Alright, Alright, Alright, Alright

April 3, 2017

When I was shooting hoops with my friend Jeremiah the other day, we got to talking about music. You know that my taste in music shocks everyone. Jeremiah had already found out about my obsession with love of hip hop, so I didn't have to wait for him to get past that before we could really talk about what we listen to and why. Like everyone before him, he brought up Toby Mac in an attempt to find some common ground. Later on I brought up Tedashii and to my great surprise he knew who that was. Why is it that nobody thinks to bring up artists like HIM when hip hop is mentioned?!?!

Anyway...We talked about hip hop and then we moved on to other genres. I've listened to just about EVERYTHING over the years. 80's rock, country, 90's pop, R&B,  and who knows what other styles were all "phases" that I went through.  Sometimes admitting the time I spent listening to certain artists feels like sitting in confessional. We always had music playing when I was growing up. My parents were into music. My Mom's parents were always humming or singing. I had so many songs memorized by the time I was 5 years old and I delighted in belting them out right along with whatever adult was in charge of the radio.
 
The conversation kept flowing as I tossed up shot after shot and I was thinking back on the role that music has played in my life. I'm NOT a musical person. Somehow, the songs were played and played and played. The lyrics cemented themselves into my brain and worked their way into my speech. And it got me thinking...

My taste in music has been wide and varied. There truly are very few genres that I've never enjoyed listening to at one point or another in my life up to now. The songs were played and they stayed with me. Long after each "phase" ends, there are lessons and lyrics that stay with me.

Outkast granted me a ton of my most used phrases...To name a few: "Alright, alright, alright, alright!" "Hey ya!" "I'm sorry Miss Jackson." "I am for real." "So fresh and so clean clean."

The Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain and She-Daisy taught me to stand up for myself as a woman. It may have been 90's feminism, but there were some nuggets of truth in there. We don't have to and shouldn't take disrespect. There are good guys out there. Put the cards on the table and be HONEST.

Creed and Matchbox 20 and 3 Doors Down and Mat Kearney and Jason Mraz and Train are the ones responsible for the songs that go with nostalgia. They told stories and their voices are capable of making me slow down in order to remember. 

There are others...So many others, but I think that'll do for now. The point is, I haven't listened to the music that I used to for soooo long that I forget about a lot this. And then, every once in a while, a song pops into my head and takes me right back. To the days when "Drops of Jupiter" was on EVERY SINGLE MIXTAPE that I made. To the years when my friends and I would sing "Kryptonite" and "Lose Yourself" and "Underneath Your Clothes" at the top of our lungs whenever we felt like it. To the summer when "Complicated" and "Soak Up the Sun" and "The Remedy" seemed to be on the radio constantly.

Making the shift to listening to guys that rap the gospel was a game changer. These men are responsible for helping me memorize Scripture. "There's a rap for that" is a saying at my house. I don't care what the topic is, there IS a rap and I WILL tell you about it.

Music stays with you. It's important to put some thought into what you're pumping into your car and your home and your ears.

What genre are you most embarrassed to admit having enjoyed?

What has stayed with you long after you move on?

You Might Enjoy

January 11, 2017

Since the middle of February I have been consciously collecting a list of things that will help me (or have prepared me to) DO this thing called BASKING that I've set out to do in the year ahead. If I'm honest, the occasional blue skies and the sun poking out from behind the clouds are my steadiest reminder, but there are things along the way that have done a lot of work too.

Here are some resources that have prepared me for 2017:

A sermon: The Glory of God in the Good Resolves of His People by John Piper - I'm not sure how many times I've listened to this sermon, but I've had it on my iPod for two whole years now. It's a theme that's on my mind often. I wrote about it here and it influenced the word I chose to focus on last year.

A book: Grace For the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman - I've read Freeman's blog for YEARS. She writes the way I long to write, connecting her faith to the most ordinary of moments in her everyday life. I read this book a while ago, but it was in its pages that I finally GOT what it was for Jesus to be about His Father's business. This book made me DIG around in the Bible. It encouraged me to look to Christ's example as I sought to BE a Christian. This is NOT another women's book about "letting go and letting God". It will breathe TRUTH into your soul and it will  challenge you to stand firm.

