Quiet

It's finally Saturday.

I'm relaxing in my mom's warm kitchen, listening to conversations about economics, and childish squeals from the other end of the house, with Christy Moore's soothing voice drifting out of my laptop speakers. I have no makeup on, and my hair is delightfully wrapped up tightly and out of my face. The caramel coffee is warm and delicious against the silvery bone-chilling drizzle outside.

Today is a quiet day.

***

I retook my failed exam this week, and got back surprisingly good grades on another exam. I got more unsatisfactory grades, too, but also got a chance to redo an assignment I wasn't happy with.

My hands-on training labs are all done for the semester - from here on out, I'll be practicing on real patients in the clinic. I really enjoy my clinic days! It's so interesting to meet new people every week and help solve the puzzle of why they aren't hearing the way they should, and especially to show care and love to them as I talk to them about their problems and what they can do to hear better again.

I ate delicious food, laughed, cried, and said goodbye to a new friend last night, and look forward to being reunited at Christmas ... but on the happy side, I'm excited to introduce my international friend to Thanksgiving and Christmas for the first time, and am busy dreaming up ways to make the holiday season extra special - and ways to gently begin introducing my friend to Jesus.

The long hours of the last few weeks are taking their toll on my tired, out-of-shape body - today I am resting, catching up with friends and blogs, and eating honey and yogurt to help fight off a possible low-grade infection.

And I've been watching children's Bible shows with Dan and Nick, and trying not to let people see me cry ... sometimes, in all of the complicated adult responsibilities and faith issues that we study (how to grow a marriage, honoring God with finances, building churches and businesses), we sometimes forget that Jesus still wants to gather us into His arms like little children and let us rest our heads on His shoulder. Seeing His love illustrated on children's shows reminds me how precious I am to Him in a way that almost nothing else does. Hence, I watch Jesus forgive Zaccheus and heal Bartimaeus, and I weep.

***

How are you experiencing Christ's love today? Through pretty pumpkins and simple stories, like me? Or through something different?

Warm, cinnamony hugs to you!!
Vicki

Weekend

I had such a simply wonderful weekend! I got to take some time away from classes and remember other things that I love to do and be, like photographing the pretty weeds and lichens in the backyard, reading about my Scottish ancestors, watching lame movies, and listening to incredible a cappella music:




A dear friend and my grandmother encouraged me this weekend to remember to lean more heavily on the Lord during this difficult time of adjustment and soul-searching. My grandmother gave me a beautiful prayer journal that she wants me to doodle in (not write; I don't have many words left by the end of the day - just doodle) every night during my devotion time, and I'm eager to see if it helps me remember and hold onto what I read a little better. It didn't work last night because I waited to start my devotions until very late, and was busy trying not to fall asleep and topple headfirst off the bed; but it's early yet tonight, so we'll see if I can focus a bit better.  :-)

Oh yes, and I spent a lot of time researching patterns and history for my very first upcoming French and Indian War reenactment puttering with some other hobbies too.

*grin*

I didn't work as far ahead on my homework as I ought to, and I didn't do any professional networking or career-enhancing activities besides going into the office to do a little data analysis; but I badly needed this weekend of rest. I feel refreshed and ready to dive back into my studies and work tomorrow with renewed vigor.

How was your weekend? Did you get some much-needed refreshment?

Hugs and love and toffee nut lattes to you,
~ Vicki

2014 in Music

I'm Vicki Sands, I love music, and this was my year.

***

Early 2014:

Spring 2014:






Summer 2014:










Fall 2014:










Winter 2014:







***

I'll post more later, looking back at 2014 and ahead to 2015, telling you about my graduation and what's going on in my life now.  :-)  Happy New Year, everybody!!!

Love,
Vicki

One Day

With all of the sad news in the world this week - fighting in Iraq, bombings in Syria, rockets fired to and from Israel, hostility in Ukraine - I found this song to be very timely and encouraging today. It's called "One Day," and it's by Matisyahu, a Jewish reggae artist whom I was introduced to through in a culture class a couple of years ago ... all of his music that I've heard is very uplifting and filled with powerful Old Testament passages; but this one is one of my favorites.

