Give Me a Candle, O God…

Light a candle in the early morning…

Every morning (normally…), I spend my very early first hour or so waking up, making a cup of coffee, and into the morning reading from the book, Celtic Daily Prayer.

And sometimes, it seems like just “going through the motions.” Showing up, reading with glassy stare, close the book, and move along. I even light a candle, to try and give visual cues to my broken brain that this is a routine, something we do every day, so pay attention and stop trying to run away when I’m not looking. (Steve, my mental hampster, loves to try and run so hard on his little wheel in my brain during this time, that he comes close to breaking the dumb thing…) Read more

31 Days of Christmas Lyrics, Day 31 (Once Upon a Christmas)

The King was born at last…

We made it – all the way to 31. Time to let this blog go dark for a couple years, since that seems to be my normal practice.(Kidding. Really. Totally. Sort of. Maybe…)  Actually, I’m hoping that this daily reminder to write, even if it’s only a sentence or two, will help me build some new patterns and routines. Time will tell.

To wrap these fun and games up, a song that takes us through the whole story. I hope you’ve enjoyed this lyric parade, but more importantly, I hope your Advent and Christmas have been a blessed one indeed. May He rule and reign in our hearts, may His love wrap all of us in His mercy, and even so, quickly come Lord Jesus. Amen.

“And all the world rejoiced because the King had come at last!” Read more

31 Days of Christmas Lyrics, Day 29 (A Cradle In Bethlehem)

Till Angels say, “Amen…”

The pure, gentle, and lovely voice of Sara Groves has been one of my favorites since I first heard songs like “The Word” and “Generations.” Her Christmas project, O Holy Night, is one of those that we listen to all through the season. And the sense of love and yearning in this song make it a particular fave.

Sing sweet and low your lullaby, Till angels say Amen… Read more

31 Days of Christmas Lyrics, Day 25 (Immanuel)

Over the course of what feels like 3 lifetimes, this song still touches my heart deeply…

I usually find a reason to sing this song someplace every Advent season – even if it’s only in the shower. (Ewww… thanks for the mental picture, Calbert.) For me, this song all comes down to the last verse – that’s where it touches me deeply, where I usually break down a bit while singing it, and where stuff gets real all up in here: Read more

31 Days of Christmas Lyrics, Day 23 (Angels From the Realms of Glory)

Cold day
In the not so bleak early winter…

When I recorded my Christmas album, Whistlewonder:The Carols of Christmas, I didn’t intend for this tune to end up on the disc. However, when messing around with the Carol of the Bells, I unexpectedly found myself playing this tune. So, as the wild sound of “Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away” wrapped itself around my fingers, the message of “Angels from the realms of Glory, wing your flight o’er all the Earth” seemed appropriate. After all, I’m pretty sure those Angels can haul wing. Like, wowsers.

Calbert, did you really have to go there? Why, yes – yes, I did. Read more