(upbeat music) - Welcome friends to this episode of the "Everyday Educator" podcast. I'm your host, Lisa Bailey, and I'm excited to spend some time with you today as we encourage one another, learn together, and ponder the delights and challenges that make homeschooling the adventure of a lifetime. Whether you're just considering this homeschooling possibility, or deep into the daily delight of family learning, I believe you'll enjoy thinking along with us.

But don't forget, although this online community is awesome, you'll find even closer support in a local CC community. So go to classicalconversations.com and find a community near you today. Listeners, Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas Eve. I'm so excited to spend a few minutes with you today and hope that you will enjoy our time together as much as I enjoyed designing it for you.

It's kind of your gift from "Everyday Educator," from all of us at the "Everyday Educator" podcast, our gift to your family this Christmas. A read aloud time, read aloud for you. I hope that you will enjoy listening and thinking on your own, or that you will enjoy listening and thinking and talking with your loved ones this Christmas.

Most of all, I hope that you will recognize and harness the power of Christmas. I wanna begin our read aloud time together this morning with a passage from Isaiah. One of the prophetic writings that foretells the power of Christmas is in the book of Isaiah 9 in the first, oh, about seven verses.

That's what I want to read for us today. Isaiah is speaking to the Lord's people on the Lord's behalf. He is speaking to those who are waiting for a Messiah, who are waiting for a deliverer, who are waiting for a savior. They've been waiting a long time, and they have searched in, much like we do, a lot of the wrong places.

So listen to the words of Isaiah 9:1. "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress. In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future, he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles by the way of the sea along the Jordan.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of the shadow of death. A light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy. They rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us, a child is born.

To us, a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. There is so much hope and so much excitement and so much peace in that passage. Look at the transforming power in the change that Isaiah is foretelling. Look, before this light dawns, what's it like? There's gloom. It says in the very first verse, it's gloom.

There'll be no more gloom. And what else? There's been distress, gloom for those who were in distress. And in the past, those people of the Lord, they were humbled and they walked in darkness and they have been living in the land of the shadow of death. They have been the recipients of warrior's boots and there has been blood that has flowed.

Things have been dark. Things have been hard, but what's the transformation? What's the light that dawns? What happens? What will happen? For those living in the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Out of the gloom, out of the distress, a light has dawned. And this light is going to honor Galilee and it's gonna be a great light.

And you see that what God has done is enlarge the nation and brought joy, increased the joy of His people even more what He's done is shatter the yoke and moved the burdens. This is so cool. Unto us a child is born, not just any child, but a son.

The Son of God is given and look, the government will be on His shoulders. All the responsibility will be on the shoulders of someone else, will be on this baby, this Son of God. And the responsibilities and the burdens can be passed on. And even more than that, that baby will grow to a man who can be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And peace may be the very greatest transformation that these people are able to realize. That's a cool lesson for us to get from the scripture about the power of Christmas. And the scripture tells us lots of truths. And I encourage you and your family to look in the scripture and say, what is the power of this gift that God sent to us?

But you know, fiction can tell us truths as well. Made up stories can tell us great truths and share with us, bring us to an understanding as a story draws us in. There is a powerful story of a changed life in a piece of literature you're probably very familiar with, A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens.

There is a changed life. And so I want to share with you, not the whole story, we don't have that long together, but I encourage you to read it with your family. My family reads this aloud still, and my children are 28 and 30. But I'm gonna share an excerpt just so that we can get a hint of the power that the message of Christmas has to change a life.

And as we read, I want you to think about poor old Ebenezer Scrooge and how the message of Christmas was needed and how it changed him when it came. I'm gonna read you first an excerpt from the very first chapter, kind of sets the stage for our story. Ebenezer Scrooge is a hardened businessman.

He is bitter, he is crotchety, he is all about the money. He's not a very cheerful person. Listen, once upon a time of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve, old Scrooge sat busy in his counting house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather, foggy with all, and he could hear the people in the court outside go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them.

The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already. It had not been light all day, and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighboring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole and was so dense without that, although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms.

To see the dingy cloud that came drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that nature lived hard by and was brewing on a large scale. The door of Scrooge's counting house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond a sort of tank was copying letters.

Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal, but he couldn't replenish it for Scrooge kept the coal box in his own room. And so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part.

Wherefore, the clerk put on his white comforter and tried to warm himself at the candle, in which effort, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed. "A Merry Christmas, Uncle, God save you," cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had had of his approach.

"Bah," said Scrooge, "humbug." He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow. His face was ruddy and handsome. His eyes sparkled and his breath smoked again. "Christmas, a humbug, Uncle," said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I'm sure." "I do," said Scrooge, "Merry Christmas.

"What right have you to be merry? "What reason have you to be merry? "You're poor enough. "Come then," returned the nephew gaily, "What right have you to be dismal? "What reason have you to be morose? "You're rich enough." Scrooge, having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, "Bah," again, and followed it up with, "Humbug." "Oh, don't be cross, Uncle," said the nephew.

"What else can I be," returned the uncle, "when I live in such a world of fools as this? "Merry Christmas. "Out upon merry Christmas. "What's Christmas time to you "but a time for paying bills without money, "a time for finding yourself a year older "and not an hour richer, "a time for balancing your books "and having every item in 'em "through a round dozen of months "presented dead against you?

"If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with merry Christmas "on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding "and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. "He should." "Uncle," pleaded his nephew. "Nephew," returned the uncle sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way "and let me keep it in mine." "Keep it?" repeated Scrooge's nephew.

"But you don't keep it." "Let me leave it alone then," said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you. "Much good it has ever done you." "There are many things from which I might have derived good "by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest.

"But I am sure I have always thought of Christmastime, "when it has come round, apart from the veneration "due to its sacred name and origin, "if anything belonging to it can be apart from that, "as a good time, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time, "the only time I know of in the long calendar year "when men and women seem by one consent "to open their shut-up hearts freely "and to think of people below them "as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave "and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

"And therefore, uncle, though it's never put a scrap "of gold or silver in my pocket, "I believe that it has done me some good "and will do me good, and I say, God bless it." The clerk in the tank involuntarily applauded. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire and extinguished the last frail spark forever.

"Let me hear another sound from you," said Scrooge, "and you'll keep your Christmas by losing your situation. "You're quite a powerful speaker, sir." He added, turning to his nephew, "I wonder you don't go into Parliament. "Don't be angry, uncle. "Come, dine with us tomorrow." Scrooge said that he would see him.

Yes, indeed, he did. He went the whole length of the expression and said that he would see him in that extremity first. "But why?" asked Scrooge's nephew. "Why?" "Why did you get married?" said Scrooge. "Because I fell in love." "Because you fell in love?" growled Scrooge, as if that were the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a Merry Christmas.

"Good afternoon." "Nay, uncle, but you never came to see me "before that happened. "Why give it as a reason for not coming now?" "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "I want nothing from you. "I ask nothing of you. "Why cannot we be friends?" "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "I'm sorry with all my heart to find you so resolute.

"We have never had any quarrel to which I've been a party, "but I've made the trial an homage to Christmas "and I'll keep my Christmas humor to the last. "So Merry Christmas, uncle." "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "And a Happy New Year." "Good afternoon." Now, Scrooge goes home, finally, through the day.

After having another group of people come and visit him, asking for money, seeking some help for the poor, Scrooge, of course, turns them down. He wishes his workmen off and he goes home. And he has dinner in his usual melancholy restaurant. He reads the newspapers and finally he goes home to bed.

And while he is preparing for bed, he is visited. And some say he was visited by a dream. Some say he was visited by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Some say he was visited by the ghosts of Christmas past and Christmas present and Christmas future and each of these visitors to Scrooge on Christmas Eve try to teach him a lesson, try to turn his heart with the message of Christmas.

But Scrooge remains very resolute through all the sights, the memories that he sees, the present circumstances he's reminded of, his heart doesn't change. And the final visitor, the ghost of Christmas future comes, or the ghost of Christmas yet to come, as Dickens calls it, he takes him on a journey and they stop at a churchyard.

And this is very near the end of the story. He comes to a churchyard overrun by grass and weeds, a burying place and the Spirit stood among the graves and pointed down to one grave. He advanced toward it, trembling, Scrooge did. The phantom was exactly as it had been, but he dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape.

"Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point," asked Scrooge, "answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that will be or are they shadows of the things that may be only?" "I think Scrooge's heart is turning, what do you think?" Still the ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood.

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me," Scrooge is begging. The Spirit was immovable as ever. Scrooge crept toward it, trembling as he went and following the finger read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name.

Ebenezer Scrooge. "Am I that man who lay upon the bed?" He cried upon his knees. The finger pointed from the grave to him and back again. "No, Spirit, oh no, no." The finger still was there. "Spirit," he cried, clutching tightly at the robe. "Hear me, I am not the man I was.

I will not be the man I must have been, but for this intercourse. Why show me this if I'm past all hope?" For the first time, the hand appeared to shake. "Good Spirit," he pursued as down upon the ground he fell before it, "your nature intercedes for me and pities me.

Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me by an altered life." The kind hand trembled. "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me.

I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone." In his agony, he caught the spectral hand. It sought to free itself, but he was strong in his entreaty and detained it. The Spirit, stronger yet, repulsed him.

Holding up his hands in a last prayer to have his fate reversed, he saw an alteration in the phantom's hood and dress. It shrunk, collapsed, and dwindled down into a bedpost. Yes, and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own. The room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the time before him was his own.

To make amends in. "I will live in the past, the present, and the future," Scrooge repeated as he scrambled out of bed. "The spirits of all three shall strive within me. Oh, Jacob Marley Heaven and the Christmas time, be praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees." He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions that his broken voice could scarcely answer to his call.

He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears. "They are not torn down," cried Scrooge, folding one of his bed curtains in his arm. "They are not torn down rings and all. They are here, I am here. The shadows of the things that have been may be dispelled.

They will be, I know they will." His hands were busy with his garments all this time, turning them inside out, putting them on upside down, tearing them, mislaying them, making them parties to every kind of extravagance. "I don't know what to do," cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath and making a perfect lacoon of himself with his stockings.

"I'm as light as a feather. I'm as happy as an angel. I am as merry as a schoolboy. I'm as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody. Oh, a happy new year to all the world. Hello there, whoop, hello." He had frisked into the sitting room and was now standing there perfectly winded.

"Oh, there's the saucepan that the gruel was in," cried Scrooge, starting off again and going round the fireplace. "There's the door by which the ghost of Jacob Marley entered. There's the corner where the ghost of Christmas present sat. There's the window where I saw the wandering spirits. It's all right, it's all true.

It all happened. (laughs) Really?" For a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs. "I don't know what day of the month it is," said Scrooge. "I don't know how long I've been among the spirits.

I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Nevermind, I don't care. I'd rather be a baby. Hello, whoop, hello there." He was checked in his transports by the churches ringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. "Clash, clash, hammer, ding, dong, bell, bell, dong, ding. Hammer, clang, clash, oh, glorious, glorious." Running to the window, he opened it and put out his head.

No fog, no mist, clear, bright, jovial, stirring colors. Stirring cold, cold, piping for the blood to dance to. Golden sunlight, heavenly day, sweet, fresh air. Merry bells, oh, glorious, glorious. "What's today?" cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes who perhaps had lordered in to look about him.

"Eh?" Returned the boy with all his might of wonder. "What's today, my fine fellow?" said Scrooge. "Today," replied the boy, "why, Christmas day." "It's Christmas day," said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can, of course they can.

Hello, my fine fellow." "Hello," returned the boy. "Do you know the poulterers in the next street but one at the corner?" Scrooge inquired. "I should hope I did," replied the lad. "Oh, an intelligent boy," said Scrooge, "a remarkable boy. Do you know whether they've sold the prized turkey that was hanging up there?

Not the little prized turkey, the big one." "What, the one as big as me?" returned the boy. "Oh, what a delightful boy," said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, yes, my buck." "It's hanging there now," replied the boy. "Is it?" said Scrooge. "Go and buy it." "Walker," replied the boy.

"No, no, no, no, no. I am in earnest. Go and buy it and tell them to bring it here that I may give them the directions where to take it. Come back with the man and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with them in less than five minutes, I'll give you half a crown." The boy was off like a shot.