Some prose that reads like a poem: Scrolling through instagram one day back in October, I came across these words by C.S. Lewis (it turns out they were taken from a section out of Mere Christianity). It goes like this:

NEARER

"If you want to get warm

             you must stand 

            near the fire: if

           you want to be 

               wet you must get 

           into the water.

             If you want joy, 

                    power, peace, eternal 

              life, you must get 

                  close to, or even into,

        the thing that 

 has them."

                         - C.S. Lewis

Here are some things that are keeping me focused in 2017:

A playlist: Bask 2017 - This won't be for everyone, but it's the kind of music that I can't help but be grateful to have in my life. These songs have been encouraging me and teaching me and challenging me for years. Hit shuffle and ENJOY!

A plan: Stay in the Gospels - In light of the task this word spurs me onto, I felt the best place to go was to the example of Jesus Christ, Himself. So, I've been spending time with Him in the Gospels. I started with John, then moved on to Mark, and I'm going to start Matthew today. I can't remember who said it, but a theologian of old encouraged every Christian to always have their thumb in the Gospels no matter what other Scripture they were focusing on. In different seasons, I've attempted to do that.

Resolves: Going for walks in silence. Keeping a list of prayer requests handy and going over it or checking back in with the people that have asked me to pray. Journaling out Scriptures and lessons and prayers and preaching the Word to myself. Staying in touch with friends and listening to the stories of grace that they have to share or the burdens of faith they are carrying.

Is there anything you would recommend to me? 

What are some things that have been pointing you to God lately? 

The Home Fire

 
The Home Fire by Louis Armstrong 

Back in August, I was listening to my Early Jazz station on Pandora when this song came on. I don't know exactly what I was doing, but I have a feeling I was up to my neck in some kind of housework. The message really struck a chord with me.

Armstrong was singing away about how much the home fire means to him. Even the things that are less than desirable all worked together to be his little heaven on earth. He was so happy there that he invited others in to share it with him. In that moment I knew that the work of keeping the home fire burning is a good one.

I don't do it perfectly. I've been at it for so long that I do a lot of the work without even thinking about it. I need to get better at going with the flow. I need to be able to plan ahead in a way that leaves room for a handful of friends to stop by and join in on whatever it is we're eating or doing. My Mom was always so good at making room for my friends and I know that I've done a terrible job at welcoming people in. If I've had time to plan, I'm game, but it's the unplanned that keeps me grumbling growing.

Homemaking hasn't been very popular for a LONG time. People look down on it or feel like it's looked down on. I'm so pleased that it's making a come back. Women are getting excited about cooking and cleaning and gardening and spending the majority of their time tending to the ones they love. It is a full time job and one that's worthy of our praise and devotion.

God gave us these homes to be little churches in our neighborhoods. As we welcome people into our everyday lives, it's our opportunity to share our relationship with each other and with Him. The need to sleep and rest and eat and work are gifts from God to give us ways to connect to one another. 

I may not be a mother or a wife, but I've been given a home fire to tend to and it is one of my greatest joys. I know that my family appreciates it. I know I have so very much to learn. I'm thankful for the reminders - however unexpected they may be - that this life I've been given is a good one. It's easy to turn my eyes to other things. I can truly say that I'm proud of my work and content to continue in it as long as I can.

Whatever we do, people will always have something to say about it. We'll always think there's something "better" or "more important" that we could be doing. This weekend, take some time to think about the work God has given you. Thank Him for it. Ask Him to help you to be glad in it. And, whether you're the keeper of the home fire or not, celebrate the gift that it is!

As for me, I sit here having the furniture dusted, the kitchen tidied, a loaf of this bread baking away in the oven, and the rain coming down outside. I've got Louis providing the soundtrack. And now, I'm off to get some laundry going.

If you're ever in town, inquire. We'll be glad to have you share the home fire!

Rainy Day Playlist

July 23, 2014

Remember when we were in jr high and mixtapes were THE thing? I spent countless hours putting together mixtapes for every mood.  Somehow there was always one song that seemed to belong.

It's been a few years since I burned a cd, but if I was going to create a mixtape for a rainy day these five songs would definitely make the cut. They're jazzy and moody and happy and I love them all.

