give to me, your soul :)

I'm gettin' to know you girl,
I've seen you with your glasses on,
Ive seen you in your daddy's arms,
Ive seen you drive a car.

i dreamed a dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

it wouldn't let me embed. but go there. it will make you cry. in the best way you could possibly cry :)

VACA

I just got back from about two weeks on the west coast. It was AMAZING.

Played a show in LA, visited sam, kinsey and dessa, climbed a mountain, went to Beverly Hills (BIG :) ), met a ton of new friends from France, London, Japan and Germany, saw all the Hollywood sites, saw Jaws on the big screen!, went to the beach, saw skateboarding dogs - so much fun!

Then I took a train to Portland, OR to visit Jamie and Jourdan! 30 hours! 30 BEAUTIFUL hours. that ride FLEW by. There was not one mile of it that was not the most beautiful mile I had ever seen. I highly suggest that train ride to anyone thinking about it, its Amtrack, really comphy and good food. theres an archade and cafe and wine tastings and all this fun stuff, but you dont really need it cause theres so much to look at its great. got a lot of writing/thinking done :)

Then when I hit Portland it was time to see Jamie and Jourdan! Luckly Andrew was out there on busniess at the same time so I had him and Matt to hang out with while the gals were at work. We went to some really cool bars, my favorite was called something like, the Doug Fur. This really sheek log cabin place, with a venue downstairs. it was cool. we also went to the famous VOODOO DOUGHNUT! it was so good! I got a vegan maple! I dont normally like doughnuts I feel like they just taste too fatty so I tried a vegan one and it was JUST right. I took a photo of the line outside it, it was like, down the street outside the place people all waiting for their voodoo!

Then we went to a GREAT hip hop show. The Sand people, the group Jourdans bf Phil is in, did some side project stuff there with some other artists. it was sick. I was so happy :)

Then we had a great lazy day, it rained so I basically stayed on the folded out futon all day and jourdan came home early and we sat around eating tacos and playing with the cat all day till jamie got home, and we did more of the same till bed. it was the nicest day though ahha I love being lazy sometimes.

the last day was great I got to see jamies new church which was awesome, and then get some really good vegan lunch at this awesome resturant with suchhh fresh veggies it was so good! then we hit the sat market and got spoon rings! kate has one too - now we're spoon sisters!! haaah. then we went to the kennedy school. this old huge school that was converted into a ton of bars and a movie theater and hotel it was so cool! there is really fun art everywhere and you can bar hop within a school , walk around with drinks haha its so weird and awesome, and really beautiful inside!

so then I stayed up the whole night and took two planes home. stopped in salt lake city utah and that was BEAUTIFUL. the airport is surrounded it HUGE snow capped mountains it was awesome :)

hah then I went straight to work from Logan Airport and worked till 2 am and then again the next day - so yea Im tiiiiiird.

so yea thats the trip in a nutshell. Hope you all were doing great here!

Ill more than likely through some pics up cause Im silly like that.

it is now, NAPTIME!

CIAOCIAO

MB

Came across this today :)

photo by my amazing sis Stacey Brierly

Prayer of Mother Teresa

Dear JESUS, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life
may only be a radiance of Thine.

Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus.

Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
the light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine:
it will be You shining on others through me.

Let me thus praise You in the way You love best:
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words,
but by my example, by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Amen.

hey Jealousy

I've noticed an interesting pattern lately. Well, its interesting to me at least.

I really never bring up God, or my faith in company that I am not extremely close with and know they are ok with talking about it, because I know how heated and touchy a subject it can be. Its like my rule as a bartender and many bartenders agree, no ones allowed to talk about politics or religion at my bar if they are even being the least bit disrespectful or angry in their words or tone.

Ive cut sober people off for it hah

Now that does not mean I dont try to spread Gods love to everyone I possibly can. I think its the biggest part of being Christian. But I find if people feel warmth first, they want to know where it comes from. I find, the big words that I find the most confidence and comfort in, are the exact words that tend to scare a ton of people away from finding faith. And that's understandable, and ok, they're too heavy to throw around

So lately, oddly enough the subject has been finding me. In really odd places too. And I have noticed a real pattern. I have had some really hardcore Atheists approach me, at my bar, at shows, random parties, ect. (just a side note I do not try to convert anyone and I fully respect Atheists and anyone of any religion - peace man, hah) It tends to start off with a little hostility in the other person, and I usually just say something like 'thats what I am, it works for me, I hope whatever you have in your life brings you peace and fufills you'. Then I usually get some kind of comment like "how are you a bartender and Christian?" "how are you into hip hop and are Christian?" "how are you walking around in a mini skirt and tall boots and are Christian???" I try to feild them in a lighthearted way, but at the core of it trying to share that I just believe that God isnt petty, that I dont think its about that kinda stuff but more how we treat each other and truely show love. Then I make some joke about how I actually do hope that God enjoys my fashion sense :)

But so many times lately I get this responce.

"I am so jealous".

Its sort of confusing to me! I have been told this by about 6 people in the last month or so. that they are "jealous" of my faith. I dont really know even how to react because I immediately think 'uhhh its not like a car or something its yours too?...whatever you want?' and I want to say 'God loves you just as much as me nothing to be jealous of here!' hah but that would really bug some people out so I usually just say something like "Oh no, it just works for me, makes me feel whole. If its something you're ever pulled twords who I highly suggest blahblah" but try to keep it short, sweet and light.

I guess maybe what some might mean is they are jealous of the experiance I have had with the church? I grew up in a very loving one, went to a great church camp that was not like the scarey ones they make documentrys about. It was all so open minded and even fun! So I am realizing so much as I get older how thankful I am for that. Some of the people who have talked to me shared their experiance in not so kind churches and it really makes me sad. And sadder still that it has made them turn away from something that is so key to my life.

At least in these random chats, and they have been random, esp the cluster that they have come in lately, I have also usually gotten a responce like "wow that actually sounds like a really nice thing, good to know there are some churches that actually sound good out there." hah and I think "of course there are! yikes!". But I can only imagine how stunting it must be to have a bad experience with it, esp as a child.

Ive seen God do some wild stuff lately. Its amazing. Ive had some responces to things I barely even ment to do, so big I barely feel I can handle. But its great.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."


Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles.

I'd say this is a perfect preformance.

wow. wow Beyonce. you do deserve to be this fameous.