Listening to the master of the album. AH! so close folks! :D

Sitting at @Art Six Coffee enjoying a fall inspired latte and listening to the rain hit the window. What a lovely afternoon.

Awesome friends! I know you all know people- Who can give me the names of some people in the music biz who could write up some press for me?? :) in North Texas and elsewhere??

Check.Check.Testing

Him

This morning I've been meditating on the glory and wonder of the Lord. It has been wonderful; simply saying the name of Jesus brings me so much life.

Spending time with Him is so sweet. Honestly, it is the only time in the day where I feel like I'm completely known and understood; at peace. Though our time has been a tad dry recently, part of it has been my lack of focus but also, as I have realized recently, the return to some faulty thinking.

This happens often enough for me to have to kick myself in the proverbial shin. I start to look at my time with Him as a feel good therapy session, belittling His presence and power to a vending machine type of relationship. If I put in two quarters of quiet time then I'll get 2 ounces of peace. all of that quality time becomes me-focused, making me happy so I can feel something. Our time becomes dull and lifeless; shorter and shorter, to where I'm only spending 10 to 15 mins with him before I run off to work.

This morning I began to meditate on nature and how consistently satisfying it is to my soul. A sunrise never leaves me disappointed or a bird's song leave me lacking. Instead I always want more. Why is this? What is it about nature that leaves me yearning for more of it, yet at peace and satisfied at the same time? It is in fact revealed in it's inception. At the beginning. The world was created that the majesty, wonder, beauty, etc,... of the Lord would be recognized and thus He would be given glory; reverent recognition.

Nature, unlike man, has stayed true to its original intention to bring God that glory. The trees were not given free will in as much as the eagles were. As part of their innate make-up they declare the glory of the Lord. *Psalm 19* This was how it was intended. Because creation still operates under this we experience the benefits and are refreshed.

I was created under the same pre-tense, to glorify my maker as His image bear. Unfortunately, humans have strayed off the beaten path and have become self-worshipers; consumed with our own happiness and comfort. As yet sinners, saved by grace, this self-veneration seeps into our relationship with the Lord as well. Our precious moments with Him become therapy sessions, a Jesus fix, upon it's receipt of peace we leave, nary to return till we need him again. If we are already of the disciplined sort and dutifully spend time with Him every day because that is what we ought to do we become brazenly depressed and dissatisfied all the more as we spend our "supposed to" time with him. Still not getting what we desire or what we think we need.

Yet, my dear brothers and sisters, it was never designed to work that way. We receive all the blessings we do because they are the side effects of His goodness and grace. Not because we spend 10 or so min. with Him each morning.

Ought we not to thank Him? To have our worship last throughout the day, in gratitude. Joy stemming out of gratitude, gratitude out of worship, worship of of realization of His presence and realization stems out of recognition. To simply state the names of God, the wonders of His hands, how we are breathing in air, clothed and covered by the blood of Jesus. This is all glorifying the God of the ages.

This morning as I mentioned back to Him His blessings, speaking out scripture and praising His existence and love I began to feel all that I had desired to feel. Somehow, when I took the focus off me and my needs, my needs were met. That truly what my soul needs is to glorify my maker. Then all peace, joy, life comes soon thereafter; all as I am aligning my heart with it's ordained purpose.

A Non-Reccomend: Robin Hood 2010

Now this might seem like quite the pretentious undertaking to take on a movie that claims to be the: "Number one movie in the world!" But I've never been one to be easily intimidated, so this is no biggie.

A few nights ago I sat in my comfy pleather cinema seat, munching on over-buttered popcorn and dreaming up visions of epic grandeur as per perscribed in the bombastic previews I had veiwed over the last couple of months. Chalk it up to grandiose expectations or bad movie munchies but the movie really wasn't all that great. It was nothing more than a fancied up introduction to the original and well-loved story that we're all familiar with: Prince John is a cad is ticked off with Robin Hood, kidnaps maid Miriam, exploits the already sketchy and morally grey Sherriff of Nottingham, Prince John challenges Robin Hood to a duel of the archery sort and Robin wins, etc.. etc... Well, you might be shocked to know that none of these events, omitting the Prince John is a cad part, are run over in this film. It all is really an introduction, a pre-quel if you will...a two and a half hour pre-quel.

The whole time I was wanting the movie to just get on with it! Sure the parts where Robin puts together his and of merry men are sorta neat. Little John is portrayed by that brutish slash smarmy, in my opinon ,bad guy from Lost(Martin Keamy.) That was weird. Maid Miriam was sassy, contrary, predictable. Sadly, it was exactly that: the predictability of this movie that really killed it for me. Which was odd, considering I knew nothing of this "back story" in the first place!

