NEEDTOBREATHE

A few months ago my sister told me some wonderful news. She said that my favorite band {NEEDTOBREATHE} was going to be close by in November. Oh mercy! I was so excited. Last week the long awaited date finally came! My soon to be sister-in-law picked us up and we headed to the concert. I think this was the first time I actually felt giddy about seeing a band live. I had high hopes and they did not disappoint. 

I'm sorry if you guys could care less about NEEDTOBREATHE, because the following photos will be entirely of them. Hehe.

The neat thing about NEEDTOBREATHE is that they are Christians. They are on a secular record label, but they just write about what is important to them. Their faith is a big part of who they are and it comes out in their music. They seemed very humble on stage. Thus, it made me love them even more! They literally rocked my socks off. I sang at the top of my lungs the whole time. At the very end they played "A Place Only You Can Go" acoustic. Oh. My. Goodness. You'd have to be there to know how spectacular is was. The only sad part is that my hubby couldn't come with us. He's the one that got me hooked on NEEDTOBREATHE in the first place. I guess we'll just have to go see them again! :)

If you haven't heard their music, just listen to this song. It's good. Promise!

Recent Songs

Hey guys, I wanted to share with you a few songs I've been working on lately. We recently used one for a night of worship church. After the service Jonathan asked the speaker (David Nasser) for feedback on my song. I was so embarrassed, but gave us some good critique. He said writing bullet songs is important; take a principle in scripture or an attribute of God and really drive it home poignantly, instead of moving from one thought to another.

I'm an amateur for sure, but songwriting is an area where I hope to grow. Thus, I am opening up myself for critique here. I need it to get better. So, how do these songs hit you? What do they say? Is there one driving point, or is it several?

Oh, and don't really mind my guitar playing. I'm a pianist, but the only instrument I have access to at the house is a guitar...so I play it...poorly! This is yet another area that needs improvement! :)

Thanks you guys!



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I am a music nerd

Yep, this is my favorite thing to do on my off days and in my spare time...

My dear husband has to work most holidays, including tomorrow. 

Take a wild guess at what I'll be doing for most of the day. If you said play a little music, you were right. Ah, it's going to be great. I have several things floating around in my head and I can't wait to flesh them out. 

Music is food for the soul, especially this one. I'm not really an emotional person, but I express a lot of those things through music. When I'm upset or frustrated, I play. I can be sad, happy, excited or any gamut of emotions...they call come out as melodies. Oh, and I love it.

Yes, yes...I know I'm a nerd.

Well, I hope you all have a great day tomorrow, whatever you do!

Hello Testing, so nice to see you!

I have always loved getting good grades. As a homeschool kid, my mom's grades didn't mean that much to me. That is mainly because I had to do my best for her whether I liked it or not. But my co-op teacher's grades were a whole different story. Getting an A from them was very akin to winning a prize at the fair. It felt so good! I made all A's in college as well. (Ok, I got one B but it should have been an A.) I can remember that blissful feeling of getting back a paper or test with a big, fat A written on the top. Tests were kind of fun for me to be honest. I like the thrill of pushing my mind to remember all the things from class, conquer the test and achieve the highest grade.

However, the words 'pop-tests' and 'pop-quizes' deserve the status of the-most-horrible-thing-a-teacher-can-do in my book. I despised them when I was in school. If you tell me a test is coming, I will prepare for it. You know, study, read or whatever it takes to get a good grade. How do you prepare for a pop-quiz? You don't! One can only hope and pray that the mind retained the things it needed to in class!

Well, this week has been like a spiritual pop-test. I've been in the lowest of lows and reached the highest of highs. It has been quite a spiritual roller-coaster to say the least! Don't you just love it when you are doing fine when....BAM, you are suddenly in the midst of testing. Let me tell, you it is fun. And by fun I mean not! I was hoping that this week would bring more insight and vision to some things in my life, but I wasn't expecting it to come this way. One thing is for sure, I am so glad that I can be real here and share the struggles in my life. It is so good to know I'm not alone!

Even so, the Lord has been so good to me. I know that He disciplines those He loves, and I am grateful for that. He has been faithful to reveal somethings to me today. Instead of being proud (as I might have been), I am so humbled that He chose to give these things to me.

I hope to share one thing I have been given this week with you all. Can you guess what it might be? The photo below is a hint!

Say hello to the real us. Yes, we are weird like this all the time.

Have a very blessed Sunday my friends!

Here & Now

A couple of you guys asked to hear me play and sing the song I've been working on...so I'm going to share it on here. This is the first time anyone but my husband has heard it. He could play and sing it so much better than I do, but oh well!

However, I give you full warning - this is me exhausted, my voice is tired, I'm not singing right, I slip in and out of head voice and I messed up on the piano parts. It's a work in progress. If you are a music nerd, please don't tear me to shreds! I am an amateur song-writter at best!

I had a better take, but someone walked in on me. Can you say awkward? Let me tell you, it was weird. After that I was too tired to give it another go. So here is the very imperfect first take:

I'm not sure why the video isn't matching up with the audio...working on that. If any one is an expert on uploading youtube videos from PhotoBooth, let me know what I'm doing wrong!

