Olympics Bring Picture of Hope

Monday, August 11, 2008

Russia and Georgia’s recent confrontation has been a scary headline in recent news stories. Russian troops have occupied and taken control of their neighboring country, Georgia. Warnings of more attacks (which could lead to a war between the two countries), have been issued from Russia.

In the midst of all the craziness and violence, the Olympics (of which I am a HUGE fan of) provide a sense of hope for Russia and Georgia and any other countries that could be affected, for this battle to stop short.

In the women’s 10-meter air pistol competition, Russia’s Natalia Paderina took the silver and Georgia’s Nino Salukvadze took bronze. They stood on the medal podium, arms around each other, smiling, and waving to the crowds.

They also kissed each other on the cheeks.

They put their nation’s differences aside, embraced each other, and ultimately showed that they cared for one another in true Olympic spirit.

I think this is such an incredible picture. A picture of hope. A picture of peace. A picture of beauty. A picture of what could hopefully happen.

I think this is what the Olympics is all about (besides the USA kicking France’s butt in the men’s swimming relay after nasty remarks by the French, haha, but that’s another blog entry).

I’m really hoping these two countries can come to some agreement and this picture is giving me that hope.

Enjoy and savor this picture:

6 Reason I Love Visitng with the Avant family

Monday, July 28, 2008

1. I have THE cutest cousins ever and they always give me big, cuddly hugs.

2. I always leave with something cool. Once, a lamp my uncle built for me to put shells in, and most recently, old looking bricks I wanted to use in my room at my new apartment for bookends. They always come through with some crafty item.

3. Amazing food. I’m talking broccoli casserole, macaroni-n-cheese, BBQ ribs, and always a selection of 4-5 desserts. Mmmm

4. I love listening to the crazy, somewhat strange, accents of some family members. One aunt adds –er onto every word. For example, “I put some cheese-er onto the potato-ers to give it a better flavor-er.” I love it.

5. I have some highly-skilled craftsmen in our family. The family comes from a long string of brick masons and two uncles have continued to the tradition along with one of their sons. They create beautiful fireplaces (check out Southern Living for their work which has been featured many times), decks, and houses. Along with that, one of my uncles has recreated his grandparents house completely. He moved it to his lot, fixed the exterior, and then used the family’s actual old furniture to fix the interior. It’s quite a piece of artwork. I love looking at it all. I’ve also learned this is where my love of high rise buildings and cool architecture comes from.

6. Funny stories from my Uncle Buckshot. Yup, that’s his name and can you imagine what kind of stories come out of someone named Buckshot?

I’m sure there is more, those are just a few highlights. Can’t wait until the next little family get-together.

NYC Art

Friday, July 25, 2008

While in New York City in May with my brother, we visited, and spent much time in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). It was packed with some crazy sculptures, furniture, photographs, and artwork. All of which, I loved. I was looking back on some pictures and one piece of art stood out to me more than before. Here it is from a small distance:



You can kind of tell that the entire photograph is made of hundreds of tiny little pictures and symbols. Here are a few parts where I zoomed in a bit so you could see the symbols:




When I first saw it, I remember thinking, wow, that’s pretty cool; I can’t imagine how they did it. But now, I see something else.

Each one of these tiny, seemingly random symbols bands together with the rest to create this giant piece of art. I kind of translated that into our lives.

Sometimes I feel like I’m making no difference in this crazy world we live in (although I have much life left to live). This art allows me to remember that God is looking from a much bigger scale. I may not feel like I’m having any impact, but with all my brothers and sisters in Christ, we most certainly are making something beautiful for God to smile upon. After all, it’s not even about me.

When going on mission trips, I’ve always heard, “we’re just planting the seed. Someone else will water, give it sunshine, etc.” So even though you don’t see the final product, just know someone else is probably working at it too.

Start working with those other “symbols” around you (even though you might not be aware of who they actually are) and make some art.

Poppin' Cells

Monday, June 16, 2008

Watch this video. I cannot wait to try it! Who's in?

Let's do it.

James' Lessons

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I've been digging into James lately. And let me tell you, I was blown away by the first 18 verses and I just knew it was going to be good. Truth is, I've been reading it for a few weeks and I'm not past 2:13, because there is just so much good stuff in there.

