Many songs compromise the soundtrack of my life for 2010 but this one tops the list.  In fact, the album this is found on, MercyMe The Generous Mr. Lovewell, is my album pick for the year.  So timely and so powerful in its message and ministry to me personally. I've pretty much been crawling along the past year but I've always kept my direction pointed toward God for he is my strength and song.  Back To You

HOLY SMOKES!!  I love love love this song!  Thanks to my Emmy for introducing me to this song and to Train.  I haven't listened to them before!  If my hub and I ever renew our vows we are playing this song as one of the ceremony tunes.  What a great declaration of commitment and love.  I love the line, "You'll wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you."  Oh man.  What a great song!  It makes me think of my hub.  He wears out the words, "I love you"!  And I should probably quit dismissing them every time he says them and let him continue to speak it over me as much as he can!  :)  And maybe I should start saying the words a little more and try to wear them out with him!  He also is constantly telling me I'm beautiful and I dismiss those words way too easily.  So thanks Emmy for the song, I'm convicted by it!  I gotta start believing my hub's words to me a little more! :)  I LOVE THIS SONG!!  Marry Me (this is so great! It is a surp

I've been thinking a lot about this very question lately.  What if I'm wrong?  What if "you" are wrong?  I was just talking with a friend today about the decision to accept Christ and his word.  Anyone who tries to intellectualize it, tries to get a grasp on all of it, tries to define it by logic will ultimately walk away from God.  A life with God is so much more than logic and endlessly searching for answers to questions that you don't really need to know the answers to.  A life with God is about leaping, with eyes closed, and being caught with arms of love.  Love is never totally logical, it requires faith and faith requires trust.  Christ should not be over-thought, he is so much more simple than this world makes him out to be.  I've thought through my "what if's", have "you" bothered to think through yours?  Because what if "you" are wrong?  What then?  What If

Almost 20 years ago at a Christmas party a white elephant gift exchange occurred and the hot gift to get was a Bee Gees vinyl album of "Stayin' Alive".  This is dedicated to you, CSCS Class of '92!  And hey, anyone still in possession of that album?  :)  Stayin' Alive

Emily Dickinson said, " “Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.” Sometimes all we have is hope to cling to.  With hope we can realize that we are not alone, we are held fast by the one who created us.  When we lose hope we lose a vital part of life, we lose what will get us up everyday.  I hope and pray that you have hope and that it has found a resting place in your soul.  Hope Now

Without fail this song leads me back to Sundays in Baptist church and my Dad belting out this song.  I can literally hear him singing it no matter who else is singing it.  I love this song.  As a kid I endured this song (as I believe all kids did when there were more than 2 verses, haha!) and as an adult I get this song.  I appreciate the hearts that wrote it and were expressing love for the Lord.  You cannot write a song about the victorious Christ until you have experienced the victory of Christ in your own life.  And when you experience that victory you have to express it, you cannot contain it.  Crown Him with Many Crowns (Maranatha Singers) Crown Him with Many Crowns (Robin Mark) Crown Him with Many Crowns (Harvest Bible Chapel - updated arrangement)

Happy Birthday Jesus! While history shows that the birth of Jesus was actually more around October, December is the month that was chosen to celebrate it so I'll stick with it and say Happy Birthday Jesus!  :)  Ever since we heard this song a few years back our family has loved it.  It's just...perfect.  Maybe it's the kids singing it, maybe it's the simplicity of it, but for me I think it is because of the message.  And while, as a friend pointed out to me recently, the celebration of Christmas has become more cultural than spiritual it doesn't mean that we should just throw our hands up in the air, go with the flow of society, and forget about why we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  We celebrate his birth which led to his life lived out fully for us to end in taking on the payment for our sins.  Without his birth there would be no death and we wouldn't have the option of eternal life.   So, Happy Birthday Jesus, we celebrate you in thankfulness for what yo

In honor of my seester's birthday today I am featuring one of her top 3 favorite songs of all time!  She also loves Bridge over Troubled Water and One but I loved that she also has an instrumental in her line-up!  I appreciate artists who keep the integrity of the piece while putting their own interpretation on it.  George Winston has done that with this piece by Pachelbel.  From the first notes you know the song and it is a comfort in its familiarity but you are taken on a bit of a pleasant side trip with Winston's variations.  My imagination has run "wild" and I can see myself, perhaps my seester has done this, walking down the crowded and busy NYC streets (where she lives) with this playing on her iPod and transporting her through the crowds with hardly a glance their way as the music clears the path.  Happy birthday Rebecca!  Variations on the Canon by Pachelbel by George Winston

On November 12, 2008 my lifelong bestie, Sarah, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer.  On December 23, 2008 she peacefully and quietly passed away.  She left behind a husband and 3 young girls, a family and many many friends.  The only way I think any of us get through each day without her is because of the Hope that we all shared, Jesus Christ was Sarah's Hope and he is ours and so we will be reunited one day because of that Hope.   With Hope

