Music and the Soul

I was holding my youngest grandson, Ace, the other day, and we turned on some music. Suddenly, his little body starts wiggling in my lap. His whole body was just moving. I was wiggling right along with him. He loves music and loves dancing. Yes, we allow dancing in our house! He loves Listener Kids on YouTube and Danny Go. Any fun music and he is your dance partner. He can get his Aunt Mega to join right in. All my grandkids love music. When I visit Daniel and Byrdie and I am in the car with Daniel, his mama will put on his playlist. He will tell you which songs to skip because I guess they just don’t do anything for him. I am so glad my grandkids love music.

Music holds great memories for me. A few years ago, my brother, Tommy, discovered an artist named David Grey. Wow, do I love me some DG. Mark and I went to Vegas and NYC to watch his concerts. We went to one in California, and I went to one in Austin. My parents, brothers and their wives have joined us for several of those concerts. He is a British singer/songwriter, and his music is a lot of acoustic guitars, and I would say coffee house type music. Probably not the right description because I read that he is contemporary, folk-rock. Whatever the description, I love his music and it holds such great memories for me. I hear his music and it takes me to wonderful places.

Mark and I always loved a variety of music. He loved real country music. Willie, Waylon, and the boys were some of his favs and so not mine. Mine are the new bro-country as they are called. Luke Bryan is my favorite and I have seen him in concert several times. Jill, Tammy and Marissa were my girls for his concerts. We also saw Garth Brooks and a very unknown at the time, Martina McBride, opened for Garth one year. Shania Twain was also a great concert. One of our favorites however was Neil Diamond. We saw him a couple of times. He put on a great concert. We even listened to some rock music back when we were growing up and first married. It isn’t the same today as it was then so at some point, we just quit listening to it. At least that is my opinion.

We also had a variety of Christian artists that we saw. Before Mercy Me and Point of Grace became who they are, they stayed in their busses in our driveway in Irving, TX back in the 90’s. They played at our church, and they are now famous and very well-known. Mercy Me is still one of my top 5 favs. Tenth Avenue North, Rebecca St James, Hawk Nelson, and Newsboys were concerts held at our church in California. I always ran the green room for the concerts and that was fun. With Mark being on staff at the church, the girls and I always had the best seats in the house. It helps to know people!

Recently some new favorites are Matthew West, Casting Crowns, Elevation Worship, Sanctus Real and For King and Country. Lauren Daigle has become a favorite of mine and man can she sing. Matthew West, Matt Maher, and Jason Crabb are two concerts recently that Meg and I got to see up close and personal. Thank you, Jeff B, for that. Didn’t I say it’s good to know people?

Can you tell I love music? It takes me to wonderful places. It can also take me to sad places. Certain songs were shared with me while Mark was going through treatments. They have come to mean a lot to me, but they also remind me of a hard time. When I would listen, the music and the words would minister to me. There are songs that remind me of my kids, my husband, my sweet Ella Kate and all those hold such precious memories for me. Some music just calms me, some can make we want to jump up and dance, some music makes me cry while others can make me smile.

Regardless of what type of music you listen to, research shows that listening to music can elevate your mood, reduce stress, and blood pressure, improve sleep quality, mood and mental alertness and memory. It can help with depression and anxiety. (I did not say cure it.) It increases levels of serotonin and endorphins. I did look it up but I already knew what music can do for you.

The Bible is full of verses on music especially the Psalms.

Ps. 105:2 Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

Ps. 98: 1-7 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

2 Chronicles 5:13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.”

What does music do for you? Think back on your favorite concerts if you have been to any. Think of the songs that are special to you and why. Maybe you will remember some you forgot. My ALL TIME FAVORITE SINGER is Billie Kaye Tsika. She sings It Is Well and it is my favorite song ever. It was sung at Mark’s service by my wonderful, precious, friend, Jeff Bumgardner. I don’t hear it without tearing up. When Billie sings it it takes me back to my childhood and listening to her sing it all my life. Yes, she happens to be my mama and I will never hear the song without hearing her voice singing it. I'm glad I have a recording of it because I love listening to her sing it. I love you mama!

 Confident in His love

Isaiah 54:10