There are many more Sounds of Christmas that we could share and enjoy, but my time is up - December ends, so until next year the Christmas music will take a back seat. I might sneak it out every once in a while though. (shhh! don't tell anyone)
I wanted to share this next song earlier, but it wouldn't play in Blogger so I add it here. Just click on the title and it will link you to YouTube to hear / experience
A beautiful sound ... A beautiful message ... A beautiful feeling ...
Highland Cathedral on Amy Grant A Christmas to Remember(this brings memories of traveling to and from church with the kids, playing this song over and over again, sometimes as loudly as we could handle it...more smiles! I'm sure we had air instrument players in every seat belt.)
FYI - I was listening to that song play in the background as I was working on another tab. That is how I listen to a lot of the music I listen to. And a lot of it I have to go back and exit out because it's not what I want to hear. Sometimes it's well worth it, and this was one of those times - the next song came on - so tender and soft for the first part of it.
This song seems to be the retelling of the Christmas story and what it means to each of us. If each of us would answer the questions in this song it might open our eyes to what we might do better.
Do You Have Room? (New Christmas Song by Shawna Edwards)
This reminds me that WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM!
I wish to be wise! That would be my first wish if I had three wishes. I can think of several I'd like to wish for, but I don't know if they would be best, so if I had that wish granted first my next two wishes would be the right two wishes.
Sounds so exciting right! Well..., reality check - no three wishes available.
I think I love this song because of the video that is with it. It's hope for a better future, hope for repentance, hope for forgiveness, hope for peace ...
Among my favorites is The Piano Guys. They are easy listening all year round. Their arrangements are awesome - songs like This is Your Fight Song , A Thousand Years , Story of My Life ...,
okay, this is supposed to be about Christmas songs, but those songs I listed above are inspiring to me. :)
John Schmidt's daughter sings at the end of this first song and it is so sweet.
Sharing ... A beautiful sound ... beautiful message ... a beautiful feeling ... I have always enjoyed the story and song of the Little Drummer Boy, and this arrangement is intriguingly beautiful.
These guys are awesome to listen to and they give Silent Night a great new sound.
Silent Night by Celtic Thunder
This is an older video, but one of the good ones. George Donaldson passed away in March of 2014 and I miss his voice with the group, but it's still a great group. It's interesting to see the new additions through the years and it's fun to see their individual looks change thru the years as they get older and their styles change. The nature of this group makes it easy for members to be replaced without too much difficulty for the listener/viewers, but we still have our favorites.
First time we heard this song was several years ago on a Liken video, and we wished we had it on CD. Internet is a wonderful thing! We can find a lot of what we want there. And we can share.
A CAPELLA SONG: He's Born from "The First Christmas"
I first heard today's song in a music video created last year. The music video was one of some friends (BJo and friends) who were cutting down a tree and decorating it (at her apartment). I still have that video clip on my phone and when the grandkids look at my photos they love to play it. It brings smiles and gives pleasure every time we hear it.
However, there are consequences for letting the grandchildren play with my phone. One posted "My Story" on Instagram. :)
I don't even know how to do that :) Pretty cute though!
But that does mean that I have to watch more closely or they won't be playing with my phone as often. When did I ever start letting them play with it? I should have never let that happen.
If any of you follow me you may have wondered what in the world was happening, because I don't post on Instagram :) But then again, you probably knew what was happening.
BJo knew what was happening and she informed me. I didn't even know about it. She had to step me though trying to get my Instagram back to Home. Yip - I'm that bad! :/
Trickiest part of that conversation was me trying to explain what was on my phone so she knew what to tell me to do with it. We made it happen - she's good that way. :)
We had some great fun watching Beckett with my phone Sunday. BJo FaceTimed me and Beckett loved it. He HAD TO HAVE that phone in his hand - loving, kissing, talking, pointing, laughing..., it was so fun. We couldn't get a word in or see each other while he was around. ;)
If this video works, you will see the video of BJo's friends. If not, I'm sorry! Just know that it was great fun for them.
It was so fun to hear the real thing online, and it was exciting to click the mouse to pin it to my Christmas Music board. :) I'm still smiling! (:
It is a fun song!
Train - Shake Up Christmas - Official A Cappella Video - Eclipse 6
Are you dancing? How about smiling?
Have a great day!
FYI - the same song, not live, but with lyrics can be found here.
One more find - just this morning I watched Max Lucado's The Christmas Candle, and recommend it, but know that it is a tender story. There is a beautiful song in that movie
I can't seem to finish that thought above. Actually, "without" says what I mean.
