Vintage Music

Ella Fitzgerald

              
           For some reason I've been just been into old music like Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole recently. Why? Well, for one thing, its a nice change of pace, but more than that, I just enjoy listening to "upbeat/ jazzy" stuff lately. Its just so classic. Even though the music is old, its not overbearing like some 80's stuff and its good for everything. Whether its reading or scrap-booking or blogging...Its just.... timeless. Even old-sounding music sung in french has been absolutely acute to my musical tastes. Saxophones, trumpets, and piano notes have been heard through my side of the house lately that's for sure. I mean how can lyrics like these not make you swoon? 

"Stars shining bright above you, 

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream of me"

              Maybe another reason I love this music so much is because I love the era it was famous in. The whole idea of going out to swing-dance has always kept me beyond interested. I think some day I'll take up swing-dancing lessons and really get into it. Sounds like fun to me!

Favorite "Oldies":

Smile - Nat King Cole

La Javanse - Madeleine Peyroux

Dream a Little Dream - Micheal Buble'

                                         My Romance - Ella Fitzgerald

                                           L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole

As a child...

                   As children we believe. We dream. Nothing stops us. We are not afraid of what others think of us. We have never had a broken heart, we've never been let down, our tiny fragile minds know nothing but innocence. Growing up I have so many beautiful memories. Catching fireflies at grandma's, learning to ride a bike after receiving one for Christmas, playing on our swing-set, and swimming in our family pool while listening to my dad's favorite 70's music. My growing up life, looking back, seemed like a fairy-tale. God had blessed me so much. Sure, I had problems growing up, it wasn't perfect. I was spanked, I threw temper-tantrums, I lied, I did things as a little kid that would make no soccer mom happy. I just wish, I was as fearless now, as I was then. I wasn't afraid to talk in front of people when I was little, where as now... its different (that's why I write to all you!). I didn't care if people thought I was weird, I just liked that people saw me for who I was. Now, I find that I do open up to people still, but only after getting to know them and making sure I can be myself around them without being judged. If only I was still as sure of myself. 
                  God's been helping me with that. God's been working in me. Helping me find who I really am. For such a long time I never knew what I really liked. I never knew what kinds of things really described who I was. I never knew if I liked things because other people did or that I honestly liked them because, well that's who I was. Now, I'm discovering who I am in Christ and its so exciting! I'm finding out how it is to be myself and how to unaffected by the fleeting crazes of the world. So be like a child again, unafraid and happily unaware of the world around you.

Bucket List - Live Foreign

5. Live in a Foreign Country (for at least a month)

               Whether it be living in a third world country with missionaries, or back-packing through Europe, living in a foreign land has always been a dream of mine. Experiencing new cultures and cuisines, learning new languages, viewing new art and architecture, all come with the adventure of living in a new place. I've traveled to many places, yet one day in Venice or Rome can not even touch on the beauty of the land. You need weeks, if not even months, to soak up the history and beauty of these kinds of places. Even one week in Haiti did not seem like enough time to encounter the fascinating customs and people of it's country. I did not feel like my work was quite finished there when I left the country. I knew God may have more in store for me and Haiti.
               So, this is why I've decided that sometime in my life, I'd like to live foreign. I absolutely love America, but new cultures excite me! I don't think we should go through life stuck in a box. It would be nice to get out and explore the world and the people that live there. There are at least 6,500 languages in all the world and therefore so many ways to communicate. Now while living abroad, it might also be nice to learn a language in this case. Whatever the case, I'm sure that an experience living in a different nation will have a lasting effect on how you view the world and its people.

