Day #3 Christmas music

Day 3 - Christmas music I love Christmas music. Every year it seems that I discover a new song that I really like. A few years ago, Kelli & Mark gave us tickets to see the Casting Crowns Christmas tour (which was an a amzing concert!). My friend, Nicole, went to it in Louisiana a few nights before we went in St. Louis & she called me & said to listen up when Natalie Grant sang "I Believe." That song is now one of my all time favorites & I listen to it all year long.

Joy introduced me to "Winter Snow" that Audrey Assad sings with Chris Tomlin - another I can listen to all year long.

Francesca Battistelli has two Christmas songs I love, "You're Here" from her Christmas cd & then "Be Born in Me" from the music inspired by The Story.

I have enjoyed both of Mariah Carey's Christmas albums. I love all of Jim Brickman's Christmas ones, too. 4Him Christmas has been a favorite for years. "Breath of Heaven" is a favorite year after year. Amy Grant is a Christmas standard for me.

My all time favorite not-about-Jesus Christmas song is "Merry Christmas, Darling" sung by Karen Carpenter.

I bought the Matthew West Christmas cd last year right after the holidays, but I've made myself wait to listen to it. Only a few more weeks! Please comment & tell me your favorites!

Day #2 More Music

Day #2 More Music It was around the time of my freshman year in college that Amy Grant's "Baby, Baby" came out & I loved every single song on that cassette!

I also got my first Amy Grant Christmas tape my freshman year of college. I still know all the words to "Sleigh Ride."

Point of Grace came on the scene. I loved their close harmonies & sing-along-ableness. "Jesus Will Still be There" & "I'll be Believin'"

Michael W. Smith's "Go West, Young Man" was another one of my favorites.

On our honeymoon, in 1994, we bought our first Phillips, Craig & Dean. And left it in the tape player in our rental car. We went to see them in concert that fall & that was the first concert I went to that I felt like was a worship service more than a concert. It was amazing.

When we started attending First West in 1998, a contemporary worship service was a new experience, and we soaked it up like a sponge. Terry Howard was leading worship then, and the church was still meeting in the old sanctuary. Worship (at church) changed for me. Because of the songs we were singing, I felt much more like I was singing to God, rather than just about Him. We were introduced to songs like "Better than Life" and "Shout to the Lord." I discovered MercyMe around this time. "Here Am I" is one of my all time favorites of theirs. I remember listening to that over & over around the time we were getting ready to move from Louisiana to Missouri.

Moving to Jefferson City in 2003, artists like Avalon, FFH, Mark Schulz & Jump5 (musical influence of Katie!) were played frequently in our car. In 2005ish, I discovered Steven Curtis Chapman's love songs cd. It came at a time of renewal for Jay & me and those songs were so sweet to me because of that. "We will Dance" was my favorite, simple ballad that talks about the seasons of life that we go through.

Travis Cottrell. Need I say more? He is an amazing worship leader. As Jay says, "He has got some pipes!" Tara & I got to work his sales table when he sang at the MBC annual meeting in 2009.

In January of 2010, our world shifted a bit as Jay's job took on some new responsibilites, and I listened to Audrey Assad's "Restless" many times.

In recent years, my favorites have been Matt Maher, Brandon Heath, (these two are coming together in concert in a few weeks!) Mandisa, and music inspired by The Story. This is an amazing cd. It's filled with songs from the perspectives of people in the Bible. Bart Millard sings as Moses. Brandon Heath sings as Joseph. Francesca Batistelli sings as Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Natalie Grant sings as Mary Magdalene, after Jesus' resurrection.

One thing I love about music is that hearing a song can take me back - back to a time in my life, to wherever we may have lived at the time, to what Bible study I was doing at the time. Last night, we sang Bill & Gloria Gaither songs, and oh my goodness, I was taken back to Community Baptist Church, and New Hope Baptist Church. Memories came flooding back. Sweet, sweet times. What great experiences in my life. Tomorrow, it's Christmas!