Only Hope: Part 1

The song Only Hope is from the soundtrack of the movie, A Walk to Remember. I’ve always thought it was a beautiful song since I first heard Mandy Moore sing it over 15 years ago. But, I don’t think I understood the beauty behind the meaning of the lyrics until recently. I was reminded of Only Hope 2 years ago on Easter. When I first heard Only Hope, I heard the hope of love between two people, and while I believe that in some ways this song alludes to that for the purpose of the film, I also see how it speaks of the hope we have in God’s Love and Promise for us through Jesus. So while I initially chose to sing it simply because I liked the way the song sounded, I now choose to write about it because of the truth and beauty in that latter hope.

“There’s a song that’s inside of my soul. It’s the one that I’ve tried to write over and over again. I’m awake in the infinite cold, but you sing to me over and over and over again.

So I lay my head back down, and I lift my hands and pray, to be only yours, I pray, to be only yours. I know now, you’re my Only Hope.

Sing to me the song of the stars, of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again. When it feels like my dreams are so far, sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again.

So I lay my head back down, and I lift, my hands and pray, to be only yours I pray, to be only yours. I know now, you’re my Only Hope.

I give you my destiny, I’m giving you all of me. I want your symphony singing in all that I am. At the top of my lungs, I’m giving it back.

So I lay my head back down, and I lift, my hands and pray, to be only yours, I pray, to be only yours I, pray, to be only yours. I know now you’re my Only Hope…”

Lyrics written by Jon Foreman in 1999.





"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1, NLT).

“There’s a song that’s inside of my soul. It’s the one that I’ve tried to write over and over again. I’m awake in the infinite cold”

I see this lyric saying there’s something inside of you that you’re trying to get out, release, or express. It can be a message, purpose, or even a literal song. Something that you’re searching for, like satisfaction, happiness, the meaning of your life, why you’re here. You may have tried to find the answer to that question in people, your friends and family, or substances, like food, alcohol, or drugs. You may have looked for it in things like sex, pornography and masterbation, or partying and going clubbing, or, even in your accomplishments, like your education, job, or bank account. But then there comes a time where you realize, those things, those people, don’t have the answer, something is still missing, and they can’t tell you why or what it is. And if they do, their answer or version of who you are doesn’t truly satisfy you. So you feel un-satisfied, confused, and torn, and you’re very aware of it (awake). But in the midst of feeling stuck, sad, lost, and hopeless (infinite cold), God is with you (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 41:10), and is the only One who can give you what you’re looking for.





“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT).

“Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT).

“For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory” (Psalm 32:7, NLT).

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, NLT). 

“But you sing to me over and over and over again”

When we don’t know or forget who we are (and whose we are), God reminds us. His Love for us never goes away or stops. He is consciously, continuously, pursuing and loving us. I have literally experienced God bringing songs to my mind, when I’m feeling sad, down, or angry. My mind will have been focused on negative thoughts and a song will start to play in my mind that just refreshes and revives me, reminds me of how good, strong, and powerful He is, and stops the sadness in its’ tracks. There are times though where I have to pick up the songs, where I have to agree with them. What I mean by that is, with every thought or song that comes into my mind, I, we, have a choice. To either entertain it and agree with it OR to reject, capture, and replace it with something else. Say if someone is handing you something, like a phone, you can either take it from them or not. Or, if someone is knocking at your door or ringing your doorbell or phone, you have a choice whether or not to answer and let them into your space. So for me when God brings a song (or word) into my mind, I have the same choice and when I choose to agree with it, especially through singing it out loud over myself, it is SO healing! The same opportunity is offered to you, to say YES to believing in and agreeing with the life giving truth of who God is and says you are.

There are so many things in life (people, material things, the media) that are used to try to steal who we are, tell us who we are, and, who to be. I once heard a quote that asked, ‘Who were you before the world told you who to be’? The answer to that question is, we are God’s. We belong to Him. We were created for Him (Jesus, see verses below). If we want to know who we are, He is the One to ask, and God loves us so much that He will and is so powerful that He can, help us get out of any dark place! But even more important than who we are is who He is. Our lives and identities are truly hidden in Jesus anyways (Colossians 3). They only have meaning, value and purpose, because of, with, in, and through Him (John 15:5).  This world can't tell or give us anything, but Jesus, is everything. He is the foundation, the answer, the beginning, and the end.

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths” (Psalm 24:1-2, NLT).

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:1-5, NLT).

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:15-16, NLT).

Note: “So I lay…” will be looked at last in Part 2.






“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world (Psalm 19:1-4, NLT).

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT). 


