Melody In Your Heart

I love music.

Ever since I can remember, music has been a part of my life. Growing up in a missionary's home, you get to do a lot of singing. My earliest memory of singing was when Dad would get those old green hymnbooks out and we would gather around in the living room and sing. He would teach us the old hymns, and I grew to love them.

Every morning, at 9:00, Mom would begin our pledge time playing "The Assurance March" on her accordion (that was to announce that pledge time was about to begin) and all eight of us children would come running to our church building (then also our school room during the week). During pledge time, we would practice the songs we sang together as a family.

I can't say I am a good singer, but I DO love to sing. I love to start my personal devotional time singing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." I must say that I can express myself well through songs. (James 5:13--"...Is any merry? let him sing psalms.")

I love to translate songs from English into Spanish. When I hear a song that just blesses my heart, I think, "These Mexican people need to hear the message in this song," and I ask the Lord to help me translate it. (Most of the songs I have translated are recorded on the CDs that I recorded in 2007 and 2008, and on the CD my sisters and I recorded in 2009.)

CD recorded in 2007

(Below: Songs for children, sung in English and in Spanish)

Sloan Sisters, 2009

And now that I'm a mommy, I love to teach my children new songs. When Little Andrew was just about 6 months old, during my devotional time, I would set him on my lap and sing to him. I would sing to him when he'd get up in the morning. (The first song he learned was "Holy, Holy, Holy.") I love to wake my children up on Sunday mornings with the Little Marcy song (did anyone ever listen to her?), "Bright On A Sunday Morning."

Marcy and Little Marcy...
a favorite of mine growing up

It just blesses my heart to hear my children sing their little hearts out throughout their day. Singing does something for me. I am so thankful that God created music!

In May, my husband and 5 other young men in our church formed a quartet (well, I guess that would be a sextet, wouldn't it?). Guess who gets to play the piano for them?! ME! That means I get to be in on their practice sessions, which I love!! The Lord has given this group of men the ability to sing together and to sound good!

About a month ago, Little Andrew asked his Daddy if he could be a part of the quartet. My husband said that if he was willing to come to all the practice sessions, that he could sing with them. And Little Andrew has been faithful to the practice sessions, and they even gave him a solo part in one of the songs!

This past Sunday, Little Andrew and another little boy in our church sang a special together in the evening service. My heart was blessed to see my young son, serving the Lord with his voice.

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:19

Go sing a song! Chase away the shadows in your heart and let the joy of the Lord show forth in your singing today!

--Care to share (in the comments) your favorite hymn/song, and why it's so special to you?--