Hallelujah

I have always loved the word "Hallelujah!"  But I can't help but think, what does it actually mean??  So yes, I looked it up, and the word "Hallelujah" is used to express praise or joy, which makes sense doesn't it?  It's not a word I actually use all that often, but it sure is a beautiful word. 

And maybe I love this word simply because of what it represents - praise and joy toward Jesus!  And let's be honest, I love when people throw up a "Hallelujah" at church!

Not only does this word remind me of Jesus' goodness in my own life, but it also reminds me of a song by Christian artist, Bethany Dillon called....you guessed it, "Hallelujah!"  When I studied abroad in Mexico, years ago, I would wander the beach, listening to music, and singing praises to Jesus for bringing me to such a beautiful place spiritually, emotionally and geographically!!  It was such a beautiful time of reflecting on where God had brought me and dreaming with Him as to where He wanted me to go. 

And alot of that time was spent with this song, "Hallelujah", in the background.  I think my favorite part of the song is the chorus...

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

I'll choose to sing hallelujah

And my hope and prayer is that regardless of what is in front of me, regardless of what God has in store for my life, regardless of the ups and the downs that happen in life....I'll choose to sing Hallelujah!

And I can't write about this song without posting the song.  So without further ado ladies and gentlemen...

  

"Hallelujah"

Who can hold the stars

And my weary heart?

Who can see everything?

I've fallen so hard

Sometimes I feel so far

But not beyond your reach

I could climb a mountain

Swim the ocean

Or do anything

But it's when you hold me

That I start unfolding

And all I can say is

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah

 Whatever's in front of me

  I'll choose to sing hallelujah

The same sun that

Rises over castles

And welcomes the day

Spills over buildings

Into the streets

Where orphans play

And only you can see the good

In broken things

You took my heart of stone

And you made it home

And set this prisoner free

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

I'll choose to sing hallelujah

xoxo,

Malia

A Christmas Story.

Isn't it wonderful when Birthday and Christmas celebrations are all rolled into one?? Well...I SURE DO! and I especially love when my dad forgoes his seat beside my mother at the 5th Avenue Theatre so that I can accompany her to a show! Such a gracious father i have! Well let me tell you though...I was super excited about this show and may have pushed my way into that seat JUST a little bit.

So it was my mom's birthday weekