musical memories

Music has a special place in my heart. i've been playing piano since i was three and i guess it's just been woven into my life because of that. And it's not just piano! i am always on the look out for new, good music. i've noticed lately, though, that i really connect songs with memories - especially trip memories - so i thought i'd share some of these!

More Heart, Less Attack - Needtobreathe
"Be the wheels, not the track. Be the wanderer that's coming back."
This song will always remind me of driving around Portland, Oregon a few summers ago. It was the first time i'd been to the city and we listened to it time after time after time (after time) as we drove around. i love that the song starts out so chill and then builds in the bridge!

Your Love is Strong - Jon Foreman
"So why do i worry? Why do i freak out? God knows what i need. He knows what i need"
i had the incredible opportunity to go to China a few months back (something i never expected to do) and as we prepared to go to the Great Wall i knew that i wanted something special to remind myself of being in that amazing place. So i brought my ipod with me and found a spot on one of the guard towers to sit by myself and listen to this song. It's always been one of my favorites because the lyrics are so applicable and the simple melody is so beautiful, but now it will forever remind me of the Great Wall!

Busted Heart (Hold On To Me) - For King & Country
"i am the wandering son. Enough is never enough. i keep chasing the wind instead of chasing Your love"
This one reminds me of Australia. This trip was one of my favorites i've ever been on and this cd had come out a bit before i went! Needless to say it was on repeat throughout the 20+ hours of flying i did in those two weeks. i love that it's a song where the singer is singing to God. And it's catchy and reminds me of the blue 20 degree water! What's not to love!

Washed By the Water - Needtobreathe
"Even when the storm comes, i am washed by the water"
i didn't used to like Needtobreathe... shocking, i know! But this concert changed my mind! We were outside, they had just finished singing this song and started into another when it started to absolutely downpour. Like raining like no other. Almost without thinking, they transitioned back into the chorus of this song and it was absolutely unreal. Thousands of voices, in the pouring rain, singing about God washing our sins away! It's a picture i have in my mind whenever this song comes on!

march inspiration (#10)

• Ed Sheeran's album "Divide" has been on repeat all day every day! (side note: my keyboard doesn't have a divide symbol..?!?) - Galway Girl has been fueling my dreams of going to Galway one day soon!
•  It's was International Women's Day yesterday and Lululemon absolutely nailed it with this open letter to women! 
• i've been pleasantly surprised by the fact that hosting is something that i love! This article on 7 things you should do 24 hours before a party is an awesome guide to help entertaining be a little less stressful 
• Guys... i've become a candle person! This apricot basil one sold me on them and it's been burning almost non stop when i'm home 

(see list #9, list #8, list #7, list #6, list #5, list #4, list #3, list #2 and list #1)

top 10 Christmas songs

i have a deep, deep love for Christmas music! I absolutely love the classics but my absolute favorites are usually songs that my favorite artists have written themselves or classics with a twist. So here's my list of my top 10 Christmas songs this year (in no particular order)!

1. Oh Light by Gungor - ok, i already talked about this on the blog but it's just SO good i have to share it again! It's an amazing mixture of worship and Christmas music with Gungor's stunning voices! 
2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Golden Youth - i adore Golden Youth and this song is no exception! It's a mixture of the famous Charlie Brown Christmas song and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. i wish it was socially acceptable to listen to it all year!
3. Still Still Still by Future of Forestry - this is my favorite classic Christmas song and one that not many people have heard! Future of Forestry does an amazing job with it!
4. Light of the World by Lauren Daigle - this was the first song that i heard Lauren sing and it made me a fan after one go-through. Now this one is solidly on repeat because of her powerhouse voice and fantastic lyrics!
5. Into the Silent Night by For King & Country - so sweet and cutesy and a little bit more upbeat than others on the list! These guys basically can't go wrong in my books!
6. I Celebrate the Day by Relient K - an oldie, but such a goodie! Classic Relient K through and through, while showcasing their faith!
7. Emmanuel by Love & The Outcome - a catchy melody, awesome lyrics and killer vocals make this one that i come back to every Christmas season! This duo is fantastic!
8. Winter Snow by Audrey Assad - this song is stunning. The lyrics aside, Audrey is unreal in this! 
9. Kiss Me Babe, It's Christmas Time by Owl City - i love all things Owl City and this cute Christmas tune is a perfect balance to some of the deeper more melody driven songs of the season
10. Hey Moon by Sidewalk Prophets - i've said it here before and i'll say it again - i LOVE me some good piano! And this unique view of Christmas day is awesome!

BONUS! Owl City just nailed it with his latest Christmas single! So cute, honest and catchy :)

almost there

It's allllmost the time of year to bring out the Christmas music! But, if you're like me and don't quite think Christmas music belongs during any months except December (okok, i broke that rule yesterday... but only cause i was celebrating and it was snowing!), here's one of my new favorite songs that can help ease you into the best season of the year!

