This series is a fun and personal look into how people just like you walk out their Christian life. Facilitated by Pastor Joel Hilton, these colorful questions help us to capture the journey of Practical Christianity.
Brianna Stansfield
Hello! I’m Brianna. I’m from Millersburg, PA. I’ve attended Giving Light literally since I was an infant. I like to sing. I like to write. I like to sing what I write. And I absolutely love to spend time with the beautiful, diverse tribe I call family. They’re all crazy and I love them to pieces!
Natasha Finney
Hi! I am Natasha, and I am 21 years old. I am originally from the beautiful state of Colorado, which is where I acquired my obsession with climbing. My first reaction when I receive exciting news is to climb to the highest place in the room, whether it be on a chair, a table, or on the rare occasion, a refrigerator. I have never understood a life without coffee; it is clearly one of the most important substances to survive. My dream job would be to play in the NFL and be a stunt double for action movies on the side. Obviously I would play for the Broncos because they are the true American football team. Many people have also told me that I have an obsession with Christmas, but I see it as having an overflow of Christmas joy, so I am very excited to answer these questions!
Katie Stansfield
Hello, my name is Katie. I turned 26 years old in August (i.e. the best month). I am a Central Pennsylvania native and have been a part of Giving Light since I was 1 year old. I notoriously do not like getting wet and I would like Pennsylvania even better if the Summer lasted as long as the Winter does. I love to cook and I love to eat. I like to dabble in web design and I thrive when I can find solutions and tools that make things and people function better and more freely. I also love Christmas, which brings me to your first question…
BRIANNA STANSFIELD
WITH CHRISTMAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, WE ARE HEARING THE JOYOUS SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC. WHAT CHRISTMAS SONG ARE YOU MOST FOND OF, AND WHAT TIME DURING THE HOLIDAYS DO YOU PREFER TO START SINGING ALONG?
To sing, I really like the traditional songs. O Come, O Come Emanuel and Oh Holy Night are probably tied for first. I love the pictures that they paint with both their lyrics and melodies.
To listen, I really like the old crooners—Bing Crosby, Sinatra, and the like. And there’s nothing like big band Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to put me in a happy Christmas mood 🙂
WHICH CHRISTMAS MOVIE DO YOU ENJOY MOST? WHAT MAKES THAT MOVIE SO SPECIAL TO YOU?
Elf – I love that movie! It still cracks me up, even after seeing it a billion times. Oh, and I also love While You Were Sleeping. It’s not exactly a “Christmas movie,” per se, but they do celebrate Christmas in it… so I say it counts!
DURING THE HOLIDAYS WE ARE SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT IS A TIME TO CREATE MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. WOULD YOU PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MEMORY AND TRADITION?
My family likes to service-hop on Christmas Eve… they’re just all so unique and beautiful! For years we have gone, semi-faithfully, to a barn service where they pack all of us bundled-up people in a real-live, rustic horse barn, and we sing Christmas songs atop hay bails. They specially pick songs that tell the story of Christs’ birth chronologically, while the pastor reads through the nativity story between songs (to a beautiful piano accompaniment, I might add). We’ve been going since I was a kid, and I still thoroughly enjoy it. The pastor does such a wonderful job of telling both the historical account of Jesus’ birth and bringing home the wonder of Christ living in and among us today. Gosh, just thinking about it gives me goose bumps (not to mention the hot cider and soup afterwords)!
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE CHRIST DURING THE HOLIDAYS?
See the above? Lol
I also love spending time with my family. I think whenever we come together in love and gratitude for one another, Jesus is among us.
DO YOU DREAM OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS OR DO YOU PREFER A CHRISTMAS WITHOUT SNOW? IF YOU DON’T WANT SNOW ON CHRISTMAS, IS THERE EVER A GOOD TIME FOR SNOW?
I LOVE snow on Christmas. After Christmas, not so much. I used to say I would never be one of those grouchy “I hate winter” people (we all know or are them!), but when your feet and hands are just perpetually cold, it’s really hard to stay up-beat. Last year dad bought my sisters and me a giant box of hand warmers from Costco, and we were probably more excited about those than anything else we opened. If it could snow through December and then turn to Spring, I would be one happy girl!
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CHRISTMAS SPIRIT METER
NATASHA FINNEY
WITH CHRISTMAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, WE ARE HEARING THE JOYOUS SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC. WHAT CHRISTMAS SONG ARE YOU MOST FOND OF, AND WHAT TIME DURING THE HOLIDAYS DO YOU PREFER TO START SINGING ALONG?
