Warning: There is no filter in this post. No proofreading. No spell check. Just my random thoughts on this random Tuesday night. Enjoy. Summer. It's a refreshing feeling. I'm so thankful for a job that allows me a two month hiatus. Teaching can be one of the most rewarding, but draining jobs. I thought I was a patient person until I became a teacher. But oh, the moments when I have a class that is attentive and quiet. I just love that feeling too.

I'm still working during the summer though. Odd jobs, really. I'm teaching swim lessons for the next couple weeks. Then I have the amazing opportunity to lead worship and sing for a few events. And most excitingly, I'll be back as a track leader at WIRED for my third summer here in Dothan. I'm really looking forward to it.

Costa Rica. My first overseas mission trip ever. Really? Yep. It is a blessing from the Lord (that came in the form of a sweet couple in our church) that made this financially possible. All things work together for the good...

Speaking of good. God is good. But He's more than that, He's loving when I'm unlovable. He's patient when I'm hesitant. He's forgiving when I'm embarrassing. It's good to remind myself of these things. Especially, when I start to think I'm never going to be good enough.

And while we're talking about things that aren't good. This world is not good. I see so much I wish I didn't see. Mostly on the internet. I'm not superstitious (more suspicious than anything), but one time my dad told me that if you add up the letters in "computer" based on an ancient Babylonian numbering system, they equal 666. The alleged "mark of the beast" symbol. There are only two other words that equal this number - kissinger (whatever that means) and witchcraft. Weird, I know.

Anyway, that's a whole lot of babble to say... I am supersti.., suspicious of how this world is operating. Of how I am operating. If I am being honest, I spend a great deal of my time interacting with technology. My phone and my computer are basically attached to my hip. I am dying for an iPad actually, because it is smaller and more compact than my laptop (imagine that... something more portable than a laptop!) But goodness... the time that is wasted by staring at a screen. Every time I think of deleting social networking from my life - I feel like I'm deleting 1400 facebook friends and 400 twitter followers. Plus the fact that I order pizza online. Pay bills online. Buy music online. Sell music online. Wow...

And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. - Revelation 13:16-18

No one will buy or sell except the one who has the mark. Most everything nowadays is sold with a UPC code. Which is scanned onto a computer. And we are leaning more and more towards doing everything online. I don't know... "computer" adding up to 666 doesn't seem so crazy to me now, Dad.

So what does that leave me with? Not much, really. You won't see me throwing out my Droid anytime soon. But then again, I don't want to sit by and become ignorant of the blatant evil that is masquerading itself in the form of twitter statuses filled with gossip and hate; innocent "facebook chats" leading to adultery; google searching images that lead to pornography; building aquariums, farms and other games that waste our time; and probably the easiest to overlook and the most convicting of mine... constantly feeding our minds with what everyone else thinks and does.

I don't know how this post that began with a few babblings turned into my thoughts on the end times and the mark of the beast... but welcome to my mind. This is how I operate. I just decided to write it all out tonight instead of speaking it aloud. My husband says thank you. :)

It's been almost a year since I released my EP New Day on iTunes and Amazon.

What a blessing it's been to share music with people all over the world! Thank you to everyone who has been there from the beginning - praying for me, encouraging me and never wanting me to give up on my dreams! It can be so overwhelming at times, doing it all on my own, but the messages of encouragement I receive from those who have been touched by a song or word have been the constant drive for me. Thank you from my heart.

I remember when I shipped my first CD across the country (I think it was to Pennsylvania), I didn't know who the person on the other side of the mailbox was... but when I dropped it in I prayed that God would uplift them through the music, just as He did in my life while writing it.

New Day was written in the valley. My first two years of college were tough, as I struggled to find my identity. I dressed like a hippie, mostly to rebel against the cultural norms of fashion, and I fought against "dressing to impress" because I wanted whoever I married one day to love me for me. It was during this time that I wrote the opening track on my EP, "Beauty." I think I enjoyed the "college experience" more than the "college education," and I spent many long hours awake at night praying for God to captivate every part of who I was - "Captivate Me" and "New Day" were both results of this heart-cry. It was also a difficult time as I struggled with my parents divorcing after 21 years of marriage and then a painful separation from my mom when she spent 5 months in jail. Many days crying on my bed birthed, "I Need You," my passionate, anthem to the Lord. Two tracks were inspired by my brother-in-law, Jordan Robinson. "Everything" was written on the bed where he battled cancer for almost a year and "Little One" was my attempt at writing a love song from God to comfort us during our difficult moments. Really the only positive track on the album is, "Right Beside You" and it's fittingly placed at the end. This song was written for my husband at the very beginning of our marriage. It describes the journey from first glance, to side by side for the rest of our lives. I love it... and I love him, so much.

Click to listen to a preview of each track:

Even though this part of the journey of my life is over, I still have these songs as evidence of the testimony of God's grace and power in my life. I'm on a new journey now... and it has only just begun. I look forward to sharing more music with all of you as the years come. I will never quit writing or singing. Even if my audience never grows larger than my own family. It is forever a part of who I am.

**If you haven't received a copy of my album yet, I would love for you to hear it! You can download it for $6.93 on iTunes or Amazon, or if you're interested in a personalized hard copy check out my music tab and click "add to cart" where you can purchase via Paypal.

A day in the life of my feet...

Leaving the house.

In the parking lot.

Visiting hubby at work.

Tropical Smoothie for lunch.

Driving.

Getting an edumacation.

Walking to class.

Taking a shortcut.

Visiting Eagle Eye's simulation of dirt, mulch and rocks.

Playing outside with my dog Heidi.

Watch out for poo.

Relaxing.

Done.

Today it took no effort for me to take off my shoes and walk barefoot. In fact, it was a decision I freely made. Many others around the world don't have such a choice. I decided to walk barefoot for a day to experience, for myself, what life without shoes would feel like. I didn't participate to be "trendy" and I didn't necessarily bring any more awareness to the cause. But today I understood what living without a luxury felt like. Every time I stepped on a rock and felt the pain, or stepped in wet grass or chewed up boiled peanut shells or dog poo... I experienced only slightly what many children and adults are experiencing daily. It is probably the least of their worries, I know. But what a difference an organization like TOMS is doing to help the matter.

But hear my heart.

Christians... let's take more than just shoes to the world. Let's reach this world with the message of Christ while we're at it. And instead of fighting against causes, let's rally together for an even greater cause - THE GOSPEL! Let's be innovative. Let's think of ways to bring awareness to who Christ is. And let's not leave meeting the needs of others to just TOMS and company.

"That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

Romans 10:15