Celtic Thunder!

OK...I confess. I happen to like the group Celtic Thunder. No, I don't have any of their cd's. I just happened to catch them one night on PBS. I love celtic music. I had missed the Celtic Women special the week before, but I stumbled onto Celtic Thunder.

Today, I was looking for something and they came to mind. So, yes, I did spend some time browsing their videos on youtube. There is one that I don't remember seeing on the show. I watched it and it really touched my heart. I thought I would share it here with you.

This is the link: Christmas 1915



There is another one they do that I really like. In it there are some Irish words:
A thiarna dean tracaire (Irish for: Lord have Mercy)
A chriost dean trocaire (Irish for: Christ have Mercy)

From the time I first heard it, I had a feeling about the meaning of the words. I did not know until today what they mean. This is the link for the lyrics:
Heartland Lyrics

Here is the link for the video:
Heartland

The video runs into the next song called "Raggle Taggle Gypsy".

Musings on Music!

I have been thinking about music more lately, especially after accidentally discovering some old songs on the internet that I used to listen to. My musical tastes are pretty broad. There are some styles of music I don't like, but not many. Of course, some of the styles that I don't like I am not sure that I would even put in the category of music. *smile* However, that is a discussion for another day.

Today's music is definitely unlike the some of the older stuff. I look at classical and how indepth it is with all the layers upon layers of notes and instrumentations. What we mostly seem to have today is very simple by comparison. Yet, even in its simplicity, it can move the heart and carry us away beyond this mere earth.

I have shared a video about Keith Green. His music has always touched my heart deeply. It has challenge me, convicted me and motivated me. What I want to share with you today, however, is from a different focus.

There was a time in my life where I was barely surviving. Only my closest friends knew anything about it...and even they knew only the surface of what was really going on. To everyone else I tried to put on a brave face. It is nothing short of a miracle of Yahweh God that I survived.

During that period, music really helped to get me through...music I listened to, music I sang, music I wrote, music I played. Within that music, there were some key songs that really spoke to my heart...songs that I clung to...songs that gave me hope. They helped me to get through day by day. This is one of them.

I am putting up two versions. One is a live recording. The other is a video someone made using the recorded version. When I hear this song it takes me back to another time and tears come to my eyes for He has brought me from that place.

For those who recognize the name of the band and think...oh, way too rocky...let me tell you that this is one of their mellow songs.

You can either follow the links, or listen/watch here.
White Heart - Desert Rose Live



Desert Rose off album with video



Desert Rose lyrics

Keith Green Story!

Keith Green's music has been a major influence on my life. I remember being very stirred by his music and getting all his first albums. It was an exciting time as the whole Christian music scene started to change. Not all the changes have necessarily been for the best, but many were. I loved how Keith's music would challenge me to live an authentic Christian life. His message was strong. It was real. You could clearly see his heart. One of the things I really liked about him was that he was not pretentious. What you saw was what you got.

Here is a video that my friend, Pat, from PBN, found on the life of Keith Green. I hope you enjoy it!

Birds of a Feather & Maranatha 70's!

This morning my son told me to come very slowly to the window. In the tree outside, which I believe is a cedar, there was a small flock of birds. I don't recall ever seeing them before. They were fat little birds with medium gray on their wings, very dark heads and an orangish colored breast and stomach. Just behind the orange beneath their tails they have white. The tails are also gray.

This is the tree where the bird feeder is, but I think they are too big to be able to use the kind we have. They were pecking at seeds of some kind in the tree. As they ate little dark specks were hitting the snow below the tree.

They were accompanied by little birds with dark and white striping. We also saw what appeared to be a tiny woodpecker...black and white with a bit of red on his head. He was tapping away at a branch in a nearby bush, but we could not hear anything, even when we opened the window a tiny bit. We do have woodpeckers around. In the summer we have heard them.

There is still snow on the ground and the trees still have some ice on the branches. No icicles. It is more of a layer of ice that just coats them. Yet, the birds were able to get to those seeds in the tree, even with the ice.

Hmmm...I wonder...do we choose to keep picking at God's Word for that sweet honey for the spirit, even when it seems like everything in life is layering "ice" upon it? Sometimes, when hard things in life hit, it is harder to get into the Word. It almost seems as if there is this layer over it that makes it hard to see...difficult to understand. Yet, if we act like those birds and keep at it...we, too, will be rewarded with the nuggets of spiritual nourishment that are there.

These birds were together...a small flock. They led one another from tree to tree, from place to place. Do we gather together with one another? Do we fellowship and allow ourselves to be led by one another to His Word and to His presence? Sometimes, especially when we are weak and unable to find our way on our own, we need the rest of the flock to help show the way to the next place...to the next bit of nourishment on the journey. So, do we allow that to happen? Or are we stubborn, independent buggers?

Well, I am sitting here listening to the February 15th PUD (Praise Until Dawn) podcast from PBN. This particular one seems to be the worship music from the 70's...Maranatha style...the stuff I heard in that time when I was really growing into my relationship with the Lord in a much deeper way. Boy does it take me back! I LOVE this music as it lifts my spirit and makes my heart soar.

It is now time to get off here and do some bible reading with my son. While we read, I am going to start the very slow filling of the bathtub. Because of the small water heater, I have to let it fill VERY slowly so that the water stays hot. It takes about 20 minutes or so to get the tub filled. No sudden baths around here. You have to preplan them. But I will share more about that in another post sometime.

I have been sharing my rambling thoughts here this morning. I sure hope they make some sense! :)

Oh...and one more thought about the birds and music. At one point, my son said that there was a bird outside that kept opening its mouth as the music was playing. He said that it almost seemed as if the bird was singing with it! I hope that your heart is singing to Him today!