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It's Christmas Eve
Christmas Cookies
O Holy Night
Before Christmas Comes
In the Bleak Midwinter

On my bucket list for many years: to release a Christmas album. It was so fun to see it become a reality. Thank you for joining my celebration!

When I see original songs on Christmas albums I sometimes roll my eyes, so I will understand if you do the same. But I hope that instead you fall for these new tunes. Two of them were written about some people close to my heart.

The inspiration for It’s Christmas Eve came while I was sitting in my family room pondering my favorite holiday memories: The sound of my dad’s laugh. My rowdy uncles making us move over on the sofa so they could sit down. My grandmother mashing her cornbread with a fork for the stuffing. I could sense the quiet in the room when my grandpa shared the Christmas story with us.

The simple beauty of healthy community and fun celebrations: I wanted to write a song that captured this theme with a bit of sparkle. Lyrics like "light a fire and settle in, and watch Bing Crosby dance" and "this time of year helps us all remember" capture that spirit.

The opening piano solo welcomes you to breathe in the pine of the newly decorated tree, and the soulful, gospel flair that develops beckons us to rejoice. I hope this song brings healing to hurting hearts and reminds us of a love able to consume bitterness and pain.

Christmas Cookies was inspired by a dear friend who is an excellent mother to her autistic son. She celebrates the mystery of his ways, strives for connection, and seeks out the beauty in his unique viewpoint. In every season, she believes in the greatness of her son's present and future, holding to a hope that's not of this world. I also sought to capture the general joy of motherhood while highlighting my friend’s fun-loving nature.

O Holy Night: the Christmas hymn that makes me sigh. The music. The lyrics. The sweeping invitation of the season's grand drama played out in song. The power of the Christmas story transcending space and time... To me, it's everything a Christmas song should be. I had to talk my pianist/composer husband Joshua into including it because he assures me it's been done a zillion times. But he humored me. I don't care if it's been done a bazillion zillion times. It's my favorite.

Before Christmas Comes is centered on the story of a couple determined to fight through one of the most horrific life experiences a family could face and the belief that standing together in love conquers amazing odds. Instead of falling away from each other, they fall more in love each day and fight the battle as one, choosing to overcome little by little. They're real. They're self-sacrificing. They're powerful. It's an honor to be part of their journey. This is a true story.

In the Bleak Midwinter is one of those mysteriously unknown Christmas classics. I first heard it on a Shawn Colvin album and was enthralled by the haunting melody. It was on repeat for weeks. The simplicity of this song reminds us that life is worth being pondered. It feels like something Mary would've written. Hopefully you will put the song on repeat as well!

IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE

Seasons greetings one and all, gather around
This time of year helps us all remember
Life was meant for love, life was meant for living
I think it’s time to celebrate and just keep dreaming

Today is Christmas Eve
So let’s go caroling and light up the night
Cause hope abounds with you next to me
Let’s go sing our hearts out, it’s Christmas Eve

Let’s light a fire and settle in to watch Bing Crosby dance
This time of year sparkles so and now I remember
Life was meant for joy, so let’s start laughing
I think it’s time to focus on the hope worth keeping

Today is Christmas Eve
So let’s go caroling and light up the night
Cause hope abounds with you next to me
Let’s go sing our hearts out, it’s Christmas Eve

Grab your santa hat and bring your dancing feet
Let’s deck the halls and celebrate

Today is Christmas Eve
So let’s go caroling and light up the night
Cause hope abounds with you next to me
Let’s go sing our hearts out, it’s Christmas Eve
Let's go sing our hearts out, it's Christmas Eve

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Every year that passes gets me one step closer to your heart
And I am here beside you and I need to see you coming close to me
Whoa, Whoa
I may be your mother, yet I feel sometimes I'm like a stranger
Can you come a little closer to me

I'm making Christmas cookies just like you wanted
Every day you ask for them, you want them
And I may be so tired of Christmas cookies
But you deserve my time, so here we go...again, Ohhhhh, Ohhhh

You're labeling the study and I just painted the room again
You don't want to eat anything but cookies and your macaroni
Ohhhh, I love you but I don't know how to get through
Ohhhh, can I say oh "help me help you"?

I'm making Christmas cookies just like you wanted
Every day you ask for them, you want them
And I may be so tired of Christmas cookies
But you deserve my time, so here we go again
You grin, so here I happily go again

Ohhhhhh, Ohhhhhh, Ohhhhhh, Ohhhhhh

O HOLY NIGHT

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night, oh holy night, oh night divine

Truly he taught us to love one another
His law is love and his gospel is peace
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother
And in his name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name

Christ is the Lord, then ever, ever praise we
His power and glory, evermore proclaim
His power and glory, evermore proclaim

Noel, Noel, oh night divine

BEFORE CHRISTMAS COMES

I walked away from you
You held me closer than you should
You pulled my hand, I yanked it back
I couldn't hurt you like I hurt
I had to go away but I'll be back

Before Christmas comes I'll hold you in my arms
Nothing keeps me away today
Except these plans I don't make
But I'll return to you before Christmas comes

They’re casting stones, they believe the worst
They hold no truth and yet we know
We are affected by their lies
Now I'm breaking down to size

But I’ll return when Christmas comes, I'll hold you in my arms
Nothing keeps me away today
Except these plans I don't make
But I'll return to you before Christmas comes

Give me some music to get by
And I will sing you a lullaby
Over the phone as I hold you in my arms from far away
It's not my choice you're far away

Before Christmas comes I'll hold you in my arms
Nothing keeps me away today
Except these plans I don't make
But I'll return to you before Christmas

Before Christmas comes I'll hold you in my arms
Nothing keeps me away today
Except these plans I don't make
But I'll return to you before Christmas
Before Christmas
Before Christmas comes

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, long, long ago

Angels and archangels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air
But only his mother in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss

What can I give him, poor as I am
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb
If I were a wise man I would do my part
Yet what I can I give him, give my heart