These are a few of my Favorite Things
"The Hills are alive...with the Sound of Music."
Know what that is from? It is one of the songs from Rogers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" which is a movie that I was practically spoon fed from birth (well, that and the Atlanta Braves. But with the way the Braves played this year, I'd bet Julie Andrews could pitch a better 9th inning that half our bullpen!! While singing!)
But, I digress. I can still remember acting out the grand party scene from the musical on our stairs with my little brother and Julianne Reed (we made Phil play 5 year old Gretl. Glad to see that this had no long lasting effects on his masculinity!)
Anyways, another song from this musical is also "My Favorite Things." When the children get scared during a thunderstorm one evening, Maria begins to sing to them a song about her favorite things:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things...
1) Pandora Internet Radio
My most recent internet obsession. You type in your favorite song or artist and they create a radio station around the key elements of the song. As they suggest each subsequent song, you tell them whether you like ir or dislike it. They then adjust your listening preferences and then suggest another song. I built a radio station around Derek Webb. The songs they play for me now have elements of acoutsitc and electric
instrumentation, sections of strings, sections of piano, major and minor key tonality, vocal harmony, and a dynamic male volcalist.
It's so cool. They have added some of my favorite artists to my radio station just from knowing I like Derek Webb (who by the way is one of my favorite artists. And he now has a website with his latest CD "Mockingbird" available for free download with his blessing. FreeDerekWebb.com)
2) Theological Ramblings
Anyone who knows me the tiniest bit knows that I am not your normal person. One of my abnormalities is the degree to which I love theology.
I am actually studying it this semester with Joe and Tara Donato. Joe put togehter this giant archive of articles on different theological
subjects from which we read each week before meeting to discuss. If you are ever looking for information on a particular topic, chances are, you
can find what you are looking for in the articles section of this website.
3) Movie Ratings
I hate going to a movie that a friend has suggested and then being shocked at the content of the movie. By God's grace, there are numerous websites on the internet that provide a play by play of the good and bad elements of a movie (sexual content, violence, language, and spiritual aspects. This one is my favorite. It's provided by Focus on the Family as well I believe.
They also provide insite on TV's, and DVD's and music. I just usually only use it for movies.
4) Internet Movie Database
I love this place. You can look up quotes and actors and random facts. It's just a basic fun site for when you are bored.
(This is a pretty boring and already known about link. But it can't hurt.)
5) Theologian Quiz
My friend Ryan got this link from his friend Mark. You answer the theology question and then it tells you how similar you are to theologians of the past. I was 78% Anselm and 73% Calvin. Luther was surprising low on mine, and Barth was surprisingly high. Obviously not 100% accurate, but fun nonetheless.
6) Emotional Modesty Checklist
So whenever the topic turns to dating and relationships, typically physical purity comes up. But I am a huge proponent of emotional purity and wish that people would be just as concerned with one as the other. But, when emotional modesty DOES come up, the question is always, "How do you know what's right or good?" On my friend Ryan's blog, the topic has been discussed almost to exaustion in the last half year or so. But a recent post of Ryan's prompted someone to post this comment which I found incredibly practically and useful, as did a group of 6 girls at my house. Hope you enjoy it as well.
7) Treadmill Music Video
So the whole world knows about You Tube. My favoritest thing on You Tube is this music video by "Ok Go." It's...well...in my opinion too amazing for words. And apparently VH1 agrees with me because they performed this on treadmills at some awards show (not sure which one, award shows aren't really my specialty).
8) Google Earth
So you download this thing and it shows you a satellite of anywhere in the world. Type in your address and see your house from space. Seriously. For stalkers like me (honestly, I was a HUGE fan of facebook news feed. Satisfied my curiousity MUCH faster!) it's a great thing. (Just kidding. It's not in real time exactly. And I'm also not really a stalker. But it is still accurate. Makes me feel like I'm in the CIA for all of 5 seconds. Actually, it makes me feel like I'm on the same level as Jack Bauer...which just rocks my socks off.)
9) Free Chick-Fil-A for a year.
