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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

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A Christmas CD to Soothe Your Soul

I don’t know about you, but my soul needs a little soothing this week before Christmas. With some shopping left to do and kids getting out of school, my heart longs to be ushered into a place of God’s peace.

And today, I want to share with you one of my secrets to getting there. It’s through the beautiful music on one of my favorite Christmas CDs – Solo Piano Christmas – with all of the songs arranged and performed by my friend and accomplished pianist Chad Lawson. {Remember his Song of Prayer he shared with us?}

A Solo Piano Christmas to be a beautiful work of art and heart. Listening to it today, I feel the presence of Christ with each note. Truly, this music resonates in my soul and ushers me in a soothing Peace that is Heaven sent. Here are the twelve songs on A Solo Piano Christmas:

  1. What Child is This?
  2. The First Noel
  3. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
  4. The Holly and the Ivy
  5. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
  6. Sing We Now of Christmas
  7. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
  8. Joy to the World
  9. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
  10. God Rest You merry Gentlemen
  11. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire
  12. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

If you enjoy Christmas music, I hope you’ll check out Chad’s CD! It is music for the soul, and I think I know why now. I just read these words Chad wrote in the dedication on the inside of the CD: As with every note I am given, all glory, honor and praise is returned to the giver of life, creativity and grace; Jesus Christ. Each note and space between is for His glory and nothing more.

And since I love hearing people’s stories, I wanted to share just a little bit of Chad’s with you! Chad Lawson was five years old when he realized his dream for life was music. After music school, he formed the Chad Lawson Trio, releasing highly acclaimed jazz albums. Their music was featured on Starbucks retail radio and the television series Dawson’s Creek. For seven weeks, their album,Unforeseen, was on the top of ten jazz charts. In 2007, Chad toured with Julio Iglesius, but realized that his dream was not playing with someone else, but to return to his own calling–the piano. In 2009, Chad recorded his first solo album, Set on a Hill. He has since recorded two more solo piano albums, The Piano and A Solo Piano Christmas.

Okay, so here’s how you can listen to Chad’s music — you can visit his page on YouTube or iTunes! You can pick and choose your favorite songs for only 99 cents each, or buy the whole solo piano Christmas album (total of 12 songs) for only $9.99!  And you can also see and read all about Chad Lawson and his music at his website.

With many thanks to Chad, I have two autographed copies of A Solo Piano Christmas CDs to giveaway to two of you! This giveaway will end on December 21, 2012 at midnight. Thank you once again, Chad!

Just click “Share Your Thoughts” below and let us know your favorite Christmas song. {If you’re reading this via email, please click the title of today’s post at the top, and it will take you to my blog where you can enter at the bottom of the post. :)}

Comments

  2. I love Christmas music! It’s hard for me to pick just one song, but I will for today 🙂 Mary Did You Know is one of my tops. As a child I. Didn’t quite understand this song, but as a mother it resonates in my soul. “Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?” It really brings home to me the humanity of our Lord and Savior. He was born as a human baby, frail and weak, but yet He still kept his divinity. To be the mother of the savior of the world must have made Mary feel so blessed and yet also nervous. I think about the responsibility that falls on a mother’s shoulders and how she bore an extra heavy load, to care for God Himaelf, to watch Him grow, and to eventually release Him to die for the world. I do wonder if she knew that her baby would die like He did. “Mary did you know that the sleeping child you’re holding is the great I Am?”

  4. “Mary Did You Know” and “What Child is This” are my favorites. So easy to relate to when you have had a child of your own. Imagine holding the tiny Savior! I recently heard another song or maybe another “take” of a song that I absolutely loved. All I can remember is ….when you took your first breath……when you opened your eyes….. Similar to Mary Did You Know, but seemed like it should be titled “Jesus Did You Know”. It brought tears to my eyes!

  5. “Oh, Holy Night” is one of my many favorites, along with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handle’s Messiah.

