Lots To Say.

Just no will or wish to actually post it. Maybe in the next coupla days. Probably not though. We'll just have to see if I'm through feeling like a lump of clay detached from the rest of the world by then.

Moods. They're so unpredictable, aren't they? Yeah they are.

LOL. Why am I always answering my own stupid questions. I don't even know. Ha! I did it again.

You know what's good? Laughing at yourself. But if you can't do that, just go ahead and laugh at me. Laughter is good. And I'm pretty funny.

So funny, in fact, that I'm turning this into a real entry when I thought it was only gonna be an update for the sake of the update crazy (ahem. . .check the tagboard, lol). Don't be surprised! You already know that moods are unpredictable. Man, you learn so much from just reading this one blog.

Say, can I just say that I am increasingly growing to love CCM (that's Contemporary Christian Music, for those of you who don't know -- and that's yet another piece of knowledge I dropped on you! I am so wise!). Music has always been one of my favorite ways to worship, and I usually feel closest to the Lord when I'm singing or humming or even just listening to a song. Well I only used to listen to gospel, and the familiar praise/devotion songs. Pass Me Not. Glory, Glory Hallelujah. Etc. But one fine spring day in the spring of 2004, I somehow discovered a song by a woman named Ginny Owens. It was called "If You Want Me To," and once I heard it I couldn't stop hearing it. It's such a simple and beautiful pledge of devotion to the Lord and His will even when we don't know where we're going or why we're going there. I used to play it for hours and hours. I wonder if my roommates remember that time?

So I branched out to find more of her music, and I found it to be equally wonderful. I started looking for similar artists. And then I found her. The one and only, so often quoted in the "song for you" excerpts that you should know who I'm going to say before you read it. Think about it.

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Nichole Nordeman.

You've heard me sing her praises many times. I only just started listening to her this past fall. And the first song of hers I knew by heart is called "Fool For You;" it's all about faith. She sings so sweetly, "I will be a fool for You, all because You ask me to. A simpleton or seemingly naive, I do believe You came and made Yourself a fool for me." Powerful words, no? Yes. I looooooooooove Nichole Nordeman. So, of course I grew to love more and more of her music, as you can see. So I started looking for artists similar to her. (See a pattern forming? Well that's a sharp eye you've got!) This led me to finding my newest CCM favorites -- Bethany Dillon and Jennifer Knapp.

Each of these women has a different sound -- Ginny is more praise-ish, and wise and upbeat, Nichole is more instrospective; her lyrics will sometimes pierce my heart because they're just so true. Jennifer Knapp and Bethany Dillon both have a folk-rock edge to their music with guitars, drums, and even banjos (!)( lol.) on some of their songs. But they're all good to listen to in any of my several moods.

My roots are still with gospel, of course, but I like the way my musical tastes are expanding. It's a good thing.

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A Song For You Today:

Jennifer Knapp
His Grace Is Sufficient, Kansas (1998)
(this is actually a really upbeat, jazzy song. don't let the lyrics fool you. LOL.)

I've exhausted every possible solution, I've tried every game there is to play.
In this search for Christ-like perfection, I'm convinced I've only left my God ashamed.
I cry, I wonder, can He hear my despair?
Afraid to lift my hands, afraid He doesn't care.
And if He answers, and I fall again, can I still be His daughter?
Can I still depend on Him?
When I'm down I search every mistake, I'm looking for new regrets.
Sometimes I forget, I forget
that His grace is sufficient for me --
it's deeper, and wider than I concieve.