Do You Hear What I Hear - (For the Love of Christmas Songs but ya'll know how I am with picking Favorites!)

We hear it all around us... long before Pandora or Spotify or even entire radio stations were dedicated to them 24/7, this is the time of year that we are engulfed in Christmas music! It's in the stores, on the radios, playing at parties... it seems there is just no escape from it!

I know for some - it is almost like torture... but for this girl? I LOVE me some Christmas songs!

I am a firm believer that one can not have too many Christmas CDs... my Honey, however, is not so - um, festive! He thinks my stack of holiday CDs is towering high enough and yet - he loves me and listens gladly (?) to all my beloved songs from December 1st through December 25th. (No -ish involved.)


I get that it can be too much...  overplayed... too much happy, joyful music... and yet, there's this:

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, 

O hear the angel voices!

O night divine,

O night when Christ was born!

O night divine, O night,

O night divine!

(And don't even get me started on

"Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break For the slave is our brother

And in His name All oppression shall cease.")

and this:

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

Oh, and this:

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know

That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know

That your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered

Will soon deliver you

and don't forget this:

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

So much great theology... so much heaven and nature singing...

Let's join in with the chorus... I don't know about you, but something shifts... something settles... something magical happens when you actually sing the familiar songs slowly... closing your eyes and actually letting the words come from your heart, not just your memory!

Sing with me... sing it slow and on purpose... sing it if you are feeling festive, yes - but sing it especially if you are not! 

I am linking up with Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday

So - what I want to know is what is your FAVORITE Christmas Song of all time? Classic or quirky, Christian or Santa-related... fill me in! (Afterall, there may be music that I 'need' to add to my collection!)