");vwo_$('head').append(_vwo_sel);return vwo_$('head')[0] && vwo_$('head')[0].lastChild;})("HEAD")}}},rules:[{"tags":[{"priority":4,"data":"campaigns.126","id":"runCampaign"}],"triggers":["8796531"]},{"tags":[{"metricId":0,"id":"metric","data":{"campaigns":[{"c":77,"g":1}],"type":"g"}}],"triggers":["10339783"]},{"tags":[{"metricId":0,"id":"metric","data":{"campaigns":[{"c":126,"g":3}],"type":"g"}}],"triggers":["10395757"]},{"tags":[{"metricId":909450,"id":"metric","data":{"campaigns":[{"c":126,"g":4}],"type":"m"}}],"triggers":["8849517"]},{"tags":[{"metricId":0,"id":"metric","data":{"campaigns":[{"c":126,"g":5}],"type":"g"}}],"triggers":["10395760"]},{"tags":[{"id":"sampleVisitor","data":{"samplingRate":0,"priority":2}}],"triggers":["9591582"]},{"tags":[{"priority":4,"data":"campaigns.3","id":"runCampaign"}],"triggers":["9539694"]},{"tags":[{"priority":4,"data":"campaigns.77","id":"runCampaign"}],"triggers":["1895897"]},{"tags":[{"id":"sampleVisitor","data":{"samplingRate":-2,"priority":1}}],"triggers":["9539868"]},{"tags":[{"priority":4,"data":"campaigns.2","id":"runCampaign"}],"triggers":["9539682"]},{"tags":[{"id":"urlChange"}],"triggers":["75"]},{"tags":[{"id":"checkEnvironment"}],"triggers":["5"]},{"tags":[{"priority":2,"id":"groupCampaigns"},{"id":"prePostMutation","priority":3}],"triggers":["8"]},{"tags":[{"priority":2,"id":"visibilityService"}],"triggers":["9"]},{"tags":[{"id":"runTestCampaign"}],"triggers":["2"]}],pages:{"ec":[{"1812514":{"inc":["o",["url","urlReg","(?i)^https?\\:\\\/\\\/(w{3}\\.)?familylife\\.com\\\/articles.*"]]}},{"1674516":{"inc":["o",["url","urlReg","(?i).*"]]}}]},pagesEval:{"ec":[1812514,1674516]}}})();
;;var commonWrapper=function(argument){if(!argument){argument={valuesGetter:function(){return{}},valuesSetter:function(){},verifyData:function(){return{}}}}var pollInterval=100;var timeout=6e4;return function(){var accountIntegrationSettings={};var _interval=null;function waitForAnalyticsVariables(){try{accountIntegrationSettings=argument.valuesGetter()}catch(error){accountIntegrationSettings=undefined}if(accountIntegrationSettings&&argument.verifyData(accountIntegrationSettings)){argument.valuesSetter(accountIntegrationSettings);return 1}return 0}var currentTime=0;_interval=setInterval((function(){currentTime=currentTime||performance.now();var result=waitForAnalyticsVariables();if(result||performance.now()-currentTime>=timeout){clearInterval(_interval)}}),pollInterval)}};
commonWrapper({valuesGetter:function(){return {"ga4s":0}},valuesSetter:function(data){var singleCall=data["ga4s"]||0;if(singleCall){window.sessionStorage.setItem("vwo-ga4-singlecall",true)}var ga4_device_id="";if(typeof window.VWO._.cookies!=="undefined"){ga4_device_id=window.VWO._.cookies.get("_ga")||""}if(ga4_device_id){window.vwo_ga4_uuid=ga4_device_id.split(".").slice(-2).join(".")}},verifyData:function(data){if(typeof window.VWO._.cookies!=="undefined"){return window.VWO._.cookies.get("_ga")||""}else{return false}}})();
var pushBasedCommonWrapper=function(argument){var firedCamp={};if(!argument){argument={integrationName:"",getExperimentList:function(){},accountSettings:function(){},pushData:function(){}}}return function(){window.VWO=window.VWO||[];var sendDebugLogs=function(expId,variationId,errorType,user_type,data){try{var errorPayload={f:argument["integrationName"]||"",a:window._vwo_acc_id,url:window.location.href,exp:expId,v:variationId,vwo_uuid:window.VWO._&&window.VWO._.cookies&&window.VWO._.cookies.get("_vwo_uuid"),user_type:user_type};if(errorType=="initIntegrationCallback"){errorPayload["log_type"]="initIntegrationCallback";errorPayload["data"]=JSON.stringify(data||"")}else