A Good Word Wednesday #32

What makes your heart sing? ♥️🎶😀

Good Word of the Day: SING

What makes your heart sing?

I love this definition of vocation from Frederick Buechner:

See more great thoughts in his book, Wishful Thinking, noted below in the Recommend Section.

What is it that you do that brings together the great needs of the world and your deep gladness? This is what makes your heart sing. I’d love to know.

I’m sure you’ve discovered that my heart sings when I’m writing. I have found great joy in helping women and girls find safety and freedom through She Is Safe. I have loved to write their stories. But writing, traveling and serving internationally wasn’t always my heart’s desire. Read more about that in Good Unseen People below.

Meanwhile… back to singing. I love to — in choirs, in the congregation, while I’m doing chores around the house. I think I have a decent alto voice — the kind that blends well with other voices, not a solo voice. When I think of singing, I think immediately of my Daddy’s booming baritone voice. I can close my eyes and still hear him sing, “I’ll tell the world that I’m a Christian,” or “I Come to the Garden Alone… and He Walks with me and He Talks with me…” I wish I had a recording of his singing. I can also hear my Momma humming in the kitchen as she prepared meals. It was usually a hymn that was on her heart.

What’s your favorite song? What do you like singing at your church or in your car with the radio blasting?

As I mentioned last week, I’m a child of the 60’s, but I really started enjoying music in the 70’s. The contemporary song at church at the time was “Pass It On.” Remember, “It only takes a spark….”? Sang it a bazillion times. I was a little nerdy and liked the easy style of the Carpenters. I see all of you Rock ‘n Rollers rolling your eyes right now. But how could you not enjoy “Rainy Days and Mondays,” or “There’s A Kind of Hush”, or “Sing”? I provided you a link below to enjoy that song.

I don’t enjoy all the Disney movies, but I do like "Sing.” Gotta love singing pigs, porcupines and mice. The link is listed below. (I’m sure you want to know my favorite Disney musical. Want to take a guess? What’s yours?)

The Bible gives us a great hymn book — The Psalms. Many of these words have been sung by God’s people throughout the ages. Songs of praise, or lament, of hope or anguish. Imagine Jesus singing some of these psalms with his family and with his followers. Read more about the Songs of Jesus. Click the link in the Recommend section below.

I’m happy that I am in an in between generation that enjoys singing both hymns and current choruses and songs in church. All of them lead us to worship when sung with a humble heart of praise. (I am grateful to have an amazing Worship Pastor at my church. Thank you Pastor Stephen for leading us to praise, introducing new songs to us and using the talents of musicians in our faith family.)

Wednesday in the Word

 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. James 5:13 NIV

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psalm 96:1 NIV

Good Unseen People

Here is a story that will make an appearance in my upcoming book: Unseen People: Sharing Light and Life with your Neighbors and the Nations. It was first offered in my blog, Stories for Global Good. This story continues the theme from above: What makes your heart sing?

You can keep up with the progress of my book here: Unseen People book progress

Good Words I Recommend

A Good Book:

Another Good Book:

A Good Video:

Another Good Video: (Play this in the background as you work, read, etc. Good, mellow music.) I saw this recommended by Tsh Oxenreider on the Substack newsletter 5 Quick Things. Highly recommend.

One More Good Video:

A Good Blog from Stories for Global Good. You’ll recognize another famous Disney song here:

Some of the words I recommend have associate links. All that mean is, if you click on them and purchase, I receive some support to continue this good work every Wednesday. Thanks in advance.

NOTE: There is absolutely no expectation or pressure from me about purchasing products or upgrading from a free to a paid subscription. I am just giving you options should you want them. Let me know if you have questions.

A Final Word

What playlist do you click on a regular basis? If you looked at my Spotify list you would find Christian and Christmas Cello music, Instrumental Christian music, A Writer’s Playlist and music by Ludovico Einaudi. I listen to the cello music as I slip into sleep each night.

I’m looking forward to singing the alto line with the great choirs assembled in heaven one day. I hope to see you there and we can bellow out, “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.”

Until next week, Share A Good Word with someone today.