11 comments

Carrie Ward

The Song in My Head

Posted on 05.25.12 by Carrie Ward | Twitter: @AnEverydayMama

More than once this week, I’ve started the day with a song in my head.

I sometimes forget the power of song.

I’m not a musical person by nature. I don’t play an instrument or sing particularly well. I enjoy music and like a variety of styles, but sometimes I just forget to incorporate music into my day. It’s like I need to write a note on my calendar each day that says, “Play music!”

I am grateful that all of our kids are now taking piano lessons. As a result, I get to regularly hear the sound of music being played in my home. (And the quality of the music is just getting better each day!)

Scripture gives us reminders of the importance of singing songs:

“My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” (Ps. 108:1)

“ . . . addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Eph. 5:19)

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16)

The song that keeps coming to my mind this week is a hymn I learned as a child. I’m thankful that I memorized this song so many years ago, but the lyrics are much richer to me now. The song is “Jesus Paid It All.”

If you have ideas for bringing music into the daily routine of home life, I’d love to hear them. And if you’re like me and need a little boost, here are the lyrics to that familiar hymn. You can make melody to the Lord in your heart today, and be reminded of what He has done for you! 

Jesus Paid It All

by Elvina Hall

I hear the Savior say
Thy strength indeed is small.
Child of weakness watch and pray
Find in me thine all in all.

Chorus:

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe.
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone.
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim.
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calvary’s Lamb.

And when before thy throne
I stand in Him complete.
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat.

 

Comments

  1. Many days I wake up with an old hymn playing over and over in my head. I like the verse Psalm 42:8 "By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me." It makes me wonder if that's the song the Lord just sang over me that night. What a blessing it is to wake up with a song in your heart and head!
    http://laughingatwinter.blogspot.com/
    posted by Julie
    on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 8:01 am
  2. One morning this week I woke up with this song in my mind and my heart....

    "We gathered here on holy ground.
    Angels hovering all around.
    Stand now before Him, Oh magnify Him
    Allelujah to the Lamb

    Adoration and praises fill my soul.
    Allelujahs I will bestow
    I will sing to the Lord lifting my hands
    Allelujah to the Lamb!!

    King of Kings and Lord of Lords
    We come to you in one accord
    Holy, Holy Lamb of Glory
    Allelujah to the Lamb"

    It's been a long time since I've wanted to sing but this week, I've been singing. I think I will continue.

    I heard a minister say one time that before Israel would go to battle, they would send the singers and musicians out ahead. Sounds like a good idea to me. Jodi c.
    posted by Jodi C.
    on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 11:53 am
  3. Carrie, I'm laughing about your idea to put "play music" on a calendar. Yes, that is exactly what I do. I get so task oriented that I forget to incorporate some of the things I really want to do... so my computer calendar has become my good friend.

    I have also used my calendar to get more disciplined about taking vitamins, going to the gym, and even walking the dog!

    To be honest, I also use it as a prayer prompt for family members. While I pray for needs as they arise ... I don't always pray for each family member (extended family), so I have added a person's name to each day of my calendar.

    But back to music... yesterday I realized how much a song had affected my life. I even posted on Facebook that most of my life I struggled with being In-ferior, In-adequate, and In-secure, but all that really matters is another "In" ~ being "In Christ!" And I was singing the powerful Getty song, "In Christ Alone."
    heartchoicestoday.blogspot.com
    posted by Dawn Wilson
    on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 12:41 pm
  4. I am trying to be mindful of having music playing while I'm doing dishes each day and while I'm cleaning. I like listening to Pandora radio. It introduces me to a lot of music that I normally wouldn't find on my own! The band Rend Collective is really great cleaning music!
    posted by Tracy
    on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 4:21 pm
  5. I am blessed by a gifted daughter who is a piano teacher. I love it when my daughter is practising the songs for church. My home is filled with music.I am not gifted that way, but I enjoy people who are.I do love playing Christian songs while I am cleaning when no one else is at home. I forget to do it, so this is a good reminder. My husband put all my Christian music on my ipod but again I forget to use it. So I like your idea about the calendar. Thankyou
    posted by Colleen Bondeson
    on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 5:20 pm
  6. ...a good time to remember what our freedom cost God ...His Son.
    posted by Leslie.n
    on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 1:57 am
  7. Good morning, Carrie:
    Thank you for your post! How thankful I am to the Lord for gifting people with songwriting ability and for voices to lift up His name in song! I, too, very much enjoy listening to (and singing!) music unto the Lord while I am doing housework, as a couple of ladies here already mentioned. Also, it is nice to have a good hymnal on hand. Sometimes after my quiet time with the Lord, He will bring a hymn to mind. It is nice to go to the hymnal and sing the words back to the Lord, not to mention what a blessing it is to me to be singing "truth" to myself. I also very much enjoy listening to the Scripture Lullabies CDs that Nancy had recommended a while ago on this blog. They now came out with Volume 2, and it is just so beautiful...wonderful Scripture passages set to beautiful music. For those who are not familiar with these CD's, they are called "Hidden In My Heart-a Lullaby Journey through Scripture." There is Volume I and II. I believe you can order them through ROH. If not, you can get them at www.Scripture-Lullabies.com.

    Blessings,
    Arlene
    "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." (Ps. 104:33)
    posted by Arlene
    on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 10:38 am
  8. P.S. Amen to Dawn's comments about being in Christ!!
    I, too, love the Getty's song "In Christ Alone."

    Blessings,
    Arlene
    posted by Arlene
    on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 10:41 am
  9. There is a wonderful two volume CD set called "Hidden in my Heart". The makers of these CD's have set the words of scripture to beautiful lullabies. I will confess, I have no babies in my home, but spend great portions of the day with these CD's on "repeat". When they are not on, I find myself singing and humming them to myself. My daughters 10 and 7, at first would ask me why I was singing. I would tell them that we "give thanks in all things"and that we do "all things for the glory of God". Singing scripture helps me remember that. Now, they will often ask me to play specific scriptures for them to sing along with. I encourage everyone to visit their website!! scripture-lullabies.com
    posted by Ivis
    on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 7:51 am
  10. Thanks for this post, I wish I could share it ti my fiance but I'm afraid it will seem like I'm bringing back the past and his faults because just the beginning of this month after the sunday service as we were driving from church in his car, I happened to be fiddling in his car and found a whole lot of christian cds but amongst those were some worldly cds that he had stopped listening to and actually thrown away when he became saved. He confessed to having recently bought them. I was very discouraged and doubtful of marrying him and if he is even actually saved or pulling an act for me. To me christian music is all I desire to sing,collect and listen to...that brings joy to me and when I found that my fiance is still struggling with worldly filthy songs...I just cried in disbelief that he is actually filling his mind and thoughts with what he sings and listens to.
    In so much hurt I even told him that I prefer the non-christians cause you know that's the only kind of music they enjoy and listen to, so I rhetorically asked him if 'is he hot or cold...(Revelations)'.
    Plz pray for us because another thing is we getting married in few months time and the satan will not rest within this period and is making me observe and analyse his everything.
    posted by mims
    on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 2:57 am
  11. @mims...you are wise to take note of this post...you don't want to start out your marriage having ANYTHING that you can't discuss with your fiance. There are red flags in your relationship. Anytime there is fear in a relationship, it is unhealthy. Anytime a topic between people that are about to get married cannot be discussed, it indicates immaturity and a lack of genuine intimacy. I make three suggestions to you. 1. Get a prayer partner--a family member or a wise woman in your church and ask her to pray with you about your upcoming marriage, your surety of getting married at this time, and God's great grace to open communication and honesty between the two of you. 2. Sit down with your fiance and have a heart to heart talk with your fiance. Share this post and your heart to be able to share things like this with him. Make sure you feel good about his openness and honesty with you after the conversation. If you do not, this is a red flag for you and might indicate that you are not ready for marriage at this time. 3. Talk with your pastor or a strong Christian counselor to help you and your fiance deal with these issues now. It is MUCH easier now before marriage, than in the marriage.

    I am so glad you wrote. Know I am praying for you--seeking the Lord with you for wisdom and discernment. I pray you can enter marriage with great joy, as that is God's plan and purpose for you.
    posted by Sarah, with the TW Team
    on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 4:03 pm

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