Tag Archives: Rend Collective Experiment

Breaking the Silence (A Five Minute Friday Post)

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I am linking up for the Five Minute Friday. The FMF is hosted by Kate Motaung on her blog Heading Home. Today’s prompt is “Break.” Write for five minutes; unedited.

My Lighthouse by Rend Collective Experiment has become one of my all-time favorite songs. I love the image of the lighthouse in the distance breaking through and providing that light that we need. Or, I think, of a candle which in a blackout provides just enough light; just enough light breaks through and shows us what we need to see.

Sometimes what we need to see is right in front of us. This week I have been finishing (I only have a chapter left) of Annie Downs’ book “Let’s All Be Brave.” That book has opened me up in ways I never thought possible. It has help me break through and be more brave than I ever thought possible. My friend Colleen at Blessed are the Feet reminded me of that today in this post she wrote Go Ahead and Tell Your Story.

God wants us to tell our WHOLE stories; even the bloody messy pieces of our stories. My story is filled with much joy but it also is filled with much pain and sorrow too. My Mom had a nervous breakdown right after my sister was born. (She is three years younger than me) She has lived with a mental illness pretty much my whole life. And I have learned the power of sharing my story; our story. There are so many in this world whose hearts are breaking because they haven’t been able to share their whole stories.

I also believe that when we share our stories, God finds a way for the light to break through in the midst of the deep darkness. In sharing our stories, we break the silence about the so many things that I believe God weeps along with us with in this world. And by sharing my story and the story of all those who daily struggle with a mental illness, I am able to hopefully break the silence.

**Since I referenced this video, I decided to add this video for your enjoyment, friends. Maybe you could break dance to this? (Just Kidding!)

Name that Tune

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Holy cow….I made it!! It is November 30th and I have managed to post a blog post every day this month. I am proud of myself for accomplishing what I set out to do. It definitely wasn’t an easy task but I got er’ done! 🙂

Last night I watched the live Garth Brooks special with my family. Garth spent some time talking about how when he was little and would listen to the music that his parents listened to, he didn’t exactly realize what those songs meant. Now that he is older he has picked up their meaning. As I listened to him, I couldnt help but think of how sometimes I dont always realize what songs mean either.

On my Iphone and in my I-tunes account, I have downloaded the song “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People. I think the first time I heard this song was on Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show Ellen. I thought it was a pretty catchy tune and found myself singing along to it. But one day that all changed for me, I was listening to the song and all of a sudden I thought, “Oh how horrible.” The words all of a sudden hit me smack dab in the face and I didn’t like at all what I was hearing. In fact, I literally cringe every time it comes on my phone and I immediately fast forward through the song.

These words are from the song “Pumped Up Kicks”; “All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run, outrun my gun; All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run faster than my bullet.” These words are awful. Perhaps we have been desenitized by the news and everything that is happening in our world. This makes me extremely sad! What has our world come to? (Check out this blog about someone else’s thoughts on this song: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-03/entertainment/ct-ent-1004-foster-lyrics-20111004_1_school-shooting-pop-music-song)

I don’t claim to hold any musical ability at all, BUT I do LOVE music! And so now I find myself paying closer attention to the songs I listen to. Perhaps that is why I love listening to Christian music. I realize that Christian music too has its faults. I definitely don’t agree with every Christian song I hear. One of my favorite songs is Jason Gray’s “Remind Me Who I Am.” I think I love this song because as both saint and sinner, this song reminds me that I can truly be who God created me to be! I also have more recently come to LOVE the band the Rend Collective Experiment. I think it’s because their sound reminds me so much of Mumford and Sons. Here is their song “Build Your Kingdom Here.”

 
So as I close this blog challenge my friends, my hope and prayer is that we will pay closer attention to what we listen too…and what it means…not only for ourselves but for those special little ones in our lives. Enjoy the video my friends! And Goodnight! I’ll be back soon but probably not every day! :P