From unrealistic expectations to traditions to your screaming schedule as well as those annual holiday encounters with the in-laws and outlaws, this free 5 Day challenge will allow your holidays to go from chaos to calm. Click HERE for the free 5 Day Challenge and they will automatically come to your inbox. Merry Christmas!
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember you may comment to win on all of the 12 Days of Christmas posts until Sunday night, December 15th at midnight EST so be sure to read through those you missed and catch up!
It is the 8th Day of Christmas giveaways and guests and today we’re featuring a fabulous musical artist and worship leader I’ve had the honor of working with a few times, Michael OBrien.
Michael leading worship at our Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference.
Michael O’Brien is probably most known from his 7 year tenure as lead singer of the Christian band Newsong. But, he has actually been in the music ministry for some 20 years now and has built a reputation as an incredibly gifted singer/ songwriter with a heart for ministering to the body of Christ.
Sensing that God was calling him to step out of his secure position with Newsong in 2006, Michael had to literally start all over again. But if you ask him if he has any regrets in his leaving, he replies “I knew it was something that God was calling me to. I was somewhat apprehensive and yet excited to take a step of faith and completely put my trust in the Lord. God has not disappointed.”
Michael has realized the importance of controlling his calendar as well and making time for the most important calling of his life. His family. “I used to live on the road and my kids didn’t even miss me when I was gone. It wasn’t conducive for a spiritually healthy family.”
Now Michael is getting more opportunities to share how God restored and healed his marriage. He and his wife Heidi have shared their story of restoration on National Television and radio broadcasts across America. Ministries that have partnered with Michael and Heidi are The Billy Graham Association, Family Life Today, The 700 Club, and Life Today.
Michael and his wife Heidi.
I asked Michael to join us since he has a fabulous Christmas CD and even though we are a bunch of chicks, he not only said yes, he is giving away 5 of those CDs!!
Before we take comments for his great giveaway, here are some Christmas facts about Michael.
His favorite food: “Absolutely all of my wife’s cooking during Christmas. It is simply phenomenal!”
His favorite Christmas tradition: “That’s easy. The annual Christmas Eve Candle light service at our church of about 150 people here in Columbia, Tennessee.”
His favorite Christmas song: “Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas” Originally written as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for the movie Meet Me In St Louis, the composer, Hugh Martin, became a Christian late in life (he died in 2011 at the age of 96). And so, he rewrote the words to the song.
Here is a short clip of Michael performing this song. Light the tree, relax and drink in some sweet news about Baby Jesus! (If you are reading this as an email, click here to see the video}
TODAY’S GIVEAWAY:
Five of you will win Michael’s Christmas CD. To enter, simply tell us your favorite Christmas song.
Mine is Mary, Did You Know?
And yours?
Mary did you know
Silent Night is my favorite. Thank you for the chance to win his CD. Have a “calm” Monday everyone!
I also like the song ” Mary did you know?”
Silent Night is my favorite Christmas song …although I have many ….many Christmas songs that are my favorite. The Christmas Shoes ….and.
Lynda Guinnee
Holy Night!
O Holy Night!
Silent Night
Angels We Have Heard on High
What Child Is This?
My favorite Christmas carol is Away In A Manger. :)
My favorite Christmas song is O Holy night.
Do I have to choose just one?….Joy to the World, Silent Night, and Mary, Did you know?
mINE IS wHAT CHILD IS THIS!
O Holy Night!!
My favorite song is actually, “If Every Day Could be Just Like Christmas” by Elvis Presley. I love the thought of the entire world celebrating the peace and love we feel this time of year!
Mine is a tie, Mary Did You Know and Where Are You Christmas.
Little Drummer Boy and Silent Night.
Carol of the Bells
O Holy Night is my favorite.
Favourites are “Emmanuel” by Chris Tomlin and “Mary’s Boy Child”. Best heard at top volume :)
Mary Did You Know
This is a tough one…I love so many of them, but if I had to chose it would be What child is this.
O Holy Night!
My favorite song is “O Holy NIght” by any singer anytime and anywhere.
Joseph’s lulaby
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is my favorite. A close second is O Holy Night.
