Pressing On

Maybe I like finding new stuff

Ok, I know it may not be new to everyone who reads this, but it’s new to me at the time I write and that’s what matters to me.  Found this song from a group I’ve enjoyed for a while.  Loved their earlier song, Sometime Around Midnight.  Remember screaming it out loud along with the radio.

I had fun writing about JT and his new song last night.  I like finding new stuff, hearing new songs, new sounds.  Had another relatively free evening and thought I’d look around, check things out…  Found this article on ATE and heard this song.  Here it is.  You’re welcome.

 

Mirrors

I think I’ve said it before that when I get involved in a play, the rest of my life tends to get put on hold, at least until rehearsals are done and performances have started. Because of the nightly rehearsals for my latest show,  I’ve missed episodes of my favorite shows (read Castle, Blue Bloods, Grey’s Anatomy).  I’ve lost track of my Facebook friends and family.  I’ve even been unable to find time to write about the assortment of songs I’ve heard recently and enjoyed.

That changes today.  This evening I finally got to catch up on some of my shows online, including this past weekend’s Saturday Night Live with Justin Timberlake which I heard was pretty awesome.  I enjoyed watching him perform last month at the Grammys and have been having fun listening to “Suit & Tie” on the radio.  I wanted to catch his 5th appearance as host and I made it through the whole episode and then heard this song…  JT has brought sexy back… again!  I love this song!  “Suit & Tie” has me dancing, but this song… *sigh*  I really like it.  I read one blog that gave an interesting analysis of the song,

While “Suit & Tie,” the first song released from Timberlake’s upcoming 20/20 Experience album, was deemed “wedding music” by many publications for its crowd-pleasing hooks and positive, celebratory vibe, “Mirrors” is wedding music in a more literal sense—the song is very clearly a loving ode to his recent bride Jessica Biel, down to an extended outro repeatedly proclaiming “You are, you are / The love of my life” and JT explaining “You’re the inspiration for this precious song.”

I love the horns, the background singers, everything about it.  It even made me want to write about it.

 

 

UPDATE:  Now that the album has been released, I found this article on this song and another video worth sharing.  The article is a touching story of JT's grandparents and the video 'reflects' that (yeah, I said it).

 

Beautiful

Just read a story about a woman, Jill Brzezinski-Conley.  She has cancer, but it doesn’t have her.  After reading it, I felt compelled to write, but as I wrote, I realized I couldn't do it justice.  It's a beautiful story.  I don’t want to take away from the story with anything more.  Just read the story and then watch the documentary.  It, and she, is beautiful.

 

'The Light That Shines' a story for
all from InBedWithSue.com on Vimeo.

The Lone Bellow

I love this song.  I love this band.  You need to love them, too.  Relevant Magazine profiled them earlier this month ahead of the release of their debut album.  “Brooklyn Country Music” is how they describe their sound.  That’s country music that I can listen to.

 

Not Alone

I heard this song tonight.  I thought I had written about it before, but can’t find the post if I did.  It wasn’t in my 366-Day Project of songs, which is a shame because I do love the song and the artist.  I’m trying to remember when this song first broke my heart, because it is a heartbreaking song.  I’m sure it was at the end of some episode of a show where someone loses someone or someone finds someone or someone realizes they’re not alone because someone loves them or they realize they are alone because someone they love doesn’t love them… or something like that.  These episodes always have a killer song to finish them off and I must have heard it during one of these shows.  Or maybe I heard it on its own and it broke my heart all by itself because it is a heartbreakingly beautiful song.  Man!  I wish I could remember where and when I first heard it!

But I heard it again tonight.  I watched the second episode of an NCIS two-parter and it was a very painful episode.  Someone lost a papa and someone else lost a wife and mother.  One of the characters, in saying goodbye to another character who was leaving to bury her father, whispered “Aht lo leh-VAHD” (you are not alone) in her ear.  It was beautiful, hauntingly beautiful and the song began to play in the background. 