It's so powerful to listen to this as a Christian because I know that this will all come true one day - when Christ returns and establishes His reign on this earth and the next, once and for all, we will have no more fighting, no more wars, no more hatred, nothing forever but peace, harmony, and joy.

One Day

Matisyahu

Sometimes I lay
Under the moon
And thank God I'm breathing
Then I pray,
Don't take me soon
'Cause I am here for a reason

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around, because

All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play
One day ...

It's not about
Win or lose
'Cause we all lose when they feed on the souls of the innocent
Blood-drenched pavement
Keep on moving though the waters stay raging

In this maze you can lose your way (your way)
It might drive you crazy but don't let it faze you, no way
No way

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around because...

All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play
One day ...

One day this all will change
Treat people the same
Stop with the violence
Down with the hate
One day we'll all be free
And proud to be
Under the same sun
Singing songs of freedom like
One day ...

All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play

One day ...

Seed of Love

Seed of Love

Sung by Ricky Skaggs

Traveling down life’s road, it’s not too hard to see

The writing is on the wall, if we take time to read

Children are hungry, and millions are in need

We need to take the time and plant just one seed:

The seed of love

Chorus:

One seed of love could help a family who’s in danger

One seed of love could make a friend out of a stranger

One seed of love could grow and grow and reach each need

You can grow a mountain of love from just one seed

What are we here for, if it’s not to help our neighbor?

We need to forget ourselves, and be more like the Savior

He had compassion on the sick, the lame, and blind

He grew a mountain of love, one seed at a time:

The seed of love

Chorus:

One seed of love could help a family who’s in danger

One seed of love could make a friend out of a stranger

One seed of love could grow and grow and reach each need

You can grow a mountain of love from just one seed

One day, many years ago, on a cross at Calvary

The greatest Seed ever sown was sown for you and me:

The seed of Love

Chorus:

One seed of love could help a family who’s in danger

One seed of love could make a friend out of a stranger

One seed of love could grow and grow and reach each need

You can grow a mountain of love from just one seed

When I Fall In Love

When I Fall In Love

by Victor Young

When I fall in love it will be forever
Or I'll never fall in love

In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before it's begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

When I give my heart it will be completely
Or I'll never give my heart

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you

(Music sung by Nat King Cole)

Tonight, I Am ...

Seeing: The beautiful first night of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics!

Hearing: The quiet evening voices of the older members of my family - the little ones are long in bed.

Smelling: The fabric softener smell on my warm, cozy sweatshirt.

Tasting: My delicious apple-pie-flavored Greek yogurt.

Needing: Sleep!

Wanting: To renovate and revitalize my blog so it is as dynamic and helpful as all of the other blogs I follow.

Regretting: Losing my temper, snapping at my mom and shoving my laptop across the floor.

Feeling: A little bit sick, thoughtful, irritable, and glad for some rest.

Wishing: That I could wear maxi skirts without looking so tiny.

Thinking: About how cold it's going to be tomorrow (wind chill below -20 degrees!!).

Laughing: At Benedict Cumberbatch appearing on Sesame Street!!



Recovering: From a very difficult week that has involved a lot of snow and ice, doctors, fatigue, outside commitments, and experiencing the Lord working every minute on my behalf.

Believing: That the God of heaven is on my side and working everything out for my good.

Anticipating: Wearing the pretty outfit I have picked out tomorrow.

Dreaming: About Valentine's Day and wondering whether I'll have found my special someone by the time it rolls around next year.

Praying: For my dear friend Frannie, who is busy as a little bird building her house of dreams with her soon-to-be husband!

Reading: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Yes, again.  :-)

Singing: "Cavan Girl"



Wearing: My favorite hooded sweatshirt, black yoga pants, and fuzzy pink slipper socks.

Preparing: To go to bed!

Remembering: Watching my friend perform in one of my school's awesome musical shows a couple of months ago.

Trying: To stay on top of all of my confusing homework.

Questioning: What in the world I'm going to write about for my history paper due next week.

Fearing: That I might be catching a cold or the flu ...

Loving: This:



Googling: How to follow a low-sodium diet ... due to a recently diagnosed health problem, I now have to eat a very low-sodium diet; and I really haven't the faintest idea how to start. Definitely reading a lot about this after my weekend library trip.

