They begin playing on the radio earlier every year — those old familiar sounds alerting us to the oncoming season filled with joy, hope, family and friends. There are so many favourites, how to choose just one … Joy To The World brings fond memories as it has always been the last hymn sung by candlelight on Christmas Eve before we head home, visiting friends and family along the way. But I think O Holy Night is my favorite. “The stars are brightly shining” triggers memories of starlit walks on frosty snow, thinking about how these same stars are shining over loved ones near or far on this very night and how they once shone over the baby in Bethlehem. “It is the night of our dear Savior's birth” — that God loved us enough to send His only Son into this world as an infant — “A new and glorious morn” — that Jesus is still being born into people's hearts around the world on this very night, that there is still so much hope in such a dark world. It all brings tears to my eyes with a hope that many will come to believe through the message of song during this special time of the year.