La Vie En Rose this song has been stuck in my head for MONTHS. I can listen to it over and over again without growing tired of it.   

Dream A Little Dream of Me this one gets tossed in for the dose of happy that rainy days require. Fitzgerald and Armstrong brought a lot to the table and I love this duet of theirs.

Clair De Lune this is the extended version and I sometimes put it on when I'm reading or editing. It's mentioned in several books (The Small Rain by L'Engle and All the Light We Cannot See by Doerr to name a few) and if you listen to it when the house is quiet, you'll know why. Fun fact: It's the first song I played for a piano recital when I was 9.

Smile this song reminds me of my Mom. She never put up with pouty or grumpy children and often employed songs to break through the gray clouds of our souls.  My moods would break away with tears and a big smile on the first note nearly every time. This song manages to do the same thing for me. 

I See Fire when I was visiting my brother in September, he played this song for me while we were driving back to my Aunt's house after his graduation. Listening to it takes me right back to the drive that took way longer than it should have because of the rain and accidents. We were grateful for the delay.  

What's one song that seems perfect for every mood in your book?

What kind of music do you like to listen to on rainy days?

What They Do To Me

13 or 14 year old Victoria and the Walkman that went EVERYWHERE.

Music has always been a huge part of my life. Every car ride in the summer came with windows rolled down and music so loud you couldn't help but sing along. My teachers probably broke so many rules...We listened to their music at the end of most days in 5th grade, in math class on certain days, and on circuit day in PE. My friend Lexi always listened to music that no one else had ever heard of, but that was always really good.  My friends and I spent so many weekends making up dance routines and never turned down a karaoke night.

The other day my friend Megan posted her top five seven songs and it made me want to come up with my own list. Narrowing it was way harder than I thought it would be! Here are nine that I came up with:

Drops of Jupiter by Train - I'm pretty sure it's no exaggeration to say that every mixtape I ever burned has this song on it. I sang it so much that my Mom even knows most of the words. It's so sad and so happy and reminds me of some of the best years of my life so far. The only thing this song got wrong is that heaven is overrated. It's definitely not!

Kryptonite by Three Doors Down - In junior high all of my friends loved this song. Whenever I hear it, I go right back to the year that everyone in my class called it their favorite. We sang it at the top of our lungs every single chance we got.

Wake Up Nico by Jill Andrews - This is one of those songs that always cheers me up. It makes me think of the time I spent helping my friend Heidi when her second baby was born.

A Thousand Things or You've Got a Home by Christa Wells - Just before I turned 20, I moved to Massachusetts to do student teaching. It was a dream come true, but my time there came to an end. The first song reminds me of the struggle I went through as I learned that God truly does have the whole world in His hands. The second one reminds me of the way the people who were perfect strangers welcomed me into their homes and lives when I moved to Massachusetts.

Remark by Rachel Platten - This song says it all. Yes, it's like that.

Thy Way, Not Mine by The New Attitude Band - I liked this one the first time I heard it when I was 17 or 18. I had no idea that it would become an anthem that would get me through college and my early 20's.

Take Me There by Trip Lee and Jimmy Neeham - I listened to this song soooo many times when I was on my way to the ranch for a cooking day with Darlene and Anna a few Fridays ago. As you can tell, I like songs that give me a reality check!

Hot Diggity by Perry Como - My Grandma was always whistling or singing songs. ALWAYS. It was usually just a few lines or the chorus. This particular song is one that I just love. It takes me back to the  little table in their kitchen or running errands or sitting in the backseat on a trip to visit one of my aunts. It gets bonus points because it also reminds me of my Gramps saying, "Hot dog!" about everything.


Honorable mentions go to Tedashii, Macy Gray, Nelly Furtado, Cher, Savage Garden, Cheryl Crow, Avril Lavigne, Baha Men, Matchbox 20, Creed, B*Witched, Aerosmith, Shania Twain, Alicia Keys, and everything Reach Records.

I was SUCH a 90's child.

What are some of your favorite songs and what do they do to you? 

What era does your music say you belong to?

