"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown"

"Your grace has broken every chain. My sins are gone, my debt's been paid. You gave, You gave Your life away, for me."

"Come Lord Jesus, come."

"Open the blind eyes. Unlock the deaf ears. Come to your people, as we draw near. Hear us from Heaven. Touch our generations. We are your people, crying out in desperation."

"But for all of us who journey through the dark abyss of loneliness
There comes a great announcement - we are never alone -
For the maker of each heart that breaks, the giver of each breath we take
Has come to earth and given hope it's birth.

And in one glorious moment, all eternity was shaken,
As God broke through the darkness that had kept us apart.
And with love that conquers loneliness, and hope that fills all emptiness
He came to earth to show our worth.

And our God is with us, Emmanuel.
He's come to save us, Emmanuel.
And we will never face life alone
Now that God has made Himself known,
As Father and Friend, with us through the end, Emmanuel."

"Not hard-ship, not hunger,
no pain or depth of sorrow,
not weakness nor failure,
no broken dream or promise.
Nothing can take me from your great love.
Forever this truth remains: I belong, I belong to You. I belong, I belong to You!"

"Yes I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on, and there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes, still I will praise You, still I will praise You!"

"You'll never walk alone. And you'll never be in need. Though I may not calm the storms around you, you can hide in me."

"I have a Father, He calls me His own. He'll never leave me, no matter where I go. He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and He hears me when I call."

"A miracle has happened, God has come and God has spoken
But the miracle has only just begun

And the God who spoke is speaking still
And the God who came still comes
And the miracle that happened still happens in the heart that will believe
And we see (receive) the miracle of Christmas

So come to Bethlehem again and see
The One who's come to rescue us, our Saviour and King
Bring your past, the joy, the sorrow, all your hope to find tomorrow
And hear the words again, fear not and know that God is near."

"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel!"

These are quotes from some of the songs that the choir sang on Sunday, December 14th. These are the words of the songs that continued to speak to my heart as we practiced, as I sang them in the car, and as we lead the congregation in worship that Sunday. Do you see a theme to these quotes? Each one is a cry, in one way or another, for Emmanuel, for Hope, for Christ.

Since I was a little girl, one of my greatest fears has been, and still is, being left alone. I used to lie awake at night, not wanting to sleep for fear that if I did, something would happen to my parents. I hated staying with a baby sitter; I miserably and anxiously awaited the return of my parents. Still today, I can be overcome with fear if I allow myself to think about this for any length of time. But this Christmas season, I decided to meditate on "Emmanuel, God with Us," (Matt. 1:23) and what peace this has brought to my heart!

There is something so calming and peaceful in knowing that I belong to the Creator of the Universe and I will never face life alone, now that God has made Himself known. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to us!

Isn't It Romantic?

My friend Rebecca often talks about how romantic God is. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.