For my Writings class this quarter, we were allowed (nay, challenged) to write our papers creatively. I wrote my final paper in the form of a psalm, which got me to thinking how seldom I really use creativity to reflect on and praise God.  Doing this project flexed my reflective and creative muscles, and I encourage you to try it for yourself. My entire project was about 10 pages long, but this is the final stanza.

God, O God of the Universe
We are obligated to really praise You
Though our 21st century lives are busy,
Your word has reminded us that Your name will be praised
Lord, let us not be so neglectful that the rocks cry out as Your son Jesus declared that they would do
Let us look to Chronicles
And see that there is never a moment You fail to be worthy of praise
Let us praise You in our stillness
Reflecting on the fact that you are God
Falling prostrate on the ground before You
Let us praise You in song
Playing every instrument we can imagine
And singing of Your magnificence
As the Levites did as they led the children of Israel in worship
With harps,
With lyres,
With trumpets,
With cymbals
And with tambourines
Let us praise You with our dance
Regardless of our audience
Whether alone in our own bedrooms
Or in the crowded streets
Becoming undignified as David did,
Not for our own sake,
But for Your glory
And out of the overflow of joy
That lives in our own hearts because of You.
Let it never be enough
Let us never give up praising you
For you
God, God of the Universe
Are beyond worthy to be praised.

I was going to blog tonight about being nostalgic, but a blog by my friend Nathan did the trick.

I refer you to Nathan’s Web Log

I don’t know if it’s because I gave up fast food for Lent or because this was one of the 3 restos I missed when living overseas, but I feel like this needs to be shared with the world. If you’re from a place where there is a chick-fil-a, chances are you’re declaring “THAT’S SO TRUE!!” If not, you’re truly missing out on an American phenomenon.

If you’ve read this at all you know I have an affinity for music. It can get a bit obsessive. I have a tendency to get a new album and play it relentlessly until something else I like comes out. It’s probably less than healthy. It’s always better for me when multiple things come out the same week; it encourages me to mix it up.

This week, the new U2 album – “No Line on the Horizon” leaked online the same day M. Ward’s new album – “Hold Time” was released. (The U2 album hits stores March 3 if you live in the US, March 2 if you don’t…I plan to buy – don’t judge me for owning the leak.)

U2 is one of my go-to favorites. They’re one of those bands where every song, every album triggers specific memories. You can love them or hate them, idolize Bono or despise him, but chances are there’s at least one U2 song with which you can’t help singing along when you hear it. “No Line on the Horizon” took a couple of listens before I fell in love with it the way I loved “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.” It was then I realized this album isn’t new U2…it’s an homage to classic U2: more “War” and “Joshua Tree” than “Zooropa” and “Pop.” It picks up both musically and lyrically where “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” left off.

If you don’t know M. Ward, you’re missing out. He’s a singer/songwriter and he’s fabulous. He’s like a less commercial version of Ryan Adams – the version that isn’t on the soundtrack to every Fox/WB teen drama or engaged to Mandy Moore. In fact, Ward is probably THE troubadour of our generation now that Adams has set down his guitar picks (supposedly for good). Even on first listen M.Ward’s songs sound familiar, but in a live-in-your-favorite-jeans kind of way, not in a generic music kind of way. Most of the music is his own, though he does cover songs you’d never think to re-invent. (Eleven of the fourteen songs on “Hold Time” are original, but his covers are of things like Buddy Holly’s “Rave On.”) If you’re new to M.Ward start out with 2009’s “Hold Time,” 2006’s “Post-War” and the 2008 She & Him album “Volume 1” which features Zooey Deschanel rather than his own worn-leather sounding voice on vocals.

As I listened to these albums this week, I couldn’t help but reflect on how music bares the soul of the songwriter, and thus couldn’t help but wonder if the spiritual allusions I hear are intentional or my own imposition of the reflection of my own heart and soul upon the music. I also couldn’t help but wonder if the allusions are as clear as I hear them to be, or if I’ve just been indoctrinated to look for the spiritual in the secular. I hope it’s the former, because while I love seeing the sacred in the secular, it perturbs me when spiritual allusions are imposed where they simply don’t/can’t/shouldn’t/were never intended to exist.