               This will be my last article about my bucket list so here is the recap below with links to the other pages about my bucket list:

1. See an up-close aurora

2. Take a vacation to Iceland

3. Go sky diving or bungee jumping

4. Go on a hot-air balloon ride

5. Live in a Foreign Country (for at least a month)

Bucket List - Go Ballooning

4. Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride

                  Gliding through the sky in a basket attached to a balloon... in a way, it reminds me of the movie Up. The idea. How surreal it must be to see the houses below you shrink as you sail higher into the great blue, all the while attached to a giant colored balloon. When I do finally go "ballooning"  I have two specifications for the trip:
      1. I'm going to choose an exotic place to fly in. I don't want to simply settle for floating above cornfields and rural towns, but instead I'd like a place full of mountain tops and rivers, waterfalls and ravines... maybe somewhere like New Zealand or Hawaii. 
      2. I'm not going alone. I mean, imagine with me, you're soaring up, up, up, and away into the clouds, over the crests of mountain tops and the plummeting rage of waterfalls, and yet you have no one to share the experience with. Such a downer. Therefore, I'm taking someone with me. Whether its my best friend, sister, or the love of my life, this experience would not be the same it it were not with someone you love.

Bucket List - Fall Through the Sky

3. Go Sky-Diving or Bungee Jumping
       Now, the idea of sky-diving has not always horrified me. When I was a child, I'd always thought the idea of sailing through air and landing gracefully in a field sounded like such an exciting experience. As I grew older, I became more aware. Now when I think of sky-diving, I visualize myself falling through the sky and pulling my parachute too early. Let's just say things have changed. 

             You may be wondering, "If it horrifies you so much, why is it on your bucket list?" Well, to that I say... I'm really not sure. Maybe I think that although it seems beyond scary, its just something you have to experience in life. Maybe its the fact that many other people have it on their bucket list, so I probably need it on mine too. There could also be the reason that I've always wanted to be that person who's really daring, possibly I just want to prove to myself I'm not chicken. In any circumstance, I'm sure the first time you sky-dive it must be exhilarating or people wouldn't love it so much. I mean, think about it, you're falling through the sky watching the land below you get closer and closer... falling, falling, falling, and then... POOF. Your parachute opens and you're on the ground. The whole experience seems a little over-whelming. I think I'll take my time getting to this one on my bucket list.

Bucket List - Visit Iceland

2. Take a Vacation to Iceland

           Yes, as random as it may sound, I absolutely love Iceland. I've never been there before, but in all the pictures I've seen, it just seems amazing. It looks kind of like Ireland, but with a twist of Canadian weather, and of course, it also has auroras! (how perfect!) Anyways, for all you out there reading this here are 5 interesting facts about Iceland.


1. Iceland has the highest literary rate in the world
2. Iceland is located about half-way between New York and Moscow
3. Iceland is know to be the 4th happiest country in the world (I'd fit in there!)
4. Life expectancy is 81.3 years for woman and 76 years for men, one of the highest life expectancies in the world!
5. Icelandic language has been virtually unchanged in the last 1000 years 

              Think me weird, but I just feel that this country has been a bit forgotten. Maybe that's why I love it so much. For some reason, I have always had a heart for things that are forgotten, concealed from the world. Iceland's kind of like a hidden treasure. It may be overlooked but I'm sure when you visit it, its quite beautiful. Life is sometimes like that. There's times in life where the most beautiful things are veiled from our view. Our life may seem to have no "sparkle" (I know mine feels like that sometimes) yet God made our life beautiful, even when it seems to be unseen at times. God works in the unseen.

Bucket List - See an Aurora

              I hope everyone reading this has started a "bucket list", a list of things to do before you die. If not, you may be a bit behind for a blog reader, but don't worry, you still have plenty of time! Anyways, I obviously have started a "bucket list" and through the next few posts I'll be explaining some of the things on my list. Now, I'm not going to bore you with the basics... (such as getting married, having kids, etc...) but I'll give you some insight into my mind and some unique things I'd like to do before I die. So let me get started.

1. See an up-close Aurora

                Now I'm not quite sure if any of you really know what an aurora is. It has also had the common name of "northern lights". Aurorae are absolutely breathtaking. The idea of colors moving and inter-twining in the night sky has always sent shivers down my spine. In a way, its kind of like a rainbow, of course, without rain and continually changing and sculpting in the velvet night. Although I've never experienced this beauty up close, it has always been something to catch my eye in pictures and in books. "Fascinated" does not even express how these "celestial bodies" make me feel. 

