A day or two before my birthday I was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook when I came across a post my birthday twin Ondra had posted about working on a 30 before 30 bucket list. Since I was also turning 29 on our birthday I thought it was neat and decided to create one for myself. That following Sunday I sat by myself near our Next Steps table during the 1st service at church and created my list. I started to run out of ideas by the time I got to 20, but I finally finished it. I've already realized some of it might have to be moved onto a 35 before 35 list but that's ok. I'm hoping I can get my husband and friends to help me accomplish some of the goals (actually my husband is the only one who can help me with one of them lol). I'm pretty excited about having new goals for the next year, and trying to finish as many of them as possible.
My 30 before 30 list:
1.FOG and FROG!!- this is the most important goal for me. FOG stands for Focus on God and FROG stands for Fully Rely on God. As a Christian its easy to sometimes lose focus or forget that we're never alone in our struggles. I've gotten alot better then where I was a few years ago, but I want my focus to always be on God 1st, my husband and family 2nd, friends 3rd, etc.
2. Figure out what I want to do in life and pursue it wholeheartedly.- One thing I know for sure is I'm tired of working job to job and not being happy. I'm also tired of working jobs that come and go too quickly like my last job. Its not a crime to want happiness AND security in a career, and right now I don't have either. The only problem I have now (besides no longer having a job) is I'm way too passionate about too many things and it makes it really hard to stick to one career path and follow it. I love the idea of wedding and event planning, I also love baking and serving people, but I really want a job where I make a difference. Shouldn't we know what we want to be and either be doing it or working towards it before 30?
3. Start a family (or at least start trying!)- Any and everyone who knows me knows I'm ready for kids, and I always thought I'd have at least one before 30. Jamie and I have talked about it quite a bit and even though I'm not as concerned about it as he is we've both agreed we need to make sure we're financially secure and both working before we start trying.
4.Swim with dolphins- sadly this one might have to move to the 35 before 35 list. We were hoping to try to go to Discovery Cove for our anniversary but after looking into it I realized we couldn't afford it at the moment. Maybe if our finances are looking a little better by my birthday next year we can go and swim with Rascal and the other dolphins to celebrate the big 30!
5. Get a passport- I really want to be able to one day travel outside of the US so I definitely need to have a passport handy.
6. Grow a backbone and stand up for myself and my beliefs.- One thing I will openly admit about myself is I hate conflict and confrontations. I will do whatever I can to avoid an argument or judgement at all cost, and sometimes in the past that has meant not standing up for myself or some of my beliefs. This year I want to finally stop caving in and stop being afraid of conflict resolution, but I also want to make sure when I do stand up for myself I always do it in a respectable manner.
7. Let go of the past fully. - Sometimes its hard to forgive and forget things and just move on, and this year I want to focus on letting go of the past completely. I've been through alot in my 29 years of life (including things I probably don't even remember), and somethings I've never been able to fully forget and move forward from.
8. Forgive, forget, and move forward.- This one goes hand-in-hand with number 7. There are somethings and some people in my past (and a few in the present) who have hurt me deeply, and its been really hard to fully let go. Everytime the memories of these certain things come into mind all the hurt, pain, and anger come rushing back. I don't want to be a person who harbors anger over things I can't change, or towards people I can't change either.
9.Reach out to someone I don't like.- I actually got the chance to do this the other day but didn't really fall through and I feel really guilty about it. It takes a strong and in my opinion a good Christian person to be able to want to help someone who has wronged them.
10. Take Jamie to the beach- my hubby and I are the same age and he has NEVER been to a beach. He needs to go to a beach!!
11. Step out of my comfort zone and try new things.- I've always wanted to try parasailing but I've been too scared because of my fear of heights. I'd really like to try it or do something else I've said I'd never do in the past.
12. Cook more- Both Jamie and I love to cook, but recently I've only been cooking one or 2 meals a week. I ultimately want to cook at least one meal a day no matter how busy we are.
13.Show honor and respect to Jamie daily- Sometimes its hard being a wife. Especially on days when you're tired, sick, or our monthly friend is visiting. You end up saying or doing things without thinking, and before you know it you end up hurting your husband's feelings (and more importantly his pride).
14. Take a family trip to Disney.- this is another one that might have to transfer to the 35 before 35 list. My nephews are getting older and I'd really like to be part of their 1st Disney experience. But one thing I can tell you from my past trips to Disney....no matter how you do it, a trip to Disney is expensive. Every single adult in our family will need to be working and chip in to pay for the trip. I'm really hoping we'll be able to stay at a resort and do the dining plan (the dining plan definitely helps you save money), and they can get the ultimate Disney experience.
15. Move into a new home- This one is almost complete! We have a home purchased (thank you dad!!! <3) now we just have to clear off our property, move our old place, and put it in. :)
16. Go on a girls only trip with some of my close girl friends.- This one will be hard to accomplish due to the fact that my closest girl friends all have kids which makes it hard for them to be able to pack up and go on a trip whenever they want.
17. Learn something new.- You're never too old to learn something new.
18. Invite the family over for dinner.- Once we get settled in I'd like to invite our families over for dinner. (It'll probably have to be at seperate times though because of space)
19. Take Jamie horseback riding- This is something else he's never done.
20. Go on a cruise.- This is something else probably moving to the 35 list. But neither one of us have been on a cruise before and I think it'd be something fun to experience as a married couple.
