So it’s a nice(albeit far too warm) Tuesday morning and I’m rather hyped that this is my last work day of 2017! Tomorrow I fly off to Tampa in the early morning and then it shall be a nice long holiday with family. Shall be lovely. This morning I’m rather sleepy after enjoying the Rockets game last night with James(120-99 victory over Jazz – 14th W in row!) and while I (sorta) wish I could say tonight would be a night of rest, alas it is not to be. Going to local Heights Theater to see Julien Baker play a show – she’s a new artist that I discovered recently(one of her songs is the closing track on my latest mix CD – Tears of Nienna – for which I will attempt to post track list at some point)…then last week, was walking down 19th past the theater and I saw them advertising her show! It’s rare I get to see an artist I know in such a nice small venue…so I’m excited!! It does mean that I will yet again get no sleep tonight. Ah well. I’ll sleep on the plane tomorrow, I guess. Now – I suppose it’s time to start work soon. Going to heartily enjoy my peppermint mocha – saw Katie at Starbucks today and she gave me a free one…yay, Merry Christmas, Katie! I realize this entry is quite all over the place…but I’ll not attempt to edit. Thus is my early morning stream of consciousness. Have a most lovely day, one and all!!
Tag: music
A Little Bit of Sunshine
And so another week comes to a beginning. It is a nice morning, complete with peppermint mocha(as is tradition for a Monday!) and I am quite possibly a little looking forward to the work week? Shocking. The weekend was busy(my only quiet night was Friday – thankfully I did make sure to keep that night free so I had a nice evening reading Lord of the Rings…) but though I am now tired from the weekend, it was filled with lovely times with friends so I cannot complain. Game night at Erica and Emily’s last night…lots of laughter and banter and it was beautiful. Got a nice chat with Earnie and Mandy on the way home…oh do I love those guys! This morning, took my sleepy self to Starbucks and got to chat(briefly!) with Katie and Kelli there – realized that I was not the only sleepy one since Katie had pulled an all nighter for school stuff – no sleep at all!! So I suppose that I should be thankful I at least got a few hours!!
Driving to work, was listening to one of my latest mixes…and got to enjoy hearing some classic Needtobreathe. Love their song “More Heart, Less Attack”. Music is indeed so powerful and yet again I was reminded of that as my soul rejoiced to that song – hearing the piano and then the harmonica kick in just brought a chill to the back of my neck and a thrill to my heart. Gorgeous music that reminds me of my longing for something that is beyond my grasp. That yearning for a greater call, a brighter star, a deeper love, that far country.
Now as you can probably tell, this entry is sleepy itself – apparently I haven’t had enough caffeine yet – and it is just about time to start work…so I shall get to it. Excited to see what the Lord has in store for me this day. Rest in the love of our God – all ye His saints.
K State
Hello friends!! A Friday Morning Post(hopefully that’s not plagiarizing Dad’s blog) that I decided to quickly write. Sitting here at Starbucks. Greatly enjoying my “Best of Enfield” playlist on iTunes. I really need to listen to this one more often…so many lovely amazing, truly awesome hymns that lift up my soul to heights of wonder and praise. “There Is A Fountain”, “And Can It Be?”, “Crown Him With Many Crowns”, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken”…”Holy, Holy, Holy”…etc, etc. Simply lovely. Anyways, I shan’t write much else. My heart is full but fingers incapable of speech. I will continue to sip on my mocha americano and rest in the love of my God. Truly – sometimes it’s hard to trust in God and that He shall continue to guide my paths. But I need only look to the divine promises in His word for encouragement and comfort. My God shall always be with me. Forever and always. I trust Him and Him alone and rest in His awesome love.
Ragtime
Saturday morning time here(well – technically afternoon, 12:03 at the moment!) and I’m at Starbucks with my mocha americano and my will to write is flagging. Alas. I have had a lovely morning…it is nice and cold outside – in the 40s! – and I did mean to go for a nice run in the early morning dark. My body decided it did not want that and I slept through my alarm…woken up by the sun instead. Guess I needed the extra sleep!! And truly I did – stayed up late last night watching the Astros game with Jared. And by Astros game – I mean World Series Game Three. Because yes – Astros are in the WS! They’re up 2-1 at the moment. Two more games. If they win, Houston will go crazy and it will be magnificent! They may only be my third baseball team(after Rays and O’s) but I’m still heartily rooting for them. Anyways! That was last night and of course it was much fun watching it with Jared. This morning after I finally dragged myself out of bed, went and had a great breakfast time with Earnie and Jake. Oh so encouraging. And now here I sit at Starbucks and it’s already after noon and I probably should go soon because I do need to do a little shopping, stop at the dry cleaners and then get home to do cleaning and chores.