Ok. This site ITSELF doesn't actually give you free chick-fil-a for a year. There is something you have to do. What happens is that every time a brand new chick-fil-a opens, the first 100 customers get free chick-fil-a for a year (it comes in the form of 52 value meal coupons. This means a sandwhich, side, and a drink). But, lots of people know this and therefore you have to camp out in advance of the opening. I've now done this twice and the last time we camped out for 22 hours prior to the opening. To some of the adults reading this, this may sound INSANE. But to the poor college students out there, you realize just how stinkin' worth it this is.
This will link you to the page with all the grand openings in the next 60 days. Just call corporate and they will give you an estimated date of opening.
(PS, the gospel is typically presented at midnight as well by the President of Chick-fil-a. Not too shabby in the least.)
10) The Successor
I may be VERY wrong, but I think a lot of the people who read my blog are familar with Sovereign Grace Ministries. If you are, you'll love this link. I'm not even going to spoil it for you for explaining it. (There's even a comment by Mr. Gilland, the worship leader at my church in Gainesville. He's FAMOUS now!!)
(If you don't know what SovGrace Ministries are, e-mail me! I'd love to tell you more about this movement!)
11) Don't Despair!
Remember those stores in the mall that sold pretty pictures surrounded by a black border with a motivational saying on the bottom? In the mid-90's, they seemed to be all the rage. Well, this link is to...the exact opposite of that. For those of you who love satire and sarcasm, this is for you.
My favorites are Ambition, Compromise, Discovery, Loneliness, Mediocrity, Motivation, Potential, wishes,
12) Moleskine
I love to write. Journal. Prayer write. Vent write. Digest Write. Quote Write. Memory Write. Whatever Write.
And I LOVE to do it in my moleskine journal. They've been used by Picasso, Hemingway, and Van Gogh. Oh. And by Jessica Caldwell ;-)
Well friends, that's all I got. 12 of my favorite things which are all somehow linked on the World Wide Web.
Hope that this provided some form of entertainment for you. It certainly made me less stressed and less focused on my checklist of 73.5 things to do before the sun sets on the third day, so I'm grateful for that.
Know what that is from? It is one of the songs from Rogers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" which is a movie that I was practically spoon fed from birth (well, that and the Atlanta Braves. But with the way the Braves played this year, I'd bet Julie Andrews could pitch a better 9th inning that half our bullpen!! While singing!)
But, I digress. I can still remember acting out the grand party scene from the musical on our stairs with my little brother and Julianne Reed (we made Phil play 5 year old Gretl. Glad to see that this had no long lasting effects on his masculinity!)
Anyways, another song from this musical is also "My Favorite Things." When the children get scared during a thunderstorm one evening, Maria begins to sing to them a song about her favorite things:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things...
1) Pandora Internet Radio
My most recent internet obsession. You type in your favorite song or artist and they create a radio station around the key elements of the song. As they suggest each subsequent song, you tell them whether you like ir or dislike it. They then adjust your listening preferences and then suggest another song. I built a radio station around Derek Webb. The songs they play for me now have elements of acoutsitc and electric
instrumentation, sections of strings, sections of piano, major and minor key tonality, vocal harmony, and a dynamic male volcalist.
It's so cool. They have added some of my favorite artists to my radio station just from knowing I like Derek Webb (who by the way is one of my favorite artists. And he now has a website with his latest CD "Mockingbird" available for free download with his blessing. FreeDerekWebb.com)
2) Theological Ramblings
Anyone who knows me the tiniest bit knows that I am not your normal person. One of my abnormalities is the degree to which I love theology.
I am actually studying it this semester with Joe and Tara Donato. Joe put togehter this giant archive of articles on different theological
subjects from which we read each week before meeting to discuss. If you are ever looking for information on a particular topic, chances are, you
can find what you are looking for in the articles section of this website.
3) Movie Ratings
I hate going to a movie that a friend has suggested and then being shocked at the content of the movie. By God's grace, there are numerous websites on the internet that provide a play by play of the good and bad elements of a movie (sexual content, violence, language, and spiritual aspects. This one is my favorite. It's provided by Focus on the Family as well I believe.
