The Civil War[s]

If by some strange chance, you haven't heard of The Civil Wars, consider this your introduction. Maybe if you used to (or still do) listen to CCM, you are familiar with Joy Williams who represents half this band, but if you want to hear something with that same sound, this band is not for you.

In case you don't know, this pair has been feuding and the two haven't spoken in over a year...yet, they were still able to record this new album (oh, the wonders of technology). Anyway, if you're not familiar with The Civil Wars, you should go look up their first album, "Barton Hollow," because it's amazing. They were not fighting at that time, and their vocal chemistry is pretty awesome. I haven't listened to their new album in entirety yet, but what I've heard so far can be summed up by this review on iTunes: 

"...run through with riveting tension, enigmatic beauty, and smoldering emotion." 

Sounds like the perfect soundtrack for this transition to the dark, cold winter that approaches us. :)

Enjoy.
H

New Music Friday: Track 5

What?! She's posting again? That's three days in a row! 

You're welcome.

Can you tell I'm taking a break from all social media except blogging? It's an experiment in humility. You see, I was looking back on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds for the last...while, and I realized that almost everything I post is some form of bragging. Which is lame. I now try to ask myself the question: "Does anyone care?" before posting something on the internet. We'll see how long that lasts. Like most people, I really love myself. But for now, I am not signing in to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I hid the apps on my phone and removed the links from my bookmarks in attempt to remind myself of this, and I hope that will help stop me when the urge to post strikes. You may just find that my blog is blowing up, but I figure this is a lot more intentional than the other forms of social media. If you are visiting my blog, you must at least like me a little. ;)

With that said, here is my song of the day! It's by Andrew Belle, although it's somewhat reminiscent of early Coldplay (aka the best Coldplay). He just (or will soon) released a new album, and this is the single, "Pieces." A mi me gusta.

Download this song for free!

Ciao.

H

Sunrise

Did anyone else catch the sunrise today? I am loving the colors! I made myself late for work because I just had to run outside and take a picture. This is totally unedited. :)

Happiness >= Money?

I want to start out by saying that I am NOT trying to toot my own horn in this post, rather; I just need to get this off my chest.

It feels like I always take jobs in which no one knows what to do with me. I can’t tell if I am under-applying for positions or misunderstanding the job during the interview or maybe I’m just desperate, but I still don’t feel like I have found a “good” job. I realize that I’m only 25 and have been out of college for roughly four years, but why do I always end up in positions that come up lacking? Am I too much of an idealist? Am I not picky enough? Or am I just trying to make myself fit in with the “business culture” of which I really have no interest in joining?

Is it okay to just take a job you enjoy and not worry about money or title? I have always thought so, but now for some reason, I am starting to doubt this. Is happiness all that matters? Do I sound crazy for even asking that? Because here’s the thing: I am very happy in my current job. I love my schedule, my coworkers, and even the actual job duties. I just don’t love the pay and title. Honestly, friends, I have backtracked to my post-college days in those two areas, and it hasn’t bothered me too much until now.

For how long do you value experience over things like money and status? Is there a right answer? And why am I suddenly questioning my values?

Part of me thinks I will look back on this in 10 years and LMAO at the silliness of this question. I really hope I do.

H

And BOOM, now it's fall.

Hi friends.

I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote on here. These last two months have been full of activity and change! I don't even really remember the month of August, except that I went on an amazing trip to Washington state to visit a lifelong friend and her husband. We had a wonderful time exploring all the neighborhoods in Seattle and then spent two days in Spokane, where they have been living for the past few years. We had great weather, ate interesting foods, and drank a good amount of coffee and alcohol (not together). :P It was unlike any trip I've taken before, because we didn't make any plans ahead of time and just played each day by ear. It was lovely. Here are a couple pictures from that trip.

Another piece of news from August is that we moved again! We're only living about 15 minutes from our old place, but we had a really bad experience with our landlord this past year, and we decided to move to a more corporate-run apartment complex. I'm liking our new place a lot, and we plan to stay here for at least the next two years. 

Oh, also...I finally started graduate school! This semester I am taking two classes, one online and one on campus, which has worked out really well so far. I'm enjoying both classes and don't feel overwhelmed [yet] with my schedule. I am still working at the hospital three days a week, which gives me a nice balance of time at home and in the office. I have to say that I feel very satisfied with life right now. It has only been a couple of weeks, but working part-time with school was a really positive decision and I am so thankful to have a husband that supports us in a way to make that possible. He is quite the catch. ;)

That's all for now. Enjoy the fall weather, everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

Much love,

H

New Music Friday: Track 4

I have some new jams for you. I just discovered this artist recently by downloading his free music on NoiseTrade (which I am promoting for the thousandth time...). It looks like his EP is still free, so you should definitely go check him out! His name is James Bay and he's from the UK. He has a beautiful, earthy voice that makes me feel all gooey inside. ;) Do I really need to say more?

Happy Friday!
H

Confessions

I'm going to be honest with you. My spiritual health has been severely lacking over the past couple years. I could make an unending list of excuses for reasons why that is, but I won't waste your time. The point is that I've been doing a crappy job of maintaining a relationship with God, and I am sick of it. Things have been bad for so long that I can't even really remember when I last felt filled with God's love or peace. At most, I would feel apathy and at worst, bitterness. And maybe those two should be switched around.

Anyway, I guess I'm writing this as a type of confession. It's so easy to hide spiritual issues, especially when you are surrounded by Christians at home, church, and work (but not work for much longer). It's also hard to talk about it when you can't really identify the main issue. It's not just a simple "I'm struggling with ___. Can you pray for me?" Honestly, I don't know the root of my issue. I don't think I am mad at God, struggling with some big secret sin, or doubting His existence. Maybe I'm just feeling stagnant?

One of my main motivations for wanting to change is the start of friendships with my new co-workers. After a two year gap, I am finally interacting again with people who weren't necessarily raised in the church. It is refreshing! It also brings new challenges of how to "come out" about my faith with them. Does that sound ridiculous? I know it shouldn't be so difficult, but it is! I am very out of practice. And unlike in high school, I now have a solid fear of pushing people away by telling them what I believe. You can go ahead and judge me for that, but I feel pretty strongly that it's a sensitive subject and I want to approach it the right way. I've learned that many people have had some terrible experiences in the church, and they automatically associate Christians with those experiences. I don't want to be another person who pushes them away from God.

I have talked with a couple co-workers about my faith in a general way, mentioning my church and that my husband went to school to be a pastor (thanks for that "in", Toby :] ), but I know more is to follow. Does anyone have examples of GOOD experiences talking about faith with co-workers? How do you avoid awkwardness? I do not want any Bibles ending up shoved down throats.

Maybe I just need to start with getting my own beliefs sorted out. I'm working on it.

Thanks for listening! I will keep you updated as things progress. Have an excellent week.

H