I started reading it after I learned my small group from Rock Hill, which I left for the summer :(, was reading it too. Kelly and Jennica, our leader, are two amazing gals from my group.

A few things I've noticed:
-Be optimistic!

1:2 "Dear brothers and sisters, when trouble comes your way, consider it an oppurtunity for great joy."

I've been described as an optimistic person (except for with the Braves lately), so it was nice to read this. And I can easily apply it to the health problems with my dad.

-Do not divide loyalty.

1:6 "But when you ask him [for wisdom and guidance], be sure your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind."

Wow, strong image. If your loyalty is in the world too, the world is just going to toss you around. I can easily see the consequence, yet it's still a concept that I struggle with. I also think this verse relates to motives behind actions. Why do I ask God or seek God in some certian situations? What are my thoughts behind them?

-Just do it!

1:22-25 "22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

Don't just listen to God's word, do it! This relates back to something I learned while in New Orleans: "Go after it" was a quote we used often. Don't complain, but act on it. Nehemiah didn't just complain about the broken wall, he prayed about it, acted on it, and began to fix it. Listening and talking alone can get us nowhere.

-Care for those in need.

1:27 "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

Refuse to let the world currupt you. Don't divide your loyalty.

Free (and legal) Christian Album

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I came across this link on Free Christian Music’s blog that advertised a free album, not just one song, but the entire album for free! Woohoo!

So, entire your email and start downloading Wide-eyed and Mystified by Downhere. I was pleasantly surprised. They have a great sound. Here’s a clip of them if you want to to listen to them before you download. Just click here to download.

Enjoy!




(It downloads as a zip file, so just be sure to extract the entire folder just after downloading)

Good for a few laughs

Thursday, May 1, 2008

I’ve been busy studying for my finals this past week or so and it doesn’t end until next Monday. I’m so exhausted after my Public Relations exam and Nutrition exam I had today. Goodness. Let’s just say creating an entire Public Relations plan for the Beaufort Water Festival is not an easy or quick task.

Everyone around campus is itching for summer that is quickly approaching within the next few days! Especially today when the sun finally decided to shine and it was over 70 degrees! Woohoo, except I was stuck inside studying.

Although my head was buried in my notes I did allow myself a quick break with one of my favorite youtube videos. I guarantee it will make you laugh. It’s broken into three 9-minute parts, but each gets funnier and I PROMISE you will laugh. I came across these videos a few months ago but I can’t remember how; You’ve got to see it.

It’s “Brother Barrys” first time preaching…and possibly his last? I’m not sure.
Let me know what you think.

All I have to say is “Plant that seed. Plant that seed. Shamanamana dama ni hiya.”

Oh, and a little shout out to Uncle Buck (Don’t try and take any this stuff he’s preaching….haha).

Click here to watch Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

Congrats Smoltzy

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I do love baseball and I am so excited. Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz joined a very special club: 3,000 strikeouts. Smoltz is only the 16th player in MLB history to reach this historic mark.

Smoltz only needed 4 strikeouts for admission into this exclusive club, but ended up having 10 in the seven innings pitched. Although the Braves lost, Smoltz dominated the mound and was throwing as good as ever.

My baseball-loving dad said it almost brought a tear to his eye. Check out this video of a few old strikeouts and #3,000. See if you sniffle.

Tangible Tantilizing Totally Tite Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I’m back with the #1 blogging spot on Tuesday…haha right.

Go.

Song: I’m Yours Play the video at the bottom to hear the song!
Artist: Jason Mraz
Album: We sing. We dance. We steal things. (releasing May 2008)

I heard this song for the first time at the Jason Mraz concert last week and fell in love (with the song and Jason Mraz). It has a really cheerful sound and you can’t help but smile when you listen to it.

