My Top 5 Christmas Songs

Here are my top 5 always-on-repeat Christmas songs for the year (they didn't necessarily come out this year) in no particular order:

1. All Is Well - Carrie Underwood & Michael W. Smith - can you really ever go wrong with Carrie Underwood? Beautiful lyrics and beautiful harmonies

2. Nothing Like Christmas - Anthem Lights - I've had a new-found appreciation for these talented guys since I started listening to their covers this summer. I love the thoughtfulness of these lyrics!

3. Emmanuel - Love & The Outcome - These two nail it every time and this one is absolutely no exception! Beautiful vocals!

4. December 25 - Francesca Battistelli - A cute, upbeat song to put on in the background while you're Christmas cookie making!

5. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Pentatonix - Seriously... how talented can you get? Mind. Blown! 

SOTW - Resolution

As mentioned here I love new Christmas songs. Yes, the classics will always be... classic, but there's something about an artist being able to dip into that Christmas magic and creating something new that I find really special. 

Here's one that I found recently! Their whole Christmas EP is playing as we speak, but this one really caught my attention (although their rendition of the beautiful Silent Night is also an attention getter)!

Song: Resolution

Artist: Everfound

A Christmas Poem

Snow falling.
Family yelling.
Lights twinkling.
Food sizzling.
Wrapping crinkling.
People grinning.
Drinks fizzing.

Christmas happening.
Love happening.

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Jesus, Savior - SOTW

I've discovered that I absolutely love when artists make their own

Christmas songs. I've started to think of them as "new classics"...

I mean... we'll be tired of the "old" classics some day and we'll need some new ones

so why not start finding some good ones now...

(ok, that didn't make sense, but whatever :)

I love the upbeat tone of this song and

the story it tells!

Song: Jesus, Savior

Artist: Chris August

Looks of the Day - Casual Christmas

Here's the last two Looks of the Day Christmas edition! (You can see the dressier one here and the other semi-casual one here)

For this Look of the Day, I wanted to give you ideas for something that you can decorate a tree in or cozy up by the fire in. I put these two together using basically the same staples, just in different colours: a sweater, a plaid shirt, flats, straight leg jeans and some Christmassy nail polish. I love the look of a cozy plaid under an equally cozy sweater and I think that black and green, and white and red play off each other really well. They are outfits that even if you don't have the specific pieces, they can be easily replicated.

I Celebrate the Day - SOTW

A Christmas song with a whole lot of meaning.

Song: I Celebrate the Day

Artist: Relient K

***

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail...

For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.

Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
    so great is his unfailing love.

For he does not willingly bring affliction
    or grief to anyone.

- Lamentations 3:22, 31-33

Please pray for the families of the victims tonight. 

Pray that they would know God's unfailing love and compassion. 

Look of the Day - Dressy Christmas

Christmas Look #2!
(see look one here)

Like I said in my last "Look of the Day - Christmas Version" post, I want to help you all mix it up a little with your Christmas wardrobe. I want to help you get away from the regular LBD or red and green outfits that are awesome but can sometimes get a little tiring...

For this outfit, I wanted to take it a bit more dressier than last time. I love white dresses! I think they're super classy and cute. When I think of Christmas I think of snow and so white automatically becomes a Christmassy colour for me because it's associated with snow! Here I paired it with some grey tights to go with the winter wonderland theme I was creating. Next I added gold shoes and a silver necklace. "Hold up there!" You might be thinking... Gold and silver in one outfit. Yup! I love mixing metals at Christmas time. Any sparkle is good sparkle. The trick is not to go over board with it. These two pieces play off each other easily!

To add a bit more Christmas I added a cute green bow headband and why not add some red to the accessory that every girl forgets about... your nails.

Hope these tips are helpful and help you get more wear out of your wardrobe!

12 Days of Christmas

I have been following this awesome blog almost since day one and she is awesome! After wearing the same LBD for 100 days straight (she had two copies of it so that she could wash it) to raise money for orphans in India, Elaini kept up with her goal to raise $50 000! And she made it! Now she has a new goal and she is up to her awesome antics again with the 12 Days of Christmas. Head to misselainious.com to check out the phenomenal pictures and click the links there to help the Warm Blankets ministry!

Christian Vocab

"Too many of us have a Christian vocabulary 

rather than a Christian lifestyle."

- Jarred Wilson 

"Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God

to man - His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift

of man to God - when we present our bodies a living sacrifice."

- Vance Havner

Yes, it sounds cliché but it's the truth: let's remember the reason for the season.

Awkward Timing, Perfect Timing

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
- Matthew 1:18-19

I often found this part of the Christmas story confusing. I mean, it says that Joseph was her husband but she was only pledged to be married? What? At church this Sunday my question was answered.

Back in Biblical times there was a trail period for a year where the sexual purity of the women was drawn into question. They lived in separate homes for that year but legally were married. It was to make sure that the woman was as pure as she could have been. 

So why did God choose this time to get Mary pregnant? It wasn't the most convenient time. We know from a story later on in the Bible with an adulterous woman and the Pharisees that Mary could have been stoned to death for this. And He told Mary before Joseph when He could have told them both at the same time... then Joseph would have been in the loop too. 

But God didn't do this. I think it's because He wants to show that His timing is perfect, not ours. He never promises that our lives will be convenient but He does promise that He knows what is going on and it's for our best. 

As you go into this Christmas season, think on this: God's timing might not be convenient but it is perfect. 

Two.

Too many good songs this week.

Here is one Christmas one and another awesome one just for kicks!

 

Title: Come Now Our King

Artist: Chris August

Title: Right Beside You

Artist: Building 429

Look of the Day - Casual Christmas

I love getting dressed up for Christmas parties and events but after a while it seems like all I ever wear is red and green. While this is great and very festive, I have come up with a few ways of adding some twists to my festive outfits while keeping them true to the Christmas spirit and I want to share those with you throughout the coming weeks!

Christmas Look #1

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What to do, what to do... Maroon (or oxblood as they're calling it these days) is a beautiful version of the classic Christmas colour red. I love pairing it with gold because I think that they play off each other well. Here I added some soft green flats to add that second Christmassy colour into the outfit. You could also add a green headband or a dark green blazer/cardigan.
Tip... Try different shades of green and red - like maroon or dark, forest green. Gold jewelry goes amazingly well with both these colours and for some reason gold always makes me feel Christmassy :)