Wed 19 Nov 2008
The children at home are getting very excited by the fact that everyone will be home for Thanksgiving. They are already making up teams and plotting pranks. Last night, in spite of the fact that we have never watched the show, we played American Idol rather spontaneously. All 6 of us at home stood up and sang and sometimes danced. Alex kept yelling out “disqualified.” He would make a brutal judge. I concentrated on Broadway standards while Benjamin walked the line with a string of Johnny Cash songs. Christopher chose arena songs that we all had to join in to make work in the living room. Most of our neighbors are deaf which probably came in handy during We Will Rock You. Andrew absolutely stunned us by singing Si Do Mhaimeo I. and Emily knew a lot of the words to I will Survive plus she can carry a tune. That was great family fun.
It is good to have a heart full of music. Personally, I know nothing about the technical side of music, can’t carry a tune and can’t reach the high notes but for some reason I have always been drawn into music. My grandmother was said to be able to play any tune on the piano after hearing it once. I believe it because Timothy can do the same thing.
There are strong opinions about what kind of music should be in church and I don’t want to touch on that at all, that is outside the boundaries and expertise of this blog but when it comes to praising the Lord in the home and car, it is no holds barred.
One good thing came out of our musical confusion while raising our older boys, they grew up listening to some great Christian music from the 70’s: Keith Green, Phil Keaggy, Mylon LeFevre (a bit too hard for me now), The Love Song*, Randy Stonehill** (His best friend from Venezuela even goes to our church.), and Michael Card.
Music is a connection to our spiritual heritage. It can help keep our hearts soft and remind us to praise the Lord and rejoice always.
Here are a few of my personal selections for praising the Lord. I don’t get any sort of renumeration for the list, it is just a sample of what we listen to sometimes.
I recently purchased these files from Sovereign Grace music. Terry Stauffer tells how the words to the songs comforted his family after their daughter Emily’s murder.
Come Weary Saints
The Valley of Vision
Here is the first iMix I have ever made. It didn’t pick up all the music from my list but that is just as well. It is long enough.
What did we do before You Tube?
or how about…
Little Country Church on the edge of town…dododododododo.
9 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post.
New comments are moderated before being shown. * = required field

Not really sure why I’ve never gotten into the current Christian music scene. I have tried to listen to Christian radio and change the channel after not too long.
I love traditional hymns (like anything by Isaac Watts). And it challenges me to consider the fact that people actually walked out of worship services when his music/songs were first introduced.
All that to say, I’ve become enamored of Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band.
Do you know her?
Comment by Dana (November 19, 2008 @ 10:25 am )
Dana,
I meant to mention that we sing hymns every morning and my favorite hymn (I have rotating favorites depending on which one I am talking about) is When I Survey to The Water is Wide. Heard it first from Judy and Becky who deserve their own post and I think I will give them one.
I think I have heard vaguely of Maddy Prior but I will check her out. OOO, here is her webpage, I love the pic.
http://www.maddyprior.co.uk/
Comment by Cindy (November 19, 2008 @ 10:48 am )
You are so right! There needs to be a post devoted to Judy and Becky’s music. Maddy Prior reminds me of them.
I’m in the position of replacing all my Judy Roger’s cassettes with cds….. one of those long-haul type projects
Comment by Dana (November 19, 2008 @ 11:10 am )
I, too, need to replace my Judy Roger’s tapes with CD’s. Many of them are sounding a bit, um…old. I think one of my favorite tapes by her is Pilgrim’s Progress…or is it Pilgrim’s Praise? The one where she sings with Craig Pittman. Love it! Also, if you look at Judy Roger’s website, she often sells CD’s by other up and coming Christian artists. I have a few of them and think they are wonderful as well. (Not your typical CCM.)
Comment by LInda (November 19, 2008 @ 1:20 pm )
Cindy, I notice you have Casting Crowns on your list. Have you ever heard East to West by them? They are one of the few CCM groups I like.
Comment by LInda (November 19, 2008 @ 1:25 pm )
This summer I experienced a time in the valley as never before, and The Valley of Vision cd ministered to my soul when at moments all I could say was “You have exalted above all things your Name and your Word…I hope in Your Word.” (two different places in the Psalms)
Comment by Roberta (November 19, 2008 @ 4:39 pm )
I used to love Mylon — Mike had all his albums when we married.
My favorite hymns are from the Reformation in Germany (especially by composers Michael Praetorius and Johann Cruger), and the Welsh hymns.
Comment by Kelly (November 19, 2008 @ 8:38 pm )
Cindy: Keep this series going!
I have to recommmed Sara Groves: I have made our “family song” her “He’s Always Been Faithful”. I also love her “Painting Pictures of Egypt.” She is a great songwriter.
I don’t know how you feel about silly songs, but we have a ball around here singing to a book/CD my sister found called Philadelphia Chickens. My husband wrote a little skit for our family (our five kids are ages 4-8) and we incorporated the Aardvark Intermission Song and performed it at our homeschool “talent show”. We had a blast.
Comment by Heather (November 19, 2008 @ 10:03 pm )
Andrew Peterson (http://www.andrew-peterson.com/) is a great singer/songwriter who is reformed to boot! His Christmas album tells the Christmas story beginning in Genesis and including a great song which includes Matthew’s genealogy.
My boys like Judy Rogers but they love Jamie Soles (http://www.solmusic.ca/) — where else can you get the judges of Israel and what they did in a catchy song?
I also love Caedmon’s Call.
Comment by Mystie (November 19, 2008 @ 11:14 pm )