Music :)

Almost one month.... that's how long it's been since my last blog post.... well, my Dad seems to think I've quit... which I don't do... so partial reason for this post may be to prove him wrong...

I have been very fortunate lately to stumble upon some itunes gift cards :) I've read so many messages and heard so many people say that when they go on itunes to buy one song, they end up spending hundreds of dollars. I've always laughed at that... like "Yeah, suurrreee..."

But now.. I understand. I got some itunes money for Christmas and only spend a few dollars on an update for my ipod. I didn't intend to buy songs because I usually buy or receive real CDs... but then I spent a lot of my day with my usual dose of youtube and started to listen to some songs.... kept listening to this song... over and over. Eventually I decided that I could spare 99 cents and buy this song, especially because I was loving it. So, that's how this started.

A few weeks later, and I now own many songs I never intended to buy. So, for those of you spending all of your money on itunes... I understand how you feel. I'm just lucky because once that gift card money is up... I will have to be done :) It's a good thing I don't own a credit card.

So... my other reason for this post was to share some of my latest song obsessions with you.

First of all, Tobymac's new album 'Tonight' came out last month... and my brother and I bought it the day of the release.  (Yes, I bought the actual copy not from itunes.) This CD is pretty much the biggest mix of songs on one album I've ever heard.  Tobymac's usual rock and rap are of course included on the CD, but there's also a Jamaican style track on here that's really interesting. The songs are incredible, like usual, Toby continues his lyrics in the direction of love and that sense of 'togetherness' that we know him for. The theme of Diverse City continues to run throughout this album and so do others.... My current favorites are 'Tonight' (Featuring John Cooper of Skillet) and 'Hey Devil.'  I think 'Hey Devil' attracted me the second I read the track list because 'Devil' is almost a curse word among Christians.... "Christian artists" don't normally put that word in their songs... nevertheless the titles. Well, of course, you can't judge by that. The song is definitely one of my all time favorites and it has a great message as well, as does the whole album.

Now, some single songs I have been addicted to lately:

'Don't You Know You're Beautiful' by Seabird was the song that dragged me into the world of itunes spending. I was in the car with my mom and this song came on. 'Beautiful' is one of my favorite words, so I really liked the song. I wrote down some lyrics and immediately looked it up when I got home. This is definitely one of my favorite songs now and I bought it after listening to it about 50 times on youtube. I had never heard of the band, but I really like the sound of the song, and the lyrics too. It talks a lot about blaming yourself for all of these problems and just completely putting yourself down and making yourself feel worthless. Then the chorus says "Don't you know you're beautiful." And it just captures the way that God sees us compared to the way we sometimes view ourselves.

The next song I downloaded and again became addicted to is 'On and On' by Chasen. I also found this song through the radio. To me, these lyrics are just very powerful...

"Some say we need a miracle. Some say there's no hope at all, but I know that Your love is strong, it goes on and on and on and on. Rise up when it gets us down. We'll be a voice in the blaring crowd, cause we know that Your love will lead us home. It goes on and on and on and on."

I think this song means so much to me because it is really just a good reminder, for me personally.  I always write about how much God loves me and how big His love is... but even with that, I'll still forget it a lot of times. I find myself doubting it all the time. I love this song because of the reassurance and truth that it says "Your love is strong, it goes on and on and on..." Just knowing that God's love is so much stronger than anything we could imagine is amazing to me.... and it's really encouraging to hear "on and on and on" over and over :) We can't do anything to lose God's love... it's good to be reminded of that.

Just yesterday, I heard and bought the song 'Safe' by Phil Wickham.  I feel like I could have written this song... the lyrics are just basically what I am constantly saying in my mind.

"You will be safe in His arms. You will be safe in His arms. 
The hands that hold the world are holding Your heart. 
This is the promise He made. He will be with you always.
When everything is falling apart. You will be safe in His arms."


I think that knowing and hearing that I am in God's arms... I can't put into words how good that feels.  I love the lyrics "When everything is falling apart"  because we always think that. Everything that happens is "the end of the world" and with so much going on in the world, we always feel like everything is crashing down around us... but through the midst of all that, we are still safe in God's arms where He is holding us.

So, there's a few songs....
I will definitely continue to write... I'm not quitting... I'm just lazy :)
I would say I'm busy... but I'm not completely busy, I'm just distracted. :)

Spring Break starts today!
I hope everyone's weeks/days/2010s are going greeeeat!
*Amy :)

Happy Love Day :)

Wow, so I haven't written a blog in almost a month. That's actually pretty terrible. I apologize. I guess I was waiting for something to come to me, instead of rambling on about stuff I always talk about.

But, since I wrote my first real post on Valentines Day of 2008, it seemed only fit to do another Valentine's Day post 2 years later.

I think it takes a cheesy, corny, lovey-dovey day like February 14 to remind me of the love I recieve each and every day. One of my friends posted something on facebook today saying "Why do people set aside one day to show their love for others? Shouldn't you spend your entire life showing someone you love them?"