 

366 Day Project-Day 366-All Glory Be To Christ

This is it, my last post of the year.  My 366 Day Project has come to an end.  I’ve had fun sharing music that I’ve enjoyed this past year.  Some of the songs were oldies, others were brand spanking new.  While the older songs were oftentimes reflections of me in my various life stages and being, I really had fun seeking out the new stuff; discovering a whole new world out there of musicians and artists.  I will add their biological and technological distinctiveness to my own [said with her best Borg-like voice]. Ok, so it was funny to me. 

I found this song while looking for Advent songs and knew it would be the song I would use to finish out this year of songs.  While I probably won’t be posting a new song a day, I may continue to post songs every now and then, based on what I hear and want to share.  Thank you for tagging along with me this year.  Looking forward to writing more and sharing in the new year.  Happy New Year!

 

 

366 Day Project-Day 365-Immovable Our Hope Remains

Crazy as this year has been with its peaks and valleys, and crazy as the upcoming year already portends to be, my hope has been and is immovable.  I love the verses to this song:

Immovable our hope remains
Though shifting sands before us lie
The One who washed away our stains
Shall bear us safely to the skies
The floods may rise, the winds may beat
Torrential rains descend
Yet God His own will not forget
He’ll love and keep us till the end
You’ll love and keep us till the end

This is eternal life: to know
The living God and Christ, the Son
The Savior will not let us go
Until His saving work is done
Our debt was great, as was our need
But now the price is paid
Who can behold Immanuel bleed
And doubt His willingness to save?
We trust Your willingness to save

The Lord acquits, who can condemn?
Though Satan’s accusations fly
His pow’r can never reach our names
To blot them from the Book of Life
The Son has surely made us free
His Word forever stands
And all our joy is knowing we
Are graven on His wounded hands
We’re graven on Your wounded hands

Built into Christ, secure we stand
For with His Spirit we’ve been sealed
By grace we’ll see the promised land
Where every sorrow shall be healed
To God who gave His only Son
To Jesus Christ, our Lord
To God the Spirit, Three-in-one
Be songs of praise forevermore
We’ll sing Your praise forevermore

 

366 Day Project-Day 363-Tessellate

Thinking about songs to finish out the year.  Went looking for some 2012 year-in-review song lists from various sources.  That’s where I saw Andrew Bird listed and was able to add another song from him to my project.  Of course, then I went looking back at my own list from the year and couldn’t help looking for more Mumford & Sons performances…  Pleasantly surprised to find this one, a cover of a song by the band Alt-J by M&S.  That prompted me to go looking for Alt-J’s version of the song and also liked what I found, so I include it here, as well.

First Mumford & Son:

 

And now, Alt-J:

with a brief description of the video:

Directed by Alex Southam, "Tessellate" is a twist on Italian Renaissance painter Raphael's 'The School of Athens', set in a modern day gangster's paradise.

366 Day Project-Day 362-Sifters

Discovered Andrew Bird this year.  I posted a couple of his songs earlier here and here.  Thought I’d include him here again as I wind down this year-long project.

 

366 Day Project-Day 362-Little Things

I heard this on the radio this afternoon and wanted to share it.  Thought it ok to include this in my year-end selections.  Also thought it necessary to have at least one One Direction video for the year...   

366 Day Project-Day 361-To Thee We Run

 

366 Day Project-Day 360-God With Us

366 Day Project-Day 359-O Holy Child (Hosanna to the King)

Not sure if it's the getting older, or this poignant season in particular, but I find myself getting teary of late.  And they're not sad tears, particularly... though when I think of all those babies in heaven right now, I do get sad thinking of their families missing them. 

We went to look at lights last nights in this neighborhood that goes all out telling the story of the Night Before Christmas.  Lights galore all over the place, strung across the street, from house to house, lawns covered in lights and decorations, it's quite the spectacle.  Cars line up for blocks down the street to drive through.  Many walk into the neighborhood to take in the scenes on foot.  Anyone who lives there must be prepared to stay home for the night.  There's no way they could get in or out of the neighborhood without waiting a very long time.

