The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Music isn’t always just a distraction from life sometimes it is our life.

The past few weeks I’ve been pondering music in general and how it makes us feel…

And just this Saturday Jon Acuff at Stuff Christian’s Like asked what four song(s)/group(s) can you not stop listening to right now…and why.

                Jon’s picks:

1.       Temper Trap – Sweet Dispositions

2.        The Afters – Light Up the Sky (evidently this is a really popular Christian group)

3.       Mumford & Sons – Roll Away Your Stone

4.       Josh Garrels (Shout out to Muncie, IN)

I’m curious too.  For me I’ve gone through lots of music in the last month.  Often it’s so easy to listen to the same music that I know and not even pay attention to the words.  So here are the songs that I’ve really started paying attention to the words and every time I hear them they mean just a little bit more.  I’m going to share my “inspirational songs/Christian songs” and my favorite mainstream songs at the moment too.

1.                        Hallelujah, What A Mess – Sara Beth Geoghegan

I love Sara Beth’s melodies and her honesty.  I love this song because it’s a nearly daily reminder of how much God loves us even though our hearts are often so messed up.  The next two songs share pretty much the same theme of God’s love for us even though we are totally unworthy.

Wedding Dress – Derek Webb

                     This song talks about how we often just put on God when we need Him and not wear
               him all   the time.  Look this song up and give it a listen.  The first time I listened to it
               I wrote it off.  The more I listened the more I realized I was doing exactly what the
                song said…it was uncomfortable, but am thankful for a God who loves us and takes
               us back.  I also like how Derek isn’t afraid of using words that Christian’s normally shy
               away from.

                      How He Loves – David Crowder

               He is jealous for me,
               Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
              Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
              When all of a sudden,
              I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
              And I realise just how beautiful You are,
              And how great Your affections are for me.
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmania.com/how_he_loves_lyrics_david_crowder_band.html
All about David Crowder+Band: http://www.musictory.com/music/David+Crowder+Band

4.                   Hosanna  - Hillsong

           Some of the verses in this song are so true of all our professions.             God has already given us that desire to help those less fortunate.             This is my anthem for what we do every day.

          Heal my heart and make it clean

          Open up my eyes to the things unseen

         Show me how to love like You have loved me

        Break my heart for what breaks yours

        Everything I am for your Kingdom’s cause

        As I walk from earth into eternity

Mainstream Favorites

1.     Samba da Bençáo- Bebel Gilberto

Great song from Eat, Pray, Love; it’s in Portuguese so I don’t really understand anything. It just has an awesome ethnic jazz lounge sound to it.  

2.     Fly Me Away – Annie Little

This song is from the original TV spot for the Kindle. I just love it – enough I put it as one of the Glee mix cd and named the mix after one of the lines in the song.

3.     Te Amo – Makano (Reggae/Merengue)

Just a little bit of the tropics in my life.  I can’t help but bust out my car dancing or my Zumba steps if I’m at home.  This is a windows down, sing at the top of your lungs song...it just makes you happy.  Sadly the lyrics aren’t much to write home about­­­.  But a happy beat song none the less.  If Ross spoke Spanish and this song was out when he and Rachel were on their break…I think he would have sung this song to her.

4.    Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Bublé

I just love all of Michael’s other music, but this is a new song I just discovered when watching the Grammy’s.  It’s just a good song that isn’t a cover of the Rat Pack….I don’t think.

What's your soundtrack?

B.

P.S.

Check out The Crossing - Columbia, MO Facebook page to see some of those pictures I was talking about.  I'll try to remember to take my check list with next time I go...this week's group was a little more dressy then normal, but it will still be fun.

Dried Up Skeleton Bones

Something my pastor always emphasizes is our ability to speak life into any situation. I've been thinking more about how to do that. Why is it so much easier to speak death than to speak life? Complaining is so much easier than actively deciding to encourage those close to me. Perhaps this is because it feels more genuine to talk about the way I'm actually feeling. The trick I'm trying to learn is how to acknowledge it when I feel rundown, but then move past that stage into forgiveness and optimism. It spreads death when I dwell on the bad parts.

In the literal sense, Ezekiel spoke life over dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). He spoke the Word of the Lord and they actually came back to life! Ok, historically we know that this was a metaphor for the reconciliation of Israel and Judah (read the other half of chapter 37), but the Word is living and we can still learn from it today. When God asked Ezekiel to do something completely insane, (talk to actual human bones that had been lying out the desert for freaking ever?!) he just did it. He acknowledged that God might have something up His sleeve, and he did what he was asked.

