will you help me?

so this is a very interactive post.
i've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a song "good". and so i'm asking for your help. tell me what you think makes a good song. what causes you to listen to a song over and over again? the lyrics? the musical creativity? the artists voice? the style? what is it? and please don't give me pad answers. i really really want to know what it is for you. will you aid me in understanding what gets to you about music. specifically. examples. anything to understand.
please?
thanks so much.
cheers my dear friends.

xavier rudd

if you haven't heard of him. i think you really really need to. xavier rudd is an artist from australia. its a one man show and he sits in front of 4 dijeridoos (sp?), a guitar(or rather 4), a massive amount of percussions instruments-drums, gongs, cymbals, a foot drum, a mouth organ, and more....oh plus he has a mic. yes he sings, plays guitar, plays drums, plays dijeridoo, plays mouth organ pretty much all at the same time. he is a short, barefoot, scraggley haired, bearded hippi with an extremely unique voice and style of music. its really great!! and his live shows are even more great!!
thats where i was last night. in banff at xavier rudd's concert with tyler, denver, sean, nicole, and ciara. it was awesome. if you ever get a chance to see this guy live, take it. he's really down to earth and incredibly talented. i'm sure that my jaw was on the floor the whole time he played.

check him out. XAVIER RUDD

cheers

the rest of the family

just thought that it was time for another photo sharing experience. everybody please meet 2 of the most important people in my life...my parents. i love them. and if you ever have the chance to meet them, i think that you would be blessed too!! this picture was taken right before i sauntered off to a friends wedding. so no, i don't look like that everyday......better actually ....hahaha...joking again. oops.

and this one, this is aaron, my cute kitty. he's wonderful. and cute. did i mention that he is really cute. i'm pretty sure that when he was a kitten, he loved me more then he loved his mother. awwww. the black cat in the background is his brother...no name.
blessings!

wide eyed.......part 2

christians in the secular workplace.

this is what i am. a christian in the secular workplace.
i don't flaunt my beliefs. i don't base my work relationships on a conversion basis. i don't disassociate myself with the smokers or those that constantly swear. i don't listen to christian music at work. i don't read my bible on my lunch break.

should i?

some people perhaps do. there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. but in my context i know that i can't....i don't want to. its not like i am trying to hide my "religion" (as everyone puts it) but everyone here at work knows that i am a christian. they know what i am all about. but i've built relationships with them and they don't feel "put upon" by me. how do i know this? because i know that they respect me. the neat thing is, that they feel open to talk about "christian" stuff with me. i don't bring it up...they do. they ask the question and ask my opinion. and so i share...very openly what i think and believe. i once had a conversation with someone about how much they dislike "the church" because of all the hypocracy they see with christians. point taken. i've had many other conversations with co-workers surrounding the idea of religion. God has blessed me through these conversations. and i know that if i didn't have a relationship with these people, things would be vastly different. haha they think its funny to call me "christian girl". but its not said in a degrading sort of way..just fun. how important is it now that i let my actions show what i believe?

a jw was walking around our neighborhood yesterday and knocked at my door. she said to me, "you know its really really hard to choose what is right when you are at work or at school". my response? "no its not hard. yes its a choice but that choice becomes a lifestyle. to the point that i don't need to decide because i know (in certain contexts of course)...its ingrained...almost habit...do you know what i mean? and working in this secular environment doesn't change that. i am who i am. i will be real. i won't try and hide jesus. after all...he is my life. if he is my life...how can i live apart from that.

just some thoughts. people in the secular work/living environment don't hate christians. christians have just been given a bad name. i think its time for a change. maybe i can help to change that in a small way with the few i work with. i can't separate myself from society...nor do i want to. this is where i am. and so this is where i will be.

wide eyed ...part 1

so i've been working as the receptionist for this flooring install company for almost 3 months now. (quite the commitment wouldn't you say?)and i'll be honest it has been jaw dropping. as most of you know, i have spent much of the past number of years, working at camp evergreen. camp evergreen, if you didn't know, is a very sheltered community. yes, they do have guest groups coming through during the year but you still don't experience very much of the secular world. many people lovingly call it "a bubble". and being in calgary right now has taken me far away from "the bubble". i once again realize how ignorant i am to secular society. Why? well for many many reasons. i've come face to face with every possible conversation and situation...relatively speaking.

