Tones and Tunes of the Season.

Without a doubt, music is a major part of both my holiday memories and our current family Christmas traditions. Yes, there are the fun songs that we have sung since childhood and that our own kids now sing with passion.....Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, We Wish you a Merry Christmas, I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus......so fun and festive. But even more central to our celebrations are the sacred and holy songs of the season that help us to keep our focus on Jesus during the holidays. My very favorite Christmas song is "Oh, Holy Night"....the stars were brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior's birth. I love memories of touring our neighborhood, caroling with these favorites and just connection via song....and of course countless school concerts and church hymn-sings. One of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is to go to church, sit in a darkened sanctuary lit only by white lights or candles, and sing Christmas songs.

I took Kennedy to her first "real" concert last night....the Winter Wonderland Tour with Point of Grace and Scott Krippayne. What a great musical treat! Point of Grace has the most awesome harmony that I have every heard.....shivers up and down my spine and a pure delight for the ears and the soul. We went with a group of moms and daughters from church, and we had a really nice time. Without a doubt, my favorite song that Point of Grace sings is "Not that Far from Bethlehem," a song that talks about the fact that although Jesus' birth was many, many years ago, the truth and hope of Christmas is right here and right now in our lives. I try to carry the truth of this song with me through the season, to help me keep my eyes firmly on Jesus. They also had some of their kids up on stage with homemade nativity costumes on singing "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" at pretty much the top of their lungs.....so, so precious.

This morning, we had another musical treat in my daughter's kindergarten holiday concert....what fun to see them all dressed up singing the fun song of the season. They did a rendition of "Silent Night"--complete with sign language--that was so precious. Kennedy is SO EXPRESSIVE when she sings, it just made me smile (my mouth and my heart!). They also did a very cute rendition of "Must be Santa." I love that Kennedy loves music and sees it as a form of expressing herself and her emotions.....they were singing a song about a single little lonely Christmas tree in the woods, and her little face was so, so sad.....and then the twinkle in her eye when talking about Santa's arrival......just so dramatic! I look forward to helping her to develop her musical talents and seeing where she will go in this area. Love, love, love, LOVE the sounds and songs of the Christmas season, especially when they are sung by my children.