Current mood: musically inspired
So, it has been about a year since I made my Music List, so it is time for a new one. Here goes nothing (in no particular order):
1. Desire: Ryan Adams- I love me some Ryan Adams! This song is just fantastic. I love the harmonica and the acoustic guitar. One of my favorite sounds in the whole word is the sole acoustic guitar. The lyrics are beautifully written and poignant. The song is relatively sad, but I love it.
2. 83: John Mayer- It is hard to put just one John Mayer song on here, but this is currently my favorite. I love the lines "I wish I was six again/ oh make me a red cape/ I wanna be superman." Love it. I alos like it because John Mayer is one of the best songwriters that we have today, and the way he writes his lyrics makes me jealous. This song gets me going and thinking about my childhood with my brother. Great times.
3. Baba O'Riley: The Who- Just for the first 57 seconds of the song. Musical happiness through and through. The electric guitar going crazy, the driving piano that sets the tone, and then the cadence of drums that ends the euphoric feeling. Also, it is not Called "Teenage Wasteland." Just so you all know.
4. #41: Dave Matthews Band- The faint trumpet at the beginning of the song begins to become a part of the song, mixing in with the guitar and drums, creating a jazz-like sound. Throughout the song, you can hear it, but when it begins to sound like the piano, that is Fantastic. Worthy of a capital "F". The song title is simply called "#41" because it was the 41st song that he wrote. Pretty cool. Dave Matthews and his Birkenstocks are my hero from long ago.
5. Life is Beautiful: Vega4- I love this song, and I love this band. Wonderful. It was by accident that I came across them, and I am glad I did. The driving melody, the crisp vocals, and the rhythm of the song is brilliant. The way the verse and chorus changes is awesome. It is almost like two songs in one. Very unique and I play it over and over.
6. See the World: Gomez- This is another one of those "accidental" finds, and I'm glad I did.
This British band will be huge one day, take my word for it. Or not. Do what you want.
7. Earth to Bella (Part 1): Incubus- I love just the guitar and vocals at the beginning. Brandon Boyd's voice is flawless and makes me love him even more. Then, abruptly, the song changes to this cool electric riff, and then back to the simplicity of the guitar and the powerful and flawed voice. Boyd is at the top of his game! Love it. Part 2 is great as well.
8. Mud on the Tires: Brad Paisley- Because it was my brother's favorite song and I love him. Miss you little bro! I play this very loud and sing along at the top of my lungs, hoping that nobody is watching.
9. Catch My Disease: Ben Lee- "That's the way I like it..." The theme of the song. Makes me happy. "Baby pleeaaasse/ open your heart and catch my disease." Genius. Wonderful musician and an even better entertainer.
10. Harlem: Duke Ellington- This 15 minute song is just full of the magic that is awesome jazz music. The Duke is just brilliant. It is like a movie playing through the music. No words, but just these fabulous jazz musicians at the top of their games.
11. Ordinary People: John Legend- The piano is a weakness of mine, and John Legend has got loads of talent. Love this guy. He was overexposed by the media, so I tried to avoid him, because I thought that he was overrated; boy was I wrong! He is fantastic, and has this slight Sinatra charm to him. His musical brilliance is evident in his playing, singing, lyrics, and the way the ladies swoon over him. Plus, we are just ordinary people, and this song really sets that tone.
12. Three Flights Up: Yellowcard- While on the subject of pianos, this instrumental piece by Yellowcard is quite possibly my favorite. A talented bunch of boys there! I was surprised by this piece, because even though I love their heavier electric stuff, this piece blew me away. I only wish it was longer than 1:27. I also play this one over and over. The CD hates me.
13. Believe: Brooks and Dunn- This one was on my last list, and one of my all time favorite songs. Ronnie Dunn's voice has never been sweeter, and then toward the end when the Gospel choir shows up blows me away. THis song gives me hope "I raise my hands/ bow my head/ I'm finding more and more truth/ with the words written in red/ they tell me that there's more to life than just what I can see/ oh, i believe." The soul-infused song gets me through rough times and restores my faith. Word.
14. The Blower's Daughter: Damien Rice- I am a huge Rice fan. He cannot disapoint me. This is my current favorite, but it is hard to choose just one of his songs. This shy Irishman is a brilliant songwriter, and he excels at both the guitar and piano. The slight accent that creaps into his voice while he is singing is awesome. Really.
15. More than a Feeling: Boston- Because it feels good to listen to. Also, I like to play the air guitar while listening to it and look like the giant dork that I am. This is my favorite song to play on the fabulous game "Guitar Hero." Represent!
16. Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen- One of my life goals is to learn how to play this song on the piano. I just love it! "Momma, just killed a man..." I love the lyrics and the randomness of it all. Truly a feel good song, yet also sad. This is a great song to sing in Karaoke because there are so many elements in the song. You have the somber, slow tone, the uptempo eclectic music, and the metal thrashing parts that deserves for you to shake your head to. Wonderful! Freddy Mercury!
17. For the Moments I Feel Faint: Relient K- Never underestimate my Jesus. Enough said. Again, this song is basically just one acoustic guitar and Matt Theissen's voice. One of their best songs. Plus, I love their earlier work. I like their new stuff. Big difference. They may have sold out, but they are splendid.
18. Public Pervert: Interpol- Hate the name of the song, but love the song. This song just gets started and does not stop. I do not even know the lyrics, but the uniqueness of the music is pretty inspiring. I like to write to this kind of music. Interpol is one of my favorite bands, and they, too, do not disappoint.
19. Phantom Limbs: The Shins- Please, go out and buy their newest album. It is wonderful. Not the best song on there, but one of my favorites. They might not be your type of music, but I love them. It's cool and trendy to like The Shins, but I have never been either, so I am not trying to fit in with the American trends. I could care less. They are just a fabulous group of four guys with incredible natural talent.