  9. Merry Christmas Renee! I hope you and yours have a very blessed Christmas. Thank you for sharing. I love Silent Night, brings me comfort and peace.

  10. “O Come All Ye Faithful” has always been one of my favorites, but I tend to sing along with any and all of the traditional Christmas carols!

  12. O’ Little Town of Bethlehem – for the moment. My “favorites” seem to change frequently when it comes to music. It is the song that is speaking to me in the moment.

  13. My favorite song to hear at Cristmas, not necessarily a Christmas song is, Mary did you know. And also Christmas Shoes.

  14. “O Holy Night” is my favorite. However, maybe the free CD should go to someone mourning the loss of their child due to the school shooting…..

  16. I love all Christmas music. It brings peace and comfort to me on Christmas Eve to sing them as we prepare for Jesus birth. One of my favorite is “What Child is This?” What Mary agreed to do, as an unwed teenager, to give birth to our Savior! WOW A very Blessed Christmas to you and your family, Renee.

  18. There are so many great songs to choose from … if I had to choose one it would be … Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The words are so … Jesus. I could use a little soul soothing Christmas right now as I’m sure many others can, too. Merry Christmas to you Renee … and thank you!!!

  19. Choosing a favorite is challenging. I love that God gave us music to help set a tone in our days. “Mary, Did You Know?” is a favorite, bringing tears of awe and wonder and worship. “Sleigh Ride” is a favorite, sending us laughing and dancing across the room. “All I Want For Christmas is You” never fails to leave me laughing with my husband as I try to karaoke. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” brings a flood of sentimental feelings. Of course, there are a few I wish had never been recorded, too! Merry Christmas to all!

  21. Silent Night
    As young as 5 years old, I can remember our family tradition on Christmas Eve every year, into my adulthood.
    As little ones still living at home , my father would collect all 5 of us kids, and gather my mother to his side, having us all join hands together forming a circle around our “real” Christmas tree. He would have us sing Silent Night .

    We would first sing it in English and then in German, as my mother is German & we are bilingual.

    Dad went home to our Heavenly Father unexpectedly April 1994. We miss him tremendously, especially T times like this around special days and the holidays.

    I get a warm sentimental smile , as my mind reaches back to the mid 50’s, 60’s and up into the mid 90’s.

    I can still vividly all 7 of us as plain as day around the tree, and us kids singing to the top of our lungs 😀 ( until we got older and more mature) then we settled down to a more graceful sound to reverence our Lord.

    I’m grateful for the memories , stories and pictures I can share with the grandchildren.

    I’m 58 years young now and have 2 wonderful adult children, a son-in-law and 3 beautiful granddaughters .
    I started this tradition with my children but sadly we somehow didn’t keep it up.

    The kids are coming town with grandchildren in tow Wednesday. I think I’ll discuss restarting it, or making a new tradition. Oh what joy!

    After we sang Silent Night we then sang O Christmas Tree. Yep, you guessed it!! In both English and German, after which us kids got open one present!!!

    Merry Christmas everyone & have a Joyous and blessed New Year
    Loretta

  22. I CAN,T THINK OF ANY CHRISTMAS SONG THAT I DON,T LIKE, EXCEPT ‘GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER’ !!!

  24. Hark the Herald Angels Sing or Joy to the World are two of my all time favorites. How can you help not like such uplifting songs proclaiming Jesus’ birth. What an amazing sight that would’ve been to see.

  25. I love the song “Mary Did You Know,” especially the rendition sung by Kathleen Battle with Christopher Parkening on the guitar. Pure Heaven!

  32. what child is this? says it all:)
    God rest ye merry gentleman is a vert close second.
    thank you for sharing. hugs

  33. The first song that came to mind was “Venite adoremus Dominum…”. It reminds me so much of my mother — how she would play it on the piano, and sing it so cheerfully! She has now been gone 4 years and I miss her and how she loved to celebrate Christmas in such special and meaningful ways!

