When this awesome song comes to mind, most people automatically think of Chris Tomlin who does a powerful job of portraying God’s majesty as he and his group sing “Indescribable.”  Isn’t he the one who wrote it? I was surprised to find out that he didn’t write it but Laura Story wrote the words and tune to this well known song. She’s the one featured not long ago who wrote the song “Blessings” after her husband, in his early 20’s, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Laura is definitely a gifted song writer!

So what inspired Laura to write such a song as “Indescribable?” She says she was driving in the mountains, enjoying God’s beautiful creation. She just started singing…indescribable…uncontainable…you placed the stars in the sky and know them by name! She finished the song later, using Job chapter 38 with God’s own description of His power and might. And that’s how this great song came to be.

Millions of people now know the words to Indescribable as it stayed #1 for seven weeks. Yet, Laura does not take credit for the song. She says, “I always think the last song I wrote was my last song. Just when my mind is completely blank and I don’t know if I’ll write a song again, God surprises me. The songs are His – I’m just the first person who gets to hear them.”

Bart Millard was born in Greenville, Texas, and many years later became the lead singer in the group Mercy Me. What prompted him to write this beautiful song, “I Can Only Imagine,” that is loved by so many people all around the world?  Here is a little background.
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Bart’s father had been an SMU All-American football player, and his brother was a football player. Bart had a dream of playing football, too, until he suffered an injury in a high school football game, braking both ankles which forced him to take choir as an elective to replace football.  He had a great choir teacher who encouraged him to sing solos, and a music minister encouraged him as well. This is when he discovered his singing voice.
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During Bart’s first year of college, his father passed away from cancer. After the death of his father, Bart wrote the lyrics to “I Can Only Imagine” in about ten minutes, although it wasn’t until several years later that the song was released in 2001 and became a hit. The rest is history!
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Mercy Me also performed I Can Only Imagine with the London Symphony which is a beautiful version of the song as well.
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*This is a cute side note:   The group got its name indirectly from Bart’s grandmother. When he was a working as an intern with youth ministry, his grandmother would call to check on him often and would say, “Well, mercy me, why don’t you get a real job?”

After his wife, Melissa, died at age 21, Jeremy Camp realized what’s really important in this life. He said, “Music is not my life. Christ is my life. The only thing that really matters is what we do for Jesus on this Earth, and as a result of what I’ve been through, I express even more the goodness of God and how faithful He is.”  The song “Give Me Jesus” is a passionate song about how much Jesus means!
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Jeremy Camp and Melissa dated for four months and then spent some time apart. But things changed and Jeremy received a call that Melissa, age 20 at the time, was in the hospital and had just received the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Several months later when she was feeling better, they got married. When they got back from their honeymoon, Melissa started having stomach problems. The doctor then gave them the dreaded news that she only had a few months to live, and she passed away on Feb. 5, 2001.  I cannot imagine how hard that would be.  Jeremy wrote this beautiful, passionate song after Melissa’s death.

I really like this new version of  “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” which has a completely different melody from the old one. I like the old version, too, which is what I’ve known since childhood, but this one is so beautiful!  This new melody has almost an angelic quality to it which emphasizes the phrase “hear the angels sing” in all three verses. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
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“You’re Here” is one of my favorite new Christmas songs.  Francesca Basttistelli is a new mom herself, and you can tell this beautiful Christmas song is sung from a mother’s heart.  She uses words to help the listener visualize baby Jesus, and uses her passion to help the listener remember how He is still here with us.
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Other songs by Francesca Battistell:

“This is the Stuff”  (Need patience?)

“Beautiful, Beautiful” (Mercy reaching to save me)

“Little town of Bethlehem, looks like another silent night…”

The group Casting Crowns has a way of getting those listening to their songs to think more deeply about things sometimes than they do while listening to some other songs out there.  This song is no exception.  “While You Were Sleeping” encourages people to think about their own life situation here on this earth.

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“You alone are God.  I am Yours and You’re mine…”  These words in the song remind me of the close relationship God wants us to have with Him.  (great video)

This is a great new song!   I love the chorus!