Quick, what's the craziest show of love you have ever received?  Guess what?  If you didn't say Jesus taking on your sins and paying the price for them then your answer pales next to that crazy show of love!  It's INSANE that someone would willingly say, "I'll take it" and then actually take it!  And what's more insane is as you get that, as you become okay with it, as your pride allows it then you get all crazy too.  The more of God's crazy love we allow in our own lives the more we begin to extend crazy love to others.  The more we want others to know that they are loved in crazy ways!   Some report came out a few years back.  Some company had done research into who were the first and most consistent responders to natural disasters and traumatic world events.  They found that those who considered themselves evangelical Christians were among the most generous, most dedicated, and most present both short term and long term.  The explanation?  Crazy

*Warning: This is NOT your traditional Christmas song! Thanks to my friend, Tracy, for shooting it my way!  HAHAHAHAHAHA!  Love how this song just calls out the truth behind the switch from the controversial "Merry Christmas" to the PC "Happy Holidays".  You do know that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" doesn't change the reality right?  Us humans have to go to extremes, I don't understand it even though I am sure I do it too!  Let's face it, Jesus isn't PC.  Why?  Since he came for all why isn't he PC?  Because PC lulls us into complacency and Jesus came to shake things up and rid us of complacency.  PC is the fence and you can only sit on a fence for so long, eventually you have to be on one side of it.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  :)  Christmas with a capital "C"

Oh man this songs calls ME out!  I love it!  Okay, I love it now.  The first time I heard it I looked around to see if Toby Mac had somehow been a voyeur into my life to that point.  I didn't see him but I'm still not sure that he wasn't hiding out somewhere observing me!  :)  For the past year or so I've been unable to make eye contact and answer the question, "How are you?"  It has created a lot of painful and awkward moments between me and people who genuinely love me and me and people who ask me for less than pure reasons.  Sometimes we just enter into, or get hit by, a hard season of life.  And I like that this song acknowledges that BUT gives the assurance that it's okay and it'll ease up.  It won't be hard forever.  And you know what?  It isn't hard forever.  I've started making eye contact again, I've started being honest again with people who truly want to know and are concerned.  Maybe I've just been too honest or may

I love this song because of the reality of the night of the Savior's birth.  Nobody was waiting around with bated breath for the momentous occasion.  Nobody even knew what was happening!  There wasn't some big announcement of impending birth like I am assuming there will be when Prince William and Princess Kate have their first child.  In fact, nobody cared or wondered or knew the impact of a newborns presence on the world.  I like to imagine the Shepherds all drowsy, smelly, and dirty hanging out and being blasted alert by a bright light (maybe), a loud voice (most likely), and an announcement that their lives were literally just changed forever with the birth of a baby.  God most often shows up and speaks to us when we are about the business that he has set before us to do.  The Shepherds were watching their flocks, going back a little further - Rebecca was watering her camels and out of that she gained a husband.  Go figure.  When we are being diligent to do what is set

We ask to be part of something bigger, something more meaningful.  So opportunities are put in front of us and God asks, "What now?  What will you do now that it's here in front of you?"  Are we sincere in our desire to be part of something more?  Or are we just paying it lip service?  What will we do when confronted with the reality of our desire?  We too often make the mistake that if it isn't grand enough, if it doesn't touch more than one person, if it isn't going to make even a ripple in the water then it isn't worth it. I beg to differ.  Heck, God begs to differ!  A simple cup of water can make a huge difference in one life and that one life can start a domino effect.  We have NO idea what our one act of kindness - even if it is a Tootsie Roll smile taped on a piece of paper - can and will do in the lives of many.  What have you asked to be a part of?  Has it been placed in front of you? Well, then what now?  What Now?

This song reminds me, us, to celebrate our days with people.  I love how this song celebrates relationships.  It reminds me of a friend, Dan, who regularly posts on Facebook how many months he has been married to his wife and how grateful he is for that.  Too often we get so wrapped up in the day to day grind that we forget to celebrate the presence of people in our lives.  For me this song is a reminder to do that.  When we forget to celebrate people is when we also forget to be grateful for what they add into our lives, when we forget to consider their words, their hearts, and their feelings.  Let's see, today is right around Lanny and I's 6,205 day together!  I clearly remember day 1, this quiet guy who had a cute butt!  HAHAHAHAHA!  Too much info?  Too bad!  :)   Have a great Friday and don't forget to celebrate the people in your life today!    What A Beautiful Day

My penance for doing a repeat song yesterday, because I haven't been keeping track of which songs I have already done, is to do two today.  So I went OLD SCHOOL and traveled back to the first days of Christian Rock Bands.  I've done two songs today from Petra and Stryper.  So is it my penance or yours?  You make the call!!  :) 