21. Teach Jamie to swim.- Its kind of important for him to know how to swim before we swim with dolphins, go to the beach, and go on a cruise.
22. Lead a connect group- With the launch of our new connect groups this has been something that has been on my mind quite a bit. I love our connect groups, and I would love to come out of my shell and lead one next year.
23. Do an outreach project with my family.- Last year my mom and I did Project Prom Night together, an event that was all her idea. It didn't turn out quite as we thought it would, but it was a great experience anyway. I'd love to get other members of my family involved in something similar. Sam has decided he wants to be part of Friends for Change through Disney so I might try to help him create his own outreach project.
24. Do the decorations for our home myself or with Jamie- I love DIY projects, and even though they don't always come out the way I hope I'd love for most of our decor to be things we've done ourselves.
25. Audition for a play- I miss acting!! And since I have the support of my hubby and a new theater company is coming to Davie County next year so its the perfect time to get reinvolved.
26. Lose weight- I've gained too much the past 2 years.
27. Go to NYC- another one to move to the 35 list. But its a goal to go and see at least one show on Broadway.
28. Teach my nephews something useful- I love my nephews and want to invest in their futures, enough said.
29. Send a friend a letter instead of an email- I miss the days when being penpals was considered cool. Now you're a loser if you don't send emails and tweets.
30.Start a youth group- I miss DCYC and want to recreate something similar for Davie's youth of today.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Happy birthday!!
I love September! I'd have to say out of all the months its definitely in my top 2 and here's some of the reasons why....its the official start of fall, leaves start to change, cooler nights, the return of pumpkin spice and pumpkin muffins, shopping for cute scarves and boots, and birthdays!!
Both my oldest nephew Christian and I celebrate our birthdays in September. I also have several close friends who celebrate their birthdays this month, including my friend Ondra who happens to be my birthday twin! Anyway, this year we had alot of fun celebrating my and Christian's big days.
First I'll start with Christian. His birthday is the 1st, and we had his birthday party at my dad's house. I don't know exactly when or why, but Christian has become fascinated with sharks. In fact fascinated probably isn't the word to use... obsessed is more like it! So my mom and Sarah went all out on a shark themed party for him. Below are a few of the pics just so you get the idea.
As you can see everything from the food, to the decor, games, and even presents were shark themed. Christian LOVED it!! The shark frisbee and shark-piggybank were from me (thank you Old Navy!) :)
Next was my big day! My mom had to work on my birthday (the 6th), so she, and my grandma took me with them to Greensboro the day before. After running some errands we ended up at the Christmas Store, a store that has everything you can think of. My grandma ended up buying some cute and supper soft bath mats for our new house as part of my birthday present. When we got back my mom took me out to lunch at Montey De Ray one of our favorite Mexican resturants, then we went to Adventure Landing for a "round" of putt-putt, and finished the day with a trip to Sweet Frog! It was my 1st time to Sweet Frog, and I loved it so much I've been back 2 more times in the past week!
On Thursday (my birthday) I was treated to an amazing breakfast by my hubby Jamie. Let me tell you he went all out...he fixed sausage gravy and yeast rolls, bacon, and juice. We ended up going a little overboard on our bread intake though, we ended up making sandwiches with the bacon. It was sooo good!! Later that evening I had training at Kersey Valley for Spookywoods. At first I wasn't thrilled with the idea of working on my birthday, but it actually ended up being alot of fun, and I made a new group of friends! Sadly they made me miss my Scarowinds buddies though. :(
Friday my grandma, Sarah, and her husband Dj took me out for a belated lunch at Zekos. I got chicken alfredo pizza (its amazing!!) and the owner surprised us by sending a slice of cheesecake AND tuxedo cake over to our table. Everything was delicious, and I was so full I didn't eat dinner that night! Saturday we launched our Saturday night worship experience at Journey and my birthday friend Ondra came out to worship with me. Afterwards we had dinner at La Caretta (another awesome Mexican place) and finished the evening with you guessed it....Sweet Frog! It was a great end to an amazing birthday weekend.
This picture of me is awful lol, but its better then the one she took of me trying to climb on the turtle's back!!
Yay for Sweet frog!!
Both my oldest nephew Christian and I celebrate our birthdays in September. I also have several close friends who celebrate their birthdays this month, including my friend Ondra who happens to be my birthday twin! Anyway, this year we had alot of fun celebrating my and Christian's big days.
First I'll start with Christian. His birthday is the 1st, and we had his birthday party at my dad's house. I don't know exactly when or why, but Christian has become fascinated with sharks. In fact fascinated probably isn't the word to use... obsessed is more like it! So my mom and Sarah went all out on a shark themed party for him. Below are a few of the pics just so you get the idea.
Next was my big day! My mom had to work on my birthday (the 6th), so she, and my grandma took me with them to Greensboro the day before. After running some errands we ended up at the Christmas Store, a store that has everything you can think of. My grandma ended up buying some cute and supper soft bath mats for our new house as part of my birthday present. When we got back my mom took me out to lunch at Montey De Ray one of our favorite Mexican resturants, then we went to Adventure Landing for a "round" of putt-putt, and finished the day with a trip to Sweet Frog! It was my 1st time to Sweet Frog, and I loved it so much I've been back 2 more times in the past week!