So Mraz is obviously in love with a girl, big-time in love:

Well you dawned on me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks and I’m tryin to get back
before the cool done run out I’ll be givin it my bestest

And he’s tired of waiting on her:

I won't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait I’m sure
there's no need to complicate
our time is short
this is our fate, I’m yours

Then Jason goes on to say he has been pretending to be somebody else, so much that he can’t even see his reflection:

I’ve been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror
and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer
my breath fogged up the glass
and so i drew a new face and laughed

And he’s going to finally start to be himself:

I guess what I’m a sayin' is there ain't no better reason
to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
it's what we aim to do
our name is our virtue

Jason encourages this girl just to free her mind and enjoy the moment:

look into your heart and you'll find the love love love love
listen to the music of the moment maybe sing with me

Overall, I think Jason is saying stop trying to please everyone else. He’s been spending too much time making sure he looks perfect to this girl. He tried to change himself, doesn’t know who he is anymore (“fogged up the glass, so I drew a new face and laughed”), and that plan didn’t even work. So he’s going to start over, figure out who you is, and enjoy life.

Listen to the song and watch the video:

Official Jason Mraz - I'm Yours video

[via FoxyTunes / Jason Mraz]

Concert Junkie

Saturday, April 19, 2008

I admit it. I am a concert junkie.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

I was raised around music. My dad blaring the oldies station always saying, “Guess who sings this?” The answer always being ‘The Guess Who’ of course. Music continued in my life when I started taking piano lessons in the 2nd grade right until I graduated high school.

So, music has a special place in my heart. I understand it. I live it. I play it. I admire it. I appreciate it. I love it.

So…concerts are just amazing for me. My heart pumps a little faster and I could probably stay and listen forever. Really, I could.

These past two weeks or so, I’ve been to SIX concerts. Wonderful isn’t it? Although #2-4 were at Passion conference, they most certainly count because they all rock and led worship unbelievably. Click on their name to get a little taste of some of their songs:

1. Steve Fee…awesome praise songs. Check him out.
2. David Crowder Band….A-MA-ZING. They played a keytar. Doesn’t get much cooler than that.
3. Chris Tomlin….God of this City, so powerful.
4. Charlie Hall….bald and brilliant
5. Casting Crowns….need I say more
6. Jason Mraz….the only non-Christian singer of the six. But one of my favorites if not my #1. I wrote about one of his songs here and then I got to hear him perform it live just last night!! It was awesome.

The Jason Mraz concert was fun for me. I pretty much know every word to every song, so I sang along. We literally stood for over four hours to watch the concert. I almost couldn’t walk out. It was soooo fun though. He’s such an artist, every string of words that comes out of his mouth are so poetic.

All the concerts I’ve been to have been so different from one another. All the musicians so unique and individual. Here is a list of artists who I’ve seen in concert at some point (don’t judge me on some of these):

PlusOne
Jaci Velasquez
Relient K
Toby Mac
DecembeRadio
Good Charlotte
Simple Plan
3 Doors Down
Alterbridge
The Fray
MuteMath
Blue Man Group
Derek Webb
Florez
Josh Kelly
Former backstreet boy Brian Litrill
Avalon
Shinedown
Third Day
Sanctus Real
Leeland

I hope this list continues to grow and maybe I can put check marks by some of them to say I’ve seen them twice.

One group I absolutely MUST see in concert: Keane. Let me know if hear of them coming within a 300-mile radius of me. I’ll be there.

I would actually love to work within the music industry. I really feel God has given me this passion for a reason. I also know he has given me talents of writing and being creative. So perhaps a little work with marketing or promotions might be in order…YEY for my IMC major!

Here are some pictures from the a few concerts:

The Fray:
Aimee, my concert buddy, and me watching the Fray:

Derek Webb:
Jason Mraz:
Caston Crowns:
David Crowder:

Downtown, things will be great when you're Downtown

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

So on with New Orleans stories…I promise I’ll bring back Tune Tuesday next week. Don’t fret.

Downtown New Orleans was probably the “Frenchest” town within the United States. Needless to say, I loved it. It reminded me of the narrow streets I discovered in Verona or the colorful buildings of Monaco. The buildings were colorful and each one had a unique balcony. One restaurant even had a balcony with tables where people were eating! Fun! The lovely architecture of each building created such a rare atmosphere in this lovely city.

And of course on each street corner, there was some type of musician. So any where that you walked, there was some type of music playing. It was magnificent. You know I loved that.

