Author Archives: Mama Jo

Married, mother of 4, who loves to be crafty and creative, lives to perform and never wants to stop learning!

Words and Music – Church (Take me Back)

Feels good to be a part of a church family that feels like home!

Take me back
To the place that feels like home
To the people I can depend on
To the faith that’s in my bones
Take me back
To a preacher and a verse
Where they’ve seen me at my worst
To the love I had at first
Oh, I want to go to church

 

Music and Me – Burn the Ships

Here’s a blast from the past!  Steven Curtis Chapman used a historical event to remind us that sometimes we have to remove the option to quit!

In the spring of 1519 a Spanish fleet set sail
Cortez told his sailors this mission must not fail
On the eastern shore of Mexico they landed with great dreams
But the hardships of the new world make them restless and weak
Quietly they whispered, “Let’s sail back to the life we knew”
But the one who led them there was saying
“Burn the ships we’re here to stay
There’s no way we could go back
Now that we’ve come this far by faith
Burn the ships we’ve passed the point of no return
Our life is here so let the ships burn and burn”

Words and Music – Somewhere Down the Road

This has been a long time favorite.  The chorus can be a real comfort when you are stuck in one of those “why is this happening” moments.

Somewhere down the road
There’ll be answers to the questions
Somewhere down the road
Though we cannot see it now
Somewhere down the road
You will find mighty arms reaching for you
And they will hold the answers at the end of the road

Music and Me – Harder to Believe

Steve Taylor’s lyrics were always well-crafted.  “Harder to Believe” is, hands down, my favorite song of his.

Nothing is colder than the winds of change
where the chill numbs the dreamer till a shadow remains
among the ruins lies your tortured soul
was it lost there
or did your will surrender control?
Shivering with doubts that were left unattended
so you toss away the cloak that you should have mended
don’t you know by now why the chosen are few?
it’s harder to believe than not to
harder to believe than not to
It was a confidence that got you by
when you know you believed it, but you didn’t know why
no one imagines it will come to this
but it gets so hard when people don’t want to listen
Shivering with doubts that you left unattended
so you toss away the cloak that you should have mended
don’t you know by now why the chosen are few?
it’s harder to believe than not to
Some stay paralyzed until they succomb
others do what they feel, but their senses are numb
some get trampled by the pious throng
still they limp along
Are you sturdy enough to move to the front?
is it nods of approval or the truth that you want?
and if they call it a crutch, then you walk with pride
your accusers have always been afraid to go outside
They shiver with doubts that were left unattended
then they toss away the cloak that they should have mended
you know by now why the chosen are few
it’s harder to believe than not to…
I believe

Words and Music – I Get to Love You

Sometimes the smallest word can have a huge impact.  The first time I heard Ruelle’s “I Get to Love You” I was struck by the use of the words “I Get To”.  Not “I’m Obligated . . . “o or “I Guess I . . . ”  but “I GET to love you.”  It’s a privilege.  Something I’m lucky enough to get to do.  Needless to say, I think of my husband and smile every time I hear this song.  Mindset is everything.

I get to love you
It’s the best thing that I’ll ever do
I get to love you
It’s a promise I’m making to you
Whatever may come your heart I will choose
Forever I’m yours, forever I do
I get to love you

Music and Me – I Stand

I love a good “girl power” song.  From the fun and upbeat to the thought-provoking, I love them all!

Idina Menzel’s “I Stand” was one I fell in love with IMMEDIATELY.  The chorus is especially powerful –

‘Cause I stand for the power to change,
I live for the perfect day
I love till it hurts like crazy,
I hope for a hero to save me
I stand for the strange and lonely,
I believe there’s a better place
I don’t know if the sky is heaven,
But I pray anyway