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Another Christmas rolls around--
The sights and sounds invade us
We should have learned to love by now,
But peace on earth evades us
War and destruction all around
And evil walks among us
Yet in the old beloved story
True love, new hope, and real peace can still be found
CHORUS:
Unto us a child was born,
Unto us a son was given
For God so loved the world He gave
The One He loved in Heaven
Let’s celebrate Emmanuel!
Let’s celebrate that God is with us!--
That HIs kingdom’s come to earth
& His Spirit lives within us.
We've made a mess of things so far
And dropped the ball He gave us
But when let Him rule our lives
His Spirit makes all the difference
We somehow do the impossible of loving those around us
He paves the way for peace on earth
Where grace, real hope, true love can now be found
CHORUS:
Unto us a child was born,
Unto us a son was given
For God so loved the world He gave
The One He loved in Heaven
Let’s celebrate Emmanuel!
Let’s celebrate that God is with us!--
That HIs kingdom’s come to earth
& His Spirit lives within us.
Bridge:
Oh, He gave and gave, and gave,
Now He waits and waits and waits
While we decide, decide, decide
To let Him in our life
CHORUS:
Unto us a child was born,
Unto us a son was given
For God so loved the world He gave
The One He loved in Heaven
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You made a world, and filled it full
of wonders that did stir the soul,
Of beauty long forgotten now,
for we turned our backs on You
Your plan was good right from the start
Although You knew the human heart
Would have to learn to love, be true--
To give itself to you
You’ve watched us through the centuries
Sent us help and heard our pleas;
You saved us from ourselves
more often than we care to see ...
And though it seemed our world was doomed,
That all you loved would be consumed
by evil thoughts of evil men,
You stepped in once again
CHORUS:
For God so loved the world He gave
His only son, to serve, to save
To show us how to live, and to find
Our way back home
To our Father’s side
He came in love, and came to serve
He brought what we did not deserve;
He stayed the course, stuck to the plan
And saw it to the end
And now He’s back with You on High
Yet lives in us at the same time
And one day near a bitter end
He’ll come to us again
CHORUS:
For God so loved the world He gave
His only son, to serve, to save
To show us how to live, and to find
Our way back home
To our Father’s side
BRIDGE:
You knew we would resist you
You knew that we would fall
You knew it all beforehand
But You had a plan to save us all
CHORUS:
For God so loved the world He gave
His only son, to serve, to save
To show us how to live, and to find
Our way back home
To our Father’s side
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Gazing out my window on a wondrous winter’s night
At a star that shone so brightly and the beauty of the sight,
I heard shepherds tell of angels who had appeared and shown the way
To a manger here in Bethlehem;
They proclaimed to all this holy day that ...
CHORUS:
There is born a Child, there will rise a Son,
There is born a Savior for the Lord’s children.
There is born a Child, there will rise a Son,
There is born a Savior for the Lord’s children.
I followed with the shepherds to a lonely manger place,
And there I saw the Child with light upon His face.
His mother Mary held Him, and pondered in her heart
All the wonders that had happened
Right from the very start, and now ...
[repeat CHORUS]
BRIDGE:
There is no royal palace, no velvet for the King,
But His coming is proclaimed by all
The angels as they sing, they sing!
CHORUS:
There is born a Child, there will rise a Son,
There is born a Savior for the Lord’s children.
There is born a Child, there will rise a Son,
There is born a Savior for the Lord’s children.
