Jacob Collier deconstructs a Stevie Wonder classic

I love Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder. I have learned to appreciate is more because of Jacob Collier. 

I Will Try to Fix You

"Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VDAhbzTovo

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/coldplay/fixyou.html

I love the Cinematic Pop version of this song. I imagine these words come from God. God will repair all if I allow His Grace in my life by working the path he lays before me. 

Which Part is Mine?

This is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard. It is sung by Felicia Sorensen. The following has the lyrics to the song as well as the story behind as told by the author Michael McLean. 

Lynne and I just celebrated our 36th Anniversary, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the remarkable woman I married back in August of 1974.  She’s not only the reason my heart has a song, she influences every song I write, though not always as I would like.  Here’s a classic example of what I’m talking about.   The song is “Which Part is Mine?” and this story makes the most sense if you experience the lyrics to my first draft of the song first:

She was only a dairyman’s daughter.  She was only a child of thirteen,

But the stars on the radio brightened her nights with a dream    

So she called up her best girlfriend, Jenny, cause she thought

They would make quite a pair

She said, “Let’s you and me try to sing harmony

At the amateur night at the fair.

But she only had the range of an alto

So the part she knew best went to her friend

And when Jenny’s soprano drowned out the piano

They’d have to start over again.

And the dairyman’s daughter would then say

“Which part is mine, and Jen which part is yours?

Could you tell me one more time, I’m never quite sure

And I won’t cross the line like I have before

So please help me learn which part is mine

And which part is yours.”

She grew up and got married to Bobby

Kept him working on his MBA

They had two little red-headed children

And one on the way.

Everybody said she could work wonders and she

Wondered what everyone meant

She played so many roles it was taking its toll

And she feared that her life was mis-spent

So she opened her heart to her husband

They discussed everything on her list

From the kids to the job to her feelings for Bob

But what it really just boiled down to this…She said

“Which part is mine, and Bob, which part is yours,

Let’s review it one more time. I guess I’m not sure.

And I won’t cross the line like I have before

If we’ll just define which part is mine, and which part is yours.

 

-- interlude --

 

Every sleepless night knows many mothers who are

Wondering if they’ve done alright

And the dairyman’s daughter knew more than a few of those nights.

Had she give her son too much freedom?

Had she smothered her two teenage girls?

Did she spoil them too much or not trust them enough

To prepare them for life in this world?

So she opened her heart to the heavens and she

And she spoke of her children by name..

And the prayer that she prayed that her kids would be saved

Had a very familiar refrain…She said "Let's review this again"

“Which part is mine?  And God, which part is yours?

Could you tell me one more time, I’m never quite sure

And I won’t cross the line like I have before.

But it gets so confusing sometimes.

Should I do more or trust the divine.

Could you please tell me which part is mine and which part is yours?"

When I first wrote the song, that’s where it ended.  I played it for my wife who said… “That’s not the ending, is it?”

“Yes, it is…”

“Michael, it can’t be.  It’s too depressing.”

“Depressing?  It’s not depressing, it’s life.  Can’t you see, I have captured a truth about life in my song.  Everyday we wake up and we have to decide how much is up to us, and how much we can turn over to someone or something else.   Is today the day that if it’s meant to be it’s up to me, or is today the day to just let go and let God?”

I was on a roll…I think if you listened closely you could have heard a church organ underscore my little sermonette.

“Is today the day that when the going get’s tough, the tough get going…or is it a day you trust that you’ve done all you can do and show some faith.   Can’t you see, Lynne, this song, perhaps more than any other song I’ve written, has captured a truth about life.”

“Yeah…in a really depressing way.  Can’ you fix the ending?”

We’d been married a long time and I’d learned not to get defensive when my wife offered constructive criticism of my songs. So, I listened, actively, and when the mood seemed right I said.

.. “SO HOW MANY SONGS HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN?”

“Goodnight, Michael. Play me that song again sometime, when it’s finished.”

I was NOT going to change that song.  The artist in me was not going to compromise just to make Pollyanna happy.  You know, I never discussed this with her, but I think my wife truly believed Romeo and Juliet should have lived.  

I was too riled up to sleep so I went to the “great room” of our house.  Perhaps I should mention here that at the time our place was sort of like THE WALTONS television show, and I was John Boy.  My mom and dad lived there, my wife and our three kids, and my sister and her husband and their three children.  The central gathering place of the house we called the “great room”. It had a wonderful piano in it, and with the logs and rock and high ceiling it sounded great.  

