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. 

The Christmas Card Reveal!

Tree Of Hope American Lung Association Holiday 5x7 folded card

Create modern holiday cards at Shutterfly

View the entire collection of cards.

It took me a couple weeks, but I finally carved out some time to sit down and design our 2010 Christmas card, compliments of Shutterfly. By the time our friends and family receive them, Christmas (and possibly even New Year's) will have come and gone, but you can't put an expiration date on good tidings of great cheer, right?

Many thanks to Shutterfly for making this year's photo card possible. I can't wait to get them in the mail, send them out with lots of love, and then see them on the refrigerators of family & friends! :)

New Reality

What happens when you marry this man? 

Adorning the buck becomes an accepted (anticipated, even!) part of decorating the house for Christmas.

Our First Christmas

Getting married in October ushered in a whole new era of firsts. While last Christmas was our first as a couple, this was our first Christmas as husband and wife--sharing a home, establishing new traditions, and reveling in being our own little family unit. Here's our home, decorated for the holidays:

Travis was a really good sport about letting me deck out Brutus for the holidays.
He even helped hang the ornaments from the antlers!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day here in the Chicago area. On Christmas Eve we enjoyed dinner out with my Dad's side of the family, then my aunt had everyone over for dessert and games. Three of the six cousins on that side of the family got married this year, and it was fun to see how Travis and my cousin's husband liven up our family gatherings. Now that all of the cousins are adults, and the rest of the "adults" are seniors (sorry Mom and Dad, but it's true!), our get-togethers have a new feel. I think there's a greater appreciation for the value of family, and the ability to relax a little and not take ourselves so seriously (which does not come naturally for Swedes). It was a great night.

Christmas morning dawned cold and clear. My family would be coming over early afternoon for Christmas dinner. After sleeping in a bit, Travis I got up and discovered the contents of our stockings, which we had filled for one another the night before. Then we got the turkey in the oven and started in on prep for the rest of the meal. The turkey was primarily Travis' domain, while I took charge of the side dishes. Dessert was a gorgeous (and delicious!) Caramel Apple Pecan Pie, which I ordered from my friend Charity's newest endeavor, Pie Notes. The turkey turned out well, the mashed sweet potatoes were a hit, and much to Travis' delight, we had lots of leftovers. The day after Christmas we used our new Cuisinart Griddler (a great appliance!) to make Turkey-Stuffing-Cranberry Sauce Paninis on Swedish limpa bread. Best sandwich I think I've ever made. Travis snapped a pic:

Christmas in Chicago: A Pictorial Review

There's a group of six women (five plus me) from my very first small group at Harvest, 7 years ago, who are very dear to me. Among us there's quite a diversity of personalities and interests (and ages, even), but somehow our friendship works, and thrives, and when I gather together with these women I know I will laugh harder than I have in quite a while.

For several years now we've done a "holiday hang" - a time when the 6 of us get together to enjoy a quintessentially Christmas activity and each other's company. For the past several years, a white elephant gift exchange has also been a highlight of the hang. This year, we began at the Bean in Chicago (1), then went to Russian Tea Time for tea and a scrumptious array of savory and sweet treats (2). From there we walked to the Christkindlmarket in Daly Plaza, where we enjoyed the sights and sounds of the festive multicultural outdoor marketplace (3-7). From there we went to Macy's to see the storybook window displays (8), and then back to my place, where we enjoyed a hot cider-chai infusion and carried out our gift exchange (9 - yes, that's a genuine Snuggie) with much laughter and mirth.

Here's a pictorial review of the day's festivities:

 

 

 

Christmas, Christmastime is here...

The Christmas season is here, and I am loving having a husband to share it with. I still marvel at the fact that we're a family, though it's just the two of us. I've been signing some thank you cards, "From our family to yours..." and still get a little thrill every time.

While we were in Michigan for Thanksgiving, Travis and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby for some of the foundational elements of family traditions; namely, stockings (made ever more exciting by the fact that we actually have a mantle from which to hang them). To the uninitiated, like Travis, Hobby Lobby during any holiday season can be rather overwhelming. We took it one aisle at a time, having the most fun in the stocking aisle where we each chose the stocking that best suited us, out of the probably 100 or so styles available, and a coordinating hook for each. We also picked out a nice tree skirt. On a subsequent shopping trip-turned shopping spree at Hobby Lobby on the way home from work one day last week I picked up some gold-themed ornaments for our tree along with various frames and pieces of artwork for general wall decor. On Saturday Travis and I had a great time decorating together. With each blank white wall we adorn our apartment feels more homey and lived in. We put up a big Christmas tree in the living room and hung ornaments from Brutus' antlers in the den. I'm hoping that by the end of the week the ribbon lights and bow I ordered online will come so that we can finish decorating the tree. Once most of the elements are in place I hope to "invite you over" by posting a few pics of the finished decor.

On Friday night Travis and I experienced the festivities associated with Forest Park's Holiday Walk and Festival of Windows (for which a number of stores along Madison Street feature live window displays, some of which we found amusing, a few slightly creepy). Saturday evening after our day of decorating we headed downtown to stroll through the Christkindlmarket in Chicago's Daly Plaza, a seasonal favorite of mine ever since I first visited a few years ago. I'm happily headed back there this coming Sunday as part of an annual "holiday hang" with one of my groups of friends. I'll have to remember to take my camera this next time and snap some shots of the HUGE Christmas tree and colorful vendor booths.

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."