I found myself getting teary as we were driving to see the lights last night.  I was with my daughter, her husband and my baby boys and the boys were excited about going to see the lights.  It just hit me a certain way and I was overcome with emotion at their excitement.  I was so happy to be there with them. 

My daughter hosted Christmas Eve at her house tonight and the house was full with family and friends enjoying homemade chicken noodle soup and sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches.  It was noisy with conversations here and there and children running through the house, up the stairs and down.  I found myself getting teary again as I surveyed this beautifully wild and crazy scene.  I was so happy to be here with all of them.

And now I sit here alone.  The boys and their mom and dad are all packed off to spend the night at my son-in-law's parents house where they'll get up early to open presents together in their pajamas.  I opted to stay here tonight, and will wake up early to go over and join them for presents and breakfast.  It's their family tradition and I'm happy to be part of it.  Yes, there are tears rising again.  I am happy to be sitting here, alone, writing this.

It's Christmas Eve.  I'm almost to the end of my Advent devotional.  I'm almost to the end of this year's 366 Day Project (I'll write more on that later).  I'm grateful to say I have been able to reflect more on this season than in seasons past.  Maybe it could be the circumstances surrounding it.  It's been a hard year at work.  It's been a hard, though good, year, physically as I trained for a marathon and then several half marathons.  It's been a hard holiday as so many of us grieved over the tragedy in Connecticutt.  It has been a year, a season, of reflection.  And we're now here at Christmas' eve.  It has been a season of heartache, heartbreak, longing, grieving, waiting; much like that first season.  And we're now here at Christmas' eve and I'm teary and they're tears of grief mixed with tears of joy, excitement, anticipation.  I'm happy and teary to be celebrating the first coming of Christ.  I'm grieving, longing and teary for his second coming.

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. --Psalm 30:5b

 

366 Day Project-Day 358-Unto Us

I'm down visiting my daughter for Christmas and I attended her church this morning.  Since it was the last Sunday before Christmas, they made it a family day which meant the children stayed with their parents during the service.  As such, there was more noise than usual, but it was good.  Family is good.  The boys were with us during the service and they were relatively behaved for the most part.  We were able to listen to the message.  And it was a good message.  The pastor was was referencing Matthew 2 and Jesus as the real King of the Jews.  It was a really good message. 

While he was talking about how we need to focus on the real King and not get caught up in our idols, Maseo wanted to play a game on my phone.  I thought it would keep him occupied while we listened to the sermon, so I started up the Angry Birds-Star Wars game.  I turned the volume off on my phone, but forgot that when you start a game, that sound is separate from the phone volume... Yes, the pastor is talking about Jesus being King and suddenly the opening notes to Star Wars is heard in the room.  Mortified is the word that you would use at this moment.  I managed to quickly turn the sound off and the sermon continued and I apologized to the pastor after the service and he laughed.  It actually was quite timely he said.  He was talking about King Jesus and then this spectacular soundtrack comes on.

I share all of this because it ties in with my devotional this evening.  I've shared in previous posts that I'm going through Desiring God's Good News of Great Joy for this Advent season.  I wasn't able to read yesterday's devotional until today and it was about how we get so worked up and excited about fairy tales and stories men have made up and yet we aren't in awe and wonder at the actual true story of Jesus Christ.  And then I read this:

The space thrillers of our day, like Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, can do this great good for us: they can humble us and bring us to repentance, by showing us that we really are capable of some of the wonder and awe and amazement that we so seldom feel when we contemplate the eternal God and the cosmic Christ and a real living contact between them and us in Jesus of Nazareth.

When Jesus said, "For this I have come into this world," he said something as crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction that you have ever read (John 18:37).

O, how I pray for a breaking forth of the Sprit of God upon me and upon you.  I pray for the Holy Spirit to break into my experience in a frightening way, to wake me up to the unimaginable reality of God. 

