until you came along || jj heller

I tried to live this life on my own
But emptiness was beating down the door
Yeah it rose up like a flood
Until my dying days were done
They are no more

Nothing makes sense without you
It's like waking up in the dark
I didn't have a song
Until you came along

Falling in love with you was easy
You were always meant to have my heart
I was broken all to pieces
You were there to be the missing part

Nothing makes sense without you
It's like waking up in the dark
I didn't have a song
Until you came...

And I never wanna go back
To the way things were beforeYou saved me and you made me yours

Now nothing makes sense without you
It's like waking up in the dark
I didn't have a song
Until you came along

Now nothing makes sense without you
It's like waking up in the dark
I didn't have a song
Until you came along

carrie

i have a good friend who's posted some really cool stuff on her blog recently:

carrieannedesign.blogspot.com/

 the above is a poster she designed herself.

the song is one of my favorites,

and i love how she made some of the words that stood out to her in red font.

the next photo is something that she found on someone else's design website.

she put a link it to her blog, and i loved it.

one of the best wedding invitations i've seen yet.

again, color love.

follow carrie's blog if you're into design, paper, or anything artistic. :)

and she's got a sale going on right now for business cards, so check that out too!

gethsemane - getty

To see the King of heaven fall
In anguish to His knees,
The Light and Hope of all the world
Now overwhelmed with grief.
What nameless horrors must He see,
To cry out in the garden:
“Oh, take this cup away from me –
Yet not my will but Yours,
Yet not my will but Yours.”

To know each friend will fall away,
And heaven’s voice be still,
For hell to have its vengeful day
Upon Golgotha’s hill.
No words describe the Savior’s plight -
To be by God forsaken
Till wrath and love are satisfied
And every sin is paid
And every sin is paid

What took Him to this wretched place,
What kept Him on this road?
His love for Adam’s cursed race,
For every broken soul.
No sin too slight to overlook,
No crime too great to carry,
All mingled in this poisoned cup –
And yet He drank it all,
The Savior drank it all,
The Savior drank it all.

empty my hands - tenth avenue north

I've got voices in my head

And they are so strong
And I'm getting sick of this

Oh Lord, how long
Will I be haunted by this fear that I believe?
My hands like locks on cages
Of these dreams I can't set free

But if I let these dreams die
If I lay down all my wounded pride
If I let these dreams die
Will I find that letting go,

let's me come alive?

So empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with You
Oh empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with You
With You, with You Lord

These voices speak instead

What's right is wrong
And I'm giving into them

Please Lord, how long

Will I be held captive

By the lies that I believe?
My heart's in constant chaos

And it keeps me so deceived

But if I let these dreams die
If I could just lay down my dark desire
If I let these dreams die
Will I find you brought me back to life?

So empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with You
Oh Lord, empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with You

Cause my mind is like a building burning down
I need Your grace to keep me, keep me from the ground
And my heart is just a prisoner of war
A slave to what it wants,

And to what I'm fighting for

So won't you empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with You
Oh empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with You

With You, with You
I need You, I need you my Lord
With You, with You
I need you now Lord

redeemed - hillsong

i love this song by hillsong- here are some of my favorite lines:

My simple mind cannot understand

My feeble faith cannot comprehend your grace

By the blood of the Lamb

I'm made white like the snow

Now I'm redeemed

By the blood of the Lamb

The Lamb who was slain

By the nails through your body

Atonement was made

For those who believe

Who believe on your name

What grace

Rather than a boat tossed about by the sea

I like a tree firmly planted will be

Your grace, how its sufficient for me

How it carries all my burdens

And displaces my iniquity

When the Father gazes down no longer does he see

The reflection of a wicked man

But the Lamb who died on Calvary

You hung yourself upon a tree

Shed your blood for the sake of me

How do I thank You, Lord?

t_swift [update...]

ahhh... ok, i'm reluctant enough to say...

she actually has more than one ok song.

i still "officially" dislike her.

but some of her songs are goo-goooo-gooooo... ood.

i didn't say they were good though,

in case anyone was wondering.

