These Are Some of Their Favorite Things (2006) - Articles

These Are Some of Their Favorite Things

The Christmas season holds special promise for an abundance of reasons. That's the case for us, for you, and for Gospel artists too. Dozens of artists this year have let GOSPELflava.com in on what they find especially wonderful about Christmas. Check it out below. These are Some Of Their Favorite Things....

Darien Dennis

Saturated fats
"The ITIS" (falling asleep after we eat)
Appreciation for the family
The love for our fellow man
A time to reflect and give thanks

Phillip Bryant

Christmas concerts
Being close with family
The traditional family dinner
The winter weather
Giving and receiving gifts

Nakitta Clegg (of the Kurt Carr Singers)

I love Christmas music
Being with family
Seeing the expressions on people's faces when they open their gifts
Decorations
I love having a legit excuse to shop!!!!!

John Tillery

Christmas is such a joyful time for our family. Every year we look forward to spending time with family and enjoying the holiday. Some of our folks, we don't get a chance to see them but once a year. Sharing life experiences with each other and encouraging one another through our testimonies of God's goodness is a highlight of Christmas. My wife, Katina and I love to give gifts. We bring a big bag full of gifts for everyone, even extra's just in case. And don't forget about the food. My family throws down for Christmas with everything you can imagine. And when the day is over, we go on knowing that, one day together as a family, loving and celebrating the birth of our Savior is one of the highlights of our year.

PJ Morton

MUSIC!!! Christmas carols are some of the greatest written songs EVER. That's why they stick around.
Family.. always brings us together. We have mini concerts at the crib. Tickets not available! LOL!
Oddly enough, the smell. I love the smell of Christmas trees
Attitudes. People's attitudes tend to be a little better during that Christmas season, but come December 26th... MAYBE Jan 2nd, it's over!
Giving. It gives an opportunity to share some extra love, which is always cool.

Craig Crawford

The spirit of giving.
The fun of receiving.
The joy of making someone happy.
The birth story of Christ coming to us.
Not receiving socks from my Aunt.

Oscar Williams

Remembering that more (mas) of Christ is what this whole world needs.
Playing for the various Baptist Christmas cantatas in town (at least 7 and wondering why they don’t combine them all —how many ways can you portray the birth of baby Jesus, it only happened one way!)
Watching the only black Christmas movie ever made, The Preacher's Wife
Smiling at gifts you have no idea what you will use for
Waking up a the crack of dawn to go to sunrise Christmas service... I DID NOT KNOW JESUS WAS BORN AT 4 AM!!

Lucinda Moore

Standing in long lines early in the morning after Thanksgiving to catch the Wal-Mart electronic Christmas sale.
Going shopping for clothes for my children and shoe shopping for myself in New York City. Oh, did I say "shoe shopping"????
Preparing a big soul food dinner the morning before Christmas for my family and friends.
Waking up at 4 AM just to see my children open gifts and watching the expressions on their faces.
Listening to my 12-year-old following us on the piano while singing Christmas carols really churchy, like we were singing for a church revival.

Tramaine Hawkins

Christmas has always meant putting others first just as Christ put us first! We do things a little different for Christmas. We will be celebrating Jesus Christ with a brunch prepared for family and friends, followed by a play or movie.

Moise "Mama" Burks

A time of renewing a love relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Experiencing through the Holy Spirit Gabriel's heavenly announcement to Mary, Jesus' earthly mother.
Visualizing the heavenly host proclaiming 'Holy, Holy, Holy" at Christ's birth.
Lights blinking, bells chiming, the twinkling of the star in the East which guided the wiseman.
Reminiscing the joy and laughter of our children awaiting the fulfillment of their Christmas list of gifts, but the greatest Gift to us all is our Lord and Savior Jesus! Jesus the Holy one.

Izzy

How the attitude of the world seems to change... even if only for two months. People show more love and care and share in the spirit of the season.
Focusing on family and teaching the kids the power of the family testimony and legacy —in my family we focus more on family than gifts, so we basically have two thanksgiving periods!
I enjoy church plays and concerts, the one time of year when most of us church folks get along.
I appreciate how our communities care for the homeless and the less fortunate.
I like how the holiday makes the world feel: happy, caring, loving and grateful to be alive.

The Anointed Pace Sisters

"Christmas With The Paces" —Concert on Christmas night
Mother Pace's Christmas cakes
Christmas movies (Miracle on 34th St., It's A Wonderful Life)
Handmade gum drop Christmas tree
"The Christmas Song" by Nat "King" Cole.