They also provide insite on TV's, and DVD's and music. I just usually only use it for movies.
4) Internet Movie Database
I love this place. You can look up quotes and actors and random facts. It's just a basic fun site for when you are bored.
(This is a pretty boring and already known about link. But it can't hurt.)
5) Theologian Quiz
My friend Ryan got this link from his friend Mark. You answer the theology question and then it tells you how similar you are to theologians of the past. I was 78% Anselm and 73% Calvin. Luther was surprising low on mine, and Barth was surprisingly high. Obviously not 100% accurate, but fun nonetheless.
6) Emotional Modesty Checklist
So whenever the topic turns to dating and relationships, typically physical purity comes up. But I am a huge proponent of emotional purity and wish that people would be just as concerned with one as the other. But, when emotional modesty DOES come up, the question is always, "How do you know what's right or good?" On my friend Ryan's blog, the topic has been discussed almost to exaustion in the last half year or so. But a recent post of Ryan's prompted someone to post this comment which I found incredibly practically and useful, as did a group of 6 girls at my house. Hope you enjoy it as well.
7) Treadmill Music Video
So the whole world knows about You Tube. My favoritest thing on You Tube is this music video by "Ok Go." It's...well...in my opinion too amazing for words. And apparently VH1 agrees with me because they performed this on treadmills at some awards show (not sure which one, award shows aren't really my specialty).
8) Google Earth
So you download this thing and it shows you a satellite of anywhere in the world. Type in your address and see your house from space. Seriously. For stalkers like me (honestly, I was a HUGE fan of facebook news feed. Satisfied my curiousity MUCH faster!) it's a great thing. (Just kidding. It's not in real time exactly. And I'm also not really a stalker. But it is still accurate. Makes me feel like I'm in the CIA for all of 5 seconds. Actually, it makes me feel like I'm on the same level as Jack Bauer...which just rocks my socks off.)
9) Free Chick-Fil-A for a year.
Ok. This site ITSELF doesn't actually give you free chick-fil-a for a year. There is something you have to do. What happens is that every time a brand new chick-fil-a opens, the first 100 customers get free chick-fil-a for a year (it comes in the form of 52 value meal coupons. This means a sandwhich, side, and a drink). But, lots of people know this and therefore you have to camp out in advance of the opening. I've now done this twice and the last time we camped out for 22 hours prior to the opening. To some of the adults reading this, this may sound INSANE. But to the poor college students out there, you realize just how stinkin' worth it this is.
This will link you to the page with all the grand openings in the next 60 days. Just call corporate and they will give you an estimated date of opening.
(PS, the gospel is typically presented at midnight as well by the President of Chick-fil-a. Not too shabby in the least.)
10) The Successor
I may be VERY wrong, but I think a lot of the people who read my blog are familar with Sovereign Grace Ministries. If you are, you'll love this link. I'm not even going to spoil it for you for explaining it. (There's even a comment by Mr. Gilland, the worship leader at my church in Gainesville. He's FAMOUS now!!)
(If you don't know what SovGrace Ministries are, e-mail me! I'd love to tell you more about this movement!)
11) Don't Despair!
Remember those stores in the mall that sold pretty pictures surrounded by a black border with a motivational saying on the bottom? In the mid-90's, they seemed to be all the rage. Well, this link is to...the exact opposite of that. For those of you who love satire and sarcasm, this is for you.
My favorites are Ambition, Compromise, Discovery, Loneliness, Mediocrity, Motivation, Potential, wishes,
12) Moleskine
I love to write. Journal. Prayer write. Vent write. Digest Write. Quote Write. Memory Write. Whatever Write.
And I LOVE to do it in my moleskine journal. They've been used by Picasso, Hemingway, and Van Gogh. Oh. And by Jessica Caldwell ;-)
Well friends, that's all I got. 12 of my favorite things which are all somehow linked on the World Wide Web.
Hope that this provided some form of entertainment for you. It certainly made me less stressed and less focused on my checklist of 73.5 things to do before the sun sets on the third day, so I'm grateful for that.
