Soundtrack to Christmas

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season has always been the music.

Although I didn't even realize it was happening, over the years, certain albums have become deeply-rooted, precious traditions to me. Time can't erase the memories attached to these songs! Tonight while I was baking Christmas cookies and Amy Grant was singing in the background, I reflected on all of the years she has voiced the truth of the Incarnation to me.

I am so thankful for traditions like these. They provide snippets of constancy throughout years of change.

So... I thought I'd share my top 10, gotta-hear-em-or-it-isn't-Christmas albums (AND if you read until the end, you'll get a free gift! Seriously!)

1. A Christmas Album by Amy Grant: the first one I listen to every year (starts with Tennessee Christmas). When I met her, she signed the CD cover for me. And it just might be one of the things I grab first if our house ever burns down.

2. All of Ray Conniff's Christmas albums: my mom's family grew up listening to Ray Conniff Christmas, and she passed her love of the Conniff clan on to me. Quintessential holiday.

3. December by George Winston: all piano. Insanely beautiful. While Brian and I were dating, he somehow managed to find all of the written music online (Winston has never published it). Now I play along with George every Christmas.

4. In the Christmas Mood by Glenn Miller: instrumental big band/swing - you won't be able to keep your feet from tapping!

5. Christmas by Michael W. Smith: his upbeat version of Gloria was the coolest thing my fifth grade ears had ever heard. And its still pretty awesome 18 years later.

6. Psalty's Christmas Calamity by Psalty: yes, I'm referring to the big blue talking book. Ok, I probably only listen to it a couple of times a season, and mostly for laughs when I'm with my family, but truly, it takes me back! :) Someday my kids will listen to it with me. And they will love it.

7. Christmas Portrait by The Carpenters: can't get any smoother than Karen's voice.

8. Music of Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman: oh, how I love his rendition of O Come O Come Emmanuel which transitions into Our God is With Us. I can't listen to it without being moved to tears by the beauty of the gospel.

9. Home for Christmas by Amy Grant: this is the one that Breath of Heaven is on. When I was in middle school, I was in a drama group at my church. And for the Christmas Eve service one year, I got to dance to this song as Mary.

10. Christmas by Manheim Steamroller: yes, it's soooo old school. But I can never get enough of Stille Nacht (the arrangement of Silent Night where you can hear the rushing wind; its easy to imagine yourself standing outside the stable the night that Jesus was born).

Thanks for bearing with me! I'd love to know your tried and true favorites - always looking for more to add to my repertoire!

Now, as my Christmas gift to you, go download a FREE 20-song Christmas sampler from iTunes, featuring Amy Grant, Lady Antebellum, David Archuleta, Rascal Flatts and even Weezer. Something for everyone. But hurry, it won't be free for long!

29 reasons

On this Thanksgiving Day, I'm particularly thankful for my husband, who was born 29 years ago today!!! Here's a small list of reasons - one for every year of his life - that we (my family and me) are so very thankful for Brian...

1. For your humble spirit.

2. That you play hide and seek with Stryder every time you come home. And that you let him get on the bed and snuggle us before we go to sleep.

3. That you know more about mac products than 99.9% of the people who work at Apple stores. We will NEVER need to ask for outside assistance with any computer problem!

4. For your blue eyes.

5. That you fit in so well with my family. Sometimes, I still can't believe that I married someone who has so much in common with my dad and with my brother. You three were truly cut from the same cloth!

6. That you laugh easily (even if the joke isn't very funny).

7. That you'll watch girlie movies with me (you even let me drag you to High School Musical 3).

8. That you have made it a top priority and intentionally try to daily lead as the spiritual head of our household.

9. That you give me awesome back rubs whenever I need one.

10. That you clean the kitchen after I make dinner.

11. That you enjoy guy things, like cars, guns, technology, camping, and other manly things like that.

12. That you know about new Apple products before I do (Austin).

13. That you always warm my cold feet by sitting on them, or my cold hands by holding them.

14. That you pray with me every night before we go to sleep.

15. For your big and warm hugs (Mom Mann).

16. That whenever I run out of an ingredient in the middle of a recipe, you'll drop whatever you are doing to go to the store to get whatever I need. And you never complain about doing it.

