Hello again, world! =D

Hi! I haven't been around here on this blog for almost a year. It's been a long year full of  ups and downs, but God has been good in helping me get back on my feet. I didn't really think anyone visited this blog to be honest. I was very surprised to see many visitors, so I'll be working on some new material to share with you. Thanks for visiting!

Gifts for Christian Musicians!

One of my side hobbies is creating designs and photos that I enjoy placing on items. As I created some fun music designs and products for myself, friends, and students with instruments and Bible verses, I thought you would enjoy them, also. I think they would be great gifts for the Christian musicians in your life. You may take a look at my Christian music Cafe Press page at Joyful Inspiration Gallery to see all of the designs and items.

Find these and many more @ Joyful Inspiration Gallery !

Sola Christo ~ In Christ Alone

 "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." ~ Galatians 2:20

God gave the beautiful gift of music to all people. He has given composers creative talents and has inspired them to write the most amazing words and music for Him! One song that touches the deepest parts inside of me is "In Christ Alone" by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. As a daily reminder to myself and to those who may pass by this small page, I wanted to share this music with you. I pray that Christ may touch you as you listen to the songs with your heart. (Just click below to enjoy the video.)

"In Christ Alone" Worship Video & Lyrics


"In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand"

Getty & Townend wanted to create a piece of music where the words were grounded in the Word, and presented in a way that would be memorable not only for worshipers on  Sunday mornings, but for believers on any day, any time, in any place.

In Townend's words, “The lyric [of this song] excites me because it places our hope, our assurance, our eternal destiny in the right place—on the solid foundation of Christ. I know in my own life I need reminding continually not to live by my feelings or my circumstances, but by the unchanging truth of the gospel.” ~ Quoted from Song Story: "In Christ Alone" by Debra Akins

 Another song in praise of Christ is this version by Michael English
~ "In Christ Alone" ~
"In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope
Is Christ alone."

Some Scripture to Consider:
"To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." ~ Jude 1:25


"And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." ~ Philippians 3:9


"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." ~ Hebrews 10:10

"But now the righteousness of God apart form the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe." ` Romans 3:21,22

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of he glory of God." ~ Romans 5:1,2

"Knowing that a man in not justified by the works of the law by by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." ~ Galatians 2:16

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." ~ Galatians 2:20


Christian Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty
Christian Music by Stuart Townend
Christian Music by Michael English

soli Deo gloria ~ Done for the glory of God

Can music alter physical and mental health?

 What do you think? Since I haven't posted in two months due to health difficulties, I've thought about many things. So, here are some of my thoughts!

Can music alter physical and mental health?

Sacred Hymns ~ Music, Lyrics, & History

I find that if I know more about a piece of music that I appreciate it more. That is certainly very important with hymns and praise songs! I'm sad to admit that sometimes I sing along on the hymns, but don't really stop to think about what I am singing. When we think about the lyrics, the Scriptures that they come from, the stories and feelings behind the composers who felt moved to create them, we will understand more about our Maker and can truly use the songs to worship Him as we should! To help myself to do that more (and anyone else who may be interested), I have collected some websites which contain lyrics, sheet music, MP3's, composer information, Scripture references, and other little treasures! I hope they will be helpful to you! 

Sacred Hymns & Their History  from Invitation to Christ

Charles Wesley's Hymns ~ "Great Hymnwriter and Co-Founder of Methodism": Information regarding the hymns of Mr. Wesley.

Church Music ~ Search for sheet music for several hymns, children's resources including videos of ASL, and Learning Materials.

Great Christian Hymns ~ Hymn lyrics listed in several categories for easy searching.

Hymnary ~ Wow, this site has alot of stuff! I was a little confused at first, but once I made my way around, I liked what I saw. Search music by name, composer, lyrics, Bible reference to find sheet music, midi files, lyrics, and important related information. CCEH is a related site - I think it is their older version, but it had some cool stuff, too.

Hymn at Wikipedia ~ research the definition and history of hymns.

Hymn Lyrics ~ Well, Hymn Lyrics! It looks like it some a relationship with Rhapsody in some way, but I didn't read the details. It looks like it has interesting things, but some are by paid membership, others are free.

