A few weeks (months?) ago we met up with my friend Yancy as she was doing a concert in Atlanta. She just released a brand new preschool album called Little Praise Party: Happy Day Everyday and as we hopped in the car to go to dinner, she gave us the new CD. We popped it in the CD player and began to listen while we drove.

I, clearly unable to sit still without doing something, opened up the CD and started reading the lyrics, the acknowledgements and all the info inside the CD (that’s the one thing I miss because of iTunes!). Inside the cover of the CD Yancy wrote, “I wrote a few of these songs with some special people in mind: Bye, Bye, Bye is for Lydia.” MY LYDIA?!

We flipped straight to Bye, Bye, Bye and heard the lyrics:

Bye, Bye, Bye to fear
I don’t have to be afraid
God is always with me
Even when I’m scared and don’t know what to do
My God is Big and Strong
There is nothing to fear!
No no no no
There is nothing to fear!

This IS for my Lydia! My Lydia who has struggled with fear ever since she was a toddler looking up to big tall men, a 3 year old who was too afraid to speak to adults, the 4 year old deathly afraid of storms, the 5 year old who worried about someone coming into our home. My little girl who constantly needs to work on saying Good-Bye to fear!

HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!

Lydia and “Aunt” Yancy in 2008. {Seriously, Yancy, is this the most recent picture we have?!}

I’m pretty sure I was crying while listening to the song. What a beautiful gift for our sweet girl! And a reminder from God that indeed, she does not have to be afraid because He is always with her! (Do you see why I love Yancy?!)

I thought it would be so fun to have Yancy sing this song personally for Lydia and put the video on my blog for all of you to see and hear, too. So, I asked her if she would and, well, she said YES!

Then I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if everyone could hear Yancy’s entire new album? And hear her heart behind all the songs? So, I asked some of my favorite blog friends and heroes to host Yancy on their blogs, too. Now we’ve got a big blog tour to introduce Yancy and her new album to you and your kiddos!

Here’s Yancy singing Bye, Bye, Bye live for you, me, Lydia and YOUR kids! Go get ‘em and listen!

Don’t you love it? I LOVE IT.

For the next 12 days (TWELVE–this is how great my friends are and how fun Yancy is!) you can hear Yancy sing her new album just for you! Tomorrow click over to MamaHall to meet the sweet and genuine Eryn and hear Yancy sing Away In a Manger (yes, the Christmas song).

Then follow the rest of Yancy’s blog tour at these fabulous blogs (and my bbb*):

Wednesday May 2
God Centered Mom

Thursday May 3   
Homeschool Creations 

Friday May 4       
ModSquad   

Saturday May 5   
When You Rise   

Sunday May 6       
4tunate   

Monday May 7   
Inspired To Action   

Tuesday May 8       
Home With the Boys   

Wednesday May 9       
1+1+1=1   

Thursday May 10       
Muthering Heights   

Friday May 11       
MOB Society   

Saturday May 12       
I Can Teach My Child   

Wanna win Yancy’s new Praise Party: Happy Day Everday CD and DVD? I’m giving one away today! Of course, I suggest you go over and buy one from her site. Then if you win, you’ll have an extra to give to a friend! If you’d like to be entered to win, leave me a comment telling me you watched Yancy’s video, or you love the new song or that you’ll be visiting all the blogs on the tour (or whatever, you can say PICK ME, too!). Woo-hoo! Let’s get this Little Praise Party started!

Thank you again, Yancy for loving Lydia and for giving her this song. Thank you for putting God’s Word in her heart and into the hearts of kids around the world! We love you!

*best blogging buds!

 

To close out our super Super Hero series, I’ve got a playlist for you! I am so passionate about getting God’s Word into kids’ hearts at a young age–and there is no better way than music! The other day as the kids were doing the dishes, I made a super quick playlist with a few of our memory verses from the Super Hero series. It was fun to remember back on the activities and conversations of the past weeks.

So, here it is–get your iPod and start dragging and dropping! And if you don’t have these albums, well start clicking & buying!

