all my soul needs

I like all kinds of music, but I love simple, melodic, mellow, beautiful songs the most. My favorite band for the past 7 years now has been Eisley. Nothing compares to them! When I’m studying, I either listen to them or Iron & Wine, Ray Lamontagne, Midlake, Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon. I have turned into an old lady at work; lately I only listen to Michael Buble, The Beatles, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Coldplay, James Taylor. I am first and foremost a lyrics girl, and if it’s poetic with soft rhythms and memorable lines, it gets me.

Ain’t no doubt in no one’s mind, love’s the finest thing around.
Whispers something soft & kind…Gone to Carolina in my mind…

We may never, never meet again on the bumpy road to love.
Still I’ll always, always keep the memory of…
The way you hold your knife;
The way we danced ’til three;
The way you’ve changed my life.
No, no, they can’t take that away from me.

There are times that walk from you like some passing afternoon,
summer warmed the open window of her honeymoon….
There are things that drift away like our endless, numbered days,
Autumn blew the quilt right off the perfect bed she made…

Let me not be too consumed with this world. Sometimes I want to go home and stay out of sight for a long time…

But all I have in my car is the radio. For awhile now, I’ve listened to country music, which I do love. I like classy country, cute songs about love, family, beer and God. Country always reminds me of living in the South, my Dad on his riding lawn mower in the backyard. Small towns, farmer towns, slower paces.

But lately I’m obsessed with Christian radio. I used to feel like I couldn’t listen to those songs because I thought they were campy, too sentimental. But there are a lot of really great bands that I’ve never taken the time to look for. The Afters, Caedmon’s Call, Casting Crowns, Needtobreathe, of course Third Day. And most of all, I love the worship songs that never fail to lift me up. I love and need the encouragement these songs bring throughout the day: driving to work, driving to school, sitting in traffic, feeling stressed/annoyed by something. It’s my time in the middle of my day, even though I am going somewhere I have to and doing something I don’t want to, I can feel calm because He’s there, even on my commute. And there’s nothing better than taking the time to praise God in the middle of all of our daily distractions. The other day, I heard the most unbelievable song by The City Harmonic called Manifesto. They are proof that Christian music doesn’t have to be cheesy, old fashioned, and expected. It can be powerful, full of life, created by young artists who love God.

I want to be focused on You always. I want Your voice in my head and Your song in my ears.