Friday 5: My Favorite Hymns

I love music. It makes everything better. I used to listen to music to make work less mundane. I listen to music when I cook and clean - it keeps me moving and singing makes it seem less like work. I listen to it when I get ready for the day and whenever I'm driving. Music is fantastic. I think most of you would agree.

Music made a significant impact on me when I was a kid. When we would go to church, I started gaining a testimony of my Savior as I first read and then sang the words of hymns and primary songs. Music is a powerful way to feel the Spirit and worship.

So for today, I want to share 5 of my favorite hymns. (I'm learning that 5 is just a little number because I could list WAY more than that. So these aren't necessarily my TOP 5 because I don't think I could order them.) I've included hyperlinks so you can read the lyrics and listen to the music. It's worth it. 

1. Dearest Children, God is Near You - I think song is underrated. I learned this with the 8 year old kids I taught years ago. It has such an incredible message. It's comforting and it makes me want to be better.

2. The Lord is my Light - I love singing this song. The music and words are so uplifting and beautiful. (Although, my biggest pet peeve is when people sing the last part of the chorus wrong. It's not "He leads me, He leads me along." It's "He leads, He leads me along." Quit singing it wrong. Also, definitely don't sing it wrong if you are a loud singer. It drives me crazy. Thank you.)

3. I Know That my Redeemer Lives - I did a study of this song once. Listing out the reasons the song lists that He lives and finding examples of them in my life. It was a great way to come to know my Savior better. It's impossible to understand the love He has for us, but very possible to learn what He did/does for us. 

4. Did You Think to Pray? - It's incredible to understand the power of prayer. To know that someone is listening AND cares about everything you pray about AND will answer every single prayer is incredible. It's even better when you realize it is your loving Heavenly Father (of all His titles, He chose Father as our way to communicate with Him.) This hymn is a great reminder to pray always. My mom and I used to sing this one all of the time.

5. A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief - This song makes me cry every time I sing it. I don't know if it the words or the fact that it reminds me that I need to be a lot better, but I love it. The music is so beautiful.

So take some time this weekend and take a listen. Maybe make a list of your own.