B.o.B - Airplanes (Feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)

And when your plans unravel in the sand
What would you wish for?
So airplane airplane sorry I'm late
I'm on my way so don't close that gate

Somebody take me back to the days
Before this was a job, before I got paid
Before it ever mattered what I had in my bank
Yeah back when I was tryin' to get into the subway
And back when I was rappin' for the hell of it
But now a days we rappin' to stay relevant
I'm guessin that if we can make some wishes outta airplanes

Then maybe yo maybe I'll go back to the days
Before the politics that we call the rap game

So can I get a wish to end the politics
And get back to the music that started this sh-t

When your plans unravel in the sand,
What would you wish for?


Hmm, I think the story of the song can be quite relevant to many fields other than rap! Also maybe those working within the "church"... Or any of us, whatever it is we do, if it is something that started out of passion, from our hearts... that wasn't just a job. It's like finding your way back to the roots..

Watch a rocking recent live performance of this here! (mtv european music awards)

Why don't we have these?

via

at airports, schools, shopping malls.

It's actions, not words

Magnify- Watch online

Mie recommends for this weekend:

Watch online 24-7Prayer's International Gathering Magnify 2010 in Edinburgh

But be quick, each video set from the evening sessions is only viewable for 24 hours! They are available/a set changes from about 12am (UK time, GMT).

To Restore Dignity

Once again, Kathy Escobar puts to words what's also on my heart. Here's her latest post.

It starts "Dear North American Church" but I think/believe it is also very valid for Finland/Europe, the church universally!

"dear north american church,

you have developed a bad reputation. you didn’t mean to. i believe your heart is good & you have been so sincere in your dedication to Christ, of that i have no doubt. the problem is that somehow you’ve become more committed to teaching the truth than actually living the truth. to building successful businesses that are self-sustaining rather than living by faith & giving your resources away. by creating walls instead of bridges.

and the world’s started to smell out your contradictions. you see, they are in need of hope and peace, not anger and control. they are hungry for love and cups of cold water, not hate and picket signs. they are desperate, dying, divorcing, and deconstructing, and you are spending energy on trying to prove your “this is what the Bible says” point.

and you’ve forgotten one of the most important things that Jesus did, that he modeled for us so beautifully–he restored dignity to people who had lost it. the sick, the lame, the broken, the desperate, the outcasts, the marginalized, the least, the last. over and over, he healed them, lifted their head, and touched them with hope. hope that the kingdom of God was available now and it wasn’t only for the learned, the put- together, the well, the powerful.nit was available for all those who were humble enough to admit their spiritual poverty & need for God.

the world does not need any more dignity-strippers. they’ve got enough of that going on without the church’s help.

what the world needs are dignity-restorers.

• people who are willing to call out God’s image in those that don’t know it’s there.

• people who are willing to sacrifice their own jobs, time, heart, and money to change systems that keep others oppressed.
  

• people willing to go the long haul and offer compassion & love to the hurting instead of trite advice & easy spiritual answers.
  


• people who will stand between the stone throwers & the one about to be stoned and advocate on their behalf.
  


• people who touch the untouchable.
  


• people who see the best in others instead of the worst.
  

it’s not going to be easy to make this change for you.

a cool website won’t do it.

all the right answers won’t do it.

going to the next great conference won’t do it.

putting the word “missional” on the tip of everyone’s tongues won’t do it.

to really become known as dignity restorers, you’re going to have to give up all kinds of things you rely on to keep you safe, strong, and protected:

being right.

systems that perpetuate money & power & control

hanging with people who are just like you

making sure you’re the “us” and they’re the “them.”

but first, your own dignity must be restored. you must get in touch with who you really are. who you were meant to be. not what you think you had to become to feel better about yourself. yeah, Jesus can heal you, too. humble yourself and touch his garment, seek his ways, and surrender to love.

and here’s the wildest part–if you won’t do it, can’t do it, refuse to do it, you need to know that others will. right now, others are. they are actually being “the church” instead of wasting time hashing over who can teach & who can’t, who’s right & who’s wrong, who’s giving money & who’s not. they are just getting down to Jesus’ business without the trappings of “the church” and doing just fine.

oh but i have no doubt if all your resource, all your hands & hearts & eyes & ears & buildings & power & influence & hope could really be channeled to restoring dignity in person after person after person after person, the image of God uncovered in his people, shining brighter and brighter, would dim the darkness of this world like never before.

please, step into who you were meant to be. it’s beautiful. it’s better. and the world really, really needs it."

Amen to this from me!

Guess how old I am

A few days after my birthday I went to a friend's house. Guess what awaited me!

Yum I love that cake!

That's a blurry **-old me (:))

In Honour of Summer...

Summer of Love 2010!

Here's my playlist. :-)





the ultimate and best summer song ever... my favourite





How easy to feel light and happy when it is light (and doesn't get dark at all), blue skies and sunny! It's been beautiful so far. Summer makes me feel happy and thankful for life, especially when it is continually sunny and around +30C. Easy to be in good spirits.

Enjoy life my friends!

Don't give up

Apparentily you can grow to like a song when you hear it often enough. My radio really only plays this one channels I probably wouldn't listen to much. And that radio station plays this song a lot. (They do also play this one, which I don't mind ü) This is one of those. I don't like when I hear it millionth time on the radio, but somehow I like this video, there's something in it that moves me!

Just don't give up I'm workin it out
Please don't give in, I won't let you down

Coming up!

Just as a little side note, wanted to put up here what's ahead (maybe to remind myself the most): I have in my mind to post about Finnish balconies... (yes, you heard right ;)) and about Linkin Park. So that's what to wait! Don't have time to write these just yet. Officially on hols, but a lot to do..

Friends of mine (Finn-Brit couple) have moved to be my next door neighbours, literally. What a blessing! And a lovely surprise to come home to after I had been away for two weeks. Anyway, I want to share a a funny moment.

I was over at theirs for a coffee one morning a few days ago, and was explaining something, looking for the right word, itdidn't come to mind straight away... at first I said "valuable" to which Paul nodded "ohh yes" (as in understanding what I meant), to which I was no, no..a few moments of more thinking I finally got the right word: valid.

"Ohh haven't been speaking English for awhile, takes me to find words for a bit", I said.
To which Paul replied: "Clearly neither have I".

LOL. And he is English. And he doesn't speak Finnish (much). Hehe. Funny. Valuable and valid, they are pretty close? ;)

It was too early in the morning, we concluded.


It's amazing that they live here too.. Of all places in this city flat next to mine. Paul and I worked together last winter too. They are also one of the few people who visited me in Glasgow in my last leg there. I said nice that you guys missed me so much you had to move next door... ;D I am amazed at this, and blessed. I will live from this for the next month. :)

Live Love Laugh!

That's what my first birthday card said that arrived in the post this week. I'm turning 30 next week! Yikes! When did I get this "young"? Where did the decade go? :-)

We cry out

↲ This was playing in my head this eve. "We cry out" by Kim Walker &co (Jesus Culture) in Bethel, Redding California.