                 What a beautiful creation on God's part! Its amazing how the sun can penetrate the north and south poles of the earth and through small photons and the mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, such a beautiful creation can be brought about. Reds and Oranges, Greens and Blues, filling the night sky; Our world's splendor at its finest. All glory to God.

Eden.

              Flowers bloom. Sweet smells of fruit waver through the air. Green trees and golden sun. Everything beautiful. Yes, we all know the sad story. We had it all, a beautiful Eden with God walking with us and amongst us, and yet we ruined it. From there we move on and tend to forget what Eden must have been like. So now let's go back. What was it like before sin defiled the earth? God put Adam over all animals and fruits. Everything lived in harmony. Mosquitos didn't bite, thorns didn't exist, snakes didn't slither, and mankind never worked, yet only walked with God continually in the garden. It was then God spoke to us saying,

“I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.”

            Everything on earth glorified God. There was no pain, and no indignity, for it was said,

"Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."

            All was beautiful. There were rivers clear as crystal, it was a heaven made for us and the Lord to bond in. There were no sicknesses or germs, no headaches, colds, influenza, only perfection. Green fields and flower beds were our home, nor caves or caverns were needed to keep us warm, neither clothing not animals skins.

            Innocence was all we knew, for all we had to know was God. We were the inseparbale match. Yes, we blew it, but one day we'll come back to this kind Eden, and this time we won't blow it. It will be glory... forever and once again we'll walk with God in the gardens of heaven. Happily. Ever. After.

Check out this song by Phil Wickham ----> Eden

Haiti Mission Trip - Untitled

             You may be wondering why I titled this “untitled” let’s just say that’s how my experience was. Indescribable. How do you title something so amazing, so beautiful? I honestly can’t put into words what an experience it was to go on a mission trip to Haiti. And truthfully, writing down all these experiences is never going compare to what the trip was really like, but I’ll do my best by highlighting my favorite parts.

             We arrive at Port Au Prince, and I’m speechless. The land, the people, the housing, the whole nation, looks broken. I can’t describe what I saw that first day, but it was jaw-dropping. As we got started in the ministry, we headed to church the next day. The church I visited was amazing even though it had cement floors, no stain glass windows, or pews, or even a huge church choir. It was simple, and although the entire message was in creole, I could still understand the heart behind it. The language barrier was there, but it still spoke to my soul. I was changed even though I knew not what the words meant. That’s how a lot of the trip went. Even though there was a language barrier between us and the people, we still could communicate to them through one certain thing… God’s love.

             In each church and orphanage we went to, every child I connected to with wanted one thing, love and attention. And that’s what we shared with them. We began each VBS with a presentation of the gospel. Through pictures and hand motions we shared God’s hope for their lives. At a certain church we visited, a little girl clung to me and I truly connected with her. Although she was far too young to understand how to tell me her name, this little girl had such a joy about her. When it came time for me to leave she followed us out to our trucks and even when we drove off she followed us down the street. Heart-wrenching. Yes, tears welled up within me, how could I leave her? But then I thought of what we were doing. Sharing the gospel with the people. Hopefully one day that little girl will accept Jesus and I’ll see her in heaven once again.

            Ahhh, and of course, all mission trips have their adventures. We had many. Like breaking down 2 cars, driving through rivers, swimming under arched cliffs, climbing on the top of roofs/garages, being swept away by waves, singing worship songs in the back of a pick-up truck, and driving through rain, just to name a few. Haiti was amazing. In all that we went through I learned this: God is in our midst. Through-out the entire trip I felt His presence, His love, His warmth. I had to fully depend on His strength when I had none. And through it all He was there. No matter what tribulation stood in our way… God was in our midst. In Psalm 46 it mentions this same thing. It states,

“God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”