Little Drummer boy
Gotta be Oh Holy Night. I would LOVE Michael’s Christmas CD!!
So many! Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Joy to the World, I’ll Be Home for Christmas.
Mine is also Mary did you Know?
Wow! Too hard to pick one! I love the words to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Then there is Emmanuel! How can God with us not be our favorite!
“O, Holy Night” is my favorite Christmas song.
There are sooo many!!! Oh Holy Night and the Little Drummer Boy are two of my top ones!
Beautiful song…. changes completely the meaning of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and I LOVE it! :) Thanks Michael!
Love Joseph’s Lullaby…. Mary Did You Know…. and Where’s the Line to See Jesus?
Joy to the World- (Unspeakable Joy) Chris Tomlin
There are so many favorites in Christmas music, but I love “Mary, Did you Know?”, “Little Drummer Boy” and “What Child is This?”
A song Cynthia Clawson recorded years ago, “Take Us Home For Christmas”, about the possibility of Jesus’ returning & taking us Home as the gifts for His birthday!
Away In A Manger and I loved Have Yourself A Blessed Christmas with Michael,, thanks so much for sharing this!
“Joy to the World”. That has to be what it sounded like that night when the angels appeared and filled the heavens.
O Holy Night
I’ve always loved “O, Holy Night”. When I was a child, it was “We Three Kings” and “Do you Hear What I Hear”.
LIttle Drummer Boy… for sure. Peace.
Mary Did You Know and Silent Night
Tough one – Away In A Manger – it’s a classic : )
I also love the song Mary Did You Know .. Brings me to tears!!!
A Strange Way to Save the World
O Holy NIght! We eagerly anticipated hearing this song each Christmas, which was beautifully sung by our church choir director. Seems like it was always the last song on his Christmas program. I still get chills thinking about him singing this song for us and love to hear it each year ….remembering Christmases past, present, and future!
Silent Night is my all time favorite. I can even remember the words in German which I learned in high school.
“Immanuel, God Is Wih Us” especially sung by these children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_tuMpIOho. I still am inspired by Michael W Smith’s 1993 Christmas Album with “Christmastime”, “Lux Venit”, “First Snowfall”. “All is Well” and more. And this is my short answer haha.
I can’t pick ONE favorite Christmas song! There are so many beautiful ones! I love entire albums…Amy Grant’s first Christmas album, with HEIRLOOMS on it, her Breath of Heaven album too, Michael W Smith’s first christmas album. So many beautiful carols in our hymnals, O Come All Ye Faithful is one of my faves! And Mary’s Boy Child, Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing…Gloriahhhhhh!
There are so many that I love including Mary did you know, Silent Night, Away in a Manger, but also I will be home for Christmas as I now live many miles away but my heart is always there.
O Holy Night is my favorite! But I’ve always thought Silver Bells was a fun song too :)
Merry Christmas!
O Holy Night is my favorite :)
Colleen G.
Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)-Amy Grant
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
My favorite Christmas song is Christmas Shoes by Newsong. I listen to it every year and I love it when it comes on the radio. It’s such a sweet song and captures the magic of Christmas and the goodwill of others. My husband finally bought me the movie after he got tired of me taping it on the DVR every year. The song always makes me tear up and the movie itself requires a box of tissues no matter how many times I see it.
That may be my favortie song, but honestly i love all Christmas songs.
O Holy Night
Lil Drummer boy! :-) Merry Christmas!!!!
Since Mary Did You Know has already been mentioned, I’ll go with it the songs it’s tied with: O Holy Night (by Sandi Patty) and Do You Hear What I Hear.
“What Child Is This”
My favorite song is “white Christmas” by Martha Minuzzi. Because when I got saved in 2004, I was out of hope that anything in my life would ever be good again. But then I gave my heart to Jesus and when I heard it, I felt God whispering in my heart – “see? I gave you Christmas back”. And He did. But it had nothing to do with the trees and lights and presents but everything to do with my heart. And so it has been a white Christmas for me in my heart. It is beautiful.
OOOOH, Away in a Manger….thank You, Jesus!!
Truly my favorite is Little Drummer Boy. Bring Him what we have to offer!
O Holy Night!