I played through the song again, imagining how it would sound, unchanged and recorded in a professional studio with terrific players and a great singer.   

When I got to the final few lines…. “It gets so confusing some times.  Should I do more or trust the Divine? Lord please help know which part is mine and which part is…..yours……”

When I came to the word yours I accidentally hit the wrong chord and it created an almost eerie texture to the song.  As the harmonics rang throughout the room, and put the context of the song into an entirely different key, I saw in my mind’s eye the dairyman’s daughter that I’d been singing about.  She was in her kitchen, grating carrots.  Then, dropped everything into the sink and leaned against the counter, with her head bowed and her fingers interlaced.  

And I heard her sing:

"DID YOU HEAR ME?

It was so faint I almost missed it.

I CAN FEEL YOU NEAR ME…

I could see her lower lip tremble.

THIS IS THE ANSWER THAT I’VE BEEN LONGING FOR

JUST TO KNOW YOU HEAR ME

AND TO FEEL YOU NEAR ME….

IT'S ALL THE ANSWER

THAT I’VE BEEN LONGING FOR

I could hear violins swelling and the woodwinds echoing.  It was so beautiful I couldn’t stop, and strangely I knew how she was feeling. Living under the same roof with so much family (nuclear and extended) all needing so much attention, understanding and love and not knowing if and/or when you’ve done enough can really make you yearn for answers to life’s big questions like “which part is mine, and which part is Yours?” Yet when you’ve been struggling for a long time, and wondering if anyone up there knows what you’re going through, and then you feel that closeness, it’s so healing you don’t ever want it to leave. It’s curious to me that what often brings the comfort is not a specific answer to a question, but knowing you are actually being heard.

Yes, I knew how my dairyman’s daughter felt and so I joined her, loudly in the refrain:

DO YOU HEAR ME???????

Throughout the house I heard unimagined voices saying: “YES, WE HEAR YOU…………GO…..TO……BED!!!!!!!!

But I couldn’t. Not yet.  I didn’t want the feeling to go away.  So very quietly I played that ending over and over and over again.  After I’d recorded the song people told me that the fade out was longer than HEY JUDE.   My explanation was simple.   People who are feeling heard don’t ever want that feeling to go away.  

And then the dairyman’s daughter was gone.  In my mind’s eye I couldn’t locate her anywhere. It surprised me when I heard myself sing what became the ending to the song:

AFTER I’VE DONE MY BEST

I KNOW YOU’LL DO THE REST

BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HEAR ME.

The recording of the song sounded just like it did in my head, and I sent it to my wife and daughter who were on an educational tour together overseas.  I express mailed a copy so they’d have something to listen to on the long bus rides.  Typical of my wife, she played the song for everyone and then called to tell me how much everyone responded to it. 

She’s never taken credit for the ending.

She should.

-

Art Together Now

Art Together Now Announcement 2021: https://youtu.be/T7YCao8_Dlw

Original version: https://youtu.be/a5j50F4rlzA

OK Go Sandbox - Art Together Now (Symphony From Home Version):  https://youtu.be/i7va3BbNoSk

OK Go Sandbox - Art Together Now (Nature Version): https://youtu.be/g4EEtfNk1yk

OK Go Sandbox - Art Together Now (Kids Version): https://youtu.be/2hnhE7zlWNg

OK Go Sandbox - Art Together Now (Bunni Version): https://youtu.be/iCH9yM46FhY

OK Go Sandbox - Art Together Now (Space Version): https://youtu.be/nvhVTLk431U

OK Go Sandbox - Art Together Now (Praxinoscope Version): https://youtu.be/7JCEXOYOK9A

Lyrics

It's all still the same

Everything's untouched but forever changed

Oh, we're all still the same

Everything's untouched but forever changed

All the colors we painted yesterday

They look so different now

And all those harmonies we sang yesterday

All sound so different somehow

Though they're all still the same

Everything's untouched but forever changed

Everywhere on earth

Every single soul, everyone there is, all together now

And everyone alone all together on the precipice

All that mattered then, all that matters now

All that matters after the world shuts down

All of it dissolved all together in the chrysalis

Together in the chrysalis

Nothing changes, until one day it does, then there's no going back

Our best selves and our worst selves live in that moment there

Sparring over who draws the new maps

And though their lines

May look the same

Everything depends on who wins that game

Everywhere on earth

Every single soul, everyone there is, all together now

And everyone alone all together on the precipice

All that mattered then, all that matters now

All that matters after the world shuts down

All of it dissolved all together in the chrysalis

Together in the chrysalis

And now the impossible's happenin'