Here's another twist though: Can we speak life into our own lives? When I feel dried up and bleached out and useless...can I speak the Word of the Lord and be revived? It is so difficult to do that. But I know I feel worse when I embrace depression and stay in bed. When all I want to do is lie flat in my defeat, it perpetuates the situation to do so. How do I speak life into my own life?


K

Scrumptious Italian Herb and Cheese Ring

Yesterday I made some of the most delicious bread!  It is is very easy and have had a request to share the recipe.  Sadly my photo was deleted. :(  If K. or J. has it, please send a copy back to me.  :)

I will list the ingredients here in bold (pardon the decimals...the superscript doesn't apply to blogging - or I'm just ignorant of how to do it online):

BREAD
4.5 - 5.25 cups of all purpose flour
.25 cup sugar
2pkg. yeast (4.5 teaspoons)
1 cup milk
1 cup water
.5 cup butter (1 stick if you are using sticks)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sesame seed (optional)


FILLING:
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzerella cheese
.5 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (I pumped mine up to a full teaspoon)
.25 teaspoon garlic powder
.25 cup butter softended (that's .5 of a stick)




In a large bowl combine 2.5 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and yeast; blend well.  In a small sauce pan, heat milk, water, and .5 cup butter until warm (120-130 degrees).  Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture.  Blend on low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes and medium speed.  By hand, stir in the remaining 2 - 2.75 cups of flour to form a stiff batter.  (it only took me 2 cups - but that's here in Missouri)


Generously grease a 12-cup bundt pan or 10 -in tube pan; sprinkle with sesame seeds (again this is optional).  In a small bowl, combine all  filling ingredients; mix well.  Spoon half of batter into greased pan; spoon filling mixture evenly over batter to within .5 inches of the sides of pan.  Spoon remaining batter over filling.  Cover loosely wiht plastic wrap and cloth towel.  Let rise in a warm place (80-85 degrees) until light and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  (Don't know where to let your bread rise??  Find a chair and place your covered dough on top of a heating pad set on medium or high...helps create that warm environment and knocks a few minutes off the rise time. )

Heat oven to 350. Uncover dough.  Back 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.  Immediately remove from pan; cool on wire rack.  Serve warm or cool.


Yields: 24 slices.
190 calories per slice... definitely a salad worthy side. 


Modified from the Pilsbury - Complete Book of Baking (1993)




Happy Baking!
-B.

Snow Dayz

I've been reading through the book of Revelation and as I came to the end of the book today, some bright imagery stood out to me on this particularly dull and gray day. John is describing the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."  10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. [4] Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits [5] by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Think of all the colors! My highlighting does the description no justice and I realize this post is a bit dorky, but I don't care! On a dull, gray, icy day like today isn't it cool to think about a place so bright and so colorful?! It just makes this world feel that much more temporary.

Stay warm and stay safe! :)

J

You Know You’re at the Airport Early When Starbucks Isn’t Even Open Yet

I promised a post from San Diego and this is me delivering that promise…from the airport on my way home! This was such a whirlwind of a weekend, which I knew it would be. As I leave sunny, warm California for grey, cold, snowy midwest I’m reflecting on the following observations I made this weekend:

1.     Cabs are EXPENSIVE. I’m pretty sure I spent more money on 4 cab rides (lasting no more than 10 minutes each) than I did on dinner Friday night, breakfast Saturday morning, and dinner Saturday night combined. And each of the meals cost at least $10. Also, not one of my cab drivers was a native born American. I have no intentions of stereotyping or being racist, but I couldn’t help but notice this. With the unemployment rate so high, why aren’t more people cab drivers? Considering how much money I paid for my rides, I’m sure you could make a decent living driving cabs. I should tell my unemployed clients to look into it…actually, never mind. Most of them don’t have drivers’ licenses.

2.     The sky was so blue and the sun so bright. I felt like I was in a Pirates of the Carribbean movie.

3.     Even though I was by myself, I noticed that I didn’t feel lonely. I felt like I had more time than I would have had I been with someone else. I was able to do what I wanted, go where I wanted, when I wanted. And I saw a lot in a short amount of time. And I had no plans. Yesterday I was at Balboa Park, literally about to call a cab, when I noticed a trolley loading for a free ride around the park. The park is 1200 acres (bigger than Central Park) so there was no way I would be able to walk all the way around. So I closed my phone and jumped on the trolley. Totally worth it.

