Music

          Music is magical.  It can lift lowly spirits to soar, or calm a raging soul.  Families that have musical talent have a special gift, in my opinion.  Everyone who has ever heard me sing, knows that I cannot carry a tune and not gifted in that area.  But thank God that the gift of music is available to all families and it can enhance family life.  Like everything though, there is good music and there is bad music. 

          Once I realized that my husband was not going to play the guitar after dinner and we all sing, "Kumbaya," I started to introduce feel-good types of music in our home utilizing our stereo.  Of course then it was albums and cassettes.  It was so surprising to me how many praise and worship albums there were, as I had never purchased one as a teenager or young adult.  Singing about the love of God just took place in church, or so I thought.

          Music that inspires a love that is pure and beautiful, fills a home with peace.  There are a lot of pop culture songs that are fun, lively, filled with good messages, and great to enjoy together as a family.  There are also a lot of pop culture songs that contain lyrics that convey darkness, impurity, and are filled with bad messages.  Whenever my husband and I sing along with some of the "oldies" we listened to in high school, we are amazed at the messages of some of them.  We always sang the words as we thought they were, and they really weren't the correct words at all.  I'm sure many can relate!  It comes as a surprise to no one, I'm sure, that a lot of those songs were not good music.  Good music is kind-hearted.

          Whenever our children would speak kind words to one another, it was music to my ears.  I'm sure it is the same with God whenever we speak kindly to one another.  Now imagine a musical tribute.  My children have never sang a song to honor me, but if they did, my tear ducts would need a dam to stop the water flow.  That's how I picture God whenever we sing or play praise and worship songs to Him.  I so appreciate all the Christian artists who create beautiful songs in praise and worship of our Lord.  As Christian parents, it is our duty to instill in our children an appreciation of this good music and the joy it brings to our Heavenly Father.

          My heart is filled with the love of music today, as I am having our piano tuned and looking forward to taking piano lessons.  Perhaps my vision of Bob playing the guitar, and me at the piano, entertaining our grandchildren with kind-hearted music filled with the love of God, is a miracle waiting to happen.  As long as I don't sing, it will be music to God's ears.  In the meantime, I always have all of my c.d.s to sing along with.

          I have several favorite c.d.s, but right now my favorite that relaxes me and lifts me up closer to God is entitled, Hidden in My Heart, a lullaby journey through Scripture.  I highly recommend this work to be incorporated into your marriage and family life.  Check it out online.  If anyone else has some great recommendations for music that brings peace to their family life, please share with us.

"addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father."  (Ephesians 5:19-20)

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song, sing praise.  Sing praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song.  With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the Lord."  (Psalm 98:4-6)