A million knots that we were told can't be untied

Would always hold all unraveling

And even while the heavens fall

The fog's still wrapped around us all

And when it's snuffed out every last star

We'll see just who we are

Just who we are

All together now, all together now

All together alone in the chrysalis

We're all together now

All together now, all together alone in the chrysalis

We're all together now

All together now, all together alone in the chrysalis

All together now

All together now, all together alone in the chrysalis

We're all together now

All together now, all together alone in the chrysalis

All together now

All together now, all together alone in the chrysalis

We're all together now

All together now, all together alone in the chrysalis

All together now

We're all together alone

 

Take Courage

"Take Courage" Starlight
Bethel Music & Kristene DiMarco

Slow down, take time
Breath in He said
He'd reveal what's to come
The thoughts in His mind
Always higher than mine
He'll reveal all to come

Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing

Sing praise my soul
Find strength in joy
Let His Words lead you on
Do not forget
His great faithfulness
He'll finish all He's begun

So take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing

Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing

And You who hold the stars
Who call them each by name
Will surely keep, Your promise to me
That I will rise, in Your victory
And You who hold the stars
Who call them each by name
Will surely keep, Your promise to me
That I will rise, in Your victory!

So take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
And hold onto your hope
Watch your triumph unfold
He's never failing
He's never failing

So take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
And hold onto your hope
Watch your triumph unfold
He's never failing
He's never failing!


He's in the waiting...

My soul wells up...

Being at peace with my past frees up my future

"Got My Mind Set On You"
(from azlyrics.com)

I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you

But it's gonna take money
A whole lotta spending money
It's gonne take plenty of money
To do it right child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, ummm
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it,
To do it right child

I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you

And this time I know it's for real
The feelings that I feel
I know if I put my mind to it
I know that I really can do it

I got my mind set on you
Set on you
I got my mind set on you
Set on you

But it's gonna take money
A whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take plenty of money
To do it right child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, ummm
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it,
To do it right child

I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you

And this time I know it's for real
The feelings that I feel
I know if I put my mind to it
I know that I really can do it

But it's gonna take money
A whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take plenty of money
To do it right child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, ummm
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it,
To do it right

Set on you
Set on you
[Repeat]

Code Monkey

I relate to this.



Code Monkey (Soundcloud)

Code Monkey get up get coffee
Code Monkey go to job
Code Monkey have boring meeting
With boring manager Rob
Rob say Code Monkey very diligent
But his output stink
His code not "functional" or "elegant"
What do Code Monkey think?
Code Monkey think maybe manager want to write login page himself
Code Monkey not say it out loud
Code Monkey not crazy, just proud

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

Code Monkey hang around at front desk
Tell you sweater look nice
Code Monkey offer buy you soda
Bring you cup, bring you ice
You say no thank you for the soda cause
Soda make you fat
Anyway you busy with the telephone
No time for chat
Code Monkey have long walk back to cubicle he sit down pretend to work
Code Monkey not thinking so straight
Code Monkey not feeling so great

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you a lot

Code Monkey have every reason
To get out this place
Code Monkey just keep on working
See your soft pretty face
Much rather wake up, eat a coffee cake
Take bath, take nap
This job "fulfilling in creative way"
Such a load of
Code Monkey think someday he have everything even pretty girl like you
Code Monkey just waiting for now
Code Monkey say someday, somehow

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

Code Monkey

Other than having a fantastic manager, I relate to this.