4.     On a similar note, I ate a late lunch/early dinner at a nice, delicious seafood restaurant right on the bay. My first time eating in a restaurant all by myself! It was interesting because I was surrounded by couples and I noticed several people on their phones or Blackberries surfing the internet and talking every once in awhile to their significant others. Made me wonder: am I anymore by myself than any of these people?

So it was a great trip. Except for a small period of time walking home from the restaurant last night (when I realized I really didn’t know where I was and ended up in a rental car parking lot near the airport waiting for a cab), I was happy by myself. Actually, I didn’t really notice I was by myself. I was too enthralled in the beauty around me. My prayer is that I take this home with me. That, although outside is grey, cold, and snowy, I am enthralled with the beauty and glory of God around me. Whether that be in my relationships, my job, my family, etc. I want to be so engrossed in the Lord that, while I’m aware of myself and who I am, I am okay by myself. I need community, absolutely, but I’m not always going to be surrounded by community. At the end of the day, it’s me. Me and God.

Getting off the plane on Friday, I literally had to contain my excitement, until I got to my room, where I jumped up and down and squealed in delight. I definitely googled ‘counseling jobs in San Diego’ Friday night. Just doing a little bit of dreaming. I’ve always said I could never live in a place that didn’t have seasons or snow. But I think I could get used to it…we’ll see, who knows. I have no plans. 

J

New Opportunities in Travel: A Ticket to Anywhere

I had an accidental extra Christmas present this year. Two days after Christmas, as my precious sister and brother-in-law were preparing to head back to Miami, my parents began researching flights and planning dates to go visit them. My dad, who is a frequent flyer for business trips, realized he had quite an accumulation of frequent flyer miles, as well as hotel points. One ticket had to be redeemed by January 26. My mom already had a ticket to fly to see her family out of state and my dad (a frequent flyer and one who relishes being home) had nowhere he wanted to go in particular. So my dad turns to me and asks, “You want it?”

My affinity for travel has dramatically increased since the summer after my junior year in high school when I visited Europe for the first time. I love to travel! Even within the continental U.S., I love visiting new places, seeing new people, and imagining what life would be like living in a new place. When my dad asked me if I wanted a free ticket to anywhere in the country, I felt my heart rate increase and my mouth began to salivate (okay, not really on the salivating part, but I was pretty stoked!).

My immediate thought was Miami to visit Kelly and Bill and see their new place. After looking into it, it was clear I would not be able to find available flights without taking time off work, which, unfortunately, is not an option for me right now. I was bummed about not being able to see them, but my mind quickly began to dream about all the other places I could go. My dad sat patiently with me, punching in flight options on his laptop, as I listed various cities and changed my mind over and over: New York, San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando. Deciding that I would be crazy to choose anywhere remotely cold in the middle of January over somewhere warm and in the 70s, I decided on California – Southern California. San Diego.

I was determined to choose a place I had never been and really had no reason to visit. When else would I get a chance like this to pick a random city and just go? The funny thing about all of this is: it is so not me. Right now, I’m sitting in Lambert Airport, by myself, at 6:30AM, waiting to board a plane to a place I’ve never been and where I know absolutely no one. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m a planner. I’m semi-laid-back, but I like to know what’s coming. I like to be prepared. I have my airline tickets, my hotel reservation, and the number to call for the hotel shuttle to pick me up at the airport. Beyond that, I’m completely on my own. This is also unlike me. Sure, I’ve flown by myself plenty of times, but never to a destination where I would be completely by myself. If this chance had come up a couple of years ago, I would have at least flown somewhere to visit or stay with someone I know. But right now, I’m okay. I’m nervous, but mostly, I’m okay. I’m feeling adventurous.

Why can’t I be like this all of the time? I’m not this adventurous in real life. The last time I was adventurous in real life I ended up taking a job counseling drug addicts and convicted felons (which, although there have been many difficult days, has turned into an alright job). Why can’t I be okay with not knowing more often? Why can’t I be more excited to explore something new, different, and completely out of the ordinary for me in my own city?  Why can’t I be more courageous in trying new things, meeting new people, or taking more initiative in relationships? I settle so much into my own comfort zone that risk taking in that comfort zone scares me. It takes a push from God or a free airline ticket to force me to do something I may have imagined doing, but never actually done.