Oh Stryper.  After my introduction to Christian Rock through Petra the next obvious (and only) choice was Stryper.  Looking back I can only remember the yellow and black that was their trademark and I wonder, why did they want to look like giant bumblebees?!?  Hahahahahaha!  I have two very clear memories of Stryper music in my life.  They are random and odd memories which is why I think they are worth sharing! :)  Honestly was Stryper's breakout song and so this was the one I listened to the most and liked the best, actually it may have been the only song of theirs that I did like.  I have a vivid memory of folding laundry, when I was a kid, and listening to this song over and over and singing along with great...passion.  Tee hee hee.  My other memory has to do with the youth group romance.  We all have 'em.  I had a boyfriend in my youth group whose name escapes me BUT he was a die hard fan/groupie of Stryper.  Like so much so that he, um er, dressed like them.  Oh yes, yes

Petra.  Oh man do I love me some Petra.  They were the first Christian Rock cassette tape I ever owned.  I clearly remember an old friend, Cara Vice, and I at the mall and she was looking for the tape and I had never heard of them.  She bought the tape and played it for me and that was all I needed to hear.  I was hooked!  In fact, I can still listen to this album (all this back in day terminology for music recordings! haha) and know every word and love every song just as much as I did back then.  Good stuff.  In fact, Petra had a huge influence on my spiritual journey because their songs made me think deeper about the things of God.  I mean it's not like the normal Sunday School stories talk about spiritual warfare and taking down the devil!  Don't want to scare the little kids, haha!  But the things Petra would sing about made me go deeper than the surface. I appreciate the nudges I got from listening to their music.  On a serious note, Petra was one of the first Christian

Complacency scares me.  It should scare you too.  The Motions is about complacency.  If we spend our lives just going through the motions we will end our lives with regret.  Guaranteed.  Why?  Because we are meant to have abundant life! And abundant life doesn't come by going through the motions of life.  It comes by living life to the fullest, by taking risks and chances, by loving others well, by practicing forgiveness and grace, etc etc.  When I consider the motions I have gone through in my life the most obvious set of motions I have gone through is those of the Church.  See, I was birthed into the church.  Heck I was attending church while still in the womb.  (No, really I was...)  So it's been easy and seamless to go through the motions of Church because I was raised up to do that.  And then.  Well then I got my own mind, somehow I was able to retrieve it from the Church and the motions and begin to discover for myself what this life in Christ thing was really all about

Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing together?  Merry Christmas indeed!  :)  Thanks to my friend, Tracy, for shooting this one my way.  This is one of her holiday fave's.  I can't get over how young David Bowie looks or rather is in this video!  So crazy! When my hub would play in a band and do warm up on his bass he always played The Little Drummer Boy so it's always been a favorite of mine.  I loved hearing him play bass.  I always loved the role that the little drummer boy played in the birth of our Savior.  I love how God surrounded the Savior with all these people that seemed insignificant and yet were vital to the event and the message of the birth of Christ.  I love that God still does that today.  He uses seemingly insignificant people to do vital work.  What a gift of grace! The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth

One of my favorite albums of the past year, maybe of all time, is Mercy Me's "The Generous Mr. Lovewell".  The title track of the album is a description of my heart, my desire, the way I want to live and the way I want to be known.  So many times we stop short of extending ourselves because we somehow have been convinced that if the gesture isn't "big" enough or "grand" enough then it isn't even worth doing anything.  Where did this crap idea come from?  From the bigger is better society we live in?  Well it's crap.  Yeah, I said it.  I have found, just in the past month or so, that the smallest gesture of kindness, the smallest act of compassion, whatever it is I have been compelled to do and yet think is small has made the BIGGEST impact.  Bigger is not better in most cases.  I always knew that even the smallest gesture we make could make a huge difference to someone else but I have really seen it as I purposely practice daily.  A toots

From a small, nondescript, insignificant town comes the news of a boy being born.  Not just any boy but the Savior of the world!  Prior to being the birthplace of Jesus it was significant only in that it was also the birthplace of King David.  Through personal experience and observation I have seen that God uses most often the small, nondescript, and insignificant to accomplish incredible things.  Even towns.  And babies.  And poor carpenters and young girls.  It was the biggest news headline of the day and was missed by almost everyone.  It's still the biggest news headline and it is still missed by too many.  And while the little town of Bethlehem has grown up a bit, for we all do, it carries with it today the significance of being the birthplace of the Savior.  The amazing news for us is that we can be the home place of the Savior!  O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Sarah McLachlan) O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Vienna Boys Choir) O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Nat King Cole)

There is something about dancing.  It is intimate and requires a trust.  I had heard years ago from a dance instructor that when single, divorced women come to take ballroom dancing lessons that it is usually very hard for them to trust the male partner they are matched up with.  She had witnessed a lot of tears and sadness as these women danced and learned to trust again.  I found that fact fascinating and as I have thought about it since I have heard it I see how it makes so much sense.  In dancing you are in each other's space and we Americans have a pretty wide circumference to our personal space.  It's about 3 feet all around.  Dancing requires you to get within inches of each other.  That nearness does require a level of trust, comfort, and intimacy.  God invites us, daily, to dance with him.  He wants to get close, he wants us to trust him, he wants to go throughout each day in sync.  When we dance with him we are communicating that we trust him and he is communicating

