some things i didn't write

I shared some words back in November that I didn't write and what's funny is that two of the people on that list are on this list today.

1. I shared a few weeks ago how I couldn't get this song and these words out of my head. Ann's words and the video in this post. Just...yes. We are blessed so we can bless. We are loved by God so that we can be His love.

2. Angie's post over at (in)courage on not being Moses. I think this kind of goes along with this post from 2 months ago. It is still stuck in my head that there is no competition when it comes to God's Kingdom. We. I. so often pretend like there is. I used to really struggle {and still sometimes do} with being a missionary's sister. And if it wasn't that, it was being the "most hip" female youth worker. {We all know, that I never will be, but, I aspired...} ;) God made me. Me. Not Sarah. Not one of countless women I call my friends. Me. And if I can't be me and serve Him the way He made me? Then, that's pretty lame. I am a missionary. Whether it says that on my business card or not. Not that I think Sarah has business cards. But you know what I mean. It's just...convicting all over again. Go read it.

3. Annie's vlog about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It may seem all fun and games but the last minute or so...yowsa. "God tells way bigger stories than we do." and "What I would have written for myself is far inferior to what has been written for me."

Mind.

Blown.

I think this really struck me for two particular reasons.
{a} Obviously...there's the whole job thing. Do I really need to explain that one?

{b} Some friends of mine had a sweet baby last Thursday. Life doesn't always go the way we thought it would and I know Jordan and Marty weren't necessarily expecting Morgan to be born with all the difficulties that she has been born with. But to know that God knows way more than we do. And He always writes the best stories. This tiny girl is going to change some people's worlds. I'm pretty sure she already has. In ways that we can't even imagine. I immediately thought of this verse:

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. - Eph. 3:20, The Message

 We have a choice. To believe that God is telling that bigger story, or...not. What will we choose to believe? 

For updates on precious Morgan Noelle you can check out their blog, this Facebook page that was set up, or follow Jordan and Marty on Twitter. (or the hashtag #PrayForMorgan).

Go.

Read.

Or watch. :)

Take it to heart.

Happy Tuesday, y'all.

P.S. If you can pray for me some sleep? It's 5:04 a.m. and I've yet to be asleep. :( Booooooooo.

this will make your life better.

Here at TMROR, we are all about bringing you the latest and greatest music and other cultural selections.  And by we, I mean me. And by latest and greatest, I mean, your grandma has probably already heard of this band. Or TV show. Or...whatever. But, just pretend with me.

I love music. I was once asked if I had to be deaf or blind, which would I prefer. I said blind because while I can go without seeing just about anything, I don't think I could make it without hearing music. It just speaks to my soul. It's the same in every language. Except not, because it's different, but its abilities to move a person, that's what I mean.

Bad analogies aside, this past week I was watching some television and saw a preview for the 3rd season of NBC's The Sing-Off. To say I was a LITTLE MORE THAN EXCITED is an understatement. I was at Matt and Mo's and since they have a DVR, I rewound it and watched the preview TWICE. Two. Times. I just realized that previews go with movies. Commercials go with TVs. But I'm too lazy to go back and fix it.

If you haven't heard of it, it's basically like American Idol. But instead of one person, it's 12 or so different groups. And instead of instruments, there's no instruments. And instead of semi-bad singers. They're all really really good.  So, in all actuality, it's not like American Idol at all.

Still not convinced? Here are the 5 best things about The Sing-Off.

{1} There's not a single bad group in the bunch. These are the best of the best. You know those CDs that you really love, except two songs, so you skip them? Yeah. Not the case with TSO. It's all good, all the time.

{2} You get to see clever group names. Two words. Pitch Slapped. Highly inappropriate? Yes. But..really. I mean...the first time I saw that, I'm QUITE sure that I laughed so hard. And while I know these guys didn't come up with it, The Whiffenpoofs were on last season.  As in Gilmore Girls? As in Richard Gilmore was a WP and sings with them in that episode where they're at the Harvard/Yale game and Emily is having the maid make a Bloody Mary, and...I've seen Gilmore Girls too much.

{3} Judges that don't make you want to slit your throat. Ben Folds and that really tall guy from Boyz II Men. Shawn I think is his name. They actually know good music. And give constructive criticism. And I'm happy to announce that Nicole SureIsAnnoying Scherzinger  is not coming back this year. There's a new girl. Nicole kind of did make you want to slit your throat, but two out of three ain't bad.

{4} Groups in coordinating outfits. This is every singing nerd's dream. Or maybe just mine. Surely not just me?

{5} Did I mention every single thing you hear is somebody's VOICE?  That some people have that much talent to create an entire song not using anything man-made, blows. my. mind.

Still not convinced? Watch the opener from last season's show.



If you're not toe-tapping and wanting to dance after that??? I'll pray for you.

The new season starts September 19th! YEAH YUH!

P.S. Does anyone else think the first chick that sings from Eleventh Hour (the very first group in the video looks EERILY similar to Whitney Port?

P.P.S. I really don't want to think about how this show and DWTS is on the same night. Can I just live in a dreamland where all my TV viewing selections magically work out? Yes? Awesome.

the things you do for friends...

My mind is going blank right now so I can't remember if I've told you that Molly is pregnant. Has been for about...4 1/2 months. Molly and her husband Matt used to be my awesome neighbors.

Until they became my housemates.Or I became their boarder. I don't exactly know how to phrase it.

Anyway, if you follow me on twitter, you might remember this from last week:

@reb2911 I know it's one in the morning, but I really want some red jello. #soundssogood!

