It makes me shiver!

Anyone who knows my family and myself, knows how much music means to us.  My sister and her children sing, and both my brothers also sing.  My children did not stand a chance against a mom armed with a love of music and a will to work with them and teach them to love it to!  We have many stories about music in our family.  We play musical games, we make pretend musical instruments, we listen to CD's and we watch musicals.  My father even plays the saw!  (Yep, you heard right, that tool that you use to build a house!)  And I must admit, you have never heard Amazing Grace sound as lonely and melodious, until you have heard him play it on that toothy instrument.

My children have been singing in church since they were very small.  They are all good and I love singing with them.  Usually, they sing the melody and I sing the harmony or descant.  Recently, one of my younger daughters has discovered that she also loves the intricate harmonies of music.  She just lights up when she sings it and she has a talent for singing the right notes.  Now, the little sisters sing the melody and she takes the descant and I sing harmony.  It has brought us all a lot of enjoyment.  (As long as dad does not have to sing with us!)  It is something that we can do together and it is something that brings others enjoyment when they are listening to us.  Sometimes, it can be very difficult for me to find just the "right" song.  I once spent over 30 years looking for an arrangement of a song that I heard the Utah children's chorus sing!  I finally found it last year, and my daughters and I performed it for our ward and a couple of other wards in our stake.  My daughter, Miracle, sang a duet with me last Sunday.  A few weeks ago we were asked to sing.  I spent a lot of my time finding a perfect song, and finally settled on an arrangement of "Jesus the very thought of thee" by Sharon Austad Bagley.  I love her music and found this particular piece on her website.  It has always been one of my favorite hymns.  

I found the sheet music with a musical track to play so that we could both hear how it was supposed to sound.  I played it for Miracle to see what she thought about it.  It brought tears to her eyes.  She said, "Mom, I really want to sing that. It makes me shiver!"  We had a great discussion about the spirit whispering to our hearts and letting us know what we should do.  She is an amazing young woman who really wants to choose the right and do good things.  We practiced the song and sang it last Sunday.  It was beautiful!
So, what are the things in your life that "make you shiver"?  What are those things that happen to you, that make you sure it is from the Spirit?  I have found that if I take the time to recognize and acknowledge the spirit in my life, I feel it more often.  I also seek it more often.  I have found that music can help me feel the spirit when I am struggling.  Good music touches my heart also and makes me shiver!

Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee,

Text by Bernard of Clairvaux, Music by John B. Dykes,

arrangement by Sharon Austad Bagley

Jesus, the very thought of thee

with sweetness fills my breast;

but sweeter far, thy face to see

and in thy presence rest.

Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,

Nor can the mem'ry find

a sweeter sound than Thy blessed name,

Oh, Savior of mankind.

Oh, hope of every contrite heart,

Oh, joy of all the meek.

To those who fail, how kind Thou art!

How good to those who seek.

Jesus, our only joy be Thou,

as Thou our prize wilt be;

Jesus, be Thou our glory now,

and through eternity.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee

Now, my daughter and I have been asked to sing in the community night of  "Sing and Celebrate".  It is at one of the local churches and many people in the community attend.  So, I am, once again, looking for just the right song.  Hopefully, it won't take me another thirty years to find it!  If you know of any that "make you shiver" don't be afraid to let me know!  We just might sing it!