I love Narnia.  I keep going into my closet hoping I can enter into the world itself. Haha, just kidding about that but I am not kidding about how much I love the book series by C.S. Lewis and the movies.  They have done, to date, a phenomenal job with the movies and my family and I are super excited to see the newest one, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, tonight!  So in honor of the movie today's song is the title track sung by a favorite artist of mine, Carrie Underwood.  In an interview Carrie said she co-wrote the song with someone and kept in mind the theme of the books/movies and tried to stay true to it.  I think she did a great job, it very much falls into the series nicely.  The overall message of the song, to sum up the book/movie, is that we all have a place we belong to and fit into and that place will find us and we find it.  Of course taking it a step further, because C.S. Lewis had an even larger message under the surface, it is God who has carved out that place for

In honor of my hub's 48th birthday today I am highlighting the #1 Billboard song on December 9, 1962!  And I giggled in delight when I found out what it was.  I grew up on this music!  In fact I have great memories of being in the car with my Dad and this song coming on the radio (Oldies Station) and him singing along with it, matching Frankie Valli's voice almost perfectly!  I love the old "oldies", these days the new "oldies" are the songs from the 80's!!  :)  Happy birthday Lanny!  :)  Big Girls Don't Cry

It's Wednesday!  Poor Wednesday, it gets such a bad rap.  I say we change the face of Wednesday and twist and shout our way through it!  It doesn't have to be hard to get through Wednesday, it can be fun!  Take Ferris Buller's example, he has fun getting through his days!! :)  I love the Beatles, love them!  And it's about time I put them up on this blog.  There will be more of them to come.  :)  The Beatles were the original boy band and better than any boy band that has come since them.  They changed the face of music and the face of their generation.  My Dad's parents didn't like him listening to "that rock and roll" but he loved them and listened to them!  I mean for heaven's sake the Beatles had, GASP, long hair... :)  No really that was one of the complaints of parents back then.  Haha, if only they knew what was coming! :)  Have a great Wednesday everyone!  Twist and Shout  (the ORIGINAL video from the Beatles!) Twist and Shout (from

Sleepwalking.  The official definition from Webster is: 1)  to walk while or as if while asleep 2)  to proceed in a passive often lethargic manner Today we are sleepwalking, just as nations and cultures before us have.  Our sleepwalking has produced a hostile environment for those who are living according to God's standards. Even within the Church true believers are mocked and put down for their beliefs. But as Solomon said centuries ago, "There is nothing new under the sun."  Those who believed that the Savior of the world had come in the form of a baby and birthed in a barn were mocked also.  Thousands of years ago the world which we live in today was described.  Don't believe me?  Read Romans 1.  Sound familiar?  If it doesn't then you are choosing to deny the obvious truth.  We live in a depraved and evil world.  And the more we remove God from the fabric of our lives the more we decline into depravity.  Casting Crowns does a masterful job at tying toget

It's time I make the public confession.  I love Hannah Montana!  No, really I do.  :)  I watch episodes BY MYSELF and ON PURPOSE!  :)  So it was time to make the confession and put a song up on this blog!  Here's another confession.  My kindred, Hillary, and I really considered learning the Hoedown Throwdown dance for her wedding reception!  :)  No, really we did because Hillary loves Hannah as much as I do!  We have been known to cuddle up on the couch together and watch Hannah.  True story, ask our hub's!  Okay get over the fact that everyone just magically knew this song and the dance the minute Hannah, er I mean Miley, began singing it.  It's fun and a great song to kick off the new work week!  Happy Monday y'all! :)  Hoedown Throwdown (abridged version 1:32) Hoedown Throwdown (full version 3:17)

There are a few Christmas songs that I love that are the traditional ones and truthfully I like to sing them other times of the year and not so much at Christmastime!  One of them is "O Come All Ye Faithful".  I think I love it, in part, because it makes me remember how much I loved Christmas as a kid.  And I didn't really love it for the gifts, I loved it for the magic and the meaning of the season.  This hymn, which has become a traditional Christmas song as well, is a call to the faithful.  A call to those that have understood and embraced what God has done for us, who get to what lengths he has gone to to reach out to his creation.  Who else would do what God has done? So come, all ye who are faithful, and rejoice for Jesus Christ came so that we may have life abundant! O Come All Ye Faithful (Celtic Woman) O Come All Ye Faithful (Twisted Sister - yeah you read that right...TWISTED SISTER!!) O Come All Ye Faithful (Chris Tomlin) O Come All Ye Faithful (Martina

This song came out when I had my own two little "carrot tops" toddling around the house.  I love this song!  I love the heart behind this song and the visual of looking inside the house rather than outside.  It makes me think about what do I see when I look in rather than out.  These days my carrot tops are in the midst of pre-teen years and no longer are hauling around sippy cups and wearing their shoes backward.  Those days seem like they were so long ago.  When I look in to my house these days I see two carrot tops - one is sitting at the table mixing colors and creating amazing works of art and the other is twirling and dancing and singing at the top of her lungs.  And then there is my hub, he's there giving affirmation, guidance, direction, doing the dishes, paying the bills, being a strong and steady presence in our lives.  Pikes Peak, which happens to be out my front window, is gorgeous but not near as beautiful as what I see when I'm on my front porch look