if(errorType=="timeout"){errorPayload["timeout"]=true}if(window.VWO._.customError){window.VWO._.customError({msg:"integration debug",url:window.location.href,lineno:"",colno:"",source:JSON.stringify(errorPayload)})}}catch(e){window.VWO._.customError&&window.VWO._.customError({msg:"integration debug failed",url:"",lineno:"",colno:"",source:""})}};const callbackFn=function(data){if(window._vwo_acc_id===958122||window._vwo_acc_id===900503||window._vwo_acc_id===735326){sendDebugLogs(0,0,"initIntegrationCallback","",data)}if(!data)return;var expId=data[1],variationId=data[2],repeated=data[0],singleCall=0,debug=0;var experimentList=argument.getExperimentList();var integrationName=argument["integrationName"]||"vwo";if(typeof argument.accountSettings==="function"){var accountSettings=argument.accountSettings();if(accountSettings){singleCall=accountSettings["singleCall"];debug=accountSettings["debug"]}}if(singleCall&&(repeated==="vS"||repeated==="vSS")||firedCamp[expId]){return}window.expList=window.expList||{};var expList=window.expList[integrationName]=window.expList[integrationName]||[];if(expId&&variationId&&["VISUAL_AB","VISUAL","SPLIT_URL"].indexOf(_vwo_exp[expId].type)>-1){if(experimentList.indexOf(+expId)!==-1){firedCamp[expId]=variationId;var pollInterval=100;var currentTime=0;var timeout=6e4;var user_type=_vwo_exp[expId].exec?"vwo-retry":"vwo-new";var interval=setInterval((function(){if(expList.indexOf(expId)!==-1){clearInterval(interval);return}currentTime=currentTime||performance.now();var toClearInterval=argument.pushData(expId,variationId);if(debug&&toClearInterval){sendDebugLogs(expId,variationId,"",user_type)}var isTimeout=performance.now()-currentTime>=timeout;if(isTimeout&&debug){sendDebugLogs(expId,variationId,"timeout",user_type)}if(toClearInterval||isTimeout){clearInterval(interval)}if(toClearInterval){window.expList[integrationName].push(expId)}}),pollInterval||100)}}};window.VWO.push(["onVariationApplied",callbackFn]);window.VWO.push(["onVariationShownSent",callbackFn])}};
var surveyDataCommonWrapper=function(argument){if(!argument){argument={getCampaignList:function(){return[]},surveyStatusChange:function(){},answerSubmitted:function(){}}}return function(){window.VWO=window.VWO||[];function getValuesFromAnswers(answers){var values=[];for(var i=0;i=timeout;if(toClearInterval||isTimeout){clearInterval(interval)}}),pollInterval)}}window.VWO.push(["onSurveyShown",function(data){commonSurveyCallback(data,argument.surveyStatusChange,"surveyShown")}]);window.VWO.push(["onSurveyCompleted",function(data){commonSurveyCallback(data,argument.surveyStatusChange,"surveyCompleted")}]);window.VWO.push(["onSurveyAnswerSubmitted",function(data){commonSurveyCallback(data,argument.answerSubmitted,"surveySubmitted")}])}};
(function(){var VWOOmniTemp={};window.VWOOmni=window.VWOOmni||{};for(var key in VWOOmniTemp)Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(VWOOmniTemp,key)&&(window.VWOOmni[key]=VWOOmniTemp[key]);window._vwoIntegrationsLoaded=1;pushBasedCommonWrapper({integrationName:"GA4",getExperimentList:function(){return [77,126]},accountSettings:function(){var accountIntegrationSettings={"manualSetup":true,"dataVariable":"dataLayer","setupVia":"gtm"};if(accountIntegrationSettings["debugType"]=="ga4"&&accountIntegrationSettings["debug"]){accountIntegrationSettings["debug"]=1}else{accountIntegrationSettings["debug"]=0}return accountIntegrationSettings},pushData:function(expId,variationId){var accountIntegrationSettings={"manualSetup":true,"dataVariable":"dataLayer","setupVia":"gtm"};var ga4Setup=accountIntegrationSettings["setupVia"]||"gtag";if(typeof window.gtag!