So…can I write as much as I planned? I suppose not. But…I think I do have time to share my latest CD tracklist…composed a few months ago and it is utterly fantastic(even approved of by Laura and Caisson!). It’s story? Well – I had planned to make a more “melancholy-lite” playlist but I had also wanted to put some new Needtobreathe songs on. And it then morphed into what it is now – a playlist that starts gloomily enough but soon morphs into some good old-fashioned toe-tapping fun. Because it has a few songs that could be considered a bit more country/folk…it’s title is thus influenced. There are quite a few songs that have glorious harmonica! I also chose the title from one of my all-time favourite verses from one of my all-time favourite chapters from one of my all-time favourite books. As lovely as this earth may be, I do confess that I am a stranger and an exile in it. So do I present…A Country of Their Own:
1. Solitaire – Marina and the Diamonds
2. The Last Time(feat. Gary Lightbody) – Taylor Swift
3. All Too Well – Taylor Swift
4. Call You Home – Mangas Colorado
5. Black and Blue – Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
6. Funeral Beds – The Districts
7. Money & Fame – Needtobreathe
8. Unbelievers – Vampire Weekend
9. Happiness – Needtobreathe
10. Supercut – Lorde
11. Forget – Marina and the Diamonds
12. Born Again Teen – Lucius
13. Great Night(feat. Shovels & Rope) – Needtobreathe
14. Trustful Hands – The Dø
15. Postcard Memories – Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
16. Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now(Live) – Needtobreathe
17. Wasteland(Live) – Needtobreathe
18. More Heart, Less Attack(Live) – Needtobreathe
And I am now all caught up on posting my playlists. Finally!! I guess that means it’s time to craft a few more. One more note on the above – I do truly love it. It ranks up there with eyes closed, Heart Open as a list of songs that mirror my heart and thrill my soul…shadows the melancholy I sometimes feel…and echoes the joy that overflows my cup when I remember my true home. May all my “creative” endeavours always be thus.
Peace and love, dear friends.
tEcHnO
A lunchtime update! Shocking!! But, I thought I might as well be random. Why not, right?
Firstly – I’m def enjoying my tuna fish sandwiches just now. I never knew sandwiches could taste so good…(plenty of Old Bay to assist with the awesomeness, of course). Secondly…past few work days I’ve been rocking out to assorted techno playlists on the youtube…surprisingly good work music, for some reason! Don’t be surprised if at some point soon I publish a new playlist with these influences. It’s coming. dance Vol 2. Of course – I need to figure out a catchier, more appropriate name. We shall see.
Now, gonna finish my lunch and then it’s time to drive over to Transocean for meeting times. Yay?
Peace.
Unexpected Meetings
It is yet another Saturday, yet another playlist! (I promise, I’m almost caught up…only one more to go after this! …for now)
The below mix CD playlist is one that I’ve been pondering for some time. I really wanted to make a light and frothy dance mix but had the hardest time finding the proper tunes for it. I finally got (what I think) is a solid list…a mix of some fun pop tunes and then the whole middle section is non-vocal pure beat. Ended up being a bit more moody than I had expected but still – good stuff, or so I say. Great great car music!! It’s inspired me to make another one similar to it – currently crafting a playlist that will be “dance Vol 2” with much more techno. It will be rad. Just saying. But I’m getting ahead of myself – this one I made sometime this past summer…allow me to present…i Don’t Mind If You Don’t Dance, but Pardon me if I Do:
