Psalm 96:1-3
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For thirteen years, my husband, Danny, leads the contemporary service at our church. Once we marry in 2005, I am privileged to join the band, mostly offering alto harmony, and occasionally, contributing an added guitar, percussion instrument, or lead voice.
So, why have I not touted the site where our recordings are preserved before now?
That question begs an answer. One I'm beginning to understand to its fullest.
In these days and times, when in-person church is being denied in many parts of our country, and around the world, Christians are hungry and thirsty for reassurance and consolation as each uncertain day is greeted by a, "What now, Lord?" All of us are seeking to be built up in the faith, to know that, even at a distance, we can be spiritually nourished and sustained.
One of my recent I-miss-my-mom-I-miss-my-daughter-my grands-my son-in-law-my-step-boys moments compel me to return to the inspirational songs we offered every week, be it years ago, at our Sunday praise services. And you know what? All those God-praising songs began to make a seismic shift in my outlook, my hope, my faith.
Perhaps, God had a reason to withhold my sharing with you for a time such as this.
Friends, if you are needing to rejoice, to celebrate, to be uplifted in these dark days, I invite you to visit the Crossroads' website. You can listen to our songs in order, or skip through the library to select the song you desire to listen to. It's as simple as that!
Danny and I both recommend a first song to listen to: "All My Fountains" (Chris Tomlin) from the year 2012. Our drummer, David, just nails it. Talk about energy!
And as you browse and notice songs like "Jingle Bell Rock" or "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," please don't be alarmed. I rewrote the lyrics to contain an irrefutable Christian message. I would love to know your reaction to these!
Actually, what I would truly love, is to hear that having these recordings in your life inspire you to keep on keeping on in your faith journey, trusting that the Lord will provide, and that He will give you the strength and courage to meet the needs of every day you are blessed to live.
Let us never tire of praising the Lord and encouraging each other.
May we sing to the Lord a new song!
Amen!
In case you have trouble accessing our website, here is the direct link.
Blessings!
Oh how wonderful, Martha! I never knew this about you and Danny! What a blessing to have these recorded! I will be checking them out throughout my day. Thank you for sharing this with us. What a blessing!! Yes, sing praises to the Lord, regardless of our situation. When we praise Him, our hearts are lifted and we are blessed and encouraged to keep moving ahead, one step at a time. Thank you for this blessing today. May your heart be lifted up as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pamela, for your kind words here. I do hope you will find these praise songs uplifting just when you need that reminder that with the Lord, all is well!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Who is singing "Mary did you know?" Great voice and guitar playing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, "Oh Holy Night", "Rocking around the Christmas tree", "Silent Night". You have a great lead singer in the group; especially in "Silent Night". Who is the female vocalist on "Silent Night"? She is great!
These are brilliant recordings, Martha. You should be proud of having been part of this group. Have you considered putting them on You Tube for a wider audience which they deserve. There is not enough Christian music on You Tube. This group deserves recognition.
Thanx for sharing these recordings, Martha. Great talent all round.
God bless.
I'm so very glad you are already enjoying the songs, Victor! Danny is the male lead on most of the songs, including the ones you've mentioned here. On Silent Night? I know I sang alto harmony on the song, but I'm not sure who the other female vocalist was - I'll have to go back and check on that. Thanks for your kind words, my friend!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you so much for sharing with us. Have a blessed day :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the post, Martha.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great stuff, Martha. I'll check out your singing! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Frank! I hope you enjoy it, my friend.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, I had no idea you and Danny were singers and play instruments! God has surely gifted you, friend, with many amazing God-given talents. You already inspire others in your writings, now, we receive the blessed inspiration of song.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Lord has blessed us in many, many ways, and we are so grateful that we could use our musical gifts for so many years to lead worship. Enjoy the songs!
DeleteLove and blessings!
What a delight to hear your and Danny's sweet voices! Feeling more than a little lazy -- yet with a lengthy 'to-do' list -- I cranked up Unbroken and smiled throughout Leg #1. Thank you so much for sharing your gifts!
