Whatever My Lot, Thou Hast Taught Me To Say.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trumpet shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Oh, this hymn. It’s on my mind today, inexplicably.

At any rate, it’s been an amazing day at Life Church. Servolution was particularly lovely as Joe and I continued to meet people and make friends while loving on the Hollywood community in Memphis Proper. I can’t really tell you how much I loved what we did today. We went door to door inviting people to a Thanksgiving celebration next Saturday at the Hollywood Community Center. Most of the people we spoke with were elderly and several struggled to even make it to their front doors to speak with us. One lady, Miss Margaret, actually invited us in to sit in her livin’ room while we chatted with her. Understand, today’s high was 47 and it was drizzling, so while I might have refused the offer any other time, today was my day to recognize a blessing when I heard it and say: “Yes, please!” I didn’t even allow the lady I was walking with, Julie, a chance to object — I answered for the two of us and quickly followed Miss Margaret inside. Gahlee, that living room was like a warm hug.

I love how faux outgoing I get on days like today. I’m such an introvert. I mean, I feel painfully shy at times… so maybe not 100% proper introvert, but still. I guess I’ve grown out of most of that. Haven’t got the time to be shy anymore. Can’t afford it.

Must mention the amazing lady Joe and I met and carpooled with to Hollywood. Kim just started attending Life Church and is something else. She’s just as excited as we are about finally finding a place to call home… I had such a good time laughing with her and getting to know her. Hope to see her again soon.

After Hollywood wrapped up, Kim drove us back to Life Church, and Joe and I got some Starbuck’s to warm us up. I highly recommend the Gingersnap Latte — Buddy The Elf agrees: it is the new best way to spread Christmas cheer. Got back to the Sawyer Residence and I chickflicked with Joe’s mama while Joe filled out his paperwork from his clinicals on Friday. Man, that stuff takes for-ev-errr. Homeboy is dedicated. It should be funny once I have homework… Wonder what kinda b-word I’ll be.

Went to the Saturday night service with Joe, Rachel & Andy (woohoo, quality time with The Schelbs!) and had a blast. Went to dinner after the service, but not before meeting Amanda Meneses and Leslie Siebeling. SO lovely. As always, my mouth went about 90mph… so I hope my babbling isn’t the only thing they remember about me. I’ve been meaning to introduce myself to those two for a while — both are LSU grads — I love finding Tigers away from heauxm! But yeah, Rachel, Andy, Joe and I had a great time at dinner. I think that’s our first double date… what a couple to double with. I love our friends.

Alright, restless legs. Can’t handle sitting in this chair anymore.

Be good, smile pretty, work hard.

xxAimeeCait

The Borders of Our Lives

The Dangling Conversation – Simon & Garfunkel
It’s a still life water color
Of a now late afternoon
As the sun shines through the curtained lace
And shadows wash the room

And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar

In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives

And you read your Emily Dickinson
And I my Robert Frost
And we note our place with bookmarkers
That measure what we’ve lost

Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm
Couplets out of rhyme
In syncopated time

Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives

Yes, we speak of things that matter
With words that must be said
Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is the theater really dead?

And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow
I cannot feel your hand
You’re a stranger now unto me

Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
In the borders of our lives

Oh, you two. You legends. Thanks buddies.

xxAimeeCait

Sing me some melodious sonnet…

Favorite. If you haven’t heard the Sufjan Stevens version – you haven’t heard this song properly.

Just my favorite verse, though.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Mm.

So, Friday’s turning out pretty much as expected. I’m watching documentaries on BBCAmerica, baking, Photoshopping, learning how to knit, enjoying the sunshine. Received a call from my favorite boy in all of Stockton – I miss you, little brother. It was so good to have a proper chat with you. I love you dearly.

Right then. Off to curl back up on the couch. It’s been real.

xxAimeeCait

C’mon, skinny love…

Okay, if you’d like, you can go ahead and skip to arounnnnnd… 0:41. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

So here’s the story on the song & the artist:

Borrowed from his website:

It wasn’t planned. The goal was to hibernate.