He must've had a steady hand at a trigger who could've gone, got off a shot half as fast. "I'll send it to Bob Cratchit," whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands and splitting with a laugh. "He shan't know who sends it. It's twice the size of Tiny Tim. Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob's will be." The hand in which he wrote the address was not a steady one, but right it he did somehow, and went downstairs to open the street door ready for the coming of the polterer's man.

As he stood there, waiting his arrival, the knocker caught his eye. "I shall love it as long as I live," cried Scrooge, patting it with his hand. "I scarcely ever looked at it before. What an honest expression it has in its face. Oh, it's a wonderful knocker. Here's the turkey.

Hello, whoop, how are you? Merry Christmas." It was a turkey. He never could've stood upon its legs, that bird. He would've snapped him short off in a minute like sticks of sealing wax. "Why, it's impossible to carry that to Camden Town," said Scrooge. "You must have a cab." The chuckle with which he said this, and the chuckle with which he paid for the turkey, and the chuckle with which he paid for the cab, and the chuckle with which he recompensed the boy, were only to be exceeded by the chuckle with which he sat down breathless in his chair again, and chuckled till he cried.

Shaving was not an easy task, for his hand continued to shake very much, and shaving requires attention, even when you don't dance while you're at it. But if he had cut the end of his nose off, he would've put a piece of sticking plaster over it, and been quite satisfied.

He dressed himself all in his best, and at last got out into the streets. The people were by this time pouring forth, as he had seen them with the ghost of Christmas present, and walking with his hands behind him, Scrooge regarded everyone with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistibly pleasant in a word, that three or four good-natured fellows said, "Good morning, sir, a Merry Christmas to you." And Scrooge said often afterwards that of all the blithe sounds he had ever heard, those were the blithest in his ears.

He had not gone far when coming on towards him, he beheld the portly gentleman, who had walked into his counting house the day before, and said, "Scrooge and Marley's, I believe." It sent a pang across his heart to think how this old gentleman would look upon him when they met, but he knew what path lay straight before him, and he took it.

"My dear sir," said Scrooge, quickening his pace, and taking the old man by both hands, "How do you do? I hope you succeeded yesterday, it was very kind of you. A Merry Christmas to you, sir." "Mr. Scrooge?" "Yes," said Scrooge, "that is my name, and I fear it may not be a pleasant one to you.

Allow me to ask your pardon, and will you have the goodness?" Here Scrooge whispered in his ears, (imitates whistling) "Lord, bless me!" cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. "My dear Mr. Scrooge, are you serious?" "If you please," said Scrooge, "not a farthing less, a great many back payments are included in it, I assure you.

Will you do me that favor?" "My dear sir," said the other, shaking hands with him, "I don't know what to say to such munificent, don't say anything please," retorted Scrooge. "Come and see me." "Will you come and see me?" "I will," cried the old gentleman, and it was clear he meant to do so.

"Thank you," said Scrooge, "I'm much obliged to you. I thank you 50 times, bless you." He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and he found that everything could yield him pleasure.

He had never dreamed that any walk, that anything could give him so much happiness. In the afternoon, he turned his steps toward his nephew's house. He passed the door a dozen times before he had the courage to go up and knock, but he made a dash and did it.

(knocking) "Is your master at home, my dear?" said Scrooge to the girl. "Oh, nice girl, very." "Yes, sir." "Where is he, my love?" said Scrooge. "He's in the dining room, sir, along with mistress. I'll show you upstairs, if you please." "Thank you, he knows me," said Scrooge, with his hand already on the dining room lock.

"I'll go in here, my dear." He turned it gently, and sidled his face in round the door. They were looking at the table, which was spread out in great array, for these young housekeepers are always nervous on such points, and like to see that everything is right. "Fred," said Scrooge.

Dear heart alive, how his niece by marriage started. Scrooge had forgotten for the moment about her sitting in the corner with the footstool, or he wouldn't have done it on any account. "Why, bless my soul!" cried Fred. "Who's that?" "It's I, your uncle Scrooge. I've come to dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?" Let him in?

It's a mercy he didn't shake his arm off. He was at home in five minutes. Nothing could be heartier. His niece looked just the same. So did Topper when he came. So did the plump sister when she came. So did everyone when they came. Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity, wonderful happiness.