On Thursday (my birthday) I was treated to an amazing breakfast by my hubby Jamie. Let me tell you he went all out...he fixed sausage gravy and yeast rolls, bacon, and juice. We ended up going a little overboard on our bread intake though, we ended up making sandwiches with the bacon. It was sooo good!! Later that evening I had training at Kersey Valley for Spookywoods. At first I wasn't thrilled with the idea of working on my birthday, but it actually ended up being alot of fun, and I made a new group of friends! Sadly they made me miss my Scarowinds buddies though. :(
Friday my grandma, Sarah, and her husband Dj took me out for a belated lunch at Zekos. I got chicken alfredo pizza (its amazing!!) and the owner surprised us by sending a slice of cheesecake AND tuxedo cake over to our table. Everything was delicious, and I was so full I didn't eat dinner that night! Saturday we launched our Saturday night worship experience at Journey and my birthday friend Ondra came out to worship with me. Afterwards we had dinner at La Caretta (another awesome Mexican place) and finished the evening with you guessed it....Sweet Frog! It was a great end to an amazing birthday weekend.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Meet Nymeria
After Precious died I had told myself I wouldn't rush into getting a new dog, but after seeing a posting about this sweet girl on Facebook I could not resist getting her. Luckily Jamie had said that he wouldn't mind having a husky in the future, so when I told him what kind of breed she was he agreed she would be a good fit for us. I contacted the guy who was rehoming her right away and 2 days later I was heading with my dad to pick her up! :)
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Changes pt.2
So alot of changes have been going on in my life recently. I've meant to blog about them as they happen so I can keep my friends updated, but lately I've only had time to keep up with the blogs I follow. I'll try to fit as much as I can into one blog, but it might be a little scatterbrained.
1st Jamie and I got a new pup! After Precious was killed I had decided I would wait a long time before getting a new animal, but when I saw a pic of the baby girl that is now ours I just couldn't resist making sure she became mine! Her name is Nymeria and she is a wolf hybrid. She's 80% wolf and 20% malmute (although after thinking about it I'm not quite sure how those percentages work). I'll post a seperate blog with pics about her soon. :)
We still haven't decided where we will be going, but it is now 100% definite that Jamie and I will be going on an official honeymoon for our 2 year anniversary in Feburary! Honestly at this point I don't care where we go as long as we're together and completely ALONE for a week!
I've been working on some life-changing decisions recently, and while some of them have been hard, I really think they need to be made. The 1st one might be the hardest. I've decided to push back the wedding and event planning dream for now and focus on fixing the inconsistancies in my life so I can become a new and improved me. I'm really hoping to pursue this through the Life business Katy and I are in. If any business (and business partners) can help me acheive the goals and dreams I have set for myself its this one. And I already feel alot more confident just by attending our meetings and opening my mind up to learning how to fix the things I struggle with in my life. I'm not going to jinx myself by saying too much about Life until I'm in a good spot to share more about the business (but I can tell you its definitely something that can change your life, and most people don't think of jobs in that fashion...they look at them as something that drains you of life! lol) I've also decided to take a leap of faith and apply for a job that I don't know if I'm cut out for, but that I feel like its been laid on my heart to pursue. I don't want to say anything else about this job either because I REALLY don't want to jinx my chance at it! I will however say that if I get it I will be working for a place that I love, and I would be given a chance to make a difference in the lives of others as well as my community. Those are two things that are extremely important to me. Plus I would be able to keep my job as a KJ which is something I have a blast doing, and I could still setup my Ray of Sonshine table at different crafting events.
I've also decided I'd really love to start up a youth group like the one I took part in for 3 years after high school. DCYC was life-changing for alot of Davie county's youth, and I will never forget the bonds made and the changes it made in my life. Sadly I don't think there's anything like that in Davie for our youth anymore, and that really saddens me because they need something to keep them out of trouble AND to teach them about Jesus in a way that makes them actually want to care and form a relationship with Christ. I know this goal will be the biggest struggle, because even if I can get some people on board who have the time and the passion to create something like DCYC it will take alot of work actually creating, getting the word out, and money to start up the group. DCYC was a group made up of teens from about 12 different churches in Davie and had about 5-6 different chaperones including the 3 main leaders who organized our events and travels, casted the plays we did, and taught us the music and cherography. Even as a teen who just loved getting to travel and do shows with friends; I knew there had to be alot of work done to make DCYC what it was. Right now I'm just a girl with a dream who has all the time and passion, but NO resources or funds to turn this into a reality.
So if all things stay in motion 2013 looks to be a promising and busy year! I'm also hoping we'll have a baby next year, but that one is still up for negotiation with Jamie. ;p
1st Jamie and I got a new pup! After Precious was killed I had decided I would wait a long time before getting a new animal, but when I saw a pic of the baby girl that is now ours I just couldn't resist making sure she became mine! Her name is Nymeria and she is a wolf hybrid. She's 80% wolf and 20% malmute (although after thinking about it I'm not quite sure how those percentages work). I'll post a seperate blog with pics about her soon. :)
We still haven't decided where we will be going, but it is now 100% definite that Jamie and I will be going on an official honeymoon for our 2 year anniversary in Feburary! Honestly at this point I don't care where we go as long as we're together and completely ALONE for a week!
