I don’t have a lot of time (I’m finally back at home after a long drive in holiday traffic and now hanging out with family), but here’s one of my favorite Christmas hymns – Derek Webb now has a new version that’s fabulous, you should check it out!
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.
This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.
I love this song from Michael W. Smith’s first (1989) Christmas album – this was on Bethany’s CD as well, but it’s been a favorite for a while. I love the way it encapsulates the Christmas story, from the birth to the angel’s appearance to the shepherds, all the while forshadowing Christ’s ultimate purpose in coming to earth as a baby, as God’s ‘final word’ to save His people.
In the space of the beginning
Was the living word of light
When this word was clearly spoken
All that came to be was right
All creation had a language
Words to say what must be said
All day long the heavens whispered
Signing words in scarlet red
Some had failed to understand it
So God spoke his final word
On a silent night in Judah’s hills
a baby’s cry was heard
Glory! sang the angel chorus
Glory! echoed back the night
Love has come to walk among us
Christ the lord is born this night
All creation sing his praises
Earth and heaven praise his name
All who live come join the chorus
Find the words his love proclaim
So I’m going to copy Kari here again and hope she doesn’t hate me for it 
I put together a mix CD for some friends with my favorite Christmas music – it’s kinda a mix of new and old stuff for me, with a lot of the music I grew up listening to, plus some of the music I’ve grown to love in the last few years. Here’s a list of the songs, and why I put them on the CD.
1. You make it feel like Christmas by Neil Diamond. A fun one to start things off – I used to hate Neil Diamond, and it’s been a recent addition, but I’ve grown to like this one.
2. In the bleak midwinter by The Robert Shaw Chamber Singer. This is one of my favorite carols, and my college choral director instilled a great love of Robert Shaw in me during chamber singer rehearsals, so this seemed like the best version.
3. Baby it’s cold outside by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan. I only heard this song for the first time maybe two years ago, and I love it (from watching ‘Elf’). I’m a big fan of Ella, and this version balances the male and female parts really well.
4. Darlin’ (Christmas is coming) by Over the Rhine. One of the acoustic sketched from OtR’s new Christmas album pre-release – I wasn’t sure about putting this on here, but I figured if I had the real album, I would have put the real song on, so you get this one, which I LOVE.
5. Song for a winter’s night by Sarah McLachlan. This is a new one for me, I didn’t even know she had a Christmas album til a couple weeks ago, and I really like this song – her voice goes well with the haunting melody – kinda melancholy, but I like it.
6. Child of love by Sara Groves. I’m new to the Sara Groves fandom, but I really like her voice, and she doesn’t have many Christmas songs. This one is awesome.
7. There were shepherds… by Handel. This is actually a series of three short arias/recitatives from Messiah, sung by the soprano. It tells about the angels appearing to the shepherds, leading into the next song.
8. Glory to God by Handel. The chorus immediately following the set of arias above. The soprano sets up the appearance of the angels to the shepherds, and the chorus enters as the angels, singing ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth’, with the orchestra eventually fading away as the angels return to heaven. Lovely.
9. Silent Night (duet) by Over the Rhine. This is probably my favorite song from OtR’s first Christmas album, Darkest Night of the Year. The traditional but non-traditional sound of this carol is beautiful.
10. Love has come by Amy Grant. I know Amy Grant is cheesy, but this album (and her other Christmas album) is a big part of what Christmas feels like to me. This is one of the first Christmas songs I remember.
11. Blue Christmas by Harry Connick Jr. I adore HCJr (what can I say, I’m a sappy girl), and this is a kinda fun twist on an old Christmas favorite.
12. Welcome to our world by Chris Rice. I love this song, and I particularly like Chris Rice’s voice (though I have to say, I don’t hate MWS’s version either). I love the ‘bring your peace into our violence’ part especially.
13. All I want for Christmas is you by Olivia Nelson. This is the version from Love Actually, and while it’s kinda cheesy (it’s sung by the little girl who was in the movie, who’s like 12 or something), it’s a fun song.
14. Ave Maria by Andrea Bocelli. This isn’t the traditional Schubert version, but I love Andrea Bocelli’s voice, and I like this version, especially after hearing the Schubert version butchered by every other singer around the holidays.
15. I’ve got my love to keep me warm by Dean Martin. A swoony holiday song, and this version seems classic to me.
16. Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant. I almost put Sara Groves version on here, but I’m really used to Amy Grant’s version – so for better or worse, that’s the version here.
17. White Christmas by Otis Redding. This is also from the Love Actually soundtrack, and I kinda like the mellow, jazzy feel of this version, instead of the lounge-y feeling of others.
18. O Little town of Bethlehem by Over the Rhine. Another favorite from Darkest Night of the Year – one of my favorite carols too.
19. What are you doing New Year’s Eve? by Harry Connick Jr. Another swoony holiday song (though not strictly Christmas-y).
20. God rest ye merry gentlemen/We three Kings by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan. I know people have been saying this is overplayed, but I’ll be honest and say I’d never heard it til this year – and now I love it, and it’s fun, so it seemed like a good way to wrap up!
What do you listen to most this time of year? What sounds like Christmas to you? I’ve gotten one of the Christmas mixes from our exchange circle, and it’s great (thanks Bethany!) – lots of emphasis on the waiting and anticipation associated with the Advent of Jesus. It’s been kinda slow for me this year, building up to the excitement I normally experience with Christmas, but I’m well on my way now
That’s right, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have won their first ACC Championship since 1970 against Georgia Tech with a score of 9-6!!! They’ve had an awesome season, and the students here are PUMPED about seeing their team play in the Orange Bowl in less than a month. My boss (and his sophomore WFU son) were at the championship game in Jacksonville and he said it was awesome to see it in person – I figured his son might have talked him into trying to go to the Orange Bowl, but no dice apparently.
). What kind of cheer rating would they get?