Thrive

I cannot help but post about Jon Foreman once again.

Switchfoot's new CD, Vice Verses, has been my constant companion for two weeks now.

It is so good.

And one song especially has really spoken to me.  It's called "Thrive."

Have a listen...

I know I said this before, but I'm going to say it again -- it amazes me how he can take things that I'm feeling and put them into words so effortlessly.




been fighting things that i can't see
like voices coming from the inside of me
like doing things i find hard to believe in
am i myself or am i dreaming


i've been awake for an hour or so
checking for a pulse but i just don't know
am i a man if i feel like a ghost
the stranger in the mirror is wearing my clothes


no i'm not alright
i know that i'm not right
a steering wheel don't mean you can drive
a warm body don't mean i'm alive
feel like i travel but never arrive
i wanna thrive not just survive

Must Share

Last week I had a chance to go to a Switchfoot concert.

So, of course, I went.  Phil had to work so I took my mama and my cousin with me.  The opening bands were ok.  I wish they would have played half as much so that Switchfoot could have played twice as much.

You see... Switchfoot and I have a very special relationship.  It is sacred.

Their lead singer and songwriter -- Jon Foreman -- well, he is a poet who speaks right into my soul.

Seriously.

I've always told Phil that he puts all these thoughts and feelings that I have into beautiful, beautiful, beautiful words.

It all started with an album called "Learning to Breathe."  It came out when I was 13.  And ever since then I've been hooked.

Phil bought me tickets to my first Switchfoot concert the beginning of our senior year in high school.  It was amazing.  So when I heard they were going to be in GR, I knew I had to go.

Thought I'd share a little bit of my experience with you --

He sings and you can tell that he feels the words he's singing.  And I was up in the stands feeling every word right along with him : )

Thoughts About Life

I'm a nurse manager at a nursing home.

I was in a meeting a few weeks ago and we were discussing a resident who had stated she was ready to die...

{Side note: I hate death.  I think it's stupid...}

But that's an understandable statement for a 90+ year old woman, right?

Well, it surprised me when the other staff members in the meeting started responding, "Well yeah. I can understand that... I think about how I want to just die all the time!"  Actually, they went all the way around the table with each person echoing the same thought.

And then it got to the point where I was the only one who hadn't said anything.

And I said nothing.  I just sat and thought.

Thought about how sad that was.  Thought about how frustrated I've been with my job lately.  How the things that I work really hard at, and spend countless hours doing -- how they seem so pointless.  How each day blends into the next.  How sometimes I feel like weeks are passing me by and I'm in a type of trance... because there's so much to do and so much to worry about.  And how life can feel so overwhelming and so monotonous sometimes.  It's just the truth.  Sometimes life sucks.

And it's hard to stay positive.

But, that conversation got me thinking...

About how much I love life.  How much I have to be thankful for.  About the times when I feel like my soul could burst because life is such an amazing and beautiful gift.



I ran across this quote the other day.

-- She said she usually cried once a day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful and life was so short.  --Brian Andreas



I feel like that... a lot.

Isn't that the truth, though?  That the times when we feel so sad and overwhelmed are when we are somehow missing out on the beauty in life...

Like being upset with someone you love, or being so busy you can't do that one thing you really love to do {the thing that makes your soul feel full}, or being so distracted by the craziness that you don't take the time to stop and appreciate just how beautiful life really is.


Please, please, please...
Today, stop and smell the roses with me : )
It will make us feel happy, like we should be.

Happy Things

Wanna know something?

Pinterest makes me happy.

I don't even remember how I found out about this lovely website... but it is a-ma-zing.  It's like a never-ending magazine.

I'm not even really sure how to describe it -- wikipedia describes it as a "vision board-styled social photo sharing website where users can create and manage theme-based image collections."

In other words, you scan through endless pages of pictures and group your favorites in to categories that you can continue adding to and editing.  You can also follow other peoples favorites.

I have been enjoying Pinterest since the beginning of the summer and since then I've introduced quite a few friends and family members to its many joys.  Just a warning-- it is addictive.

Here are some of my latest and favorite pins...

There are lots -- but hopefully you like looking at pictures of pretty things as much as I do : )

amen... just look at that face

whole wheat brown sugar banana pancakes

the perfect bouquet

i could eat breakfast here every day of my life

need to learn how to knit

red cardigan love

dream nursery

yup... perfect sink

embroidery hoop wall -- so pretty

love this idea x 100

life without dogs {especially goldens} would suck : )

perfect color combination

sigh... that is all i have to say about this one

jim and pam love

...

want this skirt

backyard movie night perfection

this is paper!

did you know i love russell crowe? well, i do.

 

i wish i could live in a treehouse

truth

awesome diy tee

That's it for now : ) 

Have a beautiful week.

Cello Dreams

Last year I started a bucket list.

It actually consists of just a handful of things... but it's a work in progress...

I think I posted some of it on here at one point.

Anyways, one of the things on it is learning to play the cello.

You see, I love music. Always have.

I love to make music -- I play the piano and I played the clarinet in band all the way through middle and high school { that's where I fell in love with Phil actually -- but that's a story for another time :) }  And I love to sing...

And I love listening to other people make music.

It lifts me up.

So, I decided I loved the cello when I was young.  But, since I was already taking piano lessons, and participating in sports and band and everything else I never got the chance to pursue my cello dreams.

I've told Phil a hundred times, "I will learn to play the cello before I die."

He laughs at me and then says, "Then do it!"

Anyways -- on to the point of my post -- I stumbled upon this video recently.  It gives me goosebumps.  And makes me want to play the cello that much more.

Enjoy.

Hunger Games

Almost every time I go into Target, I scan through an aisle called "recommended reading."  And I always get ideas as to what book I should read next.

So, awhile ago I saw this one...

I quickly skimmed the back cover synopsis (I never read the entire thing because it always gives more of the plot away than I wanted to know) and decided this would go somewhere near the top of my mental need to read book list.

Then I started seeing it on my kindle top 100 list... and then on pinterest...

So, I decided it would buy it and take it camping at Higgins Lake.

And let me tell you...

It was so good.

I had to pace myself so I wouldn't sit down and read the entire book in one sitting.

There are a total of three books in the series, and I highly recommend them. I don't want to give away any plot points, so I'll just say it's an action packed series that had just the right amounts of sci-fi, action/adventure, and romance.

If you love to read, this is definitely a can't miss series.  Read it!!

Talent

So, I was introduced to a new singer/songwriter recently.  Her name is Jilian Linklater.

She's actually my cousin's cousin.

Have a listen...

Isn't she excellent!?!?

I was not expecting her to be so good.  I'm so impressed by her!

She has a gorgeous voice and I love the way her fingers flow over her guitar...

And you can just tell she's enjoying herself.  And that makes me happy  : )