Choosing: To sacrifice a few more minutes of sleep to finish this post.  ;-)

Working: On designing some posters for one of my student organizations.

Emailing: A dear friend who has been very supportive during this week and all the things I've been dealing with.

Gluing: Eeeehhm ... nothing ...

Texting: NOBODY. Hallelujah!! Facebook and text messaging have been sorely impinging on my introvert recharge time lately, and it's like stepping into an oasis to turn off the phone and log out of FB for a while!

Cracking: Eeeehhm ... nothing ...

Considering: Ways to make a difference in the things that really get me feeling passionate - workers' rights, ending poverty and hunger, and fighting abortion.

Turning: To look at the huge stack of CDs I archived all my photos onto this week.

Biting: Eeeehhm ... nothing ...

Reducing: The number of tabs I have open.  :-}

Longing: To have a husband, home, and family of my own - and yet rejoicing in the amount of peace that the Lord has given me over the last year in this area. I am not desperate anymore! I can truly say that if it is not the Lord's will for me to marry, I will not be sorry or unhappy in singleness. And I honestly mean that.

Suffering: With a slightly sore throat and a little bit of chills.

Recognizing: That it really is time for me to be getting to bed.

Checking: To make sure that I haven't forgotten to do anything before I go ...

Organizing: My backpack for tomorrow.

Practicing: Poor posture, lazy typing habits, and looking under my glasses with the apparent goal of giving myself eyestrain.

Reckoning: Myself very blessed for a huge number of reasons!

Smiling: Because:



I hope you all are having a wonderful evening, getting (or getting ready to get) some good rest, and staying warm!! I love you ladies!  <3

Hugs,
Vicki

11-12-13

Hello friends! Wow, it's been a long while since I posted on here! The time surely slips away when you're busy - and I'll bet the readership does, too!!  :-}

Life has been good but amazingly busy ... last night was the first night in two weeks that I've gone to bed before 1AM! But it's been a good semester for me, all around - part of the reason I haven't been writing is because I've made a lot more real-life connections this year, both with Christian girls who are active in their churches and community-minded girls who are active in their organizations; and they've kind of swept my shy self along with them. Which has been really different, and really neat! In the last couple of weeks I've helped to plan a university-wide conference and rally, and this month I've been invited to be a student representative at a leadership conference. I'm very excited to see how they all turn out!

Daily life, though, has not been quite so exalted. It usually isn't.  :-) Today was my day off, so I walked around the campus gardens in a steady snowstorm, taking pictures of (dead) flowers:

It only took about 20 minutes for my hands to be so blue and frozen that I had to give up, but I got a few pretty good pictures and enjoyed feeling creative for a little while ... even if people did stare at me as they walked by ...  :-P  Dead flowers in the snow are pretty, people!!

Oh yes, speaking of creative:

Isn't he the cutest thing?? I got my pattern from http://overthebifrost.tumblr.com/, which has all kinds of adorable photos and ideas for crocheted Loki and Thor toys (from the Marvel Comics Thor movies, for those of you who live a more normal life than I do). This one is going to be a Christmas present for a dear friend of mine, as soon as I finish his helmet!

Hmm, and what else have I been doing besides indulging in oddities? ... Getting fairly good grades, doing some exciting things in my classes, and getting some confirmation that I'm on the right track with my major - which is always a good thing! I actually have been keeping up with everyone here on Blogger, too, even though I haven't commented much, and I'm so glad to see that you're all doing so well!!

The Lord has been working on a bunch of different things with me lately ... mostly showing me how narrow and selfish my view of the world is, and how obligated I am to open my eyes and look around me at the needs and hurts of others. I've also been working hard to establish the habit of reading a short devotion every morning when I wake up, in addition to my longer devotion in the evening, with the goal of directing my thoughts to God very first thing in the day. It has really been making a difference in my thoughts during the day - I'm really motivated to make this habit last for the rest of my life!

And that's about it! Here's a closing song for you, one that's been really encouraging and thought-provoking to me lately:



I love you all very much!! Feel free to drop me a line and say hello, if you haven't forgotten me!!

Hugs,
Vicki

My Real Self

She's the office jokester, the class brain, the short, funny-faced girl with the geek glasses and red Converses.

