Where I Belong

Music blog numbero two!! Where I Belong by Building 429

Sometimes it feels like I’m watching from the outside

Sometimes it feels like I’m breathing but am I alive

I will keep searching for answers that aren’t here to find

All I know is I’m not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me

And when I’m lost in the current of a raging sea

I have this blessed assurance holding me

All I know is I’m not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You

When the lights fade I wanna be found in You

All I know is I’m not home yet

This is not where I belong

Take this world and give me Jesus

This is not where I belong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he32vwlKQPY

Our world today is not in the best shape these days and that reality became especially clear to many people I think after the explosions in Boston yesterday.  For those who do not really know what happened there is the Boston marathon that is a huge event that I think every marathon runner wants to get in to.  At the finish line yesterday as runners were finishing the race there was one explosion and a few seconds after a second explosion.  By now I have heard that 3 are dead and over 140 people injured and there are a lot of amputees and the explosive had ball bearings in them to injure more people.  I think people recognize that there are explosions happening very often injuring and killing people regularly but since it is not close to home (aka North America) we do not really understand the impact or reality of the tragedy of an explosive.  After this happened my Facebook and Twitter exploded with thoughts and speculation about the explosion and prayers being sent but I personally did not put any reaction on a social network site (well until now) for two reasons. One, I do not like making assumptions or speculations or point any fingers especially so early after it happened before any investigation could be done and two because I don’t like “following trends” #prayforBoston, they have great intentions but I feel like it is not worth publicizing if you aren’t actually going to do anything about it and that if you are going to pray about an event you don’t need to publicize it, just my opinions.  I saw mostly positive things but there were some that automatically start pointing fingers which I do not think is totally fair and this is where the song kind of makes a connection.  It is a Christian song if you hadn’t picked up on that and I find it incredibly reassuring as a believer.  The song talks about how we were not created for this earth but for something much greater.  I find it super easy to get caught up in society and feel overwhelmed and stressed about things that I cannot handle and forget that I have been created for a greater purpose and that I was not meant to stay on earth forever.  Just because somebody is breathing does not mean they are alive, it does mean physically living but also “full of energy and spirit; lively” (dictionary.com) and I find that hard to come by on a regular basis in people.  We have our moments of being “alive” probably when we are talking about something we are incredibly passionate about or something important to us but that feeling never stays around for long.  To me this song is a daily reminder to truly live life and do what we can while we can but that there is also something way better for us that is being created for us.  After events like yesterday that have a national impact or smaller more personal events like someone close getting sick or dying this song is usually on repeat as a reminder of the beacon of hope that we can have. 

Update

I think I kind of had a blogging high, I lost sleep yesterday/this morning by writing two more posts and I went on today and saw that the blog had over 30 views, which I was never expecting at all!! How do you guys find this stuff?! :P Anywho, I was thrilled to see some were from Germany because that is my background so that was pretty cool! I hope you guys come back! Have a super great Monday, or at least as super great as it can get.

Better Days

I am a huge music person.  I like to be able to understand the words that are being sung if there are lyrics though which may narrow down my appreciation for certain genres.  Musicals, best things ever, originally Joseph and the Technicoloured Dream Coat was my favourite because of they different types of music incorporated but then I was introduced to Les Miserables and that is my favourite by far.  Rent is also great, The Lion King is one on Broadway (well the only one I have seen on Broadway) that is a must see, Fiddler on the Roof had some great songs too, The Sound of Music is a total classic, I love Julie Andrews and I can’t think of any more right off the top of my head :P This blog will be about a certain song that for some reason I am just hearing now on the radio by the Goo Goo Dolls called Better Days.  For these blogs I will post lyrics and the Youtube link and then do the blog part so you can have an idea of what I am talking about because that is always helpful J

And you ask me what I want this year

And I try to make this kind and clear

Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

Cuz I don’t need boxes wrapped in strings

And desire and love and empty things

Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

So take these words

And sing out loud

Cuz everyone is forgiven now

Cuz tonight’s the night the world begins again

And it’s someplace simple where we could live

And something only you can give

And that’s faith and trust and peace while we’re alive

And the one poor child that saved this world

And there’s 10 million more who probably could

 If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So take these words

And sing out loud

Cuz everyone is forgiven now

Cuz tonight’s the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight

And somehow stop this endless fight

Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

So take these words

And sing out loud

Cuz everyone is forgiven now

Cuz tonight’s the night the world begins again

Cuz tonight’s the night the world begins again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-kHleNYIDc

