStories “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today, we’re going to hear the story behind the beautiful Christmas carol, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”
Written in 1849 by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian minister, this was the second of two “twin” carols. (Listen to the show for more.)
Lyrics
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heavens all gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O ye beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
“Calm On The Listening Ear”
Calm on the listening ear of night
Come heaven’s melodious strains,
Where wild Judea stretches far
Her silver mantled plains.
Celestial choirs from courts above
Shed sacred glories there,
And angels, with their sparkling lyres,
Make music on the air.
Artists On This Show
London Fox Players & Tim Mather
“It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” (mp3)
from “20 Peaceful Christmas Favorites”
(Classic Fox Records)
The post LSWC02: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Welcome To The Show
If you’re a regular Lifespring! listener or heard the “Lifespring! Advent Calendar” last year, welcome back! If this is your first time listening to the “Lifespring! Why Christmas Show”, welcome to you, too!
The “Lifespring! Why Christmas Show” is a joint project between the Lifespring! Media family and the whychristmas?com website.
Episode One
In this first installment of the show for 2007, James and Steve talk about Advent, and why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.
Be A Part Of The Show!
How would you like to be a part of the Lifespring Why Christmas Show this season? James and I would love to have you join us.
Just record your favorite Christmas memory, around 2 or 3 minutes, and send it to us at LifespringWhyChristmas ( a t) gmail (d0 t) com.
Or you can even phone your favorite Christmas memory in, toll free in the US, at (877)433-9091. We really want to hear your story!
The post LSWC01: Lifespring! Why Christmas Show “Why The Twenty-Fifth?” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today, on the final day of the calendar, we find out what Christmas is really all about, the birth of Jesus.
Happy Christmas everyone and Happy Birthday Jesus!
Find out more about Jesus’ Birth at whychristmas?com
MUSIC
Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band
Special, huge thanks go to Mr. Bryan Duncan for allowing us to use his song, “This Christmas” for our theme music this year. Please consider purchasing some of Bryan’s music from his website here.
The background music today was from
Download “Joy to the World / The Gift” (mp3)
from “Winter Tidings”
by Al Petteway & Amy White
Maggie’s Music
- Buy at eMusic
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
Thanks
Thanks to the guests who contributed to the Lifespring! Advent Calendar this year:
Bryan Duncan, Steve’s friend, and whose music was used as the theme for the Lifespring! Advent Calendar, who read for us on Day 3.
Karmyn Tyler, on Day 9, for her special rendition of “Silent Night”, recorded just for the Lifespring! Advent Calendar!
Ron, from the Griddlecakes Radio podcast, on Day 17.
Reverend Rosey Grier, for his reading of the scriptures on Day 24.
Steve’s sons, Steven and Timothy, for sharing bad Christmas jokes on Day 12.
The post Day 25 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Happy Christmas!” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Only one day to go! We light four candles today and hear about a very special baby, but perhaps not the one you’re thinking about!
Find out more about this other special baby (and his parents!) at whychristmas?com
Theme music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band
Background music: Michael Silvestri
Download “Silent Night” (mp3)
from “Christmas In New England – Guitar Celebrations For The Holidays”
by Michael Silvestri
ItsAboutMusic.com
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
- Buy at Napster
The post Day 24 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “4th Sunday in Advent & Christmas Eve!” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we find out about the Wisemen. Were there three of them and why did they travel so far to find a new baby?
Find out more about The Wisemen at whychristmas?com
Planetarium and astronomy software link mentioned in the show: http://stellarium.org/
Theme music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band
Background music:
Download “We Three Kings” (mp3)
from “Octaves Of Winter I”
by Starfire Artists
Starfire-Muse Studio Productions
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at eMusic
The post Day 23 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “The Wisemen” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we associate snow with Christmas? It’s not mentioned in the Christmas Story!
Find out more about Snow at Christmas at whychristmas?com
Theme music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background music:
Download “White Christmas” (mp3)
from “Merry Christmas – Tony Evans”
by Tony Evans & His Orchestra
Tema International
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at eMusic
The post Day 22 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Snow at Christmas” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out the history of “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful”, James’ favourite carol!