So you tell me – are the following lyrics clear allusions to Christ? or have I just been going to Sunday School for too many years?

“And he put his name in my chorus, and the dark before the dawn, so that in my time of weakness, I’d remember it’s his song
He’s got a line in the water, he’s a fisher of men
He’s got a lot on the line, he’s a fisher of men”
– From M. Ward’s “Fisher of Men”

“Once I knew there was a love divine
Then came a time I thought it knew me not
Who can forgive forgiveness when forgiveness is not?
Only the land as white as snow”
– From U2’s “White as Snow”

I’m not taking an opinion poll on this last one. Despite the fact that they use words like “damn” and “shitty” (gasp!) in other songs on the album – “Magnificent” is clearly a praise song. Will.i.am has evidently already remixed it…we’ll see how that turns out.

“I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven’t had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent”
– U2’s “Magnificent” from their new album “No Line on the Horizon”

Thanks, in advance, to my friend Lindsey for this idea.

It’s that time of year. Love is in the air. Stores are all decked out in red and pink silliness. It’s Valentine’s Day.

In my experience, single people fall into one of two camps on Valentine’s Day: either they embrace the silliness, celebrate the love and don’t get the coupley nature of the holiday get to them, or they embrace it as Single Awareness Day (SAD) and have a bitter-party-of-one party for themselves.

Either way, you deserve a playlist to help you celebrate, so here are my song choices to aid in your holiday festivities. You can listen to everything by clicking on the “popout player” buttons under each playlist. Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Playlist
* I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
* Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk
* Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love by Pink Martini
* Moondance by Van Morrison
* Such Great Heights by The Postal Service
* I Will Follow You into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie
* Nobody Knows Me by Lyle Lovett
* Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? by She & Him
* When the Stars Go Blue by The Corrs&Bono
* I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight by Norah Jones

Single Awareness Day Playlist
* Love Song by Sara Bareilles
* Touch Feel And Lose by Ryan Adams
* World Spins Madly On by The Weepies
* Hey Eugene by Pink Martini
* Shut Up and Let Me Go by The Ting Tings
* Brandy Alexander by Feist
* Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
* Beautifully Broken by Warren Haynes
* Misunderstood by Wilco
* Sentimental Heart by She & Him

It’s been almost a week since the Superbowl, and while the vast majority of the commercials were overwhelmingly forgettable, I haven’t been able to get this one out of my head.

There’s an old southern expression: “that’ll preach.” That’s how I feel about this commercial. Maybe it’s my Theology and Culture course kicking my brain into overdrive. Maybe it’s that I spend a good 12 hours a day sitting in front of a computer screen and can commiserate with the feeling that I’m more a computer generated persona than an actual human being. Maybe it’s that my generation has been accused of social networking rather than socializing and this commercial shows that better than almost anything else I’ve seen. Maybe it’s the need to stay “connected” and how well it’s depicted here. Whatever, the reason though, the search for identity, connection, relationship that’s portrayed in this 61 seconds speaks to me, and I see new aspects every time I watch it.

(For those of you who aren’t connected to your computers like they’re your life source, the animated characters in this commercial are called avatars. An avatar is a representation of oneself or alter ego. This can be a three-dimensional representation used in computer games, or, on a lesser scale, a two-dimensional icon used in on-line forums. An avatar represents the embodiment of the user to the outside community. Look, you learned something new today.)

Texas weather is driving me crazy. It hit 80 multiple days last week, but they’re already announcing school closings/delays due to tomorrow’s “wintry mix.”

It’s not that the cold’s a problem. I love the cold. There’s something romantic about seeing your breath in the air, smelling the fires burning in fireplaces, bundling up in layers….and let’s face it, the hats, scarves and gloves of winter are far more entertaining accessories than the limited accouterments of summer. It’s just that it won’t freakin’ make up it’s mind!!! If it’s going to be 40, I’d love it, but stay 40 more than 3 days before the temp jumps 30 degrees overnight.

I think I’m just fed up with inconsistency lately on all fronts, and I feel like weather, at least, should be a little more dependable. Just commit to a season already! I really don’t care which one. Be a “yes” or a “no” on a facebook event instead of a “maybe” until something better comes along. For pete’s sake, buy some furniture and give the cat a name!