20. The Kill- 30 Seconds To Mars- Jared Leto is one of those rare actors who is an absolutely wonderful singer/songwrite/musician. His band is a favorite of mine, and this song rocks. I like his music more than his films. Plus, he is pretty to look at.
It's a little long, and there may be a part 2 coming soon! Music is a big part of my life, and I love finding new music. My Ipod has over 1,100 songs on it. Sweet! So, thought that I would share a little bit of my hobby with you all. Good day (night) to you!
That is all, for now. Hope you all enjoyed. Share your list with me!!
Currently watching : The Holiday Release date: By 13 March, 2007 (By the way, FANTASTIC movie! I love it. I give it 5/5 "Chap Slashes (something I started at the school paper!))
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
say cheese!!
My TWIRP date Bree!! I love her. We went to Coke and Nacho together. We also like to throw the "Chap." Represent. Plus, Johnny Depp is on my shirt. He is oh so pretty.
The current wallpaper on my computer. Such a great show. Everybody should watch it.
One of my favorite pictures of me and Jacob. Love it.
Hello! Black and white pictures are great, especially when Trey does them. He rocks.
Peek-a-boo! I do not have my nerdy glasses on so I can't see you!! Oh no! Haha. Look at my long hair!! Wow. Now, it is very short. But I like it.
In Oklahoma for LST. Our room was freezing, so the next morning Adam went to Wal-Mart and bought this cheap, "cardboard" blanket covered with ducks. It was hideous and did not keep anybody warm. 
My favorite TV show! Haha I just wanted to share this cool pic. Dr. House is so cool!
TWIRP week at LCU!! Great fun that night! Also, Johnny Depp was in attendence and he had a grand time.
Me and my beautiful sister, Hannah. Do not look at me, please. You can't help but go straight to her eyes. Plus, self pictures are the best.
TWIRP week at LCU!! Great fun that night! Also, Johnny Depp was in attendence and he had a grand time.
Me and my beautiful sister, Hannah. Do not look at me, please. You can't help but go straight to her eyes. Plus, self pictures are the best.So, that was it. I did not feel like writing. Sorry. Hope you all enjoy. More updates coming soon.
Currently reading: Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
Currently listening to: Beautiful Life by 30 Seconds to Mars
Currently watching: Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson. Great movie.
Current mood: Jovial
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Self-esteem and Humility
Can these two go together? I mean, really? Can they? I've been thinking about this lately. I have all the self-esteem in the world, but yet I am not content. I worry that I will come off too prideful; too arrogant. I worry that people will become jealous of me. I'm not sure why. God created me, Jordan Danai Williams, and there is only one me.
Anything that I do is never good enough. When I write essays and research papers for school I put them off until the last possible minute so that I will not stress over them and butcher them because they are not good enough. Most likely, I will delete all the content and begin fresh, thus making the papers late. I have a self-deprecating aura about me, and I fear that I will become an egomanical twit if I commend myself. I mean, what have I done worry of an accomodation? Just wondering.
Right now, life is wonderful. Could not be happier. My faith is the strongest it has ever been. My life is perfectly in balance for the first time on months. I am getting good grades without even trying. I am poor in the wallet, but rich in spirit, and I don't care. I eat disgusting cafeteria food daily, and I smile. Family is great. I have wonderful loving friends. It is times like these that I get scared. I get scared that people get jealous of me. I get scared that they sneer down before me and try to pull me off of my high horse. I feel their wrath upon me. Daily. They are jealous that I get good grades without trying. They are jealous with my relationship with Christ. They are jealous of my so-called perfect life. News flash, my life is far from perfect, and I like it that way. All of my struggles have made me that much stronger, and for that I have Him to be thankful for.
I get embarrased when my mom brags about me. It is times like those that I want to hide my face and run into a hole. All of my accolades and awards ar pretty much just a piece of paper to me. Maybe fifteen years from now I can look back at that award with pride and respect, but not now. Now, all I see is teamwork. I owe everything in my life to God. Never have I been alone in anything. Ever. The awards I received in high school were done by him, and not me. He deserves them and not me. It is very late, so I'm not sure if I am making any sense.
I hate talking about myself. I hate my hair. I hate my writing. I hate reading my writing. I hate hearing my own voice. I hate seeing my work displayed for all to see. I hate that I have a burning passion to buy a movie the day it comes out. I hate being told what to do. I hate being told what to read. I hate the word hate. I never use unless I am talking about myself. Why is that? I find this odd.
In a normal conversation, I prefer the other person do the talking. People fascinate me. I can sit and listen to people talk for hours. I want to know everything, but I am too afraid to ask questions. When it is my turn to speak however, I turn the conversation off of me. Hmm....not sure why.
I think that is why I am not 100% sure of what I want to do with my life when I graduate. I want to have a normal "behind the scenes" job. But what is normal? How do I define normal? Normal to me is a job with no glitz or glam. No glory. Is mediocre a good term? I did not want to be a doctor because I was afraid I would feel to pompous. I did not want to be an investigative journalist because I do not want the glory of uncovering a huge story. Things like that. I look now and I find it absurd. Not sure why. I would be perfectly content with spending my life in a stuffy room doing book editing for a mid-sized southern publishing company. If I ever do complete my book, I would be hard pressed to write it under a pen name. I have been asked to be the editor next year for the school paper, but even though it would be an honor, I do not feel interested. I feel that Bree is better qualified and would make an awesome editor, so I will not throw my hat into the ring. Things like this. I am absolutely content with things like this. Call me a push over, I don't care. "Sticks and stones, love." HA!! I finally got to throw in a Pirates of the Caribbean quote. Score! I am deathly afraid that my true nerdiness will avail itself and I will be thrown into a deep, dark, dank, well.
