while soaking in a much needed bubble bath and sipping on some coffee, taking in the aroma of my scented candles, and savoring a few minutes of peace and quiet.
About halfway through my relaxing bath a song came on that I had not heard since 2005, when my college roommate, Courtney, was married; and in which she danced with her father.
"My Girl"- The Temptations
The song immediately took me back to when I was a little girl, growing up in Southern California. I recalled many Sunday afternoons when my family would spend what seemed like hours, just driving up and down the coast, on scenic Hwy 101, just listening to the oldies station and watching the surfers out in the distances.
Those were the days...
It was a much simpler time.
A time when I didn't yet have "grown up" responsibilities.
I enjoyed my "flashback" so much last night that I found myself switching to the oldies station, reliving memories of my childhood. So today, on Music Monday, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite songs as a child.
"Brown Eyed Girl"- Van Morrison
"Kokomo" - The Beach Boys
"Highway to the Danger Zone" - Kenny Loggins
What songs immediately take you back to your childhood?
I am a sucker for reality shows like NBC's The Voice.
I can't help it.
There is just something about this show that draws me in.
The blind auditions at the start of the season are my favorite part. If you haven't seen the show, here is a brief overview of how it works. Each hopeful contestant performs in front of four industry judges:
Christina Aguilera
Adam Levine
Cee Lo Green
and
Blake Shelton
{All images courtesy of Google Images}
All four of the judges are seated in over-sized red chairs facing the audience.
{They somewhat remind me of a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland. Anyone else? No? Just me?}
The judges listen to the contestant's performance and decide if said contestant has what it takes to make it in the industry.
And here is what I love about this show:
the judges make their decisions blind- they must listen intently to the contestant's voice- tone quality, pitch, overall sound, etc. The contestant isn't judged based on age, appearance, or stage presence; but on pure talent. Once the judges express an interest in the contestant, the contestant then determines which mentor he/she would like to work with. The banter that often takes place between the judges, trying to convince the contestant to pick him/her as their mentor, is beyond hilarious at times. There were moments during last week's episode that had me practically rolling on the floor with laughter.
Watch the following clips and you'll get the general idea of how this all works.
So far this season has completely captivated me because the talent is amazing, unique, and refreshing.
Have you seen The Voice? What are your thoughts? Do you enjoy the show as much as I do?
If you haven't seen it yet, it airs Monday evenings at 8/7c on NBC.
I'm about to get real with y'all. I hope that you will indulge me; because I need this.
As many of you know, I've been in somewhat of a dark season of life as of late, with my recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
I have only just begun to speak openly and honestly with how I have handled the news and what it is like living with my condition. There are many reasons why I kept silent for so long. Partly because I was scared- I don't need any more judgement in my life right now. Partly because I still wanted to hold onto as much normalcy as I could. I didn't want people to know how much pain I was in all of the time, or just how much I was really suffering.
I didn't want to be treated any differently.
But the truth is- people don't seem to know how to react. I look normal. My physical appearance hasn't changed. To all the world I look as though nothing is wrong with me. {I will confess- I do put up a good front when I am in pain. My husband says that I should win an Oscar for my performance.} I just don't trust many people with how I am really feeling. Again, I guess it's because I want to hold onto as much normalcy as possible... That, and those who I had previously trusted- people who claimed to love me and care about me- whom I felt that I could be most vulnerable around- proved that they were not trustworthy.
So I built up a wall.
I didn't want to hurt any more than I already was.
Some have accused me of lying. Some would like to believe that I am creating these symptoms merely to gain attention. Some have even whispered that my condition is a result of un-confessed sin...as if I cannot hear their whispers. As if I do not know that they are talking about me behind my back. As if I do not recognize that awkward silence that erupts when I walk by.
It hurts.
Their words inflict more pain than the fibromyalgia symptoms ever could.
Around the time of my diagnosis, Laura Story came out with a song called Blessings.
Laura wrote this song amidst a difficult season in her own life- the hospitalization of her husband in 2006 due to a brain tumor. Taken from her biography on Amazon, Laura writes:
“The song shows that we still have more questions than answers,” Laura confesses. “But there’s a decision that I find God is asking us to make: whether we’re going to judge God based on our circumstances, or whether we are going to choose to interpret our circumstances based on what we hold to be true about God.”
...sometimes involves having to redefine what God’s “blessings” could mean, a spiritual wrestling match she perfectly encapsulates on Blessings’ breathtaking title track and first single:
What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
is a revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy?
This song has been instrumental in my own journey and the Lord has used it to begin the healing process. I may never experience physical healing this side of heaven, but He has been faithful in healing my broken heart. I know that this is not one of my typical uplifting or lighthearted posts, and if you are new to my blog I do apologize for the heaviness; but I am beginning to realize that in order for complete healing to take place, I must allow myself to be open and vulnerable. I know that not everyone will understand what I am going through- nor will they care. I know that there will be those who doubt. I know that there will be those who betray my trust. But there are also those who are ready to bring the encouragement and the support that my heart so desperately needs- but they will never be able to do so if I keep building up walls.
So... consider this an act of bringing out the sledgehammer.
I've been perusing iTunes lately in search for some new songs for my running playlist.
I came across this new one from Kelly Clarkson:
I heart Kelly Clarkson. She's fab.
I repeat the lyrics "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" over and over in my head while I'm running.
It seems to help. Or at least I'm convincing myself that it helps :)
I'm also obsessed with Adele. Then again, who isn't these days?
What is on your running playlist?
In other news:
I am almost down a pant size! Woohoo!
I'm seriously considering framing these two images below and hanging them up in front of my treadmill, along with the bikini that is already up on the wall. I'm one of those runners who needs to visualize my goal while I work out. I know, I'm weird like that.