Hymnal Net ~ This site has the hymns in the categories of classic hymns, new tunes, new songs, children's songs, Scripture songs, and favorites. A midi track, lyrics, and guitar / piano leadsheets are available for free.

HymnSite ~ Find tons of hymns to download: lyrics, midi files, and sheet music; online hymn crossword puzzles, search indexes, and links to numerous other hymn sites.

Lutheran Hymnal ~ free MP3 recordings, lyrics, and more.

NetHymnal (Also known as Cyber Hymnal) ~ "Over 10,000 Christ­ian hymns, Author Bios, Composer Biographies, Hymn Histories and Gos­pel songs from ma­ny de­nom­in­a­tions. You’ll find lyr­ics, scores, MI­DI files, pic­tures, his­to­ry, & more. Search­a­ble, ad­vanced Au­to­play fea­ture, free down­loads. New en­tries ev­ery week. Us­er friend­ly. This wor­ship & teach­ing re­source is pro­vid­ed as a pub­lic ser­vice."

Popular Hymns ~ Lyrics and stories of 100 popular hymns.
I have to admit I don't understand all the copyright laws as far as what is public domain and what is not, but I don't want to steal something that perhaps in a copyright infringement as I'm sure you don't either. Please view each site with careful judgement as to how you understand the rules. I am not trying to place judgement, I just know in the music world that it can be confusing at times even within a well meaning ministry. With that is mind, here are some others. ??

Gary LeBlanc Music Ministry ~ sheet music and midi files.

Hymns for a Kid's Heart

As a follow-up of the blog post about doing a hymn study, I wanted to explore more about one of the resources listed at the Hymn Study site. Hymns for a Kid's Heart by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada is a wonderful series of books (4 volumes) for children to learn the tunes, words, and meanings of many popular hymns. The first two each contain 12 traditional hymns; the third is based on Christmas hymns; and the last is hymns about the Passion.

The website for Hymns for a Kid's Heart has many download-able resources. The 'Creative Ideas' pdf contains four simple scripts to introduce people to some of the hymns, suggestions for use, and several creative ideas for children, adults, Sunday school, Bible study, worship, or mission settings. The free downloads of 'Sheet Music' from each book contain the sheet music to all of the hymns in that particular book, a related Bible verse, and a prayer. The only thing they don't contain from the original books is the hymn story, history, and illustrations. The 'Accompaniment Tracks' may also be downloaded and saved free in MP3 format. The books contain recordings with voices for learning or listening to the hymns for a family devotion, class, or your car!

Along with gaining a deeper understanding of these worship songs, readers will treasure the music, stories, and meaningful pictures of this wonderful series!  :)

 

 

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

The poet who wrote the lyrics to Beneath the Cross of Jesus, Miss Clephane, was born in a little town about 30 south of Ed­in­burgh, Scot­land on the 18th of June, 1830. Little is known about this woman who was the youngest of three sisters. Those who knew the young lady referred to her as "the sunbeam" because of her cheery nature and charitable giving. Elizabeth's few poems were not even published until a few years after her death at age 39 in a magazine entitled The Family Treasure. Five stanzes exist although the order has been changed in some hymnals while other hymnals prefer only to list three stanzas. Please see below for a link for sheet music and a midi file, and a list of references for additional study.

Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Poet: Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868.

Musical Composer: Frederick C. Maker. Tune: St. Christopher

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land.
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat
And the burden of the day.

There lies beneath its shadow,
but on the farther side,
the darkness of an open grave
that gapes both deep and wide;
and there between us stands the cross,
two arms outstretched to save,
like a watchman to guard the way
from that eternal grave.

O safe and happy shelter,
O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where heaven's love
And heaven's justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch
That wondrous dream was giv'n,
So seems my Savior's cross to me,
A ladder up to heav'n.

Upon the cross of Jesus
Mine eyes at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart with tears
Two wonders I confess:
The wonders of redeeming love
And my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place,
I ask no other sunshine
Than the sunshine of His face.
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self, my only shame,
My glory all the cross.

Listen to a midi file download and find sheet music for Beneath the Cross of Jesus at HymnSite. Click on the "Hymn Search" Box on the top left side and enter the name.