My favorite Christmas song is “Do you hear what I hear?”
O, Holy Night! Gives me chills every time. :)
O, Holy Night, hands down. Although I like so many.
O Holy Night, if I have to pick just one!
My favorite song used to be “O Holy Night”, which I still LOVE and ranks high up, but now I’m really beginning to love “What Child Is This?”.
Oh……, Mary, did you know .
But oh so many great ones.
Grown Up Christmas List best done by Amy Grant!
Away in the Manger
I absolutely LOVE alllllll christmas music!!!! But , O Holy Night is special.
:)
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Mine is “Mary Did You Know?” it gives me glory bumps and tears to my eyes every time this mama hears it.
“Mary Did You Know”. :)
O Holy Night
My favorite is Little Drummer Boy. There are so many new Christmas songs being recorded by the Christian artists; I am enjoying all of them!!!
Although I love Christmas songs, one of my all time favorites is Silent Night.
Mary did you know
“Mary Did You Know?” and “O Holy Night” are two of my favorite Christmas songs.
I love O Holy Night so much. For me, it is one of the most beautiful worship songs.
Have really so many but can feel HIs Presence listening to “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
Silent Night
Little Drummer Boy!
I love O Holy Night.
I like a lot of Christmas songs,but will say Silent Night .
O Holy Night followed by What Child is This.
It’s a toss up between Silent Night and O Holy Night. But I’m really liking some of the “new” Christmas songs which add on to the old ones like Joy to the World, Unspeakable Joy.
So hard to choose, but I love Angels We Have Heard on High and Oh Holy Night.
Karen, mine is Mary, Did you know? Too!!! :)
Coming in a close 2nd is The First Noel :)
Silent Night is my favorite.With a close second being O’ Holy Night.
Joy to the World!
This year it is my children singing o come o come Emmanuel
Mine is Away in the Manger with all the sweet little preschoolers I have sung it with throughout the years
O, Holy Night!
It is a tie between Mary did you Know and the little Drummer Boy
This year I have had to move “O Holy Night” to second place and awarded top honors to “In The First Light” by Travic Cottrell. Oh the final verse of how the angels sing when He returns to rule the earth … I weep deeply in anticipation of that glorious day!!!
Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ! And…. In the bleak midwinter
Oh Holy Night is my all time favorite Christmas Song!
I really do not have a favorite Christmas song, because I love them all!
It’s so hard to choose just one! But if I must, then I guess I would have to say Breath Of Heaven is my favorite Christmas song these days.
Silent Night
I love Christmas music 2 of my favorites are What Child is This and Mary Do You Know.
Go Tell it on the Mountain…my kids learned this when they were very young.
my absolute favorite Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant
Joy to the World! Is one of my favorite Christmas songs. But after listening to Michael’s new song, Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas, that may be a new one to add to the list. Thanks for sharing Michael’s new song and the story.
The Birthday of a King and I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
Mine is Silent Night
Mary Did You Know
Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant or Vince Gill
Little Drummer Boy. I enjoyed hearing Michael’s song. I have never heard him sing before. Thank you. It was beautiful!
“Mary, did you know?”, always brings tears to my eyes. We just has our Christmas kick-off night of worship and this song was sang that night.
My favorite is Silent Night played by my Grandmother on her guitar.
Mary, Did You Know ? WAS my favorite, now….. Have yourself a Blessed Little Christmas is !!! I love it !!
Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant.
Mary Did you Know is one of my favorites too! I cannot quit listening to How Many Kings right now!
There are so many that I love, but I’d have to go with O Holy Night as my absolute favorite!
I like many songs…so hard to choose one or two…but I have a special spot in my heart for all 3 verses of Silent Night and as a secular song I like I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas:) Merry CHRISTmas to all of you at P31!
…
Mary Did You know!
I love the Christmas song “We Are the Reason” sung by Avalon.
Probably O Holy Night,but I love Mary Did You Know, too.
Breath of Heaven
O Holy Night by Larnelle Harris
I can’t pick ONE favorite Christmas song! There are so many beautiful ones! I love entire albums…Amy Grant’s first Christmas album, with HEIRLOOMS on it, her Breath of Heaven album too, Michael W Smith’s first christmas album. So many beautiful carols in our hymnals, O Come All Ye Faithful is one of my faves! And Mary’s Boy Child, Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing…Gloriahhhhhh
“It Wasn’t His Child.”
