Just some good things happening in my life right now (or now-ish):
~ Good, deep conversations with friends about important (and some not-so-important) things
~ Knowing that going to see WICKED is only ONE MONTH AWAY!!!!! (SO excited!)
~ When experiments actually work correctly reproducibly, and move my work forward instead of backwards
~ The fact that LOST and How I Met Your Mother is back on TV regularly, and many of my other favorites will be back shortly (April 10th for The Office!)
~ Broadway musical soundtracks (Lately it’s been old favorites that I’m revisiting like Les Mis and Into the Woods, plus Wicked of course)
~ Long, fun voicemail messages from friends and family about cat’s brains or cute coworkers 
~ The fact that my birthday is exactly two weeks away!
I will not post the accompanying crappy things that are going on, as the good things generally outweigh them right now.
So what’s going well in your life right now?
I seem to oscillate in my music choices for running lately – between music with a really strong beat, and music with really strong lyrics. Sometimes I need the push of the rhythm to keep me moving when I feel like quitting, and then sometimes I need to have something other than my own thoughts to focus on, words that draw me away from all the stuff cluttering up my life. So tonight when I started my run (2 miles, woo!), I began with (and continued with) Indelible Grace. I love the depth of the lyrics, written long ago, but now set to different, beautiful melodies. This one especially struck me tonight, so I’m sharing it with you. It was just the thing I needed to hear tonight, so maybe it will be just the thing you need to hear too.
Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel
But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust
Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner’s prayer
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet
(Quote from Leo Tolstoy)
I’m stealing from Kari today to write about the music I’ve been listening to lately. I just randomized my selections, so there’s no particular order about the songs right now – maybe I’ll establish some kind of order later on. But this is what’s playing in my life these days, in case you were wondering.
For Whom the Bell Tolls by the Bee Gees. This was on a mix CD, and it was my definite favorite of the BeeGees songs – they’re a bit before my time (hehe), so I kinda missed out on this kind of music, so its fun to go back and ‘re-discover’ songs like this. There’s something quite epic-sounding about this particular song.
Mandy by Barry Manilow. Go ahead, mock me for the Manilow! I got this song for the Angel mix I put together for Becky’s birthday, and not only do I like re-living the scene where Angel sings this in the karaoke bar, but I actually just like the song on its own. Ha.
Grace Kelly by Mika. Now, usually the songs I listen to are the result of someone giving me a mix CD and getting hooked on some artist I’d never heard of, or some such thing. But I came by this one quite honestly (well, if you call watching VH1 on the elliptical at the Y and hearing the song ‘honestly’), and I’ve since gotten at least my brother hooked on Mika (and Bethany likes him too, continuing our twin obsessions 
) – there’s a very distinct Queen sensibility about Mika, which I love, and this song is super fun, very energetic and perfect for working out.
Relax (Take it easy) by Mika. Oops, this is what happens when you just randomize them – but this is another one I like off of what I believe is Mika’s debut album – very poppy and a bit more ’80s-sounding than Grace Kelly.
Never Again by Kelly Clarkson. This is on Kari’s list as well – Kelly’s new single – she’s the queen of bitter break-up songs, as Kari mentioned, and while I’ve never been through a bitter break-up, I can definitely sense the angst coming from this song – I’m really looking forward to her new album.
Don’t Write Me Off by Hugh Grant. Yes, that’s right, Hugh Grant. This is the song he sings at the concert in Music and Lyrics, and I definitely cried at this point in the movie, so this song is on my list – very sweet and poignant, even with Hugh ‘I’ve been arrested for lewd acts with a transvestite’ Grant singing.
Maybe There’s a Loving God by Sara Groves. I feel like Sara Groves’ stuff is really hit-or-miss for me, I either really like a song or I’m really not a fan of it – this is the song that originally got me into her voice. I recently put it back into circulation. It’s not typical CCM, at least to me.
All the Miles by Sanda McCracken. I love this one from Sandra’s latest album Gravity|Love, very poignant and sincere as only Sandra can be.
Take Me for Longing by Alison Krauss and Union Station. Alison’s voice is one of my favorites, and this is from one of their Live discs – really powerful lyrics about not being chosen because I’m faithful or kind, but to ‘take me for longing or leave me behind’. Lovely.
7 (Acoustic) by Prince. I never really got into Prince, and even right now I couldn’t name you 3 of his songs, but I have to admit that I love this song – its one that I have to sing along with in the car, regardless of what else is going on around me.