Music is like breathing

I've been singing since I could talk. I love it. Music is close to breathing for me. I'm pretty steady emotionally - roller coasters of feelings are not my thing. But on the piano, everything comes out. Everything.

The other day I shared with you all my secret place. Well, this is my other secret place...ok, it's not really secret. If there is a piano close in proximity...rest assured that I will find it...and play it!

I love to sing here

I love to just play here

I love to create here

All my emotions come out on the keys.

Every note can express so much

Yes, playing and singing is indeed very akin to breathing.

It is my soul's deep sigh.


What is like breathing to you?

Flame of Fire

"He makes His ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dreaded asbestos of 'other things.' Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame. But flame is transient, often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul - a short life? In me there dwells the Spirit of the Great Short-Lived, whose zeal for God's house consumed Him. And He has promised baptism with the Spirit and with Fire. 'Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.'" (Jim Elliot)

In reading "Shadow of the Almighty" about the life of Jim Elliot, I have been struck by the flame of passion that exuded every part of his life. He was indeed consumed with Christ. And he sought to live as Jesus did - for the glory of God. I love reading Jim's prayers. They are bursting with fervor and intensity. I have most definitely been challenged to let go of the 'other things' in my life that are distracting me from my knees, from desperation for God to move in me, and from soaking myself in the Word of God.

This is my prayer and my song as of late:

Here & Now 

Come and consume us

We are the offering

Gladly we lay down

Our lives before the King

Life is but a moment

In all eternity

May it be used up

For Your glory

So come with fire

Come with fire

So come with fire

We pray

Here and Now

We offer up our lives

As a living sacrifice

In worship to You God

For You are

The only righteous Lamb

Slain for the sins of man

So we worship You God

Here and now

Lord we are willing

To burn if you should choose

Nothing we hold back

It is our gain to lose

We choose surrender

A life with You as Lord

Here we are waiting

O Spirit, be outpoured

So come with fire

Come with fire

So come with fire

We pray

Here and Now

We offer up our lives

As a living sacrifice

In worship to You God

For You are

The only righteous Lamb

Slain for the sins of man

So we worship You God

Here and now

Through the years...

In honor of the month of love, I am reminiscing on us through the years. I love looking back on all the sweet times we've spent together.

I give you fair warning though. Jonathan looked very different. He had long curly hair! I think we both look better now. His hair is short and I lost some of my baby face look.

Ok, here we go on a trip down memory lane:

Spring of 2008

This was our first picture of "just us." I was leaving to go home for the summer and wasn't sure how things were going to work out. However, we were both pretty infatuated with each other at this point.

August 2008

We are headed home so that Jonathan can meet all of my family, now that he is "the boyfriend."

Fall of 2008

At the fair together and having a good time

Winter 2008-2009

We had just started saying "I love you"

Valentines Day 2009

He wrote me a beautiful song about how thankful he was that God gave me to him.

Spring 2009

Out on one of our weekly dates

April 2009

In St. Augustine for a day trip. We came home for my little brother's birthday

July 16, 2009

Our one year anniversary of dating. Jonathan surprised me by driving 4 hours to see me! He took me out on a really nice date this day.

August 2009

In Panama City for my grandparent's 50 wedding anniversary celebration

September 2009

Exploring nature on a day outing, hiking and such.

October 7, 2009

My 21st birthday - we got engaged! It was a huge, extremely romantic surprise proposal!

The rock.

November 2009

At the fair again on my favorite ride - the ferris wheel!

December 11, 2009

I graduated from college!!!!

January 2010

This is the day I had been waiting for a very long time! Jonathan picked me up after our family vacation and this is how he looked! I hardly recognized him. I knew he would look so good with short hair.

Valentines Day 2010

Our first one as an engaged couple! I remember that we spend most of the night talking about the future...exciting things were to come!

March 2010

Home for the weekend and doing what we do best - make music.

March 2010

The weekend it snowed in the deep south! I grew up in Florida, so snow is kind of a big deal.

Easter 2010

This was my first Easter away from my family, but I was happy to be with my soon-to-be new family!

Spring 2010

Our engagement pictures!

April 2010

At one of our many wonderful wedding showers

May 2010

At our couples shower thrown by EEO

May 21, 2010

At our rehearsal dinner!

May 22, 2010

The best day of my life - our wedding day!

Leaving for the honeymoon! Finally!

May 2010

The best week of my life - our honeymoon in the Caribbean!

July 2010

WIRED Week Missions Camp

August 2010

Leading worship for the weekend at the beach! 

August 2010

Having a groovy time at my mom's 60's birthday party

October 7, 2010

My 22nd birthday and my ring's 1st birthday. :) We went back to the same place we ate the night we got engaged.

October 31, 2010

We were Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan for Halloween.

November 2010

In NC for my cousin's wedding

December 2010

Our first Christmas together!

Janurary 2011

Dancing the night away at the EEO staff party

Present Day 2011

I cannot wait to see where life is going to take us in the future. It's been a wonderful journey with this man thus far and I look forward to many more adventures in the years to come!