pros:

- cool harmonies

- (sometimes) lyrics

cons:

- repetition

- mushy-gushy-ness

- guy hating

- umm. just the fact that so many people like her.

i'd lie

never grow up

enchanted

mean

you belong with me

sometimesss. i just can't believe myself.

by faith - keith and kristyn getty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QgdyllyM-s

saving grace - the afters

falling into you
i'm safe and sound
you open up my eyes
i see you now

you're my saving grace
you're my saving grace
i run to my hiding place
my saving grace

carry me now
on your shoulders
i won't look down
pull me closer

taylor swift

for the past several years, i have vowed to despise taylor swift's music.

i don't know why. maybe just because people say i look like her.

or because she's a country singer and i hate* country music.

[*clarification: when i think of country music...

i think of the songs you hear on the radio

about some guy and how much he loves his pickup truck.

he's upset and tears well up in his eyes.

wailing, his voice breaks mid-verse, but he doesn't care.

chorus: he sings about a girl or how he wants to go home to mississippi.

he drinks some coffee and feels better.

he sees a butterfly and there's a gentle breeze in the trees.

happy song ending with guitar solo.

is so dumb and pointless...]

but... i actually have begun to like one of taylor swift's songs.

and i actually went home and listened to it... several times!

i have not dared yet to listen to any of her other songs,

because maybe then i will like them too.

and if i like more than one of her songs,

then it will be said that i actually like her.

now do you see the dilemma i am in?

my previous prejudiced thinking has been turned upside down!

i was comfortable in my little blindly hating bubble.

but it has burst it into a million pieces! oh dear.

whatever am i going to do?

shall i listen to another song in the hope that i will hate it?

i do not dare to take that chance.

because if i do like it... then i will like it!

invisible love [ jj heller ]

if my arms could reach around you
i would never move
and if my eyes could see you
i'd have no faith left to prove
the wonder of invisible love

this is how it has to be
with you and me
the wonder of invisible love

when i fall i feel you arms
before i reach the ground
lord, i know your whisper
though i've never heard the sound
the wonder of invisible love

this is how it has to be
with you and me
the wonder of invisible love

someday there will be no time to mind
i will be your long-awaited bride
we will dance away the night

when the storms swirl and rage
there are mercies anew
in sorrow and pain
you will carry me through
and at the end of my days
when your throne fills my view
i will sing of your mercies anew

something to say - starfield

and faith might mean there won't be answers
and hope might mean enduring through the night
help me not forget in darkness

the things that i believed in light

what may be the most random christmas eve post ever

i'm sooosooosooo excited about christmas tomorrow!

the whole christmas season is amazing because everywhere we turn we are reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made - coming down in human form so that he could die for our sins.

it is shocking to me that even in the world this holiday is celebrated, and christian songs are played on the radio.

now i have a confession to make. i hate christmas music. like truly, sincerly hate it.

its just too flowy and smooth and - i think - fakely happy and just gross. :)

now i have no idea what gives me this impression... most people love it and have it playing all year round. i love christmas carols that have meaning and are about Jesus.

but songs like:

"chesnuts roasting over an open fire"

or

"baby its cold outside"

... the lyrics just seem pointless and nostalgic.

like all you need to keep you feeling happy and warm is good old memories from your childhood, when you were innocent and young and everything was cheerful.

the world knows that nothing will leave them fully happy and satisfied. but instead of turning to Jesus, many of them land on one thing that they think will work. so they listlessly remember their childhood or they try to be happy by spending time with family, being a good person, you name it.

now please understand. God gave us family to enjoy, and to point us back to himself in worship. i am sooooo super thankful for my family. we laugh till we cry, we sing at the top of our lungs while running through the below freezing streets of d.c., we talk about everything and nothing like there's no tomorrow, we gather around our fireplace and toast s'mores... God made us to enjoy these things. and heck, yeah. we do!

but none of these things satisfy. ultimately, we need God. no matter what that one thing is that we think will make us happy, in the end we'll just be empty and miserable again. and i'm talking to myself when i say this.

