Interesting to say the least. I haven't updated since September. I'm not shocked, nor should anyone else be. I've been the busiest person alive and too busy with my Creative Site to bother with this.

Check it out:

tigrislilium.livejournal.com

It's worth it... I think, at least :)

Back to school! The time has come, and I'm more than happy that I'm back into the life of socialism. As of now, I am relaxing (which has been rare in this week of lectures and conferences) and it feels marvellous.

Everytime I come to Redeemer, even after a weekend of being at home like last year, I see that God is here. It's a different surrounding than my household. God's at work. And it's phenomenal. And he's at work in me. Of course, he worked in me in a different way this summer, but it's more apparent in Redeemer. It's more palpable in a Christian community, where there is a church beside you and you can easily talk to peers, not just your mom, about God openly. I miss that a lot about Redeemer. And the fact that you can get involved with people like you, to serve a God that is amazing and faithful is a massive bonus.

I'm blessed where I am. And I'm thankful. God's shaping me as we speak, and I feel him moving. Don't ever stop!

Sometimes we wonder why bad things happen to good people. Although I don't know all the answers, I think this is why:

"Until I learned to trust,
I did not learn to pray,
And I did not learn to fully trust
Til sorrows came my way.
Until I felt my weakness,
His strength I never knew,
Nor dreamed till i was stricken
That He would see me through.
Who deepest drinks of sorrow
Drinks deepest too of grace,
He sends the storm so He Himself
Can be our hiding place.
His heart that seeks our highest good
Knows well when things annoy,
We would not long for heaven
If earth held only joy."
-Barbara Ryberg

Why would we long for heaven if all on earth was joy? Why would we want to be with God when we easily felt at peace and happy with everything. I think we experience pain, loss and suffering so that we can look forward to what God has for us in heaven: perfection.

"Hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, I'll be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm holdin on)(I'm holdin on)
Barely holding on to you"

"Broken" ~ Lifehouse

I like Lifehouse. I've heard of them a long time ago, have all of their cd's, and I can definitely say the next one is worth the buy! I mean, I haven't listen to the entire cd, but this one song is really speaking to me.

I like Lifehouse for numerous of reasons. First of all, they have a great sound. It's alternative, and I love the lead's voice. It's soothing but it's also capable of pulling a powerful punch. Second, I find their lyrics to be very inspirational which all ties into the complete number three in which Lifehouse has the lyrics that can be tied to God.

You've head the song "You & Me" by them, right? I'm sure you think that's just a song about him and some love (like you would think every rich famous dumbo out there) but take a closer look at those lyrics. Don't you think that we can twist it? "It's You and me and all of the people..." It can easily be referred to God.

On their latest cd, Who We Are, there's this one song called "Broken." I'll leave a lyric excerpt after I finish my tiny "rant."

Lifehouse is kind of like Switchfoot, except with a more mellow sound. Switchfoot has many of those lyrics where you can twist it to point to God. "Meant to Live" and "The Blue" can easily be associated with a Creator and an almighty God. Lifehouse' music can also do that. For example, take "Everything" in which has been featured on Smallville once. (Imagine my excitement when I heard them on that show!) "You're everything. You're all I want. You're all I need." I think that's a rather great confession, you know? Repeatedly, the song allows me to close my eyes and just reoffer myself to Christ. Although, sure, it's about 7 minutes long... but who doesn't need a little silent worship these days?

I like music with meaning. If you have any recommendations, please give me a buzz.

A brief update from May 6 and the considerably long list of "I wonder..." comments: the cold did go away but was replaced by lack of wisdom teeth and large headache, University mode was successfully uplifted, I picked up the book, read a few pages, and put it back down, I was still bored, I can't recall the weather of the next day, Dave and I went to see Shakespeare and it was magnificent and full of kidnapping (with me involved), Taryn's party was brilliant especially including the tearjerkingly beautiful Brahms concert (of which gives evidence to ditching the family's Stag & Doe), I didn't work the next day, I did survive the wisdom teeth being pulled (albiet with a lot of crazy things afterward such as vomiting and fainting an convulsing), the headache went away and was replaced with a brand-spankin' new one, the stomach ache is gone, and last but not least, the cold has gone away!

The end.

I find it very... disturbing and incredibly interesting to know that if an unknown band or artist or song is played in the background of a TV show or movie, it can instantly shoot them to five star fame.

Take for instance, Snow Patrol. I knew of Snow Patrol about three years ago when listening to them on purevolume.com, and I instantly loved them. They're song "Run" spoke to me. I'm very thankful the the person who referred me not only to purevolume.com but to Snow Patrol at the same time. However, and I should say fortunately as well, they were propelled into fame by the hit we all know as a massive sap-fest, "Grey's Anatomy." I am a big fan of the show as most people would know, and ergo, I love the music that they play.

First there was The Fray, "How to Save a Life," then there was Snow Patrol, "Chasing Cars," and now, I foretell that the next rising star will be Ingrid Michaelson's, "Keep Breathing." This song was aired on the last episode of season 3, and with it perfect emotions crescendoing with the ever evolving plot.

But what does this say about us personally? I realize that I speak mainly for myself when I say this: "We are too much involved with the television screen and the labels and offers it shows to us." I watch shows like Grey's Anatomy - which is/was the only show that I watch until the season ended - and I'm like, "Hey, I dig this song! It works perfectly with the show, and boy, did it ever help me cry!"

I think I'm becoming many things: a Grey's Anatomy-aholic, a TV-aholic (although I don't watch the tv... I watch seasons), a musaholic (nothing to say for there because music is wonderful) and of course, a Hey-This-is-neat-let's-see-what-the-song-actually-sounds-like-and-get-it person.

Is this a bad thing? Like I said, yes and no. I really need to get off of my butt and experience the importance that life isn't at all like that on the TV screen which soap's and sap-fests' continually try to make us believe.

But no, it's an important thing to know music, and I am officially hooked on indie.

And I probably contradicted myself on so many things in this post. But I was bored and I was trying to find something to talk about upon lack of updating.