The Year of Holidays: Week 4

#NationalPopcornDay

#NationalCheeseLover'sDay

#NationalHuggingDay

#NationalBlondieBrownieDay

#NationalComplimentDay

A Song No One Would Expect Me to Love

Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love

People underestimate me a lot. They think I'm weaker than I am. They are always surprised when they find out I'm a tough tomboyish person. It's probably because I'm just quiet all the time. A song that most people (except for my friends) would be surprised to find out I love is Sick of It by Skillet.



 
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!


When everything you do
Don't seem to matter.
You try but it's no use
Your world is getting blacker.


When every time you fail
Has no answer.
Every empty promise made
Is a reminder.


No one can make this better
Take control, it's now or never!


Are you sick of it?
Raise your hands,
Get rid of it!
While there's a fighting chance.
Are you over it?
Bored to death?
Have you had enough regret?
Take a stand, raise your hands...


If you're sick of it!
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!
If you're sick of it!
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!


Every single day
I chase my own tail
Like a rat inside a maze
Gotta get, gotta get, get away


I'm running out of time
For me to break this.
I'm tired of feeling like
I'm never gonna make it.


No one can make this better
Take control, it's now or never!


Are you sick of it?
Raise your hands,
Get rid of it!
While there's a fighting chance.
Are you over it?
Bored to death?
Have you had enough regret?
Take a stand, raise your hands...


If you're sick of it!
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!
If you're sick of it!
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!


I'm tired of it
I'm over it
I'm bored of it


Gotta fix this
I'm sick of it!


Raise your hands
If you're sick
If you're sick of it
Raise your hands
If you're sick
If you're sick of it


Sick of it!
Raise your hands,
Get rid of it!
While there's a fighting chance.
Are you over it?
Bored to death?
Have you had enough regret?
Take a stand, raise your hands...


Are you sick of it?
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!


Get rid of it!
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it!



Are you over it?
Bored to death?
Have you had enough regret?
Take a stand, raise your hands...


Are you sick of it?
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it


Are you sick of it?
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it


Are you sick of it?
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it


If you're sick of it
If you're sick
If you're sick
If you're sick of it

A Song That's a Guilty Pleasure

Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure

It was difficult to think of a song that could qualify as a "guilty pleasure" for me. A guilty pleasure is something that you enjoy that you know you shouldn't and wouldn't like anyone to know that you do. I don't have that philosophy about life. If it's wrong, I don't like it. I'm not self-righteous or anything, it's just my natural bent. So I thought I couldn't find anything, but then I remembered this song, Mamma Mia. I hate it. I love it. I love the way it sounds, it's really quite a fun song... but the message is... yeah, I don't like the message. But I still can't help liking it!








I've been cheated by you since I don't know when
So I made up my mind, it must come to an end
Look at me now, will I ever learn?
I don't know how but I suddenly lose control
There's a fire within my soul
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
One more look and I forget everything, w-o-o-o-oh


Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, now I really know,
My my, I could never let you go.


I've been angry and sad about things that you do
I can't count all the times that I've told you we're through
And when you go, when you slam the door
I think you know that you won't be away too long
You know that I'm not that strong.
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
One more look and I forget everything, w-o-o-o-oh


Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, even if I say
Bye bye, leave me now or never
mamma mia, it's a game we play
Bye bye doesn't mean forever


Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, I could never let you go

A Song From a Band I Hate

Day 12 - A song from a band you hate

You know what band I love to hate? One Direction. Little Sister and I love making "Wrong Direction" jokes. They don't even make sense, really. If someone says "Oops, I'm going in the wrong direction" we'll be like "you mean, One Direction?" Honestly, I don't have anything against their music. It's just the way girls swoon, and the way they end up as girl's wallpapers and the fact that they're a boy band. But otherwise, I'm sure they're fine, and I don't mind the songs I have heard by them. So the song I'm choosing is What Makes You Beautiful.

A Song From My Favorite Band

Day 11 - A song from your favorite band

I had trouble answering this prompt. The problem was in deciding which band was my favorite. No, it wasn't that I had to sift through the hundreds of bands that I listen to - only two came to my mind. None of the other group comes close. But to have to pick between Owl City and Switchfoot... now that's a problem. After some discussion with Little Sister, I've decided to go with Switchfoot, because overall I've known them the longest and seen more of their concerts and they feel more like a band, where as Owl City is a single person in my mind. To clarify, though, both are my favorites. Their songs are inspiring to both my life and my artistic style. Their beliefs and what they have to say are also inspiring and reflect my own beliefs, and I listen to as many of both of their songs as possible, and love just about every single one. I'll choose one of Switchfoot's newest songs, Fading West.

