PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

There is perhaps no better way to answer the question illustrated by the headline on this blog post than to repeat lines from some of the great Christmas carols that we sing – or, in my case, try to sing – every year. And they never get old.

JOY TO THE WORLD

Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heard prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing.

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold him, born the king of angels. O come let us adore him. O come let us adore him. O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT

Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING

Hark, the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise. Join the triumph of the skies. With the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king.

And, trust me as a person who cannot carry a tune in a wheelbarrow, if you want to have a stirring experience this Christmas, listen to The Messiah by Frederic Handel. Don’t forget to honor the protocol to stand for the anthem, one of the most beautiful in all the world. But, if you are driving, obviously, just pretend to stand and I say that because I have The Messiah available in my car.

At this Christmas season, my wife and I love the family traditions we have established over the years, most of which fall to her (Nancy’s) credit.  One of them is to make sure we remember the real reason for the season, which is to honor the birth of Christ who came to the world to save us.

May the words of the Christmas songs above ring true for you this year!