Thursday, December 31, 2020

21)Во Всем Этом Ты Со Мной By Karen Karagyan


 
Карен Карагян--пастор прославленния и лидер группы Слово жизнь Мusic.  Любит бога.  
 
Можно найти их музыка на Ютубе и везде.  Песня здесь.
 
Karen Karagyan is a worship pastor and leader of the group "Слово Жизнь Music."  He loves God.  You can hear more of their music on Youtube or wherever music is sold/streamed. 
  
 
English Translation of the Lyrics:

A time to be born
A time to die
A time to plant
A time to harvest
A time to build
A time to destroy
 
In all of this You
Are with me
 
A time to cry
A time to laugh
A time to embrace
A time to let go
A time to seek
And a time to lose
 
In all of this You
Are with me
 
Peace, Your peace
Forever and always
Here in my heart
Peace, Your peace
In all my desire
Worry and fear
 
//In all of this You
Are with me//
 
And when I fell
And when I rose up
When I grew weary
And confessed
I have no strength
To keep on going
You're with me
You're with me

And when the race run
Didn't go my way
When for the hundredth time
I became prideful
When I turned away
From all instruction

//You're with me//
 
And even there 
Back in the womb
With all Your love You
Wove me together
And in the face of
The end of days, God
 
//You're with me//
 
////In all of this You
Are with me////
 

 





Wednesday, December 30, 2020

20)Two Short Songs on Piano by Maria Abramova

 


Maria Abramova likes music, reading, drawing, sports, martial arts and dancing.  She is from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 


Tuesday, December 29, 2020

19)Silent Night by Rano Asanbekova and Baktiyar Doranov

 


Rano Asanbekova is a concert violinist in the President's Orchestra in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  She loves music, films, crying, and food.  Check out more of her violin-playing on Youtube.  

Baktiyar Doranov is a student and plays in the orchestra in Bishkek.  He enjoys music and photography. 

Monday, December 28, 2020

18)Snow had Fallen by Sowjanya Bora

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

The cold and frosty winter's mornings when the grass shrinks beneath the feet,

The meadows are dusted with winter's cold makeup white,

Icicles form to look just like the teeth of some long since past prehistoric beast.

Winter's grip in some places on this our Earth holds on,

we hope never ever to cease.

The winter sun is low in the sky and its weak rays have little warmth, 

Still that Warmth conveys somewhere,

there always will be a ray of hope.

Snug in their winter's long sleep;

The world outside of which they knew now blanketed cold and white.

Eventually when the night draws in and there are no clouds and the sky is clear,

and the only light is from the moon, its silvery glow throughout the heavens appear.

Our little room of summer is now filled,

With love, warmth, hope and winter snow.

 

 

***** 

Sowjanya Bora is a medical student at the Osh State International Medical Faculty.   She says: "From childhood I have been very much into literature..I`m someone who is constantly trying to understand my place in the world and literature is the best way that I have found in order to see myself. I look at the mountains and the fields and the city and I say “Oh My God,” what a blessing."

Sunday, December 27, 2020

17)A Gift for My King by Ishael Kayra Mattix

 


Kayra says "I am merely an instrument being played by the Greatest Artist of all time - Jesus. I love Him and I love what music does to a hungry and longing soul. My music can be found on my YouTube Channel - Ishael Mattix.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

16)Festive Portraits by Maxim Nogai

 









Maxim Nogai is a professional photographer based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  He likes ramen, karaoke, food, and gaming. Check out more of his work on Instagram @nogai_maxim


Friday, December 25, 2020

15)Иммануил by James Metelak

 Lyrics:  

Иммануил, Бог Здесь

 

Не в храмах

Не в дворцах

Не в шуме

Не в горах

Не на тренде

Не в традиции

Не в яслях

Не в облаках


Иммануил, Бог Здесь


Я думал что ты далеко

Я думал ты—для другого

Я думал что ты невидимый

Я думал что тебе нужно искать


Иммануил, Бог Здесь


В пробках и вопросах

Среды моих сомнений

Когда всё не ясно

В тупике

Когда все потерянно

Когда надежды нет

Каждый будный день

С рассвета до заката

С заката до рассвета


Иммануил, Бог Здесь


Среды больных

Среды слабых

В победе

И в потере


Иммануил,

Ты Здесь

 

