Hello Everyone, 

I was just thinking how it's already October & it just seemed like the summer flew by... Here in Houston, it still feels like summer with the exception that it's just a bit cooler (If you want to say 90 degree weather is cool). It'll start cooling off some down here later in the month. Houston, TX really has two falls instead of a "real winter" as a lot of you northerners know what a real winter is... We only wear a heavy coat for about 2 weeks a year. And it's very sporadic. One day, it can be in the 80's & the next be 30-40 degrees. This is usually around December or January though. It's about this time of year, October, that I start thinking about Christmas & thinking about arranging travel to visit family in Oklahoma & Michigan. Travelling can be very interesting when you're going across this big country of ours. And the many traditions that families have for holidays.

Everyone has different ways to celebrate the Christmas season from your friends, to co workers, to family members. Yes, even the retailers have their way of welcoming in the holidays. And they even have their own retail way of letting people know it's the holiday season. So, people will go in & spend their money at their store. However, a couple of years ago, I remember vividly that Wal-Mart & Target both decided to break tradition & use "Merry X Mas", "Seasons Greetings", & "Happy Holidays" in their sales circulars, T.V. ads, & displaying them all around their store. I'm sure there were others as well (Best Buy, I believe was one of the others). As a Christian, this totally ticked me off as I'm thinking "Why quit saying "Merry Christmas"? The holiday is about Christ's birth on earth & how it got started. Even some non-Christians would agree, that they'd be breaking holiday tradition. Well, from what I remembered a lot of Christians boycotted these stores. And Wal-Mart went back to using "Merry Christmas". I'm not sure about Target but I did see a sign that said "Merry Christmas" in my local Target store in the Houston area. Of course, I didn't hear one way or the other on the other stores.

Anyways, the idea of taking "Christ" out of Christmas really bothered me. It bothered me so much that I started writing a song about it called "Keep Christ In Christmas". I, then got the inspiration to bring in the secular/commerical size of the holidays into the song as well. How people get so involved with thinking it's about buying presents for their friends & family (& stressing out over it), and how the focus gets off of Jesus & his birth. God really brought this song into a direction that is a message for Christians & Non-Christians alike w/a similar style/feel compared to Sheryl Crow (expect with Christian lyrics). I liked the song so much that I decided to include it on my upcoming project, titled: "Just Sing", that I'm releasing the end of this month, first of November. Jeff Nelson, my producer did a great job with overseeing the arrangement/production of my song, "Keep Christ In Christmas". And I'm optimistic as well as hopeful, that this song will help people focus on the real reason for the season as we enter the upcoming holiday. And teach their kids the same... It's possible because nothing's impossible with God!
 

In Christ,

"Tawana"-Christian Artist/Songwriter
T.J. Albert Productions
www.Shoutlife.com/Tawana
www.Tawana.org
www.Indieheaven.com/artists/Tawana
www.Mychurch.org/Tawana
www.Hisholyspace.com/Tawana
www.Outboundmusic.com/Tawana