There is an extreme emptiness.
When you lose someone close to you, a part of you goes with them. Does that part ever come back? I'm two years out and finding that so far, that part has not returned.
However, I will say that I am slowly learning how to cope without that part of me, or with the new me. This learning process will surely take the rest of my lifetime, but I am grateful to be on the correct path and hope to remain on it until I reach my destination.
I heard a beautiful new song yesterday - The words could be my words ..., exactly! Well, maybe not exactly, because he did put them together in a beautiful way. But exactly my feelings. It's like he read my mind and put this song together for me. This is my new favorite!
Heavenly Father, I am grateful
For your eternal presence
I am learning to be patient
And that you are really there
Sometimes I am afraid
And I know that's lacking faith
But I'm beginning to understand
That for me you have a plan
Heavenly Father, I am grateful
For you sending your son
To die so that I live
And for never giving up
I'm learning everyday
That I won't always have my way
But I'm beginning to understand
That for me you have a plan
Heavenly Father, I am grateful
For you hearing my prayer
I am learning to be patient
And that you are really there
There are answers I'm receiving
No, they're not always immediate
Sometimes I have felt defeated
That's when I kneel down in prayer
You show me you hear my prayer
I'm amazed by how you care
Cause you hear
My little prayer
A Beautiful sound ..., A Beautiful message ..., A Beautiful feeling ...
Terry is still a part of me, a very big part of me.
These quotes seem to tell my feelings.
"I keep myself busy with the things I do. But every time I pause, I still think of you." "My first thought in the morning is always of you."
So many times I do what I do because of him - something he said, something he did, something he expects of me, something he taught me ... .
Before Terry died I had hope. Hope that he would get better. Hope for a brighter future. Hope for some fun travel together to see our children and grandchildren more often. Even hope for another day, week, month, or year with him.
After he died my hope was gone - without that chance of recovery there was nothing more to hope for. That was my bad! I know that. I know better. But it was such a big part of my life that I couldn't see past it.
I should have always placed my hope in eternity, but it was more in mortality. So when that hope was taken from me, I was lost.
I have always known of and believed in eternity, so that wasn't the problem. I still believed, but my perspective had been skewed.
It probably took me longer than it should have, but I do believe I am finally getting it. My hope is now in eternity. That is what I live for! An eternal perspective really makes things better.
There was a great quote on the program at church several months ago - probably for Fathers Day. I had it with a stack of papers on my desk that I finally cleaned and organized (oops! kinda late with that.)
It speaks of fathers, but husbands or wives could fit in that sentence just as easily.
"A father's calling is eternal, and its importance transcends time. It is a calling for both time and eternity." Ezra Taft Benson
In seminary we have been learning how Christ's power is not limited by physical elements or distance. It is also not limited by time.
I am so grateful for our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and for the gospel principles and ordinances and covenants that make eternity possible.
I am grateful that I have been sealed to my husband so that our love and life together can be more than just for time, because time just wasn't enough. Eternity gives us all ... all eternity. That is JOY!
This week began with a tender mercy Sunday morning. A special experience to help me feel the love of our Heavenly Father, our Savior, and from Terry. I always thought it would be hard to lose someone around Christmas, but after experiencing it I feel so grateful that it happened that way. The feel of Christmas is so wonderful and the focus on Christ seems to make it a perfect time, if it has to happen at all - and we know it does have to happen. It is part of the glorious plan.
Some talented people join to create this beautiful sound ... beautiful message ... beautiful feeling ...
The Piano Guys, David Archuelette, Peter Hollens - Angels from the Realms of Glory
The Piano Guys are awesome - just keep getting better. I found Peter Hollens a few months ago. I love the song he and his wife, Evonne, performed - What are Words. FYI - Chris Medina wrote that song, and performs it beautifully too, and his reason for writing is inspiring. Of course David Archuelette has a great voice and wonderful songs, including one of my favorites, Glorious(previously shared here).
I wanted to post about "Feed the World" since the Light the World Initiative is Jesus Fed the Hungry and So Can You But those songs I wanted to share don't allow play back on blogger. So if you wish to hear them just click on the links below. They will take you to YouTube. Disclaimer before you do - there is a view the first minute of the 2014 song that is a bit disturbing. Do they Know it's Christmas ~ Band Aid 1984
Then again, 30 years later, a new group, which included some of the original artists (fun to see those same people just a bit older), joined to perform it again, Band Aid 30 - Do They Know It's Christmas 2014.