=="undefined"&&ga4Setup=="gtag"){window.gtag("event","VWO",{vwo_campaign_name:window._vwo_exp[expId].name+":"+expId,vwo_variation_name:window._vwo_exp[expId].comb_n[variationId]+":"+variationId});window.gtag("event","experience_impression",{exp_variant_string:"VWO-"+expId+"-"+variationId});return true}return false}})();pushBasedCommonWrapper({integrationName:"GA4-GTM",getExperimentList:function(){return [77,126]},accountSettings:function(){var accountIntegrationSettings={"manualSetup":true,"dataVariable":"dataLayer","setupVia":"gtm"};if(accountIntegrationSettings["debugType"]=="gtm"&&accountIntegrationSettings["debug"]){accountIntegrationSettings["debug"]=1}else{accountIntegrationSettings["debug"]=0}return accountIntegrationSettings},pushData:function(expId,variationId){var accountIntegrationSettings={"manualSetup":true,"dataVariable":"dataLayer","setupVia":"gtm"};var ga4Setup=accountIntegrationSettings["setupVia"]||"gtm";var dataVariable=accountIntegrationSettings["dataVariable"]||"dataLayer";if(typeof window[dataVariable]!=="undefined"&&ga4Setup=="gtm"){window[dataVariable].push({event:"vwo-data-push-ga4",vwo_exp_variant_string:"VWO-"+expId+"-"+variationId});return true}return false}})();
;})();(function(){window.VWO=window.VWO||[];var pollInterval=100;var _vis_data={};var intervalObj={};var analyticsTimerObj={};var experimentListObj={};window.VWO.push(["onVariationApplied",function(data){if(!data){return}var expId=data[1],variationId=data[2];if(expId&&variationId&&["VISUAL_AB","VISUAL","SPLIT_URL"].indexOf(window._vwo_exp[expId].type)>-1){}}])})();;
;var vD=VWO.data||{};VWO.data={content:{"fns":{"list":{"args":{"1":{}},"vn":1}}},as:"r6.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com",dacdnUrl:"https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com",accountJSInfo:{"rp":30,"noSS":false,"ts":1737536356,"pvn":0,"url":{},"pc":{"t":0,"a":0}}};for(var k in vD){VWO.data[k]=vD[k]};;var gcpfb=function(a,loadFunc,status,err,success){function vwoErr() {_vwo_err({message:"Google_Cdn failing for " + a + ". Trying Fallback..",code:"cloudcdnerr",status:status});} if(a.indexOf("/cdn/")!==-1){loadFunc(a.replace("cdn/",""),err,success); vwoErr(); return true;} else if(a.indexOf("/dcdn/")!==-1&&a.indexOf("evad.js") !== -1){loadFunc(a.replace("dcdn/",""),err,success); vwoErr(); return true;}};window.VWO=window.VWO || [];window.VWO._= window.VWO._ || {};window.VWO._.gcpfb=gcpfb;;var d={cookie:document.cookie,URL:document.URL,referrer:document.referrer};var w={VWO:{_:{}},location:{href:window.location.href,search:window.location.search},_vwoCc:window._vwoCc};;window._vwo_cdn="https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/cdn/";window._vwo_apm_debug_cdn="https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/cdn/";window.VWO._.useCdn=true;window.vwo_eT="br";window._VWO=window._VWO||{};window._VWO.fSeg={};window._VWO.dcdnUrl="/dcdn/settings.js";window.VWO.sTs=1737466599;window._VWO._vis_nc_lib=window._vwo_cdn+"edrv/nc-58dcb7c9e020a9756b61f9cb6afd9523br.js";var loadWorker=function(url){_vwo_code.load(url,{dSC: true, onloadCb: function(xhr,a){window._vwo_wt_l=true;if(xhr.status===200 ||xhr.status===304){var code="var window="+JSON.stringify(w)+",document="+JSON.stringify(d)+";window.document=document;"+xhr.responseText;var blob=new Blob([code||"throw new Error('code not found!');"],{type:"application/javascript"}),url=URL.createObjectURL(blob);window.mainThread={webWorker:new