Don’t tell anyone, but I’m already listening to Christmas music! Yes, I know. Can you believe it? What’s happened to me? Have aliens stolen the real me and replaced me with an elf? It’s been no secret that I’ve struggled with Christmas music for a long time. Of course, it didn’t help that Dave liked to break Christmas music out around Halloween. Bill was good with 2 weeks before Christmas. Me? I was OK with not playing it at all.

But before you think I’m totally bah humbug, I feel it important to let you know a few things. First, my dad and my step-dad both died at the holidays, in the same year. My dad’s death left me with a huge sense of regret, and my step-dad’s death left me with a 4 year old who totally missed her Paps, and a mom who could barely get out of bed in her grief. Of course, I was hurting too. For years, I associated Christmas, to include Christmas music, with “making arrangements”. Additionally, growing up with a single mom it wasn’t always the “Norman Rockwell” Christmas’ that you see in the movies. Or the kind that I was absolutely positive everyone else was experiencing but me. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that the picture perfect Christmas, complete with the reading of the Christmas story, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and endless Christmas cookies really is a rarity. I’ve also come to realize that the way I know Christmas is the only way I want to know it. I’ve established traditions with my family that I wouldn’t trade for the world. And with everything my family has experienced the past several months, you better believe I’m gonna enjoy every single second of this season!! Over the last several years, God has had mercy on my memory (the painful parts), and time truly does heal. I promise.

1. My Soul Magnifies the Lord – Chris Tomlin
2. Joy to the World – Chris Tomlin
3. Glory in the Highest – Chris Tomlin
4. O Holy Night – Chris Tomlin
5. Winter Snow – Audrey Assad w/ Chris Tomlin
6. The Night Before Christmas – Brandon Heath
7. Born in Bethlehem – Third Day
8. You’re Here – Francesca Battistelli
9. How Many Kings – Downhere
10. In the First Light – Todd Agnew
11. Give this Christmas Away – Matthew West & Amy Grant

Of course one of my all time favorites is “Mary, Did You Know?”. I’m still waiting for someone to come out with a killer version. It’s not on my playlist presently, but I love Kenny Rogers and Wynonna’s version best…for now. Hint, hint, hint.

I’ll even confess one more thing to you…. I actually bought Christmas cards for the station this past Friday in Ocala. Truly, I did. I have witnesses.

I say all this to say….I can’t wait for Christmas this year!!! I’ll be spending half of my Christmas season in Peru delivering shoes and presents to the precious, precious children in orphanges there. I’ll be a mess, for sure! And then I’ll arrive back in time to spend the rest of the season with my family. The season that celebrates the birth of our Savior. The Savior that was born….to die. So that we may have life. Wow.

Merry Christmas!

OK, so Kris & Leslie have been putting together a video each Friday afternoon appropriately called, “The Friday Dance Parties”! With Sharathon happening this Friday, they had more “dancers” in the building, including our network President, Jim!! Fun stuff…..

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6871524&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

FRIDAY DANCE PARTY: Episode 5 from Kris P. Kreme on Vimeo.

I’m not sure what motivated Bill to post this note on his Facebook page, but I’m very glad he did. Of course, we’ve all gotten the phone calls or emails that start like this: “So why are y’all begging for money?” – or – “When will y’all be done with Sharathon, so I can tune back in?” I won’t even begin to tell you how angry those calls and emails make me, but be sure they do! 

The One With the T-Pain App from The Morning Cruise

bed with her and spending the next 30 minutes making as many silly faces as we could think of.   I love being silly with my girls. That’s one thing I do very well.  Probably too well if you asked them.  One of my other favorite things to do (in addition to my poetry) is to cheer for my girls in the mornings (on the weekends of course!) …. and especially when they have friends over for sleepovers. They’ll “sleepwalk” out of their bedrooms with their girlfriends at noon towards the kitchen looking for something to replace the midnight pizza and Doritos.  I’ll get that look in my eye, grin, and they’ll know EXACTLY what’s coming.  Yep.  I’ll assume the “cheer position”, chant – complete with hand motions – something similar to this:

You get the picture.  At this point, they’ve laid their heads down on the bar in total embarrassment explaining to the friends that I’m weird and they begin apologizing for my outlandish behavior. LOLOLOL!  Their friends think it’s hilarious.  Haley & Abbey? Well, deep down I think they do too.  But of course, they wouldn’t admit it for a million years or at least not until they have to eulogize me one day.  