And just for fun We are the World - not Christmas, but a great message from a talented group of people. Then 25 years later another group sings the same song - We are the World 25 For Haiti. All with the same goal - to help others. It's beautiful to see people come together, and the 2010 recording is a great mix of unique talent and sound.
There are other songs out there that are meant to encourage helping others, like Wavin' Flag. I shouldn't limit it, but I have to for sake of time and energy spent on more useful things.
Well, I have certainly shared a number of songs today. Songs have a way of touching the soul that cannot be done so easily in other ways. I hope you enjoyed a few of them today.
Hopefully we can find ways to help those in need - whatever that need is - like Christ did and continues to do.
UPDATE at 3:25pm
A day or two ago I was asking BJo about one of her friends and the videos he has worked on. She sent me this one. It fits todays theme.
(if you wish - click on the video to watch it in a larger size on YouTube)
The most commonly used resource for the Christmas Story is found in Luke 2. I remember reading it as a young girl in primary. We were given a paper visual of the nativity scene to display as we read the verses to tell the story. The stable is the first part of the story and three more pieces are added to it as the story is read.
You can see that I still own one (shown above) and each time I see it it brings great memories to mind. It's a wonderful story. No story can top it.
There are, however, some other great stories that inspire and uplift. One such story is told (in short version) in this music video. It is indeed a beautiful message.
The Christmas Truce December 1914
There is another video that shares the story -
This truce must have been such a welcome peace in the midst of such terrible war. How awful it must have felt to then turn around after such a wonderful moment and attack the friends one had just made. Those who lived to tell this story regard it as a most precious experience. I can only imagine.
If everyone could feel the love of God and BELIEVE and live those teachings what a wonderful world this could be. The Christmas Truce would be the normal instead of the abnormal.
Christ is the true source of Peace. Faith in Him will lead us to peace.
OK, I was going to leave this post at this point, but I found a cute story about the first Christmas. I know this is supposed to be about music, but it seems that I've changed this post up a bit to tell about stories of Christmas. So, I'm going to share one more story of Christmas - it is the story of the first Christmas - as told by children.
FYI - This isn't a reverent story - oh wow! - that doesn't sound good does it?!?!?!?!
It is a cute story. It should bring a smile, maybe even a few chuckles. I think it will be worth it. ;) It's good to laugh!
Christmas according to kids
Maybe I should get my grandchildren together and create a Christmas story. I really like that idea!
I just figured out what I want for Christmas! Happy Day!
Owl City is tender to some of us because of their song Hello Seattle. Almost a theme song for a while - not really, but it was fun to hear the grandkids occasionally sing a few phrases with excitement. Happy memories!
My children will probably enjoy it too.
Veggie Tales was a favorite in out family for a few years - one of our boys even gave one of his brothers the nick name Cheeseburger. Go figure!
It's all good! I love things like this that bring a smile to my face. I know I need that more often. :) Maybe you'll smile too.
VeggieTales "Light of Christmas" Official Lyric Video - Owl City feat.
Was that fun?
:) This might make a fun addition to your Family Home Evening (:
A Magical Sound! A beautiful sound ... beautiful message ... a beautiful feeling ... "Do You Hear What I Hear" Mannheim Steamroller
Enjoy the magic of this season. Hopefully you are feeling it.
It's in my home a little more now due to love from family and friends extending helping hands and kind hearts - Thank You! Each day of December so far has had it's own sweet reminder of Gods love.
Trees are in place. Lights are on the live tree (and it's beautiful) and on a couple of the pencil trees. So much more to do, but it has begun. :)
Merry Christmas! Happy Sabbath!
and
Happy Birthday to Skyler! :) (which means tomorrow is my Grandpa Hill's bday.)
Have you seen the Charlie Brown Christmas? I remember seeing it many years ago. I was never a fan of Charlie Brown (sorry to all you die-hard fans out there that love it - I don't mean to offend, just saying...), but I did love their Christmas Story, at least the few minutes where they told the story in their play.
I looked for it last year for seminary and found this song to go with the story.
Sidewalk Prophets Oh What a Glorious Night, with the telling of the Christmas Story - Charlie Brown style.
It's a bit jazzy! :) Hope you can sit still while you listen. ;)
Studying the New Testament has given me a depth of understanding that I have not had before. This is not the first time reading it, but it is the first with such need to learn from it. My retention is not good at all, and trying to put what I learn into words, verbally, is even harder, but the feeling I get as I am studying is well worth all I forget, and if I continue studying the forgetting part won't really matter.
Christ is truly our Savior, the author of peace and of all that is good.