Fading West with you
Fading West with you

The sun goes down for the summer
Mirror sky for the water
I am fading westward too
Fading west with you

Life won't sing like I want it
The traffic post modern sonic
The traffic hums a dirty tune
Fading West with you

Heading back to the west coast
Where I'm from
I'm heading back to the left coast
Where I belong.
California's calling me back home
Fading West with you

Keep my mind over matter
Cause I've seen my hopes shatter
They told me lies I thought were true
Fading West with you

The sun goes down
We were already going

Heading back to the west coast
Where I'm from
I'm heading back to the left coast
Where I belong.
California's calling me back home
Fading West with you

When I'm out on my own
Feel like I'm caving in
When you leave me alone
I start to wonder
Where have I been
Where have I been

Heading back to the west coast
Where I'm from
I'm heading back to the left coast
Where I belong.
California's calling me back home
Fading West with you

Fading West with you
Fading West with you

A Song that Makes Me Fall Asleep

Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep

Although I don't think a song has ever made me fall asleep just because it was playing, one song is good at making me feel ready for bed. That is the song You Are Mine by Go Fish.

Your busy day is at an end
It's time to go asleep again
Before your dreams take you away
Hear me when I say

You are mine, I will never leave you
I will see you through the night and be here in the morning
Close your eyes and have a good time dreaming
Knowing you will never be alone because you are mine

Everyday I see you grow
And as you do I hope you'll know
That time brings change and that's okay
Because one thing will remain

You are mine, I will never leave you
I will see you through the night and be here in the morning
Close your eyes and have a good time dreaming
Knowing you will never be alone because you are mine

It's time to sleep so close your eyes
And let the starts shine from the sky
From up above God is watching you
And singing to you, he's singin'...

You are mine, I will never leave you
I will see you through the night and be here in the morning
Close your eyes and have a good time dreaming
Knowing you will never be alone because you are mine

A Song I Can Dance To

Day 9 - A song that you can dance to

I don't dance. Not really. Little Sister ends up making fun of me if I do. So dancing's one thing I don't do in front of other people. One song, however, Church Clap by KB and Lecrae, I can dance to and still feel pretty cool. Little Sister doesn't make fun of me when I dance to this one.

A Song that I Know All the Words To

Day 8 - A song that you know all the words to

Just about any and all Switchfoot and Jon Foreman music. A song that I could sing from beginning to end though would be This Is Home by Switchfoot. I love that song; even though I knew about it before my family moved down to the country, it sorta became My Song once we moved. Driving my moped free down country roads and looking out over rows of golden cornfields this is the song that always starts playing in my mind. It feels like the country fields, and the country fields feel like this song.

A Song that Reminds Me of a Certain Event

Day 7 - A song that reminds you of a certain event

The Anthem - Live by Jesus Culture. This is rather similar to the song yesterday, but this one reminds me of the missions trip as a whole. When we played this song in the car we all decided it was our anthem for the whole trip. For me it captures the essence and feeling of the trip, so whenever I hear it now I can't help but think of that week.

The Year of Holidays: Week 3

#NationalMarzipanDay

#NationalStickerDay

#NationalHotPastramiSandwichDay

#NationalHatDay

A Song that Reminds Me of Somewhere

Day 6 - A Song that Reminds You of Somewhere

This song selection has more of a story to go along with it. The song is Ride the Wind by Broken Walls. This was a band that our group went to the concert of for three days in a row while on a missions trip in the Sioux Nation. We served hotdogs and interacted with people while watching the traditionally dressed dancers spin in vibrant colors in time to the deep rhythm of the music. Broken Walls took traditional Indian music and updated it with modern instruments. I loved this song the instant I heard it the first time. On the evening of the last concert we all bought CDs from them and cranked this song loud in the fifteen passenger van with the windows rolled down. It was so fun singing at the top of my lungs with the rest of my friends in deep, guttural tones. We sounded pretty epic.

A Song that Reminds Me of Someone

Day 4 - A Song that Reminds You of Someone

Around the Clock by The Rocket Summer. It reminds me of my best friend because it's a song about friendship.

