Tag Archives: music

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 10 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 10

Love is….nothing to do and all day to do it (in optimum temperatures of course.) –me

No Valentine love song list would be complete without a little Frank. This classic crooner has so many wonderful songs to his credit that choosing one was difficult. So I went with my all time favorite Sinatra song—The Summer song 10Wind. While not his most well-known ballad, this tale of fleeting summer love seems timeless. Whether your story occurs ocean side, lakeside or poolside… those summer flings somehow manage to leave a lasting impression on us all. On a cold winter day in February, this song transports me to warm summer nights, staying out late stargazing, and (when I finally made it out of the Midwest) walks on the beach. I can practically hear the ocean waves crashing, the birds in the background, and that smell…salty and warm—oh, the summer wind!

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 11

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 9 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 9

Love is…unselfishly handing over the last piece of chocolate (and smiling when you do.)

One of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) begins with these words, “Love is patient, love is kind….” Often read aloud at weddings this verse is actually not an ode to romantic love, but rather a call to love one another and to live in a spirit of cooperation and mutuality. In this type of existence, men and women would equally look out for one another without reservation, sharing and giving wholeheartedly. When I think of that kind of love, song 9this song by Jason Mraz comes to mind. In an interview Mraz says that these lyrics speak to “giving yourself or your time to someone else.” As we near Valentine’s Day (and the pressure to find the perfect gift mounts)—I can’t help but wonder if today’s definition of love centers around quantity or quality?  How many of us would happily accept an hour of uninterrupted time with a loved one (romantic or otherwise) over a box of chocolates or a dozen roses? In so many instances giving a gift is the easy thing to do while giving yourself is what really matters most.  In this Valentine season, will you be a giver or a taker?

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 10

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 8 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 8

Love is…laughing before the punch line (but the joke-teller doesn’t mind) because you both already know where this exchange is going.

What is love without laughter? Personally, I LOVE to laugh. It really is my favorite thing 🙂  This song made the list because it shows love from a yin and yang point of view. Keely Smith with her beautiful, sophisticated voice paired song 8up with Louis Prima and his talented, yet cut-up, vocal abilities. It’s the kind of duality that I can appreciate. I mean, I really think there’s something to this whole opposites attract theory. And as a more serious type, I love (and NEED) to be around others who can let loose and appreciate the lighter side of life. They keep me grounded. So maybe it’s not so much that opposites attract as it is that opposites complement and interconnect with one another. And when it comes to love, this dynamic just might be a good thing.

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 9

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 7 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 7

Love is…smiling like a fool at the first mention of his/her name. –me

I went 80s rock ballad today. And while this song was probably overplayed in it’s time (guilty as charged) I’m drawn to one aspect of it—and it’s not the “listen to your heart” chorus line. Rather, I think this song actually speaks to a “cause to pause” in love. Have you been there? Everything is moving so fast…you both have a thousand things in song 7common, you can’t spend enough time together, and a chemistry exists between the two of you that CANNOT be denied. This love train is racing down the track at full speed and the last thing you can think about is stopping to THINK. This is precisely the moment when you need to put on the brakes! Take a brief step back…I’m not talking about anything drastic. No dramatic break-up or ultimatum. Just a pause. Time to gain a little perspective. Reflect. While most of us use our hearts as a guide when it comes to love we all know it’s not a perfect gage.  So listen to your heart, but let your brain have a voice, too.

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 8

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 6 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 6

Love is…the ability to love oneself in (and through) both good and bad times. –me

Probably one of my more controversial love song picks…. Some may find fault with the language in this one, others with the graphic themes presented in the video, but this song spoke to me the very first time I heard it. Let’s face it…loving oneself can be a tricky thing. On one hand we’re called to put others before ourselves and “make nice” yet song 6somehow maintain a healthy self-esteem without being too prideful. It can be a tough line to walk. Often in this world, though, it seems we are all too willing to sell ourselves out for love and acceptance. We see this play out time and time again and often it begins at a very young age. Playground antics have gotten meaner, bullying is all too real and extremely scarring, and the constant competitiveness in today’s society doesn’t leave much room for loving YOU. In an age where we are constantly picking ourselves apart and fearing the critique of our peers, it’s important to hear and receive the gift that we are all “wonderfully made” and of great value. Love yourself.

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 7

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 5 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 5

Love is…slow dancing in the kitchen before dinner (no music required.) –me

Of all the songs on the list, this one is definitely in my top 3 (yes—the list is not in any particular order.) I’m not necessarily an Eric Clapton fan, but I find this song especially moving because it represents a very beautiful (yet simple) moment in a love story. So often we hear about these grandiose relationship gestures…epic first dates, extreme engagement stories (just Google flash mob proposals and you’ll see dozens come up) and extravagant destination weddings. These things aren’t inherently bad, some of them are quite romantic, but most lifelong love song 5stories consist of a lot of mundane and simpler moments. When the adventure is gone and all that’s left is morning breath and the laundry, I pray that we have something deeper to hold onto in our relationships. I know they’re out there, but I don’t know many sky-diving lovers in their 80s…however, nothing melts my heart like seeing a couple in their golden years walking hand in hand in the grocery store. Here’s to “little” love moments 🙂

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 6

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 4 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 4

Love is…spending the day with people that you love and NOT feeling like you’ve wasted a single second of your time. –me

This little ditty marks a coming of age…when the thought of boys goes from “eeewww” to “hey there!” And what sweet little Joey McIntyre and the NKOTB crew didn’t know is that their ‘80s ballad set the bar high for what thousands of little girls were EXPECTING from their teen romances.

song 4We wanted boyfriends who would woo us, chase us, call us, be there for us, and write songs that talk about how their lives would absolutely END if we didn’t exist. That’s not too much to ask, right? The funny thing is that I’m not sure the guys ever got the message 🙂  Thank goodness for the New Kids on the Block Reunion tour—lol!

