music & such

I love music.  I always have.  I remember being a young girl and always participating in kids' programs at church and singing my little heart out on a stage for all the world to see.  I loved the movie Annie so much, that I owned a wig to match her hair, and would sing all the words to any of the songs for anyone who would stop for five seconds to listen.  I was never shy about it, either, and was encouraged by both parental units to do all that to my heart's content.

I still love music, and I still love to sing, and I still use a microphone, but it's always when I'm singing with other people on a praise team at church, and I am very shy about it nowadays.  I get stupid nervous anytime I'm put on the spot (which is why I usually feel sick most Sunday mornings when I'm helping lead worship and our worship leader is SO GOOD at catching me off guard and unprepared), and though I never mind singing in a group or a duet, I do not love solos, nor ever ask for one.  And also, God keeps me humble in this way, I think.  I know He does that for people in various situations, and this one is my area. 

These days my musical tastes are all related to worshiping the Lord Jesus.  I love singing to Him, in fact if it weren't for Him and who He is and all that He has done in my life to save me, I don't know that I'd even sing.  He is my reason why, and I pray that He is always lifted high in worship anytime I'm given the chance.  I say all this to say that I always have music playing in my home.  I have a kitchen radio that I've talked about for ages, and anytime I'm in there, it is playing K-Love. 

Thanks to my hubby, I also have a small bluetooth speaker upstairs in our room, and when I am up there folding clothes, making the bed, cleaning and dressing for the day, I have it on and Spotify is playing.  I thought I'd share a bit of what I love to listen to the most.  (We pay monthly for our Spotify account, and it's a great way to listen to new music legally and all that I want.  Though I use Spotify while I'm home and even in my car sometimes, for this blog post, I'll use YouTube for videos of the songs that are always playing.)

This first one is my current favorite and it's played on K-Love right now.  It's called Build My Life and it's by Pat Barrett.  (He led us in worship one year at a Student Life camp, and all the girls had a crush on him.  I think that's adorable.  He has such a great voice.)



He is also the writer of the song Good, Good Father that Chris Tomlin made known.  Another fun fact.

This next one is Chris Tomlin, and is off his newest album, Holy Roar.  I Stand In Awe is the name of the song.



Here's another by the same artist off the same album, called Praise is the Highway.  I love these words!



I love to sing along with worship songs, so that being said, I don't usually listen to Kari Jobe, because her voice is sky high.  But I love this song and these lyrics by her on her latest album The Garden.  It's called The Cause of Christ. 



I just came across this one last week.  It's Defender, by Francesca Battistelli.



This is an older one, but I still love it and play it often.  It's by Matt Redman featuring Tasha Cobbs, and it's called Gracefully Broken.



I always love when I hear this song.  I don't play it often on Spotify, but I hear it on K-Love occasionally.  I love all of Crowder's music.  This is Red Letters.



I'll leave you with one last song, and this one is by Michael W. Smith, and is called Surrounded.  I LOVE this song!



That's a good start, but I could go on and on.  If I'm on an airplane, this is some of what you would hear if you listened in on my headphones.  I also love Elevation Worship, the newest Brooklyn Tabernacle album I Am Reminded (specifically Psalm 34, Psalm 23, Thank You, Jesus It Is You, Pleasing), and Travis Cottrell.  Those are always my go to albums, so much so that Jonah and Noah should know every word by now.  I'm always open to suggestion if you have more that you think I may like. 

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.