Because even a blind squirrel can find a nut sometimes, I realized I should be putting the title of the song in the title of the post… Oi to da Vey. We’ll fix that. Someday. Maybe. Sort of.

When doing my thing as the commander of the Overnight Army on 91.3 WCSG, I have two Christmas traditions as we turn the corner from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. First, sometime shortly after midnight, we always play “Toy Packaging” by Sara Groves, as a tribute to any parents who are still up, assembling toys when they should be snug in their beds. Hee hee hee… Read more

Among other things, Advent is the season of light. And it’s interesting that we’re going to be blessed by a viewing of “Bethlehem’s Star” this year, right here in 2020. It’s been a long time since that bright light was seen in our skies, and in a dark year, we so need that.

I hope I never stop being a seeker, searching for the Light in a dark world… Read more

10 days down, 21 to go… I’m currently in day 10 of my 20 day Rona lockdown… I mean, ISOLATION. While having no symptoms myself, I’ve been directly exposed (bearing no ill will to The Proofreader, for the record – she is only showing a slight cold as her symptom.) and have to stay isolated for almost 3 weeks. Very, very, v-e-r-y Grrrrrrrr…

So in the middle of the mess, we’re blessed. If we just take the time to look, that is.

I haven’t seen her face in a direct sort of way for 10 days, since she has to wear a mask and gloves around me. 2020 is the year we lost our faces. Read more

It’s funny how relevant songs can be, if we think about it. If we really look at the words, and don’t just dismiss something because, “That’s just an old hymn – has no relevance to my modern life.” Or, “That’s just a modern worship song – has no depth or substance to reach my current life.” Or, “That’s classic rock & roll – meets me where I’m at every time.”

Don’t make that face at me – you know it’s true. Read more

At this moment in time, Calbert is not a happy camper. Events in life have piled up in a certain order to make me angry… Really, really, r-e-a-l-l-y angry. Frankly, I’d be open to throwing this song lyrics for 31 days thing under the bus, after 7 out of 31 days, and hiding in my blanket fort, ignoring the world and trying not to have a meltdown and break something.

The holidays are never easy on this bipolar boy. This year is the worst, since things have snuck up on all of us. We don’t even realize time has passed, then  BAM we’re almost to Christmas, and what happened to any time to prepare? Or in my case, to develop a strategy to get through the holidays without a total breakdown. I’ll do me, you do you, boo. Read more

One week down. And so far, the traditional carols outweigh the more modern songs. Let’s even that up a little, shall we?

Aye. We shall. Read more

Long one of my favorite carols, one that I recorded on my Christmas project, and with a verse that’s one of my “this is where the story gets real to Calbert” moments, In the Bleak Midwinter is the story made real in my heart.

And if you’ve never heard James Taylor’s exquisite version, you’ve not heard the song. Just sayin’.

Anyway, the verses are not in the official order, but in the order from Calbert’s heart. My blog, my rules. It is good to be The Calbert… Read more

It’s another song that overviews the whole story of redemption, because I think this early in Advent, we sometimes are too quick to jump right to the Holly Jolly Turbo Jingle Hoo Whee Light The Tree Get Yer Christmas On Uff Da! aspect of the season, and don’t settle down with the whole story.

I admit my own “inner voice” of this Christmas carol always takes it much, much too fast, rolling through it in a morning church service, with little or no time to really think about it. Especially when we usually drop a verse or two… or three… That may be why when I recorded my version of it on my much not acclaimed and seldom heard album Whistlewonder: The Carols of Christmas, (told you these early days would be from that album, I did. Yessss… *bonus points if you heard that in the voice of Yoda*) I always extend the repeating phrase that flies by, when we should really be thinking about what we’re singing: “Oh come to my heart, Lord Jesus. There is room in my heart for Thee.”

Is there? Have I made room? Read more

If you’d like a preview of what songs are likely to pop up in this series, you could always check the titles from my Christmas album – Whistlewonder: The Carols of Christmas. I mean, if I recorded it on there, there’s a good chance that I love it enough to have the lyrics show up here…

Or will they?? Bwaaa haaa haaa haaa. Read more

I had never heard this song before hearing Damaris Carbaugh sing it on her Christmas album, and ever since it has been once of “those” songs. Indeed, it remains in my “Required Listening” category all year long, to keep my eyes and my head in the right place. Read more