Christmas Song : Labor of Love

It hit me this morning that Christmas is now less than a week away. That means the window of opportunity in which to complete preparations is narrowing quickly. Preparations not just related to traditions and festivities, like shopping and wrapping the rest of the presents, addressing and mailing our Christmas cards, and thawing the turkey for Christmas dinner (all of which remain on my To-Do list), but also preparations of the heart--readying my spirit to celebrate once again, at this appointed time of year, the truth that God came to earth, put on flesh, and lived among us.

Some Christmas music is festive and gay, producing the levity of heart that some equate with "the Christmas spirit" (such as Jingle Bell Rock, or We Wish You a Merry Christmas). Other Christmas music is more somber, reminding us that we were totally lost and without hope until Jesus Christ came as our Redeemer (such as one of my favorite carols, O Holy Night, which reminds us that before Christ, and without Christ, the world--and each human heart--lies in sin and error pining).

And then some Christmas music takes you back to that very first Christmas: it pulls aside the curtain and invites you to gaze upon the scene in Bethlehem and wonder at the sight. Andrew Peterson's Labor of Love (sung by Jill Philips) is that kind of song. Take a minute to read the lyrics:

Painting by Simon Dewey

It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town

And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love

Noble Joseph by her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
On the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night

So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love

This song is on AP's Christmas album, Behold the Lamb of God, which is probably my favorite collection of Christmas music ever. This album is unlike any other I've encountered, as it draws upon the sweeping Biblical narrative to tell the story of Christ's coming (and Andrew Peterson is an excellent story teller). I was pleased to discover that you can still listen to the entire album online here, for free. Start with the first song and then move through the rest one by one (you'll need to click on each title to start the next song). Blessings as you prepare your heart for Christmas. 

Catchy Christmas Tune

Happy day after Thanksgiving dear readers! Are you relaxing after some hectic Black Friday shopping? Or are you hiding out at home to avoid the rush? Perhaps you are plotting how to best put all those leftovers to use (my favorite = turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce paninis!).

In my opinion, the day after Thanksgiving is when Christmas music becomes a valid listening option. One of the songs in my rotation this year comes from the Ed Quartet, featuring my friend Eunice on vocals and her husband Jon on drums (plus two other people I don't know, but I'm sure they're lovely). Enjoy a listen to their catchy tune, For It's Christmas. If you really like it, it's available to purchase on iTunes.

What could be more lovely, than the joy you bring to me? 

...All I want is to be with you, for it's Christmastime

Dancing in the Minefields

One of the things I love about attending weddings is getting to watch the older couples dance - you know, the couples with wrinkled faces and gnarled hands who have weathered decades together as husband and wife, who may be a little stooped or whose once-smooth moves may be reduced to a shuffle, but who nevertheless move as one and portray in their shared gaze a depth of comfort and understanding that inspires awe and makes you yearn for the same. Couples who have danced in the minefields and sailed through the storms. They're someone's grandparents, or great aunt and uncle, or neighbors. They're my heroes.

Of course, dancing couples needn't be geriatric to garner my attention and respect, and weddings aren't the only place to witness dancing. Case in point: while wandering around Granada during our trip to Spain in June, we came upon a plaza with a stage, a band, and a collection of couples dancing to the music in the heat of the day. To us it was unexpected, unexplained, and magical. We joined the crowd gathered around the perimeter and watched, with grins on our faces and the promise of a lifetime in our clasped hands.

Another Great Christmas Album to Stream for FREE

Listen to Your King Has Come, from Matthew Smith (of Indelible Grace) and friends. You'll be glad you did.

The album is described as "a collection of songs born out of a community of artists. From the contemplative opening chords of Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken's "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" to Jeremy Casella's awestruck "Joyful Fire" to Matthew Perryman Jones' worshipful "O Holy Night," the album represents the heartcry of the people of God. A cry of rejoicing because a baby has been born to save His people from their sins...and a cry of longing, wanting Him to return soon."