The famous Café Du Monde...how can I describe this…maybe God’s little piece of Heaven on Earth. It’s the original French market coffee stand in New Orleans. Basically it’s a large patio with maybe 50-100 tables with chairs. All you do is sit down, wait for a waitress, and chose something from the menu that only includes about 4 things. There coffee is called café au lait which is half hot coffee and half hot milk. You can get this iced, hot, or frozen (which was my favorite). And then…the famous beignets. A square piece of dough, fried, and covered with powder sugar. Need I say more? We had many many powdered sugar fights. Check out their site (linked where I first mentioned it) for ordering instructions and even how to make beignets!!

We also saw a crazy break-dancing show right in the middle of the French Quarter next to Café Du Monde. That was fun.

A group of us did go down Bourbon Street…but I would rather not describe it. It was interesting and somewhere I probably don’t need to see again. But, check it off the list of places to see.

A few pretty buildings: Eating on the balcony: Street musician: Cafe Du Monde:

New Orleans Style Church

Sunday, April 6, 2008

It’s been a while. I apologize; I had an incredibly busy week.

On with New Orleans stories.

Carver Desire Street Baptist Church. What an absolutely encouraging, exciting, fun place. My mission group of 15 headed out to our church. We were in a neighborhood that looked completely deserted, yet on one street corner was a small pink building that was pumping with life.

We walked in, the only white people in the entire church, and I just had a feeling it was going to be awesome. I wanted to put on one of the beautiful hats all the ladies had on! Everyone was chatting, laughing, and smiling with one another.

It was a packed house, probably around 150 people there. I was so curious to where all these people lived and how far they traveled to get to this church.

Then the service started. Song after song after song filled the room. There was a young man on the drums, an older gentleman with snakeskin boots on the bass, and a man on an electric keyboard. The men’s choir was singing today. It consisted of about 12 men and one boy about 7 years old.

So at one point one speaker, I’m not sure if he was the preacher or deacon or what, he said he asked the keyboardist about 10 minutes before the service to play just any song for the service today. The keyboardist announced he hadn’t ever played or sang this song, but felt like God was urging him to sing it…and let me tell you…it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. I got chill pumps on the first note that came out of his mouth. He really relied on God and God fully prepared him.

Then finally the sermon started. I honestly don’t remember what passage he preached on, all I know is in the span of about 2 minutes, the preacher went from speaking to dancing, praising God, lifting his hands, and speaking with God.

It was awesome. It was so exciting to see the excitement he had for the word of God. One quote we just loved from the sermon:

“He might not come when you want him, but God is always on time!”

At the very end of the service they had an altar call for anyone to make decisions or take prayer requests. Well, the little boy who sang in the men’s choir decided to accept Jesus. The preacher asked him several questions in front of the congregation and that little boy was sharp!

Then the prayer requests started. There were about 4 individuals with requests. It was so heart-warming to see the family and community of Christians who were there for each other and accountable to one another. The young drummer said he was getting into trouble with his parents. Now the preacher didn’t sugarcoat anything, he was honest and told the boy that it was up to him to make the right decisions. Love it. A woman announced she just had cancer. Our favorite quote, possibly of the entire trip, came out of this…

“If you can have it, God can heal it!”

That’s how the service ended, the bishop yelling this out after his prayer and the congregation went crazy! It was so fun.

But the moment of the service that really impacted me was the last prayer request/praise. The man described his previous situation: he was rebuilding his home after Katrina a year or so ago. Two men were helping him in the rebuilding, but they actually took his money and left during the middle of the job leaving the man with no money and half a home. Several months later another man offered to help the man for a very generous price. Somehow the homeowner was able to gradually pay this man with money he didn’t know where was coming from and he invited him to church. They are now friends. So, several years later his house is finally being completed.

This man was so thankful for this second man that came by to help with his home. Honestly, if it was me, I would be so frustrated, mad, angry, and sad at this situation. Losing my home twice and losing money, but this man was giving praise because he felt so blessed. He said he was blessed. Wow. Really?

How dare I ever forget how blessed I am. I often find myself trying to feel sorry for myself because I don’t have certain things. How dare I. It was encouraging to hear this man’s story of how God has used his brokenness to ultimately bless him and others, including me with this story.

The service ended, about 2 and a half hours later (although I didn’t look at my watch once) and I could have stayed there for another if my stomach was roaring with hunger.

