Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #1

I had a hard time picking this one. They didn't come in order of ascending greatness or favorites. Just songs that draw me to remember, and to worship. So many other good ones I could have used! Hope you have enjoyed them too!

Merry Christmas!

Born to Die, by Bebo Norman

Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #2

Labor of Love
Words and music by Andrew Peterson
vocals by Jill Phillips

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 at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
In 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

Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #3

Here is Light of the World by Matt Redman,
on Chris Tomlin's Christmas CD

O Jesus son of God , so full of grace and truth
The Father's saving Word, so wonderful are you
The Angels longed to see and prophets searched to find
The glory we have seen revealed

You shone upon the earth but who will understand?
You came unto Your own but who will recognize?
Your birth was prophesied, for You were the Messiah
Who came and walked upon the Earth
Your glory we have seen, the one and only King
And now You're living in our hearts

Light of the world, light of the world
Light of the world, You shine upon us

In You all things were made and nothing without You
In heaven and on earth all things are held in You
And yet You became flesh, living as one of us
Under the shadow of the cross
Where, through the blood you shed, You have made peace again
Peace for a world that God so loves

And yet You became flesh, living as one of us
Under the shadow of the cross
Where, through the blood you shed, You have made peace again
Peace for a world that God so loves

Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #4

Here's another song by Andrew Peterson,
Gather Round

Gather ‘round, ye children, come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the pow’r of death undone
By an infant born of glory
Son of God, Son of Man

Gather ‘round, remember now
How creation held its breath
How it let out a sigh
And it filled up the sky with the angels
Son of God, Son of Man

CHORUS

So sing out with joy for the brave little boy
Who was God, but he made himself nothing
Well he gave up his pride and he came here to die
Like a man
Therefore God exalted him
To the place of highest praises
And he gave him a name above every name
That at the very name of Jesus, Son of God

CHORUS

We would sing out with joy for the brave little boy
Who was God, but he made himself nothing
Well he gave up his pride and he came here to die
Like a man
So in heav’en and earth and below
Every knee would bow and worship
And ev’ery tongue would proclaim
That Jesus, He reigns with the angels

CHORUS

So sing out with joy for the brave little boy
Who was God but he made himself nothing
Well he gave up his pride and he came here to die
Like a man

So gather ‘round, ye children come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the power of death undone
By an infant born of glory
Son of God, Son of Man

Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #5

This one is Come and Worship by Bebo Norman...
You can't listen to it while you feel rushed, or you won't make
it through.
But if you can sit still for a few minutes in this busy season,
then it could bless your soul!
I love the way he pairs creation, with incarnation, with final
consummation.Yes, one big story-- amen!

Come & Worship

Angels from the
Realms of Glory
Wing your flight over the Earth
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim the Messiah's birth

Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Worship Christ the Newborn King

Shepherds in the
Fields abiding
Watching over the flocks by night
God with man is
Now residing
Yonder shines the infant light

Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Worship Christ the Newborn King

Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Worship Christ the Newborn King

Saints before the
Alter bending
Watching long in hope and fear
Suddenly the Lord descending
In His temple shall appear

Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Worship Christ the Newborn King

Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Come and Worship
Worship Christ the Newborn King

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Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #6

Last Christmas a friend introduced me to Andrew Peterson, which is the only songwriter in a decade who has rivaled my love for Michael Card. Honestly, I don't like very much Christian music. But these guys... they are chock full of scripture, and they know their own hearts-- rare combo!

This one is from Peterson's Christmas album called Behold the Lamb of God. My only concern is that I'm using all the best ones up and there are still 6 more days to go till Christmas!

Behold, the lamb of god
Who takes away our sin
Behold the lamb of god
The life and light of men
Behold the lamb of god
Who died and rose again
Behold the lamb of god who comes
To take away our sin

Broken hearts--behold our broken hearts
Fallen far--we need you
Behold the lamb of god

Chorus

Son of god--emmanuel
Son of man--we need you
Behold the lamb
The hope of man
Behold the lamb of god

Uncommon Christmas Songs Countdown #7

This is one of my favorite non-traditional Christmas songs. I love Michael Card's masterful weaving of Old Testament themes and New Testament fulfillment. Love-love-love the beautiful irony of the final lines.

What does the Latin part mean?

Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur: Our Lamb has conquered. Him, let us follow.

Vicit Agnus Noster

Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur

Did Abraham himself not say God would provide a lamb?
To take himself the punishment that should belong to man.

And so to humble shepherds was his glory first revealed,
and with his birth a covenant made long ago was sealed.

Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur

Above his dark obscurity the light of God has shown
And through the meekness of the lamb God's strength would be made known

The just and gentle promised one would triumph o'er the fall
And conquer by his own defeat and win by losing all.

Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur

Don't Miss Him

Sidebar: It's usually the newest-biggest-brightest-best selling thing in Christian thought that we are attracted to, but sometimes it's better to read the old guys. You know, since the beginning of the church, there have been 2000 years of Spirit-gifted people who have had some really profound thoughts that we in the 21st century could really learn from.

And since my church-history loving husband has our downstairs bookshelves chock full of some of the best Christian thinkers of the last 2000 years, I pulled some off the shelf this morning. Why? I was looking for some heart-stirring, fresh thoughts on the incarnation.

It's Christmas afterall!

But just so you don't go thinking that I'm super-smart or geeky, I'll tell you, I had a hard time getting into Chrysostom this morning. And John Calvin. But Jonathan Edwards... I connected with him. And it feels pretty cool, when you think about it, that by virtue of print and technology, I could learn from a guy, this morning, Dec 2010, who wrote almost 400 years ago.

You know what he pointed out to me?

We can learn something striking from the angels. They live daily in the presence of God, right, so when they, who get to be with Him constantly, get really excited about something, it is worth noting.

The angels shouted together for joy when the foundations of the world were set. (Job 38:7) When the author of the universe set into motion His creative works, they couldn't contain themselves.

And when the author of the universe put into motion His redemption plan on behalf of the mess that His creation had made of His work, we learn that the angels longed to gaze into the heavenly hourglass before his plan was made clear. (1 Peter 1:12)

So where is Christmas in all of this?

Doesn't it make the angels' appearance in Luke seem more profound? Perhaps when we've seen the 5 year old angel in white sheet with tinsel on his head repeat the angels' announcement in the church play, we miss something of its impact. This is only the 2nd time in redemptive history that the angels had gathered to celebrate something big. And it's the only time in redemptive history that the whole bunch of them made a proclamation... to humans.

"Hello down there!! This is a REALLY BIG DEAL!! God is sending someone NEW. SPECIAL. DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE BEFORE HIM. TREASURED. THIS IS THE ONE. Don't miss Him!!"

Yes, my heart, don't miss Him.


"Christ’s incarnation was a greater and more wonderful thing than ever had yet come to pass. The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for the Creator himself to become a creature. We have spoken of many great things that were accomplished between the fall of man the incarnation of Christ: but God becoming man was greater than all. Then the greatest person was born that ever was or ever will be.” --Jonathan Edwards

Listen to the Story Again- Part II

Counseling & the Gospel- Part II

...continued from yesterday

Counseling is about naming blindness. (Is. 42:18: “Look, you blind, and see!) A good counselor can help you learn to be honest about what is true in your own heart and the hearts of others who have impacted you. Can you see the ways that you are blind? Can you see the places in your story that name the ‘why’ of your blindness?

Counseling is about waking up. (Ps. 57:8: “Awake, my soul!”) Are you awakened to the ways you stay asleep? A good counselor can bring awareness to the ways you avoid pain and forfeit honesty for safety in relationships.

Counseling is about holding together the tensions of human dignity and depravity. Each human being has been given a glorious stamp of His image, which is marred but not wiped out by the Fall. Can you name your depravity, without self-hatred, while also humbly delighting in the beauty He has uniquely placed inside of you?

Counseling is about learning to live longingly in a fallen world. To the degree we learn to live with hearts that are not numb to the pain of what is not yet, we begin to experience the joy of all that is “becoming” in Christ. (Rom 8:25: “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it!”)

Counseling is about growing hearts that are FREE to be loved and to love. Being freed from the shackles of doubt, fear, anxiety, addiction, etc... are not ends in themselves. The heart that is on the path to freedom can increasingly rest in being loved, and boldly love others for His sake! “The brave heart willingly moves into the darkness to feed himself and others with the bread the soul needs.” —Bruce Edstrom

These snapshots of perspective inspire me as I study the field of counseling. Naming blindness, waking up, living in tension with longing in a fallen world, being free to be loved & to love well by the Spirit of Jesus—it’s about the flourishing of the gospel into every corner of your heart!

Listen to the Story Again, Part I

...and, if you are looking for a great gift for a young friend, send a copy of the Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally-Lloyd Jones, and then buy another copy for yourself!

Counseling & the Gospel- Part I

Wanted to share some thoughts I've had lately about counseling and the gospel-- this excerpt from our recent newsletter.

The gospel —the power of God, demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Christ, addressing the universal scope of sin and brokenness, progressively transforming all areas of His creation. That’s way more expansive than “Jesus died for my sins so I can go to heaven.” Reversing the curse according to the gospel has a dramatically encompassing scope. Individual salvation? Yes! But much more! Your mind. Your emotions. Your body. Your family. Government. Politics. Culture. Arts. Social justice. Sexuality. Economics. Race. Gender. The gospel is designed to impact every corner of the planet and every corner of your heart!