“Sing to me the song of the stars, of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again. When it feels like my dreams are so far, sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again”.

This verse from Jeremiah 29:11 was spoken to people who had been deported to a place called Babylon from their home in Jerusalem. Before this verse, God was telling them to build homes and plan to stay in Babylon because they would live there for 70 years, but after that, He would come and do what He promised and bring them home (Jeremiah 29:5,10). Even in the midst of being in a foreign place, God was still with the people of Jerusalem and had plans to prosper them and restore to them what they had lost. Can you imagine what that must have felt like to their hearts though? To first hear they would have to be away from the only home some of them may have ever known? I would imagine that their sense of identity was affected, culturally at the very least. Moving to and staying in a completely new place and being told to stay there for such a long time, I could see how it might be not only disheartening but also confusing after awhile. They might have been torn between holding onto what used to be, the way things used to be, and letting go and adjusting to, maybe even accepting and adopting, what is, and the mindset of that new place, as they adapt to their new environment. But even when we’re in an unfamiliar place, out of our comfort zone, away from what we’ve always known, faced with lots of unknowns, God’s plans for us haven’t changed. He still has good plans for us, even if we don’t understand what they are or how they’re going to happen. We can see that here, in Jeremiah and even in Isaiah 49, His heart to provide for and restore His people. So even if we’re in a situation where we can’t see how our dreams or good things are going to happen and they feel far away, or maybe even dead like they’ll never happen, the Word tells us God’s plans for His people are to give us a future and, a hope. Since God is good, He uses what we go through for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). In the midst of every season we’re in, we must remember that. It’s so easy for our minds and hearts to forget this truth, and at times, to even believe in it, especially if we’re in a situation that looks or feels hopeless. But God’s Word IS true and His Love and Promises are unfailing (Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 55:10-11).






"If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Matthew 10:39, NLT).

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him” (Colossians 3:1-10, NLT). 

For the sake of length, the rest of the verses in Colossians 3 were not typed, but are strongly encouraged to be read before going to the upcoming lyric.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”(Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT).

“The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself ’ “ (Luke 10:27, NLT).

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name” (Psalm 103:1, NLT).

“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!” (Psalm 104:33, NLT).

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds” (Psalm 105:1-2, NLT).

“We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (Psalm 33:20-22, NLT). 


I give you my destiny, I’m giving you all of me. I want your symphony singing in all that I am. At the top of my lungs, I’m giving it back.


This is saying, with everything I am, everything I have, I’m giving myself, my life to you. Now our lives actually belong to God so in giving them to Him, we are only giving what is already His. We do not belong to ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:18). We give Him our lives, all that we are, think we are, and want to be, to embrace who we are in Him and what He has for us. It’s saying God I trust you with my future, that as Your Word says You have a hope and a future for me, no matter what I’m going through, no matter what I see or don’t see right now and I’m going to believe in that, in You. I give you everything, every part of me, my "personality", my past, my present, and my plans for the future. I want Your plan for me, Your will to be done in my life and Your glory and light to shine through. With everything I have, with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength, I love and choose you Lord. Now that’s not an easy thing to do, it’s actually going to hurt, and in the pain and fear you may think what you’re losing is greater than what you’re getting, but in reality, it’s really not. Yes, you will need to let go of the pain, people, plans, pursuits, and pleasures of this world, but because it was never truly filling you up anyways, you’re not losing anything. You’re gaining an opportunity for real intimacy, true strength, joy, love, and, hope. Following Jesus means taking up your cross and following Him every day, being willing to lay down your life and let go of, or pick up and say yes to, anything and anyone He tells you to because you love and trust in Him, and know that He wants what’s best for you.

He is trustworthy, guys. Anything He asks us to do, we can trust that He has our best interest at heart. When we make a confession of faith and belief in Jesus, it is followed up by our commitment to Him and action in daily obedience. And that is not just for us, we give our lives “back” and our hearts to Him because we love Him and walking out that commitment to Him and letting Him lead us brings Him the most glory and honor. So unashamed, ‘at the top our lungs’, with all we have, let’s let go and give it back. Let’s place and keep our hope in Him only.

Jesus Put the Song in My Heart

Hi! So this is a commentary on the first song that I’ve recorded and posted on SoundCloud (and YouTube) which is called, Jesus Put the Song in My Heart. To hear the extended audio version of what's written below, click here.

This song is a cover of the song from Psalty. Psalty was a TV show that was on TBN, the Trinity Broadcasting Network. I don’t remember the exact name of the main show that Psalty was on but I know saw him on a show also on TBN, called Colby’s Clubhouse. The Psalty character is a singing songbook based on the book of Psalms from the Bible. Jesus Put the Song in My Heart is sung by a character named Charity Churchmouse.