17. For your sensitive heart.

18. That you are a hard worker and always persevere.

19. That you love dogs, and always pull over whenever we see a stray on the side of the road so we can "rescue" them.

20. Because you try hard at everything you do and you do things with your whole heart (Dad Mann).

21. For your generosity and giving nature.

22. That you are a gracious loser when I beat you in Wii tennis. (ha ha)

23. That you let me be a lady - that you respect my femininity and encourage me to be that which God has made and called me to be.

24. That you snowboard and can almost keep up with me when I'm on my skis.

25. That you seek to meet other's needs (Mom Mann).

26. That you take walks with me and Stryder after you get home from school, even when you're tired.

27. That you regularly buy me flowers, just because.

28. That you like running errands with me.

29. For your big laugh that always makes me laugh (Lesley!)

Because of these girls...

... my semester at the Focus Institute, away from college friends, wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I remember being so excited when these three and I started a weekly GNO (Girls Night Out). We met at our neighborhood Starbucks and usually closed it down. Most nights, we would then move to one of our cars and sit talking for hours longer in the dark parking lot. Since graduating seven years ago, the two Ashleys, Caroline and I have been meeting for extended GNO weekends every other year, with some random visits in between! (Our last get-together was about a month ago in Nashville, but I'm just now getting around to posting pics.)

... I have a unique bond with friends who lived along with me the once-in-a-lifetime experience that Focus was.

... I have those sorts of hilarious memories that make you randomly burst out laughing. (Like when we were running late to Ashley's wedding and decided to change out of travel clothes into wedding clothes. We picked a barn off the road to hide behind: we thought it was vacant. It wasn't. Oops.) May 2003

... I have the kind of friend who would drive through the mountains, in the middle of the night, in a terrifying blizzard, just to visit me. Caroline's trip to Steamboat: April 2004

... I have wonderful memories of picking up my wedding dress. GNO 2005: Dallas, TX

... I use Bare Minerals makeup (Caroline introduced us to it in Florida, so we all bought starter kits at Sephora and have been using it ever since.) GNO 2007: Naples, FL

... I've laughed until I couldn't even breathe.

... I've heard more funny (though sometimes horrifying) labor/birthing stories than I ever thought possible. GNO 2009: Nashville, TN

... I am a tiny bit more familiar with my camera (thanks to Netzer's tutelage). And I also now know how to crochet (thanks to Spann's tutelage)!

... I have been blessed with a network of Christ-following ladies across the country (South Carolina, Birmingham, Bloomington, IL) that I could turn to for absolutely anything. Can't wait until GNO 2011!

A great study

I just finished a really, really good Bible Study, so I thought I'd pass it along in case anyone is looking for a book to use.

For the past 12 Tuesdays, I've been meeting with a group of women at my church to do John MacArthur's Study Guide Series on the book of Hebrews. There are 12 chapters in this book (ideal for a 12-week study); each week covers roughly one chapter of Hebrews. MacArthur breaks it down verse by verse and expounds on the meanings of the words and phrases used. He then follows each section up with personal questions that truly make you think. He often directs his readers to other related Biblical passages outside of Hebrews, which promotes a more comprehensive understanding of Scripture and the way it all works together.

I feel like after completing this study, you could ask me about a specific verse in Hebrews, and I would not only be able to tell you where it was located within the book, but what it really means. And that is not because I have a good memory (which I really don't) - this book impressed Scripture in my mind like nothing I have ever used before. MacArthur uses Scripture to interpret Scripture, leaving very little room for personal conjectures to leak through.

A sample page

My group is taking a break now for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we're planning to start MacArthur's study of Romans mid-January. I. can't. wait. In the meantime, I just ordered James and will hopefully be able to finish it on my own before beginning Romans with the group.

Has anyone else ever done one of MacArthur's Study Guide Series? Or have you finished anything else recently that you would recommend?

Free!

I have exciting news to report this morning - after spending 259 days (let that sink in for a minute... TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE DAYS) in one of the most notorious prisons in Iran, Maryam and Marzieh have been freed!!! Hallelujah!

After following the story of these two courageous sisters in Christ for the past few months, we are ecstatic this morning to hear of their release. They are with their families now.

