"They Call the Wind Mariah" | Paint Your Wagon | Cover

Well.

After a certain special somebody released a (REALLY AWESOME AND HAPPY) song cover on her blog, and after a couple of you were so stinking sweet as to ask me if I'd be interested in doing the same thing, I decided, what the heck, I might as well try it. ;-P

I was going to do a different song, but technology conspired against me, and it turns out I'll be showing you "They Call the Wind Mariah," which I understand to be originally from the musical Paint Your Wagon (I haven't seen it).  You can check out the karaoke video I used here.  All rights to the proper owners, etc.  (And yes, I know it's technically Maria, not Mariah, but this is how I was first exposed to it so I'm writing it the way that I want to write it.  So there. :-P)

This isn't perfect; my voice wavers a leetle off-key a couple times, I'm pretty sure (*cough*); yada, yada, yada.  I hope you enjoy it anyway. :)  (Also, I changed some of the pronouns so it'd make more sense coming from a female singer.)

[Ensemble]

Mariah

Mariah

They call the wind Mariah

[Solo]

Away out here, they got a name for rain and wind and fire

The rain is Tess

The fire's Joe

And they call the wind Mariah

Mariah blows the stars around and sends the clouds a'flyin'

Mariah makes the mountains sound like folks were up there dyin'

[Ensemble]

Mariah

Mariah

They call the wind Mariah

[Solo]

Before I knew Mariah's name and heard her wailin' whining

I had a boy and he had me and the sun was always shining

But then, one day, I left my boy, I left him far behind me

And now I'm lost, so gone and lost

Not even God can find me

[Ensemble]

Mariah

Mariah

They call the wind Mariah

[Solo]

Out here, they got a name for rain, for wind and fire only

But when you're lost and all alone

There ain't no word but 'lonely'

And I'm a lost and lonely girl, without a star to guide me

Mariah, blow my love to me

I need my boy beside me

[Ensemble]

Mariah 

Mariah

They call the wind Mariah

[Solo]

Mariah

Mariah

Blow my love to me

monday music || to resist the roaring lion

Hello, friends!  

I've thought about starting a new series like this for a while -- sharing different songs that I've discovered are really applicable to certain situations, or just if I find a random bunch that I think are cool and should be heard by, well, you. ;)

So for this first edition, I'd like to share some of the songs that have been really helpful to me recently.  As the title suggests, these are for when you need encouragement -- when Satan is prowling around and planting his seeds of doubt and fear (basically, his lies).  

For me personally, I know that many of Satan's attacks on me are related to my performance in my relationship with God -- what I'm doing or not doing that's right or wrong.  Whether I'm "getting it right".  So these songs are mostly related to those kinds of worries. 

Over the past year and a half, God has really been revealing a lot to me about a lot of key issues -- insecurities that are etched deep into my soul, my subconscious, coloring the way I perceive God and myself, and what our relationship is supposed to look like.  I'm still struggling with a lot of these things, but that's okay, because, as I was just telling a friend, I've got an amazing group of people around me, trying to help me readjust my view of myself and of God's heart for me.  (And btdubs, if y'all didn't know -- you're all a part of that group!  Your support and encouragement and friendship really does a lot for me, so thank you. <333)  And I know that God won't abandon me to confusion and despair, no matter how hard Satan tries to convince me that He just might if I'm somehow not doing something right.  My Defender is greater than my enemy.  And these songs help remind me of that.  I hope they do the same for you!

By the way, I got to go to a concert recently and see two of these artists perform.  And they both played the songs that meant the most to me, guys. :')  God loves to give us gifts -- He delights in us.  I think that's something we forget a lot -- I know I do.

Anyway, the songs. :) <3

Don't forget:

Our Defender is greater and stronger than our enemy. 

The College Diaries {2}

I'm finished with my first semester of college!!!!!

Is this not exciting news.

(At any rate, Martin Freeman and Jimmy Fallon clearly think it's exciting news, so your opinion doesn't matter. :-P)

Actually, I put off this post for so long that now I'm almost about to start my second semester, but no matter.  Better late than never, eh?

Highlights of the semester:

* Learning American Sign Language  [I had previously learned just a little bit, and I've always liked it, so this class was a lot of fun.  And yes, I'm taking ASL 102 this coming semester.]