So, I said all that to say this: I think that living with humility is a good thing. A great thing. However, too much of it can ruin a person. Am I too self-deprecating? Do I sound depressed? Well, I am not. I LOVE my life!!!! Who-hoo. Could not be happier. Things are great. Plus, I am super giddy because spring break is slowly dwelling upon us. Dwelling sounds like a sad, scary word. I should use another adjective. How about looming? No....um...maybe slammin'? Ok, I will get back to you on that one. It is now a little after 3:00 a.m. and I have just yawned. I now have 5.9 minutes before I am crashed out for good. The computer chair is not comfortable to sleep in. Well, that is about all. My room has a faint mesquite/smoky smell to it. I sprayed some body spray a while ago to mask the smell, but it did not help. I am too lazy to investigate. I don't really care actually. The bed is looking mighting tempting and I only have 3.4 minutes left.
So I will end.
Currently listening : Artist's Choice: Ray Charles By Ray Charles Release date: By 01 January, 2003
Anything that I do is never good enough. When I write essays and research papers for school I put them off until the last possible minute so that I will not stress over them and butcher them because they are not good enough. Most likely, I will delete all the content and begin fresh, thus making the papers late. I have a self-deprecating aura about me, and I fear that I will become an egomanical twit if I commend myself. I mean, what have I done worry of an accomodation? Just wondering.
Right now, life is wonderful. Could not be happier. My faith is the strongest it has ever been. My life is perfectly in balance for the first time on months. I am getting good grades without even trying. I am poor in the wallet, but rich in spirit, and I don't care. I eat disgusting cafeteria food daily, and I smile. Family is great. I have wonderful loving friends. It is times like these that I get scared. I get scared that people get jealous of me. I get scared that they sneer down before me and try to pull me off of my high horse. I feel their wrath upon me. Daily. They are jealous that I get good grades without trying. They are jealous with my relationship with Christ. They are jealous of my so-called perfect life. News flash, my life is far from perfect, and I like it that way. All of my struggles have made me that much stronger, and for that I have Him to be thankful for.
I get embarrased when my mom brags about me. It is times like those that I want to hide my face and run into a hole. All of my accolades and awards ar pretty much just a piece of paper to me. Maybe fifteen years from now I can look back at that award with pride and respect, but not now. Now, all I see is teamwork. I owe everything in my life to God. Never have I been alone in anything. Ever. The awards I received in high school were done by him, and not me. He deserves them and not me. It is very late, so I'm not sure if I am making any sense.
I hate talking about myself. I hate my hair. I hate my writing. I hate reading my writing. I hate hearing my own voice. I hate seeing my work displayed for all to see. I hate that I have a burning passion to buy a movie the day it comes out. I hate being told what to do. I hate being told what to read. I hate the word hate. I never use unless I am talking about myself. Why is that? I find this odd.
In a normal conversation, I prefer the other person do the talking. People fascinate me. I can sit and listen to people talk for hours. I want to know everything, but I am too afraid to ask questions. When it is my turn to speak however, I turn the conversation off of me. Hmm....not sure why.
I think that is why I am not 100% sure of what I want to do with my life when I graduate. I want to have a normal "behind the scenes" job. But what is normal? How do I define normal? Normal to me is a job with no glitz or glam. No glory. Is mediocre a good term? I did not want to be a doctor because I was afraid I would feel to pompous. I did not want to be an investigative journalist because I do not want the glory of uncovering a huge story. Things like that. I look now and I find it absurd. Not sure why. I would be perfectly content with spending my life in a stuffy room doing book editing for a mid-sized southern publishing company. If I ever do complete my book, I would be hard pressed to write it under a pen name. I have been asked to be the editor next year for the school paper, but even though it would be an honor, I do not feel interested. I feel that Bree is better qualified and would make an awesome editor, so I will not throw my hat into the ring. Things like this. I am absolutely content with things like this. Call me a push over, I don't care. "Sticks and stones, love." HA!! I finally got to throw in a Pirates of the Caribbean quote. Score! I am deathly afraid that my true nerdiness will avail itself and I will be thrown into a deep, dark, dank, well.
So, I said all that to say this: I think that living with humility is a good thing. A great thing. However, too much of it can ruin a person. Am I too self-deprecating? Do I sound depressed? Well, I am not. I LOVE my life!!!! Who-hoo. Could not be happier. Things are great. Plus, I am super giddy because spring break is slowly dwelling upon us. Dwelling sounds like a sad, scary word. I should use another adjective. How about looming? No....um...maybe slammin'? Ok, I will get back to you on that one. It is now a little after 3:00 a.m. and I have just yawned. I now have 5.9 minutes before I am crashed out for good. The computer chair is not comfortable to sleep in. Well, that is about all. My room has a faint mesquite/smoky smell to it. I sprayed some body spray a while ago to mask the smell, but it did not help. I am too lazy to investigate. I don't really care actually. The bed is looking mighting tempting and I only have 3.4 minutes left.
So I will end.
Currently listening : Artist's Choice: Ray Charles By Ray Charles Release date: By 01 January, 2003
Thursday, February 22, 2007
My Oscar Picks...
So, I have never done this, but I thought it would be fun. I love movies so I decided to try my hand at predicting this Sunday's Oscar winners. Enjoy!!
Best Picture: Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen.
Who will win: The Departed. Why? I don't know I've never seen the movie. I've heard good things. Maybe I should rent it...
Who I want to win: Little Miss Sunshine. That movie was awesome. I loved it. For some reason I love movies with dysfunctional families and this one just rocked. The best scene is when the little girl finds out she is going to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant and screams her tiny, cute head off for over a minute. Classic. Also, The Queen was great but many have argued that it feels more like a made-for-tv movie than a motion picture. That's the BBC for you.
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Peter O'Toole, Will Smith, and Forest Whitaker.
