What else is there to do at 4:35am...

Reminiscing with my favorite ever songs, each has a memory all it's own.  Amusing what a roller coaster of music has had a memory and a meaning in my life.  Especially since for a majority of my life, I wasn't really "into" music much, satisfied listening to whatever was on the radio, whatever Dad liked, whatever whoever was listening to.  Now as a third shifter a mix of netflix, youtube and music keeps me awake, so I choose to listen to my most favorite memories, not just a song!
I had a short lived 2 year phase where I was really into it-- and that was 97-99.... those years I spent in a youth group at church in between church hopping and the misery of moving to a new city, new state, gygoondus (and yes that's a word in my world) monster church.... the place I still attend, still have no friends, still don't belong, but do so for what I thought was the benefit of my kids... and now one of the kids, like me things it's too over crowded, and doesn't much love the church anymore.  It may be time for a big decision for a person who hates changes and moves and new situations, new faces, new places, time will tell.  But until then, just some more favorite memories.

I remember knowing/liking Amy Grant.  But then dad "boycotted" her and Sandy Patty after failed marriages.  I was too young to remember the specifics.  Mom and Zach liked country music.  Not Dad.  Too many ungodly topics were in Country music songs.  So Dad and I listened to the Christian station-- before having a contemporary Christian station was common.  And so a lot of the times we listened to tapes.  It only became a memory in 3rd grade (1993) though, the year dad drove me across town every morning from our new home to my former bus stop so I could finish the school year in my beloved Ebner Elementary.  My favorite tape was Precious Moments by Steve and Annie Chapman.

My favorite song on that tape was Daddy, Please Find a Reason.  

 That song word wise, had nothing to do with my childhood, but for whatever reason that 9 year old me loved that song.  And still I know all the words to most the songs on this tape as well as a few others from them we had when I was in elementary school.

About 6th grade (1996), I became a Ray Boltz fan, as was our whole household.  That was my very first concert that I attended, with my mom at the Jaffa.  I had just "upgraded" to CDs and this was one of my very first ones.

The following year was one of two years I was pretty into music.  I was in Youth group at the Grace Brethren Church, just prior to the church split, with the church in turmoil.  And yet our youth pastor and his wife were able to have an extremely strong youth group for jr and sr high, in their home, filled with love and friendships.  My first year was also my last.  I was in 7th grade.  Pharon, my foster sister who was also my age was in the youth group too.  So many memories.  That youth group was on most nights "standing room only" which meant sitting on the stairs that lead to from the living room to the upstairs.  The living room was full it over flowed into the dining room.  I remember so many people from that group.  Some are on facebook so I can see their "families now". That spring the youth pastor moved to Lynchburg, VA, the church split, we church hopped for a few months and then joined Olivet Baptist Church.  Several from the youth group switched there, but the connection wasn't the same.  The youth group wasn't tight knit.  I don't really think any of us really got involved in the youth group.  However, two of us joined the same small group and it was an amazing one.  Her name was Joyce.  She was similar in age to our own parents.  She did great bible studies, she opened her home to us.  She was a friend, a mentor, a teacher.  That's when I got into music for that year and a half or so.  We went to the Creation Music Festival.  I think all of us joined that cd club.... you know where you buy 3 cds get 7 free or something like that.  And thus grew my music love and cd collection from about 2-3 cds all the way to 20!
My favorite cd was a very little known group Hokus Pick's "Snappy".  I loved the whole cd-- the last cd where I liked every single song.  HAPPY was certainly a top song.

The W's were good with "The Devil is Bad"

The Newsboys with "Breakfast Song" and "Shine" were favs

And OF COURSE Chris Rice.  Especially the "secret" song:

There were others during that time period, but those were my tops....
we'll there was a few others from at home, that remind me of my foster siblings....
Hanson's Mmm Bop- when Pharon, Jacklyn and Heidi lived with us

Celiene Dion's My Heart Will go on from Titanic obsessed Heidi

Under the Sea from an Ariel obsessed Julie

one other because I loved hearing my sister sing Karaoke (she sang a large variety of songs-- a lot of LeeAnn Rhimes... but my memory says) Mindy McCready's 10,000 Angels

We had moved to Virginia then.  And my next memorable songs came after the Columbine School Shooting in 1999.  I wasn't afraid to die, but I decided I better be ready.  I was intrigued by the Columbine stories.  I read the books as they came out on Cassie and Rachel.  I made complete funeral plans even, and still keep them up to date.  I of course was then drawn to two songs:
                         Columbine Friend of Mine

                         Michael W. Smith's This is your time

So my next meaningful song was when I was an Aunt to a 2 year old Hunter.  He would sing a part of the song with such an excitement, it made me a fan.-- 2001: Toby Kieth's I Wanna Talk About Me

It didn't take long for another memorable song--- A wild, crazy rebellious teen, with a love story in her mind and desire for full independence brought along  Eminem's Cleaning Out the Closet

And then Nelly and Kelly's Delima.... which is not our love story but... we both liked it a lot

Mario's Just a Friend

Avril Lavigne's Complicated

Then the final song of my teens I was a fan of was Diamond Rio's One More Day--- Which I still love, which still reminds me of the most precious red headed angel.  They played it at his funeral in July 2003.  So of course it reminds me of my godson.

Then I got too caught up in working 50plus hours a week and being pregnant, and then a mom and I went into another music hiatus.... no true favorite filled with memories until the kids started singing and having favorites....
Like when Hannah Montana joined our house for the past 6 years

Veggie Tales thanks to Chick Fil A

Or Kids Bop Favorites like Billionaire

And then their most recent favorite songs come from Spirit FM and their school which is even more awesome

 

And that completes your tour of my thoughts of music and their memories.... it only took nearly 4 hours, but kept me awake and entertained between 3rd shift phone calls!