I would like to dedicate this post to...

Amy Grant.

I've known Amy since I was 5 years old. I was first introduced to her when I found out my mom was pregnant with my little brother. "Girls, this tape has a song about a baby on it, and we're going to have a little baby," are the words my mom and dad said after buying Amy Grant's tape "Heart in Motion" referring to the song "Baby Baby." Many don't know, but that song was written by Amy Grant for her daughter Millie, who was an infant at the time. The record company turned it into a love song.

This introduction began the journey of a beautiful, one-sided friendship. But, considering the fact that Amy Grant is a famous celebrity, she makes the relationship as two-sided as she can, being very loyal to her fans. :)

I don't know what it is about Amy. She was there when I was little acting as the person I wanted to become while I sang into a hair brush on the coffee table belting "Baby Baby." She was there with me in the move from Germany to Oregon upon the discovery of my dad's cancer. She was there when my dad died. She was my first concert. She was my first very own cassette tape. She was my inspiration to write music and play the guitar. She was my help mate through my step-family troubles. I love her soothing voice and brilliant self-written lyrics. Over the years I've attended 5 concerts, acquired 7 shirts/sweat shirts, and gained as much knowledge about a person as one can without actually "knowing" the person. Although I'm not as obsessed as I once was, I still really appreciate the person she is and the role model she's played in my life.


Amy's many CDs...of which I have all except the very last one, which is just a "Best Of" her other Christmas albums.




In honor of this Christmas season, here's a tender Christmas song from her "Best Of" Christmas CD.

I love Amy!

Just in case you're wondering...

I'm going crazy, nuts, loony! The last two weeks of a semester are by far not my favorite. That's all.

Different Roads

I wrote a new song a few weeks ago, inspired by my persuasion class. I've learned a great deal from this class, specifically the importance of understanding people's points of view in order to really understand and express my own views. This isn't always easy to do, but if we can come to some kind of common ground with our "enemies" then maybe they'll no longer be our enemies, but rather our siblings just choosing a different path.

My roommate knocked on the door right as I was finishing the song...so sorry about the interruption. :) I don't think it's as good as my last song, but it always feels good to create something new.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Take a good look at me
and tell me what do you see
Now that you have realized
I can see things through your eyes

Let's take each other by the hand
I'll meet you on the common land
I'll take you for a safe ride
I promise I won't leave you; I'm here by your side

Chorus:
And did you know
We can love each other
Did you know
You are my brother
Did you know
I've walked a little in your shoes
We just choose to walk different roads

So let us please open our ears
So maybe we can really hear
And start listening
And stop all this pretending

Chorus

We don't have to see eye to eye
to know we both live human lives
I know you share some of my fears
While I shed a few of your tears

Chorus

Something I like

While reading for my New Testament class I came across this verse.

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

I really like this scripture. In fact, I love this scripture. I've never read or heard it before, but I believe there is so much truth to this. How can those around us truly, with real faith, pray for us unless we humble ourselves enough to open ourselves up and admit our weaknesses, short comings, and hardships? How can we faithfully pray for others we don't know anything about? I'm not saying we HAVE to know every trial or weakness a person experiences in order to pray for her/him, but knowing would make it even more meaningful. Obviously, in order for this to work, pride needs to be eliminated completely, on both parts. Wow. I really love this scripture.

Silver Lining

Well...this is another post with no pictures. So, if you don't like reading, you can just stop here.

I spent all of my Thanksgiving break STRESSED. I feel like I've never been this stressed in my life. I probably have, but I feel like I haven't. I went home for Thanksgiving, which was fabulous in theory...and somewhat in real life, but because of my nature I spent the entire week having mini freak-outs in my brain. I had a huge paper due in my Persuasion class, a huge project to start for my Persuasion class involving going out into the community, finding a non-profit organization, conducting surveys and making a media kit/grant proposal (with very little time to complete it in the three weeks left after the break) the final project for my Visual Media class due involving programs such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, none of which I, or anyone in my family has, two papers due in my Mass Media class, and several articles due in my Journalism class...ALL due this week. Part of my freaking out was due the fact that I was supposed to go on an internship expedition to Phoenix, Arizona...which would last 3 days starting Wednesday at 5:00 a.m. and ending on Friday at 9:00 p.m. All of these things consumed my brain the entire time I was home, and no matter how hard I tried to forget my responsibilities...I could not forget about my stress longer than 30 minutes to an hour.

During this week-long break, several people had the desire to spend time with me. And I had the desire to spend time with these people as well. The thing that won the majority of my attention, however, was my homework. I did get to spend some time with my mom, brother, and sister...participating in our yearly shopping trip down town Portland prior to Thanksgiving. This was tons of fun...but my mind was still plagued with homework worries.

Then, the day before Thanksgiving, as I was hunched over the computer once again, I discovered a little mucus in my throat. Oh goody. A cold. I took vitamins and air born...trying to beat it before it started. Lucky for me it didn't hit too hard on Thanksgiving, allowing me to enjoy the taste of the delicious food my family had prepared. But as the days progressed...it got worse and worse. Finally, yesterday, I realized that my left ear had been throbbing for several hours. YESSSSS...and ear infection! Right in time for me to go to Phoenix to try an impress a bunch of companies and convince them I'm the girl they'll one day want as an intern. RIGHT. Obviously that didn't happen. I couldn't get in to see a doctor until today, who in fact confirmed I have a flaming red ear infection. Is this a blessing or a curse? Well...I'm hoping my teachers will take pity on my because of my illness and I'll receive a few extensions on a few assignments. Specifically my Visual Media assignment that's due today...because it is NOT done.

So, where's the silver lining? Well, I suppose it could be the fact that I MIGHT get extensions for my assignments. But that's not a known fact yet. The silver lining is my roommate, Naomi. Yes, I posted about her before. But seriously, if you have to be sick, having her around makes it bearable. She's a little mom. She'll make dinner for you, go to the store and pick up tissues and medicine for you, and yes, she'll even go out into the FREEZING COLD weather and brush the snow and scrape the ice off of your car so you can drive up to the health clinic instead of having to walk. Yeah...I might have one of the three Nephites as a roommate. Except that she's a girl...hmmmm. Well, all I know is, she's a blessing from Heavenly Father. Seriously. I am going to miss that girl SOOOO much when she goes home this winter.