Who will win: Forest Whitaker. From the two-minute previews I have seen, he was pretty awesome. Plus, he won the Golden Globe and a SAG award recently, why not let him win the trifecta. The only downside is that he has been criticized for impersonating Idi Amin and not really "making it his own." Gosling has won critics over for his performance as a drug addict while teaching students.
Who I want to win: Ryan Gosling. He was great in The Notebook, and he is pretty. I feel he is to young and not known enough for him to win. Also, I think that Will Smith stands a pretty good chance. Plus. O'Toole has been nominated about a dozen times, so maybe he deserves this one. Could care less about Leo.
Best Actress: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet.
Who will win: A British babe, or Helen Mirren. I'll take it either way. She was fantastic as Queen Elizabeth, but just like Whitaker, many think it was just an impersonation and no real acting talent. Whatever critics. She will win.
Who I want to win: Helen Mirren. She's awesome. Plus I do not think the Academy likes comedies so Streep is out. This is Winslet's fifth nomination so I would also like to see her win. I'm not picky, but again, it will be a British babe.
Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg.
Who will win: Eddie Murphy. Not sure why, but I have a feeling. I don't really care.
Who I want to win: Alan Arkin because he shone brightly in Little Miss Sunshine. Great role for him, and he deserves a golden guy. Marky Mark should provide entertainment throughout. Wait, Ellen is hosting so it should be awesome. No need Marky Mark!
Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Jennifer Hudson, Rinko Kikuchi.
Who will win and who I want to win: Abigail Breslin. How cute is she? Very. Way to go Abigail! Dakota who? That's right. She owned her role in Little Miss Sunshine. Plus, I have not seen any of the other performances, but how can you break the heart of an 11 year old with huge glasses and fantastic, but horrifying, dance moves? Jennifer Hudson might actually get the statue though, much to my dismay.
That's about it of the big ones. I think that in the director's race it will be against Eastwood and Scorsese. I love Eastwood, but maybe Scorsese can finally win and give up whining about it. I think that Cars will win best animated movie, although Happy Feet was a darn cute movie. As far as Achievement in Sound Editing? Well I give it to the dude's from Pirate's of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. That movie rocked, and the soundtrack is ballin'!!!
That's it. Enjoy, and if anybody wants to challenge me, let's do it! It's a bet. Be back soon.
Best Picture: Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen.
Who will win: The Departed. Why? I don't know I've never seen the movie. I've heard good things. Maybe I should rent it...
Who I want to win: Little Miss Sunshine. That movie was awesome. I loved it. For some reason I love movies with dysfunctional families and this one just rocked. The best scene is when the little girl finds out she is going to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant and screams her tiny, cute head off for over a minute. Classic. Also, The Queen was great but many have argued that it feels more like a made-for-tv movie than a motion picture. That's the BBC for you.
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Peter O'Toole, Will Smith, and Forest Whitaker.
Who will win: Forest Whitaker. From the two-minute previews I have seen, he was pretty awesome. Plus, he won the Golden Globe and a SAG award recently, why not let him win the trifecta. The only downside is that he has been criticized for impersonating Idi Amin and not really "making it his own." Gosling has won critics over for his performance as a drug addict while teaching students.
Who I want to win: Ryan Gosling. He was great in The Notebook, and he is pretty. I feel he is to young and not known enough for him to win. Also, I think that Will Smith stands a pretty good chance. Plus. O'Toole has been nominated about a dozen times, so maybe he deserves this one. Could care less about Leo.
Best Actress: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet.
Who will win: A British babe, or Helen Mirren. I'll take it either way. She was fantastic as Queen Elizabeth, but just like Whitaker, many think it was just an impersonation and no real acting talent. Whatever critics. She will win.
Who I want to win: Helen Mirren. She's awesome. Plus I do not think the Academy likes comedies so Streep is out. This is Winslet's fifth nomination so I would also like to see her win. I'm not picky, but again, it will be a British babe.
Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg.
Who will win: Eddie Murphy. Not sure why, but I have a feeling. I don't really care.
Who I want to win: Alan Arkin because he shone brightly in Little Miss Sunshine. Great role for him, and he deserves a golden guy. Marky Mark should provide entertainment throughout. Wait, Ellen is hosting so it should be awesome. No need Marky Mark!
Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Jennifer Hudson, Rinko Kikuchi.
Who will win and who I want to win: Abigail Breslin. How cute is she? Very. Way to go Abigail! Dakota who? That's right. She owned her role in Little Miss Sunshine. Plus, I have not seen any of the other performances, but how can you break the heart of an 11 year old with huge glasses and fantastic, but horrifying, dance moves? Jennifer Hudson might actually get the statue though, much to my dismay.
That's about it of the big ones. I think that in the director's race it will be against Eastwood and Scorsese. I love Eastwood, but maybe Scorsese can finally win and give up whining about it. I think that Cars will win best animated movie, although Happy Feet was a darn cute movie. As far as Achievement in Sound Editing? Well I give it to the dude's from Pirate's of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. That movie rocked, and the soundtrack is ballin'!!!
That's it. Enjoy, and if anybody wants to challenge me, let's do it! It's a bet. Be back soon.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Being 21...
My sweet new camera!! More about that later though...
So, I figured it was time to update. I have another website (myspace) that I update my blogs on more often, but I forget about this one. Well, on Wednesday, February 14, I turned 21 years old. It's pretty cool. I guess. I think that 21 is the last of the "big" birthdays. I mean, when 30 comes, nobody really wants it to, so they dread that day. I think, for some people, they begin to count backward after that year. Crazy.
Well, let's begin where I always like to: the beginning. My grandfather called me around 7:30 A.M. to wish me a happy 21. It was awesome. I'm not sure if he understood me, or what I said, but I am pretty sure I said thank you. At least once. Hannah, my sister, called me seven minutes after that, and was upset that she was not the first to call me. She too wished me a happy b-day, and then as soon as my head hit the pillow, my dad called me. By that time, I was wide awake and was nearing 7:45. I got up.
