New Favorite Song: All That You Are

All That You Are Lyrics at elw

All That You Are lyrics found at elyricsworld.com

Life's Mantra

A friend of mine teaches at Utah State University. He gave his students an assignment to come up with some songs that they would consider their "life" trak and write it. They also included with their paper a CD of the songs that were chosen.

I decided to do it as well.

These are songs that mean something to me in a real way. At some time or another most of these songs have been written about by me on this blog. I believe that the first song has not been used, but that is a mere oversight. So, I include in here the posts that describe these songs, and where necessary, a bit more about them and how they apply.

Collin Raye--In This Life

Though I have not written about this song in the past it does not mean that it has any less significance in my life. I have met many people in my life who may not be present in my daily life yet have previously been a significant part of it.

For every mountain I have climbed
Every raging river crossed
You were the treasure that I'd longed to find
Without your love I would be lost

Let the world stop turnin'
Let the sun stop burnin'
Let them tell me love's not worth going through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life, I was loved by you

I cherish the memory of their love...whether present or not.

Miley Cyrus—The Climb

I wrote of this most recently.

There's always gonna be another mountain

I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.

I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.

The Climb lyrics
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

...

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

John Denver--Country Roads

Almost Heaven

One night while watching and listening to some music videos on Youtube I was taken back, as I often am, to some place in the past. I have been accused of being nostalgic and even hopelessly romantic. I am likely guilty of such. There are previous blog entries right here on Paperclippings as evidence--especially when music is involved.

Such was the case that night--as I listened to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. I was transported to a hill in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia--a mere rocks throw from West Virginia. It was the summer of 1988 and I was among a small gathering of people in the backyard of some local folks when someone pulled out a guitar and began to play. As the lyrics filled the air, I was swept up in the moment.

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.

All around me were those mountains and I could feel the antiquity of the land as the wind blew gently through my hair. I felt like I belonged to this place.

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, Country Roads

Ahh... Life is good!

Lee Ann Womack--I Hope You Dance

This one reminds me all the time of getting out there and just doing...being active and living life. I once asked my husband how it was that he knew how to do so many things. His response was that he just did them. I have taken that to heart. But I also realized that I had already started to do that to a degree.

Just before my senior year in high school began I decided that I was going to enjoy that year. I was going to make it a point to say hi to everyone in the halls and to find some way to compliment them as I passed them. I gained so many friends and had the most enjoyable year. It does not mean I was free from heart ache, but I was living life to the fullest.

As an adult I have made it a point to be involved. I have been a PTA President at a local elementary school. I have served on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins. I currently serve on the district cub scout round table staff and am the Council PTA President over 9 local elementary PTAs. People ask me how it is that I know so many people. I know so many people because I have served along side them.

When opportunities come my way, I do not hesitate to jump right in and dance.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

Mike and the Mechanics—The Living Years

When given the opportunity, you might say, to say one last thing to someone who was once a friend, this song came to my mind very powerfully. I had only one chance and I had to get it right.

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thoughts
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid thats all we've got.

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts.

So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be okay.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.

It was with these words that I realized I no longer held any hard feelings. It was about forgiveness.

Mike and the Mechanics— All I Need is a Miracle

http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/06/music-and-memory.html

In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.

Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.

Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".

I said "go if you wanna go,
Stay if you wanna stay"
I didn't care if you hung around me
I didn't care if you went away

And I know you were never right
I'll admit I was never wrong
I could never make up my mind
I made it up as I went along

And though I treated you like a child
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life

All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you

I never had any time
And I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you,
The one I shouldn't hurt at all

I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it's always the same old story
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone

If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life

All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you

From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.

Michael Buble—Lost

For me, this song speaks of the need to be there for one another. We are not alone. If you want to have friends...be a friend.

Can't believe it's over
I watched the whole thing fall
And I never saw the writing that was on the wall

If I only knew
Days were slipping past
That the good things never last
That you were crying

Summer turned to winter
And the snow it turned to rain
And the rain turned into tears upon your face

I hardly recognized the girl you are today
And god I hope it's not too late
It's not too late

'Cause you are not alone
I'm always there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When your world's crashing down
And you can't bear to fall
I said, babe, you're not lost

Life can show no mercy
It can tear your soul apart
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy
But you're not

Things have seem to changed
There's one thing that's still the same
In my heart you have remained
And we can fly, fly, fly away

'Cause you are not alone
And I am there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When the world's crashing down
And you cannot bear to crawl

I said, baby, you're not lost
Mmm yeah yeah, yeah yeah
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
Ooh yeah yeah,
I said, baby, you're not lost

and finally,

Tim McGraw-- Live Like You Were Dying

This song goes back to the thoughts associated with "I hope you dance". In early 2006 a good friend had just learned she had breast cancer. She had just turned 40.

