I am so excited for all God is doing and the blessings He has sent me to be able to minister the words that He gives me. It has been a trying year but the secret I will share with you is...NEVER SURRENDER YOUR JOY!

I don't care how bad it gets, who rejects you, what you have to give up to go after the vision God put in your spirit. Do not under any circumstances give up your joy. In your joy is your strength. When you are strong you can fight. In the moments when you have lost the will to fight, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard and go to battle for you. When the dream you have dreamed while asleep and awake takes on a life of its own, just say Thank You Jesus.

God is awesome and He is about to do more awesome things for those who love Him. There are people waiting to receive the gifts that God wants to pour out through you, so stop hiding out. The world is waiting.

So I had 2 hours of the same song over and over again, however in amongst the warbling were a couple of Nigel Slater Podcasts. I exited Temple Meads station on a happy cloud of foodie thoughts having had the joy of Nigel extolling the virtue of Autumn produce...despite his recommendation for Autumn cake being coffee and walnut (nuts being in season) I still have that apple cake lurking around in my head... I am also now in a "good place", no blues despite it being 10 days 'til pay day and despite having sat through the same Leonard Cohen song (interspersed with the Sugar Plum fairy and the theme from Shaft played on a ukulele) for 2 hours straight.

So that Apple cake then ? Well I made it, and well it wasn't a very restful experience, having come home in a good mood I was feeling distinctly frazzled by the end...

Firstly it turns out that I could have made this one last Wednesday when I was fantasising about it... it seems that I accidentally turned a page or two and had started reading the recipe for the carrot cake, secondly I messed up separating eggs as I was trying to concentrate on keeping the kitten out of the batter (omelet tomorrow then ?) and then finally, as I was smoothing out the batter across the top of the cake tin and fretting that I might have used slightly bigger than stated apples, I realised that my plastic spatula was half the size it was when I started the cake... anyway, all sorted now, cake is cooking gently in the oven and I wish I could say the house was filled with the sensuous smell of apples marinade in cinnamon, but truthfully all I can smell is virgin olive oil, but I guess I should look at the bright side, it could have been the acrid smell of sauteing plastic !

Recipe to follow tomorrow with a verdict as we have a friend for dinner (actually we have meatballs, as eating people is not recommended)

I thought of the beginning as a little bit slow and very confusing. I was happy that I finally got all the army groups from season 1, but then they had to go and make an all together Earth Federation -.-  but I guess that is something for a Gundam serie. But I'm glad that they made the focus on Saiji, that made the so close Gundam Meisters feel distant and mysterious. But it wasn't long before Setsuna entered the screen, with a little new hair style that feels really 80's anime,lol, at least when he has his helmet on. It is cute. Better than Saijis, he feels so old now.
This was the scene many was waiting for from the first season - their meeting and when Saiji understand that Setsuna is of Celestial being. It will be interesting to see how this develops, also I'm surprised over how kind Tieria was with Saiji, making him understand that Setsuna saved Saijis life, and that he should appreciate that.
Tieria has become very kind from the first season, atleast it felt like he was kinda happy with finding Setsuna. This is all thanx to Lockon who teached him about humans.

At first I was thinking of waiting with this a bit, but as I said - I will jump to difrent scenes if I feel like it. And now I feel like it ;P
My favorite character from the serie was without doubt Allelujah. I won't go into all the fan talk about why and so, instead I excpect you to figure out my feelings yourself.
After have watched the trailer, and seen the same as in pic 3, I was kinda heartbroken. To stil think about what Allelujah might have gone through is kinda...hard.
But I still wanted to see it, to see which bastard locked him up. This 3 pictures, was the only thing they showed with Allelujah in the first epsidode...really just thease three scenes.
I would have tottaly flipped if it wasn't for the wonderful new Opening, which I will move to next.^^

I love the new opening! Every elemt in it is interesting.  They even showed scenes from all meisters past and the people who died in the first season.
But still, the best scenes were of course the ones with Allelujah.
His new hair style is so beutiful, i guess he can take away the hair from the eye now that Hallelujah is gone.
Picture 2 and 3 is almost as heartbreaking as the scene in the episode. Here you can see that Allelujah is captured, and watching as the other Meisters are in their Gundams, he reach out his hand, as in saying " Save me"

I'm so Happy that Lasse survived ( he is after all the one showing the world about us sweds XP ) Setsuna will be happy seeing him^^
 

I will continue with this later, but right now I need breakfust and some rest :P I will uppload many more picture, especially more from the opening, so look forward for it ^^

This reminds me of a radio program I heard that discussed singers in Christian churches who aren't Christians. The concept that a person could sing wonderful songs to God and yet not believe in him at its core is a mix of ignorance and blasphemy. It's like someone singing "Amazing Grace" who doesn't believe in grace or a rock star who promotes debauchery and yet praises God at the awards shows (I guess they're probably referencing that they started singing in church). What is also sad is there are probably a good number of people in Christian bands that probably don't believe in God or aren't living for him too.

