Here is a gift idea for Christmas and all year. Think about the words you sing, what do they mean? What do they say? And if You get the chance get to know the story behind some of the songs. Who wrote them? Why? What was happening at the time? There is a wealth of gifts in doing so. Merry Christmas! 

A Prayer To Not Mindlessly Sing Songs

Christmas carols are being sung.

Can you hear them like bells being rung.

How sweet and clear the sound fills the air.

May their true meaning not pass me by is my prayer.

Hymns are being sung in church today.

I can hear angels and feel God's power and sway.

How awesome and clear the sound fills the air.

May their true meaning not pass me by is my prayer.

Christian songs are sung by me at home all the day through.

Some are ones I have learned and some are new.

How lovingly and clear the sound fills the air.

May their true meaning not pass me by is my prayer. Amen

Karaoke 

I don't know if karaoke is the right spelling. But it's that thing people do at parties; where they play the background music you look at the screen and try to sing popular songs. You know imitate the singer. Anyway when I was a child singing in church was kind of like that. We would mouth the words and never stop to take in their meaning. It wasn't until I got saved in 1986 that I really started to ponder the words of what I sang in church. What an experience! I started to see God a little more clearly and His throne room! Thinking on the words helped me to grow, become strong, it helped mend my broken heart and life, and so much more! I felt shame, sorrow, and cleansed, I felt warmth, love, and awe. Then little by little God brought people in my life who told me some of the stories behind some of the church songs. About someone who's children had died yet that person wrote "It is well with my soul" and about a blind lady who wrote a song about faith. The more I heard the more I saw what really having a real relationship with God can do. I saw God not only heal hearts, but over come situations and make people winners and whole and more. Christmas has many beautiful Christian songs. As a gift to you dear readers I pray you will be stirred to start pondering the words to Christian songs. I pray it will bless you as it has me. I have a friend Dwaine, who was the first person to show me that what I thought was a song for Christmas only, is really a song to sing all year. That song is  "O come all ye faithful".  Also "America" is not just for "Fourth of July". There are other Christian special occasion songs that are like this too meant to be sung all year.  Meant to be sung in spirit and in truth and sincerity. Songs to teach, reveal, comfort and usher us into the presence of God and more. These are gifts from God! These gifts are there in the words and here in my heart. It does me no good if head and heart don't come together.  It's up to me and God to bring the two together in Him. It won't happen if I just sing the words. 

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24

For more Sips