One Hundred

Can I just be honest for a minute? I've been a little bit stressed lately. The house is turned UPSIDE down and nothing is where it belongs which makes cleaning a hastle. The renovation projects are at a stand still. The PRESSING thing is finishing up this english class and THEN continuing the work on the house.

You know how it is? You keep getting distracted from the things you NEED to do by everything else that's begging for your attention.

The key to getting out of the rut is simply working on stuff. Write the papers (check), edit the papers (check), prepare the papers to be presented in speech form (not check)... :)

This song by KB (in the video above) has been repeating itself in my brain!!!

The messy house with its renovation projects, the english class, the college degree - they're all just opportunities for me to give my all and in so doing be a testimony of the all that God is for and to me!

Stress is real, but then, so is the call to give it all to Him.

He prepared the work for me to do. I do it through Him and by His strength and for His glory.

Sometimes I do it poorly, but I fight the monsters of stress, procrastination, and perfection with that truth.

Now, I can thank Reach Records for another anthem to assist me in that fight!

What are you finding yourself stressing over lately?

What's your strategy to fight the stress and get stuff done? 

8 Months and A Song

Here we are, day 12!

This year has been flying by. Today a certain little boy turned 8 months old!!! I get to go see him and his sister (and their parents, of course) later this week and I'm VERY excited about that.

I look back over the past 8 months, I see the highs and lows and I also see A LOT of work that God has done. I see it in that family. I see it in my own heart. I see it in this nation - God is doing SOMETHING.

Click ^^^ here for a list of the posts in this series.

Last night my mom and I went out. We tried out a new to us chinese restaurant that was soooo good. It was pretty small but stayed busy and everyone that came in seemed to know the people that owned it. At one point, my mom leaned towards me and said, "What is this place, Cheers?!?!?" We're already looking forward to a trip back!

We also met up with some friends and went to a fundraiser. It's always so nice to visit and we had our fair share of LAUGHS...I'm sure the people around us wondered what was constantly THAT funny! 

The drive home was a speedy one thanks to a nice theology chat with my mom. If there is one thing I like to discuss, it's theology and my mom happens to be one of my favorite people to talk with. We can go on and on and on! 

Today it was rainy, the DRIZZLY kind. I was happy to put on a sweater, eat some of that leftover chinese food, and watch some movies. I also read a little bit, took a nap, and did laundry.

So, again. It's only Saturday and yet this weekend has already been such a good one! 

A friend of mine shared this song with me last week. It's been in my head ever since...It goes right along with the series and with what God has been teaching me for a while now.

What have the last 8 months been about for you? What song has been on repeat in your head?

On My One One Six

Today happens to be Jan. 16. My guess is that unless it's your birthday, anniversary, or the birthday of someone you love, there is nothing that makes today's date different than any other day. 

There are a growing number of people who are coming to see the significance of the numbers 116...I've talked about the guys that got this started a lot on this blog. They have become some "big" names in Christian Hip Hop. Inspired by the men behind Cross Movement Records, men like FLAME, Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, and Trip Lee along with DJ Official, Ben Washer, BJ Thompson, and so many others got together to produce music that communicated the gospel that had saved them. 
They valued quality beats just as much as they were passionate about delivering quality lyrics. 
They have influenced others in the industry as well as those on the other side of the booth. They have gone their own ways, created new record labels, signed new artists, and committed to ministering life-on-life in their own churches. 
The backbone behind what they men have come to love is the God that loved them first. By His mercy and grace, God brought them to SEE the truth of His Word and the meaning of the good news. 
Each man has his own story and yet each man has one thing in common and that is that the Word of God that brought Him from death to life. 
Romans 1:16 is the tie that binds them first to God and then to each other. The words of Romans 1:16 gives them purpose while they here on this earth. 
Today, we can all come together to celebrate the work that our God has done and is doing! Today, we can exhort one another to remember the mission. 
And with that, here's a little video of what very well may be my favorite song of 2013...

If you like this song, get the whole album FREE by CLICKING HERE! 

He's given us something to say. His Word is there for us to DRINK. Having tasted living water, 

we OVERFLOW what we now know. Overflowing, the Word brings LIFE to those who hear.

