"The Elephant Diet" Day # 9

It's Sunday again.  My sabbath of the week.

Since my 'day job' is at a church, that doesn't make for much of a sabbath.  In fact, we had a quiz this morning in our class about the Christmas story.  I failed it.  As we discussed the answers, I realized how much of what I think about the Christmas story has been handed down to me through the carols we sing every year.

For example:
1) we don't know that there were 3 kings, only that there were 3 gifts

there goes the song 'We Three Kings'

2) we don't know for sure that the angels sang

so what about 'Hark The Herald Angels Sing?'

3) we don't have record of any animals in the story

so what about 'the cattle are lowing' and 'why lies He in such low estate where ox and lamb are feeding?'

.....and does it really matter that we don't know for sure?

What does this have to do with my songs for my CD?  Everything!

We teach things to each other by the songs that we sing.  Details, emotions, nuances.......so I began thinking about the lyrics to my own songs.  What am I teaching others by what I write?

One of the lines in one of my songs says 'now she's speaking to a gathered crowd' - referring to the woman in the scriptures who had fasted and prayed most of her life for the Messiah to come.  It doesn't really say there was a crowd gathered.  I just picture it that way.

Do I research and make sure I have all the facts straight?

I'm not supposed to work on the CD on my sabbath (I made that boundary for myself) but that's like asking a mom to disengage from being a mom one day a week.  Even if she doesn't do any mom related activities, it's in her soul to let her mind wander toward her beloved children.

I'm no different.....my songs are me.  They are a part of my fabric.