Here is the church:

Here is our group after the service:

Here is one example of what houses looked like around the church:

Brokenness

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Our first trip into the 9th ward was indescribable. We rode around different neighborhoods because we were early for our church service on Sunday (I’ll blog about that later!).

All 15 of us in our van were completely silent. I mean dead silence. We didn’t have anything to say. We were overwhelmed with what we were seeing.

Every house was empty; we could literally see through all the houses because they were all gutted and empty inside. However, the yards and porches were filled with left over belongings like teddy bears, lawn furniture, clothing etc.

It literally just looked like it happened two weeks ago. That’s unacceptable. I felt as if the hurricane just came through, tossed everything around, and the families weren’t back yet. I was hoping everyone was going to come back next week and clean up their homes, but then I remembered this happened almost three years ago and that probably wasn’t going to happen, ever.

There were large X’s on all the houses (pictured below) with numbers all around it. We later learned what they all meant. The date was on the top and the bottom number was the number of dead bodes found inside the home. It was very eerie when we passed one home that had a six on the bottom.

I didn’t cry while passing through the neighborhood because I think I was still processing everything (however, I did later in the week, which I’ll write about later).

We thought the area was deserted until we pulled up to Carver Desire Street Baptist, which believe me was full of life. I titled this entry brokenness because that’s exactly what I saw and that’s what the speaker of our nightly worship services spoke on…more on that later too. This isn't even the worst part, we did visit that area and that will come later.

Here are some pictures that we experienced:

Leaving on a Jet Plane...Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again

Monday, March 24, 2008

So I promised some good stuff from New Orleans…I journaled a little bit while I was there, just listing some things I saw around me. So I guess I’ll just go in order of some things I listed.

I never thought I would be like this, but I absolutely love to travel and discover new places. When I was a child and growing up I always loved being at home, just hanging with my family. I remember several times calling my parents while at a friend’s house for a sleepover claiming I was “sick.” When I entered the youth group at my church I started going on mission trips and traveling a little bit, but I was always really nervous when I stepped onto the van or plane.

This past summer I had an amazing opportunity to travel around Europe. Even as I entered the airport and kissed my parents goodbye, I remember thinking to myself, “why am I doing this? What was I thinking?” But then on my last night, I found myself wanting to stay because there was soooo much more I wanted to see.

Entering into New Orleans was amazing. As everyone else on our van talked with each other, I found myself glaring out the window trying to take a mental picture of every tree and every building that was different than what I’m used to.

I wanted to jump out of the van and run down every street (including Bourbon street, which I did, on St. Patrick’s Day—wow), try every restaurant, and go in every single shop.

I love unique places, which explains my love of historic downtowns; New Orleans; Florence, Italy; Amsterdam and even Beaufort. I love discovering and exploring these places. I hope I can continue to do so and stop being so nervous about taking that first step.

Now I know that once I do take that first audacious, courageous step, it’ll totally be worth it. But sometimes it’s hard, stressful, and nerve-racking…but I know the end prize is amazing and wonderful and I'll continue to chase after that.

**Pictured above is a blurry picture of the extremely long bridge ride into New Orleans**

What's to Come

Saturday, March 22, 2008

I just got back from New Orleans Thursday, I spent 6 days there doing different mission work with basically 14 strangers whom I absolutely love and miss now.

When I heard God speak to me about 10 different times within the first 24 hours we were in New Orleans, before we even started the actual work, I knew the trip was going to be amazing.

Needless to say, I could probably blog about New Orleans and what I learned from it for an entire year. So, that's what you'll be getting. I just want to share some of the things God showed me while I was there.

Tantalizing Totally Tite Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Go.

Song: Little House
Artist: The Fray
Album: How to Save a Life

First of all, the piano parts in this song are amazing: Beautiful and serene at the beginning and then to a tenser, anxious tone as the song progresses. Gorgeous.

I don’t even remember listening to this song when I first bought this album, but when I was driving back to Winthrop from home I stumbled across it, and I’m so glad I did! It’s a little more rock-sounding than the rest of the songs on the album, but you’ve got to listen to it! It will definitely move you.