In the words of Tim McGraw---

"He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime...."

My mantra for life is to live life to the fullest, forgive everyone, be a friend and don't forget to
appreciate God's wonders. Life is short.

There's always gonna be another mountain

I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.

I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.

The Climb lyrics
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

© HOPELESS ROSE MUSIC; VISTAVILLE MUSIC;

Almost Heaven

Last night while watching and listening to some music videos on Youtube I was taken back, as I often am, to some place in the past. I have been accused of being nostalgic and even hopelessly romantic. I am likely guilty of such. There are previous blog entries right here on Paperclippings as evidence--especially when music is involved.

Such was the case last night--as I listened to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. I was transported to a hill in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia--a mere rocks throw from West Virginia. It was the summer of 1988 and I was among a small gathering of people in the backyard of some local folks when someone pulled out a guitar and began to play. As the lyrics filled the air, I was swept up in the moment.

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

All around me were those mountains and I could feel the antiquity of the land as the wind blew gently through my hair. I felt like I belonged to this place.

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, Country Roads

Ahh... Life is good!

See Lifestops Music posts

Music and Memory #3

I just got myself a cheap little mp3 player. I have had a desire to get out and walk in the mornings and having some music to accompany me would help motivate me to walk more. I gathered a number of favorites from my computer and downloaded them to my new player.

Among the songs I added to my player were a few Josh Groban Christmas songs. Now if you have never heard him sing a carol or two you are definitely missing something. I could listen to them year round. In fact, when his Christmas CD came out last fall, I quickly got a copy for myself and began listening to it OVER and OVER...it was still only November.

About the time that I got this CD a good friend sent me a book...a very good, very difficult, very heart wrenching book, in the hopes that I would read it and enjoy it as he had.

Well, as it happened, I found myself reading that book, Give Us This Day, while listening to this new Christmas CD.

Fast forward to today. I am listening to the tunes I have just downloaded to my new mp3 player. As The First Noel and Angels we Have Heard on High by Josh Groban start out I am suddenly thinking of that book I read last fall. Many of the same feelings I had as I read that book come flooding back to my mind and heart.

It is a good thing.

Related posts:

• http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/06/music-and-memory.html
• http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/07/more-on-music-and-memory.html
• http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2007/12/hardest-book-i-ever-read.html

In the mood for a little Buble...

My new favorite [Lost]...Hey, Brooke, have you heard this one?? Sigh.

My favorite Nativity Video

Luke 2 with Amy Grant singing Breath of Heaven.

Donny's version of Mary Did you Know

This video is Donny Osmond singing Mary Did you Know put to pictures.

Enjoy!

I think I am going to faint

Josh Groban has a new (first ever) Christmas CD. I had heard this news from ~J who went with me to his concert in Salt Lake City this last August. I went to the store to get a copy and they were all out..so I haven't been able to listen to it yet.

Today I saw a discription of the CD online.

"Time and again, on his albums and soundtrack work, Josh Groban has proven that he can deliver a Christmas song with classic flair. His first collection of traditional seasonal songs is sure to be a Yuletide smash. The CD includes a beautiful rendition of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' featuring a guest appearance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir."

I absolutely MUST have that CD....and then I will faint.

All I can say is WOW...

Okay, I think I can say more than just wow...but, as my kids say, "wowie, wow, wow, wow" might just be it.

Last night a good friend of mine and I attended a most spectacular Josh Groban concert. I have been to a number of concerts over the years, but none have come close to this incredible experience. I told this friend that CDs will so pale in comparison to two hours of total soaking in of Josh Groban's romantic tenor voice...sigh.

As we entered the Energy Solutions Arena (still don’t like the name of that place…ahem former Delta Center) the intro band was playing. I won’t go into that much because I really didn’t care much for the music.

Then they announced that the Josh Groban concert would be taped for the Awake Tour DVD. They had chosen Salt Lake City as the location for that taping.

As he came on stage I was suddenly a teenager all over again. Each performance brought screams, sighs and applause from yours truly. You could almost see the crescendos build and flow in waves from the front to the back of the arena and hit us with full force. WOW!!

