Well, I blinked. And now, it is somehow December already. How does that happen? I am seriously still working on September at the moment.

December is the one month that I am never ready for, even though I have 11 months in advance to prepare. Yet, somehow it still always sneaks up on you whether you are ready for it or not. I hate that.

I mean, the month of December expects a lot out of us. It requires you to have motivation … so you can do your all of your holiday decorating.

It requires you to have money … so you can buy presents that cost too much, are items which nobody even wants and only leaves you in a mountain of debt being added to last year’s purchases.

The month of December forces you to have to deal with people. And oftentimes … people are the worst.

Overwhelmed employees who take their frustrations out on you. And all you wanted to do was check out a roll of wrapping paper and some Scotch tape.

Shoppers who disregard everything they were ever taught in preschool …. manners, being polite and attempting to be thoughtful of others. Everyone is out for themselves at this time of the year. December.

It means asking God for forgiveness because you swore like a sailor the entire time you attempted to hang your Christmas lights.

It is developing stress and severe anxiety after having plugged in last year’s brand-new Christmas lights and suddenly discovering that they no longer work. At all.

The futile shaking of the cord thinking they will magically come back on — although sometimes they do. (And that’s a little horrifying isn’t it?) And yet, such a huge relief.

Yes, the shaking of the cord, the checking for an empty socket, the hours spent looking to see if one of those 250 miniature lights may have burned out — causing the other 249 to say in unison, “Well if he’s not working, than I’m not either.”

How can lights that were working just fine when you took them down 10 months ago not be working now?

Did they hold some sort of press conference in the basement during the summer and devise a plan of attack? Because it sure works.

It happens every single year.

Every year. I will never understand it.

Yes, December is here. And all of this fun has just begun. I’m simply not ready for it.

Of course, for all of the negatives the season can bring, there is still the holiday music we have to look forward to.

While we have all heard several different versions of “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” some of them far exceed any of the other renditions. By far.

I believe the best version of my very favorite Christmas song “O Come All Ye Faithful,” would be the one done by Darius Rucker. Now, he was the lead singer of Hootie and the Blow Fish back in the 90s.

I love, love, love his voice and I absolutely heart his rendition. Sometimes I play the song about 30 times in a row. Still not tired of it. The best is when there are two minutes remaining, should anyone want to fast forward and just listen to that part of it. I highly recommend listening to it when you are doing your holiday decorating. When you are baking. While you are wrapping presents. Heck, even all three. It is that good.

I also will let you know that perhaps my favorite version of “O Holy Night,” would be that of Josh Groban. He still has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. If you have never listened to his music, you are truly missing out on something special. His version of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” was my favorite rendition until I heard Rucker’s version. Now, Groban’s is in second place. And for anyone who may have missed my column last year where I talked about my all-time favorite Christmas song, I am going to talk about it one more time. Well, at least until next year.

The song is entitled “Hallelujah,” the Christmas version. It was written and performed by the band Cloverton. I’d never heard of them either until this song. So please, if nothing else you do this holiday season, I ask that you listen just once to this song. I honestly believe it should be heard by everyone at least one time in their life.

Remarkably, I have never been able to find this song available to play on a music platform. You know, like iTunes, Amazon Music, etc.

The only place I have been able to find it is through a video they put up on YouTube. I just search on YouTube the words “Hallelujah Christmas” and there it is, usually at the top.

And if you do not know or understand how to access YouTube, call me or e-mail me and I will gladly walk you through the process. Just so you can hear this one song. It is that unbelievable. The words are like nothing I’ve ever heard. Many people have thanked me for introducing them to this song.

And so, I think I am going to repost those lyrics once again. Just in case anyone missed them the first time around. It is what Christmas is all about.

And although reading the words can’t do justice to hearing the actual singing of the words, I really hope you find a moment in the next three weeks to listen.

I wish everyone the best in getting through this holiday season.

The overwhelming amount of baking. Those gifts you just can’t seem to wrap correctly. The unpleasant employees. The rude, self absorbent shoppers. The difficulty you might have putting up your Christmas lights. But just remember … you always have that holiday music.

“Hallelujah,” a Christmas version, by Cloverton …

I’ve heard about this baby boy

Who’s come to earth to bring us joy

And I just want to sing this song to you.

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

With every breath, I’m singing Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

A couple came to Bethlehem

Expecting child, they searched the inn

To find a place, for You were coming soon.

There was no room for them to stay

So in a manger filled with hay

God’s only Son was born. Oh, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

The shepherds left their flocks by night

To see this baby wrapped in light.

A host of angels led them all to You.

It was just as the angels said …

“You’ll find Him in a manger bed.”

Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

A star shone bright up in the east

To Bethlehem, the wise-men three

Came many miles and journeyed long for You.

And to the place at which You were

Their frankincense and gold and myrrh

They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

I know You came to rescue me.

This baby boy would grow to be

A man who’d one day die for me and you.

My sins would drive the nails in You

That rugged cross — was my cross too.

Still, every breath You drew was Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

(Stenger is the community editor for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times newspapers.)