Well, let's begin where I always like to: the beginning. My grandfather called me around 7:30 A.M. to wish me a happy 21. It was awesome. I'm not sure if he understood me, or what I said, but I am pretty sure I said thank you. At least once. Hannah, my sister, called me seven minutes after that, and was upset that she was not the first to call me. She too wished me a happy b-day, and then as soon as my head hit the pillow, my dad called me. By that time, I was wide awake and was nearing 7:45. I got up.
I went to chapel and my three classes, and was out by 4:00 P.M. Next, I ran over to Outback Steakhouse and waited for about 30 minutes for a table, and then Hannah showed up and waited with me. We waited another 30 minutes and got our table. We had a great dinner. Lubbock is strange in that you cannot make reservations on Sundays or on holidays. I never get it. There needs to be more eating establishments in Lubbock, but that is my opinion. After dinner, it was close to 7:00 and I had a meeting at 9. Hannah and I went to Wal-Mart because she was leaving on a school trip to Amarillo the next day. We got a few things, and she went home. By the way, it was snowing for my birthday! I have never gotten snow on my birthday, so that was pretty cool.
After Wal-Mart I went back to campus and it was a little after 8. I sat down on the computer and answered a ton of facebook and myspace messages. I find it fascinating that people go out of their way that one day of the year to talk or leave a message, but avoid you the rest of the year. Fascinating. After that, Holly and Tyler came over and we headed to the LST meeting. It was freezing cold by the way, and the roads were a little icy, but it was ok. LST ended around 11, and I went back home.
So, that was my b-day. It was pretty uneventful, unless you count the events.
Hannah got me the perfume With Love by Hillary Duff and I could not have been happier. It smells wonderful. I am in love with With Love.
Thursday and Friday and Saturday was work as usual. For Saturday, I got a special gift and got to work 11 hours. Yay me. I have noticed that it is a little hard to interpret sarcasm while writing. Lots of people have that wonderful ability, but I am lacking. I will work on that.
Sunday was the day to spend with dad and Kim's family. It was awesome. Homemade pizza (homemade anything) is the best.
Also, I got a sweet new digital camera. For some reason the pic is at the top of the page and not here . Oh well. There it is. It is awesome.
Mom almost killed me. I cut my hair. My hair was long. Long like half-way down my back long. I must have cut off a good six inches. I almost cried. It is not how I told her to cut it, but it will grow back. Locks of Love got a good donation!
So, that is about it. Yep, think so. Life is good. Not too boring. I would like to share with you all my new favorite quote and it is from the television show The Office:
Dwight: Why tip someone for a job I'm capable of doing myself? I can deliver food. I can drive a taxi. I can and do cut my own hair. I did however tip my urologist, because, I am unable to pulverise my own kidney stones.
I like that. Heee! Crazy funny. Well, to me at least. So, The Office is pretty awesome. I like the randomness and quirkyness of the show. Also, I am so excited that Grissom is back in the original CSI. He rocks. I am disappointed that I have to wait three weeks for an all new House episode. Disappointing. Oh well, I'll live. Of course!! Well, that is about it for now. I will try to start updating daily...or weekly...or monthly...or whenever. It will happen.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Life on standby
So, I like this title. It is the title of a song. Decent song, but it is just how I am feeling right now. Now, I will go into sharing mode alright? Ahem, let's begin.
I have been having a lot of questions lately about my faith. I guess Christianity in general. I mean how can we believe in something, someone rather, based on almost no proof. I mean, if God were right here next to me, talking to me as I fill up the screen, then I would have no qualms about believing in Him. Before I get to far, I am in no way discrediting the marvelous works of God, or denying his ever-so-apparent existence; I am just challenged by the whole idea. I mean, trusting all of my faith in one person? God is in no way a "man" so what pronoun do I use in describing Him?
I think that at one point in your life you have to question what you believe in. How do I know that I will wake up in the morning? How do I know that God is there for me? How do I know that He personally is looking after my well-being? I don't know. I BELIEVE that He is. That is all it takes. But, if I challenge these beliefs does that make me a terrible person? Of course not. It makes me human. There have been more than a few times when I have gotten so angry at God that I wanted to toss Him away and never speak to Him again. I think I did it once. After Jacob died. That was the worst time in my life, and I feel shamed to admit it that the only thing keeping me sane was challenging my faith. I would suffer boughts of insomnia, sometimes for days. During these periods of "awakedness" I would peruse my Bible looking for some sort of validation in what Christ had let happen. Finding nothing that suited my needs, I became frustrated, cursing God. Blaming Him for cutting my brothers life short. When in reality, the person I was most angry with was myself.
To the people around me, I was like daffodils. Like a ray of sunshine. The yelp of a puppy being freed from the microwave. However, in my room alone I was a ghost. I could not shed a tear. Instead, I needed reasoning. Sound advice. Physical proof. I became depressed. Not clinically depressed, but so depressed that I wanted to do nothing. I think that having this feeling saved me, and made me me again.
I found out that we interpret scripture the way we want it to mean. We jumble the meanings up, and find validity that yes, it is ok to covet your neighbor (not really...just an example). This should not come as a crisis of faith because the Bible is an inspiration of God. There is nothing wrong with scripture. The problem comes in the interpretation. If we reapproach our faith through scripture, then our faith will grow. This is what I did. I began at the beginning. The beginning when God said "Let there be light" and kept reading.