Dance until we just can't,
Keep clapping our hands to the songs
And get dancing around to the joyful sound that the band plays
As his smiling face just shines away, it's moving through town as big as a train
April, May, June and July we'll hang outside
August and February all the time
Talking our way through March
Hanging out always 'til this starts
Over and over again, you promise that it won't end
So I will try to find the rhyme to thank you again

How I, I am not into the idea of living without you
And I, I am not into the idea of being without you
And no, this won't be a sad song
There's gonna be claps and singing along
'Cause sad song's about now well, that would just feel wrong

Beautiful colors that came from you
So this one goes out to the reds and yellows and blues
And of course I cant forget, all the beautiful colors on the day that we first met
So I will never know the right way to say thanks
for all the nights and days you spent hanging out
'Cause that's what this is about

How I, I am not into the idea of living without you
And I, I am not into the idea of being without you
And no, this won't be a sad song
There's gonna be claps and singing along
'Cause you're there when you talk and you're there not to stop and you're with me

Around the clock, you are, you are
Around the clock, yes you are
Around the clock

And just so ya'll know everyone else is not
so I, I am not into the idea of living without you
And I, I am not into the idea...
And no, this won't be a sad song
There's gonna be claps and singing along
'Cause you're there when you talk and you're there not to stop
and you're with me around the clock

A Song That Makes Me Sad

Day 4 - A Song That Makes You Sad

When She Loved Me by Sarah McLachlen. A childhood song from Toy Story 2. I always loved that song, and now that I'm older and have experienced life a bit more, it holds a strong, melancholic spell over my heart everytime I hear it.

When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together, lives within my heart
And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears
And when she was happy, so was I, when she loved me.

Through the summer and the fall, we had each other, that was all
Just she and I together, like it was meant to be
And when she was lonely, I was there to comfort her
And I knew that she loved me.

So the years went by, I stayed the same
But she began to drift away, I was left alone
Still I waited for the day, when she’d say "I will always love you."

Lonely and forgotten, never thought she’d look my way,
And she smiled at me and held me, just like she used to do,
Like she loved me, when she loved me

When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful,
Every hour we spent together, lives within my heart
When she loved me.

A Song that Makes Me Happy

Day 3 - A song that makes you happy

Better When I'm Dancin' by Meghan Trainor

Don't think about it
Just move your body
Listen to the music
Sing, oh, ey, oh
Just move those left feet
Go ahead, get crazy
Anyone can do it
Sing, oh, ey, oh

Show the world you've got that fire (fire)
Feel the rhythm getting louder
Show the room what you can do
Prove to them you got the moves
I don't know about you,

But I feel better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah
Better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah
And we can do this together
I bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah, yeah

When you finally let go
And you slay that solo
Cause you listen to the music
Sing, oh, ey, oh
'Cause you're confident, babe
And you make your hips sway
We knew that you could do it
Sing, oh, ey, oh

Show the world you've got that fire (fire, baby)
Feel the rhythm getting louder
Show the room what you can do
Prove to them you got the moves
I don't know about you,

But I feel better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah
Better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah
And we can do this together
I bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah, yeah

I feel better when I'm dancing
I'm better when I'm dancing, aye, oh ey oh

Feel better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah
Better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah,
Don't you know
We can do this together
Bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah, yeah

(you got the moves, babe)

I feel better when I'm dancing
I'm better when I'm dancing, hey
Feel better when I'm, yeah, yeah

My Least Favorite Song

Day 2: Your Least Favorite Song

After contemplating various current popular songs everyone loves and that I consider junk, I came up with a winner. Little Sister brought it home from school. She says everyone sings it - I detest it. She loves to sing it just to annoy me. The song is Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae) by Silento. Nuff said.

My Favorite Song

Today starts a new 30 day challenge, yay! These next thirty days I'll be doing the Thirty Day Song Challenge. This one's less deep then the last, I'll just talk about the song that fits into each day's category.

And so it begins...


Day 1: Your Favorite Song

If you go by the amount that I actually sing the song, then it has to be My Everything by Owl City. This song means a lot to me, it's one of the few songs that I call My Song. That's because this song has helped me through some dark times. God gave it to me right at the beginning of a hard time a few months ago and the instant I heard it for the first time I burst into tears because it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. This continues to be my song of hope and praise as I continue to travel through dark valleys.

