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Story Behind the Song: And the Angels Sang

It’s hard to believe that I wrote this song about fifteen years ago! Does that make it officially an “oldie”? Oh, well. My kids make it feel new. As each daughter of mine learns it, hears it on the iPod or Pandora, or even plays it on the piano themselves, every year at least one of them says to another: “Mom wrote this song!” It’s sweet.

I wrote this song when I was a really, really new songwriter. It was one of my very first songs actually and I was still in that stage of asking people, “Is this a real song?” I’ll never forget how it happened…A great friend of ours, Matt Black (www.mjblack.com) asked me if I had any original Christmas songs that I would like to sing at an upcoming Christmas concert. I told him I didn’t…yet. Matt has an incredible gift of including people and giving opportunities for songwriters/singers to grow and “get out there.” He really did that for me, time and time again!

A while later, I went over to Matt and Joanna’s apartment and said, “Hey, I did write a Christmas song! Can I sing it for you?” So they sat down on their couch, with their little white Jenny-dog, and listened all the way through. When I was done, I turned around from the piano and Matt gets up and yells, “Oh, no! Jenny pooped!” So Joanna and I were laughing, Matt was taking care of the dog, and nothing more was said about the song, to my remembrance.

Fast forward about two weeks to the Christmas concert I mentioned…

I walked in to the theater and Matt said, “Are you going to sing the song you played for us a couple weeks ago?” I didn’t have the song with me. I had no idea he had liked it or wanted me to do it! Looking back, I realize how dumb I was to not ask or anything, but I think I was too shy and didn’t want to be rejected! So, I drove home really quickly, got the song which I hadn’t practiced in two weeks, and played it for the audience at the end of the concert. It got lots of love, and I kinda like how I didn’t have a chance to be nervous, considering it was all a surprise that I would be performing!

Anyway…about the actual song: It tells the greatest story ever told, how God sent His mercy and love in the form of a baby. Maybe creation knew the magnitude of that moment, and maybe every single created thing worshipped (and continues to worship) Him in their own beautiful way. Truly, the earth is filled with His glory and I hope you’ll join your heart with us in worship as you watch and sing along!

 

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How to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays, Part Two

Continued from yesterday…

6) If you have holiday events that will change up your normal eating schedule or normal healthy foods, I have two thoughts to help. One, have your meal on a dessert plate-get whatever you want, but other than vegetables and fruit, make it fit on a dessert plate. Two, wear a watch and do not eat any sooner than 3 hours later! Your waistband, blood sugar, digestion, and eventually the scale will thank you!

7) Desserts: What other time of year does one have peanut butter balls and derby pie? So, I myself will have some even though for the rest of the year I am pretty much dessert-free. Two thoughts about this that help me not go overboard anymore: One, have a dessert plate with a small sample of your favorite things. Two, do not take it home with you, and if you have no choice about that, plan to only eat the leftovers when others are sitting down to enjoy them as well. (Read: Do not scurry up to the fridge alone when everyone else has gone to bed…I say this as if I have experience on this matter…which I will humbly confirm!!)

8) I really recommend 15 minutes of exercise a day, even and especially through the holidays! It helps the immune system, and just think, if you are eating an extra few hundred calories every few days because of the rich holiday foods AND skipping your normal exercise, it’s compounding to a serious calorie overload your body is not used to. Keep up the exercise, and possibly add in a 10 min walk outside around dinnertime each evening, and that will really help with the extra servings your body isn’t used to.

9) Pace yourself and don’t “eat your feelings”. We need to let this season be the gift that it is, NOT the busy dizzy mess it can become of setting unrealistic expectations on our calendar and ourselves, and trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations others tend to put on us. I will say this truth to you and me both: We don’t HAVE to do anything at all to show and receive love this Christmas. We are enough and so are the people around us. WE get to choose what Christmas is all about TO US. If you find yourself stressed, keep to the eating and resting guidelines, and take a moment to really think  about WHY you’re cooking, dressing up, driving, preparing your home, etc. It’s about relationships and having a chance to show love and gratitude, not about perfection and pride and things that can be bought. When we get to the bottom of why we feel overwhelmed or unhappy, it’s amazing how quickly the desire to stuff our faces disappears.

10) Don’t allow this month to overshadow or rearrange the most important part of the day: Your time alone with Jesus! He wants to steady you, bless you, sing over you! He wants to nourish you and hold you close so you can hear His heartbeat now more than ever. There are hurting people around us-He wants to give us a word to sustain the weary! We need Him, whether we notice it or not amidst the constant noise and bustle, and our awareness of His Presence will be our peace and joy. He IS the peace and joy people speak of at Christmas, to ignore coming close to Him during this time only sets us up for disappointment at the end of the day.

So, God bless you–each and every one–and may you enjoy this holiday to the fullest!

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How to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays! Part One…

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So I raise my glass and propose a toast to staying well and also not gaining weight over the Christmas Season! The actions we take to stay well AND the actions we take to not gain weight are one and the same, go figure! They simply go hand in hand.

There is no reason in the world why we have to bring in the New Year  feeling sick, miserable, and ready to take on insane exercise routines and diets. Let’s just SKIP ALL THAT this year! Here are some things I am going to stay conscious of…No rocket science here, but as I was thinking through my strategy I thought I would share it with you!

1) Drink more water than ever! I am trying to do a full 32 oz water bottle by lunch and another by supper.

2) Get some detox tea or echinacea tea and drink it hot several times a week. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to swap out your lunch most days this month with a homemade protein shake with flax seed, chia seeds, spinach, berries, and all the good stuff that helps keep you squeaky clean and well-nourished.

3) Take a daily 10-15 minute “nap”, eyes closed, no TV. Yoga wouldn’t be a bad idea either, I love it!

4) Have some Oscillicilium (Sorry, I have no idea how to spell this!), Cold Eeze zinc tablets (yes, I know they have disgusting artificial sweetener in them which I usually avoid like the plague), and Vitamin C powder packets on hand ON TOP of your regular whole food vitamins. It is truly amazing how these three things, or even just one of these, can shorten a cold. Also, I have learned with having bad allergies that it doesn’t matter whether your symptoms are from a cold or just allergies, you need relief! So, stock up on antihistamines so that when the icky drippy stuff starts happening, you can dry it up and keep from getting an infection. My favorite one is Chlor-Trimeton, it works wonders for me.

5) Get in bed before 11, with just a few exceptions you crazy party animals!