Through my readings I fell in love with this book. I guess re-fell in love. I found that by challenging my faith made it stronger. That was the validation that I was looking for. I found out that if I am content with my faith, then something is wrong. I think we all are like that. Things can always become stronger. If on the grand scale of 1-10, I would have ranked my faith and beliefs on around a 7. Now however, I am shooting for 59! I need more! I challenge everything in my life. I guess this is one of the things that I have learned from being in college. It is always hard to always look at the glass at being half full. Sometimes, during those times when the glass is half empty, comes the best questions. Why do I question the magnitude of God, but do not think twice about the reasoning behind the scientific method? Or the validity of the way America was created and formed? Why is lifes biggest question always so hard to answer? That is actually an easy answer: if being a Christian was easy then there would be way more believers. That question of "why" and that need to know more will be always present. I will begin to worry if it fades away.
This is what we have lost sight of. People constantly defend God, as it should be. But, the ones that are so head-strong in doing so, have you taken a look at your life? Are you absolutely certain about everything? I, for one, am not. Nor will I ever be.
I may sound bitter and contradictory, but I am just stating something that has been on my mind a lot lately. These thoughts probably began around mid-December and have been with me ever since. This semester, I feel different. I feel as if there is something missing. For some reason, at the start of every semester I feel like this. It lasts a while and then I find peace. Now, I am embracing that feeling on there actually being something missing. I have it out in plain sight. I want to find out everything.
Right now, one of my favorite passage of scripture comes from 1 Peter 1:7-10.
"These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
I love this. Does it answer every question that I have? No. Does it make strengthen my faith? You betcha. I love how God throws scripture at us, and it always seems to go with the way we feel. How awesome is that? This passage speaks to me. It makes me love Him more and more each day. I want to learn more. I want to strengthen my relationship with Him. I want Him.
So, this blog was an interesting one. I decided to go with it. I was hesitant about sharing this, but it is out there now. How exciting! So, that is all for now. Good night guys!
I have been having a lot of questions lately about my faith. I guess Christianity in general. I mean how can we believe in something, someone rather, based on almost no proof. I mean, if God were right here next to me, talking to me as I fill up the screen, then I would have no qualms about believing in Him. Before I get to far, I am in no way discrediting the marvelous works of God, or denying his ever-so-apparent existence; I am just challenged by the whole idea. I mean, trusting all of my faith in one person? God is in no way a "man" so what pronoun do I use in describing Him?
I think that at one point in your life you have to question what you believe in. How do I know that I will wake up in the morning? How do I know that God is there for me? How do I know that He personally is looking after my well-being? I don't know. I BELIEVE that He is. That is all it takes. But, if I challenge these beliefs does that make me a terrible person? Of course not. It makes me human. There have been more than a few times when I have gotten so angry at God that I wanted to toss Him away and never speak to Him again. I think I did it once. After Jacob died. That was the worst time in my life, and I feel shamed to admit it that the only thing keeping me sane was challenging my faith. I would suffer boughts of insomnia, sometimes for days. During these periods of "awakedness" I would peruse my Bible looking for some sort of validation in what Christ had let happen. Finding nothing that suited my needs, I became frustrated, cursing God. Blaming Him for cutting my brothers life short. When in reality, the person I was most angry with was myself.
To the people around me, I was like daffodils. Like a ray of sunshine. The yelp of a puppy being freed from the microwave. However, in my room alone I was a ghost. I could not shed a tear. Instead, I needed reasoning. Sound advice. Physical proof. I became depressed. Not clinically depressed, but so depressed that I wanted to do nothing. I think that having this feeling saved me, and made me me again.
I found out that we interpret scripture the way we want it to mean. We jumble the meanings up, and find validity that yes, it is ok to covet your neighbor (not really...just an example). This should not come as a crisis of faith because the Bible is an inspiration of God. There is nothing wrong with scripture. The problem comes in the interpretation. If we reapproach our faith through scripture, then our faith will grow. This is what I did. I began at the beginning. The beginning when God said "Let there be light" and kept reading.
Through my readings I fell in love with this book. I guess re-fell in love. I found that by challenging my faith made it stronger. That was the validation that I was looking for. I found out that if I am content with my faith, then something is wrong. I think we all are like that. Things can always become stronger. If on the grand scale of 1-10, I would have ranked my faith and beliefs on around a 7. Now however, I am shooting for 59! I need more! I challenge everything in my life. I guess this is one of the things that I have learned from being in college. It is always hard to always look at the glass at being half full. Sometimes, during those times when the glass is half empty, comes the best questions. Why do I question the magnitude of God, but do not think twice about the reasoning behind the scientific method? Or the validity of the way America was created and formed? Why is lifes biggest question always so hard to answer? That is actually an easy answer: if being a Christian was easy then there would be way more believers. That question of "why" and that need to know more will be always present. I will begin to worry if it fades away.
This is what we have lost sight of. People constantly defend God, as it should be. But, the ones that are so head-strong in doing so, have you taken a look at your life? Are you absolutely certain about everything? I, for one, am not. Nor will I ever be.
I may sound bitter and contradictory, but I am just stating something that has been on my mind a lot lately. These thoughts probably began around mid-December and have been with me ever since. This semester, I feel different. I feel as if there is something missing. For some reason, at the start of every semester I feel like this. It lasts a while and then I find peace. Now, I am embracing that feeling on there actually being something missing. I have it out in plain sight. I want to find out everything.
Right now, one of my favorite passage of scripture comes from 1 Peter 1:7-10.
"These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
I love this. Does it answer every question that I have? No. Does it make strengthen my faith? You betcha. I love how God throws scripture at us, and it always seems to go with the way we feel. How awesome is that? This passage speaks to me. It makes me love Him more and more each day. I want to learn more. I want to strengthen my relationship with Him. I want Him.
So, this blog was an interesting one. I decided to go with it. I was hesitant about sharing this, but it is out there now. How exciting! So, that is all for now. Good night guys!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Best Blog EVER!! Or not...whatever
So, I think I have lost some readers. Poor me. Oh well, I don't really care. Honestly. Come back to me!!! Or not. Man. I am full of contradictions. So let's begin:
SORRY:
My computer has been out of commision since starting school. Apparently I had a few viruses on my laptop, so the technology department fixed it for me. Thank God I didn't have to pay for it. Well, technically I am paying for it with tuition and such, so, umm, yeah. So, that is my excuse for not updating more. Plus, I'm lazy. Yeah, that's about it.
