Next Level Love
Shannon,
I just recorded the music to a song I had finished writing last night. The song was too long, so I changed the story line and cut it down. It is so good!
The song is only 2:58 minutes long. So, I tell myself that gives me time to listen to it twice so I can soak it all in. I wish I knew how long AI was going to ad lib between verses, I could have easily added one more verse or repeated the great chorus just once. I couldn’t risk a significant edit because the AI software is generative, so any edit or remix would risk the AI totally reinterpreting my original production prompts. Every iteration is an exclusive. One and done.
It can get close to the first draft, but sometimes it is a slippery slope. This is a good song even if I do say so myself. It sums up a lesson that we Christians sometimes take a lifetime to learn. And I don't know if one could get there without some serious suffering along the way. I know I couldn't. And I haven't. But I am closer to loving the "least of these" than I was before.
I wanted to move away from country music for a song, so I used some new production prompts. With these, I hear a bit of a Dan Fogelberg (Leader of the Band) vibe in there. I love this song. It is 2:58 of gold! I also attached the words.
Blessings,
Dad
An Essay by Kevin C. Moore:
“Next Level Love”
Here is an essay I wrote about a song that has been put on my heart to write. I envision a song that describes a love that lasts a lifetime between one man and one woman — a couple blessed to literally live out an “until death do us part” marriage. In fact, their real-life love story ends up involving all the classic vows: “for better or for worse,” “in sickness and in health,” “for richer and for poorer,” and finally, “until death do us part.”
I imagine a song that breaks the couple’s love journey into at least three stages.
The first stage is the typical intense physical attraction and passion. Perhaps the relationship starts off a little superficial — physical attraction, a bit of puppy love, boy‑meets‑girl excitement — and then a bell goes off in one’s head: “Man, I could get used to this!” This phase of love maturation causes the young lovers to grow up and begin seeing the possibility of a more meaningful relationship, rather than the old quip, “She is so special, I think we are in lust — er, I mean love!”
This evolution and early epiphany led the young man to place his girlfriend, and eventually his wife, at a higher priority. He begins to see the relationship as a primary motivation for everything he does. He starts spending more time with his “person” than with buddies, family, hobbies, or self‑serving activities. Eventually, he realizes he wants to leave father and mother, cleave to his helpmate, become one with her, and build a life and family together.
To oversimplify and illustrate this evolution, I tend to think of this initial love level and the inevitable transition in terms of two classic golden oldie songs. They are, Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” and the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t it Be Nice”. See what you think. Here are some excerpts from the songs. Of course, listening to the whole song and all the lyrics better drives home my points, but here are some lyric excerpts for just a taste:
Night Moves
by Bob Seger
Out past the corn fields where the woods got heavy.
Out in the backseat of my 60’s Chevy.
Working on mysteries without any clues. Working on our night moves.
Trying to make some front-page drive-in news. We weren’t in love. No, far from it.
We weren’t searchin’ for some pie in the sky summit.
Trying to lose those awkward teenage blues.
We were just young and restless and bored. Livin’ by the sword.
And we’d steal away every chance we could.
To the back room, alley, or trusty woods.
Trying to lose those awkward teenage blues. Working on our night moves.
Obviously, the song, “Night Moves”, represents the more carnal and superficial and selfish beginning of many relationships. Heading straight to “Go” is not God’s recommended path to love, and I am not promoting that approach. I am just saying, in so many cases, whether one wants to admit it or not, physical attraction and passion is a characteristic and instigator of one of the earlier levels of human love. It is a common element in our path to a next level love.
The next song, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, is another and even better example of the evolution of young love. Especially a love that gets off to a more God-ordained “controlled burn”. At a minimum, the song speaks to my point about the moment when a young man’s light bulb goes off and tells him that, “Yes, I love my friends and family, and my self-serving life, but I feel God leading me to a different kind of love. A next level love!”
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
by The Beach boys
Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older, then we wouldn’t have to wait so long?
And wouldn’t it be nice to live together in the kind of world where we belong?
You know it is going to make it that much better.
When we can say goodnight and stay together.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could wake up in the morning when the day is new?
And after having spent the day together,
Hold each other close the whole night through.
Happy times together we’ve been spending.
I wish that every kiss was never ending. Oh, wouldn’t it be nice?
Maybe if we wish and hope and pray, it might come true.
Baby, there wouldn’t be a single thing we couldn’t do.