So first off I love the piano, I played for many years and it is a great way to start off the song.  They do such a great job building up to the chorus but kind of strings along the listener because they know that there is more to come like the bridge.  That is all I am going to say technically because that is not the only reason that I like it so much.  I shall start with the first verse, not really wanting a lot of presents, just better days, I love that concept.  Going back to the whole idea of my last post of being grateful, being a blessing to others because we are blessed and recognizing how much we have and wanting more than just materialistic things.  I have seemed to hit the stage where if people ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas I really do not have an answer to give them, I have everything I need and what I want really does not seem that important, I have to save for school and going back to El Salvador or wherever I am going to go next to make a difference. Onto the chorus, the first two lines are just kind of a reminder that verbalizing something is very different than thinking it, super lame example but I posted a picture on Facebook of my terribly messy room just to kind of be held accountable that I would clean it so I could post and after picture, it is not really verbalizing but is a similar idea.  The thought of forgiving everybody seems totally absurd but if we literally all forgave everybody on the same day and held nothing against anybody imagine the difference that all of us together could make in the world.  It challenged me to see the potential in everybody and recognize that anybody, no matter who they are, what they believe, how old they are or what there story is has the ability to make a difference and just because we might not agree on something does not mean that one of us is wrong or inferior or incapable or anything less than the other.  There really is no reason at all to not forgive a person for something they have done, now the first thing that pops to your mind is probably a brutal murder of somebody that you love, that would be obviously be unforgivable, right? I do not think so. People do not just murder people for fun, there is always a reason behind it, something triggered it, whether a terrible childhood, mental or emotional issue or something along those lines.  I am not going to try and justify their actions, by no means am I saying they should get away with it but I do not think that it is unforgivable (that is a totally different topic that could be discussed later).  The possibility of a new start is always a welcomed idea, beginning again is something that I think everybody experiences at least once, if not many times in their life, referring to the last line when the world begins again.  It is like a minor universal theme like love and death that every English class discusses new starts is one that isn’t really talked about but everybody could relate to. The second verse, simple is my favourite thing.  I like things simple, straight forward, no fancy ribbons or lace or frills (I hate frills :P) and simple things like love, faith and trust build are what a relationship should be built on.  People say the world revolves around love, I think it revolves around money but if it revolved around love it would be a better place.  We were made to be in relationships with people, family, friends and a significant other, going through life alone would suck and be really difficult even if sometimes it seems like it would be easier.  The line about one poor child saving the world, to me is the Christmas story in one line.  If you aren’t sure what the Christmas story in is in Luke chapter 2 of the Bible, go read it, guaranteed it will not kill you J So that has huge meaning for me and the second line I think refers to all the potential that is in the world that is not being nurtured through education and love that is lacking in so many countries and relationships.  If I could give every person the opportunity to live up to their full potential I would do nothing else, the change that could happen would be incredible and it kind of bring up that issue of praying and realizing the need in our world and trying to make a difference in the next line.  The bridge that is built up to so well is also incredible.  Wishing that everybody could feel loved and knowing it would be the best feeling.  Even knowing that somebody loves you does not always mean you feel it, but if everybody got to experience that feeling why would anybody need to fight and the better days would just roll after it.

Basically in summary I think it is a great song that has a great challenge to love and forgive and make an effort to make the world a better place. I challenge you all to try it and let me know how it goes, I will keep you posted on how my challenge goes J

