All I ever have to be…
One of her best, anyway. Lyrically powerfully, melodically simple, true.
Lay your burden down.
Best wishes for a beautiful Sunday!
Category Archives: 5 Songs I am Singing
Jesus Paid it All
Gary Chapman.
Song for a Sunday // I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
This is not your grandma’s hymn-version of this song!
My dad brought home the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ album featuring the popular crossover single “Oh, Happy Day” sometime in 1969 or early 70. My dad loved good gospel. He put that thing on the blue and white Hi-Fi and cranked it so loud the entire 3-story house was pulsating with the sound. Of course the vibrating windows and doors were opened and I recall my mom wondering, “Why does it have to be so loud?”
Because!
The music was that good. It deserved to be heard. And it became part of our family’s soundtrack, from the “Oh, Happy Day,” tune for which it had been purchased (later covered in the film “Sister Act,” fun for a whole new generation) to the crazy-great “Come and Go with Me to My Father’s House,” that one especially, my sister, Tami, and I still enjoy and break out singing to this day. But there was this other song, though I loved them all, that I found to be powerful, direct and just passionately spoke to my heart. I was 10 when I loved it first and was surprised, as a young teen, to come across the original hymn, (Horatius Bonar wrote the words in 1846, with John Dykes adding music in 1868), in our church songbook. We didn’t sing it at our church at all. But I saw the lyrics were exacly the same as this Edwin Hawkins Singers song I loved, just not the melody. I didn’t even know what a cover song was then, but I had found one! 
Music and lyrics for the traditional version, straight out of a hymnbook!
About 10 years ago I rediscovered the incredible, electrifying energy and message of the song, the version of my childhood, the soul version, and oh-how-I-still appreciate the strong language (“Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me”), the vivid word images (“Behold I freely give Living Water, thirsty one, stoop down and drink and live”) , the power of surrender (“I came to Jesus and I drank of that life-giving stream”) and more. But the very first words, the sweet invitation – “I heard the voice of Jesus say ‘Come unto Me and rest,'” is what the whole song is about. And a compelling song it is. If/when you are weary and worn and sad, if/when you are hungry or thirsty or if /when your soul is just wrung out, this is your personal, engraved (in the palm of His hands) invitation to come and rest and be refreshed – an invitation from Jesus Himself! I was so excited to find some one had Youtubed The E-H Singers. Yay! Please listen and sing along. It will rev you up to be refreshed and revived, rested and made glad. This is your invite. Accept! I am. :)
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest; Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.” I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad; I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me For my yoke is easy and my burden is light And my burden is light- I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.” I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream; My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him. I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light; Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.” I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun; And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.
Come unto to Me and rest.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11.28-30 The Message
Happy Birthday, Rock-Bo
Oh, Rocky Rhoades, you crack me up
You are so intense, so serious, so zealous about whatever your cause. But you are also still the silliest and can make me laugh at the drop of a hat. Oh, boy of joy, your mama loves you. Like a rock, as Paul Simon sang.
You arrived to a houseful of girls and dolls and stuffed animals and fit right in, as depicted here.
By the time you came, we were resigned to all girls, which would have balanced things quite nicely, thank-you very much, but wow-o-wow, we were sure glad to get our little boy. You upset every fruit basket in your wake, scaled every wall and swung from every ceiling. You were the little ever-so-slightly-naughty who kept all three of your big sisters chasing you down, trying to make you behave, to very little avail.
And you still manage to be the quintessential “little brother” to the older three and Stormie, too, somehow. And like I have always told you, you were all the boy and the only boy God knew I could ever need, let alone handle.
I love you bunches and love how God is blessing you and your beautiful family: the gorgeous Jovan (a wonderful wife to you for 6 years now), and those two sweet baby girls, Averi and Amelie, and now a new little one on the way (a “little Rocky” or another “sweet Jovan,” either way, we win!).