Dottie Peoples

Giving to others
Being with family
Time of year to reflect back on how good GOD has been
Christmas dinner as Mommas (ham, chitterlings, collard greens, corn bread, sweet potato pie, etc.)
You already know I love shopping

Myron Butler

Spending time with my family, teaching my children the real meaning of Christmas.
I love the music of Christmas —it's timeless.
I love and enjoy helping others who are in need.
I enjoy the smile on my children's face when Christmas morning finally comes

Coko

Spending time with my family. That’s a good time. It’s one day that I know that my husband’s not on the road.
I love watching my kids getting up in the morning and enjoying themselves.
It’s good going to church on Christmas morning. I really love my church family.
I love all of the decorations. It just makes me feel good.
Even if I don’t get anything, just giving to someone else makes me feel good. It’s not about receiving to me. I love to make someone else happy. That does it for me.

Luther Barnes

I simply love well-decorated Christmas trees and multi-colored lights.
Oh how I love Christmas music. They are the best. Oh, the carols. Ahh...
I love the over-all Christmas spirit and the fact that it gererally makes people nicer and closer.
I love the fact that the Christmas holidays provide me a little downtime from a year of hard work and travels.
Christmas is a time for giving, and to me that is absolutely wonderful.

Bonus: Christmas is for children, so that includes me. Yes, I am still a child at heart!

Pettidee

Sweet potato pie
Seeing my Mama & family
Christmas lights
Singing happy Birthday to Jesus
Playing with my kids toys

Martha Munizzi

I love stringing the lights and the smell of the tree and watching my kids decorate with the ornaments they've made over the years.
I love watching my kids agonize over wrapped presents under the tree wishing they had X-ray vision and could see if they had gotten what they asked for.
I love that living in Florida means you never know how cold it's going to be. One year it got down to 15 degrees and we lost power for 24 hours and had to cook our food in the fireplace. The next year it was so warm we were able to go swimming on Christmas Day!
I love spending time with both sides of my family and celebrating different traditions. My Mom loves to cook southern food. Mashed potatoes, turnip greens sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie. My husbands family cooks a traditional Italian meal every year. Baked ziti, chicken parmesan, manicotti and cannolis. It's all good!!!
I love Christmas. I love the music, the celebrations, the time spent with my family and I love Jesus. He's the real reason for this incredible season because without Him there would be no reason to celebrate!

Brent Jones

Shop till I drop. I love the crowds in the mall! And all the holiday hype.
Spending quality time with my daughter
Eating my wife's cooking.
Decorating my house. It's very theraputic.
Acting like I was too broke to buy gifts for my family and then surprising them with bling bling!

Darlene McCoy

This is my favorite time of year because it's a time when my children act their best in hopes of getting all they want for Christmas. My favorite movie is 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' with Jim Carey. I love to visit my family members. We take the time to reflect on the year and look into the incoming year —reflecting on the fact that the God of the universe sent His son Jesus and He brought us through one year and because He is our Saviour we can face the coming year...

Vickie Winans

Giving
Sharing with family
Celebrating the birth of christ
Surprising those that are less fortunate
Singing christmas carols

Isaiah-Raymond Dyer (of Raymond & Co.)

Spending time with the Family
Seeing the expressions on my kids faces as they unwrap their gifts!!
Eating Lots of Food!!!!
Going to parties
Putting up Christmas decorations

DeNetria Champ

Caroling and sharing the love of Christ
Spending time with loved ones
Good soul food
Watching the joy on the faces of my nephew when he opens his gift
Listening to my favorite Christmas music

Marvin Winans Jr.

I love the music, the cheer, and the wealth of joy the Christmas season brings,
I love the smiling faces and well lit places and the songs that children sing!
But most of all I love the thought I have every Christmas day,
That the Love of God was made so real when Jesus came to stay.

Norman Hutchins

Celebrating the King of Kings on His birthday
Sharing with family and friends
Brightening the day for those less fortunate
Taking food to the sick and shut-ins
Christmas Day service at our church

Maurette Brown Clark

Of course, celebrating Jesus! (but everyday is a day to celebrate Him)
My kids' eyes as they see the tree and open up their presents
The hugs I get from those same kids.
Reminding my family and friends how much I love them.
Did I mention my kids?!?!?

Antonio Neal

One of my favorite things about Christmas is seeing our 3 children light up while opening gifts from friends and family. My wife and I just step back and watch paper fly all over the room and hear the sounds of "oooh and look at this!" It brings backs so many memories of my brothers, sister and I just not being able to sleep because of what would happen the next day... I just love the smell of the christmas trees and the atmosphere that the season of Christ brings. Christmas reminds me of family and that it's simply about Love!!!

DeWayne Woods

I'm from the midwest, so I love the snow and how it creates the vision of a white Christmas.
Family gatherings, interacting and having fun!
Christmas Dinner!!!
The creativity of different Christmas church productions. I go to every play, musical and church service I can to help others celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Shopping!!! Christmas is the best time to use as an excuse to go shopping!!

Stay tuned for lots more....

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— feature by Stan North —