A Tremendous Privilege... Piano!

A few years ago we bought an electric piano with a cash gift from my dad.  He wanted us to have something in our home to remember him by and what could be better than music?  I remember marveling for many weeks that two just-plain music lover parents (definitely not pianists ourselves!)  could have this privilege in our home and could give it to our children.

Isaiah and Marian both started with lessons from a nice lady, but when we moved from that city, there was no finding a new teacher... at least not an affordable one!  Our kids have studied with Piano Marvel for over two years now and I'm amazed at the progress they've made:  just my kids, our electric piano, and our last-leg laptop that runs Piano Marvel for them....

To be sure, one kiddo has taken to Piano Marvel better than the other.  Personalities and strengths and interests differ.... but both of our big kids are plugging away at daily practice on lessons and songs they get to choose that they are guided to learn by Piano Marvel videos and note by note help.  (And can I just say, I love the songs that Piano Marvel makes available for my kids!)

Piano Marvel connects your piano or electric piano to a computer (see their site for details) and the program draws kids in with a bit of game-like appeal....  every note they play is scored.  Their sight-reading skills are challenged and precise progress is marked.  They can earn trophies and...

My kids... your kids!... can make music on the piano.  

It still completely amazes me that my kids are simply using this software program daily and they are developing real skill as budding musicians.  I'd post a video for you to hear it yourself but so far our star player is being super shy with his talent.  At this point, I'm ok with that.....  But I will admit I hope he'll let me share his music with you soon.

So friends,  you can check out the beauty right here:  and please remember to enter my promo code for a discounted rate for you and some distributor income for me.  Thank you!!!   

Referral/ Distributor Code:    Jill

Need a shot of joy?

Ever feel like you'd pay just about anything to be able to pull up at a drive thru, make your order and pay your bill and drive away with a fresh top-off of joy?  Like a shot of espresso, but better... a shot of joy?  Or sometimes I feel like I'd even take a needle to the arm if I could get something better than B12 in me.

Well, here you go.

I dare you to try to watch these... just try to sing along...  watch their goofy silliness and listen to the sermons of truth in these happy tunes and try to miss the joy.

Bet you can't do it.  And I know... you don't want to.  I sure want to reap the full harvest of beauty and soul joy and dancing with my kiddos over all this....

I hope you can fill up your souls on the supreme joy, this bold evidence of the grace of God right here.

For the Lamb

If you need some encouragement, as I have, for your own heart and for your country....  have a listen here, remember the praise-worthy sovereign God we serve and too,  see these ambassadors of their generation.  Lord do your work in our hearts and in our land!






This one too... Ever Glorious...  Oh Yes.

And if you want just a taste of what many in not-my-country, but my-home-land live, their daily reality... watch just the first 4 minutes of this video.  We pray, with some of the words that finish the pages of Scripture... Even So Come, Lord Jesus!

Worth It All

for the epitaph...

If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: "the only proof He needed for the existence of God was music" 
- Kurt Vonnegut, published in Scotland's Sunday Herald (via Jason Gray's website)

A Little Hymnal

When our niece Maelee passed away, I knew I would want to see her name in glad places in our lives.  So this little hymnal I think of as Maelee's, finished to mark two years of missing her here on earth. These songs are to correct my thinking, exhort my heart when storms (like grief or even just everyday battles) come strong against me.  Some other songs are for lifting our voices to sing along with Maelee and all the saints who have gone before... yes, even with all the angels and all creation as we'll one day lift our voices in right adoration of our King.

Maelee's mama told me once that she wanted to learn more hymns and I know I desperately need every help I can get to set my mind on the truth, to lift my soul from the messes that I am constantly cleaning and sometimes sinking my heart into.  May the Lord lift our eyes and hearts with these words...

If you don't have these tunes, you can find them easily on iTunes.  I would be happy to share this hymnal (Word document) with you if you let me know an email address where I can send the file.  It's yours to print- laminate- post however and wherever you want to be ready to sing!