This morning on your birthday, I love you so much, I am re-reading all the great stuff I have said to you or about you for your birthdays on this blog. Here are the highlights from 2011 back to 2007. If you ever need to know how I really feel about you, the depth of my love, I feel like I express my true heart best when I write – so go back and read and accept these blessing words as truth for you and about you. You are a good boy who became a great man. And I love you so…
2011, I tried to fit words about you onto one, small photo (click on the year to see the original post)
What do I SEE when I look at you? Well? my word-collage photo card tried to capture those things. But I know there is so much more…
2010, a man I admire
I told the story of God revealing to me that you were both a David (like the Psalmist and your given name) and a Peter (upon this rock of revelation). God’s assurance was so welcome…and true. :) And in 2010 I said,
…before me stands a man, an honorable and good man. He is rugged and handsome, he is gentle and humble. He loves his beautiful wife and he dotes on his little daughters, and they sure do love their daddy. He is strong and gifted, capable, yet unpretentious. You are turning out, Rocky Rhoades. You have turned out to be a wonderful man! Your mama loves you – can you tell?
And I looked forward to the things God was starting in you with the lyrics from “Rain Down.” Now you’re all wet! So cool!
2009, you turned 25 and we DID surprise you!
I listed 25 wishes for then. I am still wishing and praying all of it for you and love how God has been answering these things. Like this one:
I wish for you a band of strong brothers-in-the Lord: men who have your heart and your passion to fight the battles with you, like-hearted warriors you can trust.
Songs of healing…soon.
2008, a mom’s prayers for her son
I pray that your voice will be heard. Sunday, as you led worship in The River, I was so impressed at how you communicate a song’s truth. That is different than just singing it. I know you know that. It is what has set you apart and given you a place of leading people into God’s presence through worship. But I know, oh how I know, there is more. There is so much more. There is an amazing power to communicate the deep truths of God, almost ready to be birthed. You stand at the precipice, you defer to others more seasoned. And that is OK for now, but know – the time to speak, the time to speak out with boldness – is coming. Don’t let your youthfulness cause you consternation in this. Live it. Then speak it when He says to. And for the ears of the people to hear, for the hearts to receive…
I don’t pray that you will always be a “vocational” worship leader or a pastor, though you were born into a heritage of that calling and have been blessed to walk this path so young. But I do pray you will always be a worshipper. I pray that the song of the Lord will continue to grow in your heart until it cannot be contained and you are forced to pen the songs of heaven. I pray that you will always minister to the Lord (with your song, your voice, your heart, your all), no matter where you are or what else you may ever do. Worship Him, always, my sweet boy. You were made to praise Him.
2007, when I was just getting started
I wrote about your birth, the surprise and the euphoria of it. I told the story of how you got your crazy-famous name as “Rocky Rhoades.” I wrote about “little Rocky.” And I remembered your 18th birthday, when you finally went public with your worship and sang people into the Presence.
Isn’t this photo just peaceful and angelic? Can’t you already just see the earnestness in his expression, the resolve to be God’s man? Can you tell he was getting ready to have a poop-explosion that would ruin his white outfit and the photographer’s blankets and set? Hahahahha! Oh, he was.
When he was little, Rocky actually thought the cereal, the ice cream and the TV show by the same name were titled in his honor. When he’d get away from in a store, you’d hear snickers throughout as the loudspeaker announcement declared: Rocky Rhoades, meet your parents at the Service Desk. Rocky Rhoades, please come to the front.
You have made life fun.
Happy Birthday, Rocky and tons of blessing, too. Love you with all my heart…don’t all these posts prove that? :) {mom}
At the Tristan/Rocky joint family party the other night. :)
Moon River
Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way…
The iconic, mellow crooner, Andy Williams died tonight. He was 84. Probably known best for “Moon River,” I was just thinking about how many songs of his I really do love, even though he is a little more easy-listening than I usually go for.
Because of course there is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and every Christmas, even if I have neglected his work all year long, still, the Andy Williams album is dusted off and enjoyed.
But my favorite of all his many-many recordings, is the theme from the Ali McGraw-Ryan O’Neal 1970 blockbuster, “Love Story.” The movie captured an era, white cable knit sweater and scarf, her long, black hair and free spirit, his tousled hair in spite of a rigid, formal upbringing. Andy captures it in song, the impossibility of the love between the two of them:
Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be?