Somewhere in the past the arts separated from Christianity, which is terribly ironic (The danger of course is to worship the art rather than the Creator). God gives humans the ability to create beautiful things and yet many people deny his existence and refuse to worship him with their art. The strange thing about it is that God's beauty and truth can emerge from the artwork of people who are anti-Christian. It's strange because the art is like a branch cut off from a tree. It's not connected to anything, but you still know it came from a tree.

Christians often talk about "taking back the arts" because non-Christians have monopolized many aspects of art. There are Christians who seem to believe that art can glorify God even when he's not explicitly in the artwork itself. Everyone has their opinions and I don't think you should dictate to people how they do their art. Rather we should realize that the whole earth is God's and his creative ability is the source of our ability to knit, cook, draw, paint, sing, write and make art, regardless of whether the activity itself is considered spiritual (every activity in life is spiritual, people just tend to compartmentalize). Not every piece of art has to be explicitly about God. However, if we believe everything we do is unto the glory of God and if he is the center of our existence, then God's Spirit will have no choice but to escape into the things we create.

Je préfére mettre de la musique.

Pour commencer Colorblind de Counting Crows.

Et pour finir  Jeff Buckley-Hallelujah

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=36740

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081001/ap_on_re_us/harvey_milk_honor

I work with students and love seeing teens doing great things with music and this guy PhillyPepper1000 is a great example of that.
Working with student bands and student worship, I often consult youtube covers to see if it is feasible for us to do a good job of songs, and came across this cover of Lifehouse "Storm"

Mostly I search out songs from the radio like 1,2,3,4 and New Soul to see how students do with it but i'm very impressed with this guys vocal talent and awesome acoustic playing. Enjoy! If you read this keep being creative. Let this motivate you to create great content, and flood the internet with it!

Here is his cover of Paramores "Hallelujah" Amazing!

Hallelujah! Fight the Fainting Legion Devil Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
01:01 - T-Mobile G1 announced
03:31 - Galaga Legions (XBLA)
06:11 - Jurassic Fight Club (History Channel)
10:12 - The Faint - Fasciinatiion
13:17 - Hallelujah the Hills - Prepare to Qualify EP
16:20 - Daredevil #111
19:01 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes

Subscribe. Discuss. Read. RSS.

Here is Allison Crowe singing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen:

Clearly you love New York City, how'd a Tennessee girl end up on the East Coast?

The basic answer is that God made it clear to me that He wanted me in NYC, so I went.  The details of the story were enough to fill a book, so I turned it into one (Crowded Skies: Letters to Manhattan).  It’s about knowing and discerning the voice of God in regard to life decisions.

Do you really know how to use a gun and gut ducks?  (Have you adapted to gutting pigeons being in the city?)

I do!  And unfortunately, I’m not allowed to have a gun in the City!  Sad.

Your faith seems to ooze out of your music and your writing—how did you and God meet?

I grew up in a home where Jesus was a daily thing—my parents lived out their relationship with Him in front of my eyes.  When I was four years old, my brother Jason and I were playing a board game, and he asked me if I wanted to meet Jesus.  I told him I did, so I prayed a short prayer asking Jesus to save me and be in my life.  It might seem like I was too young for that to be real, but He was faithful to answer me.

Some of the songs on your latest project, Playing Favorites, like "Walking on Sunshine" and "Holding Out For a Hero" are covers of classic, but where did your unique slant on "Hallelujah" come from?

I heard the song covered by so many people, but I’d never heard a girl cover it, so I set out to learn it.  When I was picking through it the first time, I realized that the chords and the feel worked perfectly with “Thy Word” so I knit them together.  The things that I cling to in both songs fit seamlessly in my mind.  It’s still one of my favorite songs to play live.

But what about songs I never heard before like "Everlasting Love" and "Please Forgive Me" and my personal favorite "I Wonder"?

“Everlasting Love” is one of those rare pop songs that has a message about love that isn’t far off from what God says.  It’s pure and hopeful, and it reminds me that God’s best is worth waiting for.  “Please Forgive Me” was a suggestion from Lee McDerment, who helped produce the record as well as sing and play on it.  He and I sat down at the piano one day and he worked out that slower, softer version—I loved it.  On that same day, he suggested that I do a piano version of “I Wonder.”  I hesitated because I’d already put two versions of the song on two other albums.  But on his first attempt at interpreting the song, he left me speechless, with tears in my eyes.  I knew I had to do it again.  Today, it is my favorite version of any song I’ve ever recorded.

This is almost like a girl power album.  You have super powers, don't you?

I can kick really high.  I can drive long distances without much sleep.  But I have yet to learn how to eradicate calories in ice cream.  If you figure that one out, let me know!