Code Monkey

Code Monkey get up get coffee
Code Monkey go to job
Code Monkey have boring meeting
With boring manager Rob
Rob say Code Monkey very diligent
But his output stink
His code not "functional" or "elegant"
What do Code Monkey think?
Code Monkey think maybe manager want to write login page himself
Code Monkey not say it out loud
Code Monkey not crazy, just proud

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

Code Monkey hang around at front desk
Tell you sweater look nice
Code Monkey offer buy you soda
Bring you cup, bring you ice
You say no thank you for the soda cause
Soda make you fat
Anyway you busy with the telephone
No time for chat
Code Monkey have long walk back to cubicle he sit down pretend to work
Code Monkey not thinking so straight
Code Monkey not feeling so great

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you a lot

Code Monkey have every reason
To get out this place
Code Monkey just keep on working
See your soft pretty face
Much rather wake up, eat a coffee cake
Take bath, take nap
This job "fulfilling in creative way"
Such a load of
Code Monkey think someday he have everything even pretty girl like you
Code Monkey just waiting for now
Code Monkey say someday, somehow

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

Volare

From Lyrics Translate

Italian Volare  (Nel blu dipinto di blu) Penso che sogno così non ritorni mai più, mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu, poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito, e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito. Volare ho ho cantare ho ho hoho, nel blu dipinto di blu, felice di stare lassù, e volavo volavo felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più sù, mentre il mondo pian piano spariva laggiù, una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me. Volare ho ho cantare ho ho hoho nel blu dipinto di blu felice di stare lassù. Ma tutti i sogni nell'alba svaniscon perchè, quando tramonta la luna li porta con se, ma io continuo a sognare negl'occhi tuoi belli, che sono blu come il un cielo trapunto di stelle. Volare ho ho cantare ho ho hoho, nel blu degl'occhi tuoi blu, felice di stare qua giù, e continuo a volare felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su, mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negl'occhi tuoi blu, la tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me. Volare ho ho cantare ho ho hoho nel blu degl'occhi tuoi blu, felice di stare qua giù, nel blu degl'occhi tuoi blu, felice di stare qua giù con te..

English translation In The Blue, Painted Blue I think that dream like that Will never return I painted my hands And face blu Then all of sudden I was Abducted by the wind And I started to fly In the infinite sky To fly ho ho To sing ho ho hoho In the blu, painted blue Happy to stay up there, And I flew and flew Happy, higher than the sun And yet more up, While the world Slowly dissappered down below, A sweet music playing Just for me To fly ho ho To sing ho ho hoho In the blu, painted blue Happy to stay up there But all dreams Vanish at dawn because When the moon sets, It takes dreams with itself But I keep dreaming In your beautiful eyes, That are blue as the sky Spangled with stars To fly, ho ho To sing ho ho hoho, In the blue of your blue eyes Happy to be down here And I keep flying, happy Happy, higher than the sun And yet more up, While the world Is slowly vanishing In your blue eyes Your voice is a soft music That plays for me To fly ho ho To sing ho ho hoho In the blue of your blue eyes Happy to be down here In the blue of your blue eyes Happy to be down here With you...

We Listen to a Prophet’s Voice

Lyrics, Hymn #22

1. We listen to a prophet’s voice and hear the Savior too.
With love he bids us do the work the Lord would have us do.
The Savior calls his chosen seer to preach the word of God,
That men might learn to find the path marked by the iron rod. 

2. In ev’ry land, in ev’ry tongue, our prophet will be heard;
How swiftly round the world his voice reveals the gospel word!
The sacred message that he brings will witness and agree
With ev’ry prophet called of God throughout earth’s history. 

3. Hosanna! Let our praise ascend unto the Savior’s throne;
Rejoice! The prophet has confirmed that by Him we are known.
Attend, ye earth! The prophet speaks; come listen and obey.
He is the man who holds the keys of priesthood pow’r today.

 I had not noticed the lyrics before yesterday. It was inspiring to me to hear a song about our modern day prophets. About their authority to direct the work and to declare my willingness to follow their direction.

To Every Thing, There is a Season

So for family scriptures last night I asked Freddy what scripture he was ponderizing. He didn't have one. So I asked him what he wanted.  He thought and picked up some bean bags and said that he wants to juggle. At first, I didn't thing any scripture applied. The I thought of this one.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

There is a time to juggle and a time to refrain from juggling. This morning I thought of this song. It reminds me of this passage.

I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

Of all my experience of the General Conference this fall, the singing of "How Firm a Foundation" touched me deepest. President Uchtdorf announced that we were going to sing verses 1, 2, 3 and 7. I was curious as to why to include the 7th. As I sang the last lines of that verse, I broke down. I heard the promise that God will not forsake me, never, never no never!