Following Him, Coming unto Him will make our earthly path more joyful, more meaningful, more blessed..., more everything.
More worth it.
My heart goes out to Mary and Joseph today. I cannot seem to find the words to describe the feeling I have for them. They raised the Christ child - the Savior of us all, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice and love. They were strong and faithful, steadfast and immovable.
Mary's Song by Amy Grant or Breath of Heaven
I am so grateful for my loving parents, and for the siblings they selflessly raised and serve, for their dedication to the Savior and their dedication to teaching their children about Him. It was their testimony that sparked mine, and it is my testimony that keeps me focused on the Savior and His gospel, which is what will lead us safely HOME ... home to our Father above, with our eternal families. What a great gift that is.
I have always loved Christmas Music, and I continue to be drawn to it this year. The inspiring feeling of love and hope and peace and ...
well, it just keeps feeling good.
This overwhelming feeling of peace and gratitude has left me with a desire to share, so I've decided to post a song a day for this month - all about Christmas - The Sound of Christmas.
I am truly grateful for the talented artists who wrote and performed these inspiring messages that touch my heart.
A beautiful sound ... beautiful message ... a beautiful feeling ...
My chosen piece for today, What Shall We Give?, seems to fit perfectly with the Light the World initiative to lift others burdens.
Anthony has had his first week in Argentina, at the MTC.
I received his email Thursday morning. (Sorry it's taken me a few days to share.) Thursdays will be his prep day while he is in the MTC. Because of the time difference I will receive his email early in the morning, and will be emailing to him on Wednesdays to make sure he gets it before he sends to me.
He seems to be doing well. I had a comforting feeling as I read his words and felt of his love for his family and for the Lord.
He is having some wonderful experiences that are helping his testimony grow.
On one occasion he was asked to write his testimony in Spanish. He was not to memorize it, but write it in Spanish and then read it aloud. This was a great opportunity for him - one he enjoyed and that made him more aware of what his testimony really is and how it affects him and others around him.
He loves the food :)
He loves the language :)
He loves everything about his experiences right now :)
I know the Lord is watching over him and will help him through every day of this mission. I know Anthony will experience some trying moments along with the good, and I know that our Savior will be there with him, strengthening him through each and every moment.
And, as is true for all of us, Christ will carry us through the most difficult times in our lives, when we need Him most. We just need to follow Him and allow Him to help us, even invite Him to help us.
IT'S A FEEL GOOD DAY!
So I'll share this (again) since it's been on my mind while writing this post. (skip the add)
This morning I sent our youngest son on a plane to serve a two year mission in the Argentina, Buenos Aires South mission.
I hate putting photos of myself out there, but here is one to commemorate the occasion. With my son, Elder Anthony Keith Hebdon.
It is a sweet moment. It is something that Terry and I had been working toward and praying for and even expecting would happen, and now it has.
OK ... I know ... still a long two years to go ... I am familiar with the way this works, and yes ... that is the tricky part ... :) ...
but we are off to a good start of those two years.
Up Up and Away!
He arrived in Minneapolis and found iPads available for anyone to use, and he emailed me to let me know he had arrived - he had a four hour lay over, but was doing well. That was a fun surprise.
Then, a few hours later, a surprise on my phone - you can see the time (but I did remove the sent from number).
I'm sure it will be a long night, but I know that the Lord is very close. This is a day of tender mercies!
Today, among all of my many blessings (which definitely include my family), I am feeling grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for Their constant care, given thru the Holy Ghost.
I have to admit that I'm feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities I have been given, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach seminary. I look forward to the spiritual enlightenment that comes from studying the word of God. I never expected to feel this way, but I'm getting anxious to begin seminary, but I still have a lot of prep, so I'm not rushing it.
Along with preparing for seminary, I have been preparing for a talk I'll give in Sacrament Mtg. The Stake President asked that each seminary teacher speak in their ward this month. I begin that tomorrow, in the Royal 1st Ward and 3rd Branch. (The 1st ward teacher is out of town, so it's my privilege.) We will also have our short kick off meeting with the students and their parents. We start the 29th!!!!
Elder Packer referred to seminary as a "God Send" - I believe it.
I am grateful for all of the teachers and students who helped make seminary a “God Send” for me and my family.
I had a fun moment with a mathematical equation.
I was adding up the years that my family has been blessed through seminary.
9 children x 4 years of seminary
+ Terry and I x 4 years
+ Terry taught 2+ years
+ I taught one.
= 47+ years of seminary.