         
             Even when we were held-up by broken down cars God got us through. He was in our midst. He was our refuge, our hope, and the love that we could give to the people there. This trip was one that changed my life. As I arrived home today, I know this is embarrassing to say, but I broke down and cried for a while. Maybe it was the reverse culture shock, but it just hit me how blessed I was, and what a huge family my mission team and I had become. So for any of those on my team who took the last 15 minutes to read all this, the next paragraph is for you… 

Haiti. Bonswaaaaaaaaa. Pin head! Fluffy. Roosters. Car horns. Pick-up trucks. Late night worship. Dishes every morning. Cold showers. “What’s the point?” Winning in spades. Egyptian rat-slap. Lynda. Reading Psalms. “Hailey Marie…” Raps. Nicknames. Mountains. Planking. Oceans. Dare You to Move. Stars. Hello Song. VBS. Family.

Teaching People How to Treat You (guest post)

 Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”

       “I can’t believe they did that to me! Jerks! Who do they think they are? You don’t treat people that way!” This is a common rant that I tend to hear a friend of mine fuse over often. I do agree with her though, how the guys treat her is terrible, inappropriate and the exact opposite of a true gentleman’s behavior. However, she taught it to them—she gave them permission to treat her like that. “Say what?!?” I know I know, but before you click off thinking I’ve finally snapped, please try to hear me out!

       You see, my friend acted in a way that said “Yeah, that’s right! I’m easy and flirtatious! I’m willing to do crazy things to be the center of attention!” My friend would sit on guys’ laps, act “dumb”, allow guys to be “touchy” with her, be excessively giggly and act like a complete flirt with any guy who seemed the least bit interested in her. She taught them how to treat her by acting in such a way. The guys figured “Oh, well if it’s okay for her to act that way, then it must be okay for us to treat her that way.”

           Luke 6:31 commands us to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” When people read this verse, they think “Oh, I should be nice to people, because I would want people to be nice back to me.” There is nothing wrong with this thought, and it is on track, but today I want to show you a new element of this verse that I desperately hope you will apply to your lives. Instead of thinking in terms of “being nice and people will be nice back” instead think “treat others/act appropriately and respectfully to people, and they will treat you appropriately and respectfully back”. In simple terms, this verse is not just telling you to put others first and treat them well, but it is also saying that how you act is how people will treat you. You teach people how to treat you. If you act flirtatious and playful, then they are going to act the same way back. If you act reserved and respectful, then they will treat you the same way.

          “Oh Heather, that’s not true; it’s just how that person was raised, and he/she will treat everyone that way!” For the majority of people, this is not true. The boys who treat my friend this way, don’t even think twice about treating me, or a few other girls who are “guarding their hearts”, that way. We try our hardest to act as if Jesus were in the room (which He is!), and they in return treat us well and with respect.

            People will test you, they will observe you. If someone makes a suggestive joke, don’t laugh. If they try to sit on you or invade your space, then either get up and walk away, or tell them as respectfully as possible to get off immediately. The key to teaching people how to treat you is to simply be real, and be who you are, and not a fake or overplayed version of yourself. Act in one manner, and turn your two-faced mask over to the drama department. 

           So many girls tend to ask “Why do I keep attracting jerks? Why are guys treating me like this?”, and for the majority, it is because it’s how you taught them to treat you. True, they may treat you the same way that another girl had taught them how to treat her, but that ends when you come into play, and don’t allow it to happen with yourself.

           Girls, this lesson goes hand in hand with guarding your heart, honoring your future husband and helping to prepare other guys for their future wives by not being a stumbling block to them. The Bible tells us how we are to act; check out the following verses, and try to apply them to your own life.

• “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to self- control, perserverance; and to perserverance, godliness.” -2 Peter 1:5-6
• “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”- 1 Corinithians 10:31
• “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12
• “The fruity of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law” –Galatians 5: 22-23

Girls, it’s time for a revolution. It’s time that we stop acting flirtatious, stop being “easy” for guys to “claim”, stop disrespect the body God has given us, stop being selfish and a stumbling block to our brothers and sisters; it’s time that we instead strive to replace all bad characteristics with godly ones. It’s time to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. It’s time we strive to add faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perserverance and godliness to who we are. It’s time to let Jesus shine through us, and make His temple (you!) acceptable and capable of being used by Him!