How did you survive producer (and Sparrow Recording Artist) Josh Wilson's hot recording closet?  (Word on the street is that he makes people record vocals in the closet to make sure background noise is at a minimum).

True story!  It was burning up in there.  He tried to buy an air conditioner, but we recorded in January, and Home Depot didn’t have any in stock at that time.  I took frequent breaks to run outside and roll around in the snow.

You emerged on the indie scene eight years ago; why have you remained an indie artist for so long?

Fame doesn’t motivate me at all.  In fact, not only am I not interested in it, but I don’t want it.  At all.  And most labels are propelled by the mission of achieving a far-and-wide acceptance of their artists.  Since their vision usually conflicts so drastically with what God has put in my heart, it’s been an easy answer up to this point.

I heard that you have signed with a major recording label, is there any truth to this rumor?

Nope.  There have been talks, but at the end of the day, it always comes around to me staying independent.  There could be a time when that changes, if the right things fall in place and our visions line up.

You are one busy lady—singing, speaking, writing—how do you manage it all?

I’m still trying to figure that out!  God has always helped me fit the right things into my schedule.  Summers are slow for touring, so I spend my summers writing and working on talks.  Lately He’s been providing a lot more opportunities for me to speak, so I’m throwing myself into that more than into writing songs.  Just trying to follow His lead.

What are some of your favorite topics to write about?  (Basically, what's your niche?)

Jesus shows up in everything.  He cares about every detail.  He speaks to me about work, rest, friends, charity, love, brokenness, nature, guys that I like—He covers all that ground in our conversations.  So when I write, I tell those stories.  I talk about the way He speaks to me, the way He works, the things He says.  I call my style “spiritual memoir,” but the main truth that lies underneath all my writing is this: intimacy with God is possible, it’s vital, and He has gone to great lengths to achieve that with you.  He wants to be involved in every part of your life.

I know you're working on a book right now—what's it about?

It’s kind of a secret.  The plan is for it to be the third in the “Letters” trilogy.  That’s all I’m prepared to publicly say right now.  Hah!  Sorry.

Perhaps one of my favorite Tara Leigh "things" is your Twitter updates, why do you Twitter?

Twitter serves many purposes to me—it’s a way to remind myself of things I need to remember, it keeps me updated on the lives of friends near and far, it serves as a journal, and it encourages me.  Also, I once twittered that my iPod was broken and a guy who follows my feed gave me a new one!  You can’t beat that!

If I was in Manhattan, where's the best place to get a bagel?

H&H Bagel on the Upper West Side.  It’s the best in the City!  But if you want the best bagel in the entire world, you’ll have to go to Corner Bagel in Anderson, South Carolina.  It cannot be beat.

How do you feel about being labeled "the female Donald Miller"?

It’s an honor, of course!  The only drawback is that sometimes male readers think that means I don’t translate into dude-speak.  They think I’m “the Donald Miller for females,” but I try to be relevant to both sexes.

How can I apply to be your temporary merch girl?

Next time I’m playing a show near you, shoot me an email!  I’d love to have you behind my merch table!  Whee!!

Print copy of interview.

To learn more about Tara Leigh Cobble and her amazing work, visit her online at taraleighcobble.com.  Head on over to iTunes or Amazon.com to buy or download her latest album, Playing Favorites.  While you’re checking out TLC merch, you’ve got to order her books, Here’s to Hindsight: Letters to My Former Self and Crowded Skies: Letters to Manhattan.

I practically knocked my mom over I was so happy she was home.  If the last week has taught me anything, it is that my status as Good Mommy may depend completely on the fact that my mom lives 10 minutes away.

I know I am immensely lucky - Moo goes over to my mom's house twice a week to play, leaving me free to sleep, clean, write, go shopping, or just sit quietly in a quiet house for a few hours.  Every time my mom goes out of town, I am always a complete basketcase after seven days.  Of course, Moo has chosen Nana's last two out-of-town trips as the perfect time to come down with a cold, and though it's very kind of her to spare Nana her germs, that means it's just Moo and me cooped up in this house all week, circling each other while I poke at her with Kleenexes from time to time.

After Moo and I picked up Nana at the airport, we went back to her house to have lunch.  I managed to shove some pepperoni pizza down my throat before collapsing on my parents' bed.  And even though my mom had just gotten off a plane from a trip where she no doubt played with her two other grandchildren nonstop and must be exhausted, she played with Moo for an hour and a half while I slept.  From time to time, I'd hear them creep by the room, my mom whispering to Moo, "Shhh, Mommy's sleeping."  "Oookay, Nana!"

I woke up a new mommy.  Moo's sleeping now, and instead of saying quiet prayers for her to sleep another 30 minutes, I'm actually hoping she wakes up soon so we can play Hair Salon with her animals.  I really think Owl could use a makeover.

So God bless Nana.  I feel no shame in admitting my Nana-dependence.  I'm just so relieved she's back.  And no, you can't borrow her.