Comments on: When Christmas is hard to find http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/ A Mormon Blog Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:06:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Meredith C http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76267 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:59:08 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76267 Beautiful post. I work as a singer and organist for a local anglican church and we sang this at our Nine Lessons and Carols service last night. I could hardly sing for the lump in my throat. (Also the fact that I had just sung the Messiah in its entirety that afternoon.)

]]> By: nasamomdele http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76266 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:20:22 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76266 This has been an overwhelming Christmas season so far. The in-laws have already pushed me over the edge and preparations under budget constraints have often caught me wishing away the “need” to give.

But there have been satisfying moments- my 18-month old running up on stage at the Ogden amphitheatre while voice-male was doing their acapela thing, for one. She was clapping and grinning as big as she could have.

I’m excited for her this Christmas. I’m excited to see how happy she will be to play with wrapping paper and bows.

I’m excited to see my wife’s face when she sees what I got her- that she’ll know I’ve been thinking about her and what she wants.

I can’t wait to stop Christmas dinner with the in-laws and tell them I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.

I can’t wait to have a family talent show on Christmas day and watch the little kids play in a nativity scene- something is going to go wrong and I can’t wait to laugh.

Most of all I can’t wait to be like the shepherds and publish the news of Christ’s birth. To thank God for a savior of my soul, that my life has meaning and purpose, but most of all value.

Merry Christmas all

]]> By: MikeInWeHo http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76265 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:12:50 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76265 What a lovely post. The notion that we ought to feel a certain way at Christmas implies that if we don’t, then we must be doing something wrong. And that leads to guilt. Another solution to this pain is to change with way we think in those moments. Our mistake begins with the belief that we “ought” to feel something.

No we don’t! We can’t control our feelings, but we can change what we tell ourselves in response to them.

“The Christmas season is stressful and sometimes I wish I could cancel the whole thing” is a lot healthier than “What is wrong with me? Why aren’t I joyful like everybody else?”

]]> By: lamonte http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76264 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:49 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76264 Kristine – Thanks for the post and for reminding me of the importance of music in my life. For me it is not just choral music but beautiful music in general that brings me closer to God – not just at Christmas but all year long. Have you heard Yo Yo Ma perform Ennio Morricone’s compostion of Gabriel’s Oboe? It is divine.

Merry Christmas

]]> By: Tatiana http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76263 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:11:05 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76263 Something I really needed to hear right now. Thanks!

]]> By: Rebecca J http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76262 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:01:53 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76262 Really awesome post. Thank you.

]]> By: Hunter http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76261 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:22:08 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76261 As for the main point of the post, that by “doing Christmas” our hearts will (hopefully) follow, I have to say that I never before thought about it in this way. I could have used this insight today at Sacrament Meeting when I (unfairly) dismissed the banal rendering of yet another Christmas hymn by the less than prepared organist. Next time, I will keep singing, and hope my heart will follow.

]]> By: Hunter http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76260 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:16:07 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76260 “The solution to this problem, as to so very many problems, can be found in choral music.”

I love it.

]]> By: Bold California http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76259 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:31:34 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76259 Thank you Kristine for this post.

I just aced the Christmas Trivia Quiz at work. I believe that what gave me a leg up on my competitors twas that I had been listening to more Christmas music than they had this past several weeks.

]]> By: SteveP http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/12/21/when-christmas-is-hard-to-find/#comment-76258 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:37:29 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=4469#comment-76258 Absolutely beautiful. I just downloaded it. Thank you. My favorite composer of Christmas choral music is John Rutter who’s recorded some wonderful things, much with the Cambridge Singers. It does not seem like Christmas until I hear his music.

Thank you for this, though. This whole album was wonderful and is going into my Christmas collection.

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