This is the real deal, the reason we have hope, the reason we are alive!  When I listen to this song, I can’t help but worship.  Anna Kate even lifts her little hands to the sky, and it melts my heart.

The words in this song encompass why the name “Noelle” even crossed our minds as a name that would be meaningful to our first daughter.  I pray that the Spirit of this song will be felt with every breathe she takes, so that she can live with the hope that even though life can sometimes be overwhelming and more than we can bear by ourselves, that He is here with us… never letting go for one minute!  That is what keeps me tying my knot and holding on for dear life when the storms hit.  And they do hit.  None of us are exempt, and we are all in this together!  That’s what makes the body of Christ so beautiful to me.  It’s our journey.  Our story. 

And the people of Israel waited for SO long to have the hope that we now have.  Can you imagine how they pressed through the dark, cold, lonely winters without Him?  And then He came, to live among us and teach us how to be the best creation we can possibly be in the state that we find ourselves in.  And we try.  And we toil.  And then we inevitably fail… and then he says, wait!  That’s not all.  Not only did I come to be an example to you, but I left the sacrifice of my life to pick up the pieces.  And it is messy, and it isn’t black and white, but I will lead you and walk with you, and never forget that I did some incredible things just for you!

Anyway, I hope this song blesses your heart as much as it has mine this Christmas season as you celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!