Sovereign Grace Music:  Together for the Gospel
A Mighty Fortress is our God
It is Well with My Soul
How Firm a Foundation
Oh the Deep, Deep Love
Come Thou Fount
How Deep the Father's Love for Us
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
I Will Glory in My Redeemer
Arise, My Soul, Arise
The Power of the Cross
My Song is Love Unknown
And Can It Be
There is a Fountain Filled with Blood
Before the Throne of God Above
In Christ Alone

Jadon Lavik:  Roots Run Deep
Blessed Assurance
Tis So Sweet
My Father's World
I Surrender All
Wondrous Love
Turn Your Eyes
I Need Thee
Take My Life
What a Friend


Michael Card:  Hymns  (Several songs here are the same as the Sov Grace CD above.  Choose your style. Card's music might not strike my generation or younger as "cool" to begin with, but it is timeless, treasureful beauty in my eyes now.)
Look, Ye Saints

Aaron Keyes: various

Dwell

Psalm 62:  My Soul Finds Rest in God

To Make Your Name Great

Martyn Layzell:  Glimpses of Worship
Oh Church Arise


Grace Community Church:  Lavished Grace
Jesus I am Resting Resting


Libera:  Angel Voices
Abide with Me
Be Still My Soul (also can try The Kry Unplugged if you don't like the boy choir version)


(And of course, if a different version of the song appeals to you more, choose your artist!  These are the ones I've chosen for our home :)  And if there are songs you want to add.... the word document is yours to add to!)

I have only listened to the free songs from these two albums  (Scripture Lullabies) but I know that these are songs I want to add to this often played list in our home...

God of Justice

Another song to enjoy, to pray, to lift up to the Lord with Aaron Keyes is Psalm 62.... and I'm sure many more. I'm so grateful to sing this, pray this, this morning....

Move us into action....(not just my lips singing, help me move my life into action) We must go!

May He be praised!

O Church Arise

O Church Arise
by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

O Church Arise and put your armour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies
An army bold whose battle-cry is Love
Reaching out to those in darkness

Our call to war to love the captive soul
But to rage against the captor
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valour
When faced with trials on every side
We know the outcome is secure
And Christ will have the prize for which He died
An inheritance of nations

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet
As the Son of God is stricken
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet
For the Conqueror has risen
And as the stone is rolled away
And Christ emerges from the grave
This victory march continues till the day
Every eye and heart shall see Him

So Spirit come put strength in every stride
Give grace for every hurdle
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful
As saints of old still line the way
Retelling triumphs of His grace
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in glory

Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh that this would be the tune of my heart as we finish this cold winter.... 

From the Getty's site, you can watch a video/ hear the tune if you're interested.  

This is Why...

When the first strum comes in on this song, my attention is drawn.... 
and then these lyrics.  This is the very word, the bread, my soul needs to live:     


"I am tangled up in contradiction
I am strangled by my own two hands
I am haunted by the hounds of addiction
Hosanna, Hosanna"


This is the song, the word for why I am a Christian. 


Matt and I have deeply delighted in this song, Hosanna, and this whole album Resurrection Letters Volume II from the greatly enjoyed Andrew Peterson.    If you're looking for a gift to give, I can't think of a better one....


Plenty of friends have told me, tried to encourage me, that I don't need to focus so much on my sin.  I don't need to worry about it. I'm really not so bad.... just look at how good I want to be.  That's good!


But that doesn't save me.  My sin is a reality.  I know it.  My kids know it.  My husband and the neighbors I pass by when I'm late.  And it's not ok.  It doesn't just evaporate.  God is holy and this is not.  I am not.  


But.... Salvation!  It is coming and not from within me.  Salvation that is flawless, changeless (how often am I at all like that?) is sure and promised and living and true.  Salvation has come!  (Merry Christmas!)


Since Hosanna isn't Enlish... it's worth sharing what the word is about:

It used to be what you would say when you fell off the diving board.. like when somebody pushes you off the diving board before you can swim and you come up hollering: "Help, save me . . . Hoshiya na!"

But it came to be what you would say when you see the lifeguard coming to save you! It is the bubbling over of a heart that sees hope and joy and salvation on the way and can't keep it in.

So "Hosanna!" means, "Hooray for salvation! It's coming! It's here! Salvation! Salvation!"

(quoted from...)