People think she's a little quirky - she loves to perch on desks and tell stories, sends pictures of Darth Vader to her coworkers while she's on the clock, and has been caught blasting rock music in her cubicle when she thinks the office is empty. Yet when the time comes for her to hitch up her backpack and head out, the work is always done and neatly stacked on her desk.

She loves to talk, about anything and everything, from the most serious of events in your life, to the silliest fluff that she found on the Internet. She knows all the answers in class and is usually the one to start all the discussions - she positively dominates her Spanish class, as long as she's had the right amount of caffeine. People marvel at how much she gets done - despite having multiple jobs and being over the limit for how many credit hours she's allowed to take in one semester, she always seems to have time to talk with her friends, work ten extra minutes, or explain the latest homework assignment. They're not sure if it comes from her ubiquitous jug of sweet tea or just her ebullient personality.

***

That doesn't sound much like me, does it?

No, it doesn't. And yet I tell you the truth: That is me, at least the "me" that most people know. That is the costume that I put on every morning when I walk out of the house, and step out of with relief as soon as I walk back in the door.

Someone asked me this week how I was able to have so many friends and be so well-liked by people, which I do seem to be; and after thinking about it, I realized what the answer had to be - because I act like a chatty, bubbly extrovert when I'm with them, talking my head off, using uptalk and vocal fry, and perpetuating my reputation as a geeky, endearingly childish, but hard-working and smart dork.

And then I wondered - what would happen to all of these friends if I decided to be my real self for a day?

What would happen if I started doing, making, and talking about the things that were really important to me, instead of covering myself up and pretending to be something I'm not? What if I went out one day and was the real me - quiet, sad, peaceful, artistic, and curious - instead of being loud and funny? What if I really admitted that I was feeling little and vulnerable and alone, instead of boisterously pretending that life was peachy?

I don't think most of my friends, chatty extroverts that they are, would probably want to be friends with me anymore. Compared to how sparkly and vivacious they all are, I seem very flat and misty gray.

 ***

It's very draining to pretend to be someone you're not all day. I was discussing recently with some INFP friends that when I don't get enough recharge time during the week - time to listen to sad music, to sleep, to walk outside, and to be quiet and serious for a while - then I become physically ill, with things like body aches and upset stomach, like I've had today. (I know that happens to lots of people; I'm not trying to do the INFP I'm-more-special-than-anyone-in-the-world thing!) This week has been especially difficult for me - it's been very productive and successful, but I've been spending many more hours than normal in my phony persona, and it's been taking its toll on my body and my mood. I look and feel awful.

As I spend more and more time with my friends and become more and more immersed in the world, I feel myself drifting further and further into a mist of lostness, like I'm just hanging onto the Lord with my fingertips. In denying my earthly personality, the way God made me, I am opening the door to also stifle my identity as a sanctified daughter of God. When I deny myself the chance to be quiet, then I deny myself the chance to pray; when I let myself get pulled by my friends into Benedict Cumberbatch and pop music and interpersonal drama, I let myself get pulled into distraction, fruitlessness, and wrong thoughts and actions.

I need to change. I need to be the way God made me, both in terms of my personality and in terms of my identity and my sanctification as a Christian. But do I dare get up tomorrow and be my real self? How can I, when everyone already knows me as the mouthy geek girl? What would happen if I let the veil fall away from my face for one day and let people see inside it? Would it be as awful as I think it would? Or could it possibly be the answer to all my problems?

Confusedly,
Vicki

Find a Way to My Heart

Find a way to my heart, and I will always be with you
From wherever you are, I'll be waiting
I'll keep a place in my heart, you will see it shining through
So find a way to my heart, and I will, I will follow you

This journey's not easy for you, I know
If your footsteps get too faint to hear, I'll go
'Cause you know, questions are never that easy
And never the same
You have the answer, believe me
If you have the faith to
Find a way to my heart...

Time may come, and time may go, I know
If you should call out for me, I'll go
But you know, there is a code to be broken
I wrap it around
Without a word being spoken
Without a sound

There's a reason I hide my heart
Out of sight, out of mind

And when I find out just who you are,
The door will be open for you to
Find a way to my heart... 

