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!

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

lists - inspiration take 2

See list #1 here.

• It's been blazing hot here, so i made a chai tea "base" so i can whip up iced chai teas super quick! 2 bags of green tea chai steeped for 10+ minutes, a splash of good vanilla and a ton of honey! So yummy!
• Needtobreathe put out two new songs without me knowing! (and i call myself a fan...) This one is my favorite but the other one is killer too
• This salad is seriously inspiring me to pick up some avacado and radishes!
• "The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love of God begins with listening to His word, so the beginning of love for our brothers and sisters is learning to listen to them." - Bonhoeffer 
• This cover of Taylor Swift's You Are In Love is unreal!!!
• i'm just about to grab my music issue of Relevant and go lay in the sun (there will definitely be some inspiration - and hopefully some new music ideas - in there)