Ten Minute Post

So what words are there to say in a ten minute post?

The past two weeks, I've been doing some introductory Christmas in my classes. Each day I add and subtract to my lesson plan until it's really solid, and I feel like I've gotten Christmas down pretty well (now that I only have two more days teaching this lesson plan).

I start out the lesson by either playing Christmas music or this delightful video that's a song of English people trying to speak Chinese, both of which they enjoy. But then I round it off with jingle bells, which they know a Chinese version of (ding ding dong ding ding dong, li something something something..they don't know the rest, I don't speak Chinese--YET, it's just a hot mess). Then I teach them the English version of it. We then go through the Who What When Where Why and How of Christmas, starting with 'songs' under 'What'.

I go Christmas caroling to four of my students' desks, starting with Jingle Bells (they help), then We Wish You A Merry Christmas (they know a little bit of it), then Frosty the Snowman. Before the last song, though, we talk about the Why.

Do you know why we have Christmas?
...........
Do you know...Yesu?
Ohhhhhh!!! Yesssss!
His name in English is Jesus Christ. See? Christ? Christmas?
Ohhhhhhh!
We have Christmas because it is Jesus Christ's birthday.
Ohhhhhhh!
So I love Christmas because I love FUN Christmas songs, but I also love Christmas because some songs are quiet. They make me feel peace in my heart. Do you know peace?
......
Ping'an.
Ohhhh!!! Yes I know!!
Some songs are very quiet. Like this song.

I then sing them Silent Night.

I'm not entirely sure how it works out, but they're sweethearts and applaud after I finish a verse, but I motion for them to stay quiet as I play another song by Cori Connors.

The lyrics:

"Heavenly choirs must have had children
Singing along when they came to the earth
Jesus I know loves little children
So I imagine they sang at his birth

Alleluia, alleluia
Had I been there I would have sung
Alleluia, alleluia
Praise to the Lord, praise to His Son
Praise to the Lord, praise to His Son

(Children join) Heavenly choirs must have had children
Singing along when they came to the earth
Jesus I know loves little children
So I imagine they sang at His birth

Alleluia, alleluia
Had I been there I would have sung
Alleluia, alleluia
Praise to the Lord, praise to His Son
Praise to the Lord, praise to His Son

My children listen in silence, as enthralled with Cori Connors' voice as I am.

Beautiful, yes?
YES!
Do you feel peace?
Mmmmm. (how they say yes)
This is why I love Christmas. I love fun Christmas songs, but I very much love quiet Christmas songs that make me feel peace. It makes me want to give. Instead of thinking ME ME ME, I begin to think, YOU YOU YOU. It is very good. 

I then go on with pictures of Christmas trees, learning what goes under the tree, what goes on the tree, THIS incredible light display, and terrible drawings of ornaments, candy canes, and one-horse-open-sleighs.

But the beautiful thing is seeing a glimmer of recognition in my students' eyes as they feel the one thing that Satan can't replicate--the one thing the Atonement can bring us, the one thing people spend their whole lives trying to obtain, the one thing that softens hearts and opens eyes: peace.

My students may not ever learn the truth of the gospel in their lives, but I hope they can at least distinguish that peace comes from a being greater than them, yet a being that knows them personally to give them a hope in their heart that they will be able to recognize in the Spirit of the Lord.

This definitely didn't end up being a ten minute post, but, Merry Christmas!