Archives for February 2009

Dave Barnes Giveaway Winners

I had high hopes of posting these Dave Barnes giveaway winners earlier, but our internet has been out of commission (I KNOW! THE NERVE!), and so I couldn’t access the comments or the random.org or blah blah blahdety blah blah why I don’t I just hush with my bellyachin’ and tell you who won?

Sound good?

Excellent.

All righty. Here are the ten winners of a fayncee new copy of Dave Barnes’ DEEEELIGHTFUL “You, The Night & Candlelight” EP:

16 – jamie b
47 – jineen
56 – Kaye
60 – Lindsay
144 – Cheri
157 – April
230 – 3msmama
266 – Catherine Clare
270 – Staci
309 – Carla

And here’s our grand prize winner – who gets a $50 gift card, a copy of the EP, AND a phone call from the one and only Mr. Dave Barnes himself:

77 – Liz

Winners, you’ll have an email from me very shortly with instructions about how to claim your prize. If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, I’ll draw for another winner.

Congratulations, everybody – and if you didn’t win, know that you can still pick up some Barnesian musical goodness over at iTunes (right now the new EP is only $3.99, and I’m sorry, THAT IS A BARGAIN). Also, be sure to check out Dave Barnes’ tour dates, because I can tell you from experience that if you’d like a fun night out with your hubby or your friends, seeing the Dave Barnes in concert is all you could ask for and more.

Happy Monday, interpeeps!

Linky Interwebby Awesomeness 02.14.09

This post by Annie made me smile.

– Heather has the greatest ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day with your family.

– Paige has written the sweetest post about the blessings of being single.

– And all I know to say after reading this very funny post of Shaw-awn’s is Oh. Bless. His. Heart.

One Year Ago

A year ago today I was getting my first up-close-and-personal look at poverty in a third world country. I was in Uganda with a group of bloggers who turned out to be some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, and I came home from our trip rattled, sad, grateful, unsettled, burdened and angry. I feel like in so many ways God is still using the Uganda trip to change me and show me how my perception of “comfortable” is totally off-base – I don’t think I’ll ever get over what I saw and heard and felt over the course of those eight days.

So, in short: Uganda MESSED ME UP, and I am so thankful.

Many of you sponsored children through Compassion during that Uganda trip, and I can tell you without hesitation that you are changing a child’s life through your sponsorship. Remember, you can send your child letters via email, and this post of Melanie’s is a great reminder of how important our letters are to our Compassion kids.

In about nine weeks another group of bloggers will be heading to Calcutta, India (Angie, Anne, Melissa, Pete and Robin are on board so far), and I encourage you to pray for them as they prepare for their trip.

Here’s a post I wrote last year after we spent the day in a little village about ten miles outside of Kampala. And if you’re interested in releasing a child from poverty, you can find more info on Compassion’s website.

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Internets, today I played Throw The Ball And Run AGAIN.

ME! PLAYING SPORTS! TWO DAYS IN A ROW.

I’m telling y’all: somebody needs to read Ephesians 3:20 out loud for the class. Because if I am throwing and catching and running and whathaveyou IN THE MIDDLE OF UGANDAN FIELDS, we need somebody to TESTIFY to the Lord’s faithfulness up in this interweb right now. God can do anything, oh yes He can.

Hallelujah.

We spent most of today in a village about ten miles outside of Kampala. To say that the ride was bumpy would be a huge understatement; in fact, at one point I looked over at Shannon and Anne and said, “Funny. I didn’t know that my calves could jiggle.”

But let me assure you: they most certainly can.

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We visited a Compassion project that’s run through a local church (all Compassion projects are run through the local church), and the children there absolutely made my day. In fact, we had no sooner parked the bus than this little fellow ran over to us and reached up toward the window for my hand.

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Just try to look at his sweet face and NOT smile. You can’t do it.

There’s a remarkable difference between the children we’ve seen who are sponsored through Compassion and those who don’t have a sponsor yet. The Compassion kids have light in their eyes; they have hope. They have adults who love them and disciple them; they have a support network for their families; they have food and medical care and clothing – all provided through their sponsorship.

These kids live in unimaginable conditions, but I’m telling you, when you see their faces? It’s like God turns up the sunshine to full blast.

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We were able to play with the kids for most of the afternoon. Shannon and I actually sang “Jesus Loves Me” three or four times with a group of about ten kids, and they knew every single word. Then I showed them how I like to say “YAYYYYY” once I finish singing a song and how I sometimes take the “YAYYYYY” to new heights by clapping for myself.

Needless to say, they thought I was absolutely insane. But for whatever reason, I think this particular group of Ugandan children appreciated my crazy. So obviously I will be moving here in the near future, just as soon as I can get home and round up my people to come back with me.

And by the way, we yayyyyed and clapped like nobody’s business.

Because the children, they need to know these things.

A few hours after all the yayyyying, when we were just about to leave the project, a little boy – he was about 11, I’m guessing – ran up to me and started saying a name over and over.

At first I thought he was introducing himself to me, so I smiled and told him my name.

He shook his head – and then continued repeating the name.

I finally realized what he was saying, so I looked at him and asked, “Troy? Are you saying ‘Troy’?”

He nodded like crazy – with a smile so wide that I wondered if his face could even contain it – and as he looked me straight in the eyes, he said, “Yes. TROY. USA. Is my sponsor.”

