Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Closed your eyes and trusted ... just trusted?
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don't care!"

It's only half past the point of no return,
The tip of the ice-berg,
The sun before the burn
The thunder before the lightening
And the breath before the phrase ...
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone?
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion,
The hourglass on the table,
The walk before the run,
The breath before the kiss
And the fear before the flames ...
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars, and pulled that rope tight?
Have you ever held your breath,
And asked yourself "will it ever get better than tonight?"
Tonight ...

Have you ever felt this way?

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I'm not usually a big fan of Pink's music, but this song just absolutely pulled at my heart strings. So simple. So poetic. So pretty. You can listen to it here.

xox

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I ♥ My 'Hood

I am completely in love with this song + video clip ...


Laurell is a local Vancouver artist and she's incredibly talented. That music video was filmed in my neighborhood ... seriously, that beach is just minutes from my apartment! Whenever I see photos or videos of my 'hood I pinch myself because I still can't believe I get to live here. Give me sandy shores and blue skies over Times Square and the subway system any day! If you had told me 3 years ago that I would make that kind of a statement, I would've told you that you were off your rocker. But it's true. I am now a west coast beach bum through and through.

Mostly, though, I love this video because it pretty much represents exactly how I'm feeling these days. Giddy. Blissfully happy. Hopeful. Butterflies in my belly. Smitten. Blessed.

"I can't get you out of my head, I'm getting ready to fall over you, you're sticking like glue ... yeah, I want you all to myself." ♥

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Kiss The Girl ♥



OK, I'm kind of the happiest person on the planet today. Why? Because I am a huge Colbie Caillat fan (I was her "friend" and fan on MySpace long before she got a record deal and had her songs being played on the radio) and while perusing YouTube, I stumbled across the video clip above. Here's a little known fact about me - my favorite Walt Disney song is Kiss The Girl from The Little Mermaid. I know there are far more romantic songs in the Disney repertoire to choose from, but Kiss The Girl still holds my heart ... it must be the Caribbean in me! Anywhoo, Colbie's rendition of this song is so brilliant and I love the video clip too. I've been playing it on repeat and it makes me smile so much!

So indulge me - What's your favorite Disney song? I'm also a huge fan of You'll Be In My Heart from Tarzan ... and Strangers Like Me from Tarzan and Son of Man from Tarzan... and pretty much all the Tarzan songs, which is funny because I actually really did not enjoy the Tarzan movie! lol

kisses + hugs
xox

Sunday, October 3, 2010

on my heart


'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you,
You're gonna believe them.
And when you're fifteen your first kiss makes your head spin 'round.
But in your life you'll do greater things than dating the boy on the football team ...
I didn't know that at fifteen.

- Taylor Swift

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

You Are For Me

OK, so I LOVE Kari Jobe. She is, without a doubt, one of my favorite worship leaders, singers, songwriters and overall people! She just has a way of writing the most beautiful songs that reflect exactly what I am going through. I listen to her albums on repeat and they never fail to uplift me and inspire me and remind me of God's faithfulness and love. She has just released her very first music video and I am soooooooo proud. This is her song, You Are For Me ...


I love everything about this video, but I especially love the message in the lyrics: "I know that You are for me. I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness." So, so true. If God is for us .. if God is rooting for us and cheering us on no matter how many times we stumble and fail, then who can be against us ... right?! Right. Amen. :)

xox

Friday, June 4, 2010

magic ♥

Last night's performance of Madama Butterfly was asbolutely one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The music, the set design, the plot, the costumes, the vocals ... sheer magic, all of it. I've been to operas before but this one was really the best I've ever seen. Because Madama Butterfly is one of the most famous operas in the world, the Vancouver Opera decided to give it a little twist in hopes of making it appeal to a wider audience. The lyrics and music and story were all the same, but rather than an elaborate stage set (think Broadway) they opted instead to hire Japanese architects to design a streamline, contemporary set. The result was AMAZING. The bright colors and the simplicity of it all were very inspiring. Here are a few photographs:



*sigh* I just love the opera. I love it because for hundreds and hundreds of years, people have been getting all dolled up in their Sunday best and going to the opera. There's something special in knowing that you're taking part in a ritual that has been part of society for hundreds of years. I love the opera because of all the different kinds of people it attracts ... the rich, who arrive in their designer ballgowns and limousines ... the starving art students who probably used their rent money to purchase their ticket ... the grandparents who are bringing their grandchildren in hopes of instilling a love and appreciation for the arts ... and the hopeless romantics, like me, who just love the idea of spending a night in a pretty dress listening to songs about star-crossed lovers.