A Testimony pt. 4

What does all of that have to do with my present condition? A LOT

This morning as I was journaling, a particular song came to my mind. It is a song by Lecrae called "Breathing to Death". It basically summed up exactly how I've been feeling lately. As I listened to it, I began to thank God for the men involved with Reach Records once again. They live lives and make music that are consistently Biblical. Even with growing popularity, they continue to press on toward maturity in Christ. They continue to be unashamed of the Gospel and clearly speak it and sing it and live it wherever God sends them because they know that it is the power of God for salvation.

I have been following Reach Records since they first began. When I made the switch from my "old music" to "Jesus music", it was hard. The Christian music industry was certainly big, but it was terrible. I couldn't find anything that sounded even remotely like what I listened to. The music wasn't good and the lyrics really weren't much better. So many songs had me wondering whether the artists were singing about God or their latest lover. Enter, the Christian Hip Hop movement. Prior to Christ, I listened to it all country, rock, pop, R & B, etc with the exception of raunchy rap. So, when I came across all these Christians who were rapping the Gospel I was pretty excited. The beats were really good, the styles varied, and there was a lot of talent. The music AND the lyrics were quality, I found GOLD! One problem, this wasn't my kind of music. I was a thirteen year old white girl from hicktown.

I quickly realized it was either this or the latest "Christian" boy band, Brittney Spears wannabe, whiner.....Don't get me wrong, there are some others in the Christian music industry that I enjoy every now and then. For the most part though, I have found the Christian music industry to be in a pitiful state.

So, I bought some cds. I grew to love the Christian Hip Hop movement. Somehow, this white girl from hicktown had no trouble understanding the lyrics that were being rapped extremely fast. The movement has grown. There have been some counterfeits. So far, Reach Records (and the artists involved) have remained faithful to Christ. New projects are coming out all of the time and each one seems better than the last.

Many times throughout the day lyrics will pop into my head. I'll read a Bible verse and think, "Oh, this is where so and so got the idea for their song ______." OR I'll hear a Bible verse in a song and pretty soon it's in my head to stay. OR I'll be struggling with something and relate to a song that serves as a prayer to God and find myself built up by a brother in Christ who faced it to and found God to be faithful.

In short, my journey toward being obedient to my God and my mom in the area of music was not easy. I still have to explain to people why I don't listen to certain music and why a now 20 year old white girl who still lives in hicktown listens to rap. I sort of kind of enjoy the shocked faces now.

Today I was tempted to despair. Thanks to the victory found in obeying God with music that honors Him, I am built up in Him by it. Through these last months the music I listen to has not proved to be a single hinderance to me. Rather, it has exhorted me and encouraged me toward righteousness. Even if I threw my Bible in the closet, the Words and truths found in it would be impossible to get away from. Over the last eleven years they have been written on my heart and mind through my time spent in God's Word and also through the music that has filled my speakers and headphones.

God is good, isn't He? Who knew that one little decision all those years ago would be so encouraging to me today? He did!

A Testimony pt. 3

So, that was the introduction. This post is really about living set apart by the grace of God and more specifically in the area of music.

After my parents got saved and began to grow towards maturity in Christ, my mom made the rule that we were no longer "allowed" to listen to any music that was not explicitly Christian. She set a good example. On car rides we no longer scanned through the channels listening for a song that we knew. I should note, in our home, we love music. There has always been some sort of tape/cd/radio player in the kitchen where we spend a lot of our time. There is always singing, humming, whistling,and even some dancing going on in our home. Making the switch from the music we knew and loved was not easy for me and I'm sure it was not easy for her either. But, we did it. That is one area where we stood by our conviction and have continued to do so.

This conviction is based on numerous Biblical principles:

One of the most obvious is that in 1 Corinthians 10:31 it says, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." In 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 we are reminded that all things are lawful, but not all things edify and that we ought not be slaves of anything or seek our own good, but rather the good of our neighbor. In short, music is one of those "whatever we do's". It can certainly enslave us and it can certainly be used for the good or evil of our neighbor. If it doesn't glorify God, we have no business with it. If it doesn't glorify God is is not going to be for the good of our neighbor.