Oh, we could be married. And then we’d be happy. Oh, wouldn’t that be nice?
You know the more we talk about it, it only makes it worse to live without it.
But let’s talk about it. Oh, wouldn’t it be nice?
Now, the second stage of my song speaks to an even longer phase of love’s evolution — one that develops over years and even decades. This is the time when real life occurs. Babies are born. Careers are built. Wealth is accumulated and/or lost. Physical love is still present, but love matures. This next level love adds perseverance and depth by revealing self‑sacrifice and a newfound respect for what one’s helpmate brings to the table. It becomes a time of appreciation, of wanting to give more than receive, of feeling fulfillment, and of literally experiencing the blessing of becoming one with a spouse and being made whole by a shared life. Oh, what a level of love this is.
These are the years when all the vows spoken on the wedding day get a chance to be lived out. In our case, we have literally lived “for better, for worse,” “in sickness and in health,” and certainly “for richer and for poorer.” Looking back over 55 years, we faced those circumstances many times over and in astronomical proportions — I’m talking millions of dollars swings and even life‑and‑death events. Only by God’s grace have my wife and I made it through those trials. Praise be to God for that deliverance. He has made all those trials and tribulations miraculously work together for good — for our eternal welfare and for His glory. Amazing grace. Yes, He has rewarded us with a next level love in this second stage of our love’s evolution.
This brings me to the third stage of my new song. I have to admit; I did not see this one coming. And without knowing what I know now, I certainly would not have asked for it or even desired it. What am I talking about? I am talking about a true next level love — one I’m not even sure I can fully describe. In 1 John 4:19 we learn, “We love because He first loved us.” And in the Book of John, verse 13:34, Jesus gave us a new commandment, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” And in John 13:35, Jesus gave the explanation - “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
In terms of song lyrics, I envision something like this in a chorus or theme of the song:
I now have a next level love,
A love more like one from above,
A love more like love was meant to be,
A love that my God meant for me.
I have many ideas on how to flesh this out, but this was the first thing that came to me.
This third and final stage of earthly love was made possible only through what I call my Teri Trial. After all my wife and I have gone through over 55 years, she began showing signs of early‑onset Alzheimer’s about 15 years ago. Five years ago, she declined to the point that I moved us to Edmond, Oklahoma to be near my son and his family for help. Two and a half years ago, she declined further, and I had to place her in the best 24/7 memory care facility in town. I visit her every night. I comfort and love on her. I get her cleaned up and safely to bed before I go home each night.
I will not burden this narrative with the toll this trial has taken on me physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. Wow. Wow. Wow. But spiritually — this aspect is already showing signs of eventually dwarfing and overwhelming (in a good way) all the pain, suffering, sadness, and negatives of the other elements combined. I am not quite “there” yet in terms of acceptance, peace, or eternal perspective, but I get a bit better each day as the Lord equips me. Yes, it is often three steps forward and two steps back, but the Lord patiently coaches me along. I can still cry, whine, or feel overwhelmed at any moment, but the Lord, out of His immeasurable love, is graciously teaching me how life — in heaven and on earth — works when lived according to His will and design. That design, I keep sensing, necessarily includes His next level love for Teri, for me, and for all of us. As a result, my bouts of sadness, self‑pity, and emotional valleys are becoming a bit more shallow and shorter in duration.
I am beginning to believe that this third stage of my life with Teri — and my evolving levels of love — is ironically taking me toward His next level love. Some days are so hard, so sad, and Teri is so mentally “gone” that, for a moment, I do not see her as my wife or the mother of my children, grandchildren, or great‑grandchildren. Those reference points have long since left her mind, and they are becoming even harder for me to reconstruct as time goes by.
Don’t tell anybody, but sometimes in those moments I can only see her as a child of God — one of “the least of these” Jesus describes in Matthew 25:31–40. There, Jesus teaches that when we care for those who cannot care for themselves and are completely dependent on the kindness of others, we are, in effect, doing that act of love unto Him and out of love for Him. In other words, we are learning to love like Him — which is literally the ultimate next level love. Amen.
So, this is what came out of my head tonight. I will reread it in the morning — Easter morning, 2026 — to see if it still makes sense. As I finish, I’m beginning to think this may be too large a topic for a three- or four‑verse song with a chorus or two. This document may just need to be the foundational source for an essay or a poem. I will see what hits my heart.