The song talks about Charity Churchmouse’s testimony. She grew up in the church and according to the Psalty’s Kids Bible (NIV) she used to nibble holes in hymnals and scare old ladies and when she got tired of that she would tie her brothers’ and sisters’ tails together and yell and watch them fall over when they tried to run away. Then a friend told her that her life was heading towards sin, it wasn’t pleasing to God, and she invited her to church, and that’s where she met Jesus and has been living for Him ever since. So now she sings for the Lord instead of living and going the way opposite to where He wants her to go and where she’s supposed to be.

Jesus Put the Song in My Heart is such a special song to me! It’s one I grew up listening to as a child from the show. My mom and I used to sing it and I recently rediscovered it in the past 2 years. So it really brings that nostalgia from my childhood memories. I posted it now, for this, because it really speaks to what I want to accomplish with the songs, blogs, and commentaries, all of it is to point to Jesus. It speaks my heart.

I grew up in the church but I wasn’t completely all in and surrendered. My heart, my life, my plans, my ideas, my personality wasn’t surrendered to God and His purpose for me. It took my aunt passing from cancer, and lots of quiet reflection time on my life as I turned 20, for me to really start to make a change. It was the first time someone close to me had passed and I started to think deeply on what I was doing with my life, and why I was here? I thought I knew what I was supposed to do with my gifts and talents, and I thought I knew when and how they would come out and be used. But when I tried to go after a certain route to success, my plans didn't work.

So in the song Charity talks about how she was singing her song on her own and found out she was singing alone. She was living her life the way she wanted, but something was missing. Then she says, ‘Then Jesus sang with me, we sang in harmony, now I’m singing His song’. That really speaks to me because when I made the decision, when I make the decision every day to make choices that honor and please God, and to walk in obedience and do what He tells me to do, there is so much peace that comes with that. I feel like this song just reminds me of that. The whole purpose of this blog and the songs is to use the gift and love of song that God has given me to point people to Jesus. He’s the One who truly transforms me each and every day as I read His Word, as I talk to Him, pray to Him, sing to Him. I see how life with Him is so much better than life without Him and I hope that that is something that you guys can see if you don’t already know that. If you do already know and believe that, then you’ll be reminded of it and encouraged to continue walking with Him, talking to Him, listening to Him, and being obedient.

So this song is me talking about how I’m going to sing about the Lord’s Love. That’s what Love, Salt, & Light is all about, speaking and singing about His Love and reminding us about why we’re here. I know I’m here-it’s apart of my purpose and my calling, I believe that God has given me specific gifts to, encourage people, especially and specifically with music. I believe that He put not only the love of song in my heart but also the specific songs that will be posted here. He’s given me those songs and placed them in my heart, it’s like He highlights them to me.  So this is just the intro song. It's a cover, it’s not one that I’ve changed the lyrics of, which is what this blog is about. The other songs will be of secular or mainstream songs whose lyrics have been changed so that instead of pointing to ourselves, or people, or pointing to the world and its’ way, it will be pointing to Jesus and God and His Love, and the Bible, His Words. That’s what this is about, it’s the intro to just say, this is what I’m doing, this is why it’s here. He’s put songs and music in my heart, the desire to sing in my heart, and I’m just here to point you guys to Him. I hope that as you are on this journey with me, on here, SoundCloud, YouTube, wherever you are, or you’re coming and listening from, I hope that you are encouraged to allow God’s Love to fill your heart.

And whatever words and message He’s given you to say, I hope that you will be obedient and say them with joy, with excitement about what He’s given you and actually put Him first in your life.

It’s so interesting one of the verses that connect with this song is Philippians 2:4: “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too” (NLT). By itself it’s such a simple (but important) verse, and of course it’s helpful to read the ones that follow it. As people that believe in Jesus and have Him as their Lord and Savior, we live for Him and when Jesus was here on earth He said that He didn’t come to be served, He came to serve and offer His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:43-45). So with that same attitude, as it says in the next verse, "We must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had" (Philippians 2:5, NLT), should we serve Him and give our lives for others. He was so humble. He was here to serve others, give, and love and so many other things He did, but the heart of it was Service and Love. So in singing, speaking, and writing here, I will be serving and honoring Him and also serving you, to help nudge you back if you’re off track and have forgotten, or lost focus, or maybe, don’t even know about God’s Love for you. (It’s amazing and I’m excited to tell you guys about it.) 

