well???

"Say I Do" ranks high with me.

I enjoy many different recordings of this song, but one by Ray Hildebrand (who I think may be the writer) is one I particularly like.

Graeme

'The Howling' by Rich Mullins. I had to pick one off his 'The World As Best As I Can Remember It, Part One', but they're all amazing - if you haven't heard that album you need to. Here are the lyrics for 'The Howling': you may well see some commonalities between this and my favourite secular song!

I can see the iron horses' tracks
Pressed in the mud from the weight of all that steam and steel
But the wind don't blow where you want it to go
No, the wind just goes where it will and you follow
I can feel the breath of winter
Driving this snow across these newly-whited plains
Takes my breath from me and it leaves me falling
Then it picks me up again in its own strength

And I can hear the wild wind howling
And I can feel it in my bones
And I know that the howling will take me home

I can see some traveller's footprints
There's a little bit of blood in every step he made
I wonder what kind of burden he's bearing
That has cut him so deeply every step along the long, long way
In the west I see an evening
This scarlet thread stretched beneath the gathering dark
Red as the blood on the hands of the Savior
And rich as the mercy that flowed from His broken heart

And I can hear the wild wind howling
And I can feel it in my bones
And I know that the howling will take me home

These men of violence, they have made this a world full of wars
Oh God break Your silence and let Your justice shine forth
Show some mercy, Oh Lord

'Cause I can see a people dispossessed
Broken and brave in the face of so much fear
Driven from their homes by the greed of a nation
Whose treaties were as good as litter
Along the trail of their tears
I can see the Covenant colors
The sun and the rain have woven against the blue of the sky
And I know if we live we will live by His promise
I know He who made it and
And I'm sure that He would not lie

And I can hear the wild wind howling
And I can feel it in my bones
And I know that the howling will take me home

A short sample, courtesy of Amazon, is available here.

A simple song, but I love it, just the same: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss version).

Yep, I love that one too, Cricket.

It changes. Right now its "Jesus Take The Wheel" by Carrie Underwood

Currently it would have to be Devotion by the Newsboys. I'd swear this song was written for me. LOL.

all my world
all I've lost
the wrecks I've made here
the lives it cost
Your hand restores
Your words make whole
with all my soul
I thank You
I owe You
all my

devotion
all that I have to give
here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live

all my past
my tainted name
You stole its legacy
of pride and shame
You're all I love
You're all I fear
I'm drawing near
to face You
to know You
to show You

devotion ...
all that I have to give
here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live

You found me
in a shallow grave
You tracked me out from beneath it all
You healed me
saved me
in the nick of time
Your perfect time
You found me (found me)
in a shallow grave (in a shallow grave)
You called me out from beneath it all
You touched me (touched me)
saved me (saved me)
in the nick of time
in Your perfect time

I devote all I have to You
I devote all that You've made new
all You restored that day You bled
all that You brought back from the dead

here's my
devotion
all that I have to give
here's my devotion
You're all that it means to live ....

Probably "Come to the Water" by the Rosedale Chorale (a Mennonite group).

"Kumbaya" by Judith Durham (the Seekers) is hard to beat. Judith has arguably the purest female vocals in the world (nearing retirement age, now).


gcw

Ooooo yeah, "come to the Water" is great!

"God Will Lift Up Your Head" Jars of Clay

You can hear all the songs off this album on their web site.