While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. Nobody should ever be roused to wrath or insult on your account. Everyone should rather be moved to peace, goodwill, and mercy because of your restraint. For we have been called to the prupose of healing the wounded, binding up those who are bruised, and reclaming the erring.
-St. Francis of Assisi
Monday, April 7, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Saturday Ramblings
My family are in town this weekend! 2 parents, 2 brothers, and a sister-in-law. Last night we ate mexican food and then talked until after midnight. Most of what I had to say was about Oso and all his new developments. My mom brought pictures that she took of him his first week in our home and he looks so much smaller! He was 23 pounds at the time, and now, not even 8 weeks later, he is 39 pounds!
I know that those of you who have kids are giving me that knowing smile right now because once I have children there will probably not be any Oso blogs. :) But for now, I’m enjoying it. He’s my walking partner, my daily companion, the one who hears my songs first and stays under my chair while I’m singing. We’ve become friends.
He’s currently chewing on his tail on the floor next to the couch, perfectly entertained, while I write and think and wait for the rest of the family to wake up. I’m writing because I’ve been having issues reading lately. By lately I mean, for about 8 months. I have a stack of books next to my bed and on my desk that I have started and can’t seem to finish. Which is odd, because I love to read. I just can’t focus. Off the top of my head (which isn’t always very reliable... ) The only books I’ve been able to get through in full this last year (since the summer-ish) are:
The Time Travelers Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Holy the Firm, Annie Dilliard
Telling Secrets, Frederick Buechner
The Pirate Who Tried to Captures the Moon, Dennis Hasley
2 of those are fiction and one is a children’s book. (sigh...)
Books that I’m still reading:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson
Too Deep For Words, Clayton J. Schmit
The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
The Hero and the Blues, Albert Murray
The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis
Space for God, Don Postema
Lost in Wonder: Rediscovering the art of spiritual attentiveness, Esther De Waal
Potluck, Kim Thomas
French Woman Don’t Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano
Maybe it's not that I'm restless, maybe it's just that I'm finding truth in children's stories and fairy tales. Maybe it's the same part of me that is finding a friend in a dog named Oso :) That is the way I'll look at it anyway. Going to eat with the fam...
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. –Kahlil Gibran
I know that those of you who have kids are giving me that knowing smile right now because once I have children there will probably not be any Oso blogs. :) But for now, I’m enjoying it. He’s my walking partner, my daily companion, the one who hears my songs first and stays under my chair while I’m singing. We’ve become friends.
He’s currently chewing on his tail on the floor next to the couch, perfectly entertained, while I write and think and wait for the rest of the family to wake up. I’m writing because I’ve been having issues reading lately. By lately I mean, for about 8 months. I have a stack of books next to my bed and on my desk that I have started and can’t seem to finish. Which is odd, because I love to read. I just can’t focus. Off the top of my head (which isn’t always very reliable... ) The only books I’ve been able to get through in full this last year (since the summer-ish) are:
The Time Travelers Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Holy the Firm, Annie Dilliard
Telling Secrets, Frederick Buechner
The Pirate Who Tried to Captures the Moon, Dennis Hasley
2 of those are fiction and one is a children’s book. (sigh...)
Books that I’m still reading:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson
Too Deep For Words, Clayton J. Schmit
The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
The Hero and the Blues, Albert Murray
The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis
Space for God, Don Postema
Lost in Wonder: Rediscovering the art of spiritual attentiveness, Esther De Waal
Potluck, Kim Thomas
French Woman Don’t Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano
Maybe it's not that I'm restless, maybe it's just that I'm finding truth in children's stories and fairy tales. Maybe it's the same part of me that is finding a friend in a dog named Oso :) That is the way I'll look at it anyway. Going to eat with the fam...
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. –Kahlil Gibran
Friday, April 4, 2008
Addison Road- What do I know of Holy
A few months ago I wrote a song with Jenny Simmons, lead singer of the band Addison Road. The song is called "What Do I Know of Holy" and was just released on their new record called All That Matters. I loved writing with Jenny and I was so moved by her passion for the Lord and for what she does. The song came out of a spiritual experience that Jenny had, realizing how little we really know of a Holy God. She wrote about it here.
