'ohana

She did not leave for home. She stayed with Rachel in her room, listening to a life's story that was, she discovered, richer than it was sad. She heard of her birth father, Kenji; her grandfather, Henry, and grandmother, Dorothy; learned of Rachel's hanai aunt, Haleola; Uncle Pono and Catherine and Sarah and Leilani and the rest of Rachel's cherished 'ohana. She learned what 'ohana meant, and that he was part of it. She began to understand that non of this could replace or usurp the family she had always known, but enriched what she already possessed. With wonder and a growing absence of fear she realized, I am more than I was an hour ago.

- moloka'i

christmas cheer!

Buddy: Sounds like somebody needs to sing a Christmas Carol.
Jovie: No way.
Buddy: The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.
Jovie: Thanks, but I don't sing.
Buddy: Oh, well, it's just like talking, except longer and louder, and you move your voice up and down.
Jovie: I *can* sing, I just choose *not* to sing. Especially in front of other people.
Buddy: If you can sing alone, you sing in front of other people. There's no difference.
Jovie: Actually, there's a BIG difference.
Buddy: No there's not. Wait...
[Starts singing loud and off-key]
Buddy: I'm singing/I'm in a store/and I'm siiiiiingiiiiing!/I'm in a store/and I'm siiiiiingiiiiing!
Gimbel's Manager: HEY! There's no singin' in the North Pole!
Buddy: Yes there is!
Gimbel's Manager: No there's not!
Buddy: We sing all the time!
Gimbel's Manager: No you don't!
Buddy: Especially when we build toys!
[Back to Jovie]
Buddy: See?

- elf

psalm 46:1-3;10

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

picks

lists lists, i love lists. music music, i love music. so i'm combining them. yippee! here's a list of my current favorite songs.

Like You'll Never See Me Again by Alicia Keys
i love the way the song begins... with this piano-music boxesque [yes i made up that word] sound. the whole song is a good balance of tenderness and soul. the music video is perfect. go watch it!

By Picadilly Station I Sat Down and Wept by Tracey Thorn
first thing i said to myself when i encountered this song -- so emo!. hahaha. i love tracey thorn's voice, and this is such a tracey thorn song, one that only she can sing. i dare not even sing along. i just sit back, imagine the scene and feel the pain she describes. it's like a movie.

Gravel Lines by Amy Seeley
piano piano piano. the song is very... fragile, delicate, beautiful. it causes everything to transform into a dramatic slow motion scene. yes, it has that effect on me. lol.

Summer Song by Wavorly
i just recently discovered Wavorly [thanks to hg]. their album beyond rawks, an interesting and eventful trip from beginning to end haha. this song stood out because it was both romantic and intense. and i'm a sucker for romance & intensity. haha.

Don't Talk About This Love by Nikola Rachelle
Nikola Rachelle is a very recent discovery for me. she's the sister of natasha bedingfield (unwritten) & daniel bedingfield (if you're not the one). major talent running through that family, goshers. i'm sure God said, "behold, the bedingfield children will have awesome vocal chords", and it came to be! hahaha. there's a hint of natasha in her voice, and yet it's still distinct. this song evokes a lot of emotion... too much at times, it's like a punch to the gut.

Your Cheating Heart by Jon Foreman (Switchfoot)
Jon Foreman is just plain cool in my book. i'm fascinated with people like him. haha. and his voice is quite unique. i'm a fan of his solo stuff. this isn't his original song obviously, but his raw and stripped down version has to be the best of all. well, if it were up to me that is. haha.

wonder

And I can't help but wonder what it is you do
You help heal the pain, and the thoughts of the truth
You're a question to the universe, a wonder to the world
And somehow, when I'm with you, I never get burned

Caught in a trap of what we're taught to believe
When night overcomes day, life's so hard to preceve
And the clock keeps on ticking through night-shattered skies
Where the stars are all broken, and so are all the ties
But the one thing remaining is you
When I'm broken and bleeding, you pull me right through

And I can't help but wonder what it is you do
You help heal the pain, and the thoughts of the truth
You're a question to the universe, a wonder to the world
And somehow, when I'm with you, I never get burned

- wonder by megan mccauley