Get your groove on!  :)  (Haha, I'm so white!)  Since it's Friday and my fave Morning Show does "Club Awesome" with club music I thought I would do my own mini-version! Love this song for the music and the message!  Best way to live a rich life?  Put your love glasses on and let what you see transform you!  You'll be amazed at how strong you feel with Love glasses on!  Happy Friday! LIFE

Too often it is like Steven Curtis Chapman crawled inside my head and heart and life and wrote songs about what he observed. This song is, well, me!  With each new year and decade of my life (haha, it's funny that I can talk about my life in decades!  Sheesh...) I kind of think, "Well maybe I get some stuff now,"  and then God goes and shows me that nope, I don't get much of anything, I'm only getting started.  :) Philippians 1:6 is a oft quoted fave verse of mine that basically says what God starts he will finish in me, in you, in his creation.  So while I might think it is a little late to be getting started on some things at 36, the timing according to God's perspective is just right!  :)  Even though I have grown up learning about God and getting to know him, when I turned 30 God really sent me the message that I was just getting started, it's been quite a ride so far! :)  Only Getting Started  (Song only, no video)

To mark December 1 I am going to do a Christmas song but it's not one of the traditional ones!  :)  Some of my favorite Christmas songs are ones that are more contemporary.  Ones that I actually think about listening to throughout the year because the message goes beyond the Christmas season.  Come to think of it, the message of Christmas goes beyond the Christmas season.  And it is a strange message if you think about it.  A baby sent to save the entire world?  The entire human race?  WHAT?!?  And yet, that is exactly what God did - he sent a baby to save this world and only he could have thought of something so crazy and made it successful.  I love this song, I love the wonderment behind it.  What a strange way to save the world.  Think you don't need saving?  Think again.  We all do.  There is not one person exempt from needing a Savior.  What holds you back from accepting the free gift of salvation from your depraved self?  Pride?  Shame?  Ignorance?  I challenge you to

AHAHAHAHAHAHA!  I was very uninspired today so I was scrolling through my itunes seeing if anything would hit me and this song was listed.  I have NEVER, and I mean never, heard this song before.  I have NO idea how it has landed in my itunes, nobody in my family knows anything about it either!  What first caught my eye was the album this song comes from is titled, "Look Into The Eyeball" and my friend Judy and I have a long-standing joke about eyeballs.  But seriously.  Why is this song in my itunes and where in the world did it come from?!?  Tee hee hee... David Bryne's song, "Like Humans Do" is a simple song about well, humans.  We breathe in and we breathe out and in the midst of the in and out we live our days.  All humans do it no matter where they are at in the world. It is a universal fact that we live our days as we breathe in and out.  So breathe in.  And now breathe out.  And live your day!  Like Humans Do

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Listening to New Kids on the Block through my daughter's response to them is SO funny!  She thinks I'm crazy for ever liking NKOTB and I tell her they were to me what Justin Bieber is to her.  She looks at me doubtful but it's true!  Tee hee hee... I hung a poster of NKOTB on my ceiling in my mid-high years and I remember being on the phone with friends talking about each member.  Oh my.  It's almost a requirement of the pre-teen and teen years to have crushes on the most ridiculous bands!  Today's song is chosen because it is Monday...remember you just gotta hang tough!  AHAHAHAHAHA!  Happy Monday everyone! Hangin' Tough

What do you think of the love of Jesus?  Do you think is is something that the weak in mind lean on?  Do you think it is something that empowers you?  Do you think it is for pansies or for the strong?  Have you scoffed at his love?  Have you questioned his love?  Have you embraced his love?  Have you allowed his love to lead you through life?  As I get older and observe more of people and this world I see the love of God doing one of two things.  Dividing or uniting.  There is no in between.  You cannot straddle the fence between the two.  Not making a decision IS making a decision!  As I age I realize that the ONLY thing I can do is share my genuine experience with God and his love and hope that it softens a hard heart or prompts someone to consider it.  The short story of my experience with God's love is this:  I am weak and his love makes me strong, I do not understand the depth and breadth of God's love but I don't let that stop me from embracing it, and every day I

I have a special love for Kenny G.  :) I don't know what it is about his music but I LOVE it!  And when I'm not feeling very inspired or when I don't feel like listening to words I pop him in because his music inspires and stirs me.  This song I really really love. In fact I had my bridesmaids walk down the aisle at our wedding to this song.  I love it that much!  I think what I love with Kenny G and other musicians like him (I love Jim Brickman also) is their music inspires you to write your own words, to write your own story with their music as the soundtrack.  So this particular song of his makes me think of the time surrounding my wedding; the planning, the visual I get of my bridesmaids walking down the aisle to it, and really just the whole day.  It was Lanny and I's moment, when we began OUR story and others joined us in witnessing it and agreeing to it!  :) The Moment