I've been working on some life-changing decisions recently, and while some of them have been hard, I really think they need to be made. The 1st one might be the hardest. I've decided to push back the wedding and event planning dream for now and focus on fixing the inconsistancies in my life so I can become a new and improved me. I'm really hoping to pursue this through the Life business Katy and I are in. If any business (and business partners) can help me acheive the goals and dreams I have set for myself its this one. And I already feel alot more confident just by attending our meetings and opening my mind up to learning how to fix the things I struggle with in my life. I'm not going to jinx myself by saying too much about Life until I'm in a good spot to share more about the business (but I can tell you its definitely something that can change your life, and most people don't think of jobs in that fashion...they look at them as something that drains you of life! lol) I've also decided to take a leap of faith and apply for a job that I don't know if I'm cut out for, but that I feel like its been laid on my heart to pursue. I don't want to say anything else about this job either because I REALLY don't want to jinx my chance at it! I will however say that if I get it I will be working for a place that I love, and I would be given a chance to make a difference in the lives of others as well as my community. Those are two things that are extremely important to me. Plus I would be able to keep my job as a KJ which is something I have a blast doing, and I could still setup my Ray of Sonshine table at different crafting events.
I've also decided I'd really love to start up a youth group like the one I took part in for 3 years after high school. DCYC was life-changing for alot of Davie county's youth, and I will never forget the bonds made and the changes it made in my life. Sadly I don't think there's anything like that in Davie for our youth anymore, and that really saddens me because they need something to keep them out of trouble AND to teach them about Jesus in a way that makes them actually want to care and form a relationship with Christ. I know this goal will be the biggest struggle, because even if I can get some people on board who have the time and the passion to create something like DCYC it will take alot of work actually creating, getting the word out, and money to start up the group. DCYC was a group made up of teens from about 12 different churches in Davie and had about 5-6 different chaperones including the 3 main leaders who organized our events and travels, casted the plays we did, and taught us the music and cherography. Even as a teen who just loved getting to travel and do shows with friends; I knew there had to be alot of work done to make DCYC what it was. Right now I'm just a girl with a dream who has all the time and passion, but NO resources or funds to turn this into a reality.
So if all things stay in motion 2013 looks to be a promising and busy year! I'm also hoping we'll have a baby next year, but that one is still up for negotiation with Jamie. ;p
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Secret songs for God
I happened to come across an article today that not only interested me, but made me stop and think. In the past its been a fun hobby of mine to take songs I listen to and change them up to become worship songs. The article (posted below) is of 10 regular songs that might have double meanings (Godly and worldly). Do you agree with the writer that these songs could actually be about God (or what God wants us to hear)? Can you think of any other songs that might be about Our Heavenly father?
The "This Is Too Easy Because I Already Imagine God Singing Them To Me" Division
10. OneDirection -- "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Line: "You don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see..."
I really don't like OneDirection, and this song seems both too sappy and manufactured for pre-teen girls. That said, I can't fight a good message, and this is one we simply cannot hear enough. We are loved into being by God, and yet we can hate ourselves for our flaws. If only we could see what God can see, we'd know that we actually are beautiful. *When you look at the song in this context it gives it a deeper meaning and it doesn't seem so sappy.
9. Drake ft. Rihanna -- "Take Care"
Best Line: "I know you've been hurt by someone else. If you let me, here's what I'll do: I'll take care of you. When you're ready, just say you're ready."
Understatement of the year alert: not all of Rihanna's songs are easy to pray with. But I have to admit that a few of her songs lend themselves to ruminating on messages I have to think God wants us to internalize. Because we have been hurt. We have built walls to protect ourselves. Without coercing us God simply whispers, "You are precious; you are mine. Just say you're ready and let yourself be loved by me." *It's hard for me to look at this song in a Christian aspect simply because of the line "It's my birthday I'll get high if I want to, can't deny that I want you but I'll lie if I have to." Don't you agree?
The "Did They Steal That Line From Scripture? No, Really, Did They?" Division
8.vTaylor Swift -- "Eyes Open"
Best Line: "The night goes dark. Keep your eyes open. Everybody's waiting for you to break down. Everybody's watching to see the fallout. Even when you're sleeping, keep your eyes open."
Was Taylor meditating on the Gospel of Matthew while singing this song for the "Hunger Games" soundtrack? Because she sounds an awful lot like Matthew 25:13, "stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
Taylor also might be discovering Ignatian spirituality, because there are some odd parallels between her admonitions about what to do when "the night goes dark" and Ignatius' instructions for what to do when we're in desolation and feel far from God. Whenever we're immersed in desolation and tempted to give up on God, that is exactly the time to "keep [our] eyes open" and to fight such a temptation. *I'm pretty sure this song was written specifically for the Hunger Games soundtrack and meant to go along with the theme of the books, but I like looking at it from the Gospel of Matthew perspective.
7. Fun. -- "We Are Young"
Best Line: "Tonight we are young, so let's set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun."
I sure as heck hope there is some sort of Gospel message in this song considering that I (and the rest of the country) have spend the last few months having these words tattooed onto our ear drums. Fortunately, I think there is. Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the light of the world ... Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:14-16). Ignatius thought this was so important that, legend has it, they were the last words he ever spoke to his close friend (and fellow saint) Francis Xavier as Xavier was leaving for the Indies. "Ite inflammate omnia," Ignatius is to have said, or, "Go, and set the world on fire."
Let's have some Fun. setting the world on fire. *This is another one that's kind of hard for me to think of as being a "Gospel centered song", but who knows?
6. Katy Perry -- "Firework"
Best Line: "'Cause baby you're a firework. Come on, show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go oh oh oh as you shoot across the sky. ...You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night like the 4th of July."
