Cornerstone Goes Caroling

Every December our church goes Christmas caroling.  We generally go to people's homes that don't get to get out.  We sing and pray for them.  Everyone has so much fun!  We met after church Sunday afternoon at 2 pm in the parking lot of a local pizza place.  Some of us loaded up in a wagon for a hayride (minus the hay).  The rest followed in their cars.  I can't believe I didn't get a head count, but I think it was around 25 folk in all.

After we went to a couple of people's homes to sing, we went by Jeff Davis Living Center.  It is one of the two nursing homes in our town.  We walked down the halls singing and stopped by the room of a lady who came to our church.  We have special binders made up with all the Christmas carols in them, so we sing the first and last verses and sing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" before moving down the hall or to the next room.  

Jennings has a VA Home as well.  We walked through the VA home singing.  We went into the Alzheimer's Unit here.  It was amazing to see some of the residents singing along!  It's always very touching and moving to see.  The VA home was decorated very nicely.

We had one more stop at Camelot Brookside.  It is another nursing home in our town.  We have Services there monthly on the third Wednesday of the month.  It was to be our final stop of the day.  However, when we pulled up, there was another large group about to go in and carol.  We decided to come back on another day to sing for them.  We'll be there for services on the 20th anyway.  It was about to get dark and would be dangerous to be in the trailer going down the road.

We headed back to the Fellowship Hall at our church and sang one more time.  Then we asked a blessing over the meal and feasted on brisket, potato soup, shrimp mold, and a dizzying array of desserts!  Caroling is a simple thing, but it brings joy to people.  They remember old times and sing along and smile.  It was a great day for everyone involved, and I'm glad that we do it!

More Blessed To Give Than Recieve

In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

Last Sunday afternoon our church went on our Annual Christmas Caroling Hayride.  We always go to the VA home in town, as well as both of the nursing homes and usually a few shut ins.  The weather was nicer than it usually is and everyone couldn't fit in the trailer for the hayride.  Some followed us from place to place in cars.  Our cows were happy to loan us some of their square bales for the hayride, but made it clear that they wanted them back when the hayride was over.

We have Christmas Carol binders with all the words to the songs we'll be singing, and we pass them out to all the participants.  We normally stroll the halls, stopping at the resident's rooms and singing to them.  When we find a group of residents sitting in a common area, we'll sing a little longer.  It is so heart-warming to see the smiles on their faces.  Some have requests for us to sing and some sing along with us and follow us down the hall.  We have monthly services at the VA home and one of the nursing homes, so it was good to get to see those that regularly attend the services during the caroling event.

After we had caroled for two hours and our voices were about to go out, we rode back to the church where we had a fellowship time with hot chocolate and finger food.  We enjoyed each others' company and played a fun game that got everyone involved.

Singing hymns and Christmas carols brings back precious memories for the residents (and us too!) and is a joyful time for all.  Our annual caroling event aims to simply do something kind for the people at the homes we visited, but we got more of a blessing from it than they did.  Just seeing their smiles and having them sincerely thank us, shake our hands, and hug us, made our day and underscored Jesus' teaching that it is indeed more blessed to give than receive.