First Four

Here are the first four songs from Michael's Montana Mission Mix, with the stories/reasons for their being included.

1. God be with You Till We Meet Again, by David Tolk.
You can find a preview of the song here. There's a little preview button you can click to listen to 30 seconds. I recommend using the iTunes store, as they have 1 minute previews. Just go to David Tolk, and look under his cd In Reverence.
This song relays perfectly the feelings I had during the weeks before I left for Montana. It's not overdramatic, but has a nostalgic feel about it. I first heard it when I was about to come home, and it brought back the feelings of leaving for home really strongly. I've been in love with this song, and all David Tolk's music ever since.
That same feeling I had when I heard this song the first time comes back when I see missionaries. Although I served a mission myself, I am still in awe of the thousands of young people who give up everything, especially family, to serve for two years. There is only one cause in the world that could have brought me to do so myself.

2. All Times, All Things, All Places, by EFY 2006/Chad Neth
Here is a video from Youtube with the music on it.

I think this the most self-explanatory track on the mission mix. I started listening to this song three years before I left for Montana, and it only meant more when I finally did get to serve as a full-time missionary. I'm not usually a fan of EFY music, as I prefer instrumental/toned down spiritual music. This song, however, is inspiring. I love it. Enough said.

3. Come, Thou Fount, by Robert Robinson and arranged by some mysterious, unlocatable entity.

I just can't seem to track down this song. Of course there are tons of versions, and most people have heard it. I love this song so much, and it has deep meaning for me. The version on my mix is purely instrumental, which allows me a deeper introspection as I can let my mind go wherever I feel, and not where the singer feels to go. It was on a mix of LDS music, and downloaded to the mission home computers, where it lost its source information. Alas. But nonetheless, the lyrics of the hymn are inspiring, and come to mind when I hear it:

 Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
 tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
 streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
 call for songs of loudest praise. 
 Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
 sung by flaming tongues above. 
 Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
 mount of thy redeeming love. 

4. "Do What is Right" Arr. Lex De Azevedo

The hymnbook version of this song is pretty great; this variation is one of my favorite songs of all time. There was no Youtube video posted, so you can hear a preview here. A member of the church in Livingston gave me a cd with this song on it. I had just started my mission, and I had brought no cds along with me from home, so it was my first. Needless to say, I listened to it a lot! While some of the other songs faded from my interest, I always loved "Do What is Right," and never got tired of it. I still listen to it at least once per week. It is so motivating. I think about the person I can become when I listen to it.

Mission Mix

Made a mix of music from my mission that I still love to listen to today. I've spread the mix around to some friends, and I decided that, at least for their benefit, I would write a series on why each song is on the mix and what it means to me. So without further ado, let the intro music begin:

Here is the mix:

1. "God be with You till we Meet Again" David Tolk
2. "All Time, All Things, All Places" Chad Neth
3. "Come, Thou Fount" Artist Unknown (Got it from someone else, and can't track down the original)
4. "Do What is Right" Lex de Azevedo
5. "Won't You be My Love" MercyMe
6. "The Witnesses" Rob Gardner
7. "Come See the Light" Freddie Ashby
8. "August's Rhapsody" August Rush (Cut to just the last section)
9. "Rest" Nevertheless
10. "Come, Ye Disconsolate" Freddie Ashby
11. "Redeemer" Paul Cardall
12. "Not My Will" Michael McLean
13. "Our Savior's Love" John Schmidt
14. "Homeward Bound" William Joseph
15. "Finally Home" MercyMe
16. "Wherever You Go" Jim Brickman


I'll probably do three posts with five or six songs on each. If there are youtube videos available, I will post them. Most all of these songs can be sampled or bought on the iTunes Store. The only one I can't find, and therefore must admit I don't actually own, is Come, Thou Fount. I have no idea where it came from or how to get it. But I love it.

I have listened to this mix so many times, it's not funny. I love this music! That's saying a lot because I don't have much music, and I don't often listen to it either.

It's Been Awhile

Sometimes there are just a million thoughts and feelings running through my head and heart and I honestly just don't know where to start. 

So here's a mixed up post of all that comes to mind.

It's been awhile since last I wrote. Life has been really hard for the last few months. But life is good. I'm coaching gymnastics and attending BYU. I met a girl and I can't stop thinking about her. And more than anything, I just know that God is real, and that He loves me, and you.

So life is good.

I miss my mission so much. I just cried today thinking about it. I wish I could go back and just relive a day, any day, just to remember fully what it was like. What I would give to be able to give everything up again and just go.