Thursday, December 22, 2005
Christmas Music
If you're looking for a great Christmas album pick up a copy of A Christmas Song (1992) by Russ Taff. Taff's rich voice and the warm accompaniment achieve his goal of reviving the Big Band sound he recalled from the Christmases of his childhood. The closing song, "What a Wonderful World," would make Satchmo proud. It's great for a quiet evening or dinner music. It's the favorite of a few dozen Christmas albums I own and always the first one I put on when the Chrismas music migrates from the closet to the stereo.
My favorite Christmas song of all time is "O Holy Night." The problem is that I'm very opinionated on how it should be sung and it seems like everyone who thinks they have a Voice is now coming out with their own interpretation.
A more contemporary song worth a listen is "Saviour's Day" by Chris Eaton from "Christmas Carols of the Young Messiah". My kids like the sounds of the previous track ("A King Is Born", Ron Kenoly) but there is something about the quiet rhythm of Eaton's track that always hits me.
My favorite Christmas song of all time is "O Holy Night." The problem is that I'm very opinionated on how it should be sung and it seems like everyone who thinks they have a Voice is now coming out with their own interpretation.
A more contemporary song worth a listen is "Saviour's Day" by Chris Eaton from "Christmas Carols of the Young Messiah". My kids like the sounds of the previous track ("A King Is Born", Ron Kenoly) but there is something about the quiet rhythm of Eaton's track that always hits me.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
He knows when you're awake
Ordinarily the annual trip to the mall to see Santa is not very exciting. Since we were running short on time this year my wife Dawn took the kids while I was at work. I wish I had gone.
You see, Santa Claus knew us. While the photographers were complaining that Santa did not know what time it was, Old Saint Nick was spending lots of time with each of my four children. "How are your grandparents," he asked then added, "JD and Nancy are good friends of mine." Later he noted that "Taylors First Baptist Church is a very special place for me" and that "the most important part of Christmas is having Jesus in your heart." These were things that only someone who knew us well -- who'd knew when we were awake, when we'd bee bad or good -- could know.
My children -- 9, 7, 4, and 2 -- were in wide-eyed awe. Santa knew them well. Their Faith in the meaning and myth of Christmas was stengthened.
You see, Santa Claus knew us. While the photographers were complaining that Santa did not know what time it was, Old Saint Nick was spending lots of time with each of my four children. "How are your grandparents," he asked then added, "JD and Nancy are good friends of mine." Later he noted that "Taylors First Baptist Church is a very special place for me" and that "the most important part of Christmas is having Jesus in your heart." These were things that only someone who knew us well -- who'd knew when we were awake, when we'd bee bad or good -- could know.
My children -- 9, 7, 4, and 2 -- were in wide-eyed awe. Santa knew them well. Their Faith in the meaning and myth of Christmas was stengthened.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Do I Have To?
A few days ago my home in the Upstate of South Carolina was hit with an ice storm. Close to one million homes and businesses lost power in the storm. I ventured out the morning after the storm in search of some necessities for the coming weekend and was surprised that, when I needed to turn left onto a six lane state highway, traffic in both directions actually stopped and allowed me onto the road.
One day later I was faced with a similar scenario. The majority of homes and businesses which had lost power were still without power. I was driving on a major road in town and this time I stopped to let someone cross four lanes to merge into traffic. This time horns sounded from all directions.
The difference in the two scenarios appears obvious enough. However, there is one less than obvious difference. By the second day the police were asking motorists to treat all intersections with unpowered traffic lights to be treated as four-way stops. The irony is that when asked to treat such intersections as a four-way stop people rebelled against doing what they'd freely done the day before.
Just remember, you don't have to do what is right, you get to...
One day later I was faced with a similar scenario. The majority of homes and businesses which had lost power were still without power. I was driving on a major road in town and this time I stopped to let someone cross four lanes to merge into traffic. This time horns sounded from all directions.
The difference in the two scenarios appears obvious enough. However, there is one less than obvious difference. By the second day the police were asking motorists to treat all intersections with unpowered traffic lights to be treated as four-way stops. The irony is that when asked to treat such intersections as a four-way stop people rebelled against doing what they'd freely done the day before.
Just remember, you don't have to do what is right, you get to...
