Music for your Midweek: Punch Brothers pt. 2

I saw Punch Brothers Friday night, and I'm still floating on a blissful musical high. I want to watch them play all day long, all the time! Honestly, they were incredible. Each of them are so talented.

Golly.

So here is a song for you. It's even a Christmas one!



and a couple others, just for kicks.

Just can't leave this place

I was set to end my term of service on January 25th, and dreading it. There were so many things to do: clean up my resume, apply for jobs, sell my contract...I was not excited. Plus, we were just starting to make some really positive changes at the South Franklin Community Center, and I felt like I was leaving at the worst time. When I started filling out my end-of-service paperwork, I saw that there was an option to extend service for less than a year. Perfect! My supervisor was excited to keep me for a bit longer, and it all turned out perfectly!

I get to stay here til May 3rd!

yeah boi.

They just can't get rid of me. 

We were in the news last week. Take a look!

Something for Sunday

A thousand half-loves

must be forsaken to take

one whole heart home.
- Rumi

December Mix: "It's Christmas"

Since I don't have my own computer anymore, I had to improvise this months mix a bit. Hope you don't mind!

Everyone has those special songs that they wait all year to listen to at Christmas time. There are the Bing Crosby classics and the flashy Mariah Carey ballads; but my Christmas just wouldn't be complete without this:

It's Christmas

This album has been a staple in my family since the year of it's release in 1989. My first Christmas memories are of listening to this cd and dancing around the kitchen with my mom and dad. Just look at that track list; it's stellar.

1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band

2. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid

3. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Roy Wood

4. Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade 

5. Step Into Christmas - Elton John 

6. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens

7. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney 

8. I Believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake  

9. December Will Be Magic Again - Kate Bush

10. Mistletoe & Wine - Cliff Richard

11. Walking in the Air - Aled Jones

12. A Spaceman Came Travelling - Chris DeBurgh

13. Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie

14. Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys

15. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

16. Lonely This Christmas - Mud 

17. The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole

18. White Christmas - Bing Crosby

Now you know. When I think "Christmas," I think "synthesizer".

NOTES:

For a REALLY odd christmas, I recommend tracks 9 and 12.

My brother Jeremy's favorite Christmas song is track 13.

And I'm quite partial to track 3.

A Poem for Thursday: "To be of use" - Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
Jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumble to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

Music for your Midweek: Regina Spektor

I've never been a huge Regina Spektor fan (I know, I know!) but my mom found this cd at D.I. and she's starting to grow on me. (But really, don't you think that album cover is awful? I didn't listen to that cd for MONTHS just cause I hated the cover art. Finicky to a fault.)

Anyway. I've been listening to this song on repeat:

Book of Mormon in 30 days... I did it!

I just finished reading my last chapter in the Book of Mormon! This is the fastest I ever read it! Now I admit, I had to listen to a lot of it on my iPod at double speed in order to get through in time. But I am in charge of my goals, so I get to decide what "counts" and I'm fine with it. haha. Going through the Book of Mormon quickly helped me understand it's teachings in a different way. Here are some things I noticed:

1. Heavenly Father is sooooo patient with us. You read of people making the same mistakes over and over, falling into the same destructive cycles. But the Lord's hand is STILL outstretched to bring us back. It is such a mercy.
2. The worst sinners are usually member of the church. It's always been like that, and always will be. And that's ok, as long as I'm trying to do what's right. One of the biggest challenges to my testimony as I was growing up and serving my mission came from seeing church members act contrary to what we believe. When I was in high school, I blamed the church for those inconsistencies. When I was on my mission, I realized that it was individuals using their agency, and I would feel very bitter and angry abou their choices. Now, I'm trying to step back, and keep myself from getting angry and too wrapped up in other peoples mistakes. Getting angry doesn't help anything get better, and it doesn't help me keep the spirit. We have thousands of instances of church members gone wrong in the Book of Mormon. I mean, some of the first stories we hear are about Nephi's struggles with Laman and Lemuel. It's oddly comforting that saints in all times have gone through the same trials and faced the same discouragement that I have.
3. We must to love one another. We need to need each other. We have to have other peoples welfare at the forefront of our minds. Pride starts with the virtue of self-improvement that sneakily evolves into self-obsession. I hope that I don't get so caught up in my efforts to become "better"  that I forget others who may be in need, whether that is spiritual or temporal.
4. The gospel is simple. We love God. We show that love by serving his children and keeping his commandments. Anything else is just fluff.
5. God loves us. So much.

I've loved having this goal for the month. It's helped me maintain the spirit and have an eternal perspective. I think I'm going to pick one goal at the beginning of every month. For December, I've chosen to study the scriptures for a 30 minute minimum every day. Wish me luck!

To sign out, I want to leave you with this scripture: 

I know that this is true. Much love to you all!