I asked forgiveness this morning for interrupting the service, but this evening I found myself repenting of my lack of awe and amazement at the story of the Incarnation.  And what a story it is.

 



366 Day Project-Day 357-Love's Redeeming Work Is Done

366 Day Project-Day 356-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Tidings of comfort and joy.  True joy.  Such joy, must needs carry me through these dark days.

366 Day Project-Day 355-Ring Christmas Bells

Problems with my computer this evening… Finally got online and found this song.  It revived me.  Maddening day… Revived again… Now to bed.  Must need rest for the morning.  It’ll be a week.  Remember them at 9:30am.

 

366 Day Project-Day 354-Light From The Mountain

Less than a week away from Christmas.  I’ll be spending it with my baby boys.  I’m so grateful for them.  They are such lights of joy for me, even though they wipe me out.  From the early morning wake up calls by Maseo (we’re talking 6:30AM, people!), to the chases around the house with Uriah (because he has decided the ONLY way to greet Gaga when she arrives, actually whenever he sees her, is to walk around behind her and swat her on the bum and then run), I have so much fun with these boys.  They refresh me and I am in desperate need of refreshment.  I will probably hold them a bit longer and a bit closer when I see them, thinking of those grandmas and grandpas in Sandy Hook who can no longer hold their precious babies.  How the heart still hurts.

Today’s Advent devotional was a blessing.

     Christmas is for freedom. Freedom from the fear of death.
     Jesus took our nature in Bethlehem, to die our death in Jerusalem,
that we might be fearless in our city. Yes, fearless. Because
if the biggest threat to my joy is gone, then why should I fret over
the little ones? How can you say, “Well, I’m not afraid to die but
I’m afraid to lose my job”? No. No. Think!
     If death (I said, death—no pulse, cold, gone!)—if death is
no longer a fear, we’re free, really free. Free to take any risk under
the sun for Christ and for love. No more bondage to anxiety.
If the Son has set you free, you shall be free, indeed!

 

 

366 Day Project-Day 353-The Dawn Will Break Upon Us

Listened to this song this evening and found it… comforting.  It allowed me to slow down for a moment, to break down for a moment… in all the rush that has become this time of year.  Interestingly, we were rushing headlong into this Christmas and the end of the year, not thinking much about it, business as usual,… until last Friday morning when the headlines started popping up.

Then everything came to a sudden, startling, shattering stop.  We were dumbfounded, disbelieving, gut-punched, and then heartbroken. 

Four days have passed and efforts to heal are taking place.  It will be a ‘three steps forward, two steps back’ kind of healing, I’m sure.  Funerals are underway and babies and their caretakers are being laid to rest.  Stories are being shared and that’s good.  It’s good to talk about it.  It’s good to process, to talk, to vent, to cry, to question, to talk some more.

I determined to focus on this Advent with a little more intentionality this year.  In the past, I’ve just let it fly by and afterwards wondered why I didn’t take time to reflect more on ‘the reason for the season.’  This season, though, maybe because of all that has gone on this year at work, I realized I needed to slow down (funny thing to hear from a runner…) and get my focus back to what was necessary, what was needful.   It was good, too, because I believe I was a little more prepared for what happened last Friday.  A little more, anyway.  Heart still hurts, but it’s making me look at God’s mercy all the more.  It might be a severe mercy, but it is mercy nonetheless.  And I find I am in desperate need of it.

 

366 Day Project-Day 352-Hallelujah & Thou Who Wast Rich

I could also call this “Day 1.”  It’s the first day of funerals for the Sandy Hook children and staff who died last Friday.  Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto were laid to rest today, two beautiful six-year-old boys.  Funerals will follow one after another over the next few days as the Sandy Hook victims are eulogized.  There’s a collective ache felt across the country as we watch the news and follow the stories and services online. 