***

"Find A Way to My Heart"
(music here)
Phil Collins

© 1989

Restless heart

Daniel F. Gerhartz

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I mumbled. The old familiar feelings had started to lap at the shores of my heart again for the first time in months – the what ifs, the feeling that it was time to move on to something else. The wondering what the grass was like on the other side of the fence.

Time is slipping away, the voice whispered in my ear, as it always does. You’re another year older. Your life’s another year shorter. You’ve been in this place for more than a year now. Are you sure this is really what you want to do for the rest of your life? You could do more. You could have more, be more. What if you’re meant to do something else, and you miss it by being too cautious?

“I don’t get it,” I cried to my mom in frustration. “No matter what I do, I can only stick at it for a few months before I change my mind and want to do something else. Why am I so ADD?”

“You’re not ADD,” my mom replied wisely. “You’re restless. There’s a big difference.”

Restless. In a flash, I knew my mom was right – everything that has ever resonated with me is about freedom, about being brave and strong and unleashed to ride on the wind and soar high above the creeping grasp of everyday life. Consider these songs, some of my favorites:




"Chase the Wind"




"The Eagle and the Hawk"




"I Want to Live"

“I Want to Live”, especially, could be a more eloquent version of a cry from my own heart. I do want to live – I want to see things with my own eyes and experience them for myself. I want to feel racking pain and grief, as well as happiness so huge I could scream. I want to be alone in a big city, on a mountain, in a jungle. I want to be in danger. I want to make hard choices. I want to fly, to run, to leap and soar and dance in the sun.

And that’s why it’s so hard to think about settling into a nice peaceful job as a nice peaceful speech therapist. Or a nice peaceful ENT doctor, if I keep going that route. That was my last restless decision. Right now I want to be a pharmacist, but that doesn’t quite feel right either. No matter what I do, I have never yet experienced that “click” – that feeling of, yes, this is where I’m meant to be. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

And that restlessness and fear of settling down is also why the thought of getting married is so frightening to me – the older I get, the less willing I am to trust my heart and life into the hands of another person, especially since marriage is permanent. How can I agree to love and submit to one man forever, when I can’t even stick to a college major for more than a couple of years? What if I never experience the “click” with a man, either, and have to wing it based on my feeble powers of commitment?

Finally comes the question of whether being restless is even right. Christ Himself said He “set His face like a flint.” There was no flightiness or capriciousness about Him – everything He did was with His ultimate purpose in mind, and everything He did led to that goal. I don’t even have a goal, let alone wholeheartedly pursue it. Am I wrong? I excuse so many sins under the guise of “well, I’m just made that way.” Is this another one?

I don’t know. All I do know is that I’m living in a dream, only staying in reality long enough to finish what I have to do before I can escape into my dream world again with Spock, Captain America, Sydney Carton, Jane Eyre, and Princess Leia. Because there, I am free and strong and brave. There, I can do the things I dream, with the people I dream of; and the dream can change every day if I want it to. But this isn't how I want to live.

I hope that someday I find a reality that is exciting enough to pull me into it and let me truly begin to write my own story for the first time.

Brave

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't recommend going to a secular song for your life's inspiration. Secular songs tend to put a lot of emphasis on finding strength inside yourself, in other people, in cosmic forces, etc. As a general rule, if you're looking for a song to inspire you, go with a hymn or other worship song that points you toward the cross.

But, that being said, I have found so much motivation in Josh Groban's new song, "Brave." I have officially adopted it as my theme song for going to medical school.

Wake up, wake up, the sun

Cannot wait for long

Reach out, reach out before it

Fades away

My opportunity for going to med school has never been better. I'm more mature than I was when I started college; I know how to work hard (even if I don't always do it) and get good grades, and I'm more aware of what it will really mean to put in the years of study and preparation.

But this window of time won't last forever. I need to reach out now, while the way is clear, and before this chance slips away.

You will find the warmth when you surrender

Smile into the fear and let it play

I was so scared of the whole idea of med school while I was struggling with it and trying to come to a decision; but as soon as I did, I felt much more peace and confidence. Oh, I'm still terrified and not sure if I can actually do it. But the fear is part of the journey. I want God to do great things in my life.