Worker(url)};window.vwoChannelFW=new MessageChannel();window.vwoChannelToW=new MessageChannel();window.mainThread.webWorker.postMessage({vwoChannelToW:vwoChannelToW.port1,vwoChannelFW:vwoChannelFW.port2},[vwoChannelToW.port1, vwoChannelFW.port2]);if(!window._vwo_mt_f)return window._vwo_wt_f=true;_vwo_code.addScript({text:window._vwo_mt_f});delete window._vwo_mt_f}else{if(gcpfb(a,loadWorker,xhr.status)){return;}_vwo_code.finish("&e=loading_failure:"+a)}}, onerrorCb: function(a){if(gcpfb(a,loadWorker)){return;}window._vwo_wt_l=true;_vwo_code.finish("&e=loading_failure:"+a);}})};loadWorker("https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/cdn/edrv/worker-b0fc99ef95a362319d02f381a6c9cc12br.js");;var _vis_opt_file;var _vis_opt_lib;if(window.VWO._.allSettings.dataStore.previewExtraSettings!=undefined&&window.VWO._.allSettings.dataStore.previewExtraSettings.isSurveyPreviewMode){var surveyHash=window.VWO._.allSettings.dataStore.plugins.LIBINFO.SURVEY_DEBUG_EVENTS.HASH;var param1="evad.js?va=";var param2="&d=debugger_new";var param3="&sp=1&a=725969&sh="+surveyHash;_vis_opt_file=vwoCode.use_existing_jquery&&typeof vwoCode.use_existing_jquery()!=="undefined"?vwoCode.use_existing_jquery()?param1+"vanj"+param2:param1+"va_gq"+param2:param1+"edrv/va_gq-d5ca7264a991c1dca5af66ec8011f063br.js"+param2;_vis_opt_file=_vis_opt_file+param3;_vis_opt_lib="https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/dcdn/"+_vis_opt_file}else if(window.VWO._.allSettings.dataStore.mode!=undefined&&window.VWO._.allSettings.dataStore.mode=="PREVIEW"){ var path1 = 'edrv/pd_'; var path2 = window.VWO._.allSettings.dataStore.plugins.LIBINFO.EVAD.HASH + ".js"; ;_vis_opt_file=vwoCode.use_existing_jquery&&typeof vwoCode.use_existing_jquery()!=="undefined"?vwoCode.use_existing_jquery()?path1+"vanj"+path2:path1+"va_gq"+path2:path1+"edrv/va_gq-d5ca7264a991c1dca5af66ec8011f063br.js"+path2;_vis_opt_lib="https://dev.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/cdn/"+_vis_opt_file}else{_vis_opt_file=vwoCode.use_existing_jquery&&typeof vwoCode.use_existing_jquery()!=="undefined"?vwoCode.use_existing_jquery()?"edrv/vanj-9b8d9ac051d99d3f6ad1081a7667cd5fbr.js":"edrv/va_gq-d5ca7264a991c1dca5af66ec8011f063br.js":"edrv/va_gq-d5ca7264a991c1dca5af66ec8011f063br.js"}window._vwo_library_timer=setTimeout((function(){vwoCode.removeLoaderAndOverlay&&vwoCode.removeLoaderAndOverlay();vwoCode.finish()}),vwoCode.library_tolerance&&typeof vwoCode.library_tolerance()!=="undefined"?vwoCode.library_tolerance():2500),_vis_opt_lib=typeof _vis_opt_lib=="undefined"?window._vwo_cdn+_vis_opt_file:_vis_opt_lib;var loadLib=function(url){_vwo_code.load(url, {dSC: true, onloadCb:function(xhr,a){window._vwo_mt_l=true;if(xhr.status===200 || xhr.status===304){if(!window._vwo_wt_f)return window._vwo_mt_f=xhr.responseText;_vwo_code.addScript({text:xhr.responseText});delete window._vwo_wt_f;}else{if(gcpfb(a,loadLib,xhr.status)){return;}_vwo_code.finish("&e=loading_failure:"+a);}}, onerrorCb: function(a){if(gcpfb(a,loadLib)){return;}window._vwo_mt_l=true;_vwo_code.finish("&e=loading_failure:"+a);}})};loadLib(_vis_opt_lib);VWO.load_co=function(u,opts){return window._vwo_code.load(u,opts);};;;}}catch(e){_vwo_code.finish();_vwo_code.removeLoaderAndOverlay&&_vwo_code.removeLoaderAndOverlay();_vwo_err(e);window.VWO.caE=1}})();
Donate
Has FamilyLife given you and your family $25 worth of practical
resources and biblical insights this year? If so, can you take a
moment to donate to ensure that we're always here for you when your
family needs encouragement and support?