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Organ music: Julie Melton
Man: Gary Sundblad
Song: Jill Parr
The post Day 21 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar/Hymn/Carol Stories #24 “O Come All Ye Faithful” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we eat these at Christmas and how were they first made? Listen to find out!
Find out more about Christmas Puddings at whychristmas?com
Find out more about Mince Pies at whychristmas?com
Get the recipies for Puddings and Pies at whychristmas?com
Theme music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background music:
Download “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (mp3)
from “Gifts – Traditional Christmas Carols”
by Joemy Wilson
Dargason Music
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at eMusic
The post Day 20 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christmas Puddings & Mince Pies” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Do you know how to say ‘Happy Christmas’ in another language? Listen to the show so you can surprise your family and friends!
Find out how to say Happy Christmas in lots of Languages at whychristmas?com
Theme Music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background Music:
Download “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (mp3)
from “A Christmas Concert for Brass”
by Pittsburgh Symphony Brass
Four Winds Entertainment, Inc.
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
- Buy at Napster
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
The post Day 19 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christmas in Different Languages” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out how some different countires around the world celebrate Christmas!
Find out more about Christmas Around The World at whychristmas?com
Theme Music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background Music: Nu Beat…”Christmas In Bethlehem”
The post Day 18 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christmas Around The World” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we light three candles because it’s the 3rd Sunday in Advent! I wonder if we’ll hear any of the Christmas Story today?
Find out more about Mary being told about Jesus at whychristmas?com
Find out more about Joseph finding out about Jesus at whychristmas?com
Guest Reader: Ron from the “Griddlecakes Radio” podcast. Thanks Ron!
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background: Doug Boldt…”Hark The Herald Angels Sing with Angels We Have Heard On High”
Song: Mark Lowry…”Mary Did You Know” Thank you, Mark!
The post Day 17 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar – 3rd Sunday in Advent “Mary and Joseph” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we have big bits of wood in our houses at Christmas time and when did it start? Listen to find out!
Find out more about Christmas Trees at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background:
Download “O Christmas Tree” (mp3)
from “Happy Holiday – Christmas Favorites”
by Various Artists
Rock River Music
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at eMusic
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
The post Day 16 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christmas Trees!” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out the story behind ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’, which shouldn’t really be the title at all!
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background:
Download “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (mp3)
from “The Spirit of Christmas”
by Pittsburgh Symphony Brass
Four Winds Entertainment, Inc.
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at Napster
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
Sung by: Dean Krippaehne…”Hark The Herald Angels Sing”
The post HS23: Lifespring! HymnStories and Day 15 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out the story behind ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’, which shouldn’t really be the title at all!
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background:
Download “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (mp3)
from “The Spirit of Christmas”
by Pittsburgh Symphony Brass
Four Winds Entertainment, Inc.
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at Napster
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
Sung by: Dean Krippaehne…”Hark The Herald Angels Sing”
The post Day 15 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar and HS23: Lifespring! HymnStories “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
(This REPOST fixes an audio problem present in the original post.)
Today is St Lucia’s day, a very important day for people in Scandinavia, especially Sweden.
Find out more about Christmas in Sweden at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background music: Doug Boldt…”In the Bleak Midwinter”
The post Day 13 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “St. Lucia’s Day” (REPOST) first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we hear some more of the Christmas Story, this time about the Shepherds and their amazing experience!
Find out more about The Shepherds at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Brian Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background: Gary…“Shepherds Left Their Flocks”
Song: Jill Parr…“Do You Hear What I Hear”
The post Day 14 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “The Shepherds” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today is St Lucia’s day, a very important day for people in Scandinavia, especially Sweden.
Find out more about Christmas in Sweden at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background music: Doug Boldt…”In the Bleak Midwinter”
The post Day 13 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “St. Lucia’s Day” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today the calendar is about Christmas Crackers and we also tell some very bad cracker jokes!
Find out more about Christmas Crackers at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Song: Dr. Elmo…”Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”
Download “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” (mp3)
from “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer”
by Dr. Elmo
Laughing Stock
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
The post Day 12 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christmas Crackers!” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we have Holly, Ivy and other greenery, like Mistletoe, at Christmas? Today we’ll find out!