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start?
And darned if he doesn’t sing the stuffing out of that song, and even though he didn’t know if he could even find the words to begin to describe it, somehow he did find them and he found them powerfully:
How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her till the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there
Thanks, Andy Williams for telling us the story of how great a love can be. In song.
This one’s for you, Chyrl.
Music on a Monday // Home Sweet Homes
My TOP TEN songs about house and home.
This playlist is a huge category. There are soooooo many songs about hearth and home or houses and hometowns. Quite overwhelming, actually. I had to leave off another 8 or 9 that I really liked (like “Lucky” Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait – to be used on a future list) just because I was determined to keep this list at 10. There is a playlist from YouTube at the end of this blog that includes each of the songs I have written about here.
I’m a home-grown, home-loving, home-girl. I don’t necessarily mean a house, either. I mean home the feeling, home the people. Home. Sweet home.
LORD, it seems You have been my home forever, from ‘once upon a time,’ to ‘happily ever after,’ (from before the mountains were formed until time is no more), You are God and You have been my God and my home. Psalm 90.1-2, my paraphrase
Check out my top ten songs and why they made the cut.
#1 Back Home Again, John Denver
Long story, told as sparingly as possible. The rest are shorter.
Why do I love this song? There is a whole family story. I cannot capture it here, but suffice it to say that my brother Joe (yes, that Joe), ran away from home. My dad had accepted a church far, far away from any home we’d ever known and there was some culture shock and he was a HS freshman and of course, we showed up mid-year, so it is hard.
It tore our family up – days of Joe just missing. But after the better part of a week, he was found and the police were putting him on a plane and my parents drove to New Orleans to get him and he wasn’t there. The airline said he hadn’t boarded. We all mourned even more. My mom was sick with sorrow. We assumed he ran again after the police delivered him to the airport. There was a heavy darkness at our house.
Then a phone call: the flight he’d been on was cancelled – he arrived late (airlines can be dumb). We all climbed in the Ford Station Wagon and went to get him. What a relief. There was much love and my dad took us to a really nice steak house and we feasted on the fatted calf, so to speak. The son had come home.
It was nearing midnight, I think, as we drove back to Robert, Louisiana, past our school-night bedtime. The excitement was quieting down and we were just so happy he was there. The family was settled in listening to the radio, still, as the car hummed along. Just as we pulled in to the driveway, John Denver’s voice filled the car
There’s a storm across the valley, clouds are rollin’ in
the afternoon is heavy on your shoulders.
There’s a truck out on the four lane, a mile or more away
the whinin’ of his wheels just makes it colder.
He’s an hour away from ridin’ on your prayers up in the sky
and ten days on the road are barely gone.
There’s a fire softly burning; supper’s on the stove
but it’s the light in your eyes that makes him warm.
My dad put the car in park, but none of us moved, not a muscle. We all sensed the holiness of the moment, the serendipity of this particular song at this distinct second in time…and we just sat there…in the driveway…in the late night – listening, knowing somehow God was blessing the boy coming home. We listened to every single word and note of that song, almost afraid to even breathe…
It’s the sweetest thing I know of, just spending time with you
it’s the little things that make a house a home.
Like a fire softly burning and supper on the stove.
And the light in your eyes that makes me warm.
Hey, it’s good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend
Yes, ‘n, hey it’s good to be back home again.
It was a moment barely spoken of for years, for it was too precious. And it was this monumental transcendent time-fragment we’ll never forget. Because for all of the fear and sadness and rejoicing those days had brought, that moment became the time we knew we were together, all those miles from our kin and the life we’d known before, and we were home.
And the brother I loved was safe. My little Joey.
So how could I not love this song? It’s my number one song about home.