There are so many amazing Christmas songs, but my favorite is, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I usually begin to start singing Christmas songs towards the end of October. When I was younger I would start singing Christmas carols in July, and when I did my grandpa would send me to my room, so I learned to wait a little longer before I began embracing the Christmas spirit.
WHICH CHRISTMAS MOVIE DO YOU ENJOY MOST? WHAT MAKES THAT MOVIE SO SPECIAL TO YOU?
My favorite Christmas movie is Elf. I love to laugh, and I enjoy light hearted movies. Elf grasps the joyful essence of Christmas, and the focus of family and connection rather than gifts and shopping.
DURING THE HOLIDAYS WE ARE SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT IS A TIME TO CREATE MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. WOULD YOU PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MEMORY AND TRADITION?
On Christmas Eve my entire family gets together at my grandparents’ house to play games, have dinner, and open our Christmas presents. There are anywhere from twenty to thirty people crammed into a small house with everyone laughing and running around. My favorite memory is my family gathered around the table playing a card game and laughing so hard that my stomach hurt the entire next day.
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE CHRIST DURING THE HOLIDAYS?
Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth, which to me means a birthday party. I love when it is someone’s birthday, because I love celebrating people. Even though throughout the year I value my loved ones and have a relationship with them, on their birthday it is an extra special time to show them how much they truly mean to me. It is the same way with Jesus. I feel like throughout the year life tends to become the focus and I forget to just enjoy Jesus and community. During Christmas it is a time to refocus on loving Jesus and loving others.
DO YOU DREAM OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS OR DO YOU PREFER A CHRISTMAS WITHOUT SNOW? IF YOU DON’T WANT SNOW ON CHRISTMAS, IS THERE EVER A GOOD TIME FOR SNOW?
Christmas should always have snow! All of the activities that snow provides such as sledding, snowball fights, and making snowman adds so much joy to the Christmas season. I am all for any activity that brings family together, and creates memories with the people I love.
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CHRISTMAS SPIRIT METER
KATIE STANSFIELD
WITH CHRISTMAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, WE ARE HEARING THE JOYOUS SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC. WHAT CHRISTMAS SONG ARE YOU MOST FOND OF, AND WHAT TIME DURING THE HOLIDAYS DO YOU PREFER TO START SINGING ALONG?
I didn’t grow up around hymns or many of the traditional classics, so now I really appreciate the more historical songs like, “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World.” There is a lot of depth to those songs that carry a lot of weight and meaning. I am also currently a really big fan of the Hawaiian favorite, “Mele Kalikimaka” 🙂
The acceptable time to listen to Christmas music? The correct answer would be after Thanksgiving up until and not after New Year’s Day.
WHICH CHRISTMAS MOVIE DO YOU ENJOY MOST? WHAT MAKES THAT MOVIE SO SPECIAL TO YOU?
I like some pretty random Christmas movies. Unlike music, I shy away from the classics here (they’re just too long…). My favorites that I watch every year are Christmas with the Kranks, The Family Stone, and…you have to throw Elf in there (my favorite color is green…if you know Elf, you get the reference.) The top of this list probably belongs to Little Women though because my four sisters and I watch it together each Christmas and have for a long time.
DURING THE HOLIDAYS WE ARE SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT IS A TIME TO CREATE MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. WOULD YOU PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MEMORY AND TRADITION?
There is a barn in my hometown that opens its doors to the public each Christmas Eve and we all gather in with the horses and sit on bales of hay and freeze our fingers off together. During this time the barn’s owners host the reading of the Christmas story and we sing carols in between. I love hearing the operatic tones of old men and church choir ladies singing along…both in and out of tune. This tradition started some 10+ years ago and has become a family favorite.
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE CHRIST DURING THE HOLIDAYS?
I feel like this question makes this an official “church blog.” 😉 Jesus is my favorite in all the seasons. I love any moments where He is the main focus. It’s world-changing stuff.
I love the nativity story because the world first encountered glory and it arrived in a tiny little person—something so big and grand in something so completely normal. It’s the perfect picture of the Father…make them wonder by making wonders. I’ll never understand the way God does things, but I sure do love Him for it.
DO YOU DREAM OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS OR DO YOU PREFER A CHRISTMAS WITHOUT SNOW? IF YOU DON’T WANT SNOW ON CHRISTMAS, IS THERE EVER A GOOD TIME FOR SNOW?
I think I have made my thoughts on the cold and wet situation pretty obvious. I have always said that if snow were hot and dry, I would love it! Since it is not…I prefer it in a snow globe next to a warm, crackly fireplace. Thank you very much.
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