Their whole record is great and I'm proud to be a part of it! You can listen clips of our song and the whole album on itunes. Check it out if you want!
Their whole record is great and I'm proud to be a part of it! You can listen clips of our song and the whole album on itunes. Check it out if you want!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
A game for a rainy thursday- 10 years ago
10 years ago, I never would have thought I would:
1. Let a dog lick my face
2. blog
3. Live in the south
4. use and enjoy hot sauce
5. Marry someone from Texas
6. enjoy waking up before 8 am
7. love Harry Potter as much as I do
8. give up coffee
9. have control issues
10. exclaim in a loud, excited voice to my husband, "Come look! There are blue jays in our yard!"
How about you? What about your current self would surprise your 10 years ago self?
1. Let a dog lick my face
2. blog
3. Live in the south
4. use and enjoy hot sauce
5. Marry someone from Texas
6. enjoy waking up before 8 am
7. love Harry Potter as much as I do
8. give up coffee
9. have control issues
10. exclaim in a loud, excited voice to my husband, "Come look! There are blue jays in our yard!"
How about you? What about your current self would surprise your 10 years ago self?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My musical dog
Well, what can I say, he's just drawn to it. Pretty soon you'll see him on youtube playing chopsticks or something. Although his paws are so big he'll have to use his nose. Trust me, it's gonna happen. I just know it... :)
for more proof, see this picture. :)
for more proof, see this picture. :)
John Mayer
I just read a blog that John Mayer posted the other day, and was really intrigued. He talks about "a level of self consciousness so high in my generation, that it's actually toxic."
he elaborates, " what I want to do is to shed a little light on why we're all in the same boat, no matter the shape of the life we lead: because every one of us were told since birth that we were special. We were spoken to by name through a television. We were promised we could be anything that we wanted to be, if only we believed it and then, faster than we saw coming, we were set loose into the world to shake hands with the millions of other people who were told the exact same thing.
And really? Really? It turns out we're just not all that special, when you break it down. Beautifully unspectacular, actually. And that truth is going to catch up with us whether we want to run from it or not. The paparazzo following me to the gym ain't gonna be Herb Ritts and the guy he's following ain't gonna be Bob Dylan."
Man, I do think John is insightful and very aware of his generation, which I would classify myself in. But what strikes me as interesting is how he seems to be saying that everyone is in the same boat, UNLESS you are a Bob Dylan or a Herb Ritts. Like if you reach a certain level of fame or "importance", then you have attained contentment with yourself and the world, and you no longer struggle with being self concious or wondering if you are as "special" as everyone said you were.
And I would venture to say that everyone, everyone, even Dylan and Ritts and Madonna and Mozart are, and were, just as conflicted as the rest of us.
And why? Because in our insufficence, we are painfully aware that we are not enough on our own. I believe it is part of being human, part of being alive in the world, because we were made by a God who is our idenity and salvation. Every generation that has ever lived has been sick, in need of healing. And maybe John is right, maybe our generation's symptoms look like toxic self conciousness, like a desperate desire to be loved and important. I think the concept of fame has been somewhat of a thief to us. That is another blog, perhaps.
2 Corinthians 5:1-3
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
This post is a part of Randy Elrod's Watercool Wednesday's, check it out!
he elaborates, " what I want to do is to shed a little light on why we're all in the same boat, no matter the shape of the life we lead: because every one of us were told since birth that we were special. We were spoken to by name through a television. We were promised we could be anything that we wanted to be, if only we believed it and then, faster than we saw coming, we were set loose into the world to shake hands with the millions of other people who were told the exact same thing.
And really? Really? It turns out we're just not all that special, when you break it down. Beautifully unspectacular, actually. And that truth is going to catch up with us whether we want to run from it or not. The paparazzo following me to the gym ain't gonna be Herb Ritts and the guy he's following ain't gonna be Bob Dylan."
Man, I do think John is insightful and very aware of his generation, which I would classify myself in. But what strikes me as interesting is how he seems to be saying that everyone is in the same boat, UNLESS you are a Bob Dylan or a Herb Ritts. Like if you reach a certain level of fame or "importance", then you have attained contentment with yourself and the world, and you no longer struggle with being self concious or wondering if you are as "special" as everyone said you were.