We also discovered that Josh has quite the sense of humor. At one point, sitting at the piano and donning a cowboy hat began to sing, “I’m a cowboy. On a steel horse I ride.” After a line or two he stopped, switched to some funky glasses and did a little Elton John impersonation. He joked about doing Karaoke, but then said that we had paid to hear him sing and had better get on with the concert instead.

During a violin solo Josh slipped off stage. After the solo the spotlight showed Josh among the audience, just a short distance from us. Huge screams could be heard from all those around him. BIG SIGH!!

This is a video clip of Josh in the audience.


Two hours and three encores later I told my friend I could die happy now.

Life Goes On

In the words of Tim McGraw...

"...I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
A moment came that
stopped me on a dime...."

In recent weeks there have been a few events that at first glance seemed to stop me on a dime. From previous blog entries...

Though my friend is not completely gone there is a loss of something both once considered great in value.

Three members of Gary Ceran's family were tragically taken Christmas eve after a wonderful performance of A Christmas Carol.

Five people lost their lives and four others wounded when a teenage gunman went on a rampage through a Salt Lake City mall.

These are among the many things that have nearly brought me to my knees. But life does not stop. It continues. We pick up and we continue. We hold on more dearly to those things that are still of value to us.

The words of Tim McGraw continue...

"I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,

...And I became a friend a friend would like to have."

Life does go on. Shoppers have flocked back to Trolley Square with a sense of purpose...to continue on. Let's hope that we can grab hold of that renewed opportunity by the horns and be better than we were before.

Life(stops) Music

My favorite song is on the radio and nobody better say anything, do anything--except perhaps to sing along. Some of these songs are critical to breathing.

My taste in music is very eclectic. It spans three decades consisting of such genres as country, pop, classic rock, contemporary rock and Christian. It runs the gamut from Alabama, Amy Grant and Backstreet Boys to Roxette and Bon Jovi.

As with any music the words by themselves do not make the song. Often it is the music itself that draws me into a particular song. Bruce Hornsby, for instance, has an incredible piano sound. Bryan Adams improved upon a very good song, Heaven, by redoing it unplugged. Celine Dion and Peter Cetera have voices that are very distinct and could make just about any song at hit. And some songs just have a very good message in them and it does not matter who sings it. True Colors, which was originally done by Cyndi Lauper, sounds just as good done by Phil Collins. At the same time there are those songs that are Lifestops for no apparent reason other than they are just good songs.

I have not stopped adding to my favorite songs list. Just recently I have discovered Michael Buble...sigh! His new hits "Home" and "Save the Last Dance for Me" are definite residence of my list.

I have compiled this list with the lyrics on my website.

What do you think makes a great song? What are your favorites?

Living Life

My husband was voicing his thoughts the other evening while we were coming home from a date. The general notion was that when people get out there and just do things it makes a huge difference in their lives. As he was telling me these thoughts we heard Tim McGraw's "Live like you were dying." When the song ended I changed the station to hear "I Hope You Dance" by LeeAnn Womack.

I think there are a few who would agree.

---

Live Like You Were Dying

He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days, lookin' at the x-rays,
Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time.
Asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end.
How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news.
an what ya do.
And he says,

[Chorus]

I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dyin'.

He said I was finally the husband,
That most the time I wasn't.
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all the sudden goin' fishing,
Wasn't such an imposition.
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book,
And I took a good long hard look at what I'd do
If I could do it all again.
And then.

[Chorus]

Like tomorrow was a gift and you've got eternity
To think about what you do with it,
What could you do with it, what can
I do with with it, what would I do with it.

[Chorus]

---

I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)

Bridging the Gap: Music

I was driving with my kids in the van. Among them are my two teen-age boys. The oldest, just turned 15, pops in a music CD. Though he likes to listen to such groups as Green Day, Three Doors Down and so forth, this CD has April Wine, Night Ranger and a collection of other great 8Os hits. At that moment there was no, so-called, generation gap. Going down the road together, belting out the tunes, whether we knew the words or not, was priceless.

My Dad understood this concept. He knew that if he could connect with his teenagers through music he could connect with them in other ways.

Though my dad prefered to listen to classical, country and such; he often broke out his Styx Pieces of Eight LP to test his new speakers.

But when the neighbor kid was blasting away on his stereo while washing his truck, we cheered as our dad brought out the great big "Styx-tested" speakers and cranked up the volume with Bach or Beethoven.

This lack of a gap runs two ways. The 80s tunes are not the only ones we meet up on. My teenagers and I have also been known to fill the air with "Bullevard of Broken Dreams".