Song: Oh Light

Artist: Gungor (ft. All Sons and Daughters

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november inspiration (#6)

(see list #5, list #4, list #3, list #2 and list #1)

• This coat looks amazingly cozy and stunning!
• i never eat eggs, but my grandma used to make me egg drop soup and i recently found a recipe for it and i can't wait to give it a try! Plus it only takes 10 minutes! #winning
• Speaking of soup... thai curry butternut squash soup... need i say more? 
• i'm not Little Big Town's biggest fan, but their new song - Better Man - is fantastic!
• This cabin seems like the perfect place to soak in some silence (see: last blog post)
• "We will never have the opportunity to cross the bridge of hope without a valley of doubt underneath. Faith is not ignoring the valley or refusing to cross; it is trusting the bridge God has placed before us." - Joshua Roberie
• Nat Geo made a part-'documentary' part-fictional tv show called 'Mars' about a team of astronauts going to Mars in 2033. Watched the first one and it's AH-mazing, although i've already confessed my love of space (again, see last blog post)

local construction

When the second song of Relient K's new album started to play, i was pleasantly surprised. The first song (Bummin') is a classic Relient K rock tune but the second - Local Construction - opens with a carnival-like piano riff. What i really liked, though, and now absolutely love, are the words in the chorus:

Fix the car
Fix the house
Fix the flaws in myself - it's never done

The song as a whole is poking fun at the idea that local construction is never finished - once one road is fixed, another needs to be fixed. But i think that the chorus hits a bit deeper. i absolutely love the line "fix the flaws in myself - it's never done." The idea that we need to continually be working on ourselves to become more like the image of God.


i've been reading "A Year With C.S. Lewis" (because who doesn't love some good Lewis wisdom?!) and i really connected with an excerpt from his book Mere Christianity:

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on... But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different from the house you thought of... You thought you were going to be made into a decent cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

i love that picture. It could be seen as discouraging - that we need to have that much work done on us - but i think it's a beautiful display of God's love for us. That He would love us so much that He is putting effort into every single little detail. He loves us so much that He is constantly shaping and molding us into something more beautiful than we can ever imagine.

And one day all this construction will be done - in heaven. We can have full hope and peace as we rest in that.

be here long

When to of the best bands in the world (Switchfoot and Needtobreathe in case you're a little behind) drop their new records within a week of each other, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a killer week. And with another heavy hitter - Relient K - scheduled to release their latest next Friday, July is shaping up to be the best music month of 2016.

Switchfoot's album Where The Light Shines Through has been on repeat all week - it's an incredible mix of their previous 9 albums. New Release Today did a fantastic article on the album. There are unexpected twists and turns throughout the album, but Switchfoot's signature thoughtful, heart-wrenching lyrics are all over these songs. Those lyrics combined with funky beats and great guitar riffs are everything you could want from this amazing band. "The Day I Found God" and "I Won't Let You Go" are my favorites from the album, but it's so hard to pick! "Bull in a China Shop" is so catchy and perfect for playing loudly in the car with the windows down.

i'm just finishing listening to Needtobreathe's album through for the first time (pro tip: listen to an album all the way through, not on random, the first time you listen to it - that's how the artist intended for it to be listened to). It is a fantastic display of musicality and artistry, as one would expect from these veteran musicians. i haven't always been their biggest fan but i am a total convert now - watching them live will do that to you! "Testify" is unreal in it's lyrics but also in the music that drives them home. But the one song that caught my attention more than the others was "Be Here Long." i am a sucker for amazing, deep lyrics paired with any sort of piano.

It reminds me of one of my favorite lines from a Switchfoot song called Where I Belong - "This skin and bones is a rental, no one makes it out alive." And it reminds me of an awesome photo i saw on instagram with the words "Your heart might be broken. Your love still works." Check it out. You won't regret it.

And though my heart may be in pieces
My eyes are still set on you
And though I can't keep it together
I know that you want me, too

inspiration list #4

(see list #3, list #2 and list #1)

• Summer is officially here which means it's iced chai season! i gave these chai tea ice cubes (like i posted on instagram!) and so far so good! They're quick to make and it's super easy to adjust the recipe (i just did 3 tea bags instead of all the spices)
• i'm a little late to the party but... Adele's new CD!!! It just released on Spotify and i am all over it!
• To Write Love on Her Arms (twloha.com) has been consistently inspiring me lately in their response to the Orlando Shooting. Seriously, the love that these guys have for everyone is unreal!
• A sweet little reminder 
• "Love is beautiful when it's professed, but it's only meaningful when it's practiced" - Brené Brown

come thou fount

One of my favorite things in the world is music. Give me some good chords on the piano, a beautiful melody and some thoughtful words, and i am content. One of my favorite artists is Adam Young aka Owl City (yes, that Owl City). He shared this amazing cover of the classic hymn Come Thou Fount today on instagram, and i've had it on repeat ever since!

Lists - Inspirations

i love lists and i've been feeling a little uninspired lately so i thought i'd write down a few things that i've found particularly inspiring in the past few days.

- Future of Forestry's album Pages
- "Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground." (Teddy Roosevelt)
- "Normality is a paved road. It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow." (Vincent Van Gogh)
- This Relevant Magazine article on why Christians ruin dating
- This photo of what looks like the best breakfast/snack ever
- This silk flower wall decoration idea

Okay, so it's a little ragtag of a list but who cares? What's inspiring you these days?

pages

They're left with her
Some heavy, some light
But honest and true

They're black on white
They're time pieces left
That none could undo

While the memories could hide
All the pages could
The pages would say enough

They're part of her
They're given in trust
A world to reveal

From stones unturned
A mystery told
With ink from a quill

They told me how lovely it was
And they show me the beauty of us

- Pages // Future of Forestry

look on up

Who cares about Valentine's Day when one of your favorite bands releases a new song?! Thought i would share this magic with you all because a) it's Relient K and everyone should love them and b) the song is such a fantastic reminder to take time to enjoy real life instead of a screen life

Look on Up - Relient K