NEW MUSIC!

So I just read on Owl City's awesome blog that he is releasing an album...but not just any album, ladies and gentlemen. No this is an old album. What's so great about that, you ask? Well I shall tell you. It is his first album that he ever made in the basement of his parents house before he ever thought of being Owl City. It hasn't been released yet, but I pre-ordered it and discovered another exstatically wonderful surprise....one of the songs has been released already!!!! So I now have a little foreshadowing of what the album will be like, and let me just say that I am hopelessly giddy with excitement because it's going to be WONDERFUL!!!!! If you are a current fan of Owl City there is no doubt that you will love it. For those of you who hate/despise/boycott/don't care/ think he is a whining wimp.....you might give this stuff a try. The reason being, that this is a different sound of Adam Young that we haven't heard before. It's got a more acoustic sound than his present electrical sound. So I'm posting it here and you must must give it a try. If you don't like it....I suppose we can still be friends.....:P just kidding.

-Jessie Rae

P.S. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to marry Adam Young (Owl City) someday....just sayin'.

Less Like Scars

This morning I wanted to blog a bit of how I'm feeling spiritually right now, this second, this moment. But as I tried putting it into words, my efforts at really telling you what's going on in my heart completely flopped. However, I found a song that has written my heart out already. I think that's why I love music so much. Because someone much more brilliant than me can put into words what I want to say but can't. So I'll just post the lyrics and play you the song. It's by Sara Groves, one of my favorite Christian singer/songwriters. This song is so beautiful and I think everyone has been here at one point or another...and if you haven't...you will. :) Enjoy, Dear Reader/Listener!

Less Like Scars

It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars

Just a little while ago
I couldn't feel the power or the hope
I couldn't cope, I couldn't feel a thing
Just a little while back
I was desperate, broken, laid out, hoping
You would come

And I need you
And I want you here
And I feel you

And I know you're here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad, bad situation
But you are able

And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars

And more like
Character

Worth Fighting For

Instead of getting ready for work, I went looking for this speech from Lord of the Rings. :P I don't know why but I was thinking about it yesterday and wanted to watch it. It is my favorite part of all the movies and I tear up every time I watch it. And I think if we listen closely there is a deeper meaning than just a pep talk for the plot of the movie. It can apply to everyday life. Anyway, I won't ramble about it, I'll just let you watch it. Pure awesomeness right here:

Pics from the recent past

This is me in my brother-in-law's truck. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! We took it to my home away from home...Sonic. :) Like for real, I live there.





And this is Sister and me in our awesome shades. My awesome shades are, at the moment, missing. :( I had hid them at work so I wouldn't have to carry them in my apron and when I went back to get them they were gone, so I'm pretty sure someone is "walking around with a stolen set of shades!" (and if anyone can tell me where I got the previous quote from, besides Ashley, you will win the awesome movie quoter person title)

-Jessie Rae

Not so random

I love how God knows everything. Like yesterday and even just this morning, He knew that I needed encouragement and even a slight nudge in the right direction. So He sent what some would call random texts and an e-mail with exactly what I needed in them. But I know that they were not so random. God planned it that way, cause He's just awesome like that. So this morning, I will suit up once again to fight the good fight and by God's grace I will do the same tomorrow and the next day and the next.

Here is a quote that was in my "not so random" e-mail from a dear Sister in Christ:

"We are not battling by ourselves―God battles for us! James is saying [in James 4], 'Don't you know that the Spirit who lives inside you envies intensely? In the middle of the battle you can't forget that God is a jealous God. He loves you too much to make room for other lovers. He will oppose your proud and self-absorbed living, not because he is against you, but because he loves you.' Praise God that he will settle for nothing short of the final victory in our hearts. Our hope to be who we were meant to be is directly tied to his jealous desire for our hearts. ...This jealous God is a giver of grace, the most powerful weapon in the war for the heart."

And in case I haven't said this lately: I LOVE MY CHURCH FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!! A LOT. THE END.


-Jessie Rae

P.S. Apparently I have a sparkly frugal ninja in my bedroom. Long story. Kinda creepy. O.o.

So here you have it! If you haven't already seen Jack, here is a pic of him. :) We took him to get tags transferred from the previous car I had bought(some of you will remember Juliet) and on our way to the downtown county clerk office, my Dad and I saw a somewhat humorous sight. A red pickup passed us only to get pulled over by a motorcycle police man about 2 seconds later. This in itself is slightly entertaining...but when Dad looked to see who might be in the drivers seat, it was none other than Coach Fisher of the Tennessee Titans. Hehe! He was most likely on his way to football practice since we were just a hop, skip, and a jump from the practice stadium. :P

I don't work till 4 today so I'm getting things done around the house...including making a coconut cream pie. Why, you ask? Because one of the guys in the kitchen at the Farmhouse Restaurant doesn't believe I can bake.....so I thought I would show him a thing or two. Watch it completely flop and crush my pride.....:P I am taking a chance here, because I don't even like coconut, so I can't say that I even like my own coconut cream pie. So, I am relying heavily on the compliments and opinions of my family and friends.....I hope you people were being honest. :)

Today I am thanking the Lord for the music to dance to, a job that I love, co-workers that I get along with, His control over the weather, a car with a/c, a mom that I can call my best friend, a Dad who makes coffee every morning he's home without fail, a brother that keeps life interesting, a sister who gets my stupid humor, a brother-in-law who can quote P&P with the best of them, the grace to get up this morning (even if it was almost 10:00), and simple pleasures of life like cute aprons. :)

Captain Jack

So for those of you who didn't know.....I now have a car! A 2001 Ford Taurus that is a boring sort of greenish grayish color. It is sooooo awesome and wonderful and I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have picture yet but when I do I'll post it.
I'm also going to probably post my work schedule on here so everyone will know when I'll be at the restaurant so you can come see me. :) Tomorrow I go in at one o' clock and I'll probably be there till 6:30 or 7:00. Yummy food and on weekends, live bluegrass. :)

-Jessie Rae
p.s. The car's name is Captain Jack Sparrow.

