The Love That Drives Out Fear

I've been thinking these last few days and weeks about friendship and about love. I've been thinking about life in Oklahoma City and how it seems so much richer and fuller these days than it did. As if I'm feasting--and finally realizing that what I once thought was feasting was actually famine.

It amazing how things change you--how even crisis and stress can seem bearable when you have friends and family that uplift and encourage you. Who can receive you with open arms, not arms burdened with their own insecurities about you. How, those qualities alone can make you brave. A friendship and kinship that pushes you out of you, that makes you feel worthy and safe. A friendship that makes you feel like you can do because there are people that already believe that you can.

I think that someday, I hope that is what I have with my future husband. A love that feels like feasting. A love that drives out fear. A love that makes you brave.

I am reminded of 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..."

Songs of Summer

On the way home from cupcake night with the fusion ladies I heard the song "A Thousand Miles." I started to feel nostalgic, remembering how that was THE song of my summer back in good ole 2002. I thought it would be a fun return to blogging at the end of this summer to write down some of favorite songs of summers past:

2001:
Lady Marmalade by Cristina Aguileira
Baton Rouge by Garth Brooks (blaring both these in lil ang's car on the way to Colorado on the road trip to Chicago, Nebraska, and Colorado)
Country Grammar by Nelly (and watching for Nelly's songs on MTV at my grandma's with my cousins... yeah... awesome I know)

2002:
A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. The Lail and I would listen to this song on repeat on the drives to and from Lincoln. Once we stopped on the side of the road to pick daisies. I believe the song was playing. What a great summer.

2003:
The Anthem by Good Charlotte
She Hates Me by Puddle of Mudd
Shake Ya Tailfeather by Nelly.
Oh and Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas Good Summer at PacNSave (or .. the other name that we called it...) and cruising Seward with Amanda and the late late nights. That was a good music summer.

2004:
You and I Both by Jason Mraz
My Happy Ending Avril Lavigne
Come to Me by Jill Paquette
Pieces of Me by Ashlee Simpson (that's for my first week of internship, the long long drive to St. Louis and "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH it seems like I can finally rest my head on something real")

2005:
You love me but You don't know who I am by Three Doors Down
Sugar We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy
Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson
Hey Girl by O.A.R.
Ahhh 2005 the Summer of Angst.

2006:
Hips Don't Lie by Shakira
Over My Head by The Fray (with ACTIONS)
I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic at the Disco (I'd chime in witha haven't you people ever heard of.... also heard this MANY MANY times with self censorhip from my 6th graders on the St. Louis trip)
For You I Will by Teddy Geiger
All I Need by Mat Kearney
Hey Ya by Obadiah Paker

2007:
Summer Skin by Death Cab for Cutie (ahhh very fitting for that particular summer)
Butterfly Nets by Bishop Allen (Or click click click click by Bishop Allen)
Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's
Speeding Cars by Imogen Heap
Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy

2008:
You've Got Growing Up to Do by Joshua Radin
New Soul by Yael Naim
Live your Life by TI and Rhianna (and the "laudee ya hee laudee ya hi laudee ya hoo hoo")
Hometown Glory by Adele
Sons and Daughters by the Decemberists (This reminds me instantly of the trip back from Boulder with the Spanish Teacher, S. Sarah and Marcus... we'd just finished tubing and were singing along..... cheesy but one of my favorite memories)
Breakable by Ingrid Michaelson
My Junk is You by the Spring Awakening Cast (also an Angst Song)

2009:
Campus by Vampire Weekend
Dream by Pricilla Ahn
Laughing With by Regina Spektor
Can't Go Back Now by the Weepies
That's Not My Name by the Ting Tings
Poker Face by Lady Gaga (Po-po-poker face)

I'm sure there are more summer favorites, BUT, my brain doesn't remember them all. What are YOUR summer songs?

link-a-liscious

This is good too.

And Another

by Blogger Rachel Held Evans

Another link

Another blog about Health Care.

Rachel Maddow: "The telling awful math about being poor in America today"

From the girgismelson...

Also, found this to be interesting...

http://www.rachelheldevans.com/healthcareisaright