What does that have to do with counseling? The broad scope of the gospel may sound fine until we start poking around difficult areas of our relationships. Sure, Jesus died for my sins. But can the gospel touch the conflict in my marriage? The ache of an estranged family member? A painful, unreconciled friendship? Nagging anxiety? Gripping fear of an unknown future? Relationships with a difficult co-worker? Your boss? Wherever your heart makes an exception clause to hope of the gospel’s promises is a place where counseling can powerfully enter. What do I mean?

Tomorrow...

We All Got a Suitcase

We might not be ready to call a lawyer, but there is so much truth in this song. Great blues song-- sounds even better than the lyrics. Oh yeah, we all got a suitcase.

Suitcase

I got a suitcase, I take it everywhere I go I got a suitcase baby, I take it everywhere I go It's just a big old bag of trouble, trouble all I know I met a girl, fell in love And our love was true I met a girl, fell in love Ooh, our love was true Well and I found out, Lord she had a big old suitcase too Lord, so we put our bags together, made a home for two People we put our bags together, you know made a home for two Then along came the children, gave them all a suitcase too Well the house got too small, the bags got too big We was holdin' on to everythin', whatever said or did Well I complained about the salt, in the black eyed peas Then she put her hand on her hip and she told me to leave And take my suitcase, and get on out that door You gonna hear from lawyer, I can't take it no more I had to get down on my knees, beg her to let me stay I had to get down on my knees and beg her to let me stay I said baby, we got a whole lot of baggage Let's call somebody and have it hauled all away I got a suitcase, I take it everywhere I go People I got a suitcase, I take it everywhere I go It's a big old bag of trouble, I don't need no more

Keb Mo, Suitcase CD

Semester is Finished!

Just drove up to school today to turn in my last assignment. This last paper was a really helpful, useful one. (I learned a TON during this one, and the genogram assignment. These 2 projects were worth their weight in gold on the learning scale!) We made a concept map and a paper explaining our views of marriage counseling. Such a great project! Semester One-- check!

Now onto thinking about Christmas... oh, and there's laundry, dishes... and SNOW to shovel! I'm sure it will only seem cool for this one time ever again in my whole life!

More to come in the next few days... want to write some final thoughts on my semester, and maybe even return to a couple of the things I said I would post this summer and never got around to!

Finals finished; 1 more project to go!
It's been awhile since I've been a student... but I love it! :)

Camera found!
Picture update coming soon!

Thanksgiving in Pictures

We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving with the Wallace's.
Here's Dingo!













Of course the main attraction at all our weekend festivities was baby Andrew!

































No holiday gathering is complete without a family karaoke performance!













Ali performing her own made up original






































Ellie sang Ariel's solo



















Even Dingo...



















...and Da got into the performing!



















After the meal was the UT vs A&M game. Several UT graduates in that room. No Aggies. Lots of gaffawing. And Andrew, of course, was a seriously conflicted child.



















On Thanksgiving night, it snowed! Just a little bit, but enough to try out our new snow sleds in the back yard!


























































Andrew's 1st guitar lesson.
















On Friday, we all enjoyed HOT POT together. Everyone was enthusiastic to try Jim's and my favorite Chinese dish!













































Family pics at a local park.


















Sweet, huh?













It was COLD that day!



















Here's a holiday add-on. Manchester has an annual tradition of Santa traveling through the streets waving from the top of a fire truck! Very impressive!













The fireman handed out candy canes, and invited everyone to the firehouse on Saturday to visit Santa in person!

Quick Update

I didn't realize it's been 10 days since I've written anything. The camera has been misplaced, so I'll have to hold off on updating the Thanksgiving pics. We had a great time with Jim's family. Jim's parents stayed at our house, and his brother's family stayed at his sister's house, which is an hour away at Scott AFB. The thanksgiving turkey was AWESOME (way to go Jeff & Julie!), and it snowed on Thanksgiving day-- not a ton, but enough to try out the new snow sleds we bought last week for the girls. Then on Friday we had HOT POT which is Jim's and my favorite Chinese meal, and I was tickled how enthusiastic our family was to give it a try.

This week and next are my final exams... I have 2 of those, and 2 more papers/projects due by the end of next week. So you probably won't be hearing from me again for another small stretch.

Jim is taking GRE #2 this coming Monday Dec. 6th. Pray for a 5 on the writing section... that is the make or break score. Application due at the end of December, so this is his last shot to take the test.

Kathryn has been home sick the last 2 days. I just got back from taking her to the doctor, and she has strep throat :( I'm not feeling so hot myself, so please pray that the rest of us hold fast!

More coming soon...