For some reason I'm pretty sure this song has undertones that I'm not picking up on!  :)  But I like it for it's upfront message about shopping.  I especially think it is appropriate when he sings, "I'm trying to pick up a friendly bargain, But it's not like the adverts all make out."  :) Also the line, "I'm haunted by the colours and hoardings a reminder that I must be inadequate."  What I find interesting about that line is that many people sub-consciously do shop to keep up with the "Jones' " and a lot of times that does lead to some level of hoarding!  So does that make me a semi-level hoarder as I go out today and join the masses in getting the "deals"?!?  AHAHAHAHA!! Happy Black Friday everyone! Shopping

Thank you Mary Chapin Carpenter for singing such a simple and beautiful song for the things that mean the most and we should reflect on during Thanksgiving.  I love Mary's voice, it's earthy and pure.  You can sense that she doesn't have to strive to reach a note, it just flows out of her.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  May you be blessed, may you take time to reflect on the people and things in your life that are the source of fulfillment and gratefulness.  Thanksgiving Song

www.africanchildrenschoir.com I love this choir!  No matter who I hear them singing with I am moved and then when I hear them sing "alone" I am ecstatic!  Some people think these children from Africa are being exploited so I thought I'd do a quick history on the choir.  Started in 1984 as a method to provide education and hope to the "least of these" in Africa it currently has about 4000 children in the Music For Life Program!  Not only do the children receive education but they receive clean water, food, clothing, and medical care - it is much like Compassion and World Vision in it's heart and mission.  All the children sing but there is a "base" choir that tours the USA, Canada, and UK sharing the message of the Gospel and giving voice to the future of Africa, the children.  The new choirs train in Uganda which is where the vision started.  However Music For Life is currently in 7 countries in Africa!  These children are NOT being exploited for

My hub calls George Strait "Wilbur Crooked".  I'd have to say that in country circles that boarders on blasphemy!  Haha!  Actually he does it just to mess with fans of this amazing artist. George Strait has earned and deserves every award he has ever received.  Not only is his talent out of this world but many sources have said he is the nicest, most down to earth genuine man you'll ever meet.  My cousin, Jodi, shot this song my way as a suggestion for this blog.  After hearing it I know why it must be one of Jodi's favorites.  Jodi and her kids are great examples of living for and in the moments that take your breath away rather than just living to breath and get through.  They face challenges head on and have a great support system in place to help them appreciate the moments that life hands you as a gift.  Jodi never complains but always finds a reason to "make lemonade out of those lemons"!  Jodi and her kiddos are great inspiration for living li

Sometimes Mondays can make us feel a little goofy.  This song can help that feeling!  I think this song is a great comic relief for any Monday blues you may run into!  :)  And don't forget to do the hand motions, I think they are very important!!!  :)  Llama Song *Thanks to the Friscic Boys and their Mama for passing this song my way! :)

Blood is creepy.  Well to most people at least.  So when us believers talk about the blood of Jesus cleansing us and others no wonder some people think we are in a cult or have lost our minds!  Here's the deal on that.  Ready?  Jesus gave his life, bore our sins on himself, shed his blood and paid a price that we will now never have to pay.  It's not like I'm walking around wearing a vile of Jesus' blood as a guarantee against anything.  His blood didn't need to touch me in the physical sense in order for me to be cleansed from my sin and unrighteousness. And the good news is the same holds true for you!  The only thing we have to do to be cleansed by the blood he shed for us is to say, "You know what God?  I believe that, I believe that you sent Jesus to shoulder all of my ick and pay the price for it and I can accept it.  So I accept it and want to live a life that shows others that I accept the gift and I believe it."  THAT'S IT!!  It is a free gift

Brandon Heath has this way of getting right down to the heart of the matter.  So far every song I've heard of his I love AND I relate to!  I have a feeling he and I would have some good, deep conversations.  I really heard the words to this song a week or so ago.  And it hit me for a couple of reasons.  One, at the beginning of the song he says that from a young age he was intrigued (my word, not his) by the Light.  I relate to that.  I have always had this thing in my heart and mind that has leaned toward God (i.e. the Light).  On my own I have always sought out God.  And like him I haven't always gotten it right but I kept pressing in and trying to make the connection complete.  As I get older I realize more and more it is God's love that is enough and all that is truly needed.  The love of God is healing, powerful, restorative, defining, hope, and so much more!  Two, I am a "doer" by nature.  It's how I'm wired, by God.  But being a "doer" m

The minute I started listening to this song for the first time today I knew I would have to post it as the song for today.  And then I saw the video, I'm so visual, and I KNEW I really had to post it!  Take the 3 minutes and some odd seconds to watch this video and listen to this song.  I just finished a book by Cathy Lamb titled "Such a Pretty Face" and it addressed some hard issues.  Eating disorders, Schizophrenia, verbal abuse, and a few others.  And it gave me such insight into especially the world of schizophrenia and their families.  But in one part of the book the main character, who had gastric bypass surgery because she was morbidly obese, talks about fat people and the world's perception of them not to mention the world's treatment of them.  The most important thing she said is that fat people are people too.  They have value and worth just like anyone else.  And if people would take the time to look below the fat they would see that the reason these

