steps to become me.

1. buy a (product)red iPod shuffle. carry it around all the time.
2. take pictures of EVERYTHING.
3. drink lots of sweet tea. and water. no soda.
4. draw on everything like a small child.
5. love Jesus Christ with all of your heart.
6. become a cupcake enthusiast.
7. get excellent taste in music.
8. dream of Australia.
9. do the backstage work.
10. don't ever make your clothes match, but make it look good.
11. be the backstage person, not the one up front.
12. give pineapples as gifts at every occasion possible.
13. join One, (product)red, TOMS, Oxfam, EDUN, Invisible Children, and all that jazz.

Haiku do you?

New Orleans

Oh the city lights

The streets alive with music

Artists all around

Viva La Vida

Look at the revenge

They all war with each other

When will it end?

Sinatra

Oh so much talent

The music alive in him

Beauty in perfection

Vampire

Beautiful cold creature

Pale cold and stronger than most

A killer in the end

Costa Rica

It kinda goes to the tune of "the good left undone" by Rise Against....but kinda not...

It looks like nothings grown for weeks

I found a flower at amongst the weeds

It screamed at me to let it out

I wrapped my fingers around the stem

Pulled until the roots gave in

I looked down at the petals in my hand

Cracked and broken like this land

It begged to go back to its home

It needed life it needed growth

So I pushed my fingers through the earth

And sent the flower back to where it came from

But now I sensed the coming rain

Staring through my window on the bus

Then it started to pour down

On this deserted land

all is full of love

I wish I wrote thsi, but sadly, I didn't.  I do love this song though...It's by Bjork, and Death Cab For Cutie did an amazing cover of it...

You'll be given love
You'll be taken care of
You'll be given love
You have to trust it

Maybe not from the sources
You have poured yours
Maybe not from the directions
You are staring at

Twist your head around
It's all around you
All is full of love
All around you

All is full of love
You just aint receiving
All is full of love
Your phone is off the hook
All is full of love
Your doors are all shut
All is full of love

top songs of 2008

i've always wanted to do one of these, and i finally did.

1.   In your atmosphere (live) - john mayer

2.   Falls apart - thousand foot krutch

3.   Four become one - hawthorne heights

4.   Feel good drag – anberlin

5.   Violet hill - coldplay

6.   Cath – death cab for cutie

7.   A song is not a business plan – the rocket summer

8.   Bold as love (live) – john mayer

9.   Syndicate – the fray

10.        Stop and stare – onerepublic

11.        Love lockdown – kanye west

12.        Ready set go – tokio hotel

13.        Your love is strong – jon foreman

14.        Do you feel – the rocket summer

15.        Re-education (through labor) – rise against

16.        Use somebody – kings of leon

17.        Warwick avenue - duffy

18.        Free fallin’ (live) – john mayer

19.        Save – the rocket summer

20.        Mercy – duffy

21.        Storm the gates of hell – demon hunter

22.        Holiest of thieves – the myriad

23.        Lucky – Jason mraz ft colbie callait

24.        Anthem for the underdog – 12 stones

25.        So much love – the rocket summer

26.        I’m yours – Jason mraz

27.        Disappear - anberlin

28.        Scream – tokio hotel

29.        Stop this train (live) – john mayer

30.        Forget what you came for – the myriad

31.        Hey Brittany – forever the sickest kids

32.        I will possess your heart – death cab for cutie [but it has to be the 8 minute long one]

33.        Back burner – august burns red

34.        Rescue me – hawthorne heights

35.        Live every second – tokio hotel

36.        Neon (live) john mayer

37.        Little drummer boy – the almost

38.        The resolution – jack’s mannequin

39.        A clean shot – the myriad

40.        Revenge – jon foreman

41.        Lie to me – 12 stones

42.        Cape Canaveral – conor oberst

43.        You found me – the fray

44.        I’m not over – Carolina liar

45.        Ricochet! – shiny toy guns

46.        Death and all of his friends – coldplay

47.        Sex on fire – kings of leon

48.        Miserable visu (ex malo bonum) – anberlin

49.        Lovers in japan : reign of love – coldplay

50.        Everything starts where it ends – lovedrug

51.        You waste time like a grandfather clock – the myriad

52.        So, in this hour – the rocket summer

53.        Coffee break – forever the sickest kids

54.        Viva la vida – coldplay

55.        My god – this beautiful republic ft. aaron Gillespie

56.        Gravity (live) – john mayer

57.        God of this city – chris tomlin [yes, I really listen to him…]

58.        Awful direction – the almost

59.        Love remains the same – gavin rossdale

60.        Believe me I’m lying – forever the sickest kids

61.        You don’t know me – ben folds ft. regina spektor

62.        Artsy – the grouch

63.        Human – the killers

64.        Whoa oh (me vs everyone) – forever the sickest kids

65.        I don’t trust myself with loving you (live) – john mayer

66.        Grapevine fires – death cab for cutie

67.        Lost! – coldplay

68.        Crashin’ – jack’s mannequin

69.        Heartless – kanye west

you found me

I've become newfoundly obsessed with the fray's latest single over the past few weeks...playing it for everyone and getting their opinions on it.

i've always had a soft spot for the fray, and i think it's because of songs like this.

the song is basically a conversation with God that goes like this...

guy runs into God on the street and asks where he's been.

God says "ask anything"

he asks "where were you when everything was falling apart?"

i am madly in love with the bridge, i love the raw honesty about it...it's been changing some things inside of me...it goes like this:

"Early morning, the city breaks, i've been calling for years and years and years and years and you never left me no messages, you never sent me no letters, you've got some kind of nerve..."

we aren't supposed to talk to God like that...are we?

but maybe God can handle it....maybe thats what he wants to see....the raw and real and honest version of me.

i think this week i was reminded that this is what i'm thankful for.  the opportunity to be honest.  i think the change starts there...

video for "you found me"

Go Don.

so...Donald Miller was asked to pray the closing benediction at the Democratic National Convention. Despite who you will vote for or who you want to be president, I don't think anyone can disagree with his prayer. so here it is.

"Father God,
This week, as the world looks .. the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.
We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.
We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.
Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.
Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.
Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.
Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don't have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.
Help us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.
Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.
We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.
Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.
A lot of people don't like us but that's because they don't know the heart of the average American.
Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.
Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.
Lastly, father, unify us.
Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.
And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.
God we know that you are good.
Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.
I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.
Let Him be our example.
Amen."