English Translation:  

Immanuel,

You’re here


Not in cathedrals

Not in palaces

Not in the noise

Not in the mountains

Not trending

Not in traditions

Not in the manger

Not in the clouds


Immanuel

You’re here


I thought you were far away

I thought you were for someone else

I thought you were invisible

I thought that I had to seek you


Immanuel

You’re here


In traffic jams and questions

In the middle of my doubts

When everything’s unclear

In dead end roads

When all is lost

When there’s no hope

Every day

From sunrise to sunset

From sunset to sunrise


Immanuel

You’re here


Amidst the sick

Among the weak

In victory

And loss


Immanuel

You’re here



James Metelak is a poet, photographer, and singer-songwriter based in Kyrgyzstan, and the editor/curator of the Headpiece Blog.  Check out more of his work at http://sandpiperparade.weebly.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)Has a Name by Karolina Mint

Karolina Mint is a singer-songwriter from Lithuania. She likes nature, poetry, books, ideas, and creating things. For more of her music follow her on Facebook or listen on Soundcloud



Thursday, December 24, 2020

13)A Magical Christmas by Jamie Musselman

 Jamie says, "Even the unlikeliest of friends can make Christmas magical!"

Jamie Musselman is a painter and illustrator based in Indiana who loves plants and dogs.  Check out more of her work on Instagram @thebashfulbadger. 

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

11)A Finnish Carol and an Anthem for Hope by Miika Johannes



Miika says:  "The Christmas song Tulkoon joulu means "Let Christmas come."  This is a popular christmas song in Finland.  It goes back like to the time when Jesus was born and the real message of Christmas. Pekka Simojoki, a famous Finnish Gospel artist,  made this song, and it's popular throughout Finland.
 
 
 
 

Miika says:  This song is "Viimeiseen asti". It means "to hold on to the end". it is an encouragement to be rectitude and stand upright in the midst of these difficult times. H.O.P.E=Hold On Pain Ends.
 
Lyrics:  
 
Verse 1: Everyone fights, they're got their own wars. 
Each day a new page to this story.
The earth spins, the machines roar.
At times i just want to press pause.
Everyone rushes around,
Seeking truth,
But they twist it instead of seeing.
This road is not easy,
Feels like it may swallow me.
Let’s say the words that come in mind,
Let ourselves go.
It is said, we are fighting together, 
I do not want to be in an army where that shoots their own. 
I don’t wanna hurt you with what I'm gonna say, 
but your opinions are hard to swallow.
My mask is not enough for you, so I will tell you what comes from deep inside my heart

Chorus. Here I stand until the last, 
even if the storm rages around. 
Knees with blood beaten to the ground, 
hold on pain ends. 
 
Verse2: 
Beat my head against the wall,
I will continue even though I face these trials.
It doesn’t stress me, I'll just keep on living 
If sometimes knocks me down, I'll get up again. 
Problems are increasing, the pace is increasing, 
We seek comfort in all the wrong places. 
Blind, without limits, we wear ourselves and blame god. 
There have been moments, where I've had to choose, 
To swim against the current.
I am what i am and this is my life, 
Don't mind me if I don't live it like you do. 
No one is alone,
Thank you that you live it with me. 
The journey is in the middle but lets do it together.
If there are obstacles, they will be overcome.
 
 C verse: Hard to take a Step, 
I was not spared the pain, 
I still am not going to stay on the sidelines. 
I will cling to you even though 
There will be mountains I must climb 
That I did not see when I set out on this road. 
I see a army defending love, 
I see a army that clings to hope. 
Ready to give all, 
Standing up straight.
On the side of victory. 

****
Miika Johannes/Miika Sirveno is a youth leader and rock/rap singer-songwriter from Finland.  He likes field hockey, crazy games, and is very passionate about music.  You can listen to more of his work on Youtube or Spotify, or follow him on Instagram.  


Monday, December 21, 2020

10)12 Days of Christmas by Carli Lewis


This Christmas card is based on the idea of the 12 days between the Protestant and Catholic Christmas on December 25th and Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. 

 

 

Carli Lewis is an artist, designer, and musician from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, currently based in Kiev, Ukraine.