CURRENTLY:
Classes are going pretty awesome. 18 hours sure takes it toll. Quickly. I'm really liking the classes I'm taking, and they seem to be somewhat interesting. But I really don't want to do any work. Hum... However, I had to buy 22 books for only 5 out of 6 classes. Crazyness! Here is the breakdown: Fine Arts: 0; horray! Victorian England: 1; cheer! Ethical Christian Living: 2; not so bad! Civil War and Reconstruction: 3; ehh. African American Literature: 11; WHAT!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? 'Fraid not, sister! Advanced Composition: 5; the nerve! This is driving me absolutely crazy. Plus, most of these are novels that I have not read. Nor have I wanted to. Alas, I will be reading a lot, and not books that I want to read. Or maybe I won't read. Haven't decided yet. I hate that. Ah, well. "All's fair in lo..." Never mind.
LST is off to a running start. Isn't that how everybody starts running? Ok, that was ignorant. I had to get up in front of the whole school and give a chapel announcement Monday about LST and all that entails. Mandy spoke first, and then when my turn came...something came out. Not sure what, but it may have made sense. That's not the point, the point is that the podium I was speaking into (think about it...) began to move. Nonchalantly I said "oh, it has wheels." I then moved it back to its starting position and said "how clever." Idiot, I know. The auditorium/audience erupted in laughter. Ok, more like simmered. I was wondering what they were laughing at, because I was not funny. Eh, it's all good. So, to sum up the opening sentence: LST is a go for me this summer. How excited am I? Extremely. Any adjective that describes excitement insert here.
WRITING:
Like I have mentioned just a few sentences ago, I am taking an Advanced Composition class, and it is pretty cool. The class, however, is creative non-fiction, and I am not a fan of non-fiction. Not as much as fiction anyway. The thing with non-fiction is that you cannot "extend" the truth, per se. It has to be completely true, so I tend to walk a tight line on that. I know, I'm a terrible person.
In this class, we have to do daily journal entries. So far, we have had to write about many numerous things, and then we have to read our entries aloud to the class (mind you, 11 students). I don't know about you, but my life is utterly boring, so in my journal, I like to "kick it up a notch" if you know what I'm saying. Point being: I lie. So now, I have to keep two journals, one just for me, and the other to apparently share with my peers.
Plus, the prof looks like the Harry Potter character Professor Trewalney (sp?) from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Emma Thompson's cool (the actress that plays her).
EXCITEDNESS:
Is that a word? Oh well, I don't care.
How excited am I that Mr. Hugh Laurie won his second Golden Globe for his portrayal of Dr. Gregory House, on the television show of that name! Plus, his exceptance speech was the best of the evening. Here is an excerpt that I especially loved: "…I must thank my wonderful fellow actors on House and thank my wonderful writers & producers and the truly wonderful crew. I know everyone says they have a wonderful crew but that can’t be the case. They can’t all be wonderful. Somebody somewhere is working with a crew of drunken thieves. But it’s not me. They are really wonderful collection of people and I am privileged to spend my days in their company. They smell of newly mown grass..." He is so witty and awesome. The entire speech was brilliant, but this part was funny. I laughed. Watch HOUSE every Tuesday night. It rocks.
Going back to Japan makes me excited. So excited that I could care less about schoolwork.
Turning 21 years old makes me happy. February 14th, here it comes!
Good pizza makes me excited. And ice cream. Mix 'em man!
RANDOMNESS:
I love that word.
So, since this is suppose to be the BBE (Best Blog Ever) it has to drag a little long.
I am going to go see "The Queen" this weekend and write a movie review about it for the school paper. I've heard good things. It might be tough to do if it's not playing in Lubbock though...
Sometimes, I feel lost, or out of place. Almost as if we are all on a tennis court and everybody else has a cool racket and I have a salmon. Seems unfair huh? Sorry, not really sure what I am talking about.
My New Year's resolution was to update more often. Not looking so good, huh?
Antidisestablimentarianism. I probably botched the spelling, but I like that word. It makes me sound smart. Or dumb. Whichever works for you.
I trip a lot. I was walking out of class the other day and I tripped on a tiny pebble. Or maybe my shadow. They look alike. Wait...no they don't. Never mind. It's late. I'm tired.
"Au contraire, mon fre`re!" Does that make me sound smarter? Huh? Came up with that all by me self too. Did I get the spelling right? Oh well, I'm proably misspelling every third word. I think I misspelled misspelled. Or not. I have no clue what's going on.
FIN:
All good things must end, I been told. This is no exception. I'm not really sure what the point of this post is. Who cares. I updated, be happy. So, I will leave you with three questions I was most recently asked (crazy roommates!):
What time do you have to be at work tomorrow? 5:00 P.M.
Why are you still writing? Because it is going to be the BBE! And I can't help myself.
Do you think they're still reading? I'm sure I lost them all before they finished the first section. Also, it's late here, but somewhere it's early and they could just be beginning to read this.
Also, my favorite ever:
"Jordan, how are you?" Jordan's typical response: "I great, how are you?" Honestly, no less than a dozen times a day. I'm flattered really, but people, throw in some adverbs and adjectives! Spice it up. "What's hangin' homeslice?" See, that is an appropriate question with an appropriate response "Not much, G, Dawg,man, homie!" Yuck. I can't pull off the gansta language. Not sure why I tried.
So, our journey must reconvene for a while here. But, until we meet again...
End note because I love this quote. It's from "V For Vendetta":
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
Quite possible, the best quote EVER in a movie.
Good night for real this time.