And why can’t I be more okay being by myself? I’m 100% an extrovert. I thrive being around people. I love being around people. I need time alone to relax, unwind, and be with the Lord, but then I’m ready to party. So I’m expecting this weekend to be slightly awkward. It hit me just a minute ago – am I going to talk this weekend? I mean, besides asking the concierge at the hotel questions, thanking cab drivers, and ordering food, am I going to speak to anyone? Weird.

I’m thankful for this weekend because I’m hoping it will be not only a spiritual retreat, time to be refreshed in the Lord, and a sunny escape from 8+ inches of snow, but that it will also be a lesson in being adventurous: trying new things and enjoying myself. Not just enjoying myself in the sense of having fun, but enjoying who I am, who the Lord has created me to be, and enjoying being myself in a new place. A sunny place. A warm place. J

I promised Kat I would write at least one post actually from California, so I will do my best to follow through on that promise!

J

New Adventures in Home Economics

2011 is turning out to be the Suzy Homemaker part VII...I've gone through numerous phases were all I want to do is sew things and try new recipes.

Over the last few weeks I've embarked on several new tasks...

1)  Drinking 8 glasses of water...not really anything making or creating...just doing.

2) I have several friends who are pregnant and expecting  in the coming months so it's baby blanket season.  Sadly our local Wal-Mart is no longer going to be carrying fabrics so fabrics were all 50-75% off the last 3 weeks.  I used this opportunity to stock up on fabric.  Below is baby blanket #1 for my dear friends Tim and Laura and their sweet little baby boy due in March.

"Lions, and Tigers, and Hippos???"

3) I also made a homemade snuggie/snuggle/slanket...whatever terminology you perfer.  An official Snuggie goes for around $15.00...mine $7.00.  I sure hope I don't lose it or get lost in a snow storm...

4) And the most recent creation is that of the culinary kind.  Everyone loves a good restaurant and my current favorite is The Fountain in St. Louis.  Here is my recreation of their Fountain Foccacia.

Ingredients:  ~5oz of spinach, ~2 boxes of low fat cream cheese, 

~1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, ~ half can of artichoke hearts (diced), 

~1/4tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

~ french bread, ~fresh tomatoes, ~ plain hummus 

Mix spinach, cream cheese, cheese, artichoke hearts, red pepper until well blended.

Cut bread into 3 inch sections and halve.

Spread a thin layer of hummus over the bread before applying the spinach mixture.

Top with tomatoes and enjoy!

New Opportunities

This year has already begun to fill with new opportunities for me, which has me thinking about how we know when we're supposed to wait and when we're supposed to move.  2010 was a super-charged jolt after a few years of languishing in a holding pattern.  That seems to be par for the course for those of us post-grad 20-somethings.  I know I spent a lot of time refusing to move on and honestly had to have things yanked out from under me before I would give up.  But here I am, and things are going much better than I could have planned.

As I think more about it though, the frustrating experiences I went through in the last few years were integral in who I am today.  Is that usually the case?  Do we have to go through dark times in order to be ready for great joy?  If we have no reason to accept new opportunities - if we remain comfortable in our day to day lives - perhaps we will never decide to move on.  Growth is painful and uncomfortable and messy.  But it is also Good.

John 12:24 (The Message)

 ^24-25"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal."

K.

Passion

When I do something, I attack it.  I don't quit until I've tried pretty much everything.  I try new things all the time, but I don't dabble, I get really into one thing at a time and beat it to death.

In high school I ate, slept, and breathed theatre.  For a while in college, I was super into Tae Bo.  When I started working at a domestic violence shelter, I learned everything I could about how to relate to my clients.  Last year I learned to play the bass guitar because I wanted to be in a band with my friends.

I've been passionate about all these things.  Passion is about defining who we are - about finding our place to belong.  When we are passionate about something, we are claiming it as part of ourselves.  I am _______.

However, as I think about passonate living, I realize I have abandoned many of my previous endeavors because I grew tired of them.  Perhaps it is part of being in my 20s and, up until this point, I have been defining myself and tweaking out the kinks.  But part of me has to wonder, when will I be satisfied?  Will my passion always burn hot and then flame out?  Will I be able to find something about which to remain passionate, aside from my Lord?  And this brings me to more questions about what I should be doing and how I should be serving.

