More on Music

As I said yesterday, music is a powerful preventative Truth Tool. While listening to good music, you are encouraged and uplifted and better able to fend off vexation. But when vexing moments happen it can also help us to listen to music to help keep us calm. I had a delightful experience with this a few years ago. I had been to lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time and on the way home was running an errand. Here’s how my journal records what happened next:

I parked beautifully. No car damage. No problems. Got out of the car. Locked the car. Shut the door. Noticed that the car keys were dangling from the ignition. (In that order!)

Taking three long slow breaths I asked myself, what now? I could swear (which I'm unaccustomed to doing.) I could scream. (Which I have done on occasion.) Or I could walk home and get the extra set of keys. I opted for the latter and having my new Ipod in my purse, I put on some encouraging, up beat music to dispel the mood—the Beach Boys—and began marching homeward. I hadn't gotten far into "Surfin' USA" when I realized that my house key was also locked in the car. No matter. That music is very cheerful and so I hoped Josh was home to let me in. Then just into the catchy, "Be True to Your School" I realized that during the hustle and bustle of getting all the girls to airports and switching cars after Dad's funeral, my second set of car keys had been lost. But how sad can you be when you're listening to "Shish boom bah! Rah, Rah, Rah" sung in full harmony by males who were in their prime 40 years ago?

Since we were going to the temple tonight, I was very concerned that my heart not be polluted with things like anger and self pity—so I turned the music up louder, marched faster, and made it home in record time trusting that some miracle would happen.

“I got home. Josh wasn't there, but someone had left the back door unlocked! Miracle number one—accompanied by "Fun, Fun, Fun Till Daddy took the T bird Away."

“I found a Honda key in a drawer. Prayed it was to my car. And walked out just as our neighbor was backing out of his driveway. (Miracle number 2 accompanied to "The Girls on the Beach.”) I begged a ride, and out of politeness took the ear phones out of my ears. He took me to my car, waited while I found out the key was to Carl's Honda not mine, and then drove me back home.

“As soon as he left, I put the earphones on again. "Let Him Run Wild" was playing. Still calm and collected and surfing mentally, I called the car dealership where I bought my car and asked if they had any suggestions about getting into it. Miracle number three was accompanied by "Don't Worry Baby." It seems that they offer free roadside assistance to their customers. They would have their Knight in Shining Tow Truck there in 15 minutes to open my door.

“That gave me just enough time to walk back to the car—accompanied by the rousing tempos of "Help Me, Rhonda" and "All Summer Long." When I arrived, I discovered the Knight was late and the door wasn't yet open so what could I do but go into the nearest clothing store and shop to the music of "I Get Around." It was their clearance sale and I found a sweater, a pair of pants and a shirt all for less than fifty dollars! By the time I'd made my purchase the car door was open. I drove home, my heart pure and clean of any negative emotion thanks to the gift of portable music my family had given me.

P.S. The temple session was wonderful.

Truth Tool - Music

Music is a powerful Truth Tool, but when I first bring it up as a Tool most people think only about listening to music. Granted, that does work. Listening to music soothes the soul and can change moods. But there are other ways to use the Truth Tool of music.

When our children were growing up we had a rule that might surprise you. Rule: You can fight and quarrel all you want as log as you sing it.

It was amazing for more than one reason. First of all when they began to quarrel I didn't need to enter the fracas by being referee. Instead all I'd do  is say, "Sing it girls." Second, it only takes a moment to discover that when a person sings their angry thoughts they end up laughing. It works every time. You can't stay angry and sing.

But there are other ways this Tool works. Let's say you go out in the morning to leave for work, you are running late and in a hurry, but your car won't start. You have a dead battery. The vexing feelings begin to rise in you and at that point instead of swearing, you sing your negative thoughts. And, yes, you begin to laugh. Once you are calmed down and laughing your mind clears and you begin to solve the problem without the vexing, negative emotions causing you Unnecessary Pain.

I'll talk tomorrow about the listening part of this Truth Tool, but for now, sing your way through your day and watch what happens.

A Song

Always carry a song in your heart

 that in momets of joy or fear or worry you can sing.

Why?

Because a song is like a blanket that covers the sorrow of life.

A song is also like wings that lift you higher even when life is good.

Using Good

Life gets so busy and hectic that it is often easy to get so caught up in the routine things that need to be done that we forget about the goodness and power of God that could be helping us. We are taught in the scriptures that all good things come from God (Moroni 7:12). And anything that comes from God is empowering, enriching, and encouraging. In other words, good is more powerful than evil. The supreme example of this is the Atonement which will eventually triumph over all evil.