For what it’s worth,
Kevin C. Moore
April 5, 2026
P.S. Well, in the subsequent days, I did write a beautiful song that really did justice to the essay above. But just as I suspected, the song was too long to attempt the arduous task of crafting a musical score to go with the song. The song covered so much of the content and emotions that I wanted to present, I decided not to lose any of the content to create a shorter song. Instead, I opted to just call the work product a “song” but a song without music written for it. I attached it below.
Then, I was curious to see what kind of poem the Next Level Love Essay would inspire. I wrote one and I thought it too, was an excellent work product so I attached it below. But then I thought that poem was also good but still a bit long. So, I decided to shorten the long narrative poem by creating a short, more poetic poem. I liked it also, so it is also attached below.
Then, I wanted to look at creating a song/poem that uses my original four-line chorus as a refrain. I really liked the impact of that chorus on the song. I wanted to kind of blend a song and poem into a sort of hybrid form. This approach had some pros and cons, but it was still acceptable, so it also is attached below.
Next, I wanted to make a total switch from a song-based poem to a poem that stands alone without any song structure. That is, no verse, no refrains—just pure poetry. I liked that product, as well, so I also attached it below.
And finally, I wanted to consider a more scripture-centered poem. A kind of hymn-like poem or something that would really lean into 1 John 4:19 and John 13:34-35. I thought that poem turned out well, so it is also attached below.
Long story short, I now have two songs and four different poems that have spun off from my Next Level Love Essay. An overkill perhaps, but I truly believe the Holy Spirit has put this topic on my heart recently and has been using the last fifteen years of my Teri Trial as a training ground fertile with lessons, edification, comfort, and peace, and to teach me about God’s unconditional love. Through it all, He is teaching me about HIS next level love!
NEXT LEVEL LOVE
(A song by Kevin C. Moore based upon my Essay: Next Level Love, April 5, 2026)
Out where the world felt wide and new,
Where a spark could start a wildfire too,
We were young and restless, trying to find our way,
Learning what love was not in those early days.
Working on our night moves… — that’s how it began,
Not perfect, not holy, just a boy and a girl and a plan.
But somewhere in the laughter, somewhere in the light,
God whispered softly, “Son, this could be right.”
And suddenly the future didn’t feel so far,
I saw a home, a life, a family in your arms.
The world got smaller, but my heart grew wide,
When I knew I wanted you right by my side.
I now have a next level love,
A love more like one from above,
A love more like love was meant to be,
A love that my God meant for me.
Years rolled on like a river in flood,
Babies and bills, sweat, tears, and blood.
We lived every vow we promised that day —
For better, for worse, come what may.
We built a life brick by steady brick,
Held each other close through the thin and the thick.
And grace kept showing up, again and again,
Turning trials into blessings only God could send.
Looking back now, I see His hand,
Guiding two kids into a woman and a man.
We didn’t just survive — we grew,
And every storm just tied me closer to you.
I now have a next level love,
A love more like one from above,
A love more like love was meant to be,
A love that my God meant for me.
Then came a valley I never saw coming,
A road so steep it set my heartbeat running.
Memories fading like the end of a song,
Days so heavy I wondered how to stay strong.
But love changed shape — it didn’t disappear,
It softened, deepened, drew me near.
Some days you’re so far I can barely see
The wife you were, the life you were to me.
Yet in those moments, God opens my eyes,
And I see you the way He sees His child.
One of “the least of these,” fragile and true,
And loving you becomes my way of loving Him too.
We love because He first loved us,
That’s the truth I’m learning in this dust.
A new commandment written from above —
To love each other as He’s loved us.
This is a next level love,
The kind only heaven teaches of.
Not passion, not youth, not the life we planned —
But the love that comes when I hold your hand.
I now have a next level love,
A love more like one from above,
A love more like love was meant to be,
A love that my God meant for me.
And when this journey finally ends,
I’ll thank the Lord for where we’ve been.
For every trial, every tear, every push and shove —
They all led me to this next level love.
Next Level Love
(A narrative poem by Kevin C. Moore based upon my Essay: Next Level Love, April 5, 2026)
Out where the world felt wide and new,
Where a spark could start a wildfire too,
We stumbled into something neither of us understood,
Young, restless, awkward,
working on our night moves
and trying to outrun the teenage blues.
