As we come to a new year let us be grateful for the gifts God has given us of our spouse, our children our family, and friends. We must cherish them and appreciate the time we have with them. Despite all the trials and tribulations, we should always be thankful to God.

I was recently very touched by the story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who has been credited for many great novels, stories, and poems but also Christmas carols. Despite the loss of his wife and the shooting of son, he wrote the famous poem “I heard the bells on Christmas day.” Read the story below of Longfellow and his wife Fanny and listen to the video of his poem put to music while meditating on all the blessings that God has given us and when we are faced with trials as Longfellow was may we have strength to continue to praise God and not lose faith. Let us cultivate this gratitude and faith with those around us in this new year of 2012 starting with our spouse and family and then with those around us. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!!

The story of Longfellow and the bells on Christmas Day
“After trimming some of seven year old Edith's beautiful curls, Fanny, Henry Longfellow's wife, decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed upon her dress. The longed for sea breeze gusted through the window, igniting the light material of Fanny's dress-- immediately wrapping her in flames. In her attempt to protect Edith and Allegra, she ran to Henry's study in the next room, where Henry frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with a nearby, but undersized throw rug. Failing to stop the fire with the rug, he tried to smother the flames by throwing his arms around Frances-- severely burning his face, arms, and hands. Fanny Longfellow died the next morning. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry did not attend her funeral. (Incidentally, the trademark full beard of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.)

The first Christmas after Fanny's death, Longfellow wrote, "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays." A year after the incident, he wrote, "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace." Longfellow's journal entry for December 25th 1862 reads: "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me." Almost a year later, Longfellow received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blades and taking off one of the spinal processes. The Christmas of 1863 was silent in Longfellow's journal. Finally, on Christmas Day of 1864, he wrote the words of the poem, "Christmas Bells."

Longfellow's Christmas bells loudly proclaimed, "God is not dead." Even more, the bells announced, "Nor doth He sleep." God's Truth, Power, and Justice are affirmed, when Longfellow wrote: "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail." The message that the Living God is a God of Peace is proclaimed in the close of the carol: "Of peace on Earth, good will to men."
Read the whole story here: http://www.thebluegrassspecial.com/archive/2011/december2011/longfellow-...