Another obvious principle that applies to music comes from Proverbs 13:20, we are reminded that a companion of fools is quickly destroyed. The book of Proverbs lays down the truth about the wise man and the foolish man. Godly men and women and godless men and women. Through this book of wisdom, we are reminded to pursue wisdom and seek after understanding. Our companions are often people, but they are also the books, movies, music, magazines, blogs, etc that surround us. We like them because of how we think and we continue to grow more like them in our thinking as we spend more time being influenced by them. So, if the music we listen to does not speak words of wisdom, it is folly and will only lead to more foolishness. As God's people we are to seek His truth, what better way to be built up in it than use music as a tool for communicating it and being reminded of that truth which our lives are built upon.

Now, those are the main reasons why I personally have continued to be very selective about the music that I listen to. Yes, there are still songs that need to be weeded out of my life. I have lyrics to countless foolish songs memorized. They still come to my mind at times. I am not perfect, but I think it is safe to say that in this area of my life, the Spirit has the upper hand.

A Testimony pt. 2

Through it all I have been looking at convictions vs. preferences. A conviction is something that we know we ought to do. We joyfully live by our convictions by the grace of God for the glory of His name, living set apart in holiness in a world full of sin. While we should continually being growing toward maturity, convictions shouldn't change too much. Preferences on the other hand are things we do simply because they are "lawful" and we enjoy them. They do change with time and that is okay.

Those who know me, know that my life does look different. I thank God for the ways that He has made me and continues to bring me toward the righteousness that is mine in Jesus. I say it again, I live set apart by His grace alone. Without His grace I would turn back to my old ways in a heartbeat. In order to press on, I have to continue seeking that grace which comes through fellowship with God and being taught by His Word.

I have to admit, most of my struggles lately are a result of neglecting my soul. No matter what is going on around me or in the lives of those people I love most, my soul should be secure in God. My struggles are proof that I am weak. That there is no good in me apart from Christ.

A Testimony pt. 1

Get ready for a long post.....Actually, I'm going to break it down and schedule some posts for you because it turned out way too long!

The last few months have been very dark for me. I have been up and down, back and forth. Struggling with my sin, my God, and the people around me.

I have been reminded that it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

That God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.

That in the presence of God there is fullness of joy.

That my soul ought not be downcast, but rather, should hope in God!
Again.
That trials and struggles build up God's people in godliness.

That Jesus Christ labored on my behalf, that He prayed for me, and that He goes on interceding for me. That as a child of God, God labors for me.

Even so, the struggle continues. I am surrounded by truth, the foundation of my life is truth, the basis of my identity is truth. God is faithful. Here I am fighting the good fight of faith, even in the face of what seems like failure after failure.

Issues of the Heart

I have finished reading the book, but my journey to godliness is far from complete. With the rest of my life ahead of me, however long or short that may be, this book has served as a piece of the building that will not crumble, burn, or fade.

Chapter Three taught me: 

God loves music, my love for it is a good thing.

"Music, like all of God's gifts, is meant to draw our hearts and attention to His glory, His power, and His love" (p.88).

As I choose music, I must choose it wisely. If it does not draw my heart and attention toward God, then it probably isn't something I should spend my time on. 

Lastly: I should own no music that I would only listen to in the case that I begin to backslide. 

Chapter Four taught me: 

How to begin considering my heart and motivations. 

Looking at "stuff" was the beginning to realizing how much of an affect materialism has had on me. 

If I let go of stuff, then I will be that much closer to embracing God at the fullest. 

It is time to dematerialize and begin holding onto the riches of Christ!

Chapter Five taught me:

That modesty is an issue that is rooted much deeper than the skin- it, like everything else, begins in the heart.

As I seek to raise my daughters and disciple other young women towards dressing (and living) modestly, I must not begin there. Instead, I must begin at the heart level. 

This is so basic, but it is something I was wrong about. This knowledge will help me to be a better witness for Christ and see the lost as He sees them.

Chapter Six taught me: 

Loving the world properly is made possible by first loving the cross. 

When I begin at the cross and let it touch every area of my life, I will be headed towards the magnificent God Story that is being laid out for man to see. 

This book is a must read for everyone. I'm excited because it sounds like I'll be going through it all again with my family. Read it prayerfully and the effects will last long after the last page has been turned!