Day 15: A Leap of Faith

Like I said yesterady my life is so interesting right now and I find it quite amusing how everything seems to be happening in the last 4 weeks of this year!
What is quite interesting is the fact that I love sermons about getting out of the boat, risking things, following God's plans and I always thought I did that. And I do and I am always willing to get uncomfortable for God to shape and change me. And believe me this year has been a year of change and growth in many areas.

And yet again I am here now at the edge of decisions to make. Decisions that will change my life. And the only question that comes up in my heart is if I am willing to take the risk. Am I willing to get out of the boat. Am I ready to step into new waters of uncertainty? And another thing I ask myself is why not? What is hindering me? Why shouldn't I try out and leap?
This Sunday our Pastor so amazingly connected the Christmas Story with a message about faith. We will never have enough facts to make a choice and in the end we just have to step out in faith allowing God to bring it all together and to work on our behalf. Not hindering him by staying comfortable, but leaping. Jumping, believing and taking that risk. And who knows what kind of joys and growth and change that will involve, right?!

So these are my thoughts on this crazy weather day a week before Christmas and two weeks before this year ends. And to top it all of a song came to me again. A song I have known for a while but today the lyrics spoke to me.




What are some choices you are making right now? Are you willing to step unto the water?

xoxo

Ramona

PS: Plus plus plus... this awesome article found me in the perfect timing!

picture unkown. If you know where it's from let me know and I'll link it.

Day 5: Winter Song

It is a new week and I am so thankful that God's mercies are new everyday. Everday I can wake up to a blank page. A page that I write history on. A page that tells the story of my life and walk with God. The adventures I have with him in this life.
I feel His love upon me and His grace around me. I am thankful for all He has done and all I want is to follow Him, please Him and rest in Him. Ah... this gets me really excited! His love. His grace. His righteousness.

Anyways but what I wanted to share with you is this beautiful Winter Song by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. I think I have to buy me that CD (The Hotel Café presents Winter Songs) finally :-)

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful day.

xoxo

Ramona

Learning to Breathe

And you get up and keep walking...

xoxo

Ramona

A Reminder

Sometimes you have to listen to music again to remind yourself of the feeling and the thoughts and the decision based upon that very moment when you first listened to that music.
Today I have to listen to Dvorak's symphony No. 9 "From the New World" again and remind myself what choices I made going into this season, this Fall.
I cannot allow myself to be stolen of these decisions, these very deep dreams and this urge for something greater than I can fathom.
I remind myself of the choices after my trip to India and I remind myself of the Epic life I want to live.

xoxo
Ramona

Thursday Tunes

Today I want to share two songs with you I've really been into lately. Mostly because we dance to both of them in my dance class and that is why they mean so much to me. They're both by Adele.
I love both of these songs and interpreting them in dance brings out some interesting feelings but it helps you to just dance it all out and be in that moment. Anyways I know these are two very soft love songs that make you want to cuddle up with candles and cry and although I don't feel like doing that (the crying part) they somehow make me feel like Fall and lighting candles and dreaming of my future husband. And that is a good thing. To dream. And to hope.
xoxo
Ramona

Men and Guitars

A man with a guitar and dreamy eyes singing love songs gets me and melts my heart in an instant.

Yesterday my friend and I went to a Joshua Radin concert and I loved every single bit of it! I just stood there and soaked in the music, closed my eyes and even cried.

Find some of my favorite songs in the Current Soundtrack.

xoxo

Ramona

Pure

Just wanted to leave a quick note. We live in exiting times and I love how the Lord keeps showing me things, pouring His love over me.

This song really touched me yesterday at my church's praise and worship night. There is nothing like His love!

How has your week been so far? What are some new dreams and visions of yours?

xoxo
Ramona

Ulysses

I know I have said this before but sometimes music comes to you in a time and place where it is exactly what you needed. It describes your journey and colors your life with words and sound. Like in a movie you start seeing yourself walking a certain road and that certain music accompanies your walk.
Josh Garrels' music is like that for me. It completely came at the perfect time. The words, the music, the variety of his musicality touch my soul in a very deep place. A lot of his songs bring me to tears and my heart resonates with the words sung.
I had difficulties chosing a song to post here but this one really is one of my favorites from the album Love & War and the See in between.



xoxo

Ramona

PS: You can listen to more of his songs on my Current Soundtrack

Page 28

I haven't posted any Sleeping at Last lyrics in a while but today I have to because this song from their new "August" EP is breathtaking again and just completely speaks to me as I feel like entering a new season in my life. It takes courage and trust and leaving things behind but that's a good thing.

