You Are

I confess, this started on MySpace... but I think it's a unique little survey that's easy to fill out.. and sometimes really funny!
Now, it's your turn! :)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn't make sense. NO CHEATING!

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Stumptown - Nickle Creek

WHAT'S YOUR OUTLOOK ON LIFE?
Llegaron Los Millonarios - Nachito Herrera (sweet.. you should check him out at www.nachito.net)

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY THINK OF YOU?
Nothing Compares - Third Day Offerings II

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Ambience - Falling Up

WHAT DO STRANGERS THINK OF YOU?
Sunrise - Norah Jones

WHAT DO YOUR EXES THINK OF YOU?
The Sea - Carbon Leaf

HOW IS YOUR LOVE LIFE?
This is a Call - Thousand Foot Krutch

HOW WILL YOUR LOVE LIFE BE IN THE FUTURE?
After the Rain - Phil Keaggy

WILL YOU GET MARRIED?
Ache for You - Ben Lee

WILL YOU HAVE KIDS?
Take - Heidi Holt

ARE YOU GOOD AT SCHOOL?
My Last Breath - Evanescence

WILL YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE?
Wonderful Creator - Paul Wright

WHAT SONG SHOULD THEY PLAY ON YOUR BIRTHDAY?
I Give You My Heart - Jeff Deyo

WHAT SONG SHOULD THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Hide - Creed

YOU AND YOUR BEST FRIEND ARE:
Trinity - Jennifer Knapp

HAPPY TIMES:
Tender Mercy - 100 Portraits & Waterdeep

SAD TIMES:
If I Could - Jack Johnson

EVERY DAY:
We're So Far Away - Mae

FOR TOMORROW:
(A Quiet Interlude) - David Crowder

FOR YOU:
Somebody's Watching - Toby Mac

WHAT DOES NEXT YEAR HAVE IN STORE FOR ME?
One Last Breath - Creed
(ooh dang, I hope not)

WHAT DO I SAY WHEN LIFE GETS TOO HARD?
Return Of The Singer - Kmax

WHAT DO I THINK WHEN I GET UP IN THE MORNING?
A Beautiful Collision - (B Collision) David Crowder

WHAT SONG WILL I DANCE TO AT MY WEDDING?
Sing Out In Joy - Jennifer Knapp

WHAT DO YOU WANT AS A CAREER?
Diamond in the Rough - Jennifer Knapp

YOUR FAVOURITE SAYING?
Fearless - Falling Up

FAVOURITE PLACE?
Breaking My Heart - Aqualung

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
I Haven't Been Myself - John Reuben

WHERE WOULD YOU GO ON YOUR FIRST DATE?
X&Y - Coldplay

DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Glo in the Dark - Delirious?

WHAT DO I LIKE DOING MOST?
These Thousand Hills - Third Day

SONG THAT BEST DESCRIBES MY BOSSES AT WORK?
First Time - Hawk Nelson

WHAT IS MY STATE OF MIND AT THE MOMENT?
Shiver - Coldplay

HOW WILL I DIE?
Into The Dark - Ben Lee

THE SONG THAT YOU'LL PUT AS YOUR TITLE
You Are - Kirk Franklin

starting point

marinating. that is what i described a few days ago to say that i've had many thoughts running through my head on a certain subject. i realized that marinating isn't a great word to describe this because in marinating there comes a point when it is done and ready to cook. maybe it could be right, but to be more specific in what i'm trying to get at... the point is that it's not done, and my wonder is whether it is something that will ever be done.

on to what it is that has been running through my head.

about a month ago now i blogged about "future generations" how i emailed to the "contact us" page at church to see what they mean in using that statement from the pulpit. the response was interesting. it came from al, whom i have a lot of respect for and is a dear friend/mentor of mine. he pointed out several points in our church's vision statement and things they've implemented to fulfill the statement. it is interesting the things you find out by asking questions... and the things that go on that you never really knew.

i responded to him and focused more on the question of youth. why can't they be more present and acknowledged, other than just on an ash wednesday service. i think i responded in more of frustration.. the response back was, "what would it look like for them to feel noticed" (or something to that affect). it caught me off gaurd, because it's a really good question. i have a lot of ideas of how I think they'd want to feel noticed, but i intentionally said from the beginning i didn't want this to be about me.

after some good discussions with some good friends ;).. i continued to wrestle with the questions "what is my part in this?" "am i making this more about what I want instead of what the youth want?" .. in the discussion one of the statements was.. "maybe it's something that we have to sit and wait on" but that is a hard one to digest. we all had involvement in the youth.. part of us is still tied in. there was an investement made, so we still all want to see it. i think the hard part is when i finally decide to stop... where will i see it if it's not in the bigger church body?
these last couple statements just popped out- i guess what i realize is that there is still a passion within me to see the youth change lives... for them to be transformed and for others, especially the "olders&elders" of the church to see what incredible stories they each have to share. so that they know not all youth are punks who have no respect for their elders.