Justin Vernon moved to a remote cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin at the onset of winter. Tailing from the swirling breakup of his long time band, he escaped to the property and surrounded himself with simple work, quiet, and space. He lived there alone for three months, filling his days with wood splitting and other chores around the land. This special time slowly began feeding a bold, uninhibited new musical focus.

This slowly evolved into days filled with twelve-hour recording blocks, breaking only for trips on the tractor into the pines to saw and haul firewood, or for frozen sunrises high up a deer stand. All of his personal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled over the course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song. The end result is, For Emma, Forever Ago, a nine-song album comprised of what’s been dubbed a striking debut by critics and fans alike.

Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for “good winter” and spelled wrong on purpose) is a greeting, a celebration and a sentiment. It is a new statement of an artist moving on and establishing the groundwork for a lasting career. For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut of this lineage of songs. As a whole, the record is entirely cohesive throughout and remains centered around a particular aesthetic, prompted by the time and place for which it was recorded. Vernon seems to have tested his boundaries to the utmost, and in doing so has managed to break free form any pre-cursing or finished forms.

For Emma’s tracks consist of thick layers draped in lush choral walls, with rarely more than an ancient acoustic guitar or the occasional bass drum providing structure. Vernon sings the majority of the record in falsetto, which painfully expresses the meanings behind its overt, yet strangely entangled words. This newfound vocal path acts as each song’s main character and source of melody.

Despite its complexity, the record was created entirely by Vernon with nothing more than a few microphones and some aged recording equipment. This homemade aspect shows itself in sections as creaks and accidentals are exposed in the folds of the songs, but is hidden well by the highly impressive and almost orchestral sound that Vernon managed to produce by his lonesome, within the creaky skeleton of his father’s cabin.

He’s brilliant – the falsetto is haunting, the way he wails evokes heartbreak, loss, guilt, all sorts. And the primitive style of recording is in a category all its own. It gives the music that much more character (as if it really needed it). It’s amazing.

And now, lyrics to Skinny Love:

Come on skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order’s tall

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
In the morning I’ll be with you
But it will be a different “kind”
I’ll be holding all the tickets
And you’ll be owning all the fines

Come on skinny love what happened here
Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full; so slow on the split

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
Now all your love is wasted?
Then who the hell was I?
Now I’m breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines

Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?

One of those songs that makes you want to cry the first time you hear it, and you’re not sure exactly why, you just know tears are streaming down your cheeks and you feel bad, but you feel better than you did before. Mm.

xxAimeeCait

They do the Aqua Velvaaaaaa

DANCE THIS MESS AROUND
The B52’s
Remember when you held my hand
Say, remember when you were my man
Walk, talk in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over, roll it over in your mind

Why don’t you dance with me
I’m not no Limburger
Why don’t you dance with me
I’m not no Limburger

Oh say, why don’t you dance with me
I’m not no Limburger
Just a Limburger, just a Limburger
Just a Limburger, just a Limburger

Dance this mess around
Dance this mess around
‘Round, ‘round, ’round, ‘round

Oh, everybody goes to parties
They dance this mess around
They do all 16 dances
They do the Shu-ga-loo, do the Shy Tuna
Do the Camel Walk, do the Hip-o-crit

Ah, hippy, hippy forward hippy, hippy
Hippy, hippy, hippy Shake
Oh-it’s time to do ‘em right

Hey, so don’t that make you feel a whole lot better, huh?
I say, don’t that make you feel a whole lot better?
What you say? Well, I’m just askin’

Come on, shake
Ooh, Oye shake
Ooh, Oye shake
Ooh

Everybody goes to parties
They dance this mess around
They do all 16 dances
Do the Coo-ca-choo, do the Aqua-velva
Do the Dirty Dog, do the Escalator

Ah, hippy, hippy forward hippy, hippy
Hippy, hippy, hippy Shake
Oh, it’s time to do ‘em right

Hey, so don’t that make you feel a whole lot better, huh?
I say, don’t that make you feel a whole lot better?
What you say? Well, I’m just askin’
Say, don’t that make you feel a whole lot better?