Study Devotion ~ You may be interested in the following verses from which Miss Clephane was inspired: Genesis 28:11-12;  Jeremiah 9:2;  Isaiah 4:6;  Isaiah 28:12;  Isaiah 32:2;  Ezekiel 33:6-7;  Matthew 11:30;  Galatians 6:14.

 

 

April 2010 Poll ~ What is you favorite traditional hymn?

Traditional hymns are my topic for April, therefore I am hoping to find out which ones are your favorites! Don't worry, I'll do a poll and blogs posts in May about contemporary worship music. :D

If you have a favorite that I did not list above, please feel free to leave me a comment with the name of a hymn that touches your heart. Thanks & God Bless You! ~ Pamela

Worship Music Poll

Results of  the March 2010 Poll ~ Thank you to all who participated!!
"What styles of music do you prefer during worship?"

Traditional (hymns) 2 (25%)
Contemporary (modern styles) 3 (37%)
Gospel 1 (12%)
Organ 1 (12%)
Rock Band 1 (12%)
Orchestra 0 (0%)
Mixed instrumental ensemble 1 (12%)
Choral 2 (25%)
None of the above 1 (12%)
Combination of all the above 1 (12%)

Scriptunes! - Bible Scripture Memory!

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

What is the most important thing Christians should be filling their hearts and minds with? God's amazing Word, of course! When His Word is ingrained into our souls, it is there when we need it ~ to guide our thoughts and actions, to help us make wise choices, to lovingly help others, and to uplift and support in times of need.

But what if your memory skills need a little boost (like mine)? I find that when studying Scripture, I can remember the concept that I want, but have a difficult time quoting exactly without paraphrasing. I also have a hard time remembering the reference from where the verse is located in the Bible.

Why is it important to remember the verses and references exactly? When going through daily life, knowing the Word exactly and correctly is going to aid me in all I do or say. By knowing the reference I can easily refer to it to share that knowledge with others. it's much more convincing to be able to locate a verse and allow them to contemplate it than to just say that its in the Bible somewhere.

 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, 

rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 

so that the man of God may be thoroughly

equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

A method of making memorization easier is through music! So, one way my family has been memorizing Biblical Scriptures is using catchy, lively tunes. I believe all music should be used to glorify God in some way, so by singing Scripture we may worship Him and at the same time be implanting and teaching verses to ourselves, children, and anyone else who may listen.

The children have been participating in a wonderful program called Upwards for the past few years! It is a Christian organization for children and their families based around the fun games of basketball, soccer, and football. Several churches in our area band together to reach out to children grades K-8 in this mission. Not only do they have weekly basketball games and practices in which they learn to strengthen their sportsmanship and athletic skills, but they also have devotions and work together memorizing Scripture. They also have the option of cheerleading squads where the young ladies learn to be fantastic encourages to their fellow Christians.

"Upward Sports, the world’s largest Christian sports program for children, was created with a vision to provide the best sports experience possible for every child.  Each year some 1 million people around the world play, coach, referee, or volunteer in Upward Sports leagues and camps hosted by more than 2,600 churches.  Anyone – children and volunteers of any faith or no faith – can participate in Upward Sports.  Specifically designed for children in K5- sixth grade, Upward Sports aim to bring out “the winner” in every child – regardless of the game’s score." from Upwards Sports Site.

He replied, "My mother and brothers

are those who hear God's word 

and put it into practice."

Luke 8:21

Okay, Pamela, this blog is supposed to be about Christian music, so where are you going with this? Well, when the children start the yearly Upward program they are given a CD of incredible Christian music called Scriptunes! It contains an exciting, memorable song for each of the ten Bible verses the children will be studying. The songs are bouncy, repetitive, and easy to memorize! They contain the verse itself, a life application attached to it, and many time the reference right within the song itself. The music is composed and performed by a gentleman by the name of Mike Blackwood, a musician and pastor from Charlotte, North Carolina. My children and I have loved listening to and singing these songs to help to memorize each week's verse, then since the children enjoy them, listen to them year round. Since we have been participating for 5 years, we have 5 different CD for hours of inspirational listening!

If you would like to obtain a copy of one of the CD's, you may join Upwards, or just visit Mr. Blackwood's site or Amazon to order some for yourself! The songs are rewarding for all ages of believers!  :-D

If anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.

1 John 2:5