Sunday, December 20, 2020

9)Battling Dragons by Joanna Adakai

A woman

Clothed in light

Screams out

In the agony of birth.


A red dragon appears

Violent and vicious

Standing ready to consume.


She gives birth 

To a boy

To the Prince of Peace

To a man

To a  fierce ruler of all nations


The dragon breathes flames,

Stands ready to devour

Our Forgiveness

Our Peace

Our Healing

Our Help

Our Hope.


O Lord

Let it not be!

This dragon will destroy

Our Everything!


The Prince of Peace,

The baby,

The man,

Has an army of angels.

 

They fight

The dragon and his minions,

Evicting them from Zion

Hurling the serpent and his friends

Straight to Earth

The kingdom is saved

Praise God!


The dragon:

He comes for us,

The baby’s army.


He comes 

To kill and destroy 

Those giving birth 

To hope

To peace

To truth 

To love

 

 

 *****

Joanna Adakai is a Math teacher in Page, Arizona who enjoys writing, photography, and hiking with her husband and dogs in their spare time.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

8) Christmas Concert by the Omnibuskers



Click here for the complete concert playlist...

The Omnibuskers is a Lancaster, PA-based band.  They cover songs from  traditional Irish ballads to The Milk Carton Kids and play original songs written by band leader Katie Joy Nellis.

The Omnibuskers is made up of members Hope Lazarony (cajon), Mitchell Steffy (vocals, guitar, and banjo), Monica Steffy (vocals), Leanne Lefever (vocals), and Katie Joy Nellis (vocals and tambourine).

You can experience more of Katie Joy's music on Bandcamp and her painting on her website or Instagram


Friday, December 18, 2020

7)Mild He Lays His Glory By by Stephen Carradini

A Rumination on Philippians 2

 

The son of God, by all rights God as God,

Gave up his right to perfect unity.

Our Christ divine became a man roughshod,

lived social distanced from community,

 

Experienced the sharp immortal break:

Disharmony with God. Immanuel

Felt longing that no earthly soul can make;

The loneliness of earth he knows most well.

 

In this year of distance, grief, and shadow,

The darkest year of life I've ever seen,

Jesus whispers: "Know ye loss and sorrow?

I am with you, in places I have been."

 

Born that we no more may die of illness,

Sore of heart was He while He was with us.

 

 

 

*****

Stephen Carradini writes poetry, music, music reviews, podcasts, and scholarship. 

Thursday, December 17, 2020

6)Geç Kalma Gel İmmanuel by Sara Yıldız

 


Sara Yıldız is a second-year student, violinist, and singer from Van, Turkey.  She likes listening to music and volunteering.  You can find more of her music on Youtube

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

5)Tidings by James Metelak

I’m starting to, believe the ocean’s much like you...


Comfort

Warmth

The deep inhales and exhales

The floodwaters rise and they recede

The planets align for a moment but again

Go their separate ways

The world is on fire, but then the desert blooms

And the Sequoias seed

The hurricanes come

And eventually someone comes to tow away the barge

On your lawn.

Diseases plague us

And then fade into the background


This too shall pass.


There is no cocoon or womb to hold us,

We like lighthouses against the storm,

Are battered, bruised, afraid, and frustrated

The news, bringing tidings of divisions and war

Rage, separations, and lockdown orders.

You too shall pass

And you hope it’s not the cough come to get you

But you feel the sting, why weren’t the others so lucky?

Emmanuel rings a little hollow

When you’re alone for five weeks

And you still can’t breathe normally;

Virtual realities become normalities and

And I miss hugs.

 

Saturn and Jupiter dance in the sky

But all our dancehalls are closed.

We brush up against so many

Who are feeling under the weather--

But when it rains, you can grab an umbrella

Or dance in it,

And when it snows you can build castles

Or cuddle up indoors.

Each year the hurricanes come,

And the important part is not how strong they are

But how we weather them

How we respond.

When the wave comes, you can duck under, jump over, 

Try to ride it or let it give you a twirl, but you

Can’t stop the waves from coming.


So if you find yourself isolated.

Alone.

Stressed.

Hurting.

Sure, reach out, fix what you can.

But take this time as an invitation…

And invitation to slow down, mourn, rest.

And invitation to write, to paint, to sing.