But somewhere in the laughter,
somewhere in the light,
a whisper rose inside me:
“Son, this could be right.”
And so the world grew smaller
as my heart grew wide.
I left the boy I was
to walk beside the woman
God had chosen for my life.
Years rolled on like a river in flood—
babies, bills,
sweat, tears,
and the vows we once spoke
now written into our bones.
For better, for worse.
In sickness and in health.
For richer, for poorer.
We lived them all,
sometimes in astronomical proportions,
and only by grace
did we stand.
But grace kept showing up—
again and again—
turning trials into blessings
only heaven could explain.
Then came a valley
I never saw coming.
A road so steep
my heart could barely breathe.
Memories fading
like the last notes of a song,
and the woman I loved
slipping further
into a place I could not follow.
Yet love did not leave.
It changed shape.
It softened.
It deepened.
It drew me near.
Some days I cannot see
the wife you were,
the life we shared,
the story we built.
But God opens my eyes
and I see you
as He sees you—
a child of God,
one of the least of these.
And loving you
becomes my way
of loving Him.
We love
because He first loved us.
And He is teaching me still
what love was always meant to be—
a next level love,
a love from above,
a love that remakes a man
from the inside out.
Next Level Love
(A short poem by Kevin C. Moore based upon my Essay: Next Level Love, April 5, 2026)
We began in the wildfire of youth,
restless, laughing,
learning what love was not.
But God whispered,
and suddenly the future
felt close enough to touch.
Years built us—
brick by steady brick—
through vows tested
and grace repeated.
Then came the valley
I never expected,
where memory faded
and love changed shape.
Yet in your eyes,
even when they cannot find me,
I see the face of Christ.
And loving you now
is loving Him—
the next level love
He meant for me.
Next Level Love
(A song and poem in hybrid form by Kevin C. Moore based upon my Essay: Next Level Love, April 5, 2026)
We were young,
working on our night moves,
trying to outrun the awkwardness
of becoming who we’d be.
But God whispered,
and everything changed.
I now have a next level love,
A love more like one from above,
A love more like love was meant to be,
A love that my God meant for me.
Years rolled on—
babies, bills,
storms and sunlight,
vows lived out
in real time.
Grace held us
when nothing else could.
I now have a next level love…
Then came the valley—
memory slipping,
identity fading,
and the woman I love
drifting into shadows
I cannot enter.
But God opened my eyes
to see you as He sees you—
a child of God,
one of the least of these.
I now have a next level love…
And this love—
this costly, holy love—
is the love
He first gave to me.
The Third Stage of Love
(A standalone poem without any strong structure by Kevin C. Moore based upon my Essay: Next Level Love, April 5, 2026)
Love begins loudly—
fire, laughter,
the thrill of being chosen.
It grows quietly—
in diapers and deadlines,
in promises kept,
in storms survived.
But it is perfected
in the valley—
where memory fails,
where identity thins,
where the one you love
no longer knows your name.
Here, love becomes
what God always meant—
selfless, steady,
holy.
Here,
you learn
that loving the least of these
is loving Him.
Here,
you discover
the next level love.
As He Loved Us
(A hymn-like poem that leans into 1 John 4:19 and John 13:34–35 by Kevin C. Moore based upon my Essay: Next Level Love, April 5, 2026)
We love
because He first loved us—
a truth that echoes
through every stage of life.
He loved us
in our youth,
when passion burned
brighter than wisdom.
He loved us
in our building years,
when vows became flesh
and grace held us fast.
He loves us
in the valley,
where memory fades
and suffering deepens,
and love becomes
a daily offering.
“A new commandment I give you,”
He said,
“that you love one another
as I have loved you.”
And so I love you still—
not as the woman you were,
but as the child of God
you will always be.
This is the love
He meant for me—
a next level love,
born from above,
shaped by His hands,
and carried by His grace.
We love
because He first loved us—
a truth that echoes
through every stage of life.
He loved us
in our youth,
when passion burned
brighter than wisdom.
He loved us
in our building years,
when vows became flesh
and grace held us fast.
He loves us
in the valley,
where memory fades
and suffering deepens,
and love becomes
a daily offering.
“A new commandment I give you,”
He said,
“that you love one another
as I have loved you.”
And so I love you still—
not as the woman you were,
but as the child of God
you will always be.
This is the love
He meant for me—
a next level love,
born from above,
shaped by His hands,
and carried by His grace.