We don't have all of the details yet of the reasons they were released, but really, the reasons don't matter. The point is that God was faithful to them during every second of their imprisonment. He is mighty to save and deliver. And we give Him all the glory!

Be sure to check out www.freethemm.com for more updates over the coming days.

The perfect house guests

Last week, Brian's parents came to spend a few days with us in Indy over his dad's birthday. As many of you know, this past year has presented some health challenges for his dad, so we were especially excited to be able to spend this year's birthday with him! Our family certainly has much to celebrate - we have witnessed firsthand the Lord's faithfulness as He has answered our prayers for healing and increased faith!

We had been looking forward to Mom and Dad Smith's visit for so long - we were so sad to see them go! It was really fun to be able to show them around some of our favorite Indy finds, as well as discover some great new spots together.

Taking a walk in the beautiful park that is a block away from our house. Most days we walk Stryder twice around the trails here, where he chases squirrels to his little heart's content. In the picture above, Brian has spotted a squirrel and Stryder is about to go flying toward it.

Dinner at our house.

Birthday dinner for Dad at Ambrosia, a FABULOUS family owned and operated Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. The food was so authentic and amazing that we ate here twice during the four nights that Mom and Dad were here. It was just that good.

Discovering Zionsville. This quaint little Indianapolis community is about the closest thing I have ever seen to Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls fans, you know what I'm talking about.) We spent a wonderful afternoon walking Main Street and exploring all of the little shops and restaurants. It even has a coffee shop (like Luke's) AND a park with gazebo. If we were going to stay in Indianapolis for good, I think Brian and I would both say that this area would be in our top picks of ideal places to live.

Riding the Monon Trail. Years ago, the city of Indianapolis converted an unused train railway into a paved path that stretches nearly 20 miles throughout the center of the city. It starts downtown and runs all the way through a northern suburb. We were blessed with unseasonably beautiful weather during Mom and Dad's stay, so we spent a gorgeous afternoon riding bikes and enjoying the last of the fall scenery. The trail has a connection just 3 blocks from our house - we still marvel at the unbelievably perfect location that God led us to!

Autumn at home

We're smack dab in the middle of our favorite season, and boy, are B and I loving it! Fall is special to us for a number of reasons, probably the most important being: our first date was October 15, FIVE years ago! (If anyone is wondering what we did for the date, B planned a very season-appropriate activity - a corn maze/pumpkin patch!) Every time the season rolls around, we can't help but laugh and reminisce about those first few months of our relationship.

This has to be one of the most beautiful autumn seasons I can remember in quite a while. The colors literally take your breath away. I find myself driving a different route to the store, just so I can stay a little longer under the cover of neighborhood trees.

Isn't the Lord good to give us this exquisite beauty every year? He didn't have to. He could have ordained that we live in one season all year long. And if He had, we would have never known the difference. Yet He gives us a mosaic of beauty throughout each year. And I love how the seasons reflect our lives as Christians: there must always be periods of hardship/death (winter) but then He ALWAYS makes all things new (spring). He is so loving toward us.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of my attempts to bring the season inside our home!

We only have one tree in our front yard, but it's a big one. A storm blew in a couple of nights ago, and the tree decided to get busy (see below).

If you can believe it, this sea of leaves is only half of what our tree holds. The other half is still waiting to fall. Guess what Brian gets to do while I'm in Nashville this weekend?? As you can imagine, he's super excited.

My pumpkin collection minus our biggest one (stolen by pumpkin thieves) and two small ones (destroyed by squirrels). There is the cutest little fresh market stand down the street, and they sell every variety of pumpkin you can imagine at bargain prices! My favorite is the "fairy tale pumpkin," which is the medium-sized peach/green one. Just like Cinderella would have on her porch. :)

Our little white mums next to our new porch furniture. I found these chairs and table on clearance about a month ago when our local Smith & Hawken store closed. They were practically giving them away - aren't they cute?

My favorite wreath of acorns on our front door. I wish I could leave this up year-round!

Brian put this little sign in a basket of fall items that he gave me when we celebrated our one-year dating anniversary.

The fireplace mantel.

Dining room table.

Staple food around our house this time of year. We believe that the correct eating ratio is 1 candy corn to 4 peanuts.