+ my mother and father x 4 years
+ father taught 2+ years
+ Terry’s mother and father attended? x 4 (I'm guessing they attended)
+ she taught 1 (or 2, 3, ?)
= 67+ years of seminary.
I can continue ...
+ 6 of my siblings x 4 years (+ some have taught seminary)
+ 5 of Terry's siblings x 4 years (+ some have taught seminary)
+ 7 daughters in law x 4 years
= 139+ years of seminary.
But acquiring spiritual knowledge isn’t just for seminary students and teachers; it is for every one of us. So...
If I use those same people in my family, as if they had each studied the scriptures just once daily in a personal or a family setting since they were 1 year old, my numbers would change.
67+ becomes 675+ years of acquiring spiritual knowledge
139+ would be 845+.
It continues + my grandchildren + my grandparents + Terry's grandparents = 1480+ years of acquiring spiritual knowledge.
Imagine what that number would be if I added all of our ancestors from their first missionary discussion to now.
All of these years of seeking and acquiring spiritual knowledge have blessed our lives, helped us make better choices, directed us in the proper path, prepared us for upcoming experiences, and brought us closer to Jesus Christ.
This doesn't mean that no one has made mistakes or faltered, but it does mean we have the proper foundation to keep us steadfast and immovable if we continue on the right path.
My mom and dad came to visit us the last week of July. They had their van packed full of tools and wood and more, and their hearts filled with love. They were anxious to begin the projects that needed to be done. I knew they were coming and would be working on my windows - framing them in.
My dad measured the windows last time they were here. He purchased the wood and cut it and painted it before he came. Then put them up and touched them up. Anthony caulked around almost every window. I helped paint the touch up on the walls, but that is the extent of my help. (I'll be doing more of that soon.)
The window project wasn't the only thing he had on his agenda - he brought his weed eater and began to use it everywhere. He trimmed the trees in the back and the one in the front. The weather was hot and awful, but he was determined and was going to complete the work he set out to do. He has always worked hard and accomplished good things and there is no stopping him now. And my mother was beside him most every minute of the day - helping, taking him cold water, visiting, and just enjoying being together. I love that about them.
My yard looks so clean!
It has been many years since one person has done so much on his own, in one week in my yard. My dad is champion!
As I drove to my home after my seminary inservice meeting the day after they left, I felt so pleased and excited to see the clean yard and beautiful windows.
He was going to put up shutters, but my order arrived late and they were definitely not the quality I was hoping for. I sent them back. I'll decide later if I want to get another, better brand. For now, it's lovely just the way it is.
The corner where he trimmed the trees looks so nice. It really is delightful to see. I didn't realize how discouraging it was to me until I now see it so clean. I feel much "lighter" - seems like a strange way to describe it, but it's how I feel.
It looks great everywhere! Well, we do live on a farm, in a part of the country where weeds are plentiful, so we still have weeds around us, but the yard we live and play in looks great.
You'll see in the next two photos that there is some smoke rising to the south of our house. That was last Saturday, 7:30 am. No worries for our property, but I'm so sad for everything it destroyed where ever it was. It just kept traveling eastward and up Saddle Mt along it's way. It seems that every summer for the past several summers, we've had fires around us to keep our air filled with smoke. It is common now, but it wasn't always that way. This is as close as it's ever been to us. So much destruction taking place - wish we could control it.
No matter what else is going on around us, when I walk out on my deck, to the south, and then turn around, I see this corner that brightens my day. The trimmed trees and shrubs, the weeded area around the border and fence. This is the way I feel wherever I look in my yard. There is beauty all around!
The phrase "a picture tells a thousand words" might fit here, but there is only one word that comes to mind - LOVE!
Well maybe a few words. MY DAD! MY MOM! TERRY! HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST! GRATITUDE! My heart is full!
I know my parents love me. I am grateful for them and for their kindnesses to me and my children and grandchildren. My children and grandchildren love them. We enjoyed having them with us.
I am so grateful for Terry and for all that he did for us. He was a good provider and father and husband. I am grateful for this area that we homesteaded - he is here among the beauty.
I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and for my Savior. I love Them, and I know They love me. I could not endure without Them. All that I have is because of Them. "I feel my Savior's love, in all the world around me" - but especially in my little part of the world.
We had some fun as our family gathered together a couple nights ago. There was a special addition to our evening as we saw this plane overhead a few times. It was a highlight of our evening as children squealed with delight when they heard him come and saw him arrive. Every one of us enjoyed this neighbors occasional appearance in the air.
I love the little things in our day-to-day life that bring smiles to our faces and joy to our hearts!