And I would venture to say that everyone, everyone, even Dylan and Ritts and Madonna and Mozart are, and were, just as conflicted as the rest of us.
And why? Because in our insufficence, we are painfully aware that we are not enough on our own. I believe it is part of being human, part of being alive in the world, because we were made by a God who is our idenity and salvation. Every generation that has ever lived has been sick, in need of healing. And maybe John is right, maybe our generation's symptoms look like toxic self conciousness, like a desperate desire to be loved and important. I think the concept of fame has been somewhat of a thief to us. That is another blog, perhaps.
2 Corinthians 5:1-3
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.
This post is a part of Randy Elrod's Watercool Wednesday's, check it out!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Further thoughts on "The Things We Can..."
After reading a comment that my cousin Lisa posted to the previous post, I’d like to add something to my explanation of the song.
Let me start by saying that I am often hesitant to explain my viewpoint of a song at all, because I don’t want it to defer your interpretation. You (reader, listener) may have heard “The Things We Can And Cannot Keep” and found a meaning inside the song that I have not found yet, that I did not know was there. Something mysterious happens with art when it speaks in ways that the author or artist has no control over. In my opinion, It is all that an artist can hope for, that their creation would have wings and fly on it’s own.
So I am happy to explain my songs, but I will always be careful not to share too much. Let me give you an example. There is a song by Sara Groves that has moved me very much called “Why it Matters”. You can read the lyrics here. There is a line in the song that says “Like a statue in the park, of this war torn town”. Now, I don’t know what town, or what statue she had in mind when she wrote the song, and I’m not sure I want to know. Not knowing allows me create a home for the song in my imagination, without the stage set for me. It’s like reading a book and then seeing the movie, it’s rarely what you imagined in your head, and sometimes you end up wishing you hadn’t seen the movie at all and could have just kept the images you had in your mind.
I am actually going to elaborate on this subject when I touch on another song called “New Today”, but for now I’ll get back to my original intent, “The Things We Can And Cannot Keep.”
After Lisa reminded me that innocence is not just about childhood or adolescence, I realized I had made it appear that way in my post. And I wanted to point that out, in light of what I said in the above paragraphs, I don’t want a listener to be fenced in by my description of the song. Let me put it this way, I think I’ll relate to “The Things We Can And Cannot Keep” just as much in 30 years as I do now. So if you relate to the song in any way, I thank God, the ultimate Creator, and the one who gives art wings.
Let me start by saying that I am often hesitant to explain my viewpoint of a song at all, because I don’t want it to defer your interpretation. You (reader, listener) may have heard “The Things We Can And Cannot Keep” and found a meaning inside the song that I have not found yet, that I did not know was there. Something mysterious happens with art when it speaks in ways that the author or artist has no control over. In my opinion, It is all that an artist can hope for, that their creation would have wings and fly on it’s own.
So I am happy to explain my songs, but I will always be careful not to share too much. Let me give you an example. There is a song by Sara Groves that has moved me very much called “Why it Matters”. You can read the lyrics here. There is a line in the song that says “Like a statue in the park, of this war torn town”. Now, I don’t know what town, or what statue she had in mind when she wrote the song, and I’m not sure I want to know. Not knowing allows me create a home for the song in my imagination, without the stage set for me. It’s like reading a book and then seeing the movie, it’s rarely what you imagined in your head, and sometimes you end up wishing you hadn’t seen the movie at all and could have just kept the images you had in your mind.
I am actually going to elaborate on this subject when I touch on another song called “New Today”, but for now I’ll get back to my original intent, “The Things We Can And Cannot Keep.”
After Lisa reminded me that innocence is not just about childhood or adolescence, I realized I had made it appear that way in my post. And I wanted to point that out, in light of what I said in the above paragraphs, I don’t want a listener to be fenced in by my description of the song. Let me put it this way, I think I’ll relate to “The Things We Can And Cannot Keep” just as much in 30 years as I do now. So if you relate to the song in any way, I thank God, the ultimate Creator, and the one who gives art wings.
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