Here’s another song about Mary, or in the voice of Mary. I’ve sung this one and I like the tune. Most modern songs about Mary seem a bit maudlin to me. “Mary, Did You Know?” is one that I really dislike, even though it has a nice tune. The words of Mary in this song are far from the Magnificat, but Mary was human. She probably got stressed out.
Breath of Heaven, by Amy Grant
I have traveled many moonless nights
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I’ve done
Holy Father you have come
And chosen me now
To carry your sonI am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me nowBreath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heavenDo you wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help meBreath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heavenBreath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven
Amy Grant got her first recording contract just before her 16th birthday, when an influential person played a tape of hers over the phone to a record executive friend. She recorded the first Christian pop record to go platinum, and has since gone on to be a popular mainstream musician as well.
It’s December, and it’s Advent. Advent is a contemplative time for me, and December is when I work out my goals for the coming year. In 2015, my word for the year is “clean.” I’ve cleaned up relationships, the business, areas of my time and life, and some attitudes. I haven’t become the perfect poster girl for clean eating, but I’ve done well enough to lose 25% of my body weight. My house is not as clean and tidy as I’d like, but I’ve made progress, and I plan to work on that further.
These were my goals for the year:
- Lose 10% of my current body weight. I’ve surpassed that by quite a bit, and I want to do the same in 2016.
- Wake up feeling good each day. I haven’t quite gotten this one, but I’m closer.
- Take two real vacations. I took a real vacation in August and I plan to take the week between Christmas and New Year.
- Develop learning materials for linkbuilding and blogging for the website. This is rescheduled for 2016.
- Develop two new products. Good progress on this, but again it’s rescheduled for 2016.
- Add three full-service clients. Almost, but not quite.
- Sell and build ten websites. Again, close but no cigar.
- Streamline systems at work and home, taking advantage of what I’ve learned about habits. I think I’m doing well on this one.
- Knit three sweaters. It could still happen. I have one on the needles now.
- Complete two quilts. Nope.
- Learn machine embroidery. This could also happen.
- Complete one SWAP. Pretty close.
- Provide good leadership for the Worship and Music committee. I think I’m doing this, but I know I could do better.
- Tithe. Not there yet.
- Keep the sabbath. I’m doing well on this and should be able to say yes by the end of the year.
So I have some to carry over, some that might get done this month, and some I probably won’t reach.
This was also a stressful year, a year full of big changes for me and for my family. One of my kids got an amazing new job, one is getting married, two traveled the world, one passed his exams and started teaching. I quit teaching and took on a volunteer responsibility. We had a death in the family, worries over an elderly relative, and we’ll gain a couple of grandchildren and a daughter-in-law on January 1.
So 2015 has been dramatic and stressful and exciting. I hope this month will be less stressful and exciting only in positive ways. I hope also that I will continue to make good progress toward those goals, and perhaps develop a few new ones.