hollie jollies

I'm trying really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. I don't think it's happening. I wonder if they do special Christmas stuff in Bethlehem? It's only a few miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, I should definitely try to go there. But when you don't have transportation, a few miles can seem really far.

I've been searching for good Christmas music on iTunes and I've come to the conclusion that I already have all the best. So I thought I would list a few of my faves, just in case you're looking for some good stuff. Here's my top ten:

1. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
(This one is good to play over and over and over... just put it on "repeat")
2. "O Holy Night" by Tracy Chapman
(She puts so much soul into it—it just makes it so divine)
3. "Let it Snow" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Chris Isaak
(Okay, I couldn't decide. That voice—you just gotta love it!)
4. "Go Tell it On the Mountain" by James Taylor
(What can I say? It's JAMES TAYLOR...)
5. "Tennessee Christmas" by Amy Grant
(Being the daughter of a tender Tennessee man, you know this would be on my list!)
6. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Jars of Clay
(This was my fave version until the Barenaked version came along. I still love it though.)
7. "Children Go Where I Send Thee" by Natalie Merchant
(Well, I've been a fan for years and she doesn't disappoint on this)
8. "Christmas Time" by Smashing Pumpkins
("Smashing Pumpkins?" you say... Honestly, I know nothing else of theirs, but this song is addictive)
9. "In the Bleak Midwinter" by James Taylor
(Again—it's JAMES TAYLOR)
10. "Carol of the Bells" by Destiny's Child
(Saul got me hooked on this one last year!)

In addition to the above list, I have two absolute favorite Christmas CDs:

"Your King Has Come" has amazing renditions of a bunch of the traditional carols from a group of Christian artists. I think that these are my all-time favorite versions of these classics:
"O Come All Ye Faithful" by Mandy Ihrig
"What Child is This?" by Billy Cerveny
"O Holy Night" by Matthew Perryman Jones (okay, it's really hard to decide between this and the Tracy Chapman version)
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" by Jill Phillips
"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" by Matthew Smith (I love singing "and ransom captive Israel...")

The other incredible CD is "It's Christmas Time" from the artists that do "City on a Hill". It has two of my favorite traditionals:
"Do you Hear What I Hear" by Out of Eden
"In The Bleak Midwinter" by Paul Coleman Trio
And even though I'm sometimes a traditionalist at heart, it also has some great original songs:
"Manger Throne" by Third Day
"Babe in the Straw" by Caedman's Call
"Bethlehem Town" by Jars of Clay
"Child of Love" by Sara Groves

Well, if any of these songs enrich your Christmas in some way, all this typing will have been worth it. At least it's put me in more of a hollie jollie mood!