My family and I love spending time together for the holidays. Our favorite Christmas tradition is gathering at my house and watching a Christmas movie, while drinking hot chocolate before we open up gifts from each other. Decorating for Christmas is also one of my favorite activities around the holidays because it just makes my house more cheery and bright. I’ve put together some holiday pictures that represent what the holidays mean to me.
The Retzer family, from left to right: (back row) Clint (my father), Caleb (my brother), Danielle (brother’s fiancé), Emily (me), Chico (my dog), Jake (my boyfriend); (middle) Becca (my sister); (front) Richie (sister’s husband), Lola and Bear (sister’s dogs). Photo courtesy of Jen Maas (my dad’s fiancé), Christmas of 2021
The holidays are quickly approaching, meaning families are breaking out their favorite holiday-themed movies to play in the background while decking the halls and making festive cookies. A quick, easy alternative to dusting off your old DVD cases is the Hallmark Channel, which plays a constant stream of Christmas movies for the two months leading up to Christmas.
Is there a better way to get into the holiday spirit than playing a Christmas movie, with perhaps your fireplace roaring in the background, as you decorate your home in shades of red and green? Graphic by Isabel Rinkenberger with photos by Lori Tippett and PJ Gal-Szabo
Movies have always been, and continue to be, among our most entertaining pastimes. The suspension of disbelief is a welcome distraction in the busy world we live in, especially during this past year of the pandemic. We asked MBU students about some of their favorite childhood movies, and this is what they had to say.
As with most horror movies, the trailers are generally intriguing, grabbing the attention of the audience and raising expectations. However, all too often disappointment is the only feeling we get after watching the entire movie.
How do you deal with self-consciousness in public settings? As humans we are social beings who often strive to become a part of a community. The need to be social and make connections can make the appearance of being alone in public terrifying and off-putting.
Here are some interesting facts about MBU Timeline, the student newsmagazine of Missouri Baptist University, in St. Louis:
*Our mission statement is: MBU Timeline is the student news network of Missouri Baptist University, a private Christian university that embraces the essential core value of “social change through service and leadership.”
*The Bible verse that drives our mission is 2 Timothy 2:15 (Worldwide English Version): “Tell the true message in the right way.”
*The WordPress website has been up since late-fall 2013. We average about 3,000 sessions and about 5,000 pageviews per month.
*Our stories and galleries get as few as 40 or 50 hits, or as many as 8,000 hits.
*We have readers in every state and more than 90 countries around the world. We have several readers in South America, the United Kingdom, India and Australia.
*Most of our readers are in Missouri, followed by Illinois, California and Texas.
*We do not accept advertising as we are a not-for-profit online newsmagazine.
*We welcome contributors from all walks of MBU life, regardless of your major. Reach out to us on Twitter at: @mbutimeline.