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

Ever since I discovered it a few years ago, Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ has been one of my favorite Christmas albums. One of the reasons I love it is that it's so much more than a Christmas album. Over the course of twelve songs, Peterson, an excellent lyricist, tells the Bible's whole story of redemption, from Moses and the Passover, to Jesus, the Lamb of God slain to take away our sin. Plus, who else could put Jesus' genealogy, as recorded by Matthew, into an incredibly catchy tune?! I have yet to catch a stage performance of this album (though I would love to...they're on tour again this year, so I just might yet) but will definitely be listening to these songs again this season.

Know what?! You can too, for free! Andrew has an online player where you can listen to the whole album. [The only catch is that after each song you have to click on the next one for it to play--it won't just play through on its own. But really, you'll be so eager to hear what's next that having to click on the next song won't be an issue.] So, go have a listen. You'll be glad you did. Then if you'd like, you can purchase the album on iTunes or from the store at the Rabbit Room.

What's your favorite Christmas album? Leave a comment and let me know!

Celebrating the Arrival of Autumn

Temperatures have started to dip. Leaves have started to turn. Pumpkin Spice Lattes have returned to Starbucks. Yes, autumn has arrived, and I could not be more thrilled. This is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not to mention, the arrival of autumn means that my long-dreamt-of fall wedding is less than two weeks away!

In great anticipation of my upcoming honeymoon on Cape Cod, enjoy this scenic interpretation of Cheryl Miller's When Fall Comes to New England (lyrics below).



When Fall Comes To New England
Words And Music By: Cheryl Wheeler

When fall comes to New England
The sun slants in so fine
And the air's so clear
You can almost hear the grapes grow on the vine

The nights are sharp with starlight
And the days are cool and clean
And in the blue sky overhead
The northern geese fly south instead
And leaves are Irish Setter red
When fall comes to New England

When fall comes to New England
And the wind blows off the sea
Swallows fly in a perfect sky
And the world was meant to be

When the acorns line the walkways
Then winter can't be far
From yellow leaves a blue jay calls
Grandmothers Walk Out In Their Shawl
And Chipmunks Run The Old Stone Walls
When fall comes to New England

The frost is on the pumpkin
The squash is off the vine
And winter warnings race across the sky
The squirrels are on to something
And they're working overtime
The foxes blink and stare and so do I

'Cause when fall comes to New England
Oh I can't turn away
From fading light on flying wings
And late good-byes a robin sings
And then another thousand things
When fall comes to New England
When fall comes to New England

Dare You Not to Smile as You Watch This

June...so far.