While Katy has strayed far from her Christian music beginnings, she nails this Gospel message even better than Fun. If Jesus were around today, he likely would not talk about covering one's light under a bushelbasket but instead "own[ing] the night like the 4th of July" for your heavenly Father. *Seeing how the Jkidz performed this song with Pastors Austin and Matt during the Jkidz takeover I REALLY love the idea of it being a song about shining our lights for God!
The "Unintentional Catechesis" Division
5. Rebecca Black -- "Friday"
Best Line: "It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. Partyin', partyin' (yeah!), partyin', partyin', (yeah!), fun, fun, fun, fun, lookin' forward to the weekend. We, we, we, we so excited. We so excited. We gonna have a ball today."
OK, OK, I know saying that "Friday," arguably one of the most hated songs ever created, helps explain part of the faith is a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. And, no, I'm not going to say that listening to this song makes me miserable thereby putting me in a space to pray with Good Friday. That would just be cruel.
Nope, this was yet another of the songs that got lodged in my mind during that recent retreat. While I was initially agitated that a song with lyrics as profound as "we, we, we so excited" was distracting me from trying to pray with the Resurrection, I baptized it, turning Rebecca Black into an aid to prayer. "It's Easter, Easter, gotta get down on Easter" I found myself singing (hopefully, for the sake of my fellow retreatants, not too audibly).
But wait, the possibilities for Rebecca-angelism don't end here! If we change it to Sunday, can you think of another pop song that better illustrates the importance of the sabbath? Thanks to Rebecca, now "I, I, I, I so excited" for the Lord's Day. *Umm.....
4. Hanson -- "MMMBop"
Best Line: "MMMBop... It's a secret no one knows. Can you tell me? Oh no you can't 'cause you don't know. Oh yeah you say you can but you don't know."
Since the age of 12 the question has haunted me: What on earth is an mmmbop?! Finally, after yet another "Well, the Trinity is a mystery" homily on Trinity Sunday, I thought, "That's it! What if they were singing about an Mmmystery!" We can write books -- or songs -- about the Trinity. And yet on some level, Hansen will always be right, we just don't know.
As if tackling the mystery of the Trinity wasn't enough, Isaac, Taylor, and Zac seem steeped in Scripture and full of wisdom for those in ministry. They sing:
Hansen, like Paul and Apollos before them, know that no matter how hard we work ultimately God causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). I certainly am never sure whether my efforts will produce anything good, all I can do is keep planting and trust that I'll eventually discover what has grown. *I REALLY hope this is the meaning behind the song!
3. Rihanna -- "We Found Love"
Best Line: "We found love in a hopeless place. We found love in a hopeless place."
Christians do the impossible: see a dead man hanging on a wooden beam and call it love. We find the depth of God's love for us in one of the cruelest ways humanity has figured out how to kill each other. We have found love in a hopeless place, indeed. *Even if this isn't the meaning behind this song it is a great way to look at it whenever you hear it on the radio.
The "This One's Got It All" Division
2. Adele -- "Make You Feel My Love"
Best Line: "I can offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love. When there is no one there to dry your tears / I could hold you for a million years / To make you feel my love. / I know you haven't made your mind up yet / but I would never do you wrong. / Go to the end of the earth for you / To make you feel my love."
I know this is a Bob Dylan original, and I'm admittedly tired of the overwhelming amount of Adele on the air, but there's no denying that this is a wonderful song to pray with. Seriously, pull it up on your browser and imagine God is singing to you for four minutes and seven glorious seconds.
Almost every retreat director I've ever had has started off the retreat by inviting me to pray with Psalm 139, but maybe they should have just asked me to listen to Adele. "Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there... Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139 7-10). God will go even to the end of the earth to offer us the kind of warm embrace that can make us feel God's love. *<3!!!
1. Whitney Houston (R.I.P.) -- "I Will Always Love You"
Best Line: "If I should stay, I would only be in your way. I hope you have all you've dreamed of. And I wish to you joy and happiness. But above all this, I wish you love."
Just like No. 2, Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" is actually a cover (this one's actually a Dolly Parton original). But honestly, can anyone top Whitney? That note in "I Will Always Love You" -- you know, that note, the epitome of a money note -- is perhaps one of the closest experiences to the beatific vision we have in this earthly life. Whitney is one of those performers whose life didn't always match the transcendence of her talent, and after she died, there was much discussion. But that note always sounds to me like it came right out of the brokenness of her life.
More than just an experience of beauty, notes like that describe God and God's love, they describe the Jesus who wishes for his joy to "be in you that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). God offers us unconditional love while giving us the freedom to respond to this offer of love however we will.
And with YouTube at our fingertips we've got even more freedom to experience The Note -- or any of your other favorite songs that might (secretly) be about God. *No arguments here! R.I.P Whitney
So what do you think? Are these songs really songs about God and the Gospel? What do you think about the author's points?
The "This Is Too Easy Because I Already Imagine God Singing Them To Me" Division
10. OneDirection -- "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Line: "You don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see..."
I really don't like OneDirection, and this song seems both too sappy and manufactured for pre-teen girls. That said, I can't fight a good message, and this is one we simply cannot hear enough. We are loved into being by God, and yet we can hate ourselves for our flaws. If only we could see what God can see, we'd know that we actually are beautiful. *When you look at the song in this context it gives it a deeper meaning and it doesn't seem so sappy.