A few more lyrics for you:

"You have crushed beneath your heel the black serpent

You have carried to the grave the black stain

You have torn apart the temple's holy curtain

You have beaten death and death's own game

Hosanna!

Hail the long awaited King come to set his people free!

Won't you tear the temple down, lift it up on holy ground!?

I will lift my voice and sing you have come and washed me clean!

Hosanna!"

Hail the long awaited King.... born in a manger.

He has come!  He will come again!  

May this be the glad anthem of all our days...

Hosanna!

Come By Here

Listening to this song, the second track from the almost released album Third World Symphony, by Shaun Groves.  And the third song.... oh, Let Your Kingdom Come!  Ok, the whole album is simply stellar.

"Come by Here" is quite the theme of this season now.... maybe a theme-prayer-song for life?  Yes, it must be.

One of the greatest privileges of my life (among many whose names are on this blog with me) is to sing this song here... to pray this. Here.  


And surely The High Privilege of my life is to trust and know and believe the promises of God.... that he hears these prayers, sees these tears, is able to save, and that

He
Will
Come.

(The best line of the song...)
Come, we have nothing else God, and having you we want for nothing.


Come!  Come and meet us here.  Come and touch our tears, that we may weep no more.
Come and meet our pain.  Come and lift our lame, that we may limp no more.  Come that we may want no more.

All I Have is Christ

Blessed again today to have these words playing loud in our home... 


I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin 
"All I have is Christ"  from the Na Band's "Looked Upon" CD

K4's songs

I have a sweet playlist put together for K4’s birth.  Along with the song above (a free download), here are two more of my favorite songs on the list....  I’d love to hear if you have suggestions for any more.

Almighty Fortress:  Christy Nockels,  “Life Light Up” CD.

“We will keep our eyes on You.  We will keep our eyes on You.  Almighty Fortress is our God.  A sacred refuge is Your name....Our God is jealous for His own, none could comprehend His love and His mercy”

The Lord Is: Sovereign Grace, “Psalms” CD.

“The depths of Your grace, who can measure?  You fully supply all my need.  You restore my weary soul again and again.  You lead me in Your righteousness and peace.  You’re with me through every dark valley.  There’s nothing that I have to fear.  You are there to comfort me again and again, protecting me, assuring me You’re near.  The Lord is, the Lord is my Shepherd.  I shall not want.”

such a gift

Just saw the tip on Justin Taylor's blog to listen and download for free Psalm 148 and Psalm 111 from Andrew Case. Here's the site to get the music: http://soundcloud.com/andrewdcase

Listen. Oh please listen. Such beauty, such truth... such a gift to enjoy.

"Praise the LORD from the heavens!
Praise him in the heights!
Praise him all his angels;
Praise him, all his hosts!"

"Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven."

above, Psalm 148:1,2,13

world music

I had been thinking for a while that it would be great to find some $2 album with a hundred great songs on it.... we need some excellent classical music in our collection. It's so sweet to have it playing during work and play time, especially during quiet reading time for the kids while I make dinner. Of course music makes that time a bit sweeter!

But free is better than $2.

I just downloaded lots of free albums... Brazilian, Baroque, Classical, Jazz, Israeli, Middle East, Naxos (it sounds great, but I still need to look up what it is!), and Tango tunes from Argentina. What a treat! Way to go Amazon!

Just go to Amazon and search for "Brazilian Music Sampler Free"or "Eternal Baroque" and then follow the links to "customers who bought this also bought..." to see more of the free music.

free music from The Village

The Village Church (FM, Texas) has some great worship music on their site that is free for downloading. I downloaded the kids album (5 fun songs) but wasn't able to get the regular worship album downloaded.... I did get to listen to it online though and it's great. Some really sweet lyrics and melodies.

I hope you can get over there and pick up your free tunes to enjoy too!

http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/music

Come and Get It!

Friends,

I hope you'll get a chance to check out http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ . For the month of February they are having a great sale with music for $5 and most books for $7. These guys have some excellent music- nourishment for heart and soul and altogether good music- and you can listen to samples of most all the songs at their site.

One of my favorite CDs ever is Psalms by these guys.

