"When Life Don't Seem Worth Living..."

I really like this song:

Mindy's voice is soul-stirringly beautiful and the lyrics are simple but poignant.

To listen to more of her music visit myspace.com/mindysmith

[H/T Crissy]

Remember the Light

So many times I want to pull the car over, to stop and watch the sunset pass, but I don't. Errands to run. Places to be. Things to do. You know the drill. But this one day I drove into a shopping center parking lot with the sole intent of enjoying a few minutes of the sun before it went away.

When's the last time you got out of your car to savor a sunset?

Fireflight Concert

I had an awesome time at the Fireflight concert over the weekend. I've been wanting to see them for a long, long time and it finally happened. Of course Fireflight rocked hard, lots of head banging on their part and mine. Pillar was the headline band and they had some major rock action going on too.

Below is a short montage of some footage I got at the concert, I overlaid the music track with their song "Unbreakable."

And here's a couple pics from after the show:

(with Pillar)

(with Fireflight)

Definitely one of my favorite concerts!

[Hat tip Kev for taking the photos]

Expect Nothing In Return

I just read this blog post at Get Togetha and it was so awesome I had to share...

There are only two emotions: love and fear. When we we give based on strings it is a subtle form of manipulation. Manipulation is fear. When we give through a tiny yet powerful act called love we understand that what we give to others we give to ourselves whether its reciprocated or not. When we give from love the good things overflow in abundance.

49 Second Solution: We all slip up when it comes to the “what’s in it for me?’ syndrome. Recognize when you are giving from a place of love and a when you are giving from place of fear. Give selflessly and expect nothing in return. Yup. It’s that simple. But only practice makes perfect.

Please visit the original post to read the full article. It's totally worth it!

[Hat tip Rest of Yesterday]

Sunset Hill

One of my favorite places to watch sunsets at...

When I walk up this hill I feel a little closer to God, in a tangible sort of way.

Don't Close Your Eyes...

Make time to enjoy art that has no borders.

I like how all the blues filled the sky that evening.


[Music: "This is Your Life" by Switchfoot]

Late Sunset

Here's a video I made that captures a small glimpse of the beauty a late sunset gushes. I'll be doing more of these.

"Sunsets are God's smoothies to the world." -Me

[Music: "First Breath After Coma" by Explosions in the Sky]

Satisfied...

I was just thinking about how satisfied I am with my overall concert experiences. I've been able to see some of my favorite bands and singers use their God-given talents on stage which are little (and big) dreams come true. And those moments are magical, when songs connect to your heart in ways only music can.

I remember how Jennifer Knapp cradled her guitar in her arms as she sang "A Little More" in her quiet but captivating storytelling voice.

I remember seeing Switchfoot twice. Once front and center at the House of Blues. Then again at a bigger venue after they had their breakout album The Beautiful Letdown.

I remember being in a mosh pit at a P.O.D. concert and standing next to some guy dressed in all black wearing a baseball cap with metal spikes on it (which I eventually moved away from because it was an accident waiting to happen).

I remember sitting so far away from LeAnn Rimes that I couldn't see her as I camped along the Charles River waiting for the 4th of July fireworks to start.

I remember dancing next to my sister at a Stacie Orrico concert and walking away feeling like I had the time of my life.

I remember holding back tears and being overwhelmed with a deep thanksgiving toward God as Fred Hammond sang soul-stirring Gospel tunes.

I remember jumping up and down to the punk rock sounds of Relient K.

I remember riding in the car with a friend for 40 minutes, waiting in line for another 40 to only end up catching the last song of Lights (and that last song was pretty amazing).

I remember feeling completely electrified to finally, FINALLY, see Superchic[k] play after two previous attempts where something always seemed to suddenly pop up just before the show.

Those memories are irreplaceable.

Because our lives do come with soundtracks whether we realize it or not. Sometimes music comes with bright lights and sometimes it comes from a tiny speaker in the sanctuary of our homes. Whatever the case, music is beautiful and it gives us reasons to smile, to gather and to enjoy each other's company as we journey through this existence called life.

President Obama

Now I know what it feels like to be part of a historic moment in time. Countless people throughout the years put their blood, sweat and tears on the line so that this kind of event could be possible.