El Salvador

BLOG NUMBER TWO!!!  I think after this one I will stop counting, it is just so exciting to be able to share my thoughts and not really care if anybody cares because it really doesn’t matter, it is like a public journal but better :P So I thought I would share about a huge experience that I had about a month ago that was totally life changing and has changed how I view life and the state of living that I have grown up knowing.  I went to El Salvador (Google it if you are not sure where it is) with my entire family in a group of 25 people ranging from about 11-60 to build 11 houses and visit a Compassion site (also Google that if you aren’t sure what it is, it is a great organization).  I met so many incredible people and it has by far been the highlight of my life so far.  We left super early on a Saturday morning and arrived in El Salvador in the afternoon I think, I can’t really remember :P Heat is by far my favourite thing, I was so totally not made to live in Canada, I love the seasons but where I live “winter” is basically slush and cold kind of explaining my love for heat. Plus my best friend and a few other good friends were on the trip with me and had been last year so I was ready for an amazing experience.  Nothing can really prepare you for seeing all of the poverty, the amount of commercial on television about it and hearing about it and seeing pictures from other people’s trips really do not give the same feeling as seeing it for yourself.  Each day on the way to the village we were working in we would pass graves and people trying to sell food on the side of the road.  Some of the families had to pay 25 cents to get water for their family or walk for hours to get it or try and sell things to be able to feed their family.  It may all sound old but I think everybody should experience a trip like this to just see what the majority of the world is like because it is nothing like any of the first world countries.  We stayed in a motel while down there which was great and all of our meals were provided by the pastor’s family of the local church we went to, she fed us breakfast and dinner and packed us peanut butter and jam sandwiches and fruit for the worksite during the day and with 25 mouths plus our two translator that is a lot of food! The first full day we had there, Sunday, we spent the morning visiting the people that we were going to build houses for and the committee of locals that decided who was going to get a house.  Seeing the conditions of the houses was incredible, they were literally just tarps or pieces or scrap metal against a wooden structure.  Knowing that the pathetic structures they called their home had to keep them safe through the rainy season and any other potential threat and seeing that it clearly could not do that but could not get anything better was heart breaking.  They were the happiest people though, the children automatically loved you and the parents were shy at first but after starting to talk to them they were hysterical and had an incredible sense of humour. We built 4 houses on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday we only had 3 left to build which gave a huge opportunity to play with the kids, which I did most of the week anyways because I was not to great at building, who were just energy balls.  Thursday we did a key giving ceremony, we put together house warming gifts for each family and gave them a Spanish Bible and a ceremonial key to their new house which was a great day but very bitter sweet because it was our last day in the village.  I “adopted” three more sibling while I was down there, Alexadria, Oscar and Norita, they are all siblings and were so great, maybe in a later post I will just talk all about them, I miss them so much but saying good bye to them was so sad, but I have their pictures everywhere and a necklace and bracelet that I wear all the time just as a daily reminder that I am so incredibly blessed.  We spent the last night in a hotel/resort before we came back to Canada and I was miserable.  I did not want to be in a fancy place, I just wanted to be back in the village with the people I had grown to love and knowing that less than an hour away there was people who might not be able to feed their family or have a safe place to sleep was terrible.  Coming back to a home where I have access to anything I need at anytime was also kind of hard to do, as a result I have gone through my room to get rid of anything that I do not really need, knowing how little people have and that I have been blessed to be a blessing I had to make it a reality.  In El Salvador they are so thankful to be able to have the opportunity to go to school and get an education and they never complain about work, our one translator, Hector, needs a job for the rainy season when no teams go down to provide for his family and my whole family fell in love with him and his family and it breaks all of our hearts that he is having a hard time trying to send his son to the best school and provide for his family while I am getting a free education and am working basically three part time jobs.  I have also always had little patience to begin with but coming home and hearing people complain about little, materialistic things is now starting to bother me even more because we have been raised in a society that screams that we need to have all of the new, cool stuff that will never last and not make us happy in the long run.  I think we all need to take a step back and look at our lives and instead of looking at the negative and what we do not have look at what we could give back to the world, whether time or money or things that people need.  It is not hard to find a place to donate stuff you do not need or an organization to volunteer at to help people who need it.  My family helps out at a program called Out of the Cold every few weeks on a Sunday morning serving breakfast, about 3 hours and it seriously makes peoples days. We went near Christmas last year and they all wished us a Merry Christmas and I hated saying it back because I knew they wouldn’t, I had to try not to cry because they were so sincere and happy even though they lived on the streets where it was freezing cold and miserable. If you don’t want to do anything to help people, no big deal, well kind of, but do not go complaining about life because it always could be worse.  That wraps up my rant on this for now, but I am sure it will come up again. Just remember, be thankful for what you have J

All About Me

MY FIRST BLOG!!! Basically I have a lot to say on a regular basis about totally random and different things and what else is the internet here for than to share our thoughts, however weird they are, so anybody can see them. In order to understand where my opinions come from though you might want to take a quick peek into my brain, it might help you follow or make it more confusing.  I am a new adult, just turned 18 last weekend and in my last year of high school, making decisions that could alter my path of life, no big deal :P I am a Christian, have a faith and relationship with Jesus and come from a family of 6, the oldest of 4 kids, all girls and the boy is the youngest and there is a 6 year range between us.  I rowed (played crew as some say, I do not like that expression at all) competitively for 3 years, played some competitive basketball, played house league soccer for years and played one sevens tournament of rugby and after last June have done no sports really since.  I am tall, blonde, probably look nothing like what you are picturing in your head if you are picturing anything, and have a strange sense of humour and laugh easily.  I love my family, friends and books and getting sick of telling you about myself so if any questions come up let me know J Plus I wrote this all on a word document because I didn't like the font choices of the blog, hopefully it works out okay :P So this is my first official blog and I have soooo many things I can't wait to write about!! Also being on the internet I realize people have contradicting opinions and might not like what I say but there is no reason to be mean about it, I will respect your opinions if you respect mine, there is no need to act like the children we shouldn't be.  I hope you come back and read some more of my posts J