Ah.  U2.  Bono.  Controversy!  It's because people interpret the songs in so many different ways and say their way is right.  Regardless of what you or I may actually think or feel about Bono and U2 I will say that on the whole issue of poverty, human rights, and fighting for the "least of these" he is AWESOME.  I don't know where he stands with Jesus personally but his life sure looks an awful lot like the hands and feet of Jesus.  I take Bono at face value and I take U2's songs at face value.  I remember when this one came out and oh the debates and discussions about the meaning of it!  Cracks me up.  So.  What does this song mean?  Are Bono and U2 looking for Christ?  Are they actually saying they can't find him?  GASP.  I don't know.  All I know is that I have observed Bono in the past years living out his convictions and beliefs.  I say let them speak for themselves.  And if at one point he and U2 were seeking and not finding who knows?  Perhaps they

In honor of National Unfriend Day... To All The Friends I've Un'ed Before

I have got the giggles.  When I pulled this up and listened to it I could see why it was my friend Misty's fave song currently!!  AHAHAHAHA!  This is great Misty, it's so you!  :)  I personally have never understood the need to completely let loose to the point of no rules.  This doesn't surprise anyone who knows me well.  My Type A personality likes rules way too much and THESE house rules don't count in my world!  Ha!  But those good 'ole country boys know how to throw a humdinger of a party.  What I think is interesting about country boys is that they can party hard at night but during the day they are PERFECT gentlemen.  Such an odd contrast of behaviors but then again I think that's why girls like a country boy! :)  Well this song should get you through your mid-week just fine, thanks Misty for shooting it my way! :)  The House Rules

This song pulls and pulls at me every time I hear it.  It's one of those songs that makes me think, "Beth just be honest with yourself and with others."  Raw honesty is sometimes the best way to go, especially when you catch people looking at you in weird ways because they wonder what is up with your strange behaviors.  :)  People who know me well know when I'm not behaving like myself.  So.  If you have been wondering what in the world is wrong with me :) then today's song may give you a few hints.  I've been "sleeping in", trying to escape hard stuff, painful stuff, weary stuff.  And while I've been sleeping I've been asking God what needs to happen to wake up.  He's been good to show me the ways but it's been a process.  I'm still pretty sleepy but God has been telling me it's time to start waking up.  Because we ALL have to wake up eventually!  :)  So now you know.  If I haven't been very visible in your world or v

I LOVE THIS SONG!!  It's a great song to start off the work week because it's just fun and silly!  The Spin Doctors are fun.  I think they are great.  Very kooky and fun spirited.  They make me super happy.  Even my rocker hub likes the song "Two Princes".  I remember when I first heard this song I was hooked and would play it at loud levels in my car while driving.  And I would play it over and over again.  I obviously truly love it!!  And I love The Spin Doctors.  They are kooky in a different way than say The Talking Heads and I prefer their kookiness to Talking Heads.  :)  All a matter of preference I know but I think The Spin Doctors are a great way to kick off the work week!!  Have fun!  Two Princes

There is nothing like the hymns.  NOTHING.  And what I love is that they are timeless, universal, and foundational.  The message of hymns brings me back to the basics of this life I live with Christ.  I remember as a kid being so bored with the hymns, not understanding the power of the message.  As I have gotten older I have found myself preferring the hymns from back in the day to the modern day worship songs.  Don't get me wrong, I love a whole bunch of those songs but there is NOTHING like the hymns.  I remember a few years ago a friend saying she wished we would incorporate more hymns into our modern worship times.  I know what she means.  I feel blessed that almost every Sunday at our church we sing at least one hymn.  I think a lot of people believe that there is no place for hymns any longer unless you are 95 and Baptist. :) I beg to differ!  The next time you hear a hymn just listen .  Listen with your heart and see if you don't get what I keep saying about these anoint

Talking Heads are SO weird!! Today's song is kind of an ode to what I am doing today.  I am taking part in a "de-hoard".  And I'm excited about it!!  (I'm weird, I know...)  I wonder if at the end of the day or at some point during the day I will want to say, "Let's just burn down the house."  AHAHAHAHA!  That's why I thought that the Talking Heads should be given this space today and with this song.  Hoarders fascinate me.  I can't get enough of the show and I think it's because, along with the psychologists, I'm trying to figure out the why's of their hoarding.  I've always been interested in trying to help someone figure out their wounds, their responses to their wounds, and changing it so it is healthy and not unhealthy.  Hoarding is always an unhealthy response to wounding.  But enough of this seriousness... With Talking Heads on the playlist for today how could anyone be serious for very long?!? :)  Burning Down

