song 93 - signed, sealed, delivered, i'm yours

Stevie Wonder...what an amazingly awesome person. Born blind, yet he has over 30 number one singles...AND twenty-two Grammys! It is a humbling thing to know that no matter what handicaps we might have, God can still use us for amazing things. I didn't discover Stevie on a broad scale, until about 7 years ago. Everyone knows his songs, but it wasn't until then that I really started to like and appreciate his story and artistry. This song is above all my favorite. As for personal memories...I was co-dean for a Junior High camp for the first time and we used "I'm Yours" as a theme for the week. It was originally supposed to based around the song by Toby Mac, however, half way through the week we tried this song out for a change of pace...it was a good decision.

song 94 - back in time

Waaaaay back in 1985, I was afraid to go see a movie because I thought the suicide door on the front of the poster was a ghost. My parents made me see the movie anyway, and today I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. Not only was Back to the Future a great movie, but one of the defining movie moments of my childhood. This song by Huey Lewis just screams Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Under the Sea Dances, Clock Towers, Hill Valley, 88 mph, 1.21 jigawatts, and Deloreans to me. I remember loving it the very first time I heard it at the end of the movie. Now, twenty four years later...it's number 94.

song 95 - hang on sloopy

Cmon...really? You thought there wouldn't be something involving Ohio State in this top 100? Really? O-H....

song 96 - home

This song doesn't really have any significant memory for me, except for the fact that it got me hooked to Switchfoot very early in their career. I had been turned on to them by a friend, Eric Smith, back in 1998. This was the first song that I really connected with, and I've been following them ever since. It's really a cool thing to follow their career, because we are the same age...it's almost like we've grown up together. This is definitely not the last you'll see of Switchfoot in my top 100.

song 97 - tremble

You ever have one of those songs that just give you goosebumps every time you hear it? This song is that for me. I remember the very first time I heard it, driving in my car late at night, driving back from school in New Philadelphia. I think I must have played it 10-15 times on the way home (it was a 50 minute drive). It was a time in my life where I really didn't know what I wanted to do, and this song helped me to give up my control and just give it all to God. My life, my school, my job, everything I can screw up (which I did), if I leave it solely in my hands. Just listen to it...close your eyes...and just let yourself connect with God...

song 98 - call my name

Another recently new song. This one, for me, really hit home when seeing Third Day perform it live. When you solely focus on the words and meaning of this song, it turns into such a humbling group of lyrics. It conveys that one thing that we all have as Christians...the ability to call upon the Lord in our time of need. When we can't find fulfillment in anything or anyone this world has to offer...he's there.

I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
as I laid out my case before him.
Death stared me in the face,
hell was hard on my heels.
Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn;
then I called out to God for help:
"Please, God!" I cried out.
"Save my life!"
God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,
our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me. Psalm 116:1-6 (MSG)

Oh and sorry Jordan...no 98 degrees...at least not yet...

song 99 - nothing left to lose

A pretty recent song, but it still cracks my top 100. I just love everything about this song: the laid back feeling, the story, and especially the falsetto. The meat of the song that gets me though is the longing for God's will in our lives, and how we are supposed to live through it. What fear should we have? If we are to be doing something, should we not go forth and give it all?

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:18 (NLT)

song 100 - when you wish upon a star

Probably the most classic of classic Disney songs. As you know, I am a huge Disney fan, and have been down to WDW over 20 times. This songs just screams that place to me. So many memories have been had while being down there. It is a place I want to share with those I love the most. I remember being 10 years old, waiting to leave on the monorail, and crying that we had to leave...this song, of course, was playing in the background. We were there with my Grandparents and it was the only time we got to go down there with them. I remember my grandma consoling me, telling me that someday I would be back. It's just such a happy/sad image burned into my memory and it bubbles up every time I hear this song played in the Magic Kingdom. It's just one of those things that you just have to keep feeling over and over again....

top 100

Thought I would start something that should be both cool and interesting. The other night I sat down and compiled my top 100 songs of all-time. All of these songs have either had an impact on me in some way, or I just really really like them. I will post each song one day at a time for the next 100 days. I will also talk about why they are where they are, and why they are special to me. See you tomorrow for song 100!!!

just noise

with all that has been brewing in my mind lately, I came up with a song...

I'll sing a song for you
Louder and brighter to fill up this room
but ask me to go, and live my life true
I'd rather sit here a while

I'll be your hands and your feet
Praising your name, I'll fall to my knees
but turning my talk into walking those streets
I'd rather wait here a while

Oh, isn't love easy
When you, are doing it wrong
Oh, isn't life simple
When all that you are is just noise

That's all I have so far, but there's more in there...

my memory is fuzzy

Okay, so I have this amazing memory thing that sometimes drives me nuts, and other times impresses my friends and family alike. I can remember the most insignificant things, every song I hear on the radio, every dumb little detail about movies/Star Wars/sports, etc... However, I struggle so much with memorizing anything. It's almost like my brain is pouting when I force it to do something.

The reason why I bring this up is because I am memorizing some scripture for our week of Work Crew this summer. We are asking kids to know it, so we must set that example. It's hard for me, really hard, so I fully understand where some kids are coming from. However, as one thing I've been learning too much lately...when is life ever supposed to be easy? Especially when we are pursuing Christ? I don't want to get on a soap box again...but wow, this is all definitely working together. It's challenging, exciting, frustrating...all wrapped up in one.