Find out more about Holly & Ivy at whychristmas?com
Find out more about Mistletoe at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Brian Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Chuck Stevens…”The Holly And The Ivy”
The post Day 11 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “The Holly and the Ivy (& Mistletoe!)” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today is the 2nd Sunday in Advent, as we light our 2nd candle, I wonder what’s it’s about today?
Music
Theme music: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Derek K. Miller…“We Three Kings”
The post Day 10 Lifespring! Advent Calendar “2nd Sunday in Advent” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out the history behind ‘Silent Night’, it might not be what you think!
Find out more about Silent Night at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background guitar: Michael Silvestri
Download “Silent Night” (mp3)
from “Christmas In New England – Guitar Celebrations For The Holidays”
by Michael Silvestri
ItsAboutMusic.com
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
- Buy at Napster
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
Full vocal version of Silent Night: Allison Crowe
A cappella version recorded especially for the Lifespring! Advent Calendar by Miss Karmyn Tyler. Thank you so very much, Karmyn, for your generosity!
The post HS22: Lifespring! Carol Stories/Advent Calendar Day 9 “Silent Night” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out the history behind ‘Silent Night’, it might not be what you think!
Find out more about Silent Night at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Background guitar: Michael Silvestri
Download “Silent Night” (mp3)
from “Christmas In New England – Guitar Celebrations For The Holidays”
by Michael Silvestri
ItsAboutMusic.com
- Buy at iTunes Music Store
- Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody
- Buy at Napster
- Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody
Full vocal version of Silent Night: Allison Crowe
A cappella version recorded especially for the Lifespring! Advent Calendar by Miss Karmyn Tyler. Thank you so very much, Karmyn, for your generosity!
The post Day 9 – Lifespring! Carol Stories “Silent Night” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today we’ll find out how some different countries around the world celebrate Christmas!
Find out more about Christmas Around The World at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Song: The Alice Project…”Drummer Boy”
The post Day 8 Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christmas Around The World” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
What are Christingles & Chrismons? What do they mean and what can you do with them?
Find out more about Christingles at whychristmas?com
Find out more about Chrismons at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band??This Christmas?
Song: Jimmie Bratcher…”Man It’s Christmas”
The post Day 7 – Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Christingles & Chrismons” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Happy St. Nicholas’ Day! But who was he and why do most of us know him by another name?
Find out more about St. Nicholas at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Song:Andy Buscemi…”Santa Is Comin’ To Town”
The post Day 6 Lifespring! Advent Calendar “St. Nicholas’ Day” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why are Christmas songs called ‘Carols’ and how long have we been singing them?
Find out more about Christmas Carols at whychristmas?com
Music
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band…”This Christmas”
Carol:Jill Parr…”O Come All Ye Faithful”
The post Day 5 – Christmas Carols first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we send cards to each other? And when and how did it all start?
Find out more about Christmas Cards at whychristmas?com
Music?
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band??This Christmas?
Carol: Doug Boldt??Here We Come A Caroling?
The post Day 4 – Christmas Cards first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today is the official start to Advent as it’s Advent Sunday. One candles is lit on our Advent Crown, but what will it represent?
The post Day 3 – 1st Sunday in Advent first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Why do we celebrate Christmas on the 25th December and it is really Jesus’ birthday? Today we’ll find out.
Find out more about the 25th December at whychristmas?com
Music?
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band??This Christmas?
Carol: Doug Boldt??Deck the Halls with We Wish You A Merry Christmas?
The post Day 2 – Why the 25th? first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Today is the start of our Advent Calendar, so we’re going to be finding out all about Advent.
What is it and why do we have it?
Find out more about Advent at whychristmas?com
Music?
Theme: Bryan Duncan and the NehoSoul Band??This Christmas??
Carol: Ray Greene featuring Dow Brian??Tell Me The Story Of Christmas?
The post Day 1 – All About Advent! first appeared on Lifespring! Media.
Know how to say “Merry Christmas” in a language other than English? Record a “Merry Christmas” in that language and email an mp3 to steve.lifespring@gmail.com or phone my listener comment line at: +1-206-350-2255. Identify yourself and what language you’re using!
The post Lifespring! Advent Calendar “Merry Christmas in other languages” first appeared on Lifespring! Media.