It’s obviously about a girl who is struggling with something and she is trying to fix it all on her own:

She doesn't look, she doesn't see
Opens up for nobody
Figures out, she figures out

Narrow line, she can't decide
Everything short of suicide

Then the quietness of the song ends, and madness happens. It talks about something we maybe did in our past that we can’t let go, we just keep stumbling across it. I think we all have something like that:

Something is scratching it's way out
Something you want to forget about

Maybe we are the only one that knows about the particular situations:

A part of you that'll never show
You're the only one that'll ever know
Take it back when it all began

But, then when the chorus is repeated, it adds a few extra lines and the tone the singer uses really sounds like something scratching to get out, it really is brilliant:

Something is scratching it's way out
Something you want to forget about
No one expects you to get up
All on your own with no one around

Huh…I think they are implying that we are never alone, there is always someone to help us out with a problem and forgive us for what we’ve done. Maybe The Fray didn’t particularly mean God, but that is how I interpret it.

It’s a wonderful feeling that we don’t have to struggle our way through life alone, but instead God is there waiting for us to ask for help and guide us along. We don’t have to suffer and allow things to “scratch” inside of us.

I think this is my new favorite song (at least for this week). It’s short and to the point. Please click the above link and listen.

End.

Totally Tite Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Go.

Song: London Skies
Artist: Jamie Cullum
Album: Catching Tales (this blog was named after it!)

Again, one of my favorite artists: Jamie Cullum, who is British, is an amazing jazz pianist and the lyrics he comes up with are so poetic.

London is known for the rainy, cold, dreary days. Usually, these types of clouds and skies are seen as ugly and yucky.

But Jamie sees past the stereotyped ugly London, and sees the beauty in them.

Will you let me romanticize,
The beauty in our London Skies,
You know the sunlight always shines,
Behind the clouds of London Skies.

Jamie wants us to look beyond what is right in front of us. Looking past the gray clouds and seeing the beauty behind it. Jamie comes across as an optimistic guy and makes me realize I should look at things, whether I think they are ugly or bad or whatever, in a more positive light.

Nothing is certain except everything you know can change,
you worship the sun but now,
can you fall for the rain...

The only thing we know is that things change, so why not see the beauty in everything? I’m going to try and do that more often: appreciate God’s gifts to this world and thank Him for them.

I remember from watching the DVD that came with this CD, that this song was written for Jamie’s girlfriend. She lives in London and to him that makes the city even more beautiful. Romantic.

End.

Sloppy Journalism

Thursday, February 28, 2008

I’m tired of sloppy journalism. Flat out sick of it. What is sloppy journalism you ask? Being an irresponsible journalist: not researching, being bias, not providing information for some reason, coming to a conclusion to quickly, etc.

I am disappointed to say that Winthrop’s student publication, The Johnsonian, fueled my fire against this. An opinion column was written about the Bible Study, Lady in Waiting, led by a former Winthrop student held near campus. The writer discovered the group on Facebook.

Now, the statements the writer made in the column were completely opposite of what the Bible Study stands for. In fact, everything the writer criticized about the study was exactly what the study isn't.

I know it’s an opinion column, but I also know, and have learned through my classes at Winthrop, that the most important job of a journalist is to research and interview so that he or she can correctly inform the audience of the facts. And this opinion column did not do that. A wise mentor told me that opinion columnists can interpret the facts differently, but the factual information is the basis of all journalism. And that clearly wasn’t done.

Quite a few people wrote letters to the editor in response and a few were printed. The writer responded by sticking behind what she wrote. The writer claimed she had done her research because she looked up the leader, the Bible study and the group on Facebook. Are you kidding me?

Since when does Facebook qualify as an accountable source of information? I've been taught here at Winthrop, that all articles, stories and columns need at least one "real" source. A real source is someone you don't know beforehand, not just interviewing a friend, and is not from the internet, but it's a living, breathing person.

I’m not in any way saying this writer is not capable of writing wonderful, factual stories. I’m sure she is. I know she is from past articles. I just know this particular opinion column is an example of what irks me.

I hope this one example does not and will not represent our generation of writers. Being in the mass communication department, I hope that our generation will not get too accustomed to Facebook and online sources so much that we don’t get out there and do the interviews. Having all the readily available sources online are helpful, but also could be a hindrance.

