GLEE!

Glee has officially joined Ugly Betty, America's Best Dance Crew and The Office as a show I follow. To give a quick run down: it's about high school teacher with a passion for music who takes over the school's glee club full of misfits trying to be somebody. It's a bit of a tongue in cheek mini musical every week.

I was totally hooked once I saw the final scene from the show's pilot episode. It features the song "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey. Enjoy!

Talent in My Very Own Backyard

One of the things I've thoroughly enjoyed this past year has been discovering local talent in the Bay Area--of which there's a lot! Actually it's quite possible that the most talented people are not necessarily the most famous, but that's a discussion for another time...

My most recent local discovery is Justin Phipps, a guitarist that performs in two bands--Vintage Music Collection (also amazing fyi!) and Baba Ken and the Afro-Groove Connexion.

Check him out!

Table for Two

I had another one of those moments where I acutely felt my "empty hands." That is, I felt the great gap between what I want and the reality that I don't yet have it.

Just as I was knee deep in the moment, "Table for Two" by Caedmon's Call came up on my iTunes. A song that perfectly expresses the vulnerability, hope and hurt of waiting for something, or more accurately, someone that you want.

Gotta post the lyrics for this one!

Danny and I spent another late night over pancakes
We talked about soccer
And how every man's just the same.
We made speculation
On who's and the when's of our futures
And how everyone's lonely
But still we just couldn't complain.

And how we just hate being alone

Could I have missed my only chance
And now I'm just wasting my time
By lookin' around

But ya know I know better,
I'm not gonna worry 'bout nothin'.
Cause if the birds and the flowers survive,
Then I'll make it okay.
I'm given a chance and a rock;
see which one breaks a window.
See which one keeps me up all night and into the day.

Because I'm so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in.
And it's not my job to wait by the phone
For her to call.

Well this day's been crazy
But everything's happened on schedule,
from the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt.
'Cause You knew how You'd save me
before I fell dead in the garden,
And You knew this day
long before You made me out of dirt.

And You know the plans that You have for me
And You can't plan the end and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace,
Just to get me to sleep

God is Bigger Than the Boogeyman

When I was growing up, there was this song we sang in church that had one verse that said, "God is bigger than the boogeyman."

I'm being impressed with that thought here at the songwriter's conference. Not specifically the boogey man part :-), but the God is bigger part. Yesterday when worshipping through song, I felt even more emotionally moved than normal, and I found myself kneeling on the floor, praying and crying and being humbled by the words in the song that sang, "God can do anything."

There is what seems like a full mountain range of challenges and large decisions to make in my life in the next few weeks and months. Some of them surrounding this ever growing passion I have to use my voice and songwriting to express truth, life and healing. But just as the boogeyman reared his ugly head every time the lights turned off and it was time for bed when I was young, in the same instant that my heart lifts in thinking about developing this gift of song, I feel the boogeyman of fear and doubt whisper in my ear.

Is God still bigger than the boogeyman?