As it tends to do, now that summer is here it's already packed with activity and flying by. I just downloaded some photos from the camera and it made me realize how much we've been up to in just the past two weeks. Curious? Well, here's a little photographic overview of the first half of June:
On Friday, June 5th Travis and I joined with hundreds of other volunteers from our church to serve with Feed My Starving Children, an organization that sends nourishing meals to starving and malnourished children around the world. Each meal packet contains a chicken flavored powder with 20 vitamins and minerals, dehydrated vegetables, soy, and rice. Over 4 days on two campuses, Harvesters packaged over 600,000 meals. And, we had fun doing it!On Saturday, June 6th we saw Gipsy Kings in concert at Ravinia. The weather was unseasonably COLD (in the low 50's), and so we shivered and huddled together for warmth as we picnicked on the lawn. We went with our friends Allison & Alex and Nate & Bethany, who helped me surprise Travis with a little birthday celebration at the end of our meal. I brought a cake and candles, and my friends distracted Travis and blocked his view while I attempted to fit 32 candles on a small cake and get them all lit at the same time (a breeze made the latter endeavor quite difficult, so I finally settled for the majority). When we unveiled the cake to Travis and began to sing Happy Birthday, we were surprised when at least 50 people seated around us joined in the singing!
Tuesday, June 9th was my small group's first "Group Serve" night of the summer. The second Tuesday of each month during our normal small group meeting time we're volunteering to help out ECFA, a great non-profit ministry located in Wheaton, by cleaning their offices. We had a lot of fun serving together the first week, and look forward to July & August!
On Friday the 12th Allison & Alex took Travis and I out to dinner at Gaetano's in Forest Park for a joint celebration of our June birthdays. We did the chef's 4 course tasting menu and enjoyed every bite. In addition to exquisite taste, Gaetano's puts a lot into their presentation. Pictured here is one of the salad plates (pear poached in spiced Chianti served with watercress dressed with apple balsamic, and a warm gorgonzola, walnuts, and mascarpone fondue) and dessert (that's ice cream, chocolate cake, and tiramisu in the flower pot!).
Yesterday morning Travis picked me up at 3:30 (in the morning - did you catch that part?) to head up to the harbor in Waukegan. From there we went out on an 8 hour fishing charter with one of Travis' friends and one of his former students. The fish were not as responsive as the guys would have liked (only 4 fish were brought in, out of 9 bites), but it was a beautiful day to be out on the water, everybody went home with some salmon fillets (which is what I'll be preparing for dinner tonight), and I got to spend some quality "shoulder-to-shoulder" time with Travis that I think helped me better understand my fiance and his love for sports that involve killing things to eat.And finally, last night we had our second-to-last premarital counseling session. Cindy has made dinner for us each time we've met, so this time I volunteered to bring dessert, which gave me an excuse to throw together a pretty summer trifle. We've really enjoyed our sessions with Dave & Cindy and feel like they've been beneficial, giving us a lot to think and talk about as we prepare for marriage. Last night, however, I had a hard time focusing on what was being said, formulating answers that made sense, and not getting defensive about probing questions. Lesson learned: PMS + only 4 hours of sleep + 8 hours in the sun + premarital counseling = not a great combo. I am thankful that everyone took my out-of-nowhere tears gracefully in stride. :)

Though not photographically documented, during the first half of June we were also busy with Travis' big move out of the house where he'd lived for several years. Most of his things are now in our guest bedroom, from whence they will be integrated into the rest of the apartment. Between now and the wedding, Travis will be living with a co-worker in Oak Park who offered him an extra bedroom.

And what will the rest of the month include? Unpacking and putting away Travis' things, more get togethers with friends, my birthday celebration (Travis has something cooked up!), the meeting of the parents, and some hard core wedding planning.

Run for the Border. Sing When You Get There.

Here's something to make you smile on a cold and rainy Monday (at least here in Chicagoland).

Calmer of My Troubled Heart

Sometimes a song can settle...still...provide a moment of solace as it points the listener to the Prince of Peace. I've found one of those songs. I recently downloaded "Love Shall Never Die," the new EP from Indelible Grace's Matthew Smith (you can download the album here) and I'm completely taken with the song "Calmer of My Troubled Heart (Hallelujah)." Here are the lyrics:

Calmer of my troubled heart
Bid my unbelief depart
Speak, and all my sorrows cease
Speak, and all my soul is peace.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Comfort me when e’er I mourn
with the hope of Thy return
And til I Thy glories see
Help me believe in Thee
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Simple, but so calming, so comforting. Praise be to the calmer of our troubled hearts.

I [heart] NoiseTrade

Sometimes you come across something so great you just have to tell people about it. NoiseTrade is one of those great things. Launched by Derek Webb, NoiseTrade is a site that allows artists to make their music available to fans who can download the music for FREE by spreading the word about that artist/album (and NoiseTrade) to 5 friends. There's also the option to purchase the album for whatever amount you'd like to pay.

Through NoiseTrade I've come across some artists with whom I was already familiar and albums I'd really been wanting to hear/own, and I've also discovered some new artists and music that I really enjoy. So, I encourage you to head over to NoiseTrade, check out the albums available (you can listen to samples of each to get a feel for their sound), and then download a couple by spreading the word.

If you'd like a few personal recommendations, here are some of the albums currently available on NoiseTrade that have been getting lots of play time on my iPod lately:

• Sandra McCracken - Gravity Love
• Matthew Perryman Jones - Throwing Punches in the Dark (check out the widget in the sidebar of this blog)
• Andy Gullahorn - Reinventing the Wheel
• Jill Phillips - Nobody's Got it All Together

Spread the music! Spread the love!