And so while reading that, I was thinking... um, duh! We dedicate a whole day to show love to those around us... normally interpreted as boyfriends, girlfriends, fiances, and spouses. But, really, each and every day should be like Valentine's Day. The love that we have for others doesn't really get pushed aside those 364 other days of every year... in reality, that love is always there, it just takes us this one day to remember it.  Lately, Valentine's Day has just been a huge reminder for me. Seeing all those roses, hearts, animals, and candy in the store just reminds me that I have an everlasting, unconditional love from my Holy Father, and no matter how badly I screw up, He doesn't stop loving me.

This Valentines's Day has also sparked a new idea of self respect. I jokingly posted somewhere that I was going to buy myself a rose for Valentine's Day, and I got a lot of response. One of my friends thought it was a really good idea, and we decided we could build up some self confidence from this holiday. I think our worldly view of Valentine's Day automatically makes us think of that romantic love... but I think that Valentine's Day is also just an amazing reminder of the love we need to have for ourselves... and then the love that God has for us.

Each second of every day, I will know that God loves me, and so do the people around me. But sometimes, a candy heart might have to remind me that this IS truth. It's easy to forget.  So, I think Valentine's Day truly is a good holiday. A holiday for us to show love to all those around us, family, friends, and other people. And also know that we are receiving it from God.

So, just a quick post for Valentine's Day and to say I love all of you! My family and friends mean the absolute world to me :) And I love you all!

*Amy <3

Music Videos

So, I have two music video to share a little about.



BarlowGirl- Beautiful Ending (Click on name to see music video)

So, I’ve posted this music video before, but I watched it again today. BarlowGirl started a website called BeautifulEnding.me and it is for people to make videos and post their own thoughts about their beautiful ending. Nathan Lee, a friend of the Barlows, and also a fellow musician already has a video posted and it really inspired me.  BarlowGirl wrote this song according to the feelings that they have about this whole ministry that they are involved in. They mention when they talk about it that when they first stated the band, they were so scared because they were just worried to get sucked into the whole “job” part and the money and the numbers, instead of focusing on the one who called them to do this.  They talk a lot about how they have to get past the mind set where they just think about numbers and albums and fans and followers, but instead they keep their mind on their one true love, God, the one who they are doing this for. 

Nathan’s video was really inspiring because he talked a lot about loving people. And a lot of the things that all the videos mentioned was this idea that we don’t have to “do” anything. Not literally, but I think we always talk so much about “letting go” and letting God take control of our lives. But as much as we talk about it, I don’t think we always live that out.  We might try it… and say “Ok, Ill let God live my life and I’ll just sit back,” but then we have this feeling that we have to DO something. We have to change ourselves, we HAVE to control our own lives, we HAVE to plan our future, and all of these things that we feel like we have to DO. It’s just in our heads that we have to do something for God. But I think we can get to that place where we truly let God take control of our lives. It’s so hard, (especially for us control freaks) to just let go.  We want that feeling of control in our lives… and if we don’t feel it with our family or friends then we try to do it to ourselves, but honestly, we’re not completely in control of our own lives. Obviously, we are in control of our actions and words, but God is leading us.  He knows our future and he knows what our ending will be, and He will guide us and lead us, but we have to let go. We have to surrender all those things that keep us from letting God guide us through. 

This music video is so beautiful, because the little boy represents us.  And the fox he sees represents those distractions in life like money, numbers, or whatever else.  Once he saw that, he ran away from his parents to follow that temporary thing.  He ended up lost, but in the end God led him back to the whole reason he was alive, and his true love.  It’s like us. Sometimes life throws these distractions at us, and we get side track and follow them. We chase all of these worldly things and kind of push God to the side. We end up getting lost in our own lives, until we remember the reason we’re here. We live for God, and we live for the one who makes our heart beat and loves us unconditionally. He is our first one true love, and He will lead us along life.  Our beautiful ending doesn’t depend on the amount of success we have had on earth. The beauty of our ending us being with God and being able to say that we let Him walk us through our lives to get to the end. We live in this love, in this love of God. We don’t live for success… and it doesn’t need to be our main focus.  I think it’s such a sense of peace and rest to know that God has full control of where I go tomorrow and next year. I want him to lead me. Lead me to the end.

Nick Jonas- Who I Am (Click to watch video)

Nick Jonas, youngest of the band, Jonas Brothers, recently made a solo project, which I have written about before.  He came out with his first music video for his single, ‘Who I Am’ a week or so ago, and this is one of the first Disney music videos that really touched me. I have seen a lot and liked a lot, but this one was really inspiring for me and I actually wrote a lot of my English paper for school about this video. 

