Do the days turn just for these?

Counting down, expecting latest, greatest
Newest model maybe, hope
Wishing, hoping, praying
To outdo the Joneses

Squalor, impulse, crowding, tis the season
Do the days turn just for these?
Savior born in manger
Please forgive us born in the Inn

Heaven tomorrow
Heaven, my chance to have it all

See all my glimmering weakness
Here's my world, come on will You come in?
Brought to my knees
Child I'll play for You

Child enters in this world, it's broken
Angels sing and men sleep the night
Though it's brazen and defiant
Please be born in my heart

Heaven tomorrow
Heaven, skies open, pour out hope

See all my glimmering weakness
Here's my world, come on will You come in?
Brought to my knees
Child I'll play for You

--Have it All, Ace Troubleshooter

This isn't what I expected....

CCYM's official song of Annual Conference 2008

This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion
It's not what, I'm used to
Just wanna try you on
I'm curious for you
Caught my attention

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

No, I don't even know your name
It doesn't matter
You're my experimental game
Just human nature
It's not what, good girls do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

Us girls we are so magical
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable
Hard to resist so touchable
Too good to deny it
Ain't no big deal, it's innocent

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

--I Kissed A Girl, Katy Perry



Thank you so much Kristen for getting me hooked on this song.

I probably shouldn't say this
But at times I get so scared
When I think about the previous
Relationship we shared

It was awesome, but we lost it
It's not possible for me not to care
And now we're standing in the rain
And nothing's ever gonna change until you hear
My dear

The seven things I hate about you
The seven things I hate about you
Oh, you

1. You're vain
2. Your games
3. You're insecure
4. You love me, you like her
5. You made me laugh, you made me cry, but I don't know which side to buy
6. Your friends, they're jerks, and when you act like them, just know it hurts
I wanna be
With the one I know
And the seventh thing I hate the most that you do
7. You make me love you

It's awkward, it's silent
As I wait for you to say
What I need to hear now
Your sincere apology

When you mean it, I'll believe it
If you text it
I'll delete it
Let's be clear

Oh, I'm not coming back
You're taking seven steps here

The seven things I hate about you
1. You're vain
2. Your games
3. You're insecure
4. You love me, you like her
5. You made me laugh, you made me cry, but I don't know which side to buy
6. Your friends, they're jerks, and when you act like them, just know it hurts
I wanna be
With the one I know
And the seventh thing I hate the most that you do
7. You make me love you

Compared to all the great things
That would take too long to write
I probably should mention
The seven that I like

The seven things I like about you
1. Your hair
2. Your eyes
3. Your old Levi's
4. When we kiss, I'm hypnotized
5. You made me laugh, you made me cry, but I guess that's both that I'll have to buy
6. Your hand in mine when we're intertwined, everything's alright
I wanna be with the one I know
And the seventh thing I like the most that you do
You make me love you

--7 Things, Miley Cyrus

A mid-life revelation

I have come to the conclusion that, at one point or another, everyone realizes that they hate themselves. Be it weight, color, size, shape, sound, or style, we find something that we despise about ourselves and we latch onto it. Some realize this fact almost overnight. For some, it is a slow, gradual process over weeks, months, or even years. The reasons could be almost anything --I'm too fat, I'm too skinny, if only my abs were a little tighter, maybe if I started lifting weights my arms wouldn't be so flabby, if I ran again my legs would get stronger, if I bought that back brace it would fix my posture, if I started to eat right I'd have more energy, etc. When you show up to parties with your friends covered in scratches, bites, and scabs waiting for someone, anyone to take notice and ask you about them. When you wake up at ten or so and around four you realize "oh hey, maybe I should eat lunch," but there's absolutely nothing in your house that you'd enjoy eating. When you're riding your bike home from VBS and wonder how long it would take your parents to notice you were missing if you rode somewhere completely different. We all have our different reasons to think the way we do, but we all have one thing in common. We are unwilling to change. Absolutely unwilling to make that tiny change in routine that would help us achieve our ambitions. We will rattle off excuse after excuse after excuse before we even consider actually making that change. And why?

Because we're afraid. We're afraid of the life we have now. We're afraid of losing that life to one that would be only the slightest bit different. The slightest bit better. More healthy. More active. More whatever. More worthwhile. More fulfilling. Just... more. More that we have now. More than we think we can handle. If we were to change and make our lives into what we think our dream life is, then what do we have to strive for? What would we have to complain about? We spend so much time dreaming and fantasizing about this perfect life that we lack the time, energy, and drive to pursue it. We just like complaining too much to get what we want. "Hello, life's ambition. Could you come back tomorrow? I really don't have time for you right now. I'm busy. Yes, busy. Doing what? Well its funny you should ask that. I'm coming up with excuses, actually. Excuses to avoid coming in contact with you. Okay, really. Please leave."

Excuse me while I go watch a movie instead of going after the things I want.

Independence Day, Sussex County.

One of the first things I did today was go to Wal-Mart. Considering it was almost two in the afternoon, it was kindof pathetic for me to be leaving the house for the first time. Riding down the road, my mom wondered out loud "I hope Wal-Mart's open on the fourth of July." Sitting next to her I wanted to blurt out "Of course Wal-Mart is open. They're open twenty-four seven. Why would they close?" but being the wonderful daughter I am, I didn't say a word. Next my mom said, a little shocked, "Look at all the businesses that are open today!" I continue thinking about how, yes, of course places are open. It's just the Fourth of July. It doesn't have the significance of Christmas or New Years. And Wal-Mart is even open on those days.

As we're walking into Wal-Mart and I see what everyone is wearing, I start to feel bad. I had actually considered wearing a green and blue striped shirt, but finally settled on a bright blue layered over a white tank to try to look patriotic. Not very many people any more seem to be doing the patriotic thing. I saw lots of purple and green and black and it made me feel dumb for even considering not wearing red, white, or blue.

In the produce section, my mom had me go over and pick out some corn. So I joined the masses who sit in Wal-Mart on Independence Day, 2008, shucking corn. I felt so guilty. Why? I can't explain why. But it makes me wonder. Why are places open on this national holiday? A holiday commemorating our nation's independence from a tyrannical motherland? A holiday now commemorated only by fireworks in a lot of places. Fireworks and concerts in Times Square. Really, Macy's. We don't need that. Seriously. A concert in Times Square? Big enough for about twenty people? Save your millions of dollars. Just go buy armor or something for our troops. They need it more than we need another five minute concert to air on television while the Marine Corpe Drum and Brass band plays the 1812 Overture as fireworks burst over Washington D.C.. Or as children pulled from some random home are arranged in front of a camera to "help" count down until the fireworks shoot off in New York City. Do something significant, not just something big and bold and loud. Please. You're making this holiday a load of crap.