The problem is that we get impatient. We don’t wait long enough. We nicely ask our children or spouse or others to do something and when they don’t do it in the time frame we want, we lose our patience and resort to tactics such as yelling, manipulating or other bad practices to get what we want. 

I love the story of how President John Taylor once used the Truth Tool of music to help good conquer evil. Two men came into his office while he was President of the Quorum of the Twelve who wanted him to settle a bitter quarrel they were having. President Taylor invited them to sit down and then told them he would be happy to help them, but first he wanted them all to sing a hymn. The three men sang, and when they were finished President Taylor said that singing inspired him so that he couldn’t just sing one hymn he wanted to sing another. And so they did—and then they sang another and another until the men were melted to tears, shook hands, and left without ever telling President Taylor what the problem had been.

Just as President Taylor did, there are many ways we can use good to solve our problems if we just remember that good will always triumph over evil if we are patient and persistent in using good.

Peace Like A River

I’ve always been intrigued with the promise found in Isaiah 66:12 “For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river…” The reason this interests me is because most rivers aren’t peaceful. Oh, once in awhile you see a slow, easy flowing river, but for the most part rivers travel downhill and that means rapids and currents and crashing into rocks, trees and other debris encountered along the way. This made me wonder what the Lord meant by “peace like a river.”

Then it occurred to me that what I am seeing is only the surface of the water. And what the eye beholds is not all that exists. Especially in a deep river, underneath the bubbly, rolling surface the waters are peaceful. There the fish swim in calm waters. Underneath the rapids there is tranquility like what is found under the giant waves of the sea.

There is a beautiful analogy here. When we Live in Truth life “bubbles” around us with stresses and worries. The busy current of life is fraught with dire situations and adversity. But when we live in Truth there is peace at our core and that peace provides power and energy to strengthen our resolves and a calm that guides us through the bustling activity on the outside.

After discovering this metaphor, I was delighted one day to find an album by one of my favorite artists, Christopher Parkening, entitled Grace Like A River that is a wonderful Truth Tool. Parkening is a classical guitarist and the songs on this album help us remember that the peace of the river and the peace within us is a gift, it is the enabling power or grace of God. Of course I bought the album and every time I play it I experience more delight as I remember the metaphor of the river and feel Parkening’s music convey grace and love into the very marrow of my bone to increase the peace that flows deep within.

Music In My Soul

Fall always amazes me. It is the season of approaching death when leaves turn dry and brittle and drop to the ground, and yet there is such majesty in fall. The air takes on a musical quality that makes you want to sing. Unlike spring’s soprano quality, fall has a contralto voice—warm, resilient tones that send hope seeping into the very marrow of the bones. Fall knows that the death of winter is approaching, but fall also knows that the resurrection of spring will certainly follow.

I learn so many things as I contemplate the seasons. But most of all I love their music. If you stop to listen carefully, you will hear it. Music is powerful in what it can do to our hearts. In our home when the children were growing up we had a rule that you could fight and argue all you wanted, but you had to sing it. In the mornings I’d suddenly hear one of the girls break out in off-key-opera best, “You wore my shirt and you didn’t wash it. I wanted to wear it today!” But about half-way through this musical outburst she’d be laughing so hard she couldn’t stay mad. And the rest of us would laugh along.

I find it works for me also. When I’m upset, worried, or frightened about something I start singing my thoughts instead of ranting, raving, or complaining and it is absolutely impossible to stay upset. In this case, music really is medicine for the soul, and it has the same affect as the music of the season fall. It instills hope deep into the soul.

More on Music (With a Little Humor Thrown In)

This isn't an IPod commecial. It's about music. I’ve already talked about music as a powerful tool to keep us from negative storytelling. But when I talked about it before I emphasized making our own music by singing. We all know that surrounding ourselves with good music can also protect us from falling victim to negative feelings. But sometimes we forget how powerful it can be. I had an experience with this once that I recorded in my journal. I had lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time and on the way home was running an errand. Here’s how my journal records what happened next. “I parked beautifully. No car damage. No problems. Got out of the car. Locked the car. Shut the door. Noticed that the car keys were dangling from the ignition. (In that order!)