1. The Prologue – Halsey
2. Breathe – Telepopmusik
3. Holiday – Vampire Weekend
4. Blank Space – Taylor Swift
5. Sola in Citta(feat. Elin Melgarejo) – Thievery Corporation
6. Some Chords – deadmau5
7. Sofi Needs a Ladder – deadmau5
8. Tie In – Recondite
9. Who Loves the Sun(Original Mix) – Nu & Jo Ke
10. Solitary Daze – Maceo Plex & Gabriel Ananda
11. Levo(Club Edit) – Recondite
12. Sunset(Jamie xx Edit) – The XX
13. Green Light – Lorde
14. We Are Young(feat. Janelle Monae) – Fun.
15. I Can Feel Your Heartbeat(feat. Jordan Frye) – A New Normal
A Candle Carried Up the Steps
I will yet catch up on my mix CDs…(as long as I don’t make more anytime soon)…so here is another one. This one is a bit of a different style for me yet again – I could call it my punk/rock mix, which it kinda is. I’ve for a while wanted to have a “Best of Greenday” CD…but I don’t quite have enough songs for a whole CD for that. So I decided to just make a whole punk CD. Why not, right? Consequently though – this isn’t the most “cheery” playlist. It’s a great soundtrack for driving furiously through Houston though!! And how do I explain it thematically…? Well, I could say it’s the cry of a heart that knows something is missing but knows not what. Or the rage of a girl who just thinks she has it all together…until she doesn’t. Or the tears of a boy who is breaking on the inside and no one knows and no one cares. Or I could let the title speak for itself. I cautiously (and somewhat guiltily) present…Lost and Not Yet Found:
1. Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
2. The Best…Thing – Avril Lavigne
3. Sk8er Boi – Avril Lavigne
4. Complicated – Avril Lavigne
5. Hitchin’ A Ride – Greenday
6. She’s A Rebel – Greenday
7. Holiday – Greenday
8. Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Greenday
9. Jesus of Suburbia – Greenday
10. Homecoming – Greenday
11. Hello Again – Lost Prophets
12. Wake Up – Lost Prophets
13. Last Train Home – Lost Prophets
14. Last Summer – Lost Prophets
15. Embers and Envelopes – Mae
16. Christie Road – Greenday
17. Wake Me Up When September Ends – Greenday
18. Time of Your Life – Greenday
I did send this CD to Laura and Caisson and I don’t remember their thoughts on it. Must remedy that and see what they thought! Also, this playlist is an interesting one for me in how many of these songs nostalgically take me back to late high school and early college days…fascinating how music does that, mm? Last Summer and Time of Your Life in particular recall very specific and special memories from end of high school…some twelve years ago now! Ah how my God has blessed me and will continue to do so. To Him be all glory – always.
Jazz and Coffee and Sun Most Bright
So thought it was time to post another one of my recent(eh – sort of – sometime earlier this year at least!) mix CDs. This one is a fun one, with a very brooding first 3/4…you may not know most of these songs, but I have much enjoyed this CD. I have fond memories of this CD…the first time I listened to this one was when driving to Earnie and Mandy’s wedding reception up in the country north of Houston. Driving along a winding country road to the beat of quality tunes…good times indeed. Will always remember that! (Side-note – just had Earnie and Mandy over last night…much good chat was had over chocolate chip cookies and wine. Quality combination? I say yes!)
Back to the mix…there is also a few more foreign language songs than I usually would put on a CD. I think I have Portuguese, French and Arabic all represented! I know at least Caisson and Laura like this one, since I sent them one copy when I first made it!!
Laura was just listening to it when I called her the other day. Anyways…let me present…Long My Imprisoned Spirit Lay:
1. Silence – Portishead
2. The Rip – Portishead
3. Sour Times – Portishead
4. Lise – Emilie Simon
5. To The Dancers in the Rain – Emilie Simon
6. Demier Lit – Emilie Simon
7. Desert – Emilie Simon
8. Ya Sidi – Orange Blossom
9. We Carry On – Portishead
10. Starve the Ego, Feed the Soul – The Glitch Mob
11. Fortune Days – The Glitch Mob
12. Small – Portishead
13. Sing it Out – Switchfoot
14. Hello Hurricane – Switchfoot
15. Lightning – Morningsiders
16. Empress – Morningsiders
17. I Built a Home – The Branches
18. Fight to Keep – Run River North
Expressly Yours
I’m listening to my Enfield playlist as I sit here in Starbucks and I have to say – I forgot how amazing these songs are!!! Oh how I love so many of these classic hymns. There is a Fountain, And Can It Be?, Jesus I My Cross Have Taken, O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus…etc, etc, etc. Gorgeousness. I’m tempted to write ALL THE VERSES from one of my very favourites – Jesus, I my Cross Have Taken…but I shall spare you this time. I’m pretty sure I’ve done that sometime in the past. And I’m pretty sure I will do it again sometime in the future.
