Weāve heard it said that there are āseasonsā in our lives. In this stage of my life journey, I find myself pondering the well discussed subject of how we spend our time. Last night, following the show at Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, I enjoyed some āone-on-oneā time with my sweet daughter, Abigail. We spent precious time together, talking over one of our fave desserts... FROZEN YOGURT! š The topic of music came up and how it effects us. I may be a bit biased, but my daughter is wise for her age! š She told me how she deleted a few songs from her library because at the ripe old age of 16 (my words inserted there, and I definitely wouldnāt want to be that age again! š³), she realized that as much as she liked the music, some of the lyrics werenāt things she wanted imprinted on her mind. She said, even though she wasnāt really listening to the words, she knew her subconscious mind was. Again... pretty dang smart! After we got home, I pondered what my daughter said about the music we listen to and how it truly can impact our overall mood and lives.
Every day I see new challenges in my life and in the lives of my children and grandchildren. After much reflection on this subject, I can emphatically say, that my heart has always turned to three distinct things for sustaining power and guidance in my life... God, through the power of prayer, His holy scriptures, and Music!
My recent album is titled āMusic Is Medicineā, and my love of it truly has been a source of joy and healing throughout my life. Music can stir moods, set tones, change lives, and can often express our feelings better than words alone. It can bless and uplift us, or it can destroy our very souls. I have some dear friends who have lost loved ones due to the effects of negative musical choices. I have personally witnessed the devastating results of music that is ādetrimental to the soulā, causing one to spiral downward, emotionally. The loss of my precious son, Michael, is evidence enough of that! These negative, hidden messages can wreak havoc on our state of mind, and especially on the fragile, impressionable minds of our youth. We may think we can separate the dark message from the melody of a favorite song, but thatās one of Satanās greatest tools.
Recently, I celebrated my last ā29thā birthday, in Hawaii, with my brothers (the original four Osmond brothers who started it ALL!), for the final performance of their 6+ decades together. I think I can safely say there wasnāt a dry eye in the audience?! The music was entertaining, uplifting and inspirational, and it took us all on a walk down memory lane. I believe their music will live on through the ages and will always hold a special place in the hearts of those who followed their careers. It was also an incredible week of other activities and events, that I will never forget and will treasure forever! Memories were made, friendships were forged, and the entire week had one common denominator... MUSIC. I witnessed our brothers and sisters from around the island gather together in a devotional to worship our Savior through music. We all experienced a beautiful manifestation of the spirit, and even though there were denominational differences, we lovingly set those aside and acknowledged that we worship the same Jesus Christ. Iāve heard it said, that the best way to destroy a nation, is to focus on the destruction of each individual family, within that nation. We are ALL Godās children, thus, we are His āFamilyā... His āOhanaā, as they call it in the Hawaiian language. There IS strength in numbers, and I believe if we unite our efforts, under God, we will have the power to withstand the powers of the Adversary (Satan) in our lives, our families, and our nation.
One of my favorite verses comes from Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Paul sums it all up nicely for us. As we ponder these words or Christlike attributes, and implement them in our lives, our actions and choices become a direct reflection of our commitment to Him through such virtues.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." - Colossians 3:16
To give you some context for these verses that Iāve included this week, both are from the letters that Paul was writing while he was in prison. Even when his circumstances were horrible, lonely and his future was bleak and uncertain, Paul was full of peace... because he chose virtuous thoughts, unceasingly (the attributes listed in Philippians 4). We must recognize that our thoughts become actions. If we continually allow ourselves to be exposed to music that promotes negativity and harmful thoughts, our actions will become one in the same. Paul spent his time in prison writing letters to spread the Gospel and God's message. He chose light over darkness, and inevitably, his actions were centered in Christ.
On this Sabbath day, let us ponder over what kind of music we listen to and allow to influence our thoughts, and subsequently, our actions. Does it qualify as uplifting or does it bring us down? And like my Abby, what are we willing to remove from our playlists that might have a negative effect on us and the time we spend listening to it? I slightly changed a famous phrase to end with... š.
āTo delete or not to delete, that is the question!āš§