Green

When I was in the eighth grade my boyfriend loaned me two albums from his favorite band: Automatic for the People and Green.  I was a different person from that day forward.  For the duration of our two month relationship we spent every night on the phone listening to these amazing albums and all other REM albums and gushing.  That is the only way to describe it. 

I can't not gush when you mention REM.  My intials are - not lying - REM.  I didn't marry my husband because of that (I married him because he can see the top of the refrigerator) but it was a huge bonus. 

There are four men of such genius that exist in our world that give me hope beyond hope that art will never stop being revolutionary and brilliant.  Three of those men make up REM (Bill - quitters never win!  I miss you)  and the fourth is Adam Duritz.  Adam will someday have his own post...  

The thing about REM is that they are my favorite band.  I LOVE the Beatles.  I LOVE Counting Crows.  I LOVE a lot of bands, but the real truth is that REM inspires creativity and hope for me that other bands cant.  I wallow in other bands.  I get emotional when I hear 1979 because of its relevance in my life.  I cannot listen to Anna Begins without shouting along the most painful parts and feeling the pleading in my soul.  But I just emote with it.  World Leader Pretend makes me question reality.  Nightswimming (the song I walked down the aisle to) reminds me that life is short and I have to go and be.  I am motivated to live my life to the fullest and seek out challenges and reach for my potential by REM.  

It seems totally crazy, but I told you - gushing.  

Listen to Green.  What do you think?  What bands make you gush?

Red 2 or How I Roll

I am a huge fan of ONE and I am in LOVE with (RED) and I have recently joined the fight to save public broadcasting.  I think the internet is inc(red)ible for many, many reasons, but the ability to join folks across the world to fight aids, hunger, poverty and injustice just blows my mind... 

For me, it started with feeding people while expanding my vocabulary over at www.FreeRice.com.  Then I moved to Nashville and a friend introduced me to his new online community - www.coolpeoplecare.org.  That was the end.  I was sold on the connection and impact that the internet brings.  I love my friends and work hard for my community IRL too, but the world gets more connected everyday.  I am in awe.  I love being able to do for others with a click and having the opportunity to use  my voice to be supportive of people I never would have known.  For instance, Star Wars Katie!


So when I start to feel like no one understands, I can look to the awesome Mom Blog world for support!  And when I feel like I don't matter, I remember my purpose is connected to everyone on Earth via this cute little laptop!
 
How are you making a difference and connecting to the world via the web?

Red.

My second favorite flavor of vitamin water zero is Red. XXX

My glasses are red. 

Approximately 8% of my hair is Red.

My favorite color is black.  Second is hot pink. 

I detest the little red flags in my inbox. So very much dislike. 

My living room had no red - not necessary in the calm, cool relaxing space...  Now everything comes in a primary color (or all three) because it all now belongs to the monster.  Red is everywhere.

The monster loves RED.

3 of My bedroom walls are chili pepper red - it was supposed to be a part of the theme - red velvet ropes and big blocks of black and hollywood...  but it just never got there.  Will it? 
The nursery was all finished on time.  The living room paint was supposed to start 14 months ago...  The downstairs bathroom is still sickly greybluegross.  

I do not feel good about the bedroom getting done.  Ever.  Because there is also the kitchen...  I used to think I didn't like change - people used to tell me that all the time.  But then I finally lived somewhere more than 4 years.  I am ready for a change. (of paint.)  

Blue - I am the Champion!

I am not blue.

It might have been mind over matter...

Or it might have been that I really had nothing to be blue about in the first place...

The truth is I have an excellent life surrounded by excellent (not to mention HILARIOUS) friends and family members - IRL and out on the webs (I'm looking at you Dawn and Jenny).   And moms all around me to bang me in the noggin' when I get all down about my son's diaper rash and lack of teeth - because only moms know that you can feel guilty for how many teeth your kid has -like you have some control over it...  So I keep chuggin' along thinking about what a great day this past Saturday was thanks to my husband and bestie and free pancakes. 

And I will keep reminding myself that I am the champion and I will conquer baby eczema or at least I wont let it conquer me!

A Prayer for Today (and every day)

On the First Sunday of Advent, Rob Bell led the people of Mars Hill Bible Church in the following prayer:
God, we ask you to meet us in this season in new ways.  We want to practice the discipline of anticipation.  We ask for great wisdom in discerning the ways in which we have lost the ability to be filled with wonder and awe.  We asked to be wide-eyed.  We ask to be surprised.
 
For the ways in which we have lost even the energy to expect, we ask to be given fresh energies, fresh capacities.  To assume that extraordinary things are unfolding right here in our midst. There is a divine mystery that enfolds and surrounds us, that embraces us, that reminds us that we are loved, that we only have this moment and this moment is good. 

Please open us where we are closed, melt us where we are cold and release us where we have become captive.  In the name of the Jesus whose birth we anticipate.  Who comes, and forgives, and releases, and restores and redeems, and renews - in His name we pray all this." 

 AMEN!

Yellow

I love this big yellow dog. 
But he makes me feel a kind of pain that is just unreal.  The pain of loss is just all around me today.   A friend lost her 20 year old daughter to cancer.  Hearing a husband tell of losing his wife to breast cancer.  The loss of hope.  The loss of love.  The loss of time and of memories.  The loss of jobs.  The loss of connection. 

Losing makes us hurt.  It is the kind of pain that lasts.  But we must savor the moments and hold onto the joy that will help us ride out these losses.  I am seeking that joy and savoring the moments - I am trying.  

Please join me in remembering that pain is temporary and it serves a purpose.  It may make you feel alone, but we have all lost something and we have all lost at something.  God will strengthen us all through our loss.  He will turn sorrow to joy and suffering to peace if you let Him.