But he was early at the office next morning. Oh, he was early there. If he could only be there first and catch Bob Cratchit coming late. That was the thing he had set his heart upon. And he did it. Yes, he did. The clock struck nine. No Bob. A quarter passed.

No Bob. He was full 18 and a half minutes behind his time. Scrooge sat with his door wide open that he might see him come into the tank. His hat was off before he opened the door. His comforter too. He was on his stool in a jiffy driving away with his pen as if he were trying to overtake nine o'clock.

"Hello," growled Scrooge in his accustomed voice as near as he could feign it. "What do you mean by coming here at this time of day?" "Oh, I'm very sorry, sir," said Bob. "I am behind my time." "You are," repeated Scrooge. "Yes, I think you are. Step this way, sir, if you please." "It's only once a year, sir," pleaded Bob appearing from the tank.

"It shall not be repeated. I was making rather merry yesterday, sir." "Now I tell you what, my friend," said Scrooge. "I'm not gonna stand this sort of thing any longer." And therefore, he continued leaping from his stool and giving Bob such a dig in the waistcoat he staggered back into the tank again.

"And therefore, I'm about to raise your salary." Bob trembled and got a little nearer to the ruler. He had a momentary idea of knocking Scrooge down with it, holding him and calling to the people in the court for help in a straight waistcoat. "A merry Christmas, Bob," said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken as he clapped him on the back.

"A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year. I'll raise your salary and endeavor to assist your struggling family and we'll discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a Christmas bowl of smoking, Bishop Bob. Make up the fire and buy another cold scuttle before you dot another I, Bob." Cratchit, Scrooge was better than his word.

He did it all and infinitely more. And to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew or any other good old city, town, or borough in the good old world.

Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh and little heeded them, for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter at the outset. And knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes and grins as have the malady in less attractive forms.

His own heart laughed and that was quite enough for him. He had no further intercourse with the spirits, but lived upon the total abstinence principle ever afterwards. And it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us and all of us.

And so as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, every one. There's some timeless truths there too. There was a lot that Scrooge, a lot of transformation for Scrooge. There's definitely a before where he is a bitter, selfish, penurious man, fond of his own company. And then Scrooge after, joyful, gracious, embracing fellowship and truly generous.

There's one more poem I wanna share with you. And it's a poem by an author that you know and probably love, J.R.R. Tolkien. Did you know he wrote a Christmas poem? This poem, "Noel" was written actually before "The Hobbit" was published, but it was only discovered about 11 years ago.

It was found in a 1936 edition of "The Hobbit" of "The Tablet," a Catholic journal that was published in a Catholic schools journal. And some Tolkien scholars found the poem in 2013. And it really goes with our theme of the power of Christmas. It shows the change that happened, not just in man, even in nature.

When God above blessed us with that Christmas child. This is "Noel" by J.R.R. Tolkien. Grim was the world and gray last night. The moon and stars were fled. The hall was dark without song or light. The fires were fallen dead. The wind in the trees was like to the sea.

And over the mountain's teeth, it whistled bitter, cold, and free as a sword leaped from its sheath. The Lord of snows upreared his head. His mantle long and pale upon the bitter blast was spread and hung o'er hill and dale. The world was blind. The boughs were bent all ways and paths were wild.

Then the veil of cloud apart was rent and here was born a child. The ancient dome of heaven's sheer was pricked with distant light. A star came shining white and clear alone above the night. In the dale of dark in that hour of birth, one voice on a sudden sang.

Then all the bells in heaven and earth together at midnight rang. Mary sang in this world below. They heard her song arise or missed in or of a mountain snow to the walls of paradise. And the tongue of many bells was stirred and heaven's towers to ring when the voice of mortal maid was heard that was mother of heaven's king.

Glad is the world and fair this night with stars about its head. And the hall is filled with laughter and light and fires are burning red. The bells of paradise now ring with bells of Christendom and Gloria, Gloria, we will sing that God on earth is come. May the Lord change you daily into the one he has designed you to become.

That is the power and joy of Christmas. Merry Christmas, you guys. (gentle music) you