SORRY:
My computer has been out of commision since starting school. Apparently I had a few viruses on my laptop, so the technology department fixed it for me. Thank God I didn't have to pay for it. Well, technically I am paying for it with tuition and such, so, umm, yeah. So, that is my excuse for not updating more. Plus, I'm lazy. Yeah, that's about it.
CURRENTLY:
Classes are going pretty awesome. 18 hours sure takes it toll. Quickly. I'm really liking the classes I'm taking, and they seem to be somewhat interesting. But I really don't want to do any work. Hum... However, I had to buy 22 books for only 5 out of 6 classes. Crazyness! Here is the breakdown: Fine Arts: 0; horray! Victorian England: 1; cheer! Ethical Christian Living: 2; not so bad! Civil War and Reconstruction: 3; ehh. African American Literature: 11; WHAT!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? 'Fraid not, sister! Advanced Composition: 5; the nerve! This is driving me absolutely crazy. Plus, most of these are novels that I have not read. Nor have I wanted to. Alas, I will be reading a lot, and not books that I want to read. Or maybe I won't read. Haven't decided yet. I hate that. Ah, well. "All's fair in lo..." Never mind.
LST is off to a running start. Isn't that how everybody starts running? Ok, that was ignorant. I had to get up in front of the whole school and give a chapel announcement Monday about LST and all that entails. Mandy spoke first, and then when my turn came...something came out. Not sure what, but it may have made sense. That's not the point, the point is that the podium I was speaking into (think about it...) began to move. Nonchalantly I said "oh, it has wheels." I then moved it back to its starting position and said "how clever." Idiot, I know. The auditorium/audience erupted in laughter. Ok, more like simmered. I was wondering what they were laughing at, because I was not funny. Eh, it's all good. So, to sum up the opening sentence: LST is a go for me this summer. How excited am I? Extremely. Any adjective that describes excitement insert here.
WRITING:
Like I have mentioned just a few sentences ago, I am taking an Advanced Composition class, and it is pretty cool. The class, however, is creative non-fiction, and I am not a fan of non-fiction. Not as much as fiction anyway. The thing with non-fiction is that you cannot "extend" the truth, per se. It has to be completely true, so I tend to walk a tight line on that. I know, I'm a terrible person.
In this class, we have to do daily journal entries. So far, we have had to write about many numerous things, and then we have to read our entries aloud to the class (mind you, 11 students). I don't know about you, but my life is utterly boring, so in my journal, I like to "kick it up a notch" if you know what I'm saying. Point being: I lie. So now, I have to keep two journals, one just for me, and the other to apparently share with my peers.
Plus, the prof looks like the Harry Potter character Professor Trewalney (sp?) from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Emma Thompson's cool (the actress that plays her).
EXCITEDNESS:
Is that a word? Oh well, I don't care.
How excited am I that Mr. Hugh Laurie won his second Golden Globe for his portrayal of Dr. Gregory House, on the television show of that name! Plus, his exceptance speech was the best of the evening. Here is an excerpt that I especially loved: "…I must thank my wonderful fellow actors on House and thank my wonderful writers & producers and the truly wonderful crew. I know everyone says they have a wonderful crew but that can’t be the case. They can’t all be wonderful. Somebody somewhere is working with a crew of drunken thieves. But it’s not me. They are really wonderful collection of people and I am privileged to spend my days in their company. They smell of newly mown grass..." He is so witty and awesome. The entire speech was brilliant, but this part was funny. I laughed. Watch HOUSE every Tuesday night. It rocks.
Going back to Japan makes me excited. So excited that I could care less about schoolwork.
Turning 21 years old makes me happy. February 14th, here it comes!
Good pizza makes me excited. And ice cream. Mix 'em man!
RANDOMNESS:
I love that word.
So, since this is suppose to be the BBE (Best Blog Ever) it has to drag a little long.
I am going to go see "The Queen" this weekend and write a movie review about it for the school paper. I've heard good things. It might be tough to do if it's not playing in Lubbock though...
Sometimes, I feel lost, or out of place. Almost as if we are all on a tennis court and everybody else has a cool racket and I have a salmon. Seems unfair huh? Sorry, not really sure what I am talking about.
My New Year's resolution was to update more often. Not looking so good, huh?
Antidisestablimentarianism. I probably botched the spelling, but I like that word. It makes me sound smart. Or dumb. Whichever works for you.
I trip a lot. I was walking out of class the other day and I tripped on a tiny pebble. Or maybe my shadow. They look alike. Wait...no they don't. Never mind. It's late. I'm tired.
"Au contraire, mon fre`re!" Does that make me sound smarter? Huh? Came up with that all by me self too. Did I get the spelling right? Oh well, I'm proably misspelling every third word. I think I misspelled misspelled. Or not. I have no clue what's going on.
FIN:
All good things must end, I been told. This is no exception. I'm not really sure what the point of this post is. Who cares. I updated, be happy. So, I will leave you with three questions I was most recently asked (crazy roommates!):
What time do you have to be at work tomorrow? 5:00 P.M.
Why are you still writing? Because it is going to be the BBE! And I can't help myself.
Do you think they're still reading? I'm sure I lost them all before they finished the first section. Also, it's late here, but somewhere it's early and they could just be beginning to read this.
Also, my favorite ever:
"Jordan, how are you?" Jordan's typical response: "I great, how are you?" Honestly, no less than a dozen times a day. I'm flattered really, but people, throw in some adverbs and adjectives! Spice it up. "What's hangin' homeslice?" See, that is an appropriate question with an appropriate response "Not much, G, Dawg,man, homie!" Yuck. I can't pull off the gansta language. Not sure why I tried.
So, our journey must reconvene for a while here. But, until we meet again...
End note because I love this quote. It's from "V For Vendetta":
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
Quite possible, the best quote EVER in a movie.
Good night for real this time.
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