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Stop, dance on over
Yeah, yeah
Dance, dance, dance this mess around
Dance this mess around

Shake, shake a bake shake
Shake, shake, shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake, shake
Dance this mess around
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Ah. Definitely in my Top 10 records I own. Such a classic.

xx Aimee Cait

Inspiration, maybe?

I love how verses and songs that didn’t mean much before are now suddenly my lifesongs and my prayers. It’s amazing how scripture morphs with you over time.

If You Want Me To
Ginny Owens

The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don’t know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I’m gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Cause I’m not who I was
When I took my first step
And I’m clinging to the promise that You’re not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that’s not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I’d never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I’m all by myself
And I can’t hear You answer my cries for help
I’ll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to

Can I just say that these words ring so incredibly true today? Yesterday, I had a bit of a cry and just felt totally overwhelmed with everything that’s going on around me. So much change, so much information, sooooo many new people! Y’all, I was just a basketcase yesterday. But God helped me through it. In addition to God always being with me, I have WONDERFUL people helping me through my days, a Bible filled with promises and challenges, and an iPod filled with praise and worship (and Tony Bennett – “Smile”).

When I feel like giving up, when I’m sitting there in the office asking myself why I’m even here, I say (out loud) “Father God, you’re going to have to help me through this one. I need you. Help me through today.”

Here I am, at the end of the day, and I’m alive!

So, when you’re feeling sad and lonely, remember that He’s not sending you through it for nothing. You’re learning, you’re growing, and thankfully, He’ll never put you through something you can’t handle. What an amazing God we serve!

Pray for me! I’m praying for you, too!

xx Aimee Cait

Baby You’re a Rich Man

Hello, new favorite Beatles song. :]

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Now that you know who you are
What do you want to be
And have you traveled very far
Far as the eye can see

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
How often have you been there
Often enough to know
What did you see when you were there
Nothing that doesn’t show

Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag
Inside a zoo, what a thing to do
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man, too

How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people
Tuned to a natural E
Happy to be that way
Now that you’ve found another key
What are you going to play

Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man, too
You keep all your money in a big brown bag
Inside a zoo, what a thing to do
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man
Baby you’re a rich man, too

It’s Wilco day.

Ah, Friday. Woke up with one of my favorite songs on my mind. Love the lyrics, and probably have a minor crush on Jeff Tweedy. So here they are, in full, minus the weird part at the end where they play a little bit of “I’m The Man Who Loves You”. Ready, go:

“I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”
I am an American aquarium drinker
I assassin down the avenue
I’m hiding out in the big city blinking
What was I thinking when I let go of you?

Let’s forget about the tongue-tied lightning
Let’s undress just like cross-eyed strangers
This is not a joke, so please stop smiling
What was I thinking when I said it didn’t hurt?

I want to glide through those brown eyes dreaming
Take it from the inside, baby hold on tight
You were so right when you said that I’ve been drinking
What was I thinking when I said good night?

I want to hold you in the Bible-black predawn
You’re quite a quiet domino, bury me now
Take off your Band-Aid because I don’t believe in touchdowns
What was I thinking when I said hello?

I’d always thought that if I held you tightly
You’d always love me like you did back then
Then I fell asleep and the city kept blinking
What was I thinking when I let you back in?

I am trying to break your heart
I am trying to break your heart
But still I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t easy
I am trying to break your heart

Disposable Dixie-cup drinking
I assassin down the avenue
I’m hiding out in the big city blinking
What was I thinking when I let go of you?

Don’t read too far into it. It’s just some lyrics. :]

Less Is More

Yes, I realize I’m making a new post every 15 minutes.
But I can’t help it, I’ve got a lot of stuff in my mind and I haven’t got the patience to compose a massive all-inclusive post. It would be huge. I can’t ask you to read something big. Haha. All two of you that read this. High five.

Anyway… reading 1 & 2 Corinthians this week.

First, I’ll say that if I were a Corinthian, I couldn’t have gotten through this entire letter, much less two of them. I mean, man. Paul’s wordy. And he’s thorough. You get it, and if he’s worried that you might not, he’ll reword it and talk himself in circles until he feels he’s covered his ground.