i don't like christmas music because of the way it can sometimes portray everything as innocent and happy.

but i looooove christmas carols like the following:

hail the heaven-born prince of peace

hail the sun of righteousness

light and life to all he brings

risen with healing in his wings

our savior comes humbly, taking on the form of the creatures he made.

he alone can bring us light - since we walk in the darkness of our sins - and life - since we are dead in our wickedness and rebellion.

o come let us adore him

o come let us adore him

o come let us adore him,

Chist the Lord

we don't just adore him because he's a little cute baby.

we still adore him for his purity and righteousness and love and perfection.

how beautiful is our sinless Savior.

no more let sin and sorrow grow

not thorns infest the ground

he comes to make his blessings flow

far as the curse is found

far as the curse is found

far as, far as the curse is found

not only is Jesus sinless, but he has come to reverse the effects of sin.

every curse that has come as the result of our purposeful, rebellious sin, he takes on himself, and he gives us the blessing of eternal joy in heaven with him.

glory to God!

this season is about him.

it is for his fame.

he loves us.

we don't deserve it.

but he loves us.

merry christmas!

and we'll close with charlie brown :)

faith & christmas

You did not wait for me
To draw near to you
But you wrapped yourself with frail humanity
You did not wait for me
To call out to you
But you let me hear your voice calling me

And I'm forever grateful to you
I'm forever grateful for the cross
I'm forever grateful to you
That you came to seek and save the lost

http://therohwering20s.blogspot.com/2010/12/blog-post.html

praying for amy

[ http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amycalderone/journal ]

So I will trust in You,

So I will trust in You.

When fears are great,

And comforts few,

We hope in mercies ever new.

We trust in You.

//

Into the darkness You shine

Our of the ashes we rise

There's no one like you,

None like you

Our God is greater,

Our God is stronger,

God you are higher than any other,

Our God is healer,

Awesome in power,

Our God, Our God.

for the moments i feel faint

Am I at the point of no improvement?

What of the death I still dwell in?

I try to excel, but I feel no movement.

Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus.

You're telling me that there's no hope.

I'm telling you you're wrong.

Never underestimate my Jesus

When the world around you crumbles

He will be strong, He will be strong

Where do I go from here?

Now I'm searching for the confidence I've lost so willingly

Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fear

I think I can't, I think I can't

But I think you can, I think you can

I think I can't, I think I can't

But I think you can, I think you can

Gather my insufficiencies and

place them in your hands, place them in your hands.

[have your way - brittnicole]

Feels like I've been here forever,
Why can't you just intervene?
Do you see the tears keep falling?
And I'm falling apart at the seams.
But you never said the road would be easy,
But you said that you would never leave.
And you never promised that this life wasn't hard,
But you promised you'd take care of me.

So I'll stop searching for the answers,
I'll stop praying for an escape,
And I'll trust you,God, with where I am,
And believe that you will have your way.
Just have your way.

Remind me that you take broken things
And turn them into beautiful.

Even if my dreams have died,
And even if I don't survive,
I'll still worship you with all my life.

And I'll stop searching for the answers,
I'll stop praying for an escape,
And I'll trust you, God, with where I am,
And believe that you will have your way.
Just have your way.
Just have your way.

I know you will.
I won't forget.
You love me.
Have your way.

something beautiful - [NEEDTOBREATHE]

In your ocean, I'm ankle deep

I feel the waves crashin' on my feet

It's like I know where I need to be

But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe

When your tide rushes over me

There's only one way to figure out

Will ya let me drown, will ya let me drown

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

And the water is risin' quick

And for years I was scared of it

We can't be sure when it will subside

So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

In a daydream, I couldn't live like this

I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful

When I wake up, I know I will have

No, I still won't have what I need

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

starfield

// you're my obsession. i'm your possession. //

fireside music [christmas]

i'm officially obsessed with celtic thunder.

its perfect for sitting fireside with a good book (or in my case, school!).

my family is slightly annoyed with me because it's all i listen to.

and i force them to listen to it with me. muahahahahaaaaa!!

:)

i love irish people, and their accents are amazingg!!