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Now, why He came into our world just when He did, I’m not quite sure
I guess He knew that any time He’d find us quite the same
Our lowly state, so sad to see, oppression, hate, and poverty
With sickness, hunger all around and only us to blame
Yet He could look on us with love, bring us hope, and tell us of
A better world He and His Father had planned for us one day
To our confusion and distress, He entered in and put to rest
One troubled heart after another He found along the road He trod each day
CHORUS:
Peace on earth and peace within
Is ours forever if and when
We make a space and let Him in
The only hope to end our many wars—without, within—
All starts with Him
He calmed the storm and troubled sea, and did the very same for me
The day He came into my world and set me on my feet
The words He said the day we met I’ll never doubt, much less forget
My fearful heart was set at ease the day He said to me:
“Now I am yours and you are mine, and this beyond the end of time
Will never change, and never end, ‘cause I’ll be there for you
When things are hard and times get tough, the grace I give will be enough
I’ll lead you out and bring you through
‘Cause I lived and died, and live again for you
CHORUS:
Peace on earth and peace within
Is ours forever if and when
We make a space and let Him in
The only hope to end our many wars—without, within—
All starts with Him
CHORUS:
Peace on earth and peace within
Is ours forever if and when
We make the choice to let Him in
The only hope to end our many wars—without, within—
All starts with Him
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5. |
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A little child, so small and weak
So similar to you and me
We know His story, how it went
His life amongst the poor
His growing up in troubled lands
Confronting all the worst in man
Yet never ceasing to believe
His Father’s love was more ...
More than able to relieve
The suffering He’d daily see
And as He grew from child to man
He watched and took it in
Then following His father’s voice
He made a good but deadly choice
That led Him on to Calvary
To save humanity
CHORUS:
Easter is the reason we have Christmas
We all love to see Jesus as a babe
But we can’t forget He came to suffer violence
To give His life, then rise on Easter Day
We love the angels, shepherds, star and wise men
But let’s remember how that came to be
You see, Easter is the reason we have Christmas
Someone was born to die for you and me.
So at Christmas time we celebrate
The One who came to liberate
The day when God became a man
To execute His plan
The plan to save our troubled race
So on a cross He took our place
It all began in Bethlehem
When God became a man
CHORUS:
Easter is the reason we have Christmas
We all love to see Jesus as a babe
But we can’t forget He came to suffer violence
To give His life, then rise on Easter Day
We love the angels, shepherds, star and wise men
But let’s remember how that came to be
You see, Easter is the reason we have Christmas
Someone was born to die for you and me.
Easter is the reason we have Christmas
Jesus came to die for you and me.
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Thinking back on the years we've been sharing,
How our love was once tender and caring.
Darling, I felt then such warmth in my heart;
Could it be that in growing, we just grew apart?
CHORUS 1
Tell me, what will you give me for Christmas?
I know what I'm needing today.
Of things I have plenty, you gave me so many.
Please give me love this Christmas day.
Sweetheart, the gift I desire
Is love that the years can never turn old.
It's just not for sale in department store windows,
A gift that's so priceless could never be sold.
CHORUS 2
Tell me, what will you give me for Christmas?
I know what I'm needing today.
Of things I have plenty, but they leave me empty.
Give me your love this Christmas day.
Now I know how Christ feels at Christmas.
Where is the love that He wants on that day?
We give gifts and feast while He is forgotten,
But if we would listen, we might hear Him say:
CHORUS 3
"Tell me, what will you give Me for Christmas?
I know what I'm needing today.
Good deeds you've done often,
But Me you've forgotten.
Please give your love this Christmas day."
CHORUS 4
Jesus, what can I give You for Christmas?
Oh, what could You need anyway?
Good deeds I've done often,
But You I've forgotten.
I'll give You my love this Christmas day.
CHORUS 5:
Jesus, what can I give you for Christmas?
I know what You're needing today.
Good deeds I've done often,
But You I've forgotten.
Please take my love this Christmas day.
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Who would believe such a story? [“Who hath believed our report?”]
Who could receive it as true?
If I hadn’t heard it through most my lifetime
I’m not sure I’d believe it—would you?
This is the stuff myths are made of
The gods coming down to the earth
Though this one’s unique to the last little detail
Beginning with His special birth
CHORUS:
God in the hands of Man
Who could imagine the things He had planned
This baby, this manger, I don’t understand:
God in the hands of Man
The first pair of hands that received Him
were probably Joseph’s I’d say
Then gently he passed him to sweet mother
Who cradled and fed him that day
They’d carry him til he was able
to stand and then walk on his own.