Hold on, hold on, so strong

Time just carries on

I'll be 37 when I'm 37, regardless of whether I'm many years into my practice as a speech therapist, deep into my years as a stay-at-home mom, or just emerging from the tunnel of my fellowship and establishing my own practice. Time just carries on.

All that you thought was wrong

Is pure again

You know, there was a time - and not as long ago as it feels like - that I thought it was ... if not exactly wrong, it just wasn't the best thing for girls to go to college. I was afraid to believe I might have a purpose and gifts that were my own, and that might not necessarily be directly tied to marriage. But God has shown me since that He loves me for myself, Vicki Sands, not just as the future wife of Mr. Right. It's okay to dream things for my own life and to want to do things on my own. I definitely desire and hope to get married - I admit, I'll be seriously disappointed if I don't, because I am a lonely romantic for sure! - but my world is so huge now that I know it's okay to walk with God alone, too.

You can't hide forever from the thunder

Look into the storm and feel the rain

So, what about moving away from home? That scares me half to death. But I can't hide from it forever - someday I'll have to be a real adult, whether living alone or with my husband; and you know what? What looks like a huge dark cloud from here might actually be awfully beautiful and exciting once I get there.

And then, of course, there's the chorus.

You wanna run away, run away
And you say

That it can't be so

Boy, do I ever! I want to run away - I want to say that it can't be so!

You wanna look away, look away
BUT YOU STAY

'Cause it's all so close

But I'm going to stay! I'm going to stay, because it is all so close, and the Lord will boost me up if ever I'm not strong enough!

When you stand up and hold out your hand,

In the face of what I don't understand -

My reason to be brave

I will stand up and hold out my hand, in the face of things that I - and people around me - may not always understand; and in doing so, I will become others' reason to be brave. I will do this.

Because there are so many people in my life who have done the exact same thing for me - they have stood up in the face of incredible things that I could never even comprehend; and they give me the courage to be brave in my comparatively easy and uncomplicated life. I want people coming after me to look up and see - "Well, Vicki did this, and she's small and childish and naive and a scatterbrained dreamer - surely if she can do this, I can, too!"

When you stand up and hold out your hand,

In the face of what I don't understand -

My reason to be brave

 Someday, I'd love to meet JG in person, or write to him, and tell him how much this song has inspired me, that he's my reason to be brave (in this song, at least), and that it's going to be an important part of getting me through the next 13 years ... in the meantime, I keep it on repeat on my iPod and CD player, and keep remembering to smile into the storms and see where God's plan is going to take me!

~ Vicki

So Much Goodness!: Inspiration for the Week

Hello ladies! I haven't done one of my video/music inspirational posts in a while, so I rounded up some of the very, very, VERY best and most exceptional songs and videos from YouTube to get your work/school week started off right. Watch, listen, and enjoy!


***



"Look At the World" by John Rutter - this song is the benchmark of peace and beauty. Sit quietly for a few moments and drink in the beauty of God's world!




"I Will Lift My Eyes" by Bebo Norman - Remember that our Father will be right with us as we go through our day tomorrow!




"Creed" by Rich Mullins - Remember, you're not living this Christian life alone - there are millions of us, your sisters and brothers, all over the world, following in the footsteps of Christ and serving Him, just like you!




Have a smile! "The Garden Song," sung by the inimitable Liam Clancy.




"Everything" by Michael Buble - THE best Fred and Ginger tribute, ever. Watch it and get inspired to live and love and dance!




"Your Love" by Brandon Heath - THE best "Little House on the Prairie" tribute, ever. Watch it and get inspired to love and work and make this world beautiful!




"Follow Me" - Disney couples + John Denver. Romance at its best!




And finally, "I Believe, Help Thou Mine Unbelief" by the Gaither Vocal Band. This song has been such a tremendous blessing to me, because it reminds me that if [I] believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. If you're struggling or needing a boost of encouragement tomorrow, whatever your day may hold, remember that He is here; He loves you so much; and He will always be faithful to love and protect you, even when you don't have the strength to love Him as He deserves.

