Pensive Sky

I recently scored a set of six dining chairs from the local Goodwill for $14.99 each. I could tell they were sturdy chairs but the white fabric on the padded seats was horribly dirty and stained. We brought them home only to discover they are Pottery Barn chairs. Best I can tell from the website they probably retailed for about $250 each. I'm so giddy about this find! Now I'm on the hunt for some fun fabric to recover the seats with. I love projects!

            Love yourself.
MAKE PEACE with who you are
            and where you are
         at this moment in time.

     Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying
                in this noisy world,
                     MAKE TIME for yourself.
           Enjoy your own company.
                       Let your mind wander among the stars.

       Try.
  Take chances.
            MAKE MISTAKES.
       Life can be messy
            and confusing at times,
    but it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path
          might be a stepping-stone.

                    Be happy.
           When you don't have what you want,
                           want what you have.
                MAKE DO.
That's a well-kept secret of contentment.

      There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to MAKE YOUR OWN WAY.
       To know where you're going
                 is only part of it.
You need to know where you've been, too.
                       And if you ever get lost, don't worry.
             The people who love you will find you.
                     Count on it.

     Life isn't days and years.
               It's what you do with time
and with all the goodness and grace
            that's inside of you.
   MAKE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE...
                 The kind of life you deserve.

-Hallmark Birthday Card from my parents, 2011

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about what makes a person a true die-hard music fan.  I would judge my dedication and loyalty to a certain band or artist by asking myself a few questions: Do you buy the new album the day it comes out?  Do you pre-order it?  How far will you travel to see a concert?  How many concerts have you been to?  I love music.  I've loved it for a long time.  I bet my old classmates (if they remember me at all) would remember me as the girl who wore a different band t-shirt every day of the week. It's true.  But if ever I was a fan of any band or artist....I'm a Bebo Norman fan.  I've been listening to his music for something like 12 years.  I own every CD and I've NEVER heard a song I didn't like.  One of his songs was the music to our picture slideshow at our wedding.  We're talking serious fan girl here.



Over the last several years Bebo has cut back on touring a lot.  I consider it a rare and special opportunity to get to see him live these days.  It just so happens he came to my little town and played a show last weekend.  It was just what I needed at the end of an extremely stressful week.  The concert was supposed to be The Ocean Tour for his latest CD that came out last fall.  Which I love by the way.  (Did you doubt it?).  The themes of oceans and sunrises are strung throughout the album and being married to a marine biologist, I can really relate to the line "Could you ever look at me the way you're looking at the ocean?".  I don't remember the set list exactly but I think he only played 2 songs from the new album.  The rest were classics - recognizable to most from the radio.  Some of the playlist I recall included: Hammer Holds, I Will Lift My Eyes, Great Light of the World, Nothing Without You, The Middle, God of My Everything.  The last being the best of the night by far.  It's such an amazing song and he told the story behind it - how he wrote it for his brother.  It brought tears to my eyes.

I really can't find the words to describe what a beautiful concert it was.  His conversation on stage made it comfortable and fun and the music was so uplifting and inspiring.  I was truly blessed.

So an interesting coincidence happened that night.  I saw Bebo in concert back in 2000 (ish) while I was attending a University in Portland, OR as freshmen.  My roommate and I went to see him play live at a church in town.  I don't remember much about the concert, but I do remember that was the night I sponsored my Compassion child, Gisella.  Well just this last year Gisella graduated from the Compassion program.  So it only seemed fitting that we would choose another child to sponsor at a Bebo concert 11 years later.  I grabbed a packet from the table that was marked "Priority".  It was for an 11 year old girl from Bolivia named Dayana who'd been waiting over 7 months for a sponsor.  And the day I picked up her packet - was her birthday! I think it's an amazing coincidence and I'm so excited to sponsor again.

I want to continue to write more about my love of music.  My crazy fan moments.  My borderline obsessions.  It's a big part of who I am.  I usually don't consider myself to have any interesting hobbies or extracurricular activities.  But in actuality I do - music - and I'm going to own it. :)

I've been living in this small religious college town for 11 years now.  I still don't feel integrated - religiously or culturally.  I often wonder: what I would be like if I lived somewhere else?  How much does the place you live define who you are?  Perhaps I'll always be in search of home until the day I meet my Savior.  The good thing about Jesus is that ALL are welcome...even outsiders like me.

Sorry, I just can't get enough.  I'm in love with this video.



I happened to catch the NEEDTOBREATHE show in Boston this last week while I was there for work.  It was such an epic experience for me, being in such a beautiful and historic city as Boston AND getting to see my band.  What more could a girl want?

They played some new songs from the new record that releases on Sept 20.  Never before has my favorite song at a live performance been a new song I'd never heard before, but this one took the cake.  I guess it means it's going to be a good album.  Can't wait!

I'm posting it here so I can listen to it over and over and.... over.

I miss this little guy.  We fostered Timothy - we called him Mothy (read: moe-thie) - for a short time.  This was taken right before he left to be with a new foster home.  He's adoptable and waiting for his forever home:  http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18967995.