#2 The House that Built Me, Miranda Lambert
This was the Country Music Awards song of the Year in 2011, I believe, maybe 2010. Such a great song. It is the story of adult going back to the house she grew up in and asking the owner to let her come inside to look around. She calls it “the house that built me” because of all the memories of her experiences growing up there. It immediately, when I heard it, reminded me of 1723 York Street, an address which, if you read this blog, you’ll recognize {the house of my carefree-childhood memories}. A quick search and you will see the address shows up regularly here…I wonder how many times? :)
And I have always wanted to go back there, to my house-that-built-me and see if I could go through it. And if the owners now ever stumble on this blog – I hope they won’t think I am crazy. I hope they’ll just watch the Miranda Lambert video and be able to understand that many-many-many years ago, I was a little girl there, and the memories are sweet and fine. O, the projects I planned and the dreams I dreamed and adventures I experienced there…
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness in me might start healing…
If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory from the house that built me.
#3 Home is Wherever I’m with You, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
This song is so fun-gritty, backwoods-country-AND-modern and did-I-mention: fun. The sentiment is that “home” is where your “people” are, the ones you love the most, not so much a location and street address. And that is a true thing! Cute-cute-cute!
#4 Who Says You Can’t Go Home, Bon Jovi
Well Bon Jovi is a great rocker who wrote and performed this song, which highlighted the work of Habitat for Humanity. I like him a lot. Crank it up and roll down the windows and sing loud while you are enjoying your neighborhood. You can go home again!
#5 I’ll Be Home for Christmas, The Carpenters
Everybody and their dog has performed this classic Christmas number. This song, written about a WWII soldier coming home from war for Christmas, was first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943. But then the likes of Amy Grant, Anne Murray and Andy Williams recorded it, too. Other covers were made by the Beach Boys, Smokey Robinson, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Brad Paisley. Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney and Elvis sang it, too. Hundreds of people have recorded the song and it is a lovely,melancholy tune recalling, with great affection, the beauty of “home.” It speaks of a longing, a homesickness, that resonates for all of us when we just wish we could be with the people we love, in a place we’re together.
Dave and I were talking about the renditions we heard most growing up. And though I feel like I heard the Johnny Mathis version a lot, we determined The Carpenters was the primary version we grew up with, that Karen’s haunting voice was the smooth sound that made this song relevant in the 1970s and beyond. She interpreted well and as far as songs about home, this one has to be in the mix because, Christmas or not – sometimes dreaming and remembering is the only way we actually get to be with our families, our loves.
#6 Home, Phillip Phillips
Phillip Phillips won 2012 American Idol. He was good and my pick from early on. He is very earthy and young, but also sort of timeless and seasoned and when the 2 finalists got to pick a song they’d release in case they won and I saw him perform this song, I was like, “O-my-gosh he will positively win this!” He just killed this song. In a good way.
And you know how sometimes when you first hear a song it takes a while to grow on you? This song was not like that. I loved it immediately! It speaks of some one making a place for you, a home, a safe place. LOVE it.
Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause i’m going to make this place your home
Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you’re not alone
Cause i’m going to make this place your home
#7 Green, Green Grass of Home, Tom Jones
It was the 1960s…and this song just sucked me in. I couldn’t seem to hear it enough back then and the surprise ending got me every. single. time. Tragic.
#8 Home, Michael Buble
Just smooth and sweet, sung by the super-suave crooner of the day. He is on the road (trying to write her letters) and and he is missing his love and he just wants to get on the plane and go home.
#9 House of Love, Amy Grant and Vince Gill
They sang this in 1994 way before they married and I do not really understand the official video (the little house thing?), but I just enjoy this hope-filled song. I had a friend going through a break-up when this was on the charts and this was the song we prayed through. And it is a fun song to sing and “the lights are coming on in the house of love.” And they did for my friend!
#10 Taking You Home, Don Henley
The gravely-soulful drummer-boy of the Eagles. “Take my hand, love, I’m taking you home, Taking you home.”
Come on. Let’s go home. :)
Embedded // the WHOLE playlist, in no particular order:
“For me, home is the coming together of my past memories and experiences, of my love for my children, husband and friends;…my optimism tangibly expressed in life-enhacing ways, room by room…” –Alexandra Stoddard
1st Day of Fall
I have been singing songs with the word “fall” or “falling.” Best one?
I Can’t Help FALLing in Love with You, by the King, naturally.
