My Girl Crush

I'm supposed to be working on a lesson I'm going to be teaching but it just seems impossible to actually do any work right now. The 2% achiever in me is NOT at work right now. Instead I've been watching youtube videos of Pink. I love her so much. She is so bad ass, her voice is so rock star, her hair is mesmerizing, her body is ridiculous...I may have a slight girl crush. I'm pretty sure we would be friends.

Check out these videos:

The end of this video is ridiculous with her voice...


I'm sorry but she is actually singing with all of her acrobatic work. What?! I'm thinking I'm going to do this routine next Sunday...


And just for fun because I just saw these pics that my sister just posted on facebook and they have nothing to do with Pink but they are ridiculously cute...this is my nephew Max...

Oh give me those dimples. I can't even handle it. I love being an aunt so much.

New Music

I LOVE music. I'm always looking for good music to add to my playlists. I spent several hours today watching youtube videos, listening to samples of music on itunes.
My tastes range from folk/singer-songwriter, country, pop, rap, hip hop, worship.
I love what music does to my insides. It's quite magical. Melodies, lyrics, beats, harmonies.
Love it so much.

So what songs are you listening to over and over again that I need to add to my playlist?
Leave a comment and let me know some good music that I must have!

Here - "I will rest in You"

I have been listening to this song over and over. So. Beautiful.
I love when music gets to the depths of my soul, it is only because the Spirit goes there first.
I've been wrestling and all out fighting the war in me with my thoughts, with my feelings, with the outer pressures of different things weighing on me. It's exhausting. When I first heard this song, I feel to my face and cried.  I had been trying so hard to carry all of this myself. I'm not quite sure why I quickly forget that God wants me...all of me...all of my burdens. Every single one of them. He wants me to come and lay them before Him. There is rest in Him. There is peace in Him. There is healing in Him. I want to breathe Him in and breathe Him out. Just breathe.
Hope this encourages you.

Come and rest here
Come and lay your burdens down
Come and rest here
There is refuge for you now

You'll find His peace
And know you're not alone anymore
He is near
You'll find His healing
Your heart isn't shattered anymore
He is here

Breathe in
Breathe out
You will, you will find Him here

I will rest in You
I will rest in You
I will rest in You
I will rest in You

Some Of My Favorites

Here are some videos/songs that I have been loving lately...check it:

I saw this guy perform at a conference I went to last month. He was AMAZING. He's a cello beat boxer. LOVE.


Sometimes I just listen to this song over and over again and get lost in the simplicity and repetition yet power, in this cry to God... (there is some silliness at the end of the video. love it.)


Mr. David Ramirez always amazes me with his passionate writing and rough vocals. AMAZING.


The Staves absolutely blew me away when I saw them for the first time at The Civil Wars concert I went to. They opened the show and never before have I been to a concert where the opening act got a standing ovation! Unbelievable. Here is one of my favorite songs...

Love Came Down

This song has been on repeat the last couple of days. We do this song at the Stone, but I absolutely LOVE this version of it. It's stripped down, slowed down and really makes you think about the words.
My heart is stirred by the thought that Jesus came to rescue me and make me His for all my days.
Listen/watch this and ask the Spirit to stir your heart and love for Jesus. He has set you free. You are His forever.


LOVE CAME DOWN

If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear Your voice
I'll hold on to what is true though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe

I'll remind myself of all that You've done
And the life I have because of Your Son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

When my heart is filled with hope
and every promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace rest upon me
Staying desperate for You God
Staying humbled at Your feet
I will lift these hands and praise
I will believe


I'll remind myself of all that You've done
And the life I have because of Your Son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

I am Yours
I am Yours
All my days
Jesus, I am Yours


Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

This Get's Me Every Time

This gets me every time.

"So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way.
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay."
-Lord, I Need You from Passion

A Few Videos

Here are a few videos of some songs that I have been listening to:

"Out of Goodbyes" - Adam Levine & Sara Barreilles


"Ulysses" - Josh Garrels


"From This Valley" - The Civil Wars

You Are On Our Side

Listening to this song today by Bethany Dillon.You Are On Our Side.
The words of this song are piercing.  Such a great reminder that we have a God who is on our side, who has loved us and sent His son for us when He could have been silent. The orphan, the widow, the broken, the thief, the whore, wherever we find ourselves, He is there. Fighting for us, sitting with us, loving us beyond our comprehension.
Here are the lyrics:

The orphan clings to Your hand
Singing the song of how he was found
The widow rejoices
For her oppressors are silenced now

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

The runaway falls at Your feet
You are what he has searched for
The rich man is broken
When he stands beneath a sky full of stars

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side

I love when God uses music to soften my heart. But I have to be careful that I don't rely completely on that to give me life, to soften my heart and to fill me up again.
Jesus can do that. His word can do that. 
Psalm 147

"Praise to the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.  The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.  Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.  The Lord lifts up the humble, he casts the wicked to the ground.  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving, make melody to our God on the lyre!"

Song on Repeat: Lord, I Need You

So I have a new theme song. Lord, I Need You from the album Passion: Here For You. 
I remember listening to this song back when they were live streaming the Passion conference. I fell in love with it...(along with Waiting Here For You, of course) I had forgotten about it when the album released not too long ago. I think I was just stuck on #3 (waiting here for you).
Until yesterday. I listened to this new theme song of mine and put the repeat on it.
God does this to me...let me just tell you what He does...
I go through seasons of funk. I've talked about it before on this blog (but not for a long time, and that is not saying it has been a long time since the funk, cause it comes often) I have been in it the last couple of weeks and so when I heard this song my heart softened a bit.
There are certain lines that resonate so well with my soul.

"Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart"

"Every hour I need You."

"So teach my song to rise to You
when temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay"

Oh my heart. I cannot help but fall on my face. I have listened to this song over and over again. In my room, in my car, in my backyard, in my dining room. I keep coming back to this: This song isn't changing my life. Jesus is. He is using this song, using these words to stir my heart to Him. That's what worship does, it's not just some songs to make you feel good. It is truly a response to what Jesus is doing. It is a way for us to connect with Him in a way that is like no other. He is good and He will continue to pursue my heart, and I will respond in worship.
Here is a video of this song with the words. I hope that you will listen to it and even sing along. worship. get after it. do it.

Waiting Here For You

This song has been on repeat for the last two days.
God is moving my heart. 
Brokenness is coming out of me.
Healing is coming in to me.
Worship is coming out of me.
Jesus is coming in to me.

if faith can move the mountains, let the mountains move
we come with expectation, waiting here for You
waiting here for You

You're the Lord of all creation and still You know my heart
the Author of salvation, You've loved us from the start

waiting here for You
with our hands lifted high
in praise
and it's You we adore
singing alleluia

You're everything You've promised, Your faithfulness is true
we are desperate for Your presence, all we need is You

waiting here for You
with our hands lifted high
in praise
and it's You we adore
singing alleluia

singing alleluia

Music Love: Passion - Here For You

the newest Passion CD came out today. I watched some of the sessions online during the event and was blown away by some of the songs. I'm so excited about finally getting to listen to these songs and have my own worship time at home or in my car!
Favorite songs "Symphony", "Waiting Here For You" & "All My Fountains" .
Get this.

Get it here -- Passion: Here For You

Music Love: David Ramirez

A local singer/songwriter David Ramirez is having his album release on Saturday March 5th, 8:00pm at the Parish.
I first met David at a friends college graduation party several years ago that we both played at. He is one of the most talented songwriters I know.
Go download his music. You will LOVE it.
Here are a couple of videos:



I gotta give a shout out to my good friend Steven Bush who made the video to "Wandering Man". Check out his website: www.colorblindlife.org

Music Love: Foy Vance - Gabriel & the Vagabond

New favorite song: Gabriel & the Vagabond by Foy Vance

Here is an awesome music video:

Here are the lyrics:

There's a man in the corner and his clothes are worn
And he's holding out his hand
You could see in his eyes as the people walk by
He knows they don't understand

Ya see they just think he's gonna take their money
And then go and spend it all on dope
Then a man stopped by and I saw a smile inside
As he gently whispered hope

Well the tramp started to cry, just kept saying,
"Why? why? why?
Could you see I'm a dying tonight
Well I'm 32 and I've got this one pair of shoes
And a bad taste in my mouth
I think it's clear to see that even God don't love me
Or else why would He leave me this way."

Then Gabriel just smiled and said be peaced my child
Salvation is here today

He got up to his feet and he sang Hallelujah
People were turning around in the street
He looked them in the eyes and he sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here you gotta meet
Someone you just gotta meet."

When the vagabond turned around well without a sign
Gabriel just smiled and disappeared
When he looked to the crowd and they were laughing out loud
But he could not see them fore tears
When his vision came round
There was a young girl on the ground
I knew she was fine and hard to cope
She never was a fighter until he laid beside her
And gently whispered hope

They got up to their feet and they sang Hallelujah
People in the street they were turning around
They looked them in the eyes and they sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here that we have found"
They sang,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We are the voices crying in the wilderness
Hallelujah, Hallelujah."
The people in the street started their sins to confess
And a chorus of,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess
and the voice of one crying in the wilderness
crying
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

Music Love: Dancing in the Minefields

I am a fan of this song. Dancing in the Minefields by Andrew Peterson.  Andrew Peterson is such a great songwriter, he is also known for Behold the Lamb of God. So good.
Check out this video:

Music Love: the Civil Wars

I'm a huge fan of the Civil Wars. I love their melodies and their harmonies. Their voices together are beautiful.
Here is one of their new songs, "Barton Hallow" :

Their new ablum releases on February 1. Check out their EP Poison & Wine . It's good.
Here is another one of my favorite songs: 

Music Love: Sons & Daughters

You are gonna need to check out one of Integrity Music's new artists Sons & Daughters.  They have given me some GREAT new music. I love the rawness in their voices, their passion for Jesus really comes out in their songs.
This is one of their newest songs, "Come To Save Us":

One of my other favorite songs of theirs is called "All the Poor and Powerless":

Music Love: Do You See What I See - Todd Agnew

My friend Todd Agnew has a Christmas album at Amazon for $5. You should get it.
It's called Do You See What I See? Download it.

Music Love: Winter Song

I am going to be starting a series called "Music Love" where I will highlight a musician or a song that I love and share it with you.

The first one is a song called "Winter Song" written by Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles It is off of the album called "Hotel Cafe presents...Winter Songs" which is an album of various artists. You can get it now on Amazon for $5
Here is a video of "Winter Song":