to wrap that all up somehow i'm going to just say that i'm glad i asked the questions. because, if i don't ask the questions, it doesn't get me anywhere. i may not have received the exact answers or any specific ones.. but it leads to new ones... all these questions are pointing me to God and that is the ultimate goal. some of this verbiage and thought is coming from the book "velvet elvis" by rob bell. one of his statements is this
(this pertaining more to questions of God.. the hard ones, like "why does He let bad things happen to good people")

"Questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or arrogant or ignorant or raw, are rooted in humility. A humility that understands that I am not God. And there is no more to know.

Questions bring freedom. Freedom that I don't have to be God and I don't have to pretend that i have it all figured out. I can let God be God."

there is a lot of build up and explaining to all of that... but for me, it has been a journey of questions lately. in common christian circles it wouldn't be okay to ask those questions and not get the regurgitated "christian" answer... to abandon that answer and just be okay with the fact that God is the only one that knows.

marinating

For the past few weeks I've had some really good things marinating in my thoughts. Some things I have been sharing with friends and had some really good convo that brought some interesting views to light. This post is somewhat pointless... only to say that there is something coming... and get ready because it may be long!

oh, my keys

I went to dinner with my Aunt tonight because it was her birthday. We had a nice time and parted ways. On the way home I decided to return a book to Borders that I realized a couple pages in, it just wasn't me.
Before getting out of the car I reached to the backseat and grabbed the book, made sure the receipt was in it and jumped out hastily as to make a quick exit and bolt into the store out of the frozen parking lot.
As I made my way to the door I realized something wasn't quite right... it was the lack of jingle from my keys. Ah friiik... CRAP.. daNg It (i don't know why, but i still cannot udder an expletive outloud... i do it more often in my head... what's the difference?)... I LOCKED MY KEYS IN THE CAR! Not to mention the spare was IN the car too. Real smart, Lisa, real smart. I had the spare in the car because of the mechanic work last week and never moved them inside!
I proceeded inside to return my book, all the while brainstorming what I should do about this predicament. It would've been easy if I had signed up for AAA already, since it has been on my mind, but that would be too convenient. I decided to call my dad, he knows everything... okay, not everything. Of course I knew what he told me, but it's always nice to get reinforcement, so I called up the non-emergency police line. They were very friendly and sent a nice policeman out to fetch my keys! :) (so, note to self, police in MG have "lock-out" service.. not all cities do)
Actually, two policemen came out... the first one got them to unlock and the second one copied down my license info. While doing so he said, "hey, did you go to Champlin Park H.S." I said, uuh, yeah... (also note that I was in my car and he was on the passenger side standing) and then he said "yeah, so did I, I know you... we went to Champlin Elementary together, too." He told me his name and I was very surprised. It wasn't a very ideal situation to "catch up" so-to-speak, you know, him standing outside in the frigid air without a jacket (apparently they don't wear jackets? what's that about) and me sitting in the driver's seat trying to get my car warm. As I thought about it later, I think I remember that he had a crush on me in grade school. How funny life can be sometimes!
One last thing... if you know me at all.. you know I haven't lived in one place for more than two years in the last 6... that makes about 5moves since I moved out of my 'rents place. The thing I hate doing most with the moves is changing my license. Last place I lived I was due for a new license in the following December, so i waited. This time... I've just put it off until Jan. because I had to get License tabs... perfect!
Good thing I just got my license in the mail on Tuesday!! Pretty sure they could've fined me, even with the new papers showing my renewal... but maybe since I knew the one guy... he'd give me a break. :) haha...

the end...

cars and musicians

cars are just plain money suckers. it's a losing investment that everyone (almost everyone) has to make and there is no way around it. but why is it that everytime i get to a point in my own financial situation that i can start SAVING, my car decides to suck the money out of me again. i don't ever feel like i can get ahead, but who does, right? i know i'm not the only one in this situation, but it's just frustrating. so yes, more car repairs for me... i guess a water pump is important, since your car won't function and will over-heat without it working properly. (deep sigh)
the end

on to a more positive story

so i've worked with a local musician, brian bates, for a couple of years now. i like to work with people who we've had a history with and who come back because they see the value of our work. brian is one of those people...
i am writing this tonight as a short little tribute to say "thanks." it's refreshing to work with someone who isn't always about business, has a sense of humor and of style, and is grateful for the time and effort we put into a job.


this is a ravecard (musicians business card) i created for him.

his music isn't really my specific style, but as with his design, it is quality! you can check him out at www.brian-bates.com