9. Drake ft. Rihanna -- "Take Care"
Best Line: "I know you've been hurt by someone else. If you let me, here's what I'll do: I'll take care of you. When you're ready, just say you're ready."
Understatement of the year alert: not all of Rihanna's songs are easy to pray with. But I have to admit that a few of her songs lend themselves to ruminating on messages I have to think God wants us to internalize. Because we have been hurt. We have built walls to protect ourselves. Without coercing us God simply whispers, "You are precious; you are mine. Just say you're ready and let yourself be loved by me." *It's hard for me to look at this song in a Christian aspect simply because of the line "It's my birthday I'll get high if I want to, can't deny that I want you but I'll lie if I have to." Don't you agree?
The "Did They Steal That Line From Scripture? No, Really, Did They?" Division
8.vTaylor Swift -- "Eyes Open"
Best Line: "The night goes dark. Keep your eyes open. Everybody's waiting for you to break down. Everybody's watching to see the fallout. Even when you're sleeping, keep your eyes open."
Was Taylor meditating on the Gospel of Matthew while singing this song for the "Hunger Games" soundtrack? Because she sounds an awful lot like Matthew 25:13, "stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
Taylor also might be discovering Ignatian spirituality, because there are some odd parallels between her admonitions about what to do when "the night goes dark" and Ignatius' instructions for what to do when we're in desolation and feel far from God. Whenever we're immersed in desolation and tempted to give up on God, that is exactly the time to "keep [our] eyes open" and to fight such a temptation. *I'm pretty sure this song was written specifically for the Hunger Games soundtrack and meant to go along with the theme of the books, but I like looking at it from the Gospel of Matthew perspective.
7. Fun. -- "We Are Young"
Best Line: "Tonight we are young, so let's set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun."
I sure as heck hope there is some sort of Gospel message in this song considering that I (and the rest of the country) have spend the last few months having these words tattooed onto our ear drums. Fortunately, I think there is. Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the light of the world ... Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:14-16). Ignatius thought this was so important that, legend has it, they were the last words he ever spoke to his close friend (and fellow saint) Francis Xavier as Xavier was leaving for the Indies. "Ite inflammate omnia," Ignatius is to have said, or, "Go, and set the world on fire."
Let's have some Fun. setting the world on fire. *This is another one that's kind of hard for me to think of as being a "Gospel centered song", but who knows?
6. Katy Perry -- "Firework"
Best Line: "'Cause baby you're a firework. Come on, show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go oh oh oh as you shoot across the sky. ...You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night like the 4th of July."
While Katy has strayed far from her Christian music beginnings, she nails this Gospel message even better than Fun. If Jesus were around today, he likely would not talk about covering one's light under a bushelbasket but instead "own[ing] the night like the 4th of July" for your heavenly Father. *Seeing how the Jkidz performed this song with Pastors Austin and Matt during the Jkidz takeover I REALLY love the idea of it being a song about shining our lights for God!
The "Unintentional Catechesis" Division
5. Rebecca Black -- "Friday"
Best Line: "It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. Partyin', partyin' (yeah!), partyin', partyin', (yeah!), fun, fun, fun, fun, lookin' forward to the weekend. We, we, we, we so excited. We so excited. We gonna have a ball today."
OK, OK, I know saying that "Friday," arguably one of the most hated songs ever created, helps explain part of the faith is a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. And, no, I'm not going to say that listening to this song makes me miserable thereby putting me in a space to pray with Good Friday. That would just be cruel.
Nope, this was yet another of the songs that got lodged in my mind during that recent retreat. While I was initially agitated that a song with lyrics as profound as "we, we, we so excited" was distracting me from trying to pray with the Resurrection, I baptized it, turning Rebecca Black into an aid to prayer. "It's Easter, Easter, gotta get down on Easter" I found myself singing (hopefully, for the sake of my fellow retreatants, not too audibly).
But wait, the possibilities for Rebecca-angelism don't end here! If we change it to Sunday, can you think of another pop song that better illustrates the importance of the sabbath? Thanks to Rebecca, now "I, I, I, I so excited" for the Lord's Day. *Umm.....
4. Hanson -- "MMMBop"
Best Line: "MMMBop... It's a secret no one knows. Can you tell me? Oh no you can't 'cause you don't know. Oh yeah you say you can but you don't know."
Since the age of 12 the question has haunted me: What on earth is an mmmbop?! Finally, after yet another "Well, the Trinity is a mystery" homily on Trinity Sunday, I thought, "That's it! What if they were singing about an Mmmystery!" We can write books -- or songs -- about the Trinity. And yet on some level, Hansen will always be right, we just don't know.
As if tackling the mystery of the Trinity wasn't enough, Isaac, Taylor, and Zac seem steeped in Scripture and full of wisdom for those in ministry. They sing:
Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose
you can plant any one of those.
Can you tell me oh which flower's going to grow?
No you can't 'cause you don't know.
Keep planting to find out which one grows.
Hansen, like Paul and Apollos before them, know that no matter how hard we work ultimately God causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). I certainly am never sure whether my efforts will produce anything good, all I can do is keep planting and trust that I'll eventually discover what has grown. *I REALLY hope this is the meaning behind the song!
3. Rihanna -- "We Found Love"
Best Line: "We found love in a hopeless place. We found love in a hopeless place."
