Christmas – Page 2 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

The Star Of Bethlehem

Tonight I want to Continue with looking into the meaning behind Christmas decorations with the Star Of Bethlehem. Today it’s either used as a topper for the Christmas Tree or displayed as part of the Nativity Scene. As I researched for tonight’s post I was amazed at the number of articles that try to figure out how to make the Star into some explainable cosmic event such as a Supernova, Comet or an alignment of the planets. That would make it easier to explain away the miraculous birth of the Messiah. As if all that happened was that the Magi studied star charts and calculated when the event would occur. While I believe that there was a certain amount of looking for signs that would lead up to the appearance of the Star Of Bethlehem I believe that the Star Of Bethlehem itself was a special creation of God that existed only for a limited time to fulfill the Prophecy.

Numbers 24:17
“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”

What I learned most while reading up on the Star Of Bethlehem was that in trying to deconstruct a miracle it’s so easy to lose it. How often do we pray for answers and then try to explain those answers away? We all do that at some point in life. Outside of the obvious symbol of Star in fulfillment of prophecy I think that the Star on the top of the Christmas Tree should remind us to simply trust and follow. If we can learn that the God will do the rest.

Standing in for the Star Of Bethlehem in tonight’s feature image is the full moon as seen through a cross six lens filter.

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Tonight’s Feature Image is untitled but is available for purchase by usingthe Contact Form on my website. ( just click the picture of the bell below)

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5X7 is $10.00

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Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

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A Short Pause For Family

Christmas, Color Photography, Landscapes

Today I have spent the entire day with my extended family celebrating our traditional Christmas. Because the evening’s events went a little longer than expected (which is a good thing) my post is actually going to come after midnight. We’ll pickup with the meaning behind Christmas decorations on Sunday Evening (December 23rd ). Tomorrow night we’ll be looking into the star on top of the tree. I hope everyone has had as much of a blessed day as I have.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Hemlocks In Winter 2018” and is available for purchase by usingthe Contact Form on my website. ( just click the picture of the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook for details.

The Long Night And Meaning Of The Lights On The Tree

Christmas, Color Photography

Recently I made the comment that I was more excited about the 21st of December than I was for the 24th or 25th. The 21st of December is the longest night of year. And, when the dawn breaks on the 22nd the light returns to planet Earth. Most people are aware of the winter solstice and how the early church decided that it was just perfect for celebrating Jesus’s birthday.

Saint John 1:4-5

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Simply put, the lights on a Christmas tree represent Jesus Christ as the light of the world.

The Appalachian Winter is one where we can have snow or rain or both for Christmas but the darkness of December is a constant. The steep incline of our hills and low angle of the sun makes the normally long night even longer. The darkness like sin seems to suffocate you. It brings a coldness that seeps into very core of your being. But just when you think it’s going to be dark forever the light breaks over a distant ridge and the cold night begins to retreat. The light returns and with it comes new life.

As I’ve studied the deeper meanings behind our Christmas decorations I’ve come to understand that the Christmas Tree itself is a microcosm of the Jesus experience. We can decorate the tree with all kinds of trinkets and bobbles and assign different meanings to them and make it a beautiful and artistic expression of our Christian faith but it’s when the lights are turned on that it comes to life and brings us joy.

So, that’s the meaning behind the Christmas lights. It’s the expression of new life coming into world and the exit of the long dark night.

Tonight’s Feature Image is untitled but is available for purchase by usingthe Contact Form on my website. ( just click the picture of the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook for details.

The Story Behind Christmas Balls

Christmas, Color Photography

When I got the idea to break down the symbolic meanings of Christmas decorations I didn’t expect to find Adam and Eve. It’s on the wrong end of the Bible for Christmas. Isn’t it? Well no. Not when you consider that the whole reason why Jesus Christ was born started in the Garden of Eden. And the first prophecy of a Messiah was given in the first book of the Bible. Genesis 3:15. And that’s why we hang decorative balls on our Christmas trees. Now, those who are in the Eastern Orthodox Church are going to be better versed in this tradition than I am but December 24th was Originally Adam and Eve Day. The celebration included a play in the town square that featured a tree with dried Apples. I learned today that in 1858 the entire crop of apples was lost due to a storm. Of course by now it was a full blown Christmas celebration but it just wasn’t right to have a Christmas tree without any apples to represent man’s state of sin and the reason why a savior was born. Necessity being the mother of invention the familiar glass globe was created as a stand in for the dried apple. Over the years Christmas Balls have become more ornate and lighter but the reason why we have them is to remind us of the need for a savior.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Christmas Balls 1″and is available for purchase by usingthe Contact Form on my website. ( just click the picture of the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook for details.

All About The Christmas Holly

Christmas, Color Photography

Well by gosh by golly, tonight’s post is all about holly!

One of the more familiar icons of the Christmas season in North America holly is a direct analogy to Jesus Christ.

Obviously the red berries are said to represent the blood that was shed for the remittance of sin. Only innocent blood could break the curse of Adam.

The prickles on the leaves are in relationship to the crown of thorns. In Roman Times the highest honor a leader could receive was a crown made from the grass of the battlefield where he had just gained victory. Because the thorn is a symbol for the curse of Adam a crown of thorns could be seen as a symbol for Christ’s victory, awarded to him by the sinners who He was born to save.

Holly is evergreen representing eternal life bestowed upon us by Jesus.

The wood produced by holly is white and symbolizes purity.

On a side note, if you want to have pretty red berries on your holly tree you need two trees. Holly comes in male and female trees. Holly grows wild in my area and before I understood why I would be disappointed to see one without berries.

In addition to that, one of my Forestry instructors would tell us that “holy wood will guide you right”. The wood is very fine grained and somewhat oily. Because of this it was once used to make guide pins for saw mills.

Even though Christmas holly is evergreen there is a type of holly tree that is deciduous. It has bright red berries like it’s festive Christmas cousin but the leaves turn bright yellow in the fall and drop in winter.

The berries of all hollies are poison but beautiful to look at making them great landscaping for the drab backdrop of winter.

That’s pretty much it for holly as it relates to the Christmas season. I hope that you have enjoyed this post.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Christmas Holly 2018” and is available for purchase by usingthe Contact Form on my website. ( just click the picture of the bell below)

The second picture is titled “Deciduous Holly 2018” and is also available for purchase by using the Contact Form on my website.

( just click the picture of the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook for details.