Off with the old, on with the new!                                                                                                                “Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception.  Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness -- righteous, holy, and true. –Epsheisans 22-24.

It’s time that you’ve started teaching people how to treat you.

This was a guest post done by Heather, who happens to have her own blog too called "A Hopeful Romantic"(http://becomingahopefulromantic.blogspot.com/) I am so thankful to have her do this for me! Thanks Heather!

The Rainbow

                     A rainbow. What is the first thing that comes to mind for you when you hear this? For me I think of color, God's promises, Noah's arc, nature, well everything you would typically think of when the a rainbow is mentioned. For me, a rainbow is kind of like a kiss from God. Whenever I see one, I know I am loved. I am reminded that God will never flood the earth again, and that yes, He keeps His promises. But more than that, there is something very important we can learn from the rainbow. Rainbows, like our life, are only present with sunshine and rain. We can't see the beauty of God's plan until we see it in the rain and trials as well as the good times. 

Purple - Magestic Beauty

                       Sweet cicadas sing in the tree tops, as the sun makes its last appearance for the day. It sets into the distance and sends bright shades of lavender and indigo throughout the sky. And for a moment, the color purple paints over a once blue sky and sends a spell of beauty throughout the countryside.
                       Purple. Majesty.  Beauty. Royalty. This is what purple is to me, a color full of richness. It colors grapes, butterflies, lilacs and orchids, and occasionally even some dinosaurs (okay that was corny...) But in the end, this color was made for our enjoyment just like the others, maybe even more so. So here as I come to a close of all my rambles about colors, I'll finish it off next time, with an article all about the rainbow... yes it maybe even cornier than the joke a pulled earlier, but I hope you'll enjoy it!

Blue - Our World

                 Imagine with me, our earth, 7,962 miles in diameter, 6,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 (6.5 septillion) tons, and 70% water. This is all too much for our minute minds to understand, and yet for God, the creator of all, this is simple 1+1 math. I just know when I think of our big blue planet, and the the 7 billion people out there, that God, well He must be in the midst of it all.
                 My word, our big blue planet is just a tiny blue dot from far away. Now, I must be honest, out of most the colors out there if I could predict a favorite of God, it is most likely blue. I mean, He painted the water and sky blue, and fish, flowers, and fruits. He must love blue. From the skies high to oceans deep... its all blue.

Green - Nature's Glowth

          Birds chirp, soft winds rustle through high green grasses, sweet smells waver through the air. The air is crisp, the day is fresh, all is peaceful and quiet in the lush meadows. 

          Wouldn't we just love a day in the green fields of Ireland? I have to honest, I think that green is probably one of God's favorite colors. When we look at the world, we see that the grass, the trees, the flowers, the leaves, fruits, vegetables, iguanas, parrots, there are just so many things that are green and fresh. When I think of green I tend to think of growth. Life. When things are watered and fresh, that's when they're green and full of life. That's the ideal. Yes, the world is typically never ideal, however we always have God to remind us what is.

Yellow - Freedom

                   Its a bright sunny day. On the beach, yellow umbrellas and colored towels are speckled along the coast line. The ocean glimmers in the bright sun and friends run out to play in it's waves. An aroma of coconut oil and sun-tan lotion fills the balmy breeze and the summer air. School's out and there's nothing left to do but lay out in the sun and relax.

                   We are blessed. Here we are, spending our time relaxing in freedom. Nothing's tying us down, no homework, stress, crazy schedules to deal with, its just summer. For me yellow is freedom. Its bright and seems to warm me just by looking at it. Its the summer breeze in my face, the salty sting of the ocean's wave. Its warm yellow, bright and beautiful and everything in between.