*** I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you, my friends! As always, let me know if you need me to pray for you or encourage you in any way! :-)

Lots of love,
Vicki

I ♥ Thursday {No. 8}

Hi everybody! Or as my awesome professor would say, "Hi gang!" I've been sick for a couple of days, I guess with a touch of the flu or something, but I'm feeling okay tonight ... busy getting ready for finals, trying to find a research team to join next semester, and registering for my last few classes. I'm so thankful that all this stuff can be done online now - what a blessing when I'm not feeling well!!

I bought a new Anúna CD this week that I'd been wanting for a long time, and the liner notes for one of the songs describe "the joy of melancholy." I pondered that phrase and decided that, yes, I actually do derive some pleasure from being melancholy. So this week, I am liking some songs that may seem sad when you first listen to them, but they possess a special beauty that happy music just doesn't have.

***

Source: youtube.com via Victoria on Pinterest

"The Last Unicorn" theme - I've never seen this movie, but there is something triumphant in the sadness of this opening song.


  "Carrickfergus" - Watch Liam's face, his eyes. He lives and breathes this sad old song.


  "The Highwayman" set to music by Loreena McKennitt - Haunting, intense, and powerful.


  "Somebody Love Me" by Michael W. Smith - the lyrics on this one are painful but true


  "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" - This is the original Irish version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," and it has none of the patriotic enthusiasm that our American version does. This is a bitterly sad tale of the horror and cost of war. I'm sorry that the quality of this video is so bad, but no one sings it like Tommy Makem - when he gets that catch in his throat toward the end, it is exquisitely painful.


  "War At Home" by Josh Groban

And here's a song that is in a minor key, but is not sad at all:


  "Wings As Eagles" by Jeff Conte - Stunning!

***

Remember that the rain can be as beautiful as the sun, in its own way!

Love, Vicki

Sunday Praise

Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted last ... it's been a busy week, with studying, working, and goofing off with friends in our last few days of warm weather. Today it has turned cold, and I think it's pretty much going to be cold for the rest of the year. It won't be long until Thanksgiving and Christmas!  :-)
 
I had planned today to post a big lofty treatise of mine, on how I've determined my primary identity to be a writer, after all ... but I got to reading it, and thought, "What a load of self-centered drivel!" So instead, here is some music from around YouTube that's really been blessing me today - it's a lot like the music that I used to sing in church when I was in high school (some of it is music that I used to sing in high school), and I hope it blesses you the way it's been blessing me!















Have a blessed Lord's Day, my friends!

Love, Vicki

In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone
by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty  

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless Babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

'Til on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Could ever pluck me from His hand

'Til He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I stand

***

Acts 4:12b - "... there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." 

Question ... ??

I am eager to see the number of views that this post gets simply because I have included a picture of Josh Groban ... I have decided that the only thing guaranteed to get more views than a post about Josh Groban is a wedding announcement! (And yes, because this caption is what will pop up on the Blogger dashboard, this post is, in fact, related to Josh Groban and not just a gimmick.)

Source: i.usatoday.net via Brooklyn on Pinterest

Hello. How are you? Is your life going well?

I have to get going and pry myself out of this warm computer lab to go back out into the chilly morning, but I want to ask you one question and get you mulling on it, because I need some help:

• Do any of you think it would be a good idea for Josh Groban to do an album of Disney songs?

I do. I do. I would be in tears throughout the entire thing. Can you imagine him singing "A Dream Is a Wish" or "Out There" or "Colors of the Wind"?

*Sob*

But:

• Do any of you have any ideas on how we could communicate this idea to him?

Mull on it ...

While I go search for something to post about head off to class ...

~ Vicki

P.S. In anticlimactic news of the day, this is my 100th post ... wow ...

Mid-Week Encouragement!

Does anybody else feel in need of some mid-week encouragement? I certainly do. In this week alone, I have:

• Walked approximately 20 miles
• Consumed more junk food than I had in the past six months ... and still lost weight
• Attended what feels like 547 callouts
• Learned about the action potential of a neuron and the sliding theory of muscle movement

And,

• Accidentally smashed my beautiful brand-new computer.

Yeah. I need some encouragement.

Here you go. Stay strong, keep climbing, go, conquer, and above all, DREAM, because life is so much more than the things we see or touch (or break)!