And I'm excited to download these two new sets due to the sale incentive :)

"Looked Upon" and "Sons and Daughters"

Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends,

We wish you joy in this season: fullness in the only lasting, all-surpassing joy of Christ. We really enjoy hearing about you and seeing your photos this time of year. If you could email us, (or if you have a card, you could send it to Matt's parents this year) we'd love to hear from you!

This has been a full year for us. Finishing language study late spring/summer, welcoming our third precious little one, packing up our home and traveling the states all fall until now. This has been a remarkably blessed and joyful season for us, and only God can be credited for keeping us sane, let alone so glad! We've visited dozens of friends and stayed in 20 homes in the past 4 months, with three kiddos 3.75 and under. God has made it a season of rich growth, needed heart lessons (see future posts for more on this), and lots of laughter and fun for all of us.

We're so grateful to get to enjoy time with family for Christmas and New Years this year. And we're really hoping scheduling will work out to meet some special family members not far from here too. Then we'll make one more stop to visit friends before we head back to our home in Asia.

We are so eager to be back there, to find a new home in the new city we'll be in. Sometimes life is hard there but every second of it is dearly worthwhile. We are glad to get to be there, to live purposefully there, and for ourselves to treasure and to raise our kids to treasure the light of Christ together.

May 2010 bring you more of the knowledge of the goodness of Christ- beyond comprehension, beyond comparison.

We send lots of love to you friends, at Christmas this year.

The Ks

Here's a few more pictures from our Christmas photo shoot in my aunt's living room. Isaiah, eager to be 4, Marian proud to be 2, and John at the half year mark.

To close, we want to share one of our favorite songs with you... it's a wonderful telling of the Christmas story. Enjoy...

"In the First Light"... from Todd Agnew's CD "Do you see what I see?"

In the first light of a new day, no one knew he had arrived.

Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried.

But the heavens, rapt in wonder knew the meaning of his birth.

In the weakness of a baby, they knew God had come to earth.

As his mother held him closely, it was hard to understand...

that her baby, not yet speaking was the Word of God to man.

He would tell them of his kingdom, but their hearts would not believe.

They would hate him and in anger, they would nail him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken as the Son of life arose.

And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne.

He had left it to redeem us but before his life began,

he knew he'd come back not as a baby but as the Lord of every man.

Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth,

but how much greater will our song be when he comes again.... to rule the earth!

Click here to listen to the song.

Mary's song

Here's what we're celebrating.


May the all-surpassing joy of Christ be yours in abundance as we celebrate him in this Holy Day, Christmas.

"Praise the Almighty God; He's done great things for us...." He's come.

Music: from Todd Agnew's CD "Do you see what I see", the song is Mary's Magnificant, sung by Christy Nockels
Video: Clips from The Nativity Story, edited by Crossroads Mulitmedia

Do you see what I see?

Yesterday morning my language study was pretty distracted.... I sat for a while in front of my textbook, character paper and pen waiting to be used up, and I just listened to Todd Agnew's Chirstmas CD, Do you see what I see? Eventually I did get to my studies, but not before a sweet session of worship and appreciation with this music. I feel like my eyes were opened to some new aspects of the wonder of Christ's birth that we celebrate at Christmas. How rich we are to have food like this for our souls!

The CD is mostly all songs that are sung as if from the voice of the eyewitnesses to Jesus' birth: Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, the three kings, the innkeepers... the songs are excellent, vocals are sweet (I'm a sucker for the great choirs that pop up at times), and many of the lyircs are rich, profound, beyond what I expected (I just didn't know any better.) Abundant thanks to MF for recommending the CD to us. If you are looking for any new Christmas tunes, don't pass up this CD!

Psalms

Incredible. Right now "Glorious and mighty" is playing. Another favorite on this album of favorites is "The Lord Is." The set is solid with rich melodies and vocals and lyrics- all inspired by the Psalms (thus, the name for the album). You can listen to some selections on the Sovereign Grace site. I know Sov Grace music is all excellent- especially for it's sound God-centered focus, but this is by far my favorite album I've heard from them. I look forward to charging my heart and brain with these tunes and prayers first thing tomorrow morning!