I am not one who loves Christmas music. Christmas music has its place, and can be good, but it can easily be overplayed and quickly become dreadfully unbearable. I can only take so many versions of Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Silent Night (every artist always thinks he/she is coming up with the most unique version known to mankind).

I make it a point to turn the radio down or escape the environment that is playing the most dreaded song of all, “Sleigh Ride.” The problem with Sleigh Ride is that once you hear it, you have it stuck in your head for an indefinite period of time. So much so that when you are in the middle of a basketball game, let’s say, and are about to shoot a free throw, out of nowhere comes, “Just hear those sleigh bells jingeling, ring-ting-ting-a-aling…” and you’re done for.

Secondly, once Christmas day is over, Christmas music must stop. I have a low tolerance for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” for instance, two days before New Years Eve. Christmas is over, and there is something that painfully draws attention to that fact when people try to extend the Christmas season with further playing of Christmas music.

But that is not the point of this post. I have a hard time passing up a strong performance of “O Holy Night” by a singer (a man for this song) who has a particularly strong voice. O Holy Night has to be my favorite Christmas song. When there is a male singer who signs with authority and doesn’t wimp out at the glorious tune that this song has, it really can send shivers down your back.

A good performance of O Holy Night also must include the second verse of the song. To end it at only the first verse misses the climax of the lyrics. We can’t leave it at “fall on your knees,” we must conclude with a resounding, “Christ is the Lord! O Praise him name forever, his power and glory forevermore proclaim!”

Steve Green has a great rendition of this song, along with David Phelps. I recently heard David Phelps perform O Holy Night as the concluding song at a Gaither Vocal Band Christmas concert, and it was outstanding. Phelps can really sing this song.

Here is a video of him performing it in the same tour I recently saw:

An astonishingly terrific rendition of “Verily, Verily” by my favorite Youtube pastor’s (him that pisseth against the wall) congregation, (presumably all standing up, NOT sitting down)! I get a kick out of this video on so many different levels. Buckle up for 2:01 of the video.

If you don’t see the humor in any of this, then please completely disregard this post.

Watch this video of John MacArthur telling the story of his visiting his old high school football coach in the hospital on the verge of death.

This is the way I often think in life:

Two great clips: (1) Showcase of Andy Bernard’s tremendous singing ability, (2) One of the funniest clips with Andy (click on link to watch on Youtube).

“How soccer of them”

Here are two songs from Randy Travis that I listened to tonight that really “hit me”…

1. Precious Memories (iTunes, Full Lyrics)

Precious memories, how they linger
How they ever flood my soul
In the stillness of the midnight
Precious sacred scenes unfold

Precious father, loving mother
Fly across the lonely years
And old home scenes of my childhood
In fond memory appear

As I travel on life’s pathway
Know not what the years may hold
As I ponder hope grows fonder
Precious memories flood my soul

2. Nobody Knows, Nobody Cares (iTunes, Full Lyrics)

Nobody knows how lonely my road
Nobody knows how heavy my load
Nobody cares how tearful my way
How dark the night, how weary the day

Nobody knows, nobody cares
My every burden nobody shares
My only comfort and my only strength
Is Jesus walking by my side all the way

Nobody knows how hard I must toil
Causing sometimes my heart to recoil
Nobody cares when I try to sleep
I lay awake and I bitterly weep

Nobody knows how weary my cross
Nobody knows my trouble, my loss
Nobody cares if even I’m ill
Or if life’s hardships have broken my will

This last weekend’s Saturday Night Live was a great show, which is getting to be rare for SNL episodes. I watched it because Taylor Swift was hosting it. It was actually really funny. There’s a great Fox News satire to open up the show as well. You can watch the whole show on Hulu here.