ReplyDeletePS - I'm having issues with downloading the WIX app, but will try a little later.
Sorry to hear you're having issues downloading WIX, Mevely, but so glad you enjoyed some songs today. Thanks for your kind words!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I clicked the link and are heading over there right now! Thank you for sharing your ministry with us!! xo
ReplyDeleteIt was a ministry that both of us loved, Terri, and will always treasure the memory of serving our church in this way. Happy listening!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Enjoyed listening Martha. Why don't you and Danny move to Spencer? We need some help. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Bill! I think your praise team does a fine job. They might could put a bit more pep in their step, but musically? They are really tight!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Praise the Lord that you and Danny can help lead others to the Lord in song. It is the anointing that flows from a pure devoted heart. Many singers may sing but not all carry the anointing to break yolks. I know there will be people that will feel God’s presence, ushering them into worship so they can receive the Word more fully. I will explore those songs. So glad you are used in this capacity😀❤️👍🙏🎵🎵🎶🎶
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you will be listening, Valerie! We stopped leading the praise service several years back as our new pastor at the time thought we were a bit over the top. It was tough having to quit, but we've been blessed in so many ways since that time, I can't complain!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh, Martha! This is wonderful! We have even more in common. I helped lead worship for years.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Wow, Beckie, how cool is that? Yes, it seems we do have much in common, my friend, and I treasure that.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, my friend, this is an amazing post. Music is so important not only in worship but it's also healing and renewing. Thank you for sharing this; I hope to listen a bit to the music in the very near future.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Music is so uplifting, Kim, and as you said, healing and renewing. I do hope you will have a chance to listen!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh, my goodness, Martha. This is just beautiful. I am listening to Revelation Song as I type this. That is one of my absolute, all-time favorite songs and always draws me into a deep place of worship. This is a treasure trove that was ordained to be opened right now during this sad and desperate time. You just never know when you mind God how He will use that obedience even far down the road. It isn't always just for that moment in time. I'm so thankful you recorded these and thank you from the bottom of my heart that you shared them here. Many blessings to you and Danny.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cheryl, for your kind and encouraging words here today! Yes, Revelation Song is amazing, isn't it? And with you, I love that God nudged me to share this website at this particular time and place. He is always good!
DeleteLove and blessings!
You and Danny have beautiful voices, Martha. I never knew you both sang in church. Songs can be so uplifting. Thank you for sharing! Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment here, Trudy! Yes, singing praises to the Lord is absolutely uplifting, and I'm so thankful we had this ministry.
DeleteLove and blessings!
All of y'all have been so kind in your comments. I've read each one and they were wonderful. Thank you. Danny
ReplyDelete:)
DeletePaused to listen to "Let it Rain" So moving! Thank you for sharing. Have bookmarked Mr. Danny's site.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to know that you bookmarked this site, J. D.! Hope you will enjoy listening and rejoicing with us.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Well, I could not resist Jingle Bell Rock. When we first stared a bus route the kids wanted to sing Jingle Bells. Being new to Christianity and not a singer he started singing Jingle Bell Rock. The kids on the bus loved it. Ace finally figured out why the kids were laughing. Hey you all are pretty good.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's such a funny story, Betty! I'm glad you've enjoyed that song, and I hope you will like the others, too.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Well, what a delightful surprise to learn that you not only write but sing as well! AND you're an alto! So much of the contemporary Christian music in our churches makes it really hard to sing harmony they way we used to. I MISS THAT SO MUCH but am learning to adapt. I can harmonize with much of what I have on my personal iTunes play lists so I'm happy. Your music is good. Thank you for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I'm so glad you liked the music and that you sing alto harmony, too! It's a small world, isn't it? And I will admit that at times, singing harmony with the more contemporary songs isn't always easy, but it is so very rewarding.
DeleteLove and blessings!