Christians do the impossible: see a dead man hanging on a wooden beam and call it love. We find the depth of God's love for us in one of the cruelest ways humanity has figured out how to kill each other. We have found love in a hopeless place, indeed. *Even if this isn't the meaning behind this song it is a great way to look at it whenever you hear it on the radio.
The "This One's Got It All" Division
2. Adele -- "Make You Feel My Love"
Best Line: "I can offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love. When there is no one there to dry your tears / I could hold you for a million years / To make you feel my love. / I know you haven't made your mind up yet / but I would never do you wrong. / Go to the end of the earth for you / To make you feel my love."
I know this is a Bob Dylan original, and I'm admittedly tired of the overwhelming amount of Adele on the air, but there's no denying that this is a wonderful song to pray with. Seriously, pull it up on your browser and imagine God is singing to you for four minutes and seven glorious seconds.
Almost every retreat director I've ever had has started off the retreat by inviting me to pray with Psalm 139, but maybe they should have just asked me to listen to Adele. "Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there... Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139 7-10). God will go even to the end of the earth to offer us the kind of warm embrace that can make us feel God's love. *<3!!!
1. Whitney Houston (R.I.P.) -- "I Will Always Love You"
Best Line: "If I should stay, I would only be in your way. I hope you have all you've dreamed of. And I wish to you joy and happiness. But above all this, I wish you love."
Just like No. 2, Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" is actually a cover (this one's actually a Dolly Parton original). But honestly, can anyone top Whitney? That note in "I Will Always Love You" -- you know, that note, the epitome of a money note -- is perhaps one of the closest experiences to the beatific vision we have in this earthly life. Whitney is one of those performers whose life didn't always match the transcendence of her talent, and after she died, there was much discussion. But that note always sounds to me like it came right out of the brokenness of her life.
More than just an experience of beauty, notes like that describe God and God's love, they describe the Jesus who wishes for his joy to "be in you that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). God offers us unconditional love while giving us the freedom to respond to this offer of love however we will.
And with YouTube at our fingertips we've got even more freedom to experience The Note -- or any of your other favorite songs that might (secretly) be about God. *No arguments here! R.I.P Whitney
So what do you think? Are these songs really songs about God and the Gospel? What do you think about the author's points?
Sunday, July 8, 2012
R.I.P Precious
My sweet pomeranian joined the rest of our former pets in "animal heaven" today. Needless to say its been a pretty tough day for me. I was lucky enough to not get the news until after church this morning....I was dropping my nephew Christian back off to my sister and she came out and told me she had something to tell me. At first things didn't sink in when she said, "Precious is dead" because her tone didn't match the news she was springing on me. Then she went on to tell me that when Dj (her husband) went to check on her and feed her this morning he found her dead in her kennel. He also found a baby copperhead (also dead) in her kennel, so one can only assume she got bitten by the snake and in return killed it. All I can say right now is I hope that rotten snake's death was slower and more painful then her's. It still took several minutes for what she was saying before it all sunk in and that's when the tears came pouring like the floodgates had just been opened. This sucks for various reasons...1. I was on the way to lunch with my friend Meridith whom I hadn't seen since her wedding in April. 2. Obviously I was driving when the tears really started flowing which is dangerous for EVERYONE on the road. 3. When I left a voicemail for my husband Jamie I was so hysterical that he couldn't understand me, so he called back freaking out thinking I had wrecked or that something happened to Christian after church. (The only words in my message he heard clearly were Christian and dead....not a good combo!!)
Overall I was able to stay sane today. I didn't cancel out on lunch with Meridith and I'm so glad because she is a total sweetheart and made me feel better. She also helped me clear my mind for awhile while we caught up on all the positives of my life and ate an amazing lunch at Newk's (although I ended up bringing the majority of my lunch home and finishing it here because I was talking too much to actually eat). Then I came back to my dad's and had an interesting time while laughing at his expense (lol he told me he'd kill me if I post what was making me laugh so I can't post it). So as you can see...life goes on. But if you're an animal lover like me you can definitely understand the ups and downs I'm feeling today while trying to get a grasp on what happened to my dear sweet baby.
R.I.P sweet Precious
Anyone who has ever had an animal that has become part of their family can understand what I'm going through...it really feels like you're losing a child or other beloved family member. :(
Precious was hands down the most hyper out of any of the dogs I've had in the past, and that is saying something!! I would often joke that she must think that she is descended from kangaroos because she loved to jump....and boy could she jump HIGH!!! I kid you not when I say that she almost jumped up to my shoulder once...and that was when I was standing!! I got her from a woman who had rescued her from an abusive home. The guy who had owned her kept her tied up in his backyard and would go out every morning and kick and hit her. Don't even get me started on how I feel about this guy!! Because of this abuse she was very scared and skiddish of any guy she didn't know. The night I brought her home she HATED my dad and brother, and when I introduced her to Jamie she didn't like him either. Lol I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual at 1st...he couldn't stand her and all her yapping! By the end of the first night he had her bribed into loving him though (he gave her half of his BK burger lol). She was always full of life...hyper, LOUD, friendly, and very loving.