So... Page 28

Have you read the script?
Could you picture it?
...is it worth the risk?

Everything I love
Is on the line
On these neon signs

But I need to know - when you looked away
Was it something that I said?
Was it something that I said?
Well okay, okay I need you more than I did before
Now that the concrete is nearly set

Here in the second act I'm living in repair
Strange how the heart adapts when its pieces disappear
And there on page 28 I'm so tired of drying glue
I begin my grand attempt at building something new

Though I tend to write
The epiphany more immediately
I guess I'm trusting that there's such a thing
As elegance in dissonance

God, I'm skeptical of pulling scenes
Was it something that I said?
Was it something that I said?
Please don't get me wrong - I still need your help
As history repeats itself

Here in the aftermath I'm pulling at the seams
Strange how the heart adapts in the absence of routine
And there on page 29 I find "new" and make it mine
But I can't help casting shadows on all I leave behind

Maybe I could afford to change a bit
Even let go of the reigns?
Every torn out page was worth the risk
Now that the stakes have been raised

So here in the final draft
I've given all I have
Strange how the heart expands in the absence of a plan
There's nothing left on the page, but I'm ok with that
For I found my resolution
Was designed for stronger hands

You can listen to the song here.

xoxo

Ramona

Thursday Tunes

Melina is throwing me a birthday week this week and gave me the Civil Wars album as a present yesterday. I couldn't be more excited because as you know I completely fell in love with them!
So I am sharing a song they covered absolutely beautiful.



And since it is birthday week I want you to be reminded of what we did last year and how we together were able to reach out and restore a woman's face! I still feel honored and blessed by all who stepped in to make a difference.

This year I'll be celebrating my birthday in London-Town as I'm heading there for the Hillsong Europe Conference!

Until soon!

xoxo

Ramona

PS: Listen to the whole Civil Wars album in my Current Soundtrack

To whom it may concern

I officially declare this week "Love Week". My little sister is getting married on Saturday so love is naturally in the air. Celebrations are officially starting tonight with his and her bachelorette party. Just love how it brings us friends together!
This past weekend I started listening to The Civil Wars more and I fell in love with them. Their lyrics are beautiful and poetic and the sound of their music just makes you daydreaming away.

Here's a song which really touched me so I thought I'd share the lyrics with you. Also you can listen to them in my current soundtrack.

Why are you so far from me?
In my arms is where you ought to be
How long will you make me wait?
I don't know how much more I can take
I missed you
But I haven't met you
Oh but I want to
How I do
Slowly counting down the days
Till I finally know your name
Ooo the way your hand feels round my waist
The way you laugh
The way your kisses taste
I missed you
But I haven't met you
Oh but I want to
How I do, How I do
I've missed you
But I haven't met you
Oh I missed you
I haven't met you
Oh but I want to
Oh how I want to
Dear whoever you might be
I'm still waiting patiently.

Much love. xoxo

Ramona

This made my day...

I have a thing for videos and photos which are shot with beautiful light and music that just takes you to another place.
So since I am planning my sister's wedding I check out all kinds of things and found these wonderful videographers. I mean... I start crying with every single video they have! And then I found a video they shot for a band and I just love it and it made my day today so.... I share and let you check them out too:


Ragged Jubilee #3 from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.

And with that... I'll leave for London-Town tonight to go to the Colour Conference and I am just super excited to be inspired!

xoxo

Ramona

Intermission

It has been a while since I posted some Sleeping at last lyrics but when I read these today I was blown away. Beauty caputred in words, poetry expressing ways I've felt before. How could I not share when these words are so true, so encouraging and so telling us to keep on going. The Waiting time is worth it... the time in between until we reach our goal.

I'm so tired but I can't sleep

My mind is full but I can't speak

Among the dust of the hard-to-reach, I'm stuck

Right here somewhere between side a and side b

I could call it a compromise

Or just an intermission

Some kind of consolation prize

For the race I never finished

I want to turn these tired gears

I want to feel the follow-through

Some kind of equilibrium

Something to set my watch to

I'm here somewhere in between

Victory and a white flag

Caught in this purgatory dream, I'm stuck

But I want to set the record straight

I want to retrace my every step

If I could just rewind all the tapes

Then maybe I'd find my loose thread

Call it a compromise

Or just an intermission

Some kind of consolation prize

So close but never finished

I want to turn these tired gears

I want to feel the follow-through

Some kind of equilibrium

Something to set my watch to 

xoxo

Ramona