Saturday Night Live began their show on Saturday with a tribute to Sandy Hook.  Tonight, the Voice also began with a tribute to the children and adults and I cried as I watched this one.  I love the song they chose.  It’s been there in the back of my mind this weekend as I tried to figure out how to deal with this tragedy.  I’ve been very selective this weekend with my Advent songs, trying to find the right songs to celebrate this most glorious season, Christ’s coming into the world, but also to honor those precious lives gone too soon.  I appreciate the Voice for their choice of this song and the staging was beautifully stark and emotional.

 

 

 

I also found this Advent song to continue the countdown to Christmas.  I thought it spoke beautifully of this great God who gave up everything to become like us, to enter into our heartbreak, particularly during this heartbreaking time.  A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, He grieves deeply with us and offers highest hope as well.

 

366 Day Project-Day 351-My All In Thee

The names were released yesterday and faces are now being revealed today as we work our way through this dark time.  Details are also emerging, clarifying some of the confusion that arose at the beginning.  Teachers are being lauded as heroes, children are being remembered for their sweet, enchanting smiles and spirit.  As I look at the pictures and read their stories, my heart hurts anew.  

I’ve been working through John Piper’s Advent Book, Good News Of Great Joy.  Today’s devotional was truly timely.  He titled it “Life and Death at Christmas.”  He wrote about his own mother’s death shortly before Christmas 1974.  He shared that they buried her the day after Christmas and said “What a precious Christmas it was!”  He also shared this:

     Many of you will feel your loss this Christmas more pointedly
than before. Don’t block it out. Let it come. Feel it. What
is love for, if not to intensify our affections—both in life and
death? But, O, do not be bitter. It is tragically self-destructive
to be bitter.

I wept afresh as I read today’s devotional, tears of grief mingled with tears of joy; heartbreak and heartache and a heart cry.  Piper ended his devotional today with this:

     Christmas. What is it but this: I came that they might have
life. Marion Newstrum, Ruth Piper, and you and I—that we
might have Life, now and forever.
     Make your Now the richer and deeper this Christmas by
drinking at the fountain of Forever. It is so near.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
—John 10:10

 

366 Day Project-Day 350-Veiled In Darkness Judah Lay

I read the words to this Advent song and then listened to it.  Thought it quite appropriate for today.

 

Veiled in darkness Judah lay,
Waiting for the promised day,
While across the shadowy night
Streamed a flood of glorious light,
Heav’nly voices chanting then,
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Still the earth in darkness lies.
Up from death’s dark vale arise
Voices of a world in grief,
Prayers of those who seek relief:
Now our darkness pierce again,
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Light of light, we humbly pray,
Shine upon Thy world today;
Break the gloom of our dark night,
Fill our souls with love and light,
Send Thy blessed Word again,
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”

 

366 Day Project-Day 349-Love Came Down At Christmas (Subtitle: Because they are no more…)

This post is for my grandsons, Maseo & Uriah, because they’re safe at home in the arms of their mom and dad.  And this post is for the moms and dads who will never be able to hold their babies safe at home again.

Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” – Jeremiah 31:15

My heart, along with so many around the world, is broken tonight.  I  cry.  The tears stop and I go on, puttering around the house at the end of the work week, and then I stop and cry again because I think of those babies, the same age as my grandson, and the horror they faced and the fear they must have felt and no one there to save them and I cry again because I’m a parent and a parent is supposed to be there to protect the babies.  And no one could protect those babies.  And I cry some more. 

I don’t really want to think much of tomorrow, because tomorrow will pretty much be the same thing for me.  I’ll get up and go on with my life.  I’ll go for a run in the morning and then go shopping, business as usual for the most part.  The moms and dads of those beautiful babies won’t have that luxury.  Their world has changed and there’s no going back to the way things were.  Ok, I may cry some more.

I’ve nothing much to offer these families except my prayers and grief-filled silence.  I would sit and mourn quietly with them if I were closer.  Because I can’t, I want to share this with those who will sit with them, who will hold them and cry with them.  John Piper originally wrote this post to help his elders minister to their own people following the tragedies of Columbine and September 11, 2001.  He has written this subsequent post to offer words of hope during this hopeless time, words of grace to console.

