Thankful Thursday

I know what you're thinking, "Today's Friday, not Thursday!" 

Well, all I can say is, you're right.

I ended up not having time to post yesterday, but I hope you can all forgive me and that the day difference doesn't bother you all too much. To be honest, it will probably bother me more than it will bother any of you. 

But anyway, on to the thanks! This week I am especially thankful for music. 

Music has been part of my life for quite awhile. I started singing in the choir at church when I was in second grade and sang through my senior year in high school. I started playing viola in fourth grade although I quit that once I started playing saxophone in fifth grade. I played variations of the saxophone throughout middle school until I was asked to play the bassoon and switched over to that which I played through junior year of high school. Oh, and in high school I also played the bass recorder sophomore through senior year for Madrigals at my high school. For all the different experiences each of those musical adventures, I am thankful.

That all being said, what sparked me to write about music this week wasn't anything that was my own doing, but someone else's. I'm talking about Christian artists and their praise and worship music. This week I've found myself listening more and more to "Jesus music" to quote TobyMac (though he prefers the funky variety specifically). I've listened to it when I'm stressed, when I'm happy, when I'm doing homework, when I'm getting ready for the day, just whenever I'd usually listen to secular music, I've been switching it to the nonsecular instead. I can't give you an exact reason why because I myself don't know, but I think it has to do the message each song shares. 

I think what I especially appreciate about praise and worship music is that a majority of these songs can be considered a prayer. As someone who doesn't always have the words to express exactly what it is I'm feeling, I'm thankful for these songs that can fill in the gaps and help express whatever it is I'm feeling in my heart. For all the artist who choose to break the mold and use their talents to praise the ones who blessed them with them, I am thankful.