1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2. In ev'ry condition--in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea--
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

What does it take to be a man?

"To Be A Man"

What does it take to be a man?
What does it take to see
It's all heart and soul
A gentle hand?
So easy to want and so hard to give
How can you be a man
'Till you see beyond the life you live?
Oh, what does it take to be a man?

We can be blind, but a man tries to see
It takes tenderness
For a man to be what he can be
And what does it mean
If you're weak or strong?
A gentle feelin'
can make it right or make it wrong
What does it take to be a man?

The will to give and not receive
The strength to say what you believe
The heart to feel what others feel inside
To see what they can see

A man is somethin' that's real
It's not what you are
It's what you can feel
It can't be too late
To look through the hate and see
I know that's what a man can be

(To Be A Man, Boston, From the Album Third Stage, October 20, 1986)

I'll Run to My Shepherds' Side

Next Time 

Lyrics ("The Garden" by Michael McLean & Bryce Neubert. Arrangements by Greg Hansen & Dan Waldis, Sheet Music, CD)

You may think life is hard
Just because you haven't grown.
You should stay right where you are,
It's much harder up here on your own.

You can lose your way so quick
Danger awaits every turn.
Trapped inside this brush so thick
And wondering what you've learned.

The next time I think
I can stray from the fold,
I'll remember the fix
That I'm in right now.
The next time I wink
At a truth I've been told,
I'll stop in my tracks somehow.

The next time I act
Like I know it all,
The memory of this
Will come rushing in.
And when I look back
I will always recall
Just how big a fool I've been

Next time I won't get lost.
Next time I'll see the signs.
Safe in the shepherd's footsteps
And never too far behind.

Next time I won't get caught
In this tangled web of mine.
But I'm filled with fear
As night's drawing near,
There may never be next time.

The next time I'm loved
No, I won't run away
To some secret place
Where I can hide.
The next time I'm called
At the end of the day
I'll run to my shepherds' side.

Next time I won't get lost.
Next time I'll see the signs.
Safe in my shepherd's footsteps
And never too far behind.

Next time I won't get caught
In this tangled web of mine.
But I'm filled with fear
As night's drawing near
There may never be next time.

To Succor

My wife recently told me of a meaning of succor that I hadn't thought of before. It is from the Middle English, sucuren, "to go beneath, run to help". As I think of what this means in the scriptures, I cannot help but think of my wife's natural reaction for when she hears one of our children in pain. She runs to help them. She get's her arms underneath them and comforts them.

I am moved when I think of the Savior doing just this as I think on these passages.

2 Corinthians 6:2 "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" 

Hebrews 2:18 "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." 

D&C 62:1 "Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted."

And how he asked us to do the same for each other.

D&C 81:5 "Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."

These thoughts were inspired by the song our choir plans to sing in Feb, "Come Unto Jesus". I could not help but think of Aragorn as a type of Christ and how he ran to help and knew how to heal.


Jesus will run to help us, "I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them." (D&C 112:13)  He is only waiting for us to ask for help. He is only waiting to heal us, to sooth us. To stand us on our feet and let us put on His strength. To aid him in succoring our neighbors.


----------------
Come Unto Jesus Hymn 117

1. Come unto Jesus, ye heavy laden,
Careworn and fainting, by sin oppressed.
He'll safely guide you unto that haven
Where all who trust him may rest.

2. Come unto Jesus; He'll ever heed you,
Though in the darkness you've gone astray.
His love will find you and gently lead you
From darkest night into day.

3. Come unto Jesus; He'll surely hear you,
If you in meekness plead for his love.
Oh, know you not that angels are near you
From brightest mansions above?

4. Come unto Jesus from ev'ry nation,
From ev'ry land and isle of the sea.
Unto the high and lowly in station,
Ever he calls, "Come to me."

She is Love

I've been beaten down, I've been kicked around,
But she takes it all for me.
And I lost my faith, in my darkest days,
But she makes me want to believe.

They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
She is love, and she is all I need.

She's all I need.

Well I had my ways, they were all in vain,
But she waited patiently.
It was all the same, all my pride and shame,
And she put me on my feet.

They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
She is love, and she is all I need.

Cause when that world slows down, dear.
And when those stars burn out, here.
Oh she'll be here, yes she'll be here,
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love. love.