And in that moment, it hit me.

Troy – whoever he is, wherever he is – is that boy’s link to the world. Through his sponsorship, Troy bridges a gulf of human indifference that separates those of us with the means to help from the kids who so desperately need it.

And while Troy has no idea, make no mistake: there was a child in a remote village of Uganda today who was shouting his name in gratitude.

I just think that’s extraordinary.

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Every child needs a Troy. Every child deserves that.

Every single one.

Not Even The TV Can Help Me

All righty. Here’s the deal.

Today has been a wee bit on the hectic side and I didn’t do much bloggy stuff (though I did play nine or twenty two rounds of Uno with a certain five year-old) and a couple of hours ago, when I finally settled in at the computer, State had the nerve to go into TWO overtimes with LSU which made writing next to impossible what with all the constant refreshing of the scoreboard page.

So, since we had a two-hour AI on the DVR tonight, I thought, Well, there’s my post. Idol it is. Plus, since they were calling it “THE FINAL CUT,” I figured we were no doubt in for THE MOST DRAMATIC ROSE CEREMONY EVER.

Oh, you can’t possibly expect me to keep all these shows straight.

Anyway, I went into Idol with the best bloggy intentions, but quite frankly trying to write about tonight’s episode was a beating. There were recaps and fake-outs and sing-offs and switcheroos. There was no rickety elevator and no 256 steps. The contestants were in a mansion and everybody sat in some really tricky chairs.

And then I found out that Tatiana made it and I was done.

It was too much, y’all.

And also: SHE HAS TO STOP SCREAMING.

So do you know what I’ve decided to do?

I’ve decided to go to bed.

And I’ll see all you sassy interwebs tomorrow.

Love,
Me

Linky Interwebby Awesomeness 02.11.09

– The winners of the “Sleepytime Lullabies” DVD giveaway are posted over on the Praise Baby blog.

– Jon’s post on giving the easy stuff flat-out preached to me this morning.

– I cannot even tell you how much this Tim Gunn-related news delights me.

American Idol – Hollywood Week

Tonight’s episode of American Idol features the last round of Hollywood Week eliminations.

I AM SO FAKE EXCITED!

(Sorry. But our internet is being VERY MOODY right now, and I’m sort of frustrated by that even though I know that the spotty internet is NOT a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but still. Frustrated.)

(Stupid human-ness.)

Anyway.

Adam Lambert kicked off the festivities with a ballad-y rendition of Cher’s “Believe,” but I didn’t think he was nearly as good as Matt Giraud, to whom I am pledging my undying Idol allegiance thanks to his slammin’ version of “Georgia on My Mind.” LOVE HIM A MILLION TIMES.

Jamar Rogers was totally quirky and endearing and interesting – so much more than a run-of-the-mill Idol contestant. Then his buddy Danny Gokey took the stage and won me over with a bluesy version of “I Hope You Dance,” and that is saying something considering that I don’t ever have to hear that song again in my whole life ever, I don’t care how cute LeeAnn Womack’s daughters were in the video. IT’S CALLED RADIO OVERKILL, MY FRIENDS.

Anoop Desai broke it down with some old-school Bobby B. (say it with me, Whitney fans: “BOBBY BEEEEEEEE”). Anoop is FryDaddy‘s favorite, so I’m anticipating some heated discussions this season regarding Anoop v. Matt: IDOL SHOWDOWN ’09. We may even have to stage a formal debate, but I’ll settle for some good old fashioned trash talking.

The first female contestant of the night was Kendall Beard, a darlin’ girl who made the ambitious decision to sing “Before He Cheats” – a song that’s great for Carrie Underwood but maybe not the best choice for an audition. Lil Rounds, on the other hand, handled Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” with no problem at all. She’ll be in it for the long haul, I think.

And then there’s Tatiana. Who really defies any description I could possibly offer.

Joanna Pacitti, bless her heart, completely forgot her lyrics, but I thought she scatted the song beautifully. After Joanna we were subjected to one was-it-good-enough performance after another as the contestants were divided into rooms where they’d wait to learn their Idol fate.

[I’m pausing for dramatic effect.]

[Because the waiting is always very dramatical.]

The first group that made it through to the next round included cute little Jasmine Murray from Starkville, so I was tickled to pieces about that.

The second room found out that they didn’t make it, and I was sad to see Leneshe Young in that group. I actually liked her version of “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles, but apparently it wasn’t enough.

The third room – which included Danny, Anoop, Jamar, Matt and Lil – made it through, and that was really no shock at all considering the level of talent in that partitioned ballroom. I think they’re what you would call THE FRONTRUNNERS.

The last room featured a wailing Tatiana, and surprisingly, her group made it through, too.

Tomorrow night is when we find out which 36 contestants we’ll be seeing once the real-live competition starts (Mr. Linky will be up for y’all to add your posts once the round of 36 begins), and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that everyone I mentioned from the third room will make it.

Tomorrow night also means that we’ll get to watch people take that endless elevator ride and then walk the 256 steps to the judges’ table for their “yay” or “nay.”

I adore those 256 steps.

So what about y’all? Do you have any favorites so far? Any predictions you’d like to share so that we can re-read your comment in May and then marvel at your Idol intelligence?

See y’all in the comments.