Foy Vance

On Sunday, Josh and I went to see NEEDTOBREATHE at the House of Blues. We were told that it would be like being in the eye of a hurricane, and it was. What an incredible evening of dancing and singing! "You will leave with your clothes in ribbons and your hearts on the stage." I have to tell you, though, before the South Carolinian brothers even stepped foot on stage, our hearts were stolen away.

via alyssa joy photography

The opening artist was an Irish songwriter named Foy Vance. He emerged alone and seated himself in front of a keyboard. As the first thread of his lyrics rang across the venue, "The scenery's changing and it warms my soul," there was a tangible moment of stillness and awe.

Josh and I had the privilege of meeting Foy after the show. He was gracious, kind, and quietly engaging. "Vance is moved by the fractions of love and sentiment, giving himself over to the quiet deluge. His is a voice that rattles you and forces you to let it in so that you may all enjoy a dark room, a modest fire and something to toast with." Indeed we were rattled, and the chorus of his closing song is still humming in my head.

Click here for a free download.

We'll run, nor in Thy ways be tired

This song has been the murmuring between my moments, day after day.  Many changes lie ahead, and I am exhilarated and expectant and somewhat afraid.  This calling is a gift beyond measure, and the greatest gift is His presence in our community.

How sweet to wait upon the Lord while He fulfills His gracious Word;
To seek His face and not in vain, to be so loved and love again.

To see while kneeling at His feet, Jehovah on the mercy seat;
And Jesus, at the Lord's right hand, with His divine atonement stand!

Amen, our hearts with rapture cry!
May we with rev'rence look so high;
Ascended Savior, fix our eyes
By faith upon this glorious prize!

"Father," He cries, "I will that these before Thee on their bended knees,
For whom My life I once laid down, be with Me soon on this My throne."

Amen, our hearts with rapture cry!
May we with rev'rence look so high;
Ascended Savior, fix our eyes
By faith upon this glorious prize!

With this delightful prospect fired, we'll run, nor in Thy ways be tired;
And all the trials here we see, will make us long to reign with Thee.

Amen, our hearts with rapture cry!
May we with rev'rence look so high;
Ascended Savior, fix our eyes
By faith upon this glorious prize!

Joseph Swain, 1770s
Clint Wells and Karl Digerness, 2009

Two.

Photo Credit: Devin Hayward Photography

Tuesday was our anniversary. We have been married for two years now! Yay! I would marvel, "I can't believe it's been that long," but actually, I can believe it. These two years have been long and full in the very best sense. We have traveled a lot, finished college, worked several different jobs and even moved to a new place. It's been busy! I love doing life with Josh. He is generous and spontaneous, always looking ahead with optimism and creativity.

Josh also builds me up. This past year, he's encouraged me to grow in confidence and to keep on singing. He even bought me a beautiful little guitar for our anniversary! I was floored! (I tried to teach myself during high school, but gave up after learning a handful of chords.) Last night, I sat in the bedroom and spent over an hour on this website, practicing chord changes and singing made-up melodies until my fingers ached and my heart was full.

I have no idea what this coming year will bring, but I'm excited to take it on with my best friend. To year three!

Stubborn Love

You know that I love The Lumineers. "Stubborn Love" is my favorite song from their debut album, and I find myself humming the melody almost every evening at the kitchen sink. Now there is a video just as lovely to match.

Happy Monday, my friends.

Greylag

 

Thanks for introducing me to these two fine gentlemen, Kelly Ann. :) Have a listen, my friends, and enjoy your Friday.

Stable Song

As some of you may know, I sing. Music has been an unexpected, integral part of my relationship with God. Somehow, giving my breath to a lyric, to a harmony, to a hymn, gives breath to my belief. I heard this song for the first time a few days ago, and since then, it's nestled itself safely beneath my waking thoughts (as all great songs do), murmuring until I return to it for rest.

Remember when our songs were just like prayer
Like gospel hymns that you called in the air
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Unto my simple house and ring... and ring

Ring like silver, ring like gold
Ring out those ghosts on the Ohio
Ring like clear day wedding bells
Were we the belly of the beast, or the sword that fell?
We'll never tell

Come to me, clear and cold
On some sea
Watch the world spinning waves
Like that machine

Now I've been crazy, couldn't you tell?
I threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
Now I'm covered up in straw, belly up on the table
Well I drank and sang, and I passed in the stable

That tall grass grows high and brown
Well I dragged you straight in the muddy ground
And you sent me back to where I roam
Well I cursed and I cried, but now I know
Now I know

And I ran back to that hollow again
The moon was just a sliver back then
And I ached for my heart like some tin man
When it came, oh it beat and it boiled and it rang
It's ringing

Ring like crazy, ring like hell
Turn me back into that wild haired gale
Ring like silver, ring like gold
Turn these diamonds straight back into coal
Turn these diamonds straight back into coal

the grieved soul

Come, my soul and let us try, For a little season,
Ev'ry burden to lay by, Come and let us reason.
What is this that casts you down, Who are those that grieve you?
Speak and let the worst be known; Speak and God will hear you.

O, I sink beneath the load of my nature's evil!
Full of emnity to God; Captived by the devil!
Restless as the troubled seas, feeble faint, and fearful;
Plagued with ev'ry sore disease, How can I be cheerful?

Think on what thy Saviour bore in the gloomy garden.
Sweating blood at every pore to procure thy pardon!
See him stretched upon the wood, bleeding, grieving, crying,
Suffering all the wrath of God, groaning, gasping, dying!