Coming Up: Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul: Song 5

***This post is part of an ongoing series. As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul. Ambitious? Yes! Bold? Absolutely! Crazy? You betcha! Pointless? On just about every level. Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar. Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin! I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 3 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul:  Song 3

Love is…coming home to all my favorite things (people and pets included.)  -me

Home.  There’s no place like it.  It all comes back to that familiar quote—home is where the heart is.

Wherever and whatever you consider home…there’s nothing that compares to that feeling.  The familiarity, the comfort, the little things that make it “just right.”  I LOVE going home.  Home is where you can take your shoes off, where you can breathe, where you can find true peace.  And like the song says…”I wanna go home.”

There are three places that I personally consider “home.”  First, my hometown.  Although at this point in my life I’ve spent more time away from western Kansas that I actually spent growing up there, I still consider it home.  I know where (just about) everything is.  It’s where my old schools are, where great memories were made, and most importantly—it’s where most of my family still live.  Home.

song 3Second, is Lawrence, Kansas.  While attending college I had the opportunity to grow and spread my wings.  I learned to be self-reliant and develop character.  I found out my strengths and weaknesses.  I had my first taste of life on my own.  Still to this day, whenever I visit I am immediately transported back in time to a carefree existence where there was nothing but possibility and adventure at every turn.  Home.

Finally, my actual home…you know, where my stuff is at.  I think this one is more of an emotion  than an actual location.  Over the past 20+ years, I’ve moved a number of times and not just in the same town.  And, for as much as I hate packing, I actually don’t mind the moving all that much.  Wherever we can all be together that becomes my sanctuary and safe haven.  Home. 

Coming Up:  Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul:  Song 4

***This post is part of an ongoing series.  As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul.  Ambitious?  Yes!  Bold?  Absolutely!  Crazy?  You betcha!  Pointless?  On just about every level.  Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar.  Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin!  I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (Song 2 in the Countdown)

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Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul:  Song 2

 

Unrequited love.  Most of us have lived in that house at one time or another.  Boooo 😦   Still, there’s a lesson in this country music ballad.  How many times do we set ourselves up for failure in relationships in exchange for a few blissful minutes that we KNOW will turn into heartbreaking memories.  Unhealthy.  Undoubtedly.  But how else will we decide what we’re willing to settle for and discover what we truly need and want in a relationship.  This isn’t just about romantic love either.  It crosses over into family relationships and friendships as well.

Song 2I love that this song was written by Willie Nelson before he was widely known in the music industry.  Thinking about this song from the male perspective reminds me that we’re all equal in the heartache department.  Sometimes there’s health and healing in just letting go (after we’ve sufficiently cried our eyes out, of course.)

Love is…having an entire conversation through facial expressions and well-timed nods.  -me

Coming Up:  Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul:  Song 3

***This post is part of an ongoing series.  As part of my cup half full approach to loving the month of February, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul.  Ambitious?  Yes!  Bold?  Absolutely!  Crazy?  You betcha!  Pointless?  On just about every level.  Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar.  Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin!  I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

February…How Do I LOVE Thee? (A Musical Countdown to Valentine’s Day)

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Love is…an unexpected Sonic Coke (delivered), just when you need it most.  –me

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a man-hating, love-skeptic, Lifetime-movie-watching scorned type of woman.  Really.  And I’m not anti-Valentine’s Day out of a series of rotten relationships or man troubles.  (Rather, I’ve been the recipient of some truly wonderful and sentimental Valentine’s Day gifts from some sweet gentlemen callers over the years.)  Yet, I’m just not big into the Valentine thing.  The idealist in me believes that we should love each other (and act like we love each other) every single day, no holiday necessary.  The realist in me wonders why we spend so much time, energy and money picking out that special something only for that special someone to psychologically dissect it in a thousand different ways.  Uggghh.  It just feels like an unnecessary merry-go-round.  It doesn’t help much that Valentine’s Day lands smack in the middle of February—my least favorite month.

So this year I decided to approach the whole thing differently.  I’m going to start loving February.  As part of my cup half full approach, I vow to jump in with both feet and embrace the whole Valentine thing with my own custom list of Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul.  Ambitious?  Yes!  Bold?  Absolutely!  Crazy?  You betcha!  Pointless?  On just about every level.  Regardless, let’s give it a go—I mean it’s February and how else am I going to get through the coldest, bleakest, cloudiest, shortest (and longest at the same time) month on the calendar.  Let the countdown to Valentine’s Day begin!  I (gritting teeth) LOVE February, how about YOU?

Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul:  Song 1

What a fun, upbeat look at love!  Great metaphors.  Quirky and fun lyrics.  Reminds me of new love…such excitement Song 1and intensity coupled with uncertainty and hesitation.  It’s that point in a relationship where you say look I want to make you my number one, are you with me?  We’ve all been there.  It’s the moment of truth:  Will you let me lean on you?  Carry the weight without complaining about the burden?  Appreciate the good and the bad…let me be a source of joy in your life.  Pull your honey close and move to this one.  BTW…pay attention to the shadows in the video.

Coming Up:  

Love Songs to Melt Your Heart and Move Your Soul:  Song 2