Christmas Music

Every year the day after Thanksgiving, it's a tradition in our home to decorate for Christmas. It's so good for me to watch how excited my kids get with each passing year and the tradition gets rooted deeper. This year was no exception. My kids started counting down the days months earlier. They loved it! One of the elements that makes the day so special is the wonderful Christmas music. But, there's so much to choose from. Of course, you know you have access to the best mix of Christmas music on your Family Friendly radio station. You also can speak into that process by joing our Muisc Advisory Panel.
(www.newlifemedianetwork.org - Just click on your favorite station and then click on Music Advisory Panel. if you have questions or need assistance, please feel free to email me; joeb@newlifemedia.org)

If you're aslo wanting to buy some new Christmas CDs this year, but find yourself a little apprehensive with all the choices, I've included a few recommendations I believe you will love. Again, please feel free to email me if you have any questions or need assistance - joeb@newlifemedia.org

1. MICHAEL W. SMITH - "It's A Wonderful Christmas" - Recorded in London at Abby Road Studios with a 65-piece orchestra and 4 Choirs, this CD is really, really good. If there were an official "Movie" soundtrack for the Christmas Season - this would be it!
Songs from this CD you're hearing on Family Friendly Radio: "Christmas Angels" & "Christmas Day" - duet with Mandisa



2. RELIENT K - "Let It Snow Baby...Let It Reindeer" - My roots cause me to lean a little more to the rock side, which is one reason I'm really loving this new one from Relient K. Plus, your kids are sure to love it, too.
Songs from this CD you're hearing on Family Friendly Radio: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" & "Merry Christmas, Here's To Many More"

3. BEBO NORMAN - "Christmas...From the Realms Of Glory" - The first time I ever saw Bebo live was at a Third Day concert many years ago. From the moment he started the song "Great Light Of the World" I became a Bebo fan! I was blown away that day and continue to be blessed by his music. If you, too, are a Bebo fan, then you are going to love this CD.
Songs you're hearing on Family Friendly Radio: "Christmastime Is Here","What Child Is This?" & "O Come Emmanuel"

4. JARS OF CLAY - "Christmas Songs" - Jars of Clay, for a long time now, have owned my favorite versions of two Christmas songs. "Little Drummer Boy" & "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." That coupled with my love for their last studio CD "Good Monsters" I found myself excited to hear their new Christmas CD. And, I was not disappointed. From start to finish this CD is great.
Songs you're hearing on Family Friendly Radio: "Wonderful Christmastime"& "Love Came Down At Christmas"

5. BETHLEHEM SKYLINE - Featuring Various Artists (Downhere, Jason Grey, Jaime Jamgochian and others) - Ok, it's no secret that I love Downhere! In fact, their latest studio CD "Ending Is Beginning" is one of my top 5 CDs of 2008! So when I saw they had a couple of Christmas songs on a compilation CD, I just had to have it! Yes, the Downhere songs are great, but the rest of the CD lives up to those songs, too. In fact, this CD is so good, that it gave us an opportunity to introduce you to Circleslide and Daniel Kirkley through a couple of their Christmas songs found on this CD. And, even though the CD is incredible from start to finish, the Downhere song "How Many Kings" litterally knocked me over. Like the others on this list, this CD is great!
Songs you're hearing on Family Friendly Radio: "How Many Kings " - Downhere, "Joy To the World" - Circleslide, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - Daniel Kirkley, "O Come O Come Emmanuel" - Jaime Jamgocian, "Glory To God In The Highest" - Downhere & "O Come All Ye Faithful" - Downhere and friends.

6. MercyMe - " The Christmas Sessions" - MercyMe through the years has become one of your all time favorite groups. They've released great CD after great CD, with chart topping hits like "I Can Only Imagine", "God With Us", "Homesick", "Word of God Speak" and many, many others. And, this CD is no exception. Not abandoning their sound, they incorporate it wonderfully into this amazing Christmas project. From the very first track through the last song you will not be disappointed. You've already began to fall in love with "Gloria", "What Child Is This", "O Holy Night" and your favorite, an original contribution; "Joseph's Lullaby" "The Christmas Sessions" would have to be one my top 5 Christmas CDs ever.
Songs you're hearing on Family Friendly Radio: "Joseph's Lullaby", "Gloria", "What Child Is This", "O Holy Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" & "Silent Night"

Merry Christmas...

So Much To Be Thankful For...

I saw a national poll the other day that said 67% of Americans are unhappy. I can't turn on the news for more than a second, these days, without feeling like the world is crashing down. There are so many things to be unhappy about....right?
I once heard a story about a King who was ill. To find healing, he needed to acquire the shirt off the back of someone sincerely happy. So his servants searched and searched and couldn't find anyone who was truly happy. Sure, they found people who were laughing and having a good time, but not really happy. Finally, after a long search, they searched a place they least expected to find someone happy - the poorest neighborhood in the kingdom. But, to their surprise, they found a man who was sincerely happy! There was only one problem, he didn't even own a shirt!
Maybe it's time to turn off the TV and make a list of things we're truly grateful for. In doing this it's quite amazing what makes the list after you get past the surface things. Things we haven't consciously thanked God for in a long time. No matter our circumstance, we do have so much to be thankful for and through that thankfulness comes true happiness. I think we have to delete the things we've been taught about being happy. It really is a choice. A choice that belongs to each of us. I know life can get quite difficult. I know there are times when the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a freight train. Times when the future looks quite bleak. But, I also know the one who holds that future. The one who asks us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. I love that verse in Proverbs. Lean not on your own understanding - my understanding of things can quite often make me very anxious. Maybe that's why God said it - and then advised us to not be anxious about anything - Philippians 4. No matter your situation, my prayer is that you will be able to find true happiness this Thanksgiving and Christmas season. We do have so much to be thankful for!