My favorite!

Sunday, Graham surprised us with an impromptu trip to Dallas to see one of our favorites in concert!  SANDRA McCRACKEN!

pre-concert kisses

my love

More music

Keeping with the last post,  I wanted to post "Clear the Stage" to my blog.   I heard it several years ago and loved it immediately. It's not a new one, Ross King wrote it over a decade ago, but Jimmy Needham recently remade it and that got me singing it again.

I love this presentation 1)because I love typography and 2) because I love this song.

Check it out (this is Ross King's version):



Now that's convicting.

Jesus Christ is Alive!

I'm a lover of music.  I've said before that I live in a musical--my very own musical.  People that know me can vouch--it's prolly annoying as all get out!  Anyway, I love good music--of any genre...if it's good (by my standards, of course). #musicsnob. As far as Christian music is concerned, my criteria for being good is different than my criteria for secular stuff.  When I say good, I mean doctrinally sound.  If it happens to have a great melody, it's a win-win!  I mentioned in an earlier post, that I love The Sing Team, the praise band for Mars Hill.  Their song, Oh! Great is Our God!, is one of my favorites.  Also by The Sing Team, Because Jesus Christ is Alive--great song.  Just read these lyrics and take a listen:

We get tired, we canʼt win 
We were dead in our sin 
But thereʼs a hope, a new life 
The pressureʼs off, cause Jesus Christʼs alive .

So we can rejoice, 
though weʼre grieved by various trials for a little while 
ʻcause a genuine faith under testing 
brings honor and glory to our great King 

By Godʼs great mercy we have been born again, 
because Jesus Christ is alive 
Our living hope is in our inheritance, 
because Jesus Christ is alive 
No grip of fear, no sting in death, 
by His mercy we have been born again 
because Jesus Christ is alive 

We donʼt have to bear the load 
We donʼt have to have control 
We are free from guilt and shame 
ʻcause when He rose, he left death in itʼs grave 

No grip of fear, no sting in death, 
because Jesus Christ is alive 
Weʼre free from guilt, weʼre free from shame, 
because Jesus Christ is alive 
Weʼre free to live for Jesusʼ fame, 
because Jesus Christ is alive

Now that's good music!

new.favorite.song.

I just had to share my new favorite song!  I can't quit singing it.

By the way, this is an original song by the praise team at Mars Hill in Seattle.  The video was taken from their Easter baptism service and it fills my heart with JOY!  I hope you enjoy it like I do!

OH! GREAT IS OUR GOD!

Check out the entire album HERE.

Great Read...

It's been a hectic summer and other than my daily Bible study, I've had little time for reading.  Now that our routines are starting to get into place, I have much more time to dedicate to reading.  I finally wrapped up The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer and I want to share a few things from the book...

A.W Tozer on the goodness of God:

The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him.  To fear and not be afraid--that is the paradox of faith.

Tozer ends each chapter with a quote, poem, or hymn.  Here is a wonderful hymn by Charles Wesley:

Arise, my soul, arise;
Shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears:
Before the throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on His Hands.

My God is reconciled;
His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child;
I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And "Father, Abba, Father," cry.

Check out Indelible Grace sing this beautiful hymn:



Now that I have my piano, I've been playing a lot of the great hymns of the faith.  Here is a link to a wonderful hymnbook with demos and downloadable sheet music: http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/home.html

"Sisters, sisters..."

Y'all know how much I love Irving Berlin's "Sisters, Sisters", right?  I love the lyrics, but I added a few of my own in RED. . .

Sisters, sisters

(At times,) There were never such devoted sisters

Never had to have a chaperone, no sir, (ahem)

I'm here to keep my eye on her (and boss her)

Caring, sharing (uhh...)

Every little thing that we are wearing (we match)

When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome (where?)

She wore the dress, and I stayed home (why?)

All kinds of weather, we stick together (mostly true)
The same in the rain and sun (mostly sun)

 Two different faces (so true), but in tight places

We think and we act as one (so false)

Those who've seen us (adore us)

Know that not a thing could come between us (except Daddy)

Many men have tried to split us up, but no one can (or we scream real loud)

LOVE MY GIRLS...I pray for each of them every day.  AND, I pray for those "misters" who will one day come in and sweep my sweeties off of their feet.  May they love my daughters, but love the Lord even more.

Boy Band Jam

Check out Edy jammin' to this boy band on Nickelodeon.  She's got mad skillz.

{It's a} Beautiful Day

Sky falls, you feel like

It's a Beautiful Day

Don't let it get away

Thank you U2 for the song.  I sing it every time it's pretty outside...along with "Here Comes the Sun",  "Soak up the Sun", "You are my Sunshine", "Walking on Sunshine", etc.  I have mentioned that I live in a musical, right?

Uh-huh, it was a "sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy" kinda day!  

I know what you are thinking--And, yep, I am that cheesy.

Hope you had some time to enjoy the rays and SING your heart out!  I sure did.

Put on a Happy Face

Gray skies are gonna clear up,
Put on a happy face;
Brush off the clouds and cheer up,
Put on a happy face.

Take off the gloomy mask of tragedy,

It's not your style;

You'll look so good that you'll be glad

Ya' decide to smile!

Pick out a pleasant outlook,

Stick out that noble chin;

Wipe off that "full of doubt" look,

Slap on a happy grin!

And spread sunshine all over the place,

Just put on a happy face!

Put on a happy face

Put on a happy face

And if you're feeling cross and bitterish

Don't sit and whine

Think of banana split and licorice

And you'll feel fine

I knew a girl so glooming

She'd never laugh or sing

She wouldn't listen to me

Now she's a mean old thing

So spread sunshine all over the place

Just put on a happy face

So, put on a happy face