I HAVE A CAR! details to come later. :)

Rusty Armor

I keep a journal....very different from a diary, by the way. I don't normally show or read my journal to anyone. It's one of those few things I am very private about. But I thought I would share my latest entry that I wrote on Wednesday night after coming home from the Bible study and prayer meeting, in yet another attempt to stay "wide open like a lake".

"The weather here in Nashville is very hot, but inside I feel as cold as stone. I went to a Bible study in an apartment complex in a rough part of Nashville last night and saw hurting, broken people. I listened to their tragic stories of death, addictions, and hard pasts and was somehow unmoved...somehow hardened....and quite honestly, just didn't care. I am ashamed of this and I walked away asking myself, "why am I not hurting for these people? Why am I not moved to tears and prayer by their burdens?" And I immediately knew the answer. Perhaps because I have been so absorbed in myself, my life, my petty problems, that I have been to selfish to look past myself and see the needs of others. Perhaps because my "armor" lies in a rusty pile in the corner of the room, untouched and unworn, for some time. No there is no "perhaps" about it. Those are definite reasons.
And as those broken, hurting people (who I am not so different from) opened themselves up to me and my church family, little did they know how they were being used by the Lord to convict me of my lack of openness, of my lack of burden, of my lack of genuineness.
I know that Satan would have me continue to be selfish and only care about my problems. He would have me continue being the hypocrite and pretending to have it all together. But through the power of Christ in me, I will fight to die to self each day. And seek to live for the glory of Jesus Christ."

There is nothing better than homemade whipped topping. The end. Cool whip? What's that?

The pie phase continues as I prepare two more pies for Sunday lunch. This week it's Loveless Cafe's peanut butter pie and Betty Crocker's banana cream pie. :)

I'm working from 4 to 9 tonight at the Farmhouse Restaurant at Fontanel. COME SEE ME! The food is fabulous and sometimes there's live bluegrass. :)

Huzzah!....I mean... Hey ya'll!

Last night was my very firs night as a Farmhouse Restauant at Fontanel waitress! It was SO much fun!!!! For a while we had some live bluegrass to wait tables to and all of the serbvers were practically line dancing to our tables. :P I got there an hour before my shift started so I could figure out what in the world I was doing and after a little observing I tackled my first table. :) Actually I didn't really tackle them...that might have gotten me fired, so I decided smiling and walking up to them was a better idea. Everyone I waited on was very friendly and I've decided that Canadian people are the funnest people on the planet. Eh? I had two different tables with people from Canada and my stomach hurt from laughing so much! One of them was like, "where is he healthy food?". The answer to that is, "not here". :)

The computer system we use is really simple and once I get used to it I think it's going to go much faster. I only handled two tables at a time since it was my first night, but they might give me three tonight. It is really tiring work but so fun and there's nothing like crashing into bed after a night of good hard work. I slept like a baby last night and my feet were protesting when I put them on the floor.....I have got to find some major comfy shoes. I thought I had some, but apparently not. Maybe waitressing has no hope of coming home with not-aching feet?

Any-hoo, it was a blast and I can't wait for tonight! Come eat at the Farmhouse Restaurant and see me!!!!! The food is FABULOUS, everything from the veggies to the meat is from local farmers, and the desserts are homemade. I haven't stopped hearing about the hummingbird cake and I personally had a bite of the bread pudding....AWESOME! And I had fried chicken for dinner....oh goodness...there just aren't words....and the same goes for the baked mac and cheese. I work 4- close tonight so come on over!!! Pretty Please!!!! with butter on top!!

-Jessie Rae

Who needs therapy when there's baking to do? :P Look out church family, I've got 2 pies coming your way tomorrow. Blueberry and chocolate cream. :d

Simple Pleasures

Earlier this evening I found myself alone at home. And instead of going to bed at 7:30 like I was inclined to do, I began doing a few things that needed done in the kitchen. I scarcely do any sort of housework without music and this time was no exception. I turned on my Owl City playlist and threw the volume up as loud as it would go. :) As I ran water in the sink to do dishes, I glanced up through the windows of the sunroom that look out into the backyard. And what I saw made me smile....fireflies. :) My wheels began turning and the dishes were forgotten. I grabbed my iPod and it's speakers and a mason jar and went outside to be a kid again. Thankful for outside electrical outlets, I plugged in my music again and thought it only fitting to catch fireflies to the song.....Fireflies by Owl City. My lightning bug catching technique is a little rusty and I wasn't to successful, but I had fun. My Dad and brother came home to find me prancing in our backyard in my pink plaid pajamas with a glowing mason jar in my hands. Ross was all too happy to join and with his rather good firefly catching skills we caught at least 6 or 7. I enjoyed it thoroughly and was glad to make a great memory with my brother. To any of you who may have been worried about the well-being of the fascinating little insects, they were promptly set free and none were harmed. :)

Jessie Rae

P.S. Sorry to those of you who would prefer that the music not start automatically..but it was a must for the effect of the post. Thanks for understanding. :P