Wednesday, April 09, 2003

its about that time. be strong.
a dedication.





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"I can only imagine what it will be like
when I walk by Your side...
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see
when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine, when that day comes
and I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine, when all I will do
is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine! Yeah!
I can only imagine!! Only imagine!!!
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine, when all I do is forever
forever worship You
I can only imagine."

- I Can Only Imagine, Mercy Me
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Behind the Music: I Can Only Imagine

When my father died of cancer in 1991, he left me with the assurance that he was headed to a better place. He used to always tell me that I was getting the raw end of the deal because I had to stick around here. For several years following his death, I would find myself writing the phrase, I can only imagine, on anything I could find. That simple phrase would give me a peace and a hope thinking about what my dad was finally experiencing.

Years later, in 1999, MercyMe was writing songs for an independent project. I remember coming home from a show and being wide awake on our bus at 2 o'clock in the morning. I was trying to write lyrics in an old notebook of mine, when all of a sudden, I stumbled across that phrase. About ten minutes later, the song was written. Some people say it's amazing that it was written in ten minutes, when really it had been on my heart for almost ten years.

As a worship leader I am constantly wondering if the most precious times of worship here on earth, are even close to what we will experience in the Kingdom of God. I personally believe we are merely scraping the heavens here. I grew up in church and was taught to worship a certain way, but even still I wonder how I might react when the day comes and I physically lay eyes on Jesus. I bet there will be a lot of Southern Baptists that can't sit still, and a lot of Charismatics that are speechless.


- taken from MercyMe.org
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this will stay, until that day.