Mornings and Mondays are two of my favorite things. Sunrises do something more for me more than sunsets, and I am pumped and ready to go on the first day of the workweek. In fact, I am more than a morning person--I thrive in the morning.

I know. I'm weird.

Here me out. Both mornings and Mondays are filled with the new and unknown. They are filled with beginnings, clean slates and opportunities. I wake up quite early in my everyday routine, and as I leave at the crack of dawn, I am often thankful for the new start of a new day. It's almost like a do-over.

But, whether you can relate to me in the love of mornings and Mondays, or you absolutely despise the both of them, reality is, we all have to face them. And it's a regular thing.

I thought I would share with you my favorite songs for my mornings and Monday's. A balance is needed on a morning drive to work. Music can't be too loud and intense, but if it's too calming, I potentially become a danger on the road. Below is my list of balanced melodies that help me focus and energize for the beginnings of my routines.

Plug into your aux cord with me and listen along.

1. "Pluto"

The song from Sleeping At Last's album Atlas: Year One is honest, raw, yet inspiring. The music provides a sound build and is filled with lyrics such as "I rebuild when I break down", and "the heaviness that I hold in my heart belongs to gravity". When I listen to it the morning, it reminds me of the road of reality, but also reminds me that I hope in someone much bigger than what life has to offer--Jesus.

2. "The Best Is Yet To Come"

Sheppard's song from the album Bombs Away has a lyric in it that inspires my teaching every morning: "Help me understand the best is yet to come". I know that part of my job as a teacher is to help guide my students to know truth, and the truth is, the best IS yet to come.

3. "Overwhelmed"

This is my favorite song to play when driving into the sunrise. The very first lyric of the song reminds me that I am seeing the work of God's hands. The song from Big Daddy Weave's album Love Come to Life almost brings me to tears every time I hear it. Coupled with the reality and intensity of God's overwhelming presence in His creation, I am reminded of the overwhelming truth of God's grace towards me as well.

4. "Morning Song"

"It's the dawn of a new day." It's a simple lyric that reminds me not only of THIS new day, but that God provides so much new, life, and light. Steffany Gretzinger sings the lyric "I'm waking up" over and over in this song from the album The Undoing, and I appreciate the simplicity of it. Also, the bridge in this song is one of my favorites. Worth the listen.

5. "Hello Hurricane"

Switchfoot will probably forever be in my top 5 bands. I would probably claim that this song from their album Hello Hurricane could be my morning anthem. I feel like when I sing along with this song, I proclaim that no storm will rattle my foundation.

6. "Spirit Move"

My prayer to Jesus in the morning is this song. I often begin my morning with it asking the Holy Spirit to do exactly what Kalley Heiligenthal asks the Holy Spirit do in the song from the album Have It All (Live): "Come". The song sings God's promises over and over again, and reminds me of what my eyes are fixed on. They are fixed on God's glory, His beauty, and His presence.

7. "Awakening"

Although the song is not actually about waking up, it sure helps to do so while singing the phrase "awake my soul and sing". Again, it's a proclamation of truth. The song from Hillsong UNITED's album Aftermathhas a simple melody repeated over and over, has a perfect build, and even references rising suns.

8. "I will Praise"

From the newer album Here I Surrender by Highlands Worship, this song reminds me that Jesus "makes all things new" and that I'm alive in Him. Both music and words of the song give me hope for my day in very real ways.

9. "Live Life"

The single Live Life by Zayde Wolfe reminds me to do exactly what the song title says: live life. Today, I get to take each moment step by step and keep living life. The good news is that I know I have more than just this life, and until I meet Jesus face to face, I get to live life knowing that He is walking beside me in each moment.

10. "Life in Technicolor"

You're right. I couldn't finish this playlist without a Coldplay song. This one was hard to choose, because honestly, most of their music is perfect for morning drives. I chose this song from their album Viva la Vida for the music. To me, the music captures how I feel on a Monday in the morning perfectly.

So, whether you enjoy the mornings or dread them like the plague, my hope is that these songs can help fix your eyes on a perspective that helps you walk through each new day.

What songs get you ready for the day?