THEME SONG

Young (1 Timothy 4:12) from Seeds of Courage

1 Timothy 4:12 from Meet The Rizers

SUPER SPEECH

The Mouth (Matthew 12:34) from Seeds of Praise

FANTASTIC CONDUCT

The Rock Eternal (Isaiah 26:3-4) from Seeds of Praise*

INCREDIBLE LOVE

Teach Them (Deuteronomy 6:5) from Seeds of Character

Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) from Seeds of Character

Do Everything (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) from Seeds of Courage {this one is awesome because it talks about being strong & having faith! double whammy!}*

Undivided Heart (Psalm 86:11-13) from Seeds of Praise {this is perfect for when we were talking about how King David loved God with his whole heart while Saul did not!}

LIGHTNING FAST FAITH

Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6) from Seeds of Character*

Proverbs 3:5-6 from Rise Up

Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed (Matthew 17:20) from Seeds of Faith * {probably this whole album would be good!}

Faith (Hebrews 11:1) from Seeds of Faith *

MAGNIFICENT PURITY

Bad Company (1 Corinthians 15:33-34) from Seeds of Purity* {perfect for the Miss Rosey Posey story!}

GOD AS THE SUPER HERO

Refuge and Strength (Psalm 46:1-2) from Seeds of Courage*

Mighty to Save (Zephaniah 3:17) from Seeds of Praise*

*Scriptures we didn’t actually use but go perfectly!

Sorry this post took me so long to get up–I told you Lydia had a fever? Well, she had the fever for six days! It got up to 104.5 almost every day. Yuck. The doctor said it was just a virus, so we just waited it out, prayed and dumped water into her! Then, the day after she was fever-free we went to the mountains and had a mini vacation. So, I’ve been computer-less for 4 days!

Hope you enjoyed the Super Hero series! If you missed some visit our Super Hero page to see every post in order and the link to download your free Super Hero badges!

This summer my kids went to a preschool VBS while I taught at a Performing Arts Camp. And because I had to listen to the songs for my 3 classes eleventybillion times AND had to stay for the rehearsals, my kids learned all the songs, too. Plus, since it was the “big kids” class, my kids were enthralled by all of it.

Even though Peforming Arts Camp has been done for months, they still ask to listen to the CD. And as they do the dishes, play with puzzles or ride in the car, the words to those songs find their way out of my kids’ hearts and mouths. My favorite song from the musical and the song that most often pops out of my kids is one written by my friend Yancy (and originally recorded by Avalon) called, I Don’t Want To Go.

They chorus says, “I don’t want to go somewhere if I know that you’re not there. ‘Cause I know that me without you is a lie. I don’t want to walk that road, be a million miles from home. My heart needs to be where you are.”

Read those lyrics again and imagine your daughter singing that to Jesus with all her heart. Isn’t that what we’re trying to do? Lead our children to declare that for themselves?

This is why I choose to play Christian music for my kids. This is why we only listen to worshipful, Word-filled songs at our house. And even though we do listen to a lot of Sarah Groves, Nichole Nordeman and David Crowder, we mostly listen to kids’ music. Yeah, kids’ music can get kinda old. Yeah, sometimes I wish we didn’t listen to the same 15 albums over and over again. But the return is so worth me being out of the loop of modern music!

There’s something about music that gets inside your head and in your blood. And if that music is coupled with God’s Word? With worship to Him? It can also get into your heart and spirit. It can also change you and comfort you and strengthen you.

When my daughter was born, I did like all parents do–and sang to her. And not the beautiful lullabies you think of. Nope, it was all the crazy songs I learned as a kid. All the silly camp songs, the funny nursery rhyme songs and yes, all the Christian songs I learned at church. It wasn’t any of the new CDs my husband and I liked or the music from concerts we had been to when were dating. It was the songs I learned as a child.

I want the same thing for my own children. When they are alone, need to stand up for what’s right, being tempted or need comfort, I believe the songs they learned will come to mind. I believe God’s Holy Spirit will remind them of those words and those songs to be a salve to their spirit.

I want my son to walk through his college campus and sing, “I don’t want to go somewhere if you’re not there…I don’t want to walk that road, be a million miles from home.”

I want my daughter to sing, “Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.” (-Psalty) on the playground at school.

I want my son to sing, “Wherever I go, whatever I do, God’s with me!” (-I Count On You) when he’s away from home for the first time.

I want my children to sing, “I can do all things, all things, all things. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” (-Donut Man) when they are feeling insecure.

I want them to sing, “Take heart! I have overcome the world!” (-Power of Encouragement) when they are overwhelmed or stressed.

So, today? Sing. Sing. Sing! Sing with your children. Find music that will lift up Jesus, that will plant God’s Word in their hearts and encourage them in their walk with the Lord.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:2

Our favorite Bible-based CDs:
Yancy {rockin’ cd’s for elementary and preschool!}
Seeds Family Worship {scripture put to music the whole family will enjoy!}
Amber Sky Records {subscription based site with music written for kids’ church}
Go Fish {3 dads doing fun and crazy semi-a cappella music}
The Rizers {high energy scripture}
Hillsong Kids {live worship concert cd’s for kids}
Donut Man {Bible story songs, scripture songs & more fun preschool music}
Psalty {stories and songs!}
Colin Buchanan {aussie praise}

See all our music posts!

Do you sing with your kids?

photo source: Michal Marcol