When my hope is lost
And my strength is gone
I run to you and you alone
When I can't get up and I can't go on
I run to you and you alone

'Cause you're my light in the dark
And I sing with all of my heart

Hallelujah
My almighty God divine
Hallelujah
I am yours and you are mine
This is all I know how to say
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You're my everything

When I'm plagued with pain
And filled with fear
I run to you and you alone
When my days are few
And death is near
I run to you and you alone

'Cause you're my light in the dark
And I sing with all of my heart

Hallelujah
My almighty God divine
Hallelujah
I am yours and you are mine
This is all I know how to say
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

When trouble comes and goes
And when the cold wind blows
I lift my hands up, I lift my hands up
When sorrow knocks me down
And you pick me off the ground
I lift my hands up, I lift my hands up
And I sing

Hallelujah
My almighty God divine
Hallelujah
I am yours and you are mine
This is all I know how to say

Hallelujah
By the grace of God above
Hallelujah
I'll shine a light 'cause I am loved
This is all I know I will say
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
This is all I know how to say
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You're my everything

Ohh Ohh, You're my everything

Surprised by Humans

Yesterday was the 30th and final day for a challenge I've been doing to record the surprises - big and small, good and bad - that God sends my way each day. I never got a chance to write yesterday because the day turned out to be (surprisingly) busy. So now I will reflect back and try to find some epic sounding words to write that seem fitting for the conclusion of a thirty day journey.

Out of all the surprises of yesterday I recognize a theme: human relationship. From seeing people I knew on my walk, the friendliness of friends, to people talking to me, being offered pizza, and realizing there are some kids who look up to me. Out of all these thirty days the most surprising elements in each of my days were people. Perhaps it is because nature and inanimate objects act the way one expects them to act. The sun rises, a light bulb turns on, we stay solidly planted on the ground. But when you throw humans into the mix, you can never fully predict what someone else might do in any given circumstance. It is this interaction with other human beings that makes the day to day routines of life interesting and different in unexpected ways. So despite all the complications and problems that come from living in close connection with people, I, for one, am grateful that God has blessed my life so richly with so many surprising relationships.

KickofJoy.com

An Old Sea Mariner's Surprise

Day 29 - Surprise Me Challenge

Today I was surprised by...

The library website saying there's an error with the card I try to sign in with

The mushy texture of microwaved fish sticks

A friendly pat on the shoulder in passing

To see a filled up schedule for the month

Being asked to help with homework on the bus

How perfectly the book Breadcrumbs mirrors my own life right now


I sit on the musty, wet floor of the cellar of my ship. Mutinied. I, an old sea mariner, bead salted with the seasoning of the sea and a life of hardships. Locked in the hull of my own ship. At least I have one solace on that swaying, dank prison. I have my food. While the rest of the men above battle with a furious squall I enjoy my sweet rest and nourishment. Let that teach them to take over a ship when they didn't even know their starboards from seawarts! A plastic container of microwaved fish sticks and mac-n-cheese. Oh, and a healthy strawberry-banana smoothie on the side. Can't forget that. As the angry tears of the sea drips from leaky boards above me I bite into my warm meal. Mushy! I grimace. The inside of the fish sticks are mushy! They probably would've been better heated in the oven, but who has 20 minutes to wait for breakfast when you can have it in 3 1/2?

Yeah, this is what my breakfast looked like on the floor of the kitchen this morning. My thoughts; if you're going to eat alone, might as well eat in style!

Geeked Out Surprise

Day 28 Surprise Me Challenge

Today I was surprised by...

Being said good-bye to

Kids getting excited about Little Sister's Minecraft books

Being shown an interesting article

Realizing throughout the day the Garden of Gethsemane kept coming up

On the bus Little Sister holds up her set of Minecraft books for me to see. "Wanna read one?" She asks. I take one and start looking through the colorful images inside. It isn't long before a couple boys notice what we're reading. "You got all of them!?" They ask, impressed. For a second I feel proud to be the person who had given her sister such a cool present for Christmas, and happy for Little Sister's moment of popularity. They ask if they can read them too. For the whole bus ride home all four of us sit with our heads down, buried in video gaming books. Once, I look up and think how cool it is to be apart of a group, even though we're not sitting together, there's a sense of comradery.

The Year of Holidays

#HappyNewYear's

#ScienceFictionDay

#FruitcakeTossDay

Happy 2016! This year Little Sister and I decided to celebrate the "National-Day-Of" holiday every. single. day. We'll try and take a picture of our little celebrations each day and post them on here weekly.