To write letters to the ones you’ve lost touch with.

To work on  those projects you’ve been thinking of doing.  

Or not.

Or find a front line and start fighting for people in need.

And to those of you who are fighting…

It’s okay.
It’s going to be okay.

This storm will pass.

A new year is coming,

And whether it is better or worse...

Is a decision that's yours to make.


The year is 2020,

And I have seen

Such sunrises and sunsets,

Love bursting through the seams, weddings whose joy

Could not be robbed by mask orders or social distancing

Or even being capped at 16.

I have seen people around the globe

Reaching out to those left without work and hungry

I have seen teachers whose love for their students shines through

The sometimes farce of online teaching

And doctors and nurses giving their lives,

Risking their lives

To try and save a few.

I have seen communities and friends who in love

Gather around each other

And others who in love maintain their distance.

We are navigating uncharted waters, I mean,

Theoretically, every flu season,

Our cough could kill someone,

But we as a species are wrestling with huge responsibility

And our responses are many, and varied

And we mostly try to do our best, and

Try to maintain our humanity.

 

It’s Christmas, and

If there’s a God,

I believe He is with us.

Laughing and crying with us.

In this.

In all of it.

I wish the religious folks got that because if they did

They wouldn’t need politicians to validate them

Nor would they feel threatened by those who don’t

See them.

The manger story is a story of a human race

Loved.

Seen.

Embraced in its entirety

“The hungry He has filled with good things.”

His favour rests on humanity

And His word is peace.

 

Believe me, I hear you

I see the Hondurans on their rooftops,

And the Armenians and Azerbaijanis at each other’s throats

I see the Uighurs and the Belarusians imprisoned and the racism

And the rapists acquitted and

The callousness and corruption of those in power.

I hear the conspiracy theories.

But there is still 

So

Much

Joy.

 

Feel free to re-celebrate Thanksgiving,

To go back and count your blessings.

Yes beloved, you have lost

And you are going to lose everything.

Every peak and valley eventually flatlines

Into the sea.

But it’s a wonderful life

And the views from those peaks!

And oh, the things we find in those valleys!

You can count it all as loss or try to analyze

The ups and downs and see which one comes out on top

But I think that misses the point of breathing.


So put up your lights.

Sing out loud.

Dance, even if it’s in your living room by yourself.

Play games.

Give thanks.

Write letters.

Make cookies.

Celebrate.

Taste and see.

Life is today.

Joy is today.

And joy is here. 

 

 

 

*****
James Metelak is a poet, activist, singer-songwriter, and photographer based in Central Asia.  His 2 books of poetry are available on Amazon Kindle, his music is available on Bandcamp, and his photography is on Instagram

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

4)O Little Town of Bethlehem (Blinded By Your Grace) By King's Anthem

 

 
 
 
King's Anthem is a Plymouth, England based group focused on training and coaching local worship teams.  Due to COVID, they've been involved in a number of online events this year, including this collaboration with a network of local churches.  Listen to their 2020 album "Wild Ones" on Spotify.

Monday, December 14, 2020

3)"Exotic Gifts from Afar" by Audrey and Stephen Gragert

 

 

Audrey Gragert is a Studio Art graduate of CSU Chico (California).  She is currently a homemaker and mother living in North Dakota!  Check out her portfolio at Deviantart: http://10time.deviantart.com/gallery

Sunday, December 13, 2020

2)Silver Bells: Tracy Nitschke and Krista Kahsen


Silver Bells was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

Tracy Nitschke is a singer-songerwriter and producer currently based in a converted van in California.  Hailing from Billings, Montana, she has worked in video game design and likes to share her experiences through her music, which is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
 

Krista Kahsen is a missionary, musician, and photographer.  She likes traveling, volunteering, hiking, and learning new languages.  Originally from Michigan, she is currently works with local organizations in Thailand.  Check out her photography on Instagram @kristakahsen


Saturday, December 12, 2020

1)Winter Photography by Ramona Parkkonen

 






Ramona Parkkonen is a semi-pro photographer from Southern Finland. She loves animals, nature, travelling and taking pictures of animals and nature while travelling. Check out more of her work on Instagram @ramonaparkkonen or at her website:  www.ramonan.kuvat.fi.  These pictures were taken in Finland and Iceland.