30 days of blogging, day 7: 10+1 favorite songs

This is my variation of "put your iPod on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that play." Since I already explained that's a recipe for a list of the 10 most embarrassing songs on my iPod, I'm going to do my own picking. Here are 10 (+1) favorite songs in no particular order:

1. A Living Prayer by Alison Krauss
- First of all, Alison's voice is hauntingly beautiful, and I just love this prayer. I never get tired of it.

2. I'm Alright by Phil Vassar
- Pure fun. I love to turn this song up really loud in the car and sing along. Phil wrote this song, but it was first recorded and made a big hit by Jo Dee Messina, and that version is also terrific, it's just not on my iPod.

3. Meet in the Middle by Diamond Rio
- This is the song that got me hooked on country music, nevermind that very little of my world resembles anything having to do with fenceposts or Georgia pines.)

4. Travelin' Soldier by the Dixie Chicks
- I love songs that tell a story, and this one is heartbreaking, and I love the harmonies in the chorus.

5. When You Say Nothing at All by Alison Krauss and Union Station
- Forget the first four songs I mentioned, this should really be at the top of the list. I love this song.

6. Be Unto Your Name composed by Phoebe P. Knapp
- We sing this song at my church, and I like the words and the melody, but it's this one line in the song that touches my heart every time, a prayer to God: "You are the love song we'll sing forever." Amen.

7. The River by Garth Brooks
- Well, if the list has country music on it, how can it leave out Garth? These words are my favorite: "Too many times we stand aside and let the water slip away till what we put off till tomorrow has now become today; so don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied; choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide." Oh, to be that brave in life.

8. When Peace Like a River by Horatio Spafford
- This is my most favorite hymn. When I first learned it by heart in college, it was the first verse I liked most about God's peace in times of trouble, but the more times I sing it, it's the later verses that speak of God's taking away my sin and promise of eternity that stir my soul.

9. Remember Me by Mark Schultz with Ginny Owens
- This song was part of the wedding service of some friends of mine something like 10 years ago, and I love it. I love the high harmony sung by the female voice, and I love every bit of the story of this song. This is another song that I never tire of hearing, that I play over and over, and sing along with all my heart.

10. The Dance by Garth Brooks
- This song reminds me that although there have been some things in my life I didn't appreciate at the time - many of which I still don't appreciate - it is experiences that make us who we are. Even as I write this, I have a hard time believing that. This song itself brings back bittersweet memories. "And I, I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go; our lives are better left to chance; I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance."

+1. Behold the Lamb (Communion Hymn) by Keith & Kristyn Getty
I originally wrote this post as a list of 10, and this was on the list but it got replaced right at the end. THEN, I went to church on Sunday and we sang not only Be Unto Your Name but also this song. I like so many of the songs by the Gettys and they have become a regular part of the song rotation at our church. I could have picked any number of them, but this one gets listed for the gorgeous, contemplative melody and the rich words.

This is not a "top 10" (or 11) list, just a selection of my favorites. There are so many songs I enjoy time and again that I could go on listing them for a long time. Each is a favorite because of a strong melody, powerful words, or because it stirs a memory. Mostly, it reminds me to spend more time enjoying music in my life, maybe I'll discover a new favorite.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/