Trusted by Ben Folds. I will admit to having a (brother-induced) pretty strong love for Ben Folds. There’s something very raw and real about his singing that gets me, even if its not, strictly-speaking, ‘pretty’. This one is kinda funny/ironic – favorite line: ‘Seems to if you can’t trust, you can’t be trusted’.
Useless Desires by Patty Griffin. This one goes on pretty much every mix I make, regardless of topic – its one of my absolute Patty favorites, and so applicable to my life right now. Favorite line: ‘To help me think a little less about the things I miss/To help me not to wonder how I ended up like this’.
Too Far to Walk by Andrew Osenga. This is one of the first Andrew Osenga songs I heard, and it gets me every time I listen to it. Favorite part: ‘I get scared that forgiveness is for better people/ So I give up trying to fight/ Jesus, you’ll have to come get me/ Cause it’s too far to walk tonight’.
A Place Called Home by Kim Richey. I like Kim’s voice (which I first heard a year or so ago), and this one was in the last episode of Angel, so it went on Becky’s mix as well, and I really like it. Kinda rolling and haunting.
How Could We Dare to be Wrong by Colin Blunstone. When I first heard this song a few months ago (on a mix), I had no idea who Colin Blunstone was, and I assumed this was a relatively new song – turns out I was waaaay wrong, but I still love this song – it’s very poetic and his voice keeps it from being too cheesy (in my opinion).
Now and Then by Sandra McCracken. This is on my first Sandra CD (Gypsy Flat Road), so it was my first exposure to her, and this is one of my lasting favorite from that CD – it’s very soothing and lullaby-ish.
Reflecting Light by Sam Phillips. The song that is playing when Luke and Lorelei dance for the first time at his sister’s wedding on Gilmore Girls – I fell in love with this song then (and Luke, for that matter – hehe), and found it after some serious searching (of course, I could have just asked Kari). It still calls that scene to mind when I hear it, the camera panning out from the two of them to eventually cover the whole dance floor and town square. Lovely.
Cruel to be Kind by Letters to Cleo. I love the movie Ten Things I Hate About You, and this song (which is in the movie) is super fun, and very good for my work-out mix.
Gravity by John Mayer. This song was in a movie/tv show (but I’m blanking on which one right now…) when I first heard it, and it’s my favorite from his latest album Continuum. (I’m actually not a huge fan of the album as a whole, but I love this song enough to make up for it)
No Bad News by Patty Griffin. One of my top Patty songs, from her new album Children Passing Through. It’s a ‘singing out loud with the radio up and the windows down’ kind of song – there’s this part in the middle where it’s just banjo (?) and then all of the sudden the percussion builds in and the song explodes – so fabulous!
Lost Lost Brother by Over the Rhine. Like Kari, I put this on after hearing them sing it at the concert in Charlotte – I’d never heard it before the concert (I know, but I don’t have Ohio yet, so I’m not 100% familiar with all their songs), and while the live version was tons better, this is a good substitute. (Even if iTunes is giving me conniptions with this song – grrr)
Heavenly Day by Patty Griffin. Another new favorite from the new album. And a rare happy song from an artist whose songs are normally tinged with quite a bit of sadness/bitterness.
Up to the Mountain by Kelly Clarkson. Again, like Kari, this song is an awesome combination of a beloved song (Patty sings it) with another incredible voice (Kelly is powerful on this one). Plus its a great song that addressed the cause they were raising money for, without being overly cheesy.
So that’s what I’m listening to these days – what’s getting a lot of play-time for you lately? Any suggestions for me?
Continuing this week’s theme of Christmas songs, here is a new one to me called ‘The Glorious Impossible’ with words written by Gloria Gaither. (It’s also the name of a Madeleine L’Engle re-telling of Christmas, which just makes it even cooler )
I love the paradoxical way the song is set up, the ‘glorious impossibility’ of Christ’s birth to a virgin, His walking on water, His very human and divine nature. It definitely helps me to ‘marvel at this miracle’, even if I don’t understand it completely.
See the virgin is delivered
in a cold and crowded stall.
Mirror of the Father’s glory
lies beside her in the straw.
He is mercy’s incarnation.
Marvel at this miracle.
For the virgin gently holds
the Glorious Impossible.
Love has come to walk on water,
turn the water into wine.
Touch the leper, bless the children,
love both human and divine.
Praise the wisdom of the Father
who has spoken through His Son.
Speaking still, He calls us to
the Glorious Impossible.
He was bruised for our transgressions
and He bears eternal scars.
He was raised for our salvation
and His righteousness is ours.
Praise, oh praise Him!
Praise the glory
of this lavish grace so full.
Lift your souls now and receive
the Glorious Impossible.
~The Glorious Impossible, Gloria Gaither