During this Advent Season, this time of anticipation, we now find ourselves waiting, but in a different way.  We’re now waiting for someone to save us from this nightmare, this sea of grief in which we’re drowning.  Christmas is no longer about tinsel and ornaments and sleigh bells.  It’s now about a long road that we are traveling along, only to find not an inn of comfort but a trough in a stench-filled stall.  Christmas has become grief-filled and hard and dark and cold. 

And into this cold and dark and stench, God came.  And God is here.

And that is how he came. He knew what this world needed. Not a comedian. Not a sports hero. Not a movie star. Not a political genius. Not a doctor. Not even a pastor. The world needed what no mere man could be.

The world needed a suffering Sovereign. Mere suffering would not do. Mere sovereignty would not do. The one is not strong enough to save; the other is not weak enough to sympathize.

So he came as who he was: the compassionate King. The crushed Conqueror. The lamb-like Lion. The suffering Sovereign.

Peace, dear hearts.  Peace be with you.

 

One more song

While I have chosen of late to focus on the Advent Season in my song selections, I’ve been hearing some new songs that I thought would be worth including in the year’s collection.  Lifehouse’s new album just came out and I heard their latest release on the radio today.  I liked it…

 

366 Day Project-Day 348-In the Bleak Midwinter

 It's the dark of winter, shadows loom large, hearts are desolate, desperate. 

 

In Bleak Midwinter

366 Day Project-Day 347-A Voice Is Sounding

 

366 Day Project-Day 346-God With Us

And they came looking for Him and they found Him.

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasures, the presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

--Matthew 1:10-11

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

--Jeremiah 29:13

 

366 Day Project-Day 345-Brightest Light

 

366 Day Project-Day 344-Come to Us, O Lord

 

366 Day Project-Day 343-Star in the East

And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your
rising. (Isaiah 60:3)

 

366 Day Project-Day 342-Come to Us, Emmanuel

 

"Come to Us, Emmanuel" from matthew leahy on Vimeo.

366 Day Project-Day 341-All Who Hear

And so we wait…

 

 

A desert voice calls out
Lend him your ear, your heart
Though we are scattered stones... We’re not alone
So we, the road, prepare
For heaven’s eternal heir
At last, our Savior’s near
Let all, who hear, make way
And may these hearts
Prepare, a place
What is this grace divine?
That earth and sky align
With leveled souls laid bare...
Let all, who hear, make way
And may these hearts
Prepare, a place
For ‘God with Us’
Will come to save
And surely He shall comfort those he loves
And so we wait

366 Day Project-Day 340-White Horse

I mentioned earlier that I was reading Desiring God’s Advent e-book during this Advent Season.  Today’s reading was essentially about how God works ALL things for His glory and our good.  He ordains that “all the mammoth political forces and all the giant industrial complexes, without their even knowing it, are being guided by God, not for their own sake but for the sake of God’s little people—the little Mary and the little Joseph who have to be got from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  God wields an empire to bless his children.”

That got me this evening.  I find myself much as the writer of that e-book described, as feeling “little and insignificant in a world of seven billion people, where all the news is of big political and economic and social movements and of outstanding people with lots of power and prestige.”

And I find myself focusing on those big people and their big agendas and I forget that my God has a bigger agenda and His agenda trumps theirs.  And His agenda includes helping me, but it is not my prosperity but my holiness that He seeks with all his heart, to paraphrase the writer.  My holiness.  That hit me hard. 

I find that I fight against holiness, but not because I don’t want to be holy, but I must need separate my feeling the need to please people by being “good” from that desire to be holy.  I’m tired of being “good.”  I’m reminded of that verse in Mark where Jesus says only God is good.  I find myself saying that.  God is good!  I’m not good!  I’m tired of being “good.”  I want to be “holy” and that’s an entirely different ball of wax (mixed metaphors intended…). 

For some reason this song came to mind tonight as I pondered today’s Advent reading.  One day I’ll be riding that white horse in the sky.  I’ll be done with being “good” and be riding high.  Must need hush now, to wait that one day. 