obsessive gossiping and laughter about the individual in discussion
total disgust for their jobs
backstabbing
potty mouths...every swear in the book
no respect for the sanctity of marriage
no respect for individuals
and definitely no respect for sex
hypocracy. utter hypocracy.
smoke breaks every half an hour..everybody does it

honestly, its a different world to me. the way people think, what people value...not that it is bad but it is definitely so different to all i know and understand in my life. its really hard to wrap my head around it but what i understand is relative to my experience and my background and the same goes for everyone else that works here.
but as much as its a different world, somehow i'm a part of it, i can't explain it, and i respect it.

no one beats around the bush
people seem to be so genuine
opinions are expressed and for the most part, respected
laughter is a constant companion
everyone is welcome
everyone feels accepted in some way
help is always offered

my question is, is there any difference between a secular community and a christian community? if we are honest, is there any difference? if i put a christian beside a non-christian, is there a visible difference besides the stuck up nose. i'm torn.

**right now i need to say that this is not intended to offend anyone. i feel convicted and guilty of how i live my life and so i am just writing my thoughts. i guess i just want to take an example of one of my cooworkers...i'm not going to beat around the bush with this stuff....its too important. i would value your thoughts and emotions as i continue......

this is my petition

self check outs
coffee shop drive thrus
ebay
and pay at the pump
automated banking
online schooling
email
and vending machines

what do all these things have in common? its painfully obvious yet they crept in so quietly and so "convenient". our society (the western one i mean) is slowly destroying every ounce of human interaction for the sake of convenience, efficiency, and development. we've lost perspective. its gone.

we've replaced conversation with square screened addictions
we've replaced family game night with remote controls
we've replaced smiles and hand shakes with automated transactions
we've replaced laughter with "lol"
we've replaced quality with accessibility
we've replaced trust with digital promises
we've replaced parents with numbing distrations
we've replaced relationships with msn
we've replaced friendship with chat rooms
we've replaced people with machines

we are ok with this?

so perhaps we've taken a step towards creating a smaller world and a utopia of information but in the context of social interaction and human necessity we are taking a large step backwards.

do you wonder why there are so many homeless?
do you wonder why kids are undisciplined?
do you wonder why people are so lonely?
do you wonder where the suicide rate is going?
do you wonder why there are so many people socially constipated?
do you wonder why faces are so empty?

again, we've been fooled by the electronic world. instead of promoting God's original plan of relationship we've swept it off the step and under the carpet.

there is so much wealth at our fingertips and yet every single person does everything they can to avoid interacting with another. in a sense we are starving ourselves. and just like those hungry children in africa, our stomachs are bloated with gluttony for progress and our vision is tunnelled. its a backwards cycle that will only lead to our demise. we were created for eachother and now we walk as glazed eyed robots.

whats wrong with a simple conversation
a smile at your teller
a moment to step inside
and see the bigger picture
quench your thirst for interaction
and give in to the temptation
to talk to a stranger
risk a turned head
or a frown
at least you haven't closed
the door
open it wide
and welcome the pain that looms
its speaks of life
and effort understood
shake off the painted smile
and robotic responses
come alive
come alive
live
with the knowledge
that you are.........
changing the world.
.........................this is my petition

new favorite

so i have a new favorite food.
its vietnamese.
vegetarian spring rolls on vermicelli noodles
with fish sauce.
love it.
you should try it.
they even give little coffee mints after
their terrible service.
oops i forgot to tip.

no trick but definite treat

so along with handing out very little candy to trick or treaters (much to our detriment as we have way too much candy left over), i also had a meeting or audition with the worship and creative arts pastor at southview alliance. joe, along with his other worship leader adam were there to jam with me a bit and hear what kind of sound i make when i attempt to make music. first i played piano and sang along with them and then i joined them on acoustic for another song. needless to say, i was nervous. i always get nervous when i play for other people knowing that they are, in a sense, judging my abilities. but funny thing, when i first arrived and met adam, i realized that i had played bass for him on his team for a retreat. ironic. yep. so it went really easy. and after practice on thursday night, i will be joining the worship team on keys and vocals for their sunday morning service at their branch church called 'imago dei'. i'm really excited. i finally found a place to get plugged in after 2 months. my uncle wayne is awesome. he is the one that boldly introduced me to joe and....the rest is history. so i just wanted to let you all in on the exciting news. and if you want to come to church sunday morning, let me know. haha. anyways.
cheers.