It is good to remember the mercies of the Lord.
And while I’m in a pondering mood, thought I’d write some thoughts I was thinking last night. Was wearing one of my favourite shirts – a nice bright blue shirt with the words “HONOUR”, “LOYALTY”, “VALOUR” superimposed over a lion rampant. It’s interesting that these words are (apparently) held in such high esteem and I was wondering – what do those words really signify to people today? According to the Oxford English, honour means “high respect” or “great esteem” or “the quality of knowing and doing what is morally right”. In the same, loyalty means “the quality of being loyal” or “a strong feeling of support or allegiance”. As for valour…”great courage in the face of danger, especially battle”. Do those words truly mean anything to most of us these days though…or are they just empty concepts that make us feel better about ourselves? What do we have high respect or great esteem for? Or do we just crave that esteem for ourselves? What are we truly loyal to? Or whom? And when do we show great courage these days? Is it in day-to-day life or just in the contrived fantasies of our mind?
I think we like to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and it is self-flattering to think that we exhibit these qualities of honour, loyalty and valour in our everyday lives. But do we truly? Is there a higher calling that beckons us to live in such a way? I would say there is. But it is not in the way most would commonly think. We ought to live in such a way that every action of our life brings great honour and glory to our God. We ought to live in such a way that everything we do proves our loyalty and faithfulness to our God. And we ought to live our lives coloured by valour and courage in the face of trials and tribulations and all that stands against us as we strive to please our God. Do these things come easy? Of course not. And we are frail creatures and oft exhibit the opposite virtues…we feel shamed, unfaithful and craven as we disobey our God in thought, word and deed. But. But. If we truly put our faith in Christ for our salvation – God has saved us! Not because of deeds that we have done. But because of His great love.
And so because God loved us when we were so eminently unlovable and because our God has filled us with His Holy Spirit and because Christ daily intercedes for us before the Father…now we can exhibit these qualities of godly honour, godly loyalty and godly valour. Let us remember that. We can do all things through Christ who grants us strength. Go forth this day and honour God in all things. Go forth this day and seek to be loyal to God in every word you speak. Seek to live in valour before our God. For truly, He is our Lord. He is our God. And He loves us.
What a wondrous thing it is to be known by God. We are His dearly loved children. Amen and amen.
A Fountain Flowing
Hello friends – happy Saturday!! I have a few moments in Starbucks this morning, and as I sip my peppermint mocha…decided I should catch up(a bit) on sharing my mix-CDs playlists. I haven’t done it for quite some time and I’ve burned some four(I think?) new mixes in the past months. Anyways – this one is going back a ways…but it is a good one, I say. So let me share…A Blinding Jewel of Light and Beauty:
1. A Mess Like This – The Dø
2. Lost Boy – Ruth B
3. 1901 – Birdy
4. Empty Gold – Halsey
5. Ace of Hearts – Zella Day
6. Song for Lovers – The Dø
7. My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve – Lucius
8. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight – Birdy
9. Sleeping In – The Postal Service
10. Don’t Make Me a Target – Spoon
11. The A Team – Birdy
12. The Sun – The Naked and Famous
13. Until We Get There – Lucius
14. Infinity – The XX
15. Foxbeard – Run River North
16. Till The End of Time – A Boy And His Kite
17. You’ll Find Your Way – Andrew Peterson
18. Always – Switchfoot
19. O Day of Peace – Josh Garrels
A pretty solid mix, if I do say so myself. I’m trying to think if there’s any themes I want to talk about from above…but really, it just follows my typical pattern of messiness and yearning and chasing solace and lostness in the beginning two-thirds…then finally it turns and a new hope is revealed. I’m pretty fond of this one.
Have a most gorgeous day, my dear ones.