Crazy.

Here goes:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Paul’s talking about ‘extravagant revelations’ God has made to him. Any human being can get high and mighty when they’ve figured something big out, when God has made something wildly apparent to them. It’s that epiphany moment when you can say, “WOW, how great am I?! How smart am I that I get this? How amazing of ME to have thought of this brilliant concept?!” You could claim credit for your own enlightenment… and that’s where Paul could have been, had he not been humbled by God. Satan physically placed a thorn in his flesh. Dang. Oh, to be brought down a notch. Even the greatest, burliest, manliest men can be reduced to whimpering, sniffling, pitiful little boys when pain is introduced to the equation.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

“My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

My grace is enough… it is all you need.
My strength is made perfect in your weakness.

The weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Less of me — more of You.

Absolutely love it.

I’ve been high and mighty lately. I was so sure that I was right, too. Last night, in front of people I love and respect, I was cut down to size fast and hard. I mean, my head was spinning. I had been reading and re-reading this passage just an hour before, and suddenly it hit me, straight in the face. I felt the weight of what the scripture meant, to boast not of my achievements, but of my weaknesses. To boast of my hardships, not my grand shining moments. Super heroes are inaccessible. How do you reach someone with a troubled heart if you can’t even see your own troubles?

So, I woke up today with a song in my heart.
Laugh all you want, Jesus is amazingly specific in how He ministers to me. He’s awesome.

Oh gosh it’s always Relient K. Whatever.

Less Is More

Jesus, I pray
Take all my mistakes
Throw them away
Destroy them for my sake

Jesus, I call out ’cause I’m sorry
Because I fall so short of your glory
To the best of my ability
I’m practicing humility
And I lay myself before
‘Cause less is more

All that I have
I lay before
With my pride on the floor
Cause to you less is more
All that I have
I lay before
With my pride on the floor
Cause to you less is more

I pour out myself
All that I am
You love me so much
That you fill me again
And may these words on my heart, on my lips
Somehow mean so much more than this

Jesus, I pray
Know what I’m trying to say

All that I have
I lay before
With my pride on the floor
‘Cause to you less is more
All that I have
I lay before
With my pride on the floor
Cause to you less is more

I pour out myself, before you were Lord
I hold nothing back, ’cause to you less is more
And may these words on my heart on my lips,
Somehow mean so much more than this

Jesus, I pray
Just know what I’m tryin’ to say

Jesus, I plead
Please purify me
Make my heart clean
Drench me with your mercy
Jesus, I pray
I love you, I need you
For the rest of my days
I swear I will seek you
To the best of my ability
I’m practicing humility
And I lay myself before
‘Cause less is more.

Forgiven

Hello, new Relient K.

Thank you, Matty T. You always come through when I need you, man.

Just read through this. This is such a blessing for me right now. Go find it on their MySpace or something. You need to hear it. Their new sound is just amazing.

As usual, the lyrics are perfect. Read!

Forgiven”
Relient K
from their upcoming album “Five Score and Seven Years Ago”

Oh yes, I know this tension that you speak of
We’re in the palm of a hand making a fist
It’d be best for one of us to speak up
But we prefer to pretend it does not exist

And you can’t see past the blood on my hands
To see that you’ve been aptly damned
To fail and fail again

Cause we’re all guilty of the same things
We think the thoughts whether or not we see them through
And I know that I have been forgiven
And I just hope you can forgive me too

So don’t you dare blame me for
Prying open the door
That’s unleashed the bitterness
That’s here in the midst of this
Sometimes we live for no one but ourselves
And what we’ve been striving for
Has turned into nothing more
Than bodies limp on the floor
Victims of falling short
We kiss goodbye the cheek of our true love

And you can’t see past the blood on my hands
To see that you’ve been aptly damned
To fail and fail again

Cause we’re all guilty of the same things
We think the thoughts whether or not we see them through
And I know that I have been forgiven
And I just hope you can forgive me too

That’s the song of my year, man. It’s amazing. Absolutely amazing.