This by faith I sometimes view and those views relieve me;
But my sins return anew, these are they that grieve me.
Nothing good within me dwells; E'en God's love rejected,
Have not I, if any soul, cause to be dejected?

Think how loud thy dying Lord cried out, "It is finished!"
Treasure up that sacred word, whole and undiminished;
Doubt not he will carry on, To its full perfection,
That good work he has begun; Why then, this dejection?

Faith when void of works is dead; This the Scripture's witness;
And what works have I to plead, who am all unfitness?
All my powers are full of greed, blind to truth, unholy;
If from death I'm fully saved, Why am I not healthy?

Pour not on thyself too long, lest it sink thee lower;
Look to Jesus, kind and strong, mercy joined with power;
Every work that thou must do, will thy gracious Savior
For thee work, and in thee too, for his laud and honor.

The Grieved Soul, Words: Joseph Hart, 1759; Music, M.A. Hendson, 1859, Sacred Harp tune.

If I had to choose one

"Truth is always from God no matter where you find it," writes Dr. Rosalie de Rosset. This hymn, originally titled "Song for the Fountain Opened," is my favorite poem. It breaks me every time.

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day
And there may I, though vile as he
Wash all my sins away

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
'Til all the ransomed church of God
Be saved to sin no more

When this poor, lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I'll sing Thy power to save

And since by faith I saw the stream
Thy dying wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be 'til I die

William Cowper (1731-1800)

Ben Howard

This may be old news to you all, but I'm willing to take the risk.  Josh and I were listening to NPR on the way to work this morning, and we heard this music... I have to share it with you all!  Like Marcus Foster, this artist is from the U.K.

Marcus Foster

Thanks to this beautiful mix by Kelly Ann, I am now smitten with this singer from the U.K.

Click here to listen to his most famous piece, "I Was Broken."

The Staves

These three sisters are from England, and their voices are breathtaking. I stumbled upon their music this morning and just had to share it with you:

Hope you're having a lovely day, friends.

The Silence of God

"...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him... so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."

It's enough to drive a man crazy; it'll break a man's faith
It's enough to make him wonder if he's ever been sane
When he's bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod
And the heaven's only answer is the silence of God

It'll shake a man's timbers when he loses his heart
When he has to remember what broke him apart
This yoke may be easy, but this burden is not
When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God

And if a man has got to listen to the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they've got
When they tell you all their troubles have been nailed up to that cross
Then what about the times when even followers get lost?
'Cause we all get lost sometimes...

There's a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold
And He's kneeling in the garden, as silent as a stone
All His friends are sleeping and He's weeping all alone

And the man of all sorrows, he never forgot
What sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought
So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God

Andrew Peterson

A wistful song

Alexa posted this video on her blog a few days ago, and I fell in love with it instantly.  Doesn't it warm you with summer dreams?

The Fish and the Bird

Do you like First Aid Kit?  You will love this singing and songwriting duo.  The best part?  They're sisters, too!

The Woodnote Project

"an expression of truth without pretense or artifice, a movement to foster sincere worship, and a gathering of friends fellowshipping through music..." 

This is the latest worship project by my second cousin's husband!  (We're closer than it sounds... they live in Chicagoland, too!)  You can download the entire album for only $4.  Hope you like it!

Ólafur Arnalds

via

I am smitten with this Icelandic composer.  Listen to his Living Room Songs, and as Joy Williams promises, your heart will be broken and mended again.

Good morning

We overslept today.  I stumbled to the bathroom to mend my matted, pillow-dried hair.  He went straight to the kitchen to brew fresh coffee.  He's my hero.

Here is what I'm listening to this morning:

Aren't they magical?

A few things...

1. First Aid Kit's new album is fantastical.  No surprise there.  And I've been playing it all morning.
   
2. I'm finding that I really do like watching football.  My family wasn't into it, but Josh has been explaining the rules to me.  It's nice to know what the heck is going on.
3. Bet you didn't know that my hubby plays the hammered dulcimer!  A few nights ago, we had a spontaneous jam session, trying to pick out this song.
4. If you go to Dunkin' Donuts right before close, they give you extra doughnuts for free... which gives you an excuse to eat one for a late night snack, the one with the chocolate icing, chocolate chips, and sugary icing in the middle.
5. Pinterest is so, so, so fun.  I opened an account three weeks ago, but didn't really start pinning until yesterday.  Oh, my.  I need to set a timer for my sessions.

Are any of you lovelies on Pinterest?  Let me know, because I would love to follow you!

First listen

source

First Aid Kit is releasing a new album called The Lion's Roar this week.  I am so, so, so excited!   Though it does not officially release until tomorrow, you can listen to the entire album on NPR.  Click here for 42 minutes and 48 seconds of sheer happiness.

A song that stopped my heart

Feeling like a refugee, like it don't belong to me
The colors flash across the sky
This air feels strange to me, feeling like a tragedy
I take a deep breath and close my eyes one last time

Storms on the wasteland, dark clouds on the plains again
We were born into the fight
But I'm not sentimental, this skin and bones is a rental
And no one makes it out alive

Until I die, I sing these songs on the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home in a world where I belong
Where the weak are finally strong, where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home in a world where I belong

Feels like we just failed while our hearts are just breaking
Feels like we've been fighting against the tide
I wanna see the earth start shaking, I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside 

Chorus

This body is not my own, this world is not my home
But I still hear the sound of my heart beating out

On that final day I die, I wanna hold my head up high
I wanna tell you that I tried to live it like a son
When I reach the other side, I wanna look you in the eye
And know that I'm alive in a world where I belong

I still believe we can live forever
I still believe in us together
You and I, we're here together now
Forever now