Rhyme Time

One evening, while lounging in bed, I began thinking upon the morrow. Tomorrow stood before me, bright and beautiful. Wide open and full of promise. I began to imagine all I could do with that empty space that lay before me. Then, I sighed. I'd woken up just that morning with a vast "today" before me. I'd not used it to make immense, lasting changes. I'd not broken out of my box of habitual security, shyness, or worry. I'd been just who I was, rather than rising to who I knew I could be...who I want to be. That night, I penned this prose to remind myself: Today. After all, it is what I do today that determines my tomorrow.

The Diet Starts Tomorrow

How that
Tomorrow
Means so much?
Making plans
For the Woman I will be
When today
I won’t even try

How that
Evening
Brings such hope?
Making plans
For the Woman I will be
In the morning
When the sun
Melts her away

How that
Morning
Comes with forgetting?
Making plans
For who I am today
Rather than
Who I knew I could be
Yesterday

Tunes

Have you ever noticed the power that music has over you? I mean, have you ever really noticed? For several weeks, I've made the switch from a peppy mingling of pop, classical and other fantastic tunes to 24/7 church music.

It's the most incredible thing.

The change in music has actually changed me. My thoughts are different. They are turned more often toward God. My counteance is different. I look people in the eye more often. I listen. My schedule is different. It's easier to let go of the things that don't matter when the things that really matter are running through my headphones, and into my, well....head.

That said, there is an incredible resource for FREE LDS music downloads that you might just love. They are songs written by Sally DeFord, a talented musician from Colorado Springs. On her website, she publishes free sheet music and oodles of free recordings just because she's that kind of a saint. To boot, our good friend (and immense talent and ravishingly beautiful gem of a gal and great cook), Becki Madsen, has recorded many of the songs.

You can download the songs here. Don't miss these tracks:

• The Angels Came to Sing, by Becki Madsen


• Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, by Brady Lorenc or Heather Prusse


• I Will Stand as A Witness of Christ, by Becki Madsen


• If the Savior Stood Beside Me, by Becki Madsen


• Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly, by Becki Madsen


• This Is How I Know, by Leilani Toloa Johnson


• Whole Again, by Chad Neth (Seriously. Do NOT miss this one. It's AMAZING)

If you're looking for youth-oriented sheet music, the link is here. Sister DeFord has a lot of other music available on her site, as well. Just browse her site and be amazed. And...if you enjoy the site, you can contact her with a big THANK YOU through her website, too. She'd be delighted to hear from you.

Read All About It!

Click HERE to see some of Elder Packer's talk,

"Worthy Music, Worthy Thoughts"

New Era, Apr 2008, 6–11