Christmas Favorites: #1

Favorite Scripture:

Luke 1:45

"Blessed is she who has believed that what
the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Luke's account of Christ's arrival reads like a novel...angels appearing to many with many messages, giving good tidings of great joy to shepherds and leaving Zechariah mute for not believing the Lord's promise.  

And then there's Mary's part in the story.  Can you imagine? A young girl, possibly at the age of 12, but definitely not older than 16, expecting a normal engagement, a normal wedding, a normal marriage with a man named Joseph.  And what happens is far from what was expected. 

I can't fathom the message...the Holy Spirit will overcome you, you will become pregnant, and your child will be the Savior, the Messiah, the one you have all waited for.  And she responds with understandable questioning but ultimately, confident obedience.  She says, "May it be to me as you have said."  She submits.  She relinquishes control.  She allows the Lord to have His way in spite of any personal objection, not to mention the social implications.  Mary says, "Yes."

And when she sees her cousin Elizabeth, Mary's obedience is acknowledged and affirmed: "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."  This is faith, faith I long to be developed in me.

May we all say, "Yes, Lord.  I believe what you say in spite of all my questions, my limited understanding, my confusion, my hesitation.  You have spoken your love and grace and mercy over my life.  You've promised me your still waters to quiet me, your strong tower to shelter me, your broad wings to cover me, your constant presence to guide me, and your steadfast love to follow me all the days of my life.  I will believe you because you are the only God, the only true, good, sovereign Lord.  You will fulfill your purposes for me, and when I can't see your hand, I will trust your heart."

The Word took on flesh in Christ; he is the physical fulfillment of the promises of God.  He rescued us from ourselves at the cross, and He gave us hope at the resurrection.  Knowing Him is what we're made for.  My prayer for you, this time of year and always, is that you would hear Him, believe Him, and say, "Yes."

Merry Christmas to you.

Christmas Favorites: #2

Favorite Christmas Movie:

White Christmas

"Snow. Snow. Snow. Snow!  It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow..."

What a film.  The fashions.  The harmonies.  The dances.  The love stories.  The snow!  I absolutely adore every minute of this movie.  And I always have.  I remember watching it on sick days throughout my childhood.  Granted, I never really understood the war scenes or some of Danny Kaye's jokes, but it didn't really matter.  This movie had the greatest songs and the greatest dancing, and for my ten-year-old self, that was all I needed.  

In my opinion, the mark of a great film is its "re-watch-ability."  Ok, I just made that word up and used hyphens profusely, but you know what I mean.  A movie of high caliber should be suitable for multiple viewings and should have both the same appeal and new appeals discovered at each viewing.  It should also be quotable.  Or singable.  This movie's merit is proven each year when my sister and I torment our mother by singing, "Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..."  We have big plans for Madeline and Sara (my precious nieces) to carry on the tradition. 

The entertainment value of this film is unquestionable, but I would say its heartbeat, the actual story line of the film, is what cements it as a classic.  And just in case you haven't seen it, I'm going to refrain from going into detail, but I can't deny you a little preview.  Here are some of the best song and/or dance scenes:

"Snow"

"The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing"

"Minstrel Number/Mandy"

"Count Your Blessings"

"Sisters" (lip sync)

"Abraham Number" (yes, Vera Ellen is thin...but what a dancer!)

"White Christmas" 

As a bona fide film fanatic, I do have a number of other holiday film faves, so here are my runners up (I even linked you to the trailers):

     Elf

     The Family Stone

     The Holiday

     Home Alone

     National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Christmas Favorites: #3

Favorite New Christmas Album:

Very Merry Christmas by Dave Barnes

If you are already a fan, you need not read this post.  You're playing this CD non-stop in your car, you have a  Dave Barnes Holiday station on Pandora, and in case your CD doesn't work, your iPod is permanently queued on this album.  Why?  Because it's fantastic.  It's a modern Christmas classic.  (Unintentional rhyme there, but good for me and I'll leave it at that.)

Last Christmas I went to Raleigh's Lincoln Theater with my friends Amber and Jonathan to "A Very Neighborly Christmas," a concert featuring Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors and Dave Barnes.  This show was fabulous--great music, entertaining humor, and bonus: I got to talk to these old friends of mine afterwards.  Ok, so I'm not one with many claims to fame, but I do know these uber-talented artists.  Dave (or David as I knew him) is the older brother of one of my best friends from high school, and Ellie, Drew's wife, is a friend of mine from college.  Through a course at UT, we traveled to Stratford and London and forged the neatest friendship over those three weeks.  She and her friend Anne-Haley both deeply encouraged me (very few Christ followers on that trip), so even though we don't see each other much at all, Ellie Holcomb is quite dear to me. And yes, she's quite the singer.  Like, an amazing singer.

Ok, back to Dave.  David.  Whoever he is.  I really love this CD.  He sang a few songs off the album during the show, and I had to have it (and thanks to signing up for Mocha Club that night, I got it for free!).  Dave has a relaxed/jazzy/bluesy/folksy sound, so if you're into a more mellow groove this holiday, this one's for you.  He performs classics like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You," and he's written his own holiday tunes, all of which have become classics to me.  From the acoustic strumming of "Mary and Joseph," the tear-jerking lyrics of "Family Tree," to the sassy "Meet Me at the Mistletoe," you're gonna love the variety and play the album as non-stop as I do.  Oh, and for you country fans out there, he even has Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum on a track (see video below).

For any of you in the Raleigh/Durham area, you are officially invited to one of Summit's five Christmas services.  We would love to have you there!