Music. Gotta love it.

I think we all live with some kind of soundtrack running non-stop in the back of our minds. From a peaceful tune whispering around back there during calm moments, all the way up through the spectrum to something thrashy & thumpy when we’re agitated. This can’t just be a “Kim” thing.

When I was brainstorming for how to approach this introspective project of pure vanity & ego called “blog”, I found that many of my ideas centered on music. (Feel free to score them as you see fit.)

Sample Ideas, in no particular order:	0 = Totally Stupid, Never Do This 10 = Yep!!! Start Now!
List the Top 10 for each year, 1969-2019, and add some personal anecdotes, political context, and random ramblings.
My favourite hymns.
Popular song lyrics that I’ve been singing incorrectly for years.
Write one post entirely using only song lyrics.
AM Radio: Singing in the Truck with my Dad
Dyslexia, or Why I Cannot Wrap My Musical Head Around My Useless Hands at the Piano.
Compile my personal Top 50 songs, and wax philosophically on why each is memorable to me.
Best concerts I’ve ever attended / Concerts I wish I could attend.

So you get the idea, right? But here’s the challenge as immediately voiced by my handsome husband: “What would that do to your Christian testimony???!!!!!” He’s got an excellent point. I have struggled on this very point so many times that it would make your head spin at a moderate to quick tempo, 4/4 time.

Hold that thought…

If I’m going to have any credibility or self-respect in anything I publish, then I will be honest. (If you were expecting one of those sappy, “isn’t my life so fabulous”, inspirational & uplifting blogs… umm, keep moving, friend, ‘cause there’s nothing for you here. My life is fabulous except for when it isn’t, my greatest moments of inspiration are probably more along the “don’t try this at home” lines, and uplifting? Hmmmm. How are you with dark, gallows humour?)

So here’s the war that I’ve battled within myself for the past week: do I completely avoid discussing music because it’s spiritually awkward for me, or do I throw that caution to the proverbial wind and let rip with whatever song, lyric or tune that has had a significant effect in shaping who I am and how I’ve seen the world over the years or offers a poignant insight into how I think?

(For those scoring along at home, that last paragraph right there was one massive run-on sentence. I am compositionally ashamed but will leave it in, as-is, to serve as a beacon of humility should I ever develop a swelled head over my spectacular written works. Also, I just made up the word "compositionally".)

Having now carefully, prayerfully considered this whole “what should I post re: music” issue, I am rock-solid on these points:

1. Anything that I say/write/share publicly must somehow glorify & honour my saviour, Jesus Christ.
2. Anything less than the absolute truth is a waste of time. Mine & yours. Also, see rule #1.

So here is how I’m going to proceed with my Music topic in general: I’m going to share a few Great Musical Moments of Kim that were important to me along the way, and then… you get to decide for yourself how you’d like to take it.

If a future post includes some lyric or a band’s name, I’m not necessarily promoting it nor condemning them. I’ve made many personal decisions to put aside groups or musical genres that I used to enjoy because I believe in scriptures promoting music as a means of worship only. And I certainly don’t want to provide a stumbling-block playlist to anyone who struggles or is extra conservative with their personal musical choices. However, glossing over or omitting completely anything musical in my posts feels dishonest to the point of being icky & needing soap. Plus that launched a whole ‘nother train of thought regarding free expression and censorship, but that’s a bunny trail for another day.

Note to self: an enlightening if thoroughly embarrassing future post could be all about assorted spiritual issues I’ve waffled back & forth on as I’ve matured. If I’ve matured. When I mature. Oh, you know what I mean.

“I sing because I’m happy,

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.”

~ Charles H. Gabriel

~ 30 ~