***

Disney Heroes Tribute
This song/tribute reminds me to dream bigger, run farther, climb higher, stand stronger, and look up to the sky - and it's written from a secular perspective, not even a Christian one. Stop and think for a minute about all that we can do and be when we're filled with the Holy Spirit! If unbelievers can dream this big, why are our dreams often so small?
(This does have a couple of the scenes from The Little Mermaid that I don't like, FYI, but all in all it is tearjerking and powerful.)




"More To This Life" by Steven Curtis Chapman
This song is a reminder that our lives as Christians are to be bigger than just the day-to-day pressures of this world - we're part of the Lord's great plan, and we need to live with HIS great big vision, not the world's narrow little survival methods!




This is a video I found a while back, a brief section of a documentary on Helen Keller; and I was absolutely amazed to hear her speak - I knew that she could, of course, but it was thrilling to watch her and hear her actual voice. Think of all she overcame, and still had such a beautiful spirit and encouraging life! Surely my tiredness and glum moods are nothing compared to being blind and deaf!!




"The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends" Intro
Remember how beautiful the world is, and don't forget to take time to slow down and look at the flowers, the sky, the trees, the animals, and the people around you. God created the world to be so beautiful - we need to take a little time each day and enjoy it!




Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Trailer
But also, don't forget that this world needs men and women who are courageous ... bold ... willing to dream dreams bigger than the world around them; willing to go to the end of the world and try to do the impossible. Remember how much there is to explore and learn and conquer - in the physical world, in the spiritual world; in science, in language, in theology, in medicine, in nutrition - whatever makes your heart beat faster, there is still a wealth of knowledge out there that we need to discover and many obstacles for us to overcome. Let's take courage and do hard things for God!
(the trailer has one bad word, but is still AWESOME)




"Whispers of Paradise" by Michael McGlynn
Don't forget to be peaceful and still ...




"I Don't Drink Beer" by Tim Hawkins
... But laugh a little, too.  :-)




"Sanctus" by Libera
Above all, rejoice in beauty and praise the Lord!!


***

I hope this boosts your mood today and puts a smile on your face! Happy Wednesday, everybody!

Lots of love,
Vicki

My childhood ... remixed

Here is my contribution to weekend happiness! These are videos of famous TV show hosts, but the PBS studio people took recordings of their voices and computer-enhanced them to turn them into autotuned songs. I know - who even comes up with an idea like that?

Let me tell you, I tried so hard to dislike these videos, but I just couldn't. Somehow, I actually like these crazy things ... probably because they include two of my favorite TV shows ever, Mister Rogers Neighborhood and Bob Ross's painting show. And because the Julia Child one is so funny that I literally fell down on the floor from laughing so hard the first time I heard it. Yes, for some reason, I like these.

What do you think? Take a couple of weekend minutes and tell me what you think!

***

Mister Rogers ... I still can't decide if this is brilliant or criminal ...



Bob Ross ... this brought a tear to my eye, it really did, despite its slight surrealness. I can't tell you how many times I watched this show as a little girl - every day with my mom in the afternoons, while my little siblings were asleep. Bob Ross' show and Wind in the Willows will forever be my most precious childhood memories.



Julia Child ... I haven't watched her very much, but I know that she was a master chef and her creations amaze me. And I love how this video turns the phrase "bring on the roasted potatoes" into a kind of odd refrain ...


***

Dying laughing ... I really shouldn't write posts at 12:30 in the morning ...

Lots of love, Vicki

"The Man I Love"

I found this adorable song a while ago, when I was looking for Buster Keaton tributes ... it's an old 1940's song sung by Billie Holiday that I think is too sweet for words. It almost perfectly describes the way I think about my future husband. Enjoy.

"The Man I Love"
by George Gershwin

sung by Billie Holiday

Someday he'll come along, the man I love
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
And when he comes my way,
I'll do my best to make him stay 

He'll look at me and smile; I'll understand
Then in a little while, he'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd,
I know we both won't say a word

Maybe I shall meet him Sunday,
Maybe Monday, maybe not;
Still, I'm sure to meet him one day -
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day!

He'll build a little home that's meant for two
From which I'll never roam - Who would? Would you?
And so all else above,
I'm dreaming of the man I love!