Taking three long slow breaths I asked myself, what now? I could swear (which I'm unaccustomed to doing.) I could scream. (Which I have done on occasion.) Or I could walk home and get the extra set of keys. I opted for the latter and having my new Ipod in my purse, I put on some encouraging, up beat music to dispel the mood—the Beachboys—and began marching homeward. I hadn't gotten far into "Surfin' USA" when I realized that my house key was also locked in the car. No matter. That music is very cheerful and so I hoped Josh was home to let me in. Then just into the catchy, "Be True to Your School" I realized that during the hustle and bustle of getting all the girls to airports and switching cars after Dad=s funeral, my second set of car keys had been lost. But how sad can you be when you're listening to "Shish boom bah! Rah, Rah, Rah" sung in full harmony by males who were in their prime 40 years ago?

Since we were going to the temple tonight, I was very concerned that my heart not be polluted with things like anger and self pity—so I turned the music up louder, marched faster, and made it home in record time trusting that some miracle would happen.

“I got home. Josh wasn't there, but someone had left the back door unlocked! Miracle number one—accompanied by "Fun, Fun, Fun Till Daddy took the T bird Away."

“I found a Honda key in a drawer. Prayed it was to my car. And walked out just as our neighbor was backing out of his driveway. (Miracle number 2 accompanied to AThe Girls on the Beach.”) I begged a ride, and out of politeness took the ear phones out of my ears. He took me to my car, waited while I found out the key was to Carl's Honda not mine, and then drove me back home.

“As soon as he left, I put the earphones on again. "Let Him Run Wild" was playing. Still calm and collected and surfing mentally, I called the car dealership where I bought my car and asked if they had any suggestions about getting into it. Miracle number three was accompanied by "Don't Worry Baby." It seems that they offer free roadside assistance to their customers. They would have their Knight in Shining Tow Truck there in 15 minutes to open my door.

“That gave me just enough time to walk back to the car—accompanied by the rousing tempos of "Help Me, Rhonda" and "All Summer Long." When I arrived, I discovered the Knight was late and the door wasn't yet open so what could I do but go into the nearest clothing store and shop to the music of "I Get Around." It was their clearance sale and I found a sweater, a pair of pants and a shirt all for less than fifty dollars! By the time I'd made my purchase the car door was open. I drove home, my heart pure and clean of any negative emotion thanks to the gift of portable music my family had given me.

P.S. The temple session was wonderful.”

Melody Making

Paul gives some wonderful advice to the Ephesians. He says, “Be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:18-19). Being a woman who talks to herself—usually right out loud—I like that Paul is encouraging such activity instead of condemning it as bordering on senile. I also like that he encourages us to think in poetry and music. I’ve always thought that both are the highest forms of language. Both can help us draw close to the Spirit.

I especially love the phrase, “Making melody in your heart to the Lord.” The word melody means, “A sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds.” And it is very interesting what power “a sweet succession of sounds” can have on you. Try it sometime today. When you feel yourself getting upset, or anxious, or stressing, or worrying, or any other negative feeling just begin to hum a sweet succession of sounds to the Lord. Make it up as you go. You don’t need words—you can hum or sing la, la, la’s. All you need to do is make sure it is sweet; then watch what happens.

I’m interested in how it works for you. Leave a comment and share your experience with singing and making melody in your heart. I'd like to use some of these experiences in a book I'm writing--with your permission, of course!

I hope you have a melodious day!

Jehovah is my Song!

At one point in his writings, Isaiah proclaims that Jehovah is his strength and his song. Jehovah being my strength, I understand. How Jehovah is my song isn’t as clear. In the Psalms we find the declaration “with my song will I praise him” (Psalm 28:7). This makes more sense to me. After all, music is a powerful way to praise God. And maybe that is similar to what Isaiah means when he says, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2 and 2 Ne 22:2). The Hebrew word translated here as song, is zimrath, and means “song of praise.” So maybe Isaiah means that Jehovah is what he sings about and praises.

But he says Jehovah is his song so maybe there is more to this declaration that he wants us to understand. A song is a type of music and music is “the art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.”

This takes a little thought, so ponder on it for a moment. If we let Jehovah order our lives, he orders the experiences in succession, in combination, and in relationship to each other to produce a life having unity and continuity. So our life becomes a song and Jehovah is the composer. Sometimes life is like modern music—full of polyphonic, dissonant and syncopated events. But when we trust in the composer, he always brings it back to harmony, melody and rhythm. And the promise is that it will eventually end in harmony, melody and rhythm and stay there forever.

But still, Jehovah in this analogy is the composer, not the song. There has to be one more step in the process. Jehovah is our song when he becomes our life. When we stop trying to order the events of our life and let him do it, he produces a composition having unity and continuity and He is that song.