Sing Throughout December

What starts the Christmas holiday for you? Lights? The scent of pine? Homemade treats? The buzz of a crowded store? Friendly people? Bell ringers? For me, music is the harbinger of the season. On November 1^st, my radio is tuned to the station dedicated to playing Christmas tunes until January 1^st. At church we sing carols before the turkey leftovers are gone. To me the songs with the sweetest tunes are the old ones—”Away in a Manger”, “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem”, “O Holy Night”; tunes I never tire of singing.

Holiday Traditions

December. Crazy Schedules. Long Lines. Heavy traffic. Bigger bills. Higher expectations. Yet, even jammed on a clogged interstate my heart is lighter when I’m singing along with the radio. With the holiday just hours away, sit. Sniff the holiday scents. Sip an eggnog. Send a card. Use the fruit cake as a door stop. Enjoy all of the holiday traditions.

Sing Throughout December

And don’t forget to sing.

Warm up those vocal cords.

Belt out the tunes.

Sing.

Christmas Music 2023

My Prayer-Song

To kids from birth to one-hundred and two,

I’m offering this adapted refrain.

I pray the Lord Jesus

stays by your side.

I pray the Lord Jesus

blesses you and your children.

May the Christmas bells ring

all year long.

And you open your heart to hear them ring—

Peace.

Peace on Earth, Good will to all men.

I pray to the Lord Jesus

Fit us for heaven

to live with you there.

O come to us.

Abide with us.

Our Lord—our Emmanuel.

My all the nations rise—joyful!

Because no man will die

when you take us to heaven to live with you there.

Joy.

Joy for our world.

May our spirits jingle and rock all the way (even when it’s not a white Christmas)

because we’ve all bowed our heads

And cried

hate is strong.

There is no peace on earth.

But loud and deep

I hear the words—

God is NOT dead.

God does not sleep.

Our hope is strong—

We will hear words of cheer

for peace on Earth.

When the world revolves from night to day,

peace on Earth,

and good will to you, my friend.

May the little, Lord Jesus abide in your heart and live with you there.

Until we celebrate the season in heaven—

Merry, merry, the merriest Christmas.

Songs to Sing Throughout December

Words Adopted and inspired by the following Christmas songs:

“The Christmas Song” By Mel Torme’

“Away in a Manger” Author Unknown (Martin Luther)

“O’ Little Town of Bethlehem” by Phillips Brooks

“Carol of the Bells” Original by Mykola Leontovych and English-language lyrics by Peter Wilhousky

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Hark the Herald Angels Sings” by Charles Wesley and George Whitefield

“Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts

“Jingle Bells” by James Lord Pierpont

“Jingle Bell Rock” by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe

“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” by Irving Berlin