Oh holy night. A classic one for me and also joy to the world.
mine is simply ‘Holy Night’ :) very calming and soothing I thin.
I LOVE Christmas music and often listen year round. My favorite is Carol of the Bells.
Mary did you know ? and The Prayer beautiful Christmas music :)
Silent Night
Love all Christmas music and Sweet Little Jesus Boy is among my favorites. Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas may be a new favorite.
“Breath of Heaven” is my favorite song – brings tears to my eyes every time.
Breath of Heaven, most favorite..
Mine is also ” Mary Did You Know”, but this song ” Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas” may be my new one. I wish they played it on the radio KSGN. I am a preschool teacher at Christ the King Preschool in Redlands CA and I think I will teach this song to my kids next year for our Christmas program
Mary, Did you know is my favorite also, but I love all Christian Christmas music. I would love to get one of the albums because this year I decided that any of my CDs that didn’t have at least half the Christmas songs about Christ were going out the door. I was amazed at how many Christian singers put out CDs with more commercial songs than songs about the birth of our Saviour!
Holy Night
Carol of the Bells
Silent Night. It takes me to the candlelight service at the church where I grew up (and am still blessed to attend)…all of the lights are off, and we’re each holding a candle. It’s a beautiful, quiet pause during the busy season.
I’m really loving the Pentatonix version of “Little Drummer Boy”
Hmmmm…so many. I love Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel, O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful…the list goes on.
I have 2 favorites- Mary, Did You Know? and Beautiful Star of Bethlehem. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel
Mine is Carol of the Bells…This year my daughter played it for her piano recital… I was in tears!
I have so many, I love christmas music! I also love Michael’s music. I would love to have his christmas CD!
O Holy Night!!
O Holy Night
rose of bethleham
He did an awesome job on “Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas”. I have always loved Silent Night.
Silent Night
O Holy Night always gets me…
Most definitely one of my favorite is
Mary, Did You Know
Mary did you know?
This year, my favorite carol is “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” because my 4 year old daughter knows the words & sings the song on a daily basis.
Mary Did You Know
O Holy Night
O Holy Night. :-)
Breath of Heaven
Hark the Herald Angels Sing! For the most part I love all christmas hymns!
“What Child is This?”
My favorite is ‘O Holy Night’, and now I have to say ‘Have Yourself A Blessed Little Christmas’ comes a close second. Love those words. Thanks for sharing. Have a Blessed Christmas everyone!
My favorite is definitely O Holy Night. Every Christmas as a child, I remember a dear friend of our family’s singing it at church. She had a classically trained opera voice and it was always so beautiful. I’m also a big fan of the Trans Siberian Orchestra’s rock version of Carol of the Bells.
I have two: “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy” sung by David Bowie and Bing Crosby; “Mary Did You Know”
Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel
O Little Town of Bethlehem and What Child is This are mine. The CVhristmas Shoes makes me cry… I LOVE contemporary Christmas music!! :)
Blessings!
Carissa in eastern Iowa
O Come All Ye Faithful
“O Holy Night” :)
Silent Night
I Wonder As I Wander…bittersweet, haunting and reflecting the truth of why Jesus came to earth
O Holy Night
Mary did you know. It has always been one of my favorites but now as a mother myself it means so much more
Silent Night or The Little Drummer Boy – too hard to decide!
Mary, Did You Know and O Holy Night
oh, come all ye faithful :)
My favorite Christmas song is “Silent Night”. So beautiful and I can almost picture that silent night when Jesus was born. WOW!
Oh Holy Night or Come All Ye Faithful or Hark the Herald Angels sing or…
There are so many. I really like Mary, Did You Know, Please Come Home for Christmas, O Holy Night…….and so many more. :)
Mary did you Know
Joy to the World, Away in a Manger and White Christmas
The little drummer boy
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/104638391316363123/
Mary did you know
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
I am not sure it is the title but the main line in the chorus is “He Came Like a Winter Snow”. It points out of all the ways God could have chosen to be here on earth with us, “He came like winter snow: quiet, soft and slow.” Just shows His tender love for us that He humbled himself so much.