This is all weird, I know, coming from me – the girl who sees chaos as a necessity. I thrive in the earthquakes and roller coasters of life.  I think I’m learning, though, that spontaneity and inconsistency are two very different sides of the same coin. Does loving one and detesting the other make me a hypocrite? Ugh…I can’t decide whether this is all a sign of maturity or of getting old. For the record, that’s another case of loving one and detesting the other, 😉

I need a laugh this week, and I’ll bet you do, too. So, I’m giving you this one for free.

You get this one, too. Never let it be said that the pooch can’t accessorize.

A fight broke out and started a fire once in a dance hall where BB King was playing. The whole place had to be evacuated, but King rushed back into the burning building to save his guitar. The fight had been over a woman named Lucille; King’s guitars have been named Lucille ever sense.

One of my goals for 2009 is to play my guitar. I think it’ll get played more if it has a name, but I’m torn. As a general rule guitars are female. In fact, the word guitar is feminine in languages with gender specific articles (French, Spanish, etc.). I’m a girl (obviously) so shouldn’t my guitar be masculine? I keep vacillating back and forth.

I started this on Facebook, but I’m opening it up to the blogosphere. What should I name my guitar? I’ve gotten some great suggestions: Penelope, Esther, Sue, Clara… My friend Tim says his guitar is named Ethel (which I told him is great if she’s a blues guitar, but if he’s got saucy intentions, “Ethel” isn’t going to help him seduce anyone). All of those are feminine names though, so I’ve also given thought to Conrad, Atticus, Phineas…(yes, I know if I gave those names to a child he’d be beaten up on the play ground).

Anyway, here s/he is…what do you think the name should be?

PS: My car, iphone and dog are named Lola, Isis and Cordelia, respectively if that helps at all.

Happy 2009! I hope that yours is off to as great a start as mine. So far, it’s beating 2008, hands down.

I realized on Wednesday that last year was the first year in my memory that I hadn’t eaten black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Supposedly, black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day brings good luck. I’m quite sure that this is just old superstition, but I’m also sure that (I’m sure we can all agree) 2008 was a less than stellar year. Well, not wanting to shoulder that burden for the world for another year, I dutifully journeyed to the store yesterday to buy a can of black-eyed peas. Since we had a delightful beef stew (made by my delightful roommate) for dinner, I only ate 2 spoonfuls, but still, good luck all around. If today’s any indication, 2009 will be a fantastic year.

The other fairly universal New Year’s tradition (if black-eyed peas is universal, it may just be a southern thing) is resolutions. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I don’t, generally. Resolutions just seem like a list of things people get a free pass for not attaining. People resolve to lose weight, or take up exercising, or give up vices, and when they stumble after a few weeks in it’s “aww…shucks, I broke my New Year’s resolution” and it’s back to the status quo. Those of you who can make resolutions without taking this out have my utmost admiration.

I do believe, though, that the New Year provides the perfect opportunity to reassess and set goals for the coming year. I know that sounds a lot like resolution making, but it doesn’t provide the resolution out. It requires a certain level of persistence and I like to think I’m up to the task. I suppose time will tell.

2009 Ambitions:

1. Finish my degree. While I’ll miss explaining that the Master’s of Global Leadership has not prepared me for world domination, ’tis time to move on and into the next phase of life.
2. Progress at least half way through phase 4 of my 5 phase plan…I ended 2008 with the hope of bringing phase 3 and the new year has already brought the dawning of phase 4.
3. Write. I’m not really particular here. Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, songs…I need to be writing something other than blogs, emails and papers for school. (Though I do plan to blog more often, too.)
4. Pick up and play my guitar…she’s been neglected far too long. (Okay, I’ll readily admit this one has resolution written all over it.)
5. While we’re in that vein…I’m gonna play with Cordelia more. Beagles are prone to obesity, and I’d like to keep her as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
6. Last, but far from least, I plan to be more diligent in sharing my faith in all forums. Does my love for Christ and relationship with him permeate my life the way I hope it does? I like to think so, but I plan to step it up, none-the-less.

That’s it. That’s the list. What’s on your list, if you make one? Whatever it is, I wish you luck

I’m off to finish my serving of black-eyed peas…if 2 spoonfuls can already bring so much good luck, how much luck is in a whole serving? The mind reels. 😉