 

366 Day Project-Day 339-One Winter’s Night

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us^[h] from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Luke 1:68-79 (Song of Zechariah)

 

366 Day Project-Day 338-There’s Still My Joy

I have a small radio/cd player at work that also allows me to plug in my iPod Shuffle and play whatever playlist I’ve loaded for the day.  Last night I loaded my Christmas playlist on my little Shuffle and I took it into the office today.  We decorated our Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving so we would be able to enjoy it for the whole holiday season and now that it’s December, I thought it was time for Christmas music.  As I listened to the music while I worked, I heard a couple of songs that I first heard last year, and I did post on them at the time, but that was before my 366 Day Project.  As I listened to them today, I thought I should include them in my project, as a reminder.

Not everyone is having a “Merry” Christmas.  Pain and grief and loss are present company for some.  For some, Christmas is a time, not of joy and happiness, but of sadness and depression.  I admit, I have that propensity to sadness during this time of year.  I find I must need fight for joy during this time. 

This is for those who are wrapped in grief during this season.  I will pray for you; I will pray for that joy for you as I pray for myself.  We will find joy.  He has promised. 

 

366 Day Project-Day 337-Savior of the Nations, Come

 Today marks the first day of Advent.  Let us prepare the way.

 

366 Day Project-Day 336-Of the Father's Love Begotten

 Endings and beginnings.  The year is wound down to the last month, but Advent is now to begin.  Looking at the finish of another year, but celebrating the beginning of a new season of reflection and anticipation.  Selah. 

 

366 Day Project-Day 335-Hear Now, You House of David

Isaiah 7:13-14 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

 

366 Day Project-Day 334-Creator of the Stars of Night

Another song for this season of anticipation. 

Come, Oh Come To Us.

 

366 Day Project-Day 333-Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Been having fun finding music for this Advent season.  Here's another awesome find.

 

366 Day Project-Day 332-Knocking At Your Door

Can't believe I missed posting last night...  Will try to make up for my negligence by sharing this amazing song.  Listened to it tonight.  Thought you'd like it, too.

 

366 Day Project-Day 331-God Is With Us

Desiring God has published a free e-book for Advent which starts on December 2nd this year, the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  It’s called Good News of Great Joy.  There are options for loading it onto your Kindle or iPad, or you can download it as a .pdf file and print it in booklet form.  I’ve started a little early on my Christmas/Advent music, but I think it’s a good way to wind down this year of music and hopefully provide some perspective and balance to all that has gone on this year.

 

366 Day Project-Day 330-Comfort Ye My People

 

366 Day Project-Day 329-Mary, Did You Know

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Luke 1:46-55

366 Day Project-Day 328-O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Yes… Tis the Season.  Love this version of one of my favorite songs.

 

  

366 Day Project-Day 327-Cover Your Tracks

I finally saw Breaking Dawn: Pt 2 tonight.  Even got to see it with my niece, Katie, who surprised us by driving up for Thanksgiving.  While we didn’t get to go to the midnight showing for this movie, I was a very happy auntie nonetheless getting to sit with her tonight watching the movie together.  While sitting through the previews we saw the first preview for Hunger Games: Catching Fire and we both agreed it would be our next midnight showing to share. 

One last song from the Twilight series.

 

366 Day Project-Day 326-Over You

Couldn’t choose, so I’m playing both versions… Miranda Lambert’s and Cassadee Pope’s  from the Voice.  They’re both pretty awesome…

First, Cassadee’s:

 

And now, Miranda's:

366 Day Project-Day 325-Strike Up Your Matches

It’s Tuesday.  Tuesdays I watch Parenthood.  Tonight, I heard this artist performing another song, but couldn’t find it in a video, but I did find this one and thought it worth sharing. 

 

366 Day Project-Day 324-The Fold

Don’t ask… just listen.

 

366 Day Project-Day 323-One God

There is one God over all kings and rulers and He reigns alone!