All this to say ... if you get a chance to go to opera, do it. And if you live in the Vancouver area or can make it to Vancouver in the next few days, do yourself a favor and book a ticket to Madama Butterfly. You'll love it!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Night at the Opera ...

I am taking myself on a date to the most magical place on earth ... the opera house! Puccini's Madama Butterfly is town and I've got tickets!



Have a wonderful night! I know I will!
xox

Monday, April 26, 2010

Love Is Worth Fighting For.


I've been doing a lot of thinking about weddings these days, for various reasons. This afternoon, a friend played this song for me and I immediately knew that someday someone will sing this at my wedding. There are so many generic love songs on the radio these days, and most of them are either about how being in love is so perfect (which is a lie ... it's hard work) or they're about heartbreak and devastation. This song focuses on commitment, even when things are rough. Definitely some of the most beautiful lyrics I have ever heard ...

Love is not a place to come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in and then commit to never leave.
So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We'll work out together
Let it bring us to our knees.

Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave ... may God send angels to guard the door
No love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.

To some, love is a word that they can fall into
But when they're falling out ... keeping that word is hard to do.

Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave ... may God send angels to guard the door
No love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.

- lyrics by Warren Barfield


Friday, January 29, 2010

I'm listening.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Soooo Excited .....


One of my favorite singer/songwriters is Chris Tomlin. He is just such an awesome man AND he is incredibly talented too. I literally screamed with excitement when I saw that his Hello Love Tour was coming to Montreal. Christian artists almost NEVER come to Montreal so when they do, it's a huge deal for me.

He will be leading worship at L'Eglise Nouvelle Vie in Longueuil on Thursday, October 1st. Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of their religious background .... for Christians, this is an opportunity to celebrate God and sing praises to Him ... for non-Christians, this is a great chance to see a really talented guy in concert.

Anyway, I really encourage you to come ... it will be an awesome, memorable night and I promise it will be an experience you'll always remember! I went to see Hillsong when they came to Montreal two summers ago and I am STILL talking about it. Tara (who didn't even want to go to Hillsong) now says it was the best musical event she has ever attended. So trust me ... you'll want to be there for Chris Tomlin!!

Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door and are available here.

If you're interested in coming, email me and we can plan to meet up and go together. It's general admission, so it doesn't matter when you buy your tickets; we can still sit together.

You can listen to some of his songs on YouTube ....

Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone
I Will Rise
Indescribable

In other news, I promise to post some scrapbook pages this weekend! I have a scrapbook night planned with Catherine tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have lots of creativity to share on Sunday.

xox

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Sunday Thought: Perfect People

The past 6 months have been difficult months for me - emotionally, physically and spiritually. I met with my pastor last week to talk about all the things I have been going through, and he asked why I hadn't approached him earlier.

"I wasn't ready to talk about it ... I was a total basket case. I needed to get myself together first," I told him. He just hugged me and said:

"Stephanie, it's OK to be broken. It's OK to come to church as a total basket case. That's what church is for."

God bless my sweet pastor.

Since that conversation, I've had the song Perfect People by Natalie Grant on repeat on my iPod. Its lyrics are so true for me at this point in my life, and the message is so clear. I'm not perfect and I will never be perfect. But God is perfect ... and God loves me.

Here are the lyrics ~

Never let them see you when you're breaking
Never let them see you when you fall
That's how we live ... that's how we try
Tell the world we've got it all together
Never let them see what's underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
... but it only lasts for a little while

There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are
Broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed and be changed
By a perfect God

Suddenly it's like the weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are ...
and where you've been ...
And you never have to go there again

There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are
Broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed and be changed
By a perfect God

A perfect God ...
who lived and died and gave new life
To heal our imperfections
So look up and see out
Let grace be enough
And be changed by a perfect God
oooohhh ... be changed by our perfect God

You can listen to the song here. Caution, though - it's really catchy. You might have it stuck in your head all day. And if you, like me, are struggling with accepting your imperfects and need extra encouragement, listen to this song by the wonderful Francesca Battiselli. It's also a great "pick me up" and powerful reminder that we don't have to be perfect to be loved.

