Monday Madness: Advent

Dear Friends and Family,

One thing we love doing as a family during the Christmas season is following Advent in some way. We have done many different ones over the years. Some more complicated or time consuming than others.

Last year we tried a new one that even our older kids took to. (By the way, this is NOT a paid advertisement, we just love it!)

Monday Madness: My Current "Fight" Songs...

Welcome to Monday Madness where I will talk about pretty much anything that comes to mind. From homeschooling to special needs to strange blog posts about silly objects to interviewing a family member...you never know what you might read on Monday Madness!

 Enjoy!

A couple weeks ago, I talked about apps I am currently using. One of the apps I mentioned was Spotify, which is what I use to listen to music at home and on the go. (Again, I am not being sponsored by Spotify, I just love their app!)

I decided that I would give you a list of some of my favorite songs right now. You can also follow me on Spotify if you have it. You will notice as you look at the groups that I have a very eclectic taste in music. Some you may or may not like, but they are songs that mean something to me. I am going through a personal battle right now, maybe more about that in the future. But for now, I call these my "fight songs". They are songs that give me encouragement and give me the strength to fight what is going on and remind me WHO is the WINNER of it all!

In no particular order:

The Rocks Shall Not Cry Out- Mercy's Well

All The People Said Amen- Matt Maher
Never Too Far Gone- Jordan Feliz

Born For This- Mandisa

You Brought Us Out- Gaither Vocal Band
Days Of Elijah- The Acapella Company
Hymns Mash-Up- Anthem Lights
Hymns Mash-up, Part 2- Anthem Lights
I Need Thee Every Hour- 
I Surrender All- Phillips, Craig and Dean
I'll Fly Away- Randy Travis
Cheer You On- Jordan Feliz
Victory In Jesus- Phillips, Craig and Dean
My Only Love- Matt Maher
You'll Never Be Alone- Capital Kings
It's Not Over Yet- For King And Country
Jesus Loves Me- Joey And Rory
When I'm With You- Citizen Way
Trust In You- Lauren Daigle
Beautiful Day- Jamie Grace
You're About To Climb- The Collingsworth Family
God Girl- Jamie Grace
He Is Jehovah- The Acapella Company
You're Not Alone- Owl City
Breathe- Jonny Diaz
You Put This Love In My Heart- Keith Green
Higher Ground- David Baroni
Your Great Hands- Jordan Feliz
It Is Well With My Soul- Kim Mitzo Thompson
I Love Living InLove With Jesus- The Collingsworth Family
He's A Personal Savior- Southern Gospel A Capella
When Fear Comes Knocking- Gaither Vocal Band
Better Than A Hallelujah- Amy Grant
My Lighthouse- Rend Collective
The River- Jordan Feliz
Jesus Loves Me- Chris Thomlin

If you get through all these songs and discover that you like enough of them to make a playlist, you might like this link, I made a playlist on Spotify called, ironically, It's Pretty Crazy In Here! 

I hope you enjoy and as always,

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Guest Post: He Has Come...

He has Come

Felicia

Last year at around Christmas time I was not happy. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for many years, and there are good times and bad times. Last Christmas was not the best time. There were days of lying in bed, feeling pain and wishing that I could just get through it somehow. The year marched o, regardless of my inhibitions, fears, and sadness. I put on the best face I could. I was, I believe, genuinely happy about what God has done for me. I did love, and still do love, my Jesus. Still, the joy that at times pervaded my life seemed to be absent. I couldn’t stop or even pause, and everything was difficult.

Everyone has something they do when life gets hard. Some read, some paint or draw, others participate in sports or other physical activity. I choose to sing. It was, for a good portion of my life, the only ‘treatment’ I had for my depression, and I used it to its fullest extent. True to my nature, I was enrolled in my universities choir during this time last year. We were singing many beautiful sacred pieces, mixed of course with some secular selections, for our holiday concert. One piece really stood out to me.

The song is called My Lord Has Come, written by Will Todd. The song takes place the night of our Lord’s birth and is sung from the point of view of someone looking for Him. I loved how the piece brought out the journey of anyone who would seek God, but there was something in it more precious to me than any other message it contains. There is a line of the song ‘His love will hold me! His love will cherish me. Love will cradle me.’ This line, sung at a climax of the song, really struck a chord with me. At the time, whilst going through depression, I was wading through feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and failure. I longed to be loved, cared for, by someone. This line, this song, reminded me that I am, indeed, loved. Through all my failures, I am loved by the very God who spoke heaven and earth into existence and breathed into our race a living soul. I am loved by the Creator, and there is no love greater than this. This song helped me remember this, and it helped me to hope to see my Jesus once again and to be embraced by him once more at Christmas.

My Lord Has Come

Written by Will Todd

Shepherds called by angel.

Called by angels.

Called by Love and angels.

No place for them but a stable.

My Lord has come, my Lord has come, my Lord has come!

Sages searching for stars.

Searching for Love in Heaven.

No place for them but a stable.

My Lord has come, my Lord has come, my Lord has come!

His Love will hold me!

His Love will cherish me.

Love will cradle me.

Lead me, lead me to see Him.

Sages and Shepherds and angels.

No place for them but a stable.

No place for me but a stable.

No place for me but a stable.

My Lord has come.

My Lord has come, My Lord has come!