So, I ask, is there really a generation gap? Maybe, maybe not.

At the end of the song...no one spoke

One day toward the end of my stay in the LDS Mission Training Center in preparation to serve as one of their missionaries for a year and a half our group was waiting in our classroom for our instructor to show up. While waiting we decided to sing. We chose to sing 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' written by James Montgomery. We sang all seven verses of that wonderful hymn. This was a favorite hymn of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He asked John Taylor to sing that hymn as they sat in a jail in Carthage, Illinois moments before he was murdered by a mob of his enemies.

Our group in the MTC sang this song with no accompaniment and as we sang the final two verses the room felt to us as if it were floating and not a dry eye could be found among us. At the end of the song...no one spoke.

"...My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die. The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, 'I will!'...

"Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise. The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, 'Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.'"

Here are the words to that song in their entirety.

A poor wayfaring Man of grief Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow'r to ask his name, Whereto he went, or whence he came
Yet there was something in his eye That won my love; I knew not why.

Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread. I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part a-gain. Mine was an angel's portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.

I spied him where a fountain burst Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
The heedless water mocked his thirst; He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
I ran and raised the suff'rer up; Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
Dipped and returned it running o'er; I drank and never thirsted more.

'Twas night; the floods were out; it blew A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest;
Then made the earth my bed, and seemed In Eden's garden while I dreamed.

Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death, I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed. I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart, And peace bound up my broken heart.

In pris'n I saw him next, condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed, And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.
My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, "I will!"

Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named, "Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me."

My Foundation

The words to this hymn and verse of scripture tell it better than anything I can say.

How firm a foundation--(attr. to Robert Keen)

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

In every condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea
Thy days may demand so thy succor shall be.

Fear not, I am with thee; Oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’er flow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply,
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

Helaman 5:12 (Page 378 of the Book of Mormon)

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

More on Music and Memory

The other day I am driving down the road with the music playing on the radio. A song comes on that I have not heard in ages. I cannot remember the name of the song as I really never knew the name of it. But the song takes me to another place in time.

It is 1978 once again. I am 12 years old (which of course tells you how old I am now). In my room is a stack of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. The song I am hearing on my radio is the same one I am hearing in the car in the present. The plot of the Nancy Drew book I am reading fades into focus. She is getting herself into yet another pickle as she tries to follow her sleuthing instincts to solve yet another case.

These books were the answer to my reading problems in earlier years. I believe I read every single Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book in print. To tell the truth I was more interested in her interactions with her boyfriend, Ned, than how she solved each mystery. The Hardy boys kept my interest as I imagined being one of their girlfriends. But they kept me reading and that was what was important.

As the song on the radio comes to an end I find myself back in 2005 driving down the road. I let out a sigh and laugh that a song I can't even remember takes me to such a place.

My dad and his guitar

I grew up listening to my dad playing the guitar. He was often plucking out one tune or another. My dad was also a fan of Linda Ronstadt. One day he started playing "I Never Will Marry". We had heard this song many times as he listened to it on the record player. As he played, one sister and I began to sing along. My sister sang the melody and I sang back up. We thought we sounded really good. We put our hearts into the song as we sang it. We practiced a bit with our dad and talked about singing in front of an audience.

Then one day my dad quit playing the song and all our begging and pleading would not change his mind. He reasoned that we were just way too convincing with the words. I guess he thought we might believe the words we sang.

Here are the words to that beautiful song.

I Never Will Marry

They say that love’s
a gentle thing
But it’s only brought me pain
For the only man I ever loved
Has gone on the morning train

Chorus:

I never will marry
I’ll be no man’s wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life.

Well the train pulled out,
the whistle blew
He’s gone, he’s gone,
like the morning dew
And left me all alone.

Chorus:

I never will marry
I’ll be no man’s wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life.

Well there’s many a change
in the winter wind
And a change in the cloud’s design
There’s many a change
in a young man’s heart
But never a change in mine

Chorus:

I never will marry
I’ll be no man’s wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life.

Music and memory

In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.

Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.

Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".

I said "go if you wanna go,
Stay if you wanna stay"
I didn't care if you hung around me
I didn't care if you went away
And I know you were never right
I'll admit I was never wrong
I could never make up my mind
I made it up as I went along

And though I treated you like a child
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life

All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you

I never had any time
And I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you,
The one I shouldn't hurt at all
I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it's always the same old story
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone

If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life

All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you

From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.