"But He said to me: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
- 2 Corinthians 12:9

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Stevie Wonder was ... WONDERFUL

I was very lucky to get to go see the free Stevie Wonder concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival on Tuesday night. Jessica and I arrived around 5:00pm and were able to walk right into the venue and get ridiculously close to the stage. We arrived just in time because within a half hour of us being there, the place was packed. We had to STAND there ... not sit, stand ... crushed up against one another, until the show started at 9:45pm. It started to rain around 8:00pm and we didn't have umbrellas with us so we got soaked ... it was insane but absolutely worth it.

This is how close we got to the stage. No need to watch him on the big screens, we could see him in the flesh:
And here are the crowds behind us .... this photo doesn't really do it justice, there were 200,000 people there!

He started the show by giving a little speech/tribute to Michael Jackson and he dedicated the whole evening to Michael. He then went on to play some of Michael's hits as well as all of his own hits. Superstition (one of the last songs he performed) was absolutely my favorite! The crowd was awesome, too ... everybody sang and danced along, even though we were totally crammed together like sardines in a can. He even had us doing vocal warm-ups like we were in a choir, lol. Here's a video of some of the greatest moments in the show.

I didn't film this, but whoever did was really able to capture the atmosphere and what it was like. Enjoy! :o)



This was absolutely, hands-down one of the best shows I've ever been to ... I'd do it all over again in a heart beat, rain and all. Here is a photo I took of Stevie Wonder at the piano ... I still can't believe how close we were to the stage! Amazing.

And I must give a big shout out and thank you to Miss Jessica for standing in the rain with me and keeping me entertained. She's not a hard-core Stevie Wonder fan, so she was doing it for me and I SUPER appreciate it. Thanks honey!

xOxOx

Friday, May 15, 2009

For Melody ♥

Yes, Mel ... this post is for you ... I heard this song & immediately thought of you. Don't ever give up hope, because our God is faithful and He will never forsake you.



sending hugs & prayers down to ya in North Carolina.
-xox-

Thursday, April 2, 2009

faithful in small things ♥

Today, after weeks of running around like maniac, I finally had a full day off. No school. No work. No papers to finish or assignments to complete or chapters to read. Just me and a beautiful spring day. 24 hours of absolute freedom. I slept in 'till 10am ... had a fresh butter croissant for breakfast ... did my daily devotional and meditation in my own kitchen rather than a busy cafe ... did some spring cleaning ... listened to jazz music ... wrote in my journal. *sigh* It was such a rewarding day. Now I'm off to watch the final episode ever of ER. I didn't follow the show fanatically like my sister did, but I did watch it often and I'm looking forward to seeing how things end tonight. Should be good.

I thought I'd leave you with this ... some song lyrics by the amazingly talented singer-songwriter, Lisa Gungor. If you are a fan of Christian/inspirational music you should absolutely check out her stuff. She has a way of really getting to the heart of the matter.

The Big and The Small
lyrics by Lisa Gungor
I'm destined for something, I feel it inside ...
A prophet or poet would be just fine.
An inspiring writer, an eloquent preacher
what do You have for me?
But I will be faithful in small things
not neglecting what's right in my hands
and whatever I do ... may it always bring glory to You
Oh make me a servant or make me stand tall,
If I have great talent or nothing at all
well it doesn't matter, for Your plan is greater
I want Your plan for me
And whatever will come, let my prayer be this one:
that I'll follow You all of my days.
In the big and the small,
let them all bring glory to You.
oh Lord I want to do great things for You
but all great things are not so big, they're sometimes small
And whatever will come, let my prayer this one:
that I'll follow You all of my days.
And when my life is through, I pray it brought glory to You.
Lord when my life is through, I pray it brought glory to You.
xox