My Favorite Christmas Memories

What are your favorite Christmas memories? Here are just a few of mine.

Tobogganing with my Dad and siblings, then coming home to drink hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols with the family, while my Mom played the piano. All-time favorite Christmas memory.

Spending Christmas with our God-family who was staying with us. The tree was filled with Christmas presents. Seeing the joy on the kids' faces was priceless.

Many of my recent favorite Christmas memories revolve around the Christmas productions I've been blessed to write, direct and produce. The behind-the-scenes stories are what create the unforgettable memories.

The Gift Giver - during our first run of this sweet play, we had auditions for the little ones who had to go see Santa. Every time they sat on our talented actor's lap, they completely forgot their scripted lines. When he asked them, "And what would you like for Christmas?" They'd respond with their actual Christmas list. It was sweet, precious and hilarious.

A Christmas Wish - during our second run of this touching production, our amazing lead actor was actually a former member of the military - similar to the role he was playing. He was scheduled to be in a wedding out of state for the final night of the production. We prayed for a miracle, and sure enough, circumstances shifted and he was able to stay for the full run of production. He brought his daughters to see the show and shared that the play made them even closer.

The first time we did Emmanuel - God With Us. The lives that were changed. The life-long friendships that were formed. My parents flew out for the show. Their lives were changed.

Starting the family tradition six years ago of flying to the East Coast to spend Christmas with one of my very best friends.

Christmas is and has always been a special time of year for me. I love the music, the decorations, the food, but especially the spirit of giving and time spent with family and friends.

I enjoy my Christmas memories from years' past, and I love creating new Christmas memories.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Music & Love

I love how music enhances love, and love enhances music.

There are songs that will always be special to me because of the love memory they recall. It doesn’t matter that I’m no longer in a relationship or even in love with those men anymore, the songs still bring back memories of the specialness we shared during our time together.

Love Come Down by Evelyn King takes me back to dancing with one of my first loves.

Some "music love" memories are intimate and make me blush – even years later when I hear the song. Some "love music" memories are playful or just sweetly romantic – times of us dancing together, cooking together, playing games, riding in the car holding hands – a song plays and I relive those moments with a smile on my face.

Invitation by Norman Connors, Sweet Love by Anita Baker, Make It Last Forever by Keith Sweat, Adore by Prince…ahhh, such sweet romance.

Music has revealed to me whom I most cared about, whom I loved most deeply. I was amazed to find that I don’t have song memories for every man I’ve cared about or been in a relationship with, regardless of how long we were together. And then there are others who, although our time together was brief, are etched into my heart through music and memories.

So Fine by Howard Johnson… a sweet, innocent summer crush, oh so many years ago, but oh so unforgettable.

Some relationships have far too much music intertwined within them to even list.  And I will admit that the impact of music on love makes it hard to hear those songs, our songs, when the relationship has recently ended and healing is not yet complete. Ultimately, however, once healing has occurred, the songs bring warm memories, not sadness. 

Butterflies by Michael Jackson and Old Friend by Phyllis Hyman...heart-warming memories of happy times spent laughing and talking.

Over the years, there has only been one song that’s never lost the pain when I hear it – Congratulations by Vesta Williams. Even though it’s from a relationship where healing has long since occurred, the depth of the love in the memory of my heart is triggered every time I hear that song, which fortunately is quite infrequently.

And now, once again, music does its thing with new love.

Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars and Sunday Morning by Maroon 5

Oh, I just love how music enhances love, and love enhances music.