  36. My favorite Christmas song is Mary, did you know?. Second would be Amy Grant’s version of My Grown Up Christmas Wish. But, I enjoy most traditional Christmas music. How can you not when you only hear it a short time each year!

  37. Choosing a fave Christmas song is so hard! I love so many, but if I had to pick a top (few) the list would include Do You Hear What I Hear, O Holy Night and Mary’s Song. Oh, and Christmas Is by Francesca B.

  38. I love ” Mary Did You Know” as a mother I have raised my children to the best of my ability according to Proverbs 22;6 and Ephesians 6;4 and when you do this you do not even know the potential that each child has to become all that God wants him to be. Will they become a Billy Graham winning countless souls for the Lord or will they become a martyr standing up for what they believe in ? Mary had the Saviour of the world in her arms. She was human and so young, but so willing to surrender her all to the purposes of God’s plan. What all must have been going through her mind when the wise men laid gifts at His feet ? How much did she fully comprehend ? What ran through her mind as her baby boy was hanging on that cross for our sins? How her heart must have been so broken and wondering why? When did the revelation fully come to her of who her son really was? Was it when she stepped into eternity ? I love this song. It makes me cry every time that I hear it. Thank-you Father, for sending Jesus into our world !!! Merry CHRISTmas all

  40. Every December my dad would sing Silent Night as he tucked me into bed. He’s been gone 23 years now and I cry every time I hear that song at Christmas. For me it’s my favorite song of the season.

  41. O Come,, O Come Emmanuel is my favorite. Its soft chords soothe my soul and usher me into His presence. His Presence is what I need right now, and it is my prayer for the families of the Sandy Hook victims, that the Precious God Who came to earth and suffered and died for us would be with them in the dying in their friends and families, that He would soothe their souls, and the souls of all of us who are assaulted by the evil in this world, that His Precious Presence would rescue and save all and lead us into goodness, and light and love. I have been listening to this in other recordings and it sooths my soul to imagine Jesus near and in the room with me as I hear the tender strains of this lovely song. O COME, O COME EMMANUEL.

  42. My favorite Christmas song is “Away in a Manger” Growing up we always listed to an album named “Christmas in England” My mom is from Yorkshire England and the album had the Church Bells and many classics. This year I was able to get the CD that had been made from the Album. I can’t wait to share it with her.

  44. My favorite always will be Do you Hear what I hear?, since childhood to me this one and The Little Drummer Boy movie will be my greatest love. Truly ushers in Christmas for me.
    Thanks. Renee for all you do.

  46. I enjoy most every Christmas song and especially enjoy hearing different artists give their renditions of traditional favorites. The “Rose of Bethlehem” has a special place in my heart…when I think of someone rejecting such a wonderful Christmas gift…”Like a Rose trampled on the ground,” I know Jesus must be so hurt.

    I dedicate the “Grinch” theme song to my husband who insists I wait until the day after Thanksgiving to listen to Christmas Music and I wear-out my CD’S & Radio until New Year’s Day or he gets in the “Holiday Spirit” whichever comes first!! 🙂 Teehee…”Tis the Season…”

  47. Silent Night has always been one of my favorites and then a few years ago we found out that it was a member of my family who wrote the music or it. I now have an even deeper connection to the song.

  49. I love Mary Did You Know?, and O Holy Night is one of my very favoriites. But, We are the Reason (written by David Meece and recorded my many) really speaks the truth of Christmas. In it ,David talks about how as children we look forward to the presents. Then as we get older, and learn more about Jesus, we realize that He is the greatest Christmas gift we can get and that we are the reason that God gave us that gift. David’s song One Small Child is roght up there too.

  50. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desires is my favorite song. It is not the most known but what it says is the essence of Christmas. Baby Jesus – His Love for me – fills the deep and true desires of my heart. The Love reflected in the gift of Baby Jesus to the world even soothes a brokenheart …. and reminds us that God the Father cares for us so much. In that manger we see the “cravings” of our heart filled truly and completely ….. filled with His Love.