In true academic form, my questions only lead to more questions.

K.

Brick Walls and Mustard Seeds

When I think of the word passion, I think of something that I am compelled to do, something I would not feel right about not doing. A very strong instinct. I have not always been good about trusting my instincts – I second guess myself…a lot. But as a new counselor, I have learned that trusting my instincts is an essential part of my job. And I am passionate about my job. Passionate in the sense that I believe I would not feel right not counseling. When people ask me when I decided or how I decided I wanted to be a counselor, I pause and honestly answer with, “I don’t know.” Probably not an answer you’d want to hear from your therapist.  I think I can trace it back to junior or senior year of high school? All I can say is that I felt compelled. I didn’t really know what being a counselor meant - I didn’t even enter counseling myself until college! By then, I was well into a psychology degree that had me taking classes on statistics, physiology of the brain, and research methods, things I was certainly not passionate about! But I was passionate about people in need, people in pain, and I felt compelled to listen to other people’s stories, be a safe place for them to share their souls, as well as trade ideas on life, sin, and healing. This passion grew even stronger once I entered graduate school and actually began counseling.

As I’ve been reflecting on this topic, I realize that my passion can be blocked. Like by a brick wall.  And I think I am my own brick wall. My insecurities are the bricks of this wall. One such brick in my wall is that of feelings of incompetence.  I went through a period of work a couple of months ago where I felt I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and it affected my work so much that I literally had a meltdown in front of my boss. He reassured me, that I did in fact have some idea of what I was doing, that I was doing my job well, and that I needed to relax. His honest and encouraging feedback saved me from myself! By my feelings of incompetence, I was blocking myself and my passion to help others.

Now I am facing another brick wall. I am passionate about community and relationships. I feel I have been experiencing a drought in these areas recently. I am examining this wall, trying to figure out what kind of bricks are composing this wall.  Certainly, relationships and community involve more than one person and I know that I can try everything I possibly can to make something happen, but nothing will happen if the other party does not reciprocate. But I’m feeling stuck, not sure what to do next, on the verge of giving up and becoming a hobbit. I’m standing at a brick wall and I’m examining the bricks to see what is keeping me there: insecurity? Fear of the unknown or unfamiliar? Fear of meeting new people? Fear of rejection?

The amazing thing about Christ is that he breaks down these walls. These walls made of bricks comprised of feelings and thoughts that keep us from what he made us uniquely passionate about.  Praise God for this! And all it takes is faith as a big of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6), which is also something to praise God for because sometimes I know I don’t have much more than a mustard seed’s worth of faith! Praise God for his amazing grace, for tearing down the walls, even when I only have faith the size of a small seed!

J

Living Life With a Passion From God

If passion comes from the word suffering...does that mean God wants us to be miserable all the time?

Simple answer no...it means fulling devoting yourself to what God has in store for you.  Jesus fully devoted himself to God's will... that's my ultimate goal also.  I want to be able to fully abandon my inhibitions that have slowly crept up and step out in a big way.  Big as in illustrious and over the top...no...big as in out of my comfort zone.

It is so easy to hide behind the walls of familiarity.  I want to have the ability to let God lead me through some uncomfortable times.  Some of my most uncomfortable times in the past have proven to be the most fruitful and rewarding times of my life.  Seeking life with passion...January's resolution.

First step in being passionate about life...identifying what areas are holding me back.  I don't have a formula for this other than prayer and seeking wisdom in God's word and wise people.

Last month, Christian Audio was offering John Piper's book "Don't Waste Your Life" as one of their free monthly downloads.  I have been too afraid of the discomfort the book might cause by actually listening to it that I have actually avoided listening to it...right now that is step one...letting God through is word, prayer, and various other mediums such as books start showing me how to find true passion and worth in Him and Him alone.

B.

CESTY - Come on a journey with us....

Cesty (aka journey in Czech) - an act of traveling...a passage.

Here on this blog we will discuss, debate, and share our lives with each other.  We hope you will feel free to comment and add to our stories throughout this year.

Up first - Passion:   the orignins of the word - Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin passion-, passio suffering, being acted upon, from Latin pati to suffer  (www.m-w.com)




What is your passion?  What does passion mean to you?  What does it mean to have Biblical passion?


We're excited for this new adventure and hope you will be too!