Sunday, January 22, 2006

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Beautiful Snow

A few days ago I was sitting in the Union ballroom, in between classes. There is an entire wall of windows that look out onto part of campus, and outside that day the snow was coming down. It surprised me a little just how incredibly calm everything looked outside. It was so peaceful. Like everything was being muffled and embraced in a soft, pure blanket. The entire scene suddenly seemed so cleansing to me. As I left the silence and tranquility of the ballroom, I was a part of the scene I had been so enthralled by only a few moments before.

As the snow drifted down, constantly but softly, I felt suddenly that it was attempting to slow our incredibly rushed world. Slow everyone and everything down. Make us notice the small things that make our world so wonderful and amazing. As this comforting blanket surrounded me I felt so alive, and so at peace.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Love Songs and Prayers.

The Storm
by Lifehouse

How long have I been in this storm? So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form. The water's getting harder to tread with these waves crashing over my head.
If I could just see you everything would be alright. If I could see you this darkness would turn into light and I will walk on water, and you will catch me if I fall, and I will get lost into your eyes and everything will be alright, and everything will be alright.
I know you didn't bring me out here to drown,so why am I ten feet under and upside down? Barely surviving has become my purpose 'cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface. If I could just see you everything would be alright. If I could see you this darkness would turn into light and I will walk on water and you will catch me if I fall and I will get lost into your eyes and everything will be alright and everything will be alright.
and I will walk on water and you will catch me if I fall and I will get lost into your eyes and everything will be alright and everything will be alright.
everything's alright.

I love that song. The version I have is an acoustic, and it is so quietly powerful in its message. Take whatever meaning you personally will out of it.
There are many popular songs, much like the one above, that are written as love songs, however the meaning I seem to almost always take out of them lately is a different kind of 'love song'. I regard them as prayers. Think of some of your favorite 'love songs' and see whether or not they could be sung as a prayer?
Many of my favorites can be. I find it incredibly interesting the connection between the two subjects. Especially when I think of the lyrics in one of my favorite songs called Miracles by Steele Croswhite. Part of the lyrics sing "that I can even love at all because You first loved me..." To me, those lyrics sum up what I've been talking about, the connection between love songs and prayers in a beautiful way.
I know that I would not be able to love at all had it not been for my God.

Lately I've felt much like what the song above talks about... "I know you didn't bring me out here to drown,so why am I ten feet under and upside down?" Although it sounds very hopeless, I don't believe it is, and I am not hopeless [just for the record, and for those of you who worry so much ;-) ] I have hope that God has a plan for me, and that He will lead me to where He needs me to be. The difficult part is waiting, watching, and giving myself over to be lead.

I feel like all I can do at this point is thank God for all He has done in my life, which I know is more than I realize, see and acknowledge, and strive to be fixed, cleansed, closer, and lead by Him.