Day 16: A Song that Makes Me Cry (or Almost)

I picked two... the first one is an almost, and the second one is a definitely. They ironically (or, not?) kind of have similar messages... maybe it's just what I needed to hear the last few months.

I've also linked the titles to YouTube videos, in case you wanted to listen to them too. Enjoy!

The Climb - Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin',
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
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna to 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 going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna to 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 going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to 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 yeah ea ea)

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



My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee - Rob Gardner

For a little while
Have I forsaken thee;
But with great mercies will I gather thee.
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee
For a moment.
But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee,
And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings,
For the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!

Though thine afflictions seem
At times too great to bear,
I know thine every thought and every care.
And though the very jaws
Of hell gape after thee I am with thee.
And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee,
And with healing will I take thee ‘neath my wings.
Though the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
Know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!

How long can rolling waters
Remain impure?
What pow’r shall stay the hand of God?
The Son of Man hath descended below all things.
Art thou greater than He?

So hold on thy way,
For I shall be with thee.
And mine angels shall encircle thee.
Doubt not what thou knowest,
Fear not man, for he
Cannot hurt thee.
And with everlasting kindness will I succor thee,
And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings.
For the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!
My kindness shall not depart from thee!

Day 1: My Favorite Song

I can't think of a better way to begin my new personal revival than by writing about my favorite song... or at least my current favorite song.

As most of you know, music has played an integral part of my life... probably since my preschool days. Many of the primary songs I learned at that young age are among my favorites when I just need a song to lift my spirits. I remember the first time I looked at the first instrument I ever played (the Song Flute) and being so excited that it was so much like Mom's recorder. In the fifth grade, I began my real musical adventure - I started the flute. From 5th grade until I graduated from high school, I was always in a band class... and in high school it was anywhere from 2 to 5 bands (between classes and after school bands) and 1 to 3 instruments (while the flute has always been my primary instrument, I also played the piccolo and tenor saxophone).

While I still play the flute, normally arranging my own flute solos, descants and even flute choir pieces (SOOO much fun!!) for church meetings, instrumental music has plays a much smaller role in my life than it once did (now primarily limited to occasional tinkering on the piano and even rarer flute numbers). My passion for music, however, has not dwindled in the slightest. I appreciate my quiet time, especially reading, but my life is otherwise filled with the sounds of whatever my heart needs to hear most.

My alarm each morning consists of songs from my iTouch and get ready for work listening to anything from classical to Disney songs to Rammstein. Eclectic is really the best word... and generally I listen to "songs" or "pieces" rather than "groups" or "genres". I usually stream music from one of various places while at work, and my commute is (between news and traffic updates) anything I have available in my car (iTouch, CDs and radio).

I also almost always have something musical stuck in my head. A dear friend of mine and I - while in college - developed a theory that when you get a song stuck in your head, there's a good chance there's a more profound reason than it just being "stuck" there. I've since come to realize that my Heavenly Father often communicates to me through music and much of that is placing a song in my head until I've listened to it and learned or felt what I needed to.

So from being the biggest band nerd in high school to waking up with a song stuck in my head... music has always been a huge part of my life. And I hope that never changes.

The "favorite" song I wanted to share is one that came in many ways as an answer to prayer. I was driving home from work a few weeks ago and heard this song on the radio. I'd been struggling with a lot of things (see yesterday's post) and this song just touched me. It was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. It made me laugh and made me cry... but mostly it gave me hope, and I can't think of a better thing to get out of a song on the radio. I now wake up to the song most mornings and dance to it in the bathroom when I'm doing my hair. And - more often than not - this song is been running through my head. This song has become my own personal theme song, one that will consistantly bring a smile to my face whenever - and wherever - I hear it.

I looked up the music video on YouTube for your viewing pleasure this morning (hyperlinked below). I'd not seen it before and was laughing at my desk before it ended and even more when it actually ended. This is my new favorite song:

Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Bublé

For those of you that remember the college days when I would get "Someday My Prince Will Come" stuck in my head for weeks on end, this probably smacks of a little familiarity. I laugh at the music video because that is TOTALLY me! I can't tell you how many times I've had that party in my head - dancing and everything! And the poetic awkwardness that comes at the end when he realizes that he's not really there... yet. Yah, that's totally been me too.

But as I mentioned before, aside from being funny to the point of tears, this song gives me more hope for the future than perhaps many of my experiences have recently. It is an entertaining answer to the hole in my heart, if only temporary, and is just one simple example of how music has empowered my life completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm not surprised, not everything lasts
I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track
Talk myself in, I talk myself out
I get all worked up, then I let myself down

I tried so very hard not to lose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought, I thought of every possibility

And I know someday that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

They say all's fair
In love and war
But I won't need to fight it
We'll get it right and we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazing
And being in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility

And someday I know it'll all turn out
And I'll work to work it out
Promise you, kid, I'll give more than I get
Than I get, than I get, than I get

Oh, you know it'll all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid to give so much more than I get
Yeah, I just haven't met you yet

I just haven't met you yet
Oh, promise you, kid
To give so much more than I get

I said love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
(I just haven't met you yet)
Love, love, love, love
Love, love
I just haven't met you yet