Silent Sunday: Jan 8, 2021
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5 Christian songs we love: January 2021
As my kids are getting older, their music tastes constantly change. We go back and forth from listening to their favored pop music to Christian songs. I like their music too but my preference is contemporary Christian music. It depends on our moods.
Occasionally they’ll switch to Minecraft YouTubers who remix songs to new lyrics made into the Minecraft theme. ahhhhhhhh! Too much video games and block style characters.
This song is not connected to Minecraft but it’s a good song to hear when you need motivation to move: “We’ll meet again” by The FatRat.
Still, we come back to our favorite radio station: Klove (Christian radio network).
We recommend 5 songs that will help deepen your faith through the storms of life:
- “Amadeo” Still My God by Ryan Stevenson. When I first the title of this song, it took me back to the movie “Amadeus” about Mozart. I eventually learned the word Amadeo is a Latin derivative meaning “lover of God.” Click on the link to read what the artist says about the song.
- “Yes I will” by Vertical Worship This song is about choosing to praise God in the lowest valley’s of life and believing that God is working all things out.
- “Let it rain” by Crowder. The music has a happy beat that puts you in a good mood. Makes you want to dance. Song about letting God’s will prevail; lyrics pose questions that are relatable for everyone. (I’m not articulating it well, but I hope you’ll check it out.)
- “21 years” by Toby Mac. This song isn’t usually played on Klove (don’t know why), but you can hear and see the music video on YouTube. Toby Mac wrote this song after his eldest son, Truett McKeehan, suddenly passed in October 2019. He was 21 years old. Lyrics are powerful, personal, grieving yet confident of seeing his son again in heaven.
- “Unstoppable God” by Sanctus Real This band has a special place in my heart. I first learned about Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome from the story of Matt Hammitt’s, the original lead singer of this band, son (Bowen) born with this congenital heart defect. I didn’t know that a few years later Ellis would be born with the same condition. Bowen’s story has inspired and encouraged me immensely.
I hope you’ll listen to one or all of these songs and get uplifted! Stay well and happy.
Bird nest building frenzy
Nests are popping up in more trees this week. Ones that were nonexistent a week ago has set up its abode safely in the crevice of tree branches. No wonder birds are darting everywhere, high and low, and chirping out orders to each other. It’s lots of work to perform for a small animal and that means many trips from gathering materials to building.
A common size nest is similar to the opening of a drinking glass cup; some are roundish on the bottom while others are upside down cones.
However, a particular nest stood out from the rest. It must’ve been constructed by bird/s; it’s a mansion compared to the others. I wonder if it belongs to a larger size bird or if several of them worked together – like a communal home for the new eggs.
I wish I were tall enough to see a furry little heads poking out or know how to operate a drone to see above the nests, but that’s wishful thinking, not to mention intrusive. They wouldn’t appreciate a curious human near their nursery.
We’ll have to settle for watching YouTube videos of spring hatching.
The idea of the nest in the bird’s mind, where does it come from?
Till this year, I didn’t give much thought to bird nests. But this lockdown meant a lot of staying home and walking around the neighborhood masked up and maintaining social distance; we began to slow our pace and look up at the trees.
Birds must go to great lengths to build their nests and they do this every year. How do their instincts kick in to do this every winter?! Nature is full of surprising findings…look at the salmons and how they travel from sea to river to spawn eggs in the river of their birth.
Again, nature delights, teaches, inspires, and helps me see how good and great God is.
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
Job 12:7-9
Pic taken on a brighter day. Another kind of nest. 
Bird nest demolition 
“Control Tower” by artist Cameron Hockenson
Bird condominium
Wordless Wednesday: January 6, 2121
Bird must be wondering
“You’ll have a lot more respect for a bird after you try making a nest.” ~ Cynthia Lewis
