Casting Crowns

Nothing too deep or emotional today, as I'm totally exhausted from our stint to Sacramento and back to see Casting Crowns in concert. It was amazing, to say the least. Every song they sang was better than the recording; and to hear and see them live- words can't describe. Someone asked me today which song was my favorite... I rattled off a couple titles, songs that had special meaning to me even before the concert. Then she shared her favs, and I had to agree that her choices were incredible, too. In the end the entire experience was my favorite- for a multitude of reasons. First, the incredible fellowship of 8 people in a large suburban traveling to a concert together and dinner at Olive Garden- loved it! Second, the community of worship with thousands gathered praising God and singing as strangers, yet as brothers and sisters in Christ- totally cool!! Third, the music- beyond words!!! But for me, what truly was my 'favorite' was hearing what each song meant or the story behind the song that was shared before they began to sing. As an artist and singer, I get that... When I'm singing to the Lord (on stage or off)- and I mean truly singing to Him- nothing beats that. My story for a song may not be what the original artist meant when he or she put notes and lyrics to the page- but the song has meaning to me, my story...my spin...my life or the life of someone near and dear to me is put into that particular song. "Lifesong"- that was my theme song for a while, and one I come back to often. "Praise You in this Storm"- reminds me of the loss suffered by dear friends and how their family clung to that song. "Who am I"- a question I continue to ask myself, and a song that touches my soul. "Slow Fade"- what an amazing story of Psalm 1: walking, standing, and sitting. "The Word is Alive"- yes, Lord, Your word does still speak. But, as I told my friend earlier today, I still think my favorite song was "Prayer for a Friend"- I've had many friends who fit the story of that song, and have been that friend at times. It's a prayer that goes deep within my soul- a description of my own experiences that I've yet to put into my own words. Casting Crowns puts stories to music, and the concert last night, was quite a collection of short stories that I can see in my own life.