Also- funnily- is that a word? While I was watching the movie, maybe in an attempt to entertain myself from the drudgery of the Number one Movie in the World! I kept thinking back upon Disney's rendition of the story, you know, the one where the characters are portrayed by fuzzy woodling creatures? Well I guess not all of them, some were elephants. Yup, that movie was better.

Positives? The Movie was pretty looking.

But don't take my word for it, see it for yourself and be deeply disapointed.

Awhile Away

I apologize ahead of time for apologizing again. I have yet again let a few or more weeks go by since my last update-dge. I'd like to say it won't happen again and that I'll be steadfast and dutiful to my blogging affiliation, I really would! Despite my absence I quite often think about this blog and how I'd like to be writing in it. Does intention count?

Wonderfully, the stage of life I'm in has put me in the midst of a whirlwind of good things, all of which take time and attention and emotional investment at that. You understand how difficult it is to communicate at all when exhausted. Let alone convene your thougths enough to put them down on paper. The sad scribblings in my journal, as of late, can testify to that. You wouldn't know to differentiate the words from the spaces, from the commas, from the doodles. It's just where my brain has been lately.

Some good things:

I auditioned for Glee.

Here's the link

No, I'm not taking this seriously. However! I will say it's been an elephant butt load of fun(the elephant here is to emphasize the immensity of fun. Some butts are just not that big,) not only to do the actual audition, which took numerous takes, but also to see the amount of support I've received. Something like 20,000 gold stars! Thanks guys for voting! I think that's good... though I'm sure in the end, and this is my theory, it'll turn out to be this whole big marketing scheme just to get people to watch Glee and they'll end up casting a professional. They always do. I think I'm the only person who remembered that open casting call they had for Home Alone 3 and how millions of snotty nosed 8-12 year olds swarmed to malls for a chance at cinematic glory. I actually thought Home Alone 3 was a riot. All that...just to hire a kid who was with a talent agency and had a resume. Like I said, marketing scheme...might I say, a genius one.

I had a photo shoot
As some of you might know! I like to dabble in the arts of singing and songwriting. A little more than dabble really. I remember a conversation with an olde, seasoned,famous ragtime musician and I remember him saying, " Honey, you know you're a career muscian when you can't help but do it. That's how you know." I remember being quite impacted by those words and the more I grow as a musician the more I realize how right he was. I truly can't help but do it. It's in my blood and how I was created *Psalm 13.* So I'm recording my ep this July and the photo shoot(s) for the album and website happened a few days ago. Honestly. So much fun! Know for sure that I'll post a link to the website once it launches in August. You'll be able to find it on itunes after September 14th( my launch date.) My muse is an olde, cruiser bicycle. Cannot WAIT for what is in store in the next few months.

Wedding(s) Glore!
Tis the season to be married! Fa la la la la, la la la la. Honestly, I have four this summer...maybe five. I'm not entirely sure if I'm invited to that one. I've sang in one and am in another( my bff Elaine is getting married!). The othes are fairly low key though there is still traveling to be had, gifts to be bought and bridal showers to attend. The way I've viewed weddings has changed over the years, at first with mild disdain for the amount of time required for me to sit still, then with weepy longing as a teeenager wondering mournfully if my time would ever come! Now, I like them! They're beautiful and I'm so into the late night dance parties. I like weddings...for the most part. All but the bouquet toss. I find myself finding an excuse to run to the bathroom whenever that dreadful occurrence happens. Why you might ask? Well! I don't know about you, but if you're single, weddings have a knack of reminding you of your single-hood about every .2 seconds. It gets even worse when most of your friends are also married and feel the compulsion to set you up with people, at the weddings, as to not make you feel as exposed, and to somehow commiserate in the sometimes awkwardness of this friend's existence in the midst of couplings. Another slightly uncomfortable occurrence is what happens to guys at weddings. Those of the male sex, who are normally footless, fancy free not wanting to be tied down kind of men outside of a marital celebration, once taken to a wedding suddenly seem to realize their impending biological clock. "Wow, this marriage thing is sorta Awesome! I want to get married!" Enter the bouquet toss... and every man, now with a heightened awareness of their single hood starts looking at the single ladies and wondering, " Ooo, is she wife material??" Nuhuh, don't act like you don't know what I'm taking about men. I know, because I do it too...that is exactly why I run to the restroom.

There really is so much more... but I gotta go. Check ya laters!