Tite Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Go.

Song: Won’t Back Down
Artist: Mat Kearney
Album: Nothing Left to Lose

This is a complex song that has a simple meaning; a meaning that we should be reminded of everyday.

I think this song talks about someone who is struggling in life. Maybe even considering suicide:

The longest fight I've seen
Here goes a chance I know
Cashing in on all my chips
Let all my ships come fly
These days, a little bit longer than the last…

But for someone reason, this person was given another chance to live:

And all of your ways, a little bit stronger than the past
And your light, found my bottle in the night
Kept me in this fight and gave me second life…

And because of this new view and excitement of life, is recharged and ready to stand strong, find their purpose, and make a difference:

And I won't back down
I won't turn around and around
And I won't back down
Doesn't matter what comes crashing down
I'm still gonna stand on solid ground.

Kearney ends the song with Hallelujah, praising God, for this new outlook.

I love Mat Kearney’s songs because he so artfully tells of God’s huge and majestic powers. I’m sure I’ll touch on some more of his songs.

End.

Terrific Tune Tuesday

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I think I’ll add a new T-word each Tuesday…we’ll see how long that lasts. Comment with any t-words, I’m sure I’ll run out soon.

Go.

Song: Life is Wonderful
Artist: Jason Mraz
Album: Mr. A-Z

This is probably one of my favorite albums, if not #1. And Jason Mraz has been a favorite of mine for quite a few years. Mraz’s brilliant writing skills, wit, humor, and obvious musical abilities are incredible and show wonderfully on this CD.

“Life is Wonderful” is the first track on the CD and Mraz uses his elegant voice to express common thought-provoking questions, like which came first the chicken or the egg…

It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying

But then lead into new questions that get the listener to think outside of the box…

And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is
It takes some fears to make you trust
It takes those tears to make it rust
It takes the dust to have it polished

I had to listen over and over to those last three lines, but the meaning is inspiring.

In this song, Mraz moves smoothly across musical styles to represent just what the lyrics state—life can be a string of turns and twists and highs and lows; but in the end, life is wonderful.

Mraz uses the technique of different musical styles throughout the whole CD with a touch of opera, love ballads, insane piano solos, 70’s vibe, bluesy, Latin, and even a classic sound like the Beatles. All of these styles and “Life is Wonderful” convey a common theme, that life is complex, full of emotions, joy, and pain, but in the end is wonderful.

End.

Tune Tuesday #1

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Welcome to the first Tune Tuesday. You like the alliteration right? I just love it.

So, basically, I love music, all types, all forms, so I’m just going to highlight one of my favorite songs every Tuesday. It’s intended to encourage you to check the band out, look at the lyrics a little closer, or just listen to the song because it’s good (I know it’s good because I like it and all things I like are good, if not great). :)

I hope you enjoy and please leave any comments on the songs; I’d love to hear what you think!

Go

Song: Nothing in My Way
Band: Keane
Album: Under the Iron Sea

The British band Keane is one of my favorites, ever. I adore how they have no guitar and use the classical piano to create such modern music. They had a few big hits last year with “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Sunshine” and I fell in love with them.

“Nothing in My Way” has a kicking beat created with the hammering on the piano that will encourage you to work out in the gym like you never thought possible. The optimistic sound will prompt and encourage you to actually say and believe:

"It's just another day, nothing in my way."

I think the song is actually about two people who were together, but weren’t happy and wouldn’t acknowledge that they weren’t happy. So don’t be in denial and let things fall apart, there’s nothing in your way…get going.

(For complete lyrics, see a video, or listen to the song, just click the name of the song at the top).

End

My future book!

Friday, February 8, 2008

One of my favorite speakers, Clayton King, has a book called Journals of a Madman. It’s a collection of stories he wrote about the most insane, crazy, God-driven moments that have happened to him. Some of them you will not believe unless you see the pictures that go along with them.

Anything from hearing a song he wrote for a wrestler on John Boy and Billy’s national radio broadcast to running from the KPG in Moscow to becoming a king of a country for a day. I mean, these stories are just crazy, even more so because they all happened to one man.