And as Jesus would put it:

"That's the truth of the saying, 'This one sows, that one harvests.' I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others." (John 4:36-38, The Message Bible)

May God bless America and the world! Be sure to pause and savor the beauty of today.

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6 Little Known Things About Me…

I was tagged by Tiffany at Mulatto Diaries and Martine at Artsy Wings for this meme. Feel free to join in the fun and share six little know things about yourself.

1. I collect calendars, ones that feature different countries and lighthouses.
2. I'm fascinated by wolves. They're such intriguing creatures.
3. I've reread my favorite book (Redeeming Love) over 10 times. It's seriously that amazing!
4. I prefer mugs over glasses.
5. I've played the viola since the 5th grade. It's kinda like the violin, only better.
6. Watching The City on MTV has become a guilty pleasure.

Work at it...

There are certain scriptures that light up in my mind like fireworks.

I think this will be my theme for the New Year:

2 Timothy 4:5 says:

"But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (New Living Translation)

The Message Version puts it this way:

"But you—keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant."

It's a simple way of summing up what we as Christians are supposed to do.

1. Share the story of Jesus.
2. Share how Jesus' story transformed our lives (it's okay to share our flaws as well, we're only human and our frailty helps other people connect to us).
3. Live a life of purpose, doing the tasks (career, family, friendships) that only you can fulfill.

For me writing is an important part of my life so I've been working hard on my screenplay. By this time next year I believe that will be in some stage of production. I really feel like my creativity is part of my ministry.

And this will be my unofficial theme song...

"Push It To The Limit" by Corbin Bleu.

The lyrics to that song always kind of rev me up.

And Mary Mary's "Get Up" is pretty inspiring too.



How are you aspiring to engage life in the New Year? And what has been helpful in your process of becoming the best human being only you can be?

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Front of the Class

Great film! Front of the Class is an inspiring story about a boy with Tourette syndrome who battles discrimination to realize his dream of becoming a grade school teacher. If you enjoy Hallmark Hall of Fame movies then you'll be delighted by this one. Front of the Class really knows how to pull your heart strings. And what's even more inspirational is that it's based on a true story. It stars Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and James Wolk (who seriously looks like he could be Kyle Chandler's little brother).

Prayers for Mumbai

Just wanted to say that Mumbai is in my thoughts. For such a tragedy to strike the center of Bollywood is quite saddening. India is an amazing country full of intriguing sights and people. Also, pray for the Christians over there because some still face persecution.

Native American Heritage Month

This is the month where our country is supposed to take the time to spotlight and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of those indigenous to our land.

November is the national Native American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month. But why am I just learning about this?

And where's the coverage in the news?

I feel embarrassed and saddened when I think about how little our country pays attention to Native Americans. The only time I can remember seeing a news story centered on a Native issue was when CNN did a short piece interviewing Alaskan Natives on what they thought about Gov. Sarah Palin.

I mean, come on, one story a year is completely subpar.

I wish that there was some magical solution to make things right in this country but easy answers are hard to find. So what are your thoughts on the issue? Do you think things are fine as they are? If not, what kind of change would you like to see happen?

Lastly, here are some cool links to check out:

• Native American Heritage Month
  
• Smithsonian Center Resources
  
• Reznet News
  
• Smoke Signals
  

Nicholas Sparks Writing Film for Miley Cyrus

According to Variety.com:

"Nicholas Sparks is writing a new novel and an accompanying screenplay that is being custom-fit as a star vehicle for Miley Cyrus at Disney."

I wasn't expecting this collaboration but it makes sense. Miley has a huge teen fan base and Sparks knows how to make teen girls cry i.e. A Walk to Remember and The Notebook. We all know the story is going to be inspirational and bittersweet. And that's a good thing.

Jared Padalecki as Thomas Kinkade

Jared Padalecki in a Christmas movie is a gift all by itself. I'll definitely be buying The Christmas Cottage on DVD.

Thomas Kinkade is one of my favorite artists, I'm a big fan of impressionism and he's a true example of how Christians can aspire for excellence in their creative endeavors.


The film is about "how the Kinkade was motivated to begin his career after discovering his mother was in danger of losing their family home" (IMDB).

The Good-o-Meter

If there is any beauty in this world, it comes from God.

James 1:17 says...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." (NIV)

"Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light." (The Message)

"Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." (NLT)

[Hat tip to Heather]

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