I'm super thankful that God doesn't walk away from me when I am not responsive to him.  I'm so grateful that he pursues me even when I am not pursuing him.  And I am so glad that my voice reaches his ears and heart no matter when I speak and no matter how long it has been since I have spoken with him.  Have you ever asked God to relent with you?  To give up on you or give up on a course of action you feel he wants you to do?  God does not and cannot and will not relent!  WHY?  So many times I ask why?  Just give me a break God (yep, insert whine into that phrase).  God doesn't relent because he sees what I cannot, he knows what I don't.  If my life was a huge painting the difference in God's perspective and mine is this: he sees the whole painting, I see about 1/8 of a centimeter of it.  That's the reality.  And that's why God won't relent.  I'm glad he won't relent when I beg and plead.  I'm glad that he knows my true heart rather th

Veteran's Day.  THANK YOU men and women who have selflessly served our country and ensured our freedoms while putting your lives on the line.  The older I get the more I appreciate this service that has been performed.  It hit me this morning that it's kind of like what Jesus did on the cross for us.  Jesus took on the punishment for my sins and paid the price for them and all I had to do was accept it.  I think about the conversation he and the thief on the cross next to him had and see this in a similar light.  Jesus said, "I'll take your sins on myself.  I'll do it."  The thief recognized the gift and said, "Okay."  Our men and women in military service to this country have said, "We'll do it.  We'll put our lives on the line, ourselves in harms way to gain freedoms for this country."  And us, the citizens, have said, "Okay."  Our men and women in the military deserve our gratitude, our helping hand when they return,

Today is an ode to the great state of Colorado.  And to John Denver who managed to cross genres and speak to a diverse group of people through his music.  Johnny loved Colorado and I happen to agree with him.  I've lived here almost 30 years and no matter where I go in the world I am always ready to come back home to "my" Rocky Mountains.  Something about the range that stretches as far as I can see from north to south speaks to my heart, provides inspiration, calms me.  I LOVE Colorado, I LOVE the mountains that sit in front of me each day.  I love what they inspire in people.  I never get sick of looking at photos of these mountains, I never get sick of looking at photos from other amazing spots in this state.  There is something magical about this state, these Rocky Mountains.  If you've never been here you need to come.  Then you'll see why we love our state!  :)  Rocky Mountain High

Sometimes life is crazy.  Sometimes life is chaotic.  Sometimes life is bright and sunny and sometimes it is dark and cloudy.  Sometimes life is crystal clear and sometimes life is murky.  And through all these sometimes all we can do is hang on.  So far, in my 36 years of life, all I have found that is worth hanging on to and keeping a grip on is God and his Word.  It has brought me sanity when I am going insane.  It has brought me healing when I am walking through deep woundedness.  It has brought me comfort when there is none to be found elsewhere.  It has brought me life when death threatened to swallow me up.  In the past year things have been a little crazy. In my life and in the lives of many of my friends.  One of my besties, RoJo (not real name...or is it?!? HA!), has had a crazy year.  God, in his provision and wisdom, uprooted her and her family from Colorado to Salt Lake City.  Not only has it been a transition establishing a new home in a new city and having to find ne

I think every Monday needs something catchy to kick off the work/school week!  This song does the trick for me.  I can get it stuck in my head so easily so chances are I'm gonna be singing this one the rest of the day! :)  Probably you will be too!  Haha!   My oldest redhead wonder likes this song, she suggested it for today.  It's such a fun song, there's no real message it's just fun.  I actually find it kind of annoying and yet I obviously can't help myself because here it is featured!  :)  So throw your hands up in the air sing ay-oh and let go!  Make your Monday great!  Dynamite 

I think from the time I was aware of God I had this song, this refrain on my heart.  It seems that I have been wired to walk close with God.  And the truth is all of us have been wired that way.  We all search to connect what seems disconnected.  The only thing I have found to connect me is a close walk with the One who created me.  Not rituals, not rote sayings, not religion but a walk, which insinuates relationship.  In my weakness I draw no strength from rituals, I only draw strength from walking with him.  I draw no sense of morality from religion, I only draw my morals from knowing him through his word and through relationship with him.  I draw no wisdom from rote sayings, I only draw wisdom from his word filling me up so that I can be his mouthpiece.  I have found nothing so satisfactory as walking close with him .  If you find yourself unsatisfied with life (be honest with yourself, look deeper than the surface of your life) then perhaps what you need is to connect with God, t

You can't not include Journey in a journey (haha) through awesome songs!  They have a sound all their own.  A song starts playing on the radio and you aren't sure who it is until the singer starts and then you know.  If it's Journey you'll know.  Of course we have two (if you count Arnel Pineda, which you have to since the band Journey did pick him!) different singers fronting Journey so I've included them for you today.  Yet even with two different fronters Journey still have a sound all their own.  There have been a couple of other fronts for Journey but none so successful and so distinct as Steve Perry and Arnel Pineda.  Arnel's story is quite unusual.  He's from the Philippines and Journey caught wind of this guy who sang and sounded SO much like Steve Perry that they looked him up, loved what they heard and he became the newest member of Journey!  Journey still goes strong as they are releasing a new album in 2011 and hitting the road to tour as well.