Those same loving hands would embrace and protect him
Til it was his time to leave home
CHORUS:
God in the hands of man
Working the wonders that none other can
Nothing so awesome, so glorious or grande
As God in the hands of man
Person by person he changed us
Healing us, raising our dead
Feeding the hungry and lifting the lowly
We hung on each word that He said
He taught us of His Father’s kingdom
And showed us it’s power day by day
Wherever He went He brought comfort and healing
In all that He’d do or would say
CHORUS:
God in the hands of Man
Spreading His love throughout Israel’s land
Touching and healing and feeding His lambs,
God in the hands of Man
Betrayed by his friends and forsaken
Led to stand trial all alone
Smitten by priests and by soldiers who mocked him
Then beaten and whipped to the bone
Sentenced to die on a mountain
not far from where He used to pray
It sure seemed a mistake, or poor planning, bad luck
He fell into the wrong hands that day
CHORUS:
God in the hands of Man
subject to tortures that no one could stand
But none could dismantle the good He began
as God in the hands of Man
Bridge
And what did he leave us from those special days
His message, His spirit, His power to save
The touch of the Master is now in our hands
His power is at our command
CHORUS:
God in the Hands of Man
We’re now to go forth and do all that we can
Teaching and preaching throughout all the lands
God in the hands of man
Touching and healing and feeding His lambs
God in the hands of man
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8. |
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Lord, I pray with all my heart—
And I know you always hear—
That the lost and lonely everywhere
Tonight will feel you near
May the light and warmth You are
Chase the dark and chill away1
That You’ll light a candle in each heart
And make Your presence known, I pray
Lord, I come to you in prayer
‘Cuz I know you want this, too:
May the love each heart is searching for
Lead invariably to You
And may all who hurt today
Find the comfort that they need
May the joy well up around the world
As Your Kingship is decreed
BRIDGE 1:
Let Your Christmas presence burn so bright
As Your love songs will fill the air
That the praise of men and angels might be
Echoed everywhere
May the story of your love
And the gifts you freely gave
Fill the heart and mind of all Mankind
In this season that bears Your name
BRIDGE 2:
May you bring your promised peace on earth,
And give us patience ‘till that time
May your truth ring throughout the universe,
And in our troubled hearts and minds
May your presence fill our world
As the waters fill the seas
May your kingdom come on earth at last
As in Heaven if you please
And may the story of your love
And the gifts you freely gave
Fill the hearts and minds of all Mankind
In this season that bears Your name
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A different sort of Christmas album ❤️
--also available on other platforms:
distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jerrypaladino/what-can-i-give-you-for-christmas [Spotify, iTunes, etc]
DISCLAIMER
This is not a typical Christmas album full of carols, ideal for enjoying in the background during a hearty Christmas meal. Now, I love carols, hymns and all and joyful music written over the centuries that make up our Christmas festivities--it’s just that this album is not that exactly.—All the traditional Christmas classics do that to some degree: they dig deep into the what/why/who/when/where of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection, and in that sense this collection of songs is no different, and certainly not better. It’s really just my contribution to the beautiful assortment of themes and melodies already written, which have enriched our understanding of just what this event means for us as individuals and as a race, as well as its implications for the creation and the whole universe.
Ideally, I hope that sometime in this wonderful season you’ll set aside 35 minutes in a quiet place (accompanied with a warm drink of your choice perhaps), put on some headphones, and join me in a time of personal reflection on exactly what the goal of Christmas really was, what God had in mind and was hoping to accomplish by Jesus coming down here. I guess I’m inviting you to a sort of theological journey in song through this story we know so well and maybe sometimes take for granted. I believe you’ll be rewarded by investing that time.
I pray these songs are of some inspiration to you during this amazing season. I hope to be in your houses and hearts this Christmas and future Christmas by way of this album!! May God bless 🙏❤️
Jerry P
released November 27, 2021
2 of my personal favorites which actually became 'hits' in their own right were much improved by friends who took the 'kernel' of the original songs I had written and transformed them into the moving and memorable classics they are today, for which I will be eternally grateful..