Oh, Dino!
I love Dean Martin, which I may or may not have mentioned before.
I just heard a song on Martini in the Morning ( the “lounge” sound, Rat-Pack music) called “I love Vegas” featuring Mr Dean himself. I’d never heard it, but guess what?!?
I love Vegas when I’m loaded,
I love it when I am not.
I love Vegas, just like Kruschev loves being indignant,
More than even my wife Jeanie loves being pregnant.
He sang my name. He gets points.
And I always did love being pregnant. :)
I got a brand new pair of roller skates, you got a brand new key
The sum of my transportation existence from 1963 – 1970 : rollers skates, skipping to and from school, and an aqua-colored Ford station wagon.
When I turned 4, I got roller skates: the metal kind that you tightened (screwed) onto your shoe with a “key”
I roller-skated every day. I remember being upset about snow because it disrupted my skating (thank-goodness for sledding as a semi-reasonable alternative). I remember my first waking thoughts were being excited to grab my skates and roll down the bumpy sidewalk outside our house. I thought about it when I wasn’t doing it, I felt free when I was and my little brother Joe often walked alongside me. I still have major scars on my knees from falling down, but I got back up. And kept skating.
Skating was flying. One small effort and weeeeee…..
I was always losing that darn key, though.
I skipped to school. Then I skipped home.
Skipping was my transportation mode of choice when I couldn’t be rolling on my metal skates. Skipping is the next best thing to flying. If theye ever do come up with a contraption to help us all fly like birds, I bet the take-off will involve skipping, because it is, really, at its’ core, a short flight.
I was a fabulous skipper. I skipped the 4 blocks to school and the 4 blocks back, every single day – for 5 school years.
Almost unfathomable to imagine in this day and age is the fact that I was never once delivered to school by car, nor picked up that way. My mom walked me to Kindergarten my first day and was there to accompany me home, that first day only. I walked to school each morning that first year with my cousin, Diana (who was in the 5th grade), but I skipped home alone. And I sang the whole way – that is why you see musical notes on my path. From Wallace Elementary in Des Moines, Iowa to my house at 1723 York Street.
I skipped to and from my school, rain or shine, snow and even sleet. Kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth grades. Five years of skipping and singing. And roller skating when I got home…IF I could find that darn key!
My dad’s pride and joy. He bought us a brand new 1967 aqua-colored Ford Country Squire Station Wagon and it was a beauty.
It was aqua – how divine is that? Not blue, not teal – aqua! The back door opened out, which was an amazing development in station wagons. And there were 2 fold up seats facing each other, so wonderful for after-church girl talks with my best friend, Debbie.
That car was a ministry car, for sure! We picked up 2 other families for church in that thing. The Rogers family: Don and Irene and their 2 young children Timmy and Laurie (and sometime Irene’s teen daughters from her first marriage, Brenda and Sharon), and the whole Sable clan, Evelyn and her 5 kids (and occasionally her husband) along with my parents and their 5 kids. I’d say that car averaged about 17 people to and from the Highland Park Church of God in those days. There were no car seats but we probably could’ve rolled 20 times before any of would have been dislodged!
Above: This is not the right color, but the shape of it and the direction I often saw of it as I skipped in to the house from school – this is it.
I recall coming home one day, and there it was, in the driveway. We took her for an introduction spin in the early evening (late spring, I think) and picked up my Grandpa Baker to show him. Never before or after was I in a vehicle with him. He and my dad looked under the hood and Grandpa approved. :)
It was warm out, during this first ride in our fabulous new station wagon – the windows were down and the breeze flew through my hair as if I were in flight – and that is an experience I still love to replicate to this day.
And I just realized, the common factor in these life shaping modes of transportation, what caused their deep imprint: I want to fly.
I just thought he was fond of classic architectural artifacts
Oh, David. I am blushing a little.
The 12-year old me truly had no idea what this album back-cover might be referencing. I may or may not have sort of screamed a little when I pulled it from the collection the other day and flipped it to see the song selection on the “David Cassidy – Rock Me Baby” album. The light dawns…
No comment.