O Holy Night is my favorite! I love the gospel message in it!
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! …”
“Mary Did You Know” and “Joseph’s Song” (Michael Card).
I love Emmanuel and O Holy Night
Thank you for the chance!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (I guess that will be changing now to Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas ;) ) and Away In a Manger.
O Holy Night
Joy to the World!
Deborah
pinkscissorsdesign @gmail .com
Silent night
Mary’s Boy Child, O Holy Night, and Silent Night (And Mary Did You Know :) )
Little Drummer Boy and the one from Elf where she’s singing in the shower. :)
Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth duet by Bing Crosby and David Bowie.
I love the season, so there are many Christmas songs that I adore. I have to agree with Marilyn though, I love the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet. Who knew David Bowie could sing like that???
Away in a Manger
Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowry and While You Were Sleeping/I Heard the Bells by Casting Crowns
Breath of Heaven
Carol of the Bells, I love that!
O Holy Night
All of them!! Silent Night and O Holy Night and Little Town of Bethlehem…..
Mary, Did You Know is special, and a fun song I like is “Come On, Christmas” by Matthew West.
oh tough one, I love Christmas music,
I like Casting Crowns God is WIth Us
and the Jamie Grace/Toby Mac song Mary’s Boy Child
I love What Child Is This?
I’ll be home for Christmas.
The First Noel and The Virgin’s Lullaby in the Nativity movie,
O’Holy Night is my FAVORITE!!
Angels We Have Heard On High
Away in a Manger.
Do You hear What I Hear?
Holly Jolly Christmas, because my sweet hubby loves it so!
Pavarotti singing “Adeste Fideles”. Also Bebo Norman’s “Mary’s Prayer”.
My favorite Christmas song is a toss up between three – Silent Night, The First Noel, and Away in a Manger. Away probably edges out the rest ever slightly as it’s a favorite from my childhood Christmas church pageants all the way up to my adulthood and now starting to share it with my daughter.
Golly, this one is hard! There are so many good ones! I think mine is probably Silent Night…we sing it at the candle light service at church every year and every year, it brings tears to my eyes.
Mary did you know.
O Holy Night!!
O Holy Night. And The First Noel
O Holy Night. I always sang that to my kids when they were little. thx
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
Mine is also “Mary, Did You Know”! :)
Christmas Shoes
Little Drummer Boy – My three year old singing it melts my heart.
O Holy Night
Mary DidYou Know & Silent Night 2 of the most beautiful songs!
One of my favorites is Joseph’s Lullaby by MercyMe.
O Holy Night
I love What Child is This, but have a weakness for silly spoof songs as well, like the men’s choir that does the 12 days of christmas, and mixes up several other carols as well.
Joy to the World!
Silent Night
Mary Had a Baby – sung at the annual children’s Christmas pageant.
Oh Holy Night
I love all Christmas music. Couple of favorites are Carol of the bells and Breath of Heaven.
Behold the Lamb
O Holy Night
O come O come Emmanuel. I like the version by The Piano Guys.
Merry Christmas to you
Go Tell it on the Mountain
O Holy Night
Silent Night
O Holy Night and How Many Kings
Joy to the world
I love so many, but my current favorite is “Born in Bethlehem” by Third Day.
O Holy Night
I’d like to enter each day so I’ll be in the running for the grand prize….my favorite song is Once in Royal David’s City. But if my name is drawn, please give the CD to another commenter who might like contemporary music. Thanks!
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Mary Did you Know?
Joy to the World
Those are my top three.
O Holy Night and ordinary Baby
O holy night
O Holy Night
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Mary did you know. I love that song.
O holy night
I love all of the Christmas songs, like many of you. I think my favorites are probably Silent Night, The First Noel, O Holy Night, Away in a Manger and the Little Drummer Boy. My favorite secular Christmas songs are Silver Bells, White Christmas, Holly Jolly Christmas, Up on the Housetop and for my kiddos Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. :).
Blessings to you all at Christmastime and Anytime!
KK