And then the NEXT day...

reb2911 Okay, so last night I wanted red jello, tonight, a spoonful of Nutella with some cheddar goldfish. I know, sounds gross, but SO good! ;)

 After thinking about it the rest of the week and talking about it tonight with some friends after church. I have decided that I'm having sympathy cravings.

Sounds kind of ridiculous, but Molly and I have spent almost every day together for the past two weeks. Apart from me just being weird {we all KNOW that}, I've decided the most logical answer is this. :)

Am I not a great friend? ;) {FYI - that's said dripping with sarcasm.} :)

They are finding out what they're having Tuesday and I CAN. NOT. WAIT! EEEEEE!!! I've already decided it's going to the cutest baby on the planet. Probably even cuter than my nieces or nephew. Well, maybe not cuter but AWFULLY close. :)

Last random bit of nonsense?

The song from the video below is stuck in my head. I tried finding the actual scenes from the movie, but...failed. Have I ever told you that I think it would be one of the most amazing things ever if I got to play the part of Maria in a play some day? Or Liesel? Mostly because she gets to sing that cool part on Edelweiss.

Add that to the useless list of things you now know about me. You're also probably singing Edelweiss in your head now aren't you?

You're welcome. :)



Happy Monday homies! :)

nothing is ever wasted...

Do you ever read something and think, "This isn't the first time I've heard that?" The following excerpts are from Beth Moore's "Paul" study that I have 20 something days left in. It's a journey through the book of Acts and it is exactly what God knew I needed during this time of so many unknowns in my life.

To give you some background, Paul knew he would be going to Rome. God has promised him that. But two years after He had made that promise, Paul was still sitting in a jail cell. Well...Paul eventually did make it to Rome. With some prison guards as his escort. I doubt when the Lord confirmed that call to Rome on his life that he thought he'd be going as a prisoner. Or that it'd be a while.

Good investigators ask certain questions: who? what? where? when? how? The context of Acts 26 shows what we may know: who is in control and even what He's doing and where he's leading--but we'll rarely guess when and how!

Not one minute is wasted, but God rarely seems to fulfill His revealed plan when we expect. 

Sometimes we can keep asking when God is going to do something He's already done.


God is the Deliverer, but we never know how He might deliver us. We see that God always fulfills His promises, just not always the way we imagine.

Praise God, He gives us what we need, not what we want. 


When we don't know what, when, where, or how, we can trust in who. We won't always find our answers, but we can always find our God when we seek Him with all our hearts.  And He will love and comfort us until all other answers come.

So maybe I'll try to stop asking the 'when' and just continue to seek God. I look back and see ways that God provided not in the ways I necessarily wanted, but in the ways I needed. Why do I think He'll somehow forget me this time?

I think it was particularly interesting that I read this on a day when I got an email back from my most recent job inquiry. They've appointed a Board member during the interim and the search is on hold while they assess their needs. I was waiting to hear back from this organization before I went another route. So...looky there at that answered prayer.

If you think about it, will you say a prayer for me? And all this job search jazz? I am so blessed to have friends that I know are praying. I get texts almost every day telling me how they're praying for me. I so appreciate it and I promise you that your prayers will not be wasted.

Keep seeking Him and His kingdom above all else, friends!

all's grace.

I  see it at the end of Ann's posts. Two little words that stick with me.  I hadn't given much thought to it before Wednesday.  Really thought about it. And then we're talking about grace and peace in church and during the middle of the message, this post from (in)courage from months ago pops in my head and I can't wait to get home and watch the video because I had never watched it.

Since Wednesday night I'm quite sure I have listened to this song at least 50 times. At least. It's convicting.

The past two or three weeks I've felt absolutely drained. Of everything. I felt as if I reached the bottom of the job-hunting barrel and I couldn't go any deeper. As if the babysitting weren't just a season. That I was never going to get a real job. This would be my lot. Forever. It's frustrating when you're not hired for the jobs that you're overqualified for. That you don't hear back from the jobs that you are perfectly qualified for.

Completely worn down.

That was me.

God and I have had some talks and there have been tears and the asking of when is this ever going to end and the waiting for an answer. I've seen Him answer other prayers (we'll get to that when I'm not so close to the situation), and I just wonder, when is this question, the job one, when is it going to be answered? I read something in my Bible study Monday that said "God can deliver anyone from anything at any time." and I hate that the thought in my head was, "When am I going to be delivered from this situation?"

My mind goes back to grace. I search the web and I find this verse -

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." - II Cor. 9:8 

And I stop because I realize that all IS grace. That I'm not working out of a deficiency, but rather an overflowing sufficiency. That I will be able to complete what I need to because He is giving me the grace. It's not coming from me.

So the barrel that I thought I was at the bottom of? I guess God picked me out of it and put me in a different one. And if I get to the bottom of this barrel? He'll put me in another one.

Or maybe it's not a barrel at all but an ocean of grace that I'll never really reach the bottom of.

I think that's more like it.

Now it's just a matter of remembering it.




All's Grace from Shaun Groves on Vimeo.

what i learned from france...

I think we all may know how I absolutely love (in)courage.

It.

Is. 

Awesome. 

Sauce. 

And fortunate little me received the opportunity to be a daily guest blogger over there. 

Today! 

So head on over there and read about what I learned from France.

Or Disney. 

Whatever.

:)

P.S. I've never actually been to France. I bet my mom was really confused for a second.

:)