Savannah from Savannah (Denise Hildreth)

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Rating: ***½

Savannah from Savannah by Denise HildrethI’m coming home to prove something..to my city, my mother, and myself.It is a place known to most as Savannah. It is a place known to me as home. I wish I could tell you it was my love for this city that precipitated my return. But I did not return out of a mere longing for home. I returned because I have something to prove to home. I am Savannah…from Savannah.

Savannah from Savannah is the first part of the trilogy of Savannah Phillips, a twenty-four year old woman who has been named by her mother after their beloved Georgia town, Savannah. Savannah had just finished graduate school when she learns two things: 1) her favorite newspaper writer back home passed away and 2) her novel was chosen by a New York publishing house and it will be considered for publishing and she should go to their awards night. After a bit of squealing and all, she notices that the letter has her mother’s name. She puts two and two together and realized that her mother Victoria (Vicky) pulled some strings to get her there. She decided to go home and apply at the newspaper to continue the legacy of her favorite writer and to show her mom just who she is and that she doesn’t need any help — especially her’s — to reach her dreams.

Or does she? Savannah goes back home ready to prove things to her mother, but it turns out she has a lot more to find out not only about her mother but also about herself. (What a cheesy way to put it. :p)

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More Than Useless (Relient K)

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Now this isn’t a review. I was listening to my trusty iPod and More Than Useless by Relient K played. I have to say that I love their album Mmhmm, but it’s been a while since I listened to any song in this album. I was refreshed with the familiar sound, and then I decided to look for the lyrics.

Well what do you know. I found a new theme song! :)

MORE THAN USELESS
Relient K
MMHMM

I feel like, I would like
To be somewhere else doing something that matters
And I’ll admit here, while I sit here
My mind wastes away and my doubts start to gather
Whats the purpose? It feels worthless
So unwanted like I’ve lost all my value
I can’t find it, not in the least bit
and I’m just scared, so scared that I’ll fail you

And sometimes I think that I’m not any good at all
And sometimes I wonder why, why I’m even here at all
But then you assure me

I’m a little more than useless
And when I think that I can’t do this
You promise me that I’ll get through this
And do something right
Do something right for once

So I say if I can’t, do something significant
I’ll opt to leave most opportunities wasted
And nothing trivial, that life could give me will
Measure up to what might have replaced it
Too late look, my date book
Is packed full of days that were empty and now gone
And I bet, that regret
Will prove to get me to improve in the long run

I notice, I know this
Week is a symbol of how I use my time
Resent it, I spent it
Convincing myself the world’s doing just fine
Without me
Doing anything of any consequence
Without me
Showing any sign of ever making sense
Of my time , it’s my life
And my right, to use it like I should
Like he would, for the good
Of everything that I would ever know

I’m a little more than useless
When I think that I can’t do this
You promise me that I’ll get through this
And do something right
Do something right for once

I want to highlight the parts that struck me the most but I think I’m going to end up highlighting the whole song if I do!

To those who are feeling useless, wanting to be somewhere else than where you are right now…cheer up! You’re not useless, just as I am not. :) We’re all where we are for a purpose, and never get tired in believing in that. :)

Thank You Lord for speaking to me through this song. Have a great day everyone! ♥

Life in a book

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Right now I’m reading Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston. What I love about books is that I get to plunge into something other than my own world, to see and be a part another person’s adventures even if that person is fictional. Not that I don’t like my life right now; I just always welcome a break. It’s like when you watch a movie: life on the big screen seems so…perfect, that you wish you are living the same life too.

Two weeks into work and I’ve been thinking about how I am going to spend the rest of my life. That sounds really deep, I know. I could blame it on this particular page in my planner which has “Big Thoughts” written on it and since I’ve been allowing myself to dream BIG, I wrote down some things I want to accomplish in my life, namely:

  • I want to write. I want to be able to publish at least two books and let people see what I see with my words.
  • I want to see the world. I want to travel.

Simple? Kinda. I’m still allowing myself to “dream” and so far I got those two, which is generally what I want to do in my life as of now. I’m young, so let me dream. :P

Anyway, the thing with reading books is that sometimes I start to wish that I live inside a book. Not literally, Thursday Next style (though I wouldn’t mind that! :p). I want to be able to live some part of my life like the way book characters do. It’s like wishing to have your own fairy tale, only it’s probably chick-lit style. Gets?

I always wonder where life would take me the next few years. Would I be amazingly famous and be known all over the world? Would I be living in my dream house with a wonderful family? Would I be climbing the corporate ladder and making big time decisions here and there? Would I even start to understand things about stocks and businesses? Would I be a missionary, meeting people all over the world and bringing the message of God’s love for those who need it the most?

There are so many possibilities in my life, and I have to admit that I’m afraid to miss out on a lot of things. On the contrary, I am afraid of taking risks, and I still don’t know if I’d recognize an opportunity even if it bites me on the nose. I do think, however, that adds spice to my life. As Ate Bev mentioned last night, God doesn’t give you everything you want just so you’d still come thirsty for Him. God is giving me these specific kinds of moments in my life to give room for Him to create magic in it. For Him to amaze me and surprise me, for Him to let me see that He is amazing.

And you know? I wouldn’t mind that. Being surprised, I mean. I’ve always wanted to be surprised.

Maybe my life isn’t like those novels I read. But I think…I wouldn’t trade this one to be a character in any book.

Unless of course if it’s a book based on myself, written by me. ;)

Steady now, we’re in this together

Sunday, September 17, 2006

My dad arrived today. :) Yay. After fetching him at the airport, we headed to Duty Free and got lots of chocolates again (goodbye diet! Hahaha). I almost broke a bottle of Vodka for my brother’s birthday which goes to show how much of a klutz I am. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon (very unique novel…at some point I dreamt I was also autistic), and sleeping. I ate some Holy Kettle Corn (and felt really fat afterwards) and then prepared for the CLP.

Tonight’s talk was an old talk I’ve heard so many times already: Who is Jesus Christ? Being a part of the community for seven years, I’ve heard many versions of this talk many times. I’ve shared for this talk once, and to be honest, I don’t think it was a good sharing. :P I can’t remember what exactly I said then, but I don’t think I answered the question of who Jesus Christ is to me clearly.

Anyway, so tonight they needed a sharer and Kuya Gary got me, joking that I’m always mission ready. Right. I took the opportunity and the speaker, Ate Bev, told me to just share about who Jesus is for me. Then I was faced with the same question that I didn’t get to answer before: who is Jesus Christ to me?

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