Now I have to admit the one thing that will haunt me for quite sometime about her passing. I feel awful as her "mommy" because I didn't spend nearly enough time with her. Because of the living conditions at our house (its very small and cramped with all of our things and some of my dad's and brother's things that haven't been moved out yet), and the fact we don't have much of a backyard at the moment (tornado damage from 4 yrs ago) she was being kept down at my grandmother's in the garage. Because of the fact that she was being kept there Dj was normally the one feeding her (they have 3 dogs of their own so they all get fed at once). The last time I actually spent some real one on one mommy-to-puppy time with her was back in late spring when I took her to the park and walked her and let her play. Besides that our time together was me walking to the garage and saying hi to her and petting her, or taking her out at my grandma's and letting her run in the backyard. I'm sure she didn't feel neglected because there was a house full of people there feeding her and taking care of her, but I definitely feel like I was neglecting my time as her owner. :(
Once I had a "friendly arguement" with two of my friends over if animals have souls (my defense...."Animals have feelings too!!"....meaning how could they not have souls since they show different emotions just like humans?). If I'm right and animals DO have souls I can only hope that Precious is amoung those waiting for me in Heaven and when I go home to be with her she will have all my love and attention. Until then maybe she can play fetch with Jesus! (Don't hate on me for having that 5yr old mindset on this subject...you know you want your pets to play ball with the J man too!!)
So until we meet again...R.I.P sweet Precious! <3
~Shay~
Overall I was able to stay sane today. I didn't cancel out on lunch with Meridith and I'm so glad because she is a total sweetheart and made me feel better. She also helped me clear my mind for awhile while we caught up on all the positives of my life and ate an amazing lunch at Newk's (although I ended up bringing the majority of my lunch home and finishing it here because I was talking too much to actually eat). Then I came back to my dad's and had an interesting time while laughing at his expense (lol he told me he'd kill me if I post what was making me laugh so I can't post it). So as you can see...life goes on. But if you're an animal lover like me you can definitely understand the ups and downs I'm feeling today while trying to get a grasp on what happened to my dear sweet baby.
R.I.P sweet Precious
Precious was hands down the most hyper out of any of the dogs I've had in the past, and that is saying something!! I would often joke that she must think that she is descended from kangaroos because she loved to jump....and boy could she jump HIGH!!! I kid you not when I say that she almost jumped up to my shoulder once...and that was when I was standing!! I got her from a woman who had rescued her from an abusive home. The guy who had owned her kept her tied up in his backyard and would go out every morning and kick and hit her. Don't even get me started on how I feel about this guy!! Because of this abuse she was very scared and skiddish of any guy she didn't know. The night I brought her home she HATED my dad and brother, and when I introduced her to Jamie she didn't like him either. Lol I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual at 1st...he couldn't stand her and all her yapping! By the end of the first night he had her bribed into loving him though (he gave her half of his BK burger lol). She was always full of life...hyper, LOUD, friendly, and very loving.
Now I have to admit the one thing that will haunt me for quite sometime about her passing. I feel awful as her "mommy" because I didn't spend nearly enough time with her. Because of the living conditions at our house (its very small and cramped with all of our things and some of my dad's and brother's things that haven't been moved out yet), and the fact we don't have much of a backyard at the moment (tornado damage from 4 yrs ago) she was being kept down at my grandmother's in the garage. Because of the fact that she was being kept there Dj was normally the one feeding her (they have 3 dogs of their own so they all get fed at once). The last time I actually spent some real one on one mommy-to-puppy time with her was back in late spring when I took her to the park and walked her and let her play. Besides that our time together was me walking to the garage and saying hi to her and petting her, or taking her out at my grandma's and letting her run in the backyard. I'm sure she didn't feel neglected because there was a house full of people there feeding her and taking care of her, but I definitely feel like I was neglecting my time as her owner. :(
Once I had a "friendly arguement" with two of my friends over if animals have souls (my defense...."Animals have feelings too!!"....meaning how could they not have souls since they show different emotions just like humans?). If I'm right and animals DO have souls I can only hope that Precious is amoung those waiting for me in Heaven and when I go home to be with her she will have all my love and attention. Until then maybe she can play fetch with Jesus! (Don't hate on me for having that 5yr old mindset on this subject...you know you want your pets to play ball with the J man too!!)
So until we meet again...R.I.P sweet Precious! <3
~Shay~
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Jkidz takeover
This post is a bit overdue...last Sunday at Journey we kicked off our Summer series with another Jkidz takeover. I'll never forget my 1st summer/Jkid takeover at Journey....the kids and Jkid staff/volunteers amazed me with their songs and skits! I was honored and thrilled that my oldest nephew Christian got to be part of the video they showed the morning of the takeover (and a few days beforehand on facebook and twitter) and he also got to be on stage performing with our Pastors, the band, and some other awesome Jkidz. Here are some of the pics from this year's takeover, and if I can ever get the video I took on my phone to upload I'll post it as well!
Pasor Austin, our band, and Pastor Matt performing Firework (yep by Katy Perry!) with some of the older Jkidz.
Pastor Matt rocking it!
There's my little Jkid nephew! I'm so proud of him and how much he's grown this year!
I've had this song stuck in my head since the takeover....LOVE IT!!
My best friend Katy's son Drew was mimicking all of Pator Austin's moves, it was the cutest thing ever!
Pasor Austin, our band, and Pastor Matt performing Firework (yep by Katy Perry!) with some of the older Jkidz.
Making sure the Jkidz remember their movements...
Since I don't have a Vimeo I can't get it to let me post the video shown Sunday morning, but if you go to Vimeo and search for Jkidz takeover you can see it or search for it on my fb page. It's really cute and my car even makes a small cameo.
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