That’s what my heart is feeling right now. Actually, for the last week+. Why? Because my mom has had some GREAT days! Last Friday, I took her to get a pedicure. She had so much energy that we left the pedicure place to shop for some new black, slip-on flats for her. Mother can’t look down these days and she can’t wear anything with a heel, thus the need for new shoes! Yep, I said “Need & Shoes” in the same sentence with absolute truth! We ended up leaving one mall for another. In route, I put on the new Chris Tomlin Christmas CD. She LOVED it. I’m finding myself soaking in these moments more than I ever did before. There was something incredibly special about driving over the Howard Frankland Bridge watching the sun slip away on the horizon with us singing “Joy, unspeakable joy, rises in my soul, never lets me go….” as loudly and off-key as you can imagine. (I did much better on the recording!) And even tho, Mother laid back in the seat next to me (it’s easier on her vertigo) was a reminder that life is different these days, the joy was unspeakable. It’s a moment I will hold forever. That moment was followed by a great dinner and the now infamous “escalator ride”. It was definitely a brief occasion of hilarity and adventure. Two traits that I unapologetically got from both of my parents. Traits of which, I am GRATEFUL.

On Monday of this week, we flew to Waco to celebrate the release of David Crowder Band’s Church Music (see entry below). It was a whirlwind, but so worth it. 2 songs have stayed with me from my time in Waco. The first is Shadows. Here are some of the lyrics:

When darkness falls on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When all seems lost
When we’re thrown and we’re tossed
We remember the cost
We rest in Him
Shadow of the cross

I’ve never felt so thrown and tossed more than I have in the last 2 months. And I know the next round is not a matter of “if” but “when”. Praise Him that we can remember the cross. That we can rest in Him. One verse that I’ve recited to myself repeatedly during this time with my mom is “take heart, I have overcome the world.” It’s in John. I do take heart in that. I am my beloved’s and He is mine. I can definitely take heart in that. He has promised good to us. I will not fear. I will remember.

The 2nd song (and one that is most definitely sure to be a hit) is Oh Happiness. Here are some lyrics:

Oh happiness,
There is grace enough for us
And the whole human race

All regrets
Let go, forget
There’s something that
Mends all of that

Romans 5:8 says this…. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That verse makes me HAPPY! Friends, do you get that? There is GRACE enough for us and the whole human race and while we were STILL sinners, Jesus died for us.  It doesn’t matter what you’ve done.  You can’t “out-sin” God’s ability to forgive. He has overcome the world!!  And when we’ve been thrown and tossed, all we have to do is remember the cross.  He knows every hurt and not one single tear is ever wasted.  I promise. 

I certainly don’t want to downplay anyone’s pain. I know all to well what that feels like. But I can honestly say that we have the hope of glory. There IS coming a day. Hallelujah, there’s coming a day…..

David invited us to broadcast LIVE from his Dr. Pepper Studios in Waco to celebrate the release of David Crowder Band’s Church Music! Here’s a peak from behind the scenes….

The Morning Cruise – Live From Waco with David Crowder from The Morning Cruise on Vimeo.

Yay! Yay! Yay! I’m cleaning off my Flip vid getting ready for our trip to Waco tomorrow for the release of David Crowder’s Church Music.  And …. lookie, lookie, lookie what I just ran across!  A hilarious little treasure that I had totally forgotten about!  

I actually wanted to write to “older” brothers and a “younger” sister, but I thought I’d be kind. Hahaha. 

Seems like it was a month ago, but it was actually this past Monday & Tuesday that we wrapped up our “Carmen Needs New Shoes” promotion! This year we’re hand delivering shoes to orphanages in Peru. “So, how many shoes did we collect?” all of you repeatedly ask!   Well, I don’t know yet! Hopefully, we’ll start counting them in a week. I’m dying to know, too!! But….we’ve got a packed week of stuff (off the air) that will derail my efforts of counting this week. In the meantime, pray that the shoes multiply while waiting to be counted in the suite next door.

It was fun to have Rachel from Buckner and Mike from MIKESCHAIR join us for the wrap! They were blown away by the number of folks that came out and brought us so many shoes. YOU make me so proud!! I love serving along side you HERE (at home) & THERE (in other countries)! Thank you for your hearts! I love you!