Close
Go Back to All Media and Entertainment Resources
My Favorite Christmas Music
December is the month when many of us listen to a small group of songs, over and over and over again. And we love it.
If you think about it, there are really not many well-known Christmas songs. I just looked through my music and developed a list of most-recorded holiday tunes; I ended up with 38 on my “religious” list and 33 on my “secular” list. Most singers or music groups recording Christmas CDs work primarily from this small body of music.
Out of curiosity, I just took a look at the music stored on my computer, and discovered I’ve got 10 different versions of “White Christmas.” Performers include Bing Crosby, Martina McBride, The Drifters, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Johnny Mathis, and The Beegie Adair Trio.
I was also surprised to find I have 20 different tracks of “Silent Night.” My list includes versions in piano, harp, jazz, orchestra, country instrumental, and bossa nova. I’ve got everything from Michael W. Smith to the Robert Shaw Chorale to the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble to Simon and Garfunkle. And I’ve got additional “Silent Night” versions that are not on my computer.
I suppose this should not surprise me. I’ve been collecting Christmas music my whole adult life. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas day I often listen to it for several hours a day—mostly as background music while I’m working. Accordingly, much of my Christmas music is instrumental—piano, orchestra, jazz, etc. (And in case you’re wondering, it’s playing right now as I’m typing these words.)
With so much variety in the holiday music available today, there’s something for seemingly every musical taste. Since my preferences are rather eclectic, I’m going to share a list of my favorite holiday CDs, with a special focus on music about Christ’s birth. As much as I enjoy the other holiday songs, my true favorites are those that reflect the true spirit of Christmas. This is the music that fills my mind as Christmas day approaches.
All these CDs are available in stores or online; perhaps you’ll find something new—or perhaps something old that will feel new.
Piano
1. A Traditional Christmas, by Brian Crain
2. Christmas Magic, by Jennifer Haines
3. Christmas, Plain & Simple, by Michele McLaughlin
Vocals
4. A Christmas Album and Home for Christmas, by Amy Grant.
5. Greatest Christmas Songs, by Julie Andrews
6. White Christmas, by Martina McBride
Orchestra
7. The Music of Christmas and Hallelujah! by the Percy Faith Orchestra.
8. The Glorious Sound of Christmas, by the Philadelphia Orchestra
Chorale groups
9. Christmas with the Academy, by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra and Chorus
10. The Little Drummer Boy, by the Harry Simeone Chorale
11. The Many Moods of Christmas, by the Robert Shaw Chorale
Miscellaneous instrumental
12. Christmas on the Mountain, by Craig Duncan (country instrumental).
13. Enchanted Christmas, by Anna Maria Mendieta (harp and orchestra).
14. A Festival of Carols in Brass, by the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble
15. A Music Box Christmas; 19th-century music boxes from the collection of Rita Ford
And finally, my favorite of all. This CD includes a few secular Christmas songs, but anyone who has watched the television special knows how the story ends …
16. A Charlie Brown Christmas, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
Copyright © 2012 by FamilyLife. All rights reserved.
ÃÃÂÂÃÃÃÃââ‚Â¬Ã…¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢ÃƒÆ’¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚ ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ÃƒÆ’ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢ÃƒÆ’ƒÆ’¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
ÃÃÂÂÃÃÃÃââ‚Â¬Ã…¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢ÃƒÆ’¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚ ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ÃƒÆ’ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢ÃƒÆ’ƒÆ’¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