Christmas Rest Is Possible – Plus My Blogging Break

November 30, 2021 By Leave a Comment

*I’ll be taking my annual holiday blogging break until the first of the year. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Christmas rest.

Some of you may feel like Christmas rest is the oxymoron to top all oxymorons, but I promise you, dear readers, Christmas rest is possible. It may not come easily or happen without intentional effort, but it can indeed be experienced.

If you’ve read my blog during the holiday season before, you know I draw great inspiration, joy, and peace through the music of Christmas.  And it’s the music of Christmas—a beloved Christmas carol—that can shine a light on one important way to enjoy some rest during any busy holiday season.

Look closely at the words penned by Edmund Sears in the third verse of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.” Its words provide the perfect instructions:

“And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!”

So how can we experience rest during the Christmas season? We need to stop and pull off that hectic holiday road that may be wearing us out. We need to sit back and quiet ourselves. We need to listen. As we do, we just might hear the angels sing. As we do, our hearts will fill with peace and joy.

Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Christmas rest.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13-14 KJV

*How do you experience Christmas rest?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out in early February. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by John-Morgan, Creative Commons License

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The Glorious Sounds of Fall

October 20, 2020 By 4 Comments

I don’t know what fall sounds like in your corner of the world, but fall means music in the air to me. And I mean that literally.

Since we live just a few blocks from our local high school, the marching band has jazzed up my fall mornings for years with its lively, high-stepping melodies. They’re carried to me loud and clear by the autumn breezes.

The staccato beat of drumsticks readies the band for action. The syncopated rhythmic boom, boom, boom of the bass drum provides the cadence the whole band needs as they march in unison. The blare of the horns energizes the very air around me, and their crisp cut-offs add the perfect punctuation to a fall morning’s melody.

Even though this year is slightly different because of COVID, in years past the band has busily prepared to perform at football games and march in area parades. As they’ve done that, I’ve gotten to enjoy a sound that transports me back in time not only to my high school and college days but also to childhood memories of going to homecoming parades with my parents and grandparents. Larger-than-life days, for sure. The band helps me taste them again.

What does fall sound like to you? Maybe a fire crackling in the fireplace or a flock of geese honking high overhead as they fly south for the winter? It might be leaves skittering across the driveway or crunching underfoot, or it might even be the sound of someone splitting wood nearby. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s music in the air to you.

Let’s thank God today not only for the beauty of the autumn season, but also for giving us ears to hear the glorious sounds of fall. Truly music in the air!

“‘But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.’” Matthew 13:16 NIV

*What are your favorite sounds of fall?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early November. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) p.s. If you sign up after Oct. 30th, you will be included in all future Life Notes giveaways but not in this current giveaway.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by Chandler Abraham, Creative Commons License

4 Comments Filed Under: autumn, blessing, joy, listen, memories, music, sounds Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Cake Idea for Musicians

October 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, does your sweet couple also happen to be a musical couple? If so, here’s a wedding cake idea to share with them pronto. It’s almost certain to strike a chord with them. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the musical pun. Hee hee!) 

The staff of music/sheet music look is a perfect way for musicians—or anyone for that matter—to incorporate their love for music into their wedding celebration. The example above makes quite an elegant look and of course can be accented with the colors your daughter chose for their wedding.

The choice of sheet music can add a personal touch and special meaning as well. The bride and groom might want to feature their special song from their dating and engagement days. Or they could make it the same as their “first dance” song as man and wife. The cake designer of the cake pictured above noted that the sheet music on this cake was a song composed by the groom for the bride. Whatever your happy couple chooses, MOB, it can be a sweet reflection of them.

So what do you think, MOB—an idea worth sharing with your daughter and her beloved? Hope it proves to be the perfect suggestion for some very special couples out there!

*You might also like to read Wedding Cake Roundup. 

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early November. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by Graceful Cake Creations, Creative Commons License

Leave a Comment Filed Under: bride, cake, decorate, groom, Mother of the Bride, music, preparation Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Bridal Bouquet and Boutonniere Sheet Music Idea

August 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment

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Mother of the Bride, are your sweet Mr. & Mrs.-to-Be music lovers? If so, they may want to plan some of the elements of their wedding with a music motif. Possibilities abound as a matter of fact.

One way to incorporate a music theme into a wedding is to use sheet music to make the bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere (as shown above). Isn’t this a clever idea? Not only is it unique, but it’s actually quite attractive—not to mention the fact that it reflects the couple’s love for music. Definitely a win-win, right?

The bride and groom could add even more significance to their bouquet and boutonniere choice by finding the sheet music to songs especially meaningful to them. They could each choose their favorite song or composer/songwriter, or they might want to use the song they consider to be their song. Again, lots of possibilities.

If you’re wondering about the bridesmaids’ bouquets and groomsmen’s bouts, they could be something different but yet coordinate in some way. Your floral designer might be able to suggest some terrific ideas.

MOB, share this idea with your girl and her guy and see if it strikes their musical fancy. They might like it even if they’re not musicians—they may just enjoy music and think it’s a cool idea!

*You might also like to read Wedding Decor: Craft It with Paper, Knitted Bridal Bouquet and More, and Wedding Idea That Sparkles: A Brooch Bouquet!

*Flickr photo by jessica.hanrahan, Creative Commons License

Leave a Comment Filed Under: bride, flowers, groom, Mother of the Bride, music, variety Tagged With: , , , ,

Morning Symphony

April 1, 2012 By 6 Comments

Morning Symphony

Much is reborn in spring,
Among them the morning symphony.
Nature’s music long muffled
By cold days and closed windows
Now greets me with gladness again.

The sweetness of the birds’ songs
Sends my spirit soaring,
Those pure, clear notes that nature sings
Point me to the Creator
To the grand Conductor
Of the magnificent morning symphony.

The cheep-cheep-cheep, the caw, the coo
The sliding chords and yodels
Take their turns with who-whoo-whoos
And leave me marveling at the glory.

Other sounds add different layers
Add interludes and accents,
A dog’s frenzied barking, a chattering squirrel
A train whistling in the distance
All keep me guessing what more
The masterpiece holds this morning.

And then soon I hear
The flutter of wings
A bird whooshing by overhead,
Next chiming church bells create a chorus
To which I’m compelled to add my voice.

No two days exactly the same
New music unfolds with each sunrise,
The morning symphony no longer muffled,
The voice of God,
A life-giving melody
Renews and inspires my spirit.
Yes, much is reborn in spring.

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:3

*What do you like best about spring?

*Flickr photo by Jacob McGinnis, Creative Commons License

6 Comments Filed Under: music, nature, poem, spring Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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