I love this song a lot, and I really love the concept of the video. I love how each of the people are so different. I love the “Gothic/emo” girl and her sign that says ‘Honor Student.’ I know from being in High School that most people would not expect a girl like this to be an honor student.  I love the athlete who has a prosthetic leg. I love the big sumo wrestler whose sign says “sensitive.” I love how most of our first impressions of all these people are so different than who they really are. I think this music video can open up our eyes a lot about how different people really are. This music video proves that there is no person that is exactly like another person.  It also shows that the way we think people are, may not be who they really are. I think this music video portrays such a sense of individuality and uniqueness that couldn’t come out in words.  My favorite, of course, is Nick holding up the last sign that says “just me.”  It’s so typical of me to be in love with this :) No matter what anyone else thinks, and no matter what anyone sees you as, there is always only one person that you are, and that is simply you.  And this is what makes us all so special. It’s the very fact that we are all different, but it’s not something to be ashamed of, but rather something to embrace. 

When Nick talks in interviews about this song, he always mentions that this song was really about learning to love yourself before you can really love anyone else.  And I really think that’s an important lesson.  We have to recognize that we are different, but we have to be proud of who we are and not push that away. We are never going to be like everyone else, no matter how hard we try. But, I’d rather be different and happy, then a plastic face in a crowd.  It’s hard to accept yourself the way you are, but I think we will all realize it one day, if we haven’t already.  We’re always going to dislike something about ourselves, but that just comes back to the fact that we can’t be perfect. Who I am is JUST ME.

His [Unfailing] Love Endures Forever...

This is sad. My poor blog is being neglected by me. I am so sorry. I didn't even planning on writing anything... but something just came to me... and well, I thought I would share. :)

I was just looking up some verses on the great Biblegateway.com and stumbled upon something pretty spectacular.  So, I like to look up the word love. I don't know why, it's just my favorite word and I wanted to find some verses. So, I just started scrolling through hundreds of verses in the bible with the word love and I found some really amazing ones, mostly in Psalms.

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5

How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8

...may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.  Ephesians 3:18


And these are just a few. I talk about the love of God all the time, and I always know that He loves me, but just now, I think my eyes are opened to how much He truly loves us, each and every one of us. We have all messed up so many times. I know for myself that I feel like I've failed so many times in God's eyes, but yet His love is SO great that He still loves me after I feel like I have failed Him.  These verses just made me realize how incredible and wonderful this love is.  Unfailing, unconditional, compassionate, abounding... these are some words that describe this love that God has for us, His children. I just sit here and wonder how God could love someone like me this much.  


I think that we don't always take the time to actually think about this and notice this love, this great, incredible love that God has for us.  And, it's even more amazing to know that we can't do anything to lose that love. Unfailing, and unconditional.  His love will never fail... "His love endures forever..." 

Helping through Loving

I am the absolute worst blogger ever.... I'm sorry about that.
So, I just recently thought of something I could write about. 

Just a little while ago I was talking to an old friend and something just kind of hit me. I've been seeing something in my life that God has really been changing in me, and it's something that I think is really important. A lot of times in life, especially as Christians, we kind of see the need to "fix people" or to teach people the difference between right and wrong. We take this responsibility upon ourselves to help people in life by teaching them and guiding them.  Of course, there's nothing wrong with that. But, sometimes I think we kind of do it in the wrong way.  I see a big difference between helping people, and helping people. Yes, they are the same words, but I think the meanings are very different.

One way we help people, is by telling them what's right and what's wrong.  When they do something that we know is not going to work out, we tell them that it's wrong. If we see something in another's life that we don't like or something that we know is wrong, then we tell them.  We take our position in life as a Christian in a way where we have to help direct people in life. We kind of make it our job to show people the path they should take in order to live a "good" life.   This is one way of helping people. Through my life, this plan hasn't always worked.  With this kind of "help" I may be pushing this person out of my life.  Sometimes, we may be farther ahead in life of the people around us. We may see things that they don't, and even if we do it out of care, I don't think that it's our place to tell them what they can't see yet.  We put ourselves above them, and maybe even above God.  Instead of letting God reveal things to them in His time, we push Him aside, by doing it ourselves.  This may not always work.

Another way of helping is the one that I am trying very hard to work on. This is help through love and care.  If I see something in someone's life that I think is wrong, or something that I think may not end up as they want it to, I don't tell them. I decide that it's not my place to correct them, but instead, I show love and support for their decisions. Obviously, in some cases, this may bot be the best decision, but for me, I think it's more important to show love for a person and support their decisions, rather than telling them they are wrong.  I think that may be one thing about Christians that others don't like.  We try to hard to fix everybody else. We try so hard to lead everyone in the right directions, instead of just loving people.  We push God to the side and try to do His job.  But this isn't our job.  We just need to love people and care for them, and let God lead their lives.

I think that helping people through love and support is much more effective than just telling them they are wrong.  Because honestly, people don't need to hear that they are wrong, and they may not take it as advice, but an attack.  It's easy to lose friends by trying to direct their lives.  Even in families, we have to be careful.  We all have differnet feelings and we're all at different places in life.  What we see in someone else, they may not see themselves.  It's easier to just love them and support them, then to try and "help" them in another way.

By caring, loving and supporting, you are letting God shine through your life, instead of pushing God to the side and trying to do His job. He will change people in His timing. We can just love them.