Joy to the World!

I love Christmas. But i don't really like Christmas music, let me rephrase that, I only like "real Christmas music". All those hokey "Hippo" and "santa baby" songs make me want to vomit. Ok, sorry, if you like those songs, listen to them to your hearts content. But give me some substance. I don't like a watered down sermon, I don't like watered down gospel, and I really don't like music that doesn't have a message, typically. And I certainly don't like music about a time of year that is as important as this.

I picked up the 3rd Day Christmas Offerings CD the other day, on a whim, well, actually it was playing in the store when I was walking through, and I love 3rd day, so I knew it would be $7.99 well spent (on sale for $9.99, 20% off everything coupon). Let me tell you, it's lifted my spirits and brought be down when I was a little too high strung.

Each song, a meaning. The meaning. The TRUE meaning. No watered down message here.

1. O Come all Ye Faithful
2. Do you hear what I hear?
3. Born in Bethlehem
4. O Holy Night
5. Angels we have heard on high
6. Silent Night
7. Jesus Light of the World
8. Joy to the World
9. What Child is this?
10. The first Noel
11. Christmas like a child
12. Away in a manger
13. Merry Christmas

Each song has a story behind it. By the person who wrote it and each song holds it's own special meaning in my heart, that kind of feeling that when you feel it, your heart glows. It somehow is a little warmer when it's cold outside (and it's been cold outside!)

I think of the song 'Joy to the World!' upon each first hearing of the song, it brings back memories of going to Christmas Eve mass (service for you non-Catholics) and how each Christmas Eve, that's the song we left to. Now I think about it, and the joy that Christ has restored in my heart. I think about that joy that cannot come for anyone else except Him. I was just reading the song lyrics, and I got misty...

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love

Don't you just read that and 'get all happy inside'? doesn't it make you want to jump right out of your chair and scream "thank You Jesus"? The Lord has come... the Savior reigns... No more let sins and sorrows grow... He rules the world with truth and grace...

Just thinking about it, I'm telling you, I am all happy inside, all by myself (and Jesus).

Isaiah 9:1-7

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death [a]
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior's boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

What is your favorite Christmas song?