She is love, and she is all I need,
She is love, and she is all I need,
She is love, and she is all I need.
(Lyrics)

I heard this on Pandora this morning. I remembered how much I liked it so I took note to add it to a list I want. I looked up the lyrics to see what they were and maybe what they mean. I initially thought of my wife. All of it applies to what Stephanie has done for me.

Then I thought of how divine it sounded. And I thought of this:

1 John 4:7-97 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

God is Love. The fact that he sings about love as a woman has even more meaning to me. I believe that God is married to a Perfect Woman, Heavenly Mother. That when I speak of God, I speak of them both. They are unified. They are in perfect harmony. They are One.

So when I heard this song, I thought of my wife. Then I thought of my Heavenly Mother. It stirred up feelings of love in me. Because

I've been beaten down, I've been kicked around,
But she takes it all for me.
And I lost my faith, in my darkest days,
But she makes me want to believe.

Well I had my ways, they were all in vain,
But she waited patiently.
It was all the same, all my pride and shame,
And she put me on my feet.

Cause when that world slows down, dear.
And when those stars burn out, here.
Oh she'll be here, yes she'll be here

She is in perfect harmony with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. She is as much part of the plan of happiness as they are. She supports the Father in all he does and He to Her.

She is all I need, because She is in He as the Son is in the Father and the Spirit testifies of the Father and the Son.

        - - -



"It is a wonderful pleasure to speak upon the great things that God proposes to bestow upon His sons and daughters" (Lorenzo Snow)

Let His Love Reach You

There is hope,
for every soul that's lost.
There is a way back home,
no matter where you've roamed.
His love will heal you, will lead you there.

There's a place for every heart in pain,
A place where there's not hurt,
And there's no shame,
Let His love reach you and teach you every hour.



"Let His Love Reach You/From God's Arms to My Arms to You", Michael McLean, One Heart in the Right Place, 1990, Grooveshark, Last FM)

Hoodwinked! - Be Prepared Song

Which Part is Mine?

She was only a dairy man's daughter,
she was only a child of thirteen;
but the stars on the radio brightened her nights with a dream.
So she called up her best girlfriend Jenny
'cause she thought they would make quite a pair,
She said, "Let's you and me, try to sing harmony
at the amateur night at the fair."

But she only had the range of an alto,
so the part she knew best went to her friend.
And when Jenny's soprano drowned out the piano
they'd have to start over again.
And the dairyman's daughter would then say,

"Which part is mine?
and Jen, which part is yours?
Could you tell me one more time;
I'm never quite sure.

And I won't cross the line
like I have before.
So please help me learn which part is mine,
and which part is yours."

She grew up and got married to Bobby
kept him working on his MBA
they had two little redheaded children,
and one on the way.

Everybody said she could work wonders,
and she wondered what everyone meant.
She played so many roles, it was taking its toll
and she feared that her time was misspent.

So she opened her heart to her husband.
They discussed everything on her list.
from the kids, to the job,
to her feelings for her Bob.
But what it really boiled down to was this: She said:

"Which part is mine?
and Bob, which part is yours?
Let's review it one more time;
I guess I"m not sure.

And I won't cross the line
like I have before
if we just define which part is mine,
and which part is yours."

Every sleepless night knows many mothers
who are wond'ring if they've done alright.
And the dairyman's daughter knew
more than a few of those nights.

Had she given her son too much freedom?
Had she smothered her two teenage girls?
Did she spoil them too much or not trust them enough
to prepare them for life in this world?

So she opened her heart to the heavens
and she spoke of her children by name.
And the prayer that she prayed
that her kids would be saved had a very familiar refrain.

Which part is mine?
And God, which part is yours?
Could you tell me one more time,
I'm never quite sure.

And I won't cross the line
like I have before.
But it gets so confusing some times.
Should I do more, or trust the divine?
Please, just help me define which part's mine,
and which part is yours.

Did you hear me?
I can feel you near me.
It is the answer
that I've been longing for;

just to know you hear me,
and to feel you near me.
It's all the answer
that I've been longing for.

Did you hear me?
I can feel you near me.
It is the answer
that I've been longing for;

just to know you hear me,
after I've done my best,
and to feel you near me.
I know you'll do the rest.
It is the answer that I've been longing for!