I have decided I want to write a similar book. Except mine won’t be as eccentric, but still filled with some silly, small stories and moments I’ve had thus far. I hope that as I start this new decade of my life (I turned 20 yesterday), that God continues to bring more of these moments because I absolutely love them.

So here are a few brief moments that I will feature in my book. No title ideas yet.
• Yesterday I was serenaded for my birthday at a restaurant. Nothing special right? Well this unique birthday song just happened to be in complete Italian and opera style. It was so pretty and unexpected that I even blushed.

• While in Amsterdam, Netherlands on a very crowded tram last summer, I met a girl that is best friends now (at Clemson University) with some of my closest high school friends. She was studying abroad for a month, I was passing through, she was wearing a Clemson shirt, and I said hello. Small world.

• Witnessing a deathly car accident in which probably changed my spiritual life forever.

• When I tried to persuade our youth minister on a ski trip that one of our “adult chaperones” actually jumped off a snowy hill into a snowy mound but actually landed on some wooden thing and crushed her heel in the process. He didn’t believe me and thought I was enticing them for a snowball fight. It took a good ten minutes to get someone out there and meanwhile the “adult” was in a bit of pain.

• I own a one inch square piece of property in North Pole, Alaska at Santa’s workshop. No joke, I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.

• When I was at an Atlanta Braves’ baseball game, during batting practice I stood in the home-run section in hopes of getting a ball hit to me. Well, I did. One came at me, bounced a few feet before the fence and I guess I judged it all wrong. It bounced up and hit me directly in the chin giving me a good scuff mark and NO BALL because the guy next to me took it!! What a souvenir. But I have gotten several, like when former 3rd base coach Ned Yost asked me if I could catch and threw me one and when former pitcher Jason Marquis threw one at me and when the big guy next to me took it, Marquis pointed at me and made the guy give it to me. Thank goodness I was a cute little girl with her face painted completely red and blue.

So those are just a few of the ridiculous, wonderful stories. I might share some more throughout the blog. :)

Clayton’s stories are so comical, but most of them (except for the moment he was mistaken for Garth Brooks) have some relation with the workings of God. Mine do not…yet. Maybe I just haven’t figured out the meaning yet.

You’ve got to read Clayton’s book, it’s just so amazing and encouraging to see how God can move in crazy ways. I hope it continues in my life!

Let me know if you have any title suggestions.

Worry Free

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

I’m a worry-wart. I always have been, but this past year or so, I’ve really gotten better with it. I always ask myself in a stressful situation, “Is worrying going to help anything?” Usually the answer is no…and I just try to keep my mind off it.

Well I’ve been without a roommate so far this semester, until yesterday. I literally woke up to my RA knocking on the door telling me I was getting a roommate…today, like within the next few hours. Luckily, Gabi was with me to help move some stuff around so that she would have some space.

As I look back on it, I only had about 2 hours to wonder what this girl was like, why she was moving in on a Monday, and if we would be able to get along. Now, if I had been told a few days before, I know it would have been a nightmare. I would have worried myself sick trying to figure out what this girl was like, even though I have absolutely no control over it.

So, God was telling me again, even though He has showed me several times but I’m just too hard-headed to figure it out, that worrying solves nothing.

Look out for a little series I'll call Tune Tuesday coming next week. haha.

Empty Trees

Monday, January 21, 2008

I spent the weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the beautiful mountains. I’ve always had a fascination with trees in the fall and winter. So, I was able to look at them for four straight days.

The fall is a famous transition time for the trees, completely changing colors, but the process is beautiful. The closer it gets to winter, the more colors come about and the more beautiful and unique that tree becomes.

And then winter arrives and all those brightly colored leaves are gone. At first glance they seem empty and cold, but I also find it breathtakingly beautiful and I have just recently discovered why I feel this way.

There is something beautiful about the tree losing everything it has. It’s even more beautiful that it’s able to recover its beauty with just the help of the warm sun to look fresh and renewed.

I love the idea that it takes giving up everything to feel that newness and sense of freshness. The process is hard; it’s not easy giving up things in my life and control of my life. But if I can remember that God will refresh, renew, allow me to bloom and make me beautiful once again just like that tree, I can and will do it.

Lucky trees right?