By WALLYCE TODD

Get ready for a bit of stream of consciousness composition…

This holiday season – beginning in Thanksgiving, and still to end at New Year’s 2007 – has been such a delectable delight for me. The joy I’ve received has not only been reserved to my taste buds, but to my synapses and aorta as well. (Translation: mind and heart)

It’s nearly midnight as I begin to write this. As a nocturnal creature, I have such fun painting with words, especially in the waning hours of the day.

On this last Thursday of the year, I’m requesting a bit of writer’s privilege and asking you to bear with any abundant alliteration or other such visceral verbiage.

I’m back from the Austrian Alps now. Let’s talk about life in swamp country and the holiday season. Thanksgiving. Turkey. Sweet Potatoes. Pumpkin Pie. Cool Whip!

Oh my gosh, Cool Whip. I love it. I missed it. I have recently reveled in its easy access.

For two years, I was bereft of its flavor. Europe wins over America hands down in the chocolate arena, but, personally, I just can’t see how they live without Cool Whip – especially on pumpkin pies and chocolate pudding.

I speak from experience. Living in Central Eastern Europe from 2004-2006 gave me a first-hand opportunity to increase my appreciation for things that did not exist in the country where I resided. Like Diet Sundrop. Or Joe’s BBQ. Or Cool Whip.

So, for the last six weeks or so, I have had more than the average amount of the above items, and I’ve savored every ounce of flavor to be found in them. Since New Year’s is not here yet, I figure I can still “eat for two” for a few more days…two years away, that is: two missed Thanksgivings, two missed Christmases, and so forth.

Now, on to a few other sensory delights. Before we end the month of December, let’s travel back to Dec. 1. This was the night of “The Christmas Hope Tour” concert – definitely a super-sized example of a spiritual meal.

The concert was headlined by NewSong (singers of the beloved favorite, “The Christmas Shoes”) and Todd Agnew (of whom I agree with Eddie of NewSong, who said: “I love the God in Todd”).

I could spend the rest of the column or write several articles about how they shared their gifts so willingly with our community. I could include numerous quotes I collected on the night of the concert that were uplifting and complimentary.

Truth be told, I think Agnew thinks deep and shares wide – which is a tremendous blessing, so, I really could write a lot about the two main singing sensations (NewSong and Agnew). But, I’m not.

Instead, I want to briefly highlight “red pants” Nate Sallie and tattooed Joy Whitlock. Before Dec. 1, I’d never heard of either one of these artists. Well, maybe I’d heard one of their songs on K-Love or seen their names on one of Agnew’s CD covers – but if so, they hadn’t registered.

So, I was in for a serendipitous surprise when they came on stage and captured my attention and that of the nearly 1,000 other people in the audience. Their appearance was a bit atypical for Columbus County (writes the woman who’s wearing Pippi Longstocking socks as she types). Yet, their talents were exceptional.

Sallie played the piano and drum (and a couple of other instruments, I believe). He also sang songs that literally filled the entire building. One of his original compositions entitled “Holy Spirit” was sung from his heart to the heart of the Lord.

Another of Agnew’s songs, entitled “Glory to God,” was given vibrant life by this incandescent individual. Sallie was so passionate about his pursuit of the joy of the Lord. He was contagious, red pants and all.

Then, there was Whitlock, a young woman who acknowledged the newness of her Christianity. Unlike many of the musicians on stage who’d accepted Jesus as their Savior in their youth – Whitlock was a young adult when she made that decision.

A woman of some reserve in person, she was sincere in the sharing of the songs Agnew had composed. She had a voice that captured your attention and kept it. Whitlock and Agnew sang a duo from the perspective of the innkeepers, those who turned away Mary and Joseph from their home, but gave them access to their hay.

Without the jacket she wore one could easily see the tattoos that graced her arms. I asked her about them, and Whitlock said she had some done before she was a Christian and some since. As of now, she did not feel the Lord telling her to do any differently.

I know some people – probably many – who would not be enamored with the idea of tattoos as a testimony, but I would dare to differ.

One reality I experienced as a missionary in Slovakia and beyond was that the very people who may never step foot in a traditional church would be willing to enter into a dialogue with someone who looked more like them. Hence, why I would wear all four of my earrings or would continually change the “fashion color” of my hair.

Through Christ, I believe there’s a place for all kinds in the family of God, except for those who live in hatred or allow their self-righteous judgmental spirits to pervade.

I could keep writing, but it’s time to put this column and this body to bed.

On this soon-to-be eve of the New Year, I’ll end with a verse from Sallie’s “Holy Spirit” song. I think it’s a resolution worth requesting: “Saturate every move I make; so I’m filled with what I crave; open my eyes to the pathways ahead; every step that I take; I will run to you, and your words of truth.”

Blessings to you and yours in 2007.

Columnist’s note: All the musicians listed in this column have websites. Visit your favorite internet search engine and type in their names to find out more information.