* Seeing so many people I knew, whether from the homeschool graduation program we used for my senior year or from previous co-ops, etc.

* Actually doing well in my stats class!

* Discovering that the campus library has a pretty great fiction selection

* Having four great teachers  [This was a HUUUGE blessing, because I've heard some horror stories of college professors, and I'm sure I'll probably have to run into some at some point in my college career, but it was SUCH a gift to have good teachers for my introduction into college life. :D]

* Being able to use the campus library and an Amazon textbook rental to get out of paying lots of money for things I won't use again!  Yay!  [It was actually really cool, because most math classes in the school require some sort of online homework component that costs a pretty penny, but my stats class did not.]

* Not getting really sick the whole semester!!!  [Praise God!]

* Deciding, like the good girl I am, to "get some exercise in" by walking around the (relatively small) campus between classes, and having that turn out rather differently than expected because I most ungracefully fell   [Yep, this happened.  Thankfully, I don't think anyone saw it -- a great mercy -- but it resulted in slightly scraped hands, a very scraped knee, slightly scuffed boots, and a torn pair of jeans.  It's all good, though. :-P  Could've been much worse, now that I think about it!]

* Listening to a lot of Taylor Swift while studying for tests

* Surprisingly, getting a LOT of leisure reading done   [I attribute this to the fact that I had long breaks between classes.]

* Finding out how useful "Rate My Professor" is  [Bless the humans who invented this.  I have a feeling it'll be used by me quite a lot over the next several years.]

* And I'm sure there are more which I'm forgetting. :-P

Overall, this semester was a big blessing in a LOT of ways.  Really thankful for all the ways God provided and helped!!!  

Any fellow college freshies reading?

How did your first semester go?

OAKOQ: Storyboard + Playlist

Hello, all!  I thought I'd share the storyboard and playlist that I have compiled for my Susan Pevensie WIP! :)

First, my storyboard.  I only recently got into storyboarding, but now I'm hooked.  I love it. :D  Check this one out if you want to!  The aesthetic is really pretty, if I do say so myself. :-P

And second, the playlist.  The link to the full playlist (well, technically, it's not finished yet, so some songs are missing) is here, but I want to explain my thoughts on some of them, why they're relevant in my mind, why I like them, why they make me cry inside, etc.  (Also, I sort of just went with one of the first video results for most of these songs, so I can't necessarily vouch for all of the music videos on the playlist.  There may also be mild swearing in some of the songs, though not in any of the ones in this post.)

I would have died, I would have loved you all my life

. . . 

Wake up, it's time, little girl, wake up

All the best of what we've done is yet to come

Wake up, it's time, little girl, wake up

Just remember who I am in the morning . . . 

*sniffles*  I first heard this song in this video (thanks, Natalie :-P), but I really like it as a theme song for this story.  BECAUSE GUYS SHE HAS LOST HER MEMORY AND IT'S ALL JUST VERY AFFECTING. *sniffles again*

FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

One of the things I'm thinking of incorporating into this book is how Susan might have struggled with feelings of works-based approval/comparison in her spiritual walk, so some of the songs on the playlist are contemporary Christian songs that I think both I and Susan relate to on some level.

Because Tay-Tay is my jam sometimes, and because this song is relevant to basically any fandom ever, but especially the Pevensie kids.  (Plus the music video is nice. :-P)

It's been a long day without you, my friend, and I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

*more crying*  Again, this is one of those songs that applies to any fandom (ESPECIALLY IF IT HAS FEELS), and this one is doubly relevant, because she's been alone for so long. *cries*

Another song that speaks to some of the possible struggles I'm thinking of bringing up in this book.  (Plus, this is a really cool lyric video.)

Because I can hardly have the whole playlist be feelsy or tragic, can I? ;)  Even though this seems like a love song, I think it's definitely applicable to the relationship between the Pevensie siblings.

THIS IS SO APPLICABLE TO EVERYTHING, HONESTLY.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Well, I guess that's all I'll share for now.  Again, you can visit the playlist here, and I'll keep adding songs until it's finished. :)

Thanks for reading! *blows kiss*

Friends, a pep talk.

Preface:  There's an important difference between man-made and God-given dreams.  I recognize that.  And yes, I do think that sometimes God may call us to give up a dream or to lay it aside for a time.  

But this post deals with a different situation. 

This post is for you, Christ-follower who wants desperately to just get it right, to do what God wants you to do: you who have become convinced, after prayerful seeking and wise counsel, that God is leading you in a specific direction -- that he has implanted a certain dream in your heart; you who've been wooed in the secret place, when it's just you and God; you who have received whispered confirmations; you who have been excited to move forward in faith, trusting him to make things clear in his time and his way.  But now it's been a little while, and you're starting to have that uneasy feeling that maybe you just got swept up in your emotions and let your imagination get the better of you, and you're staring to doubt the word that you received.  

This post is for you, soul sister (or brother!) of mine.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear radiant being created in the image of the Most High God:

You're thinking of giving up the dream?  Of deciding that maybe you misunderstood what you thought was God's guidance?  That you should probably put the dream on the backburner with a loving pat and leave it where it belongs, and get on with 'real life'?

Maybe things aren't happening as you thought they would, and you're just not so sure anymore, and you don't want to blow your whole life on this?  After all, this is your life you're talking about -- the one life you've been given on this earth during which to glorify God and do things for the Kingdom.  What if you mess it up?  What if you miss his calling?

Go back.

Go back to the late-night whispers, the lamp-lit connections that wouldn't make sense to anybody else, but that thrilled your soul because you recognized them as another confirmation from God.  Remember those hushed, awe-filled moments when the LORD of heaven spoke something deep into your heart.  Remember the joy you felt and the peace he gave, and the purpose that filled you.

Now, don't take off without God -- don't let your imagination run totally unchecked.  Keep holding what you hear up to the Scriptures to test it.  But also make sure that you're keeping in mind the words of Jesus -- to "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." (Jn. 7:24)  Dig beneath the surface.  Get counsel.  Stay oh, so prayerful.  Keep an open heart; be willing to be led in a different direction if it's the LORD leading.  Stay flexible and prayerful and humble and teachable.  Try to be 'wise and discerning.'

Stay malleable, and don't latch onto the dream with a sense of unhealthy or idolatrous possessiveness (a different thing than claiming the promises that God has spoken over you).  You don't determine how the dream plays out; you don't bind it with your rules.  You don't clench it so tightly that you choke the meaning out of it.

Yes, yes to all of that.  

BUT.

If God has sparked a dream in your heart, then make sure that you cherish that ember and you guard it -- always leaving it fully vulnerable to him and his will -- and grow it in his way and his time.  Don't be afraid to wait for the next step to be revealed, but don't be afraid to step out, either.

You go back to the things God told you about this dream.  You keep in mind that if it is God's leading, won't Satan sure as anything be out in force to find a way to convince you otherwise?  Remember that your enemy is real and that he "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Pet. 5:8)  But "we are not unaware of his schemes." (2 Cor. 2:11)

"Resist him, standing firm in the faith" (1 Pet. 5:9), and remember the catastrophic, world-altering consequences that can result whenever someone starts to listen to that insidious whisper, "Did God really say . . . ?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

And now, loves, I need you to do one more thing for me:  Will you watch these three videos (even if you've seen them before) and really let them speak some truth to your soul?

[I'm sure you've heard this one before, but it still needs listening to.  (Also, I apologize for the somewhat scanty outfit in the beginning.  It's still worth watching.)]

[And then this one brings out even more of its potential.]

[This one is because I just went to an "old-fashioned hymn sing" (I know, right?!) and we sang this and it was awesome and I thought mayhap I should include it. :)  (Also, this video?!  Precious alert. <3)]

(If you want an adult choral version, one more similar to what I heard this evening, try this one.)

"Dance, then, wherever you may be; I am the Lord of the Dance," said he. "And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be, and I'll lead you all in the dance," said he.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Thanks for reading; and now go and be happy in the knowledge that you are the Beloved of the LORD. 

xoxo

It is God's dream, and He delights to do it in us and through us.

-- David A. Seamands, paraphrasing Caleb and Joshua in Numbers 14:8-10