Back to what I said earlier, any words or messages that God may be speaking to you to say or share with someone, I pray that you will be able to share them and know that it’s not just about singing or music. Those aren't the only ways God can use people to share His Love. Jesus puts the songs in my heart, Jesus puts the songs in our hearts and that song, so to speak, will come forth through whatever gifts and talents you have. God is such a creative God we don’t want to limit Him. He created us on purpose, for a purpose and that’s to share who He is with the people around us (and beyond us Matthew 28:19) as we get to know Him and learn to receive His Love. Your gifts and talents can come in and through so many different mediums, but you may already know what you’re good at. If you don’t know what you’re good at, I pray you’re able to take the time to look at what you like to do, what excites you, fascinates you, and what you would do for free without hesitation, or doubt in any way. If it’s a creative way of expressing God’s Love, you can do that through taking pictures, photography, or baking. There’s really so many ways you can do it, it’s unlimited in options (Exodus 31:3-5). You might be a mechanic and be able to show people God’s Love that way. You could be a teacher and show God’s Love to your students, whether that’s children or adult students, college or of grade age, it could be to anyone, in any way. 

God can use you in any way He sees fit so know that the things that you like to do, the hobbies that you have (the healthy ones, of course) and the dreams that you may have even had as a child were not by accident (James 1:17). Those desires, dreams, and ideas were placed in you and given to you for a reason and I hope that you’re able to think back on those and be reminded of them. What are the things that used to excite you as a child? What’s something that you always wanted to do? No matter what people may have said about it in your life, to even discourage you. I know that sometimes once we become adults, we forget to look at life with a childlike sense of wonder, a child’s heart, and a childlike sense of faith. Sometimes people may speak death to your dreams, vision, and ideas, but know that, your ideas, the excitement, and passion that you have about whatever it is God wants you to do and whatever you’re placed on this earth to do, it’s for a reason, again, it’s not by accident (James 1:17). God wants to use you in an amazing way, so don’t discount, minimize, or discredit the things that you’re good at, or the things that you like to do. I’m excited to see or hear in whatever way, how each of you that are reading this will be able to grow and share God’s Love with the world through your gifts, your hobbies, and your talents. 

I saw a quote somewhere that said, the gifts and talents God’s given us are essentially His gifts to us, and what we do with them is our gift back to Him. So with whatever talent, hobby, skill, creativity that you may have – and you might think there’s none in you, but I promise you there is, there’s something that excites your soul, that makes you feel alive (and again I’m speaking of healthy things, healthy habits, healthy passions, ideas, talents, skills, and abilities) there’s something that you can do that only you can do, in a way that only you can do it. There’s no one else on this entire earth that is created like you to do what you were put here to do. That might sound cliché but I’m sure that there’s someone out there who needs to hear it (and, it's true). God has such a plan and purpose for all of our lives and I’m praying that you who are reading this and listening will be able, with those hobbies, dreams, skills, and ideas, are able to give your life back to the Lord, back to God who created you and deposited those gifts in you. He wants to see them come forth, He wants to see them grow. He wants to see you grow while you use them. There’s so much that’s waiting for you. 

If you were ever once like me, it took me a long time to be able to share and even publish this blog, the songs, commentary, all of it, it took me awhile to get here. But I believe that God’s timing is perfect and He’s not surprised by when it’s come. So if at any point you’ve been like me, afraid or just lost your sense of focus, direction, joy, excitement and passion about your life, or what you’ve been put here to do, I want to encourage you to pull away from whatever, and maybe whoever, has been distracting you, and sit still. Talk to God. He wants to hear from you. He already knows you (Psalm 139). Not only that, He wants you to know Him and until you know Him it's going to be hard, practically impossible, to find out why you're here. He knows exactly what He’s put in you and when it needs to come forth, and how He wants to use it, so I encourage you to ask Him. You can say, what do you want me to do with this? How can I serve you with this gift, this talent, this skill, whatever resource that you have. It can be your money, your time, or an ability to clean, to type well or fast, nothing is too small or too big in the kingdom of God, the redemptive place of His rule and reign. Every gift and skill we have is because of Him, the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and even the sound and sharp mind to learn, it’s all because He gave it to us, it all points back to Him (Proverbs 2:6).

So again, and finally, give your gifts and talents back to the One who created you because that is why you’re here. Everything we have, everything we do, should point back-for those believe, to our Creator, and for those who don’t yet believe: you were created by God, for His purpose (Ephesians 2:10).

He has such great plans for you, for us, and one of the ways it starts, is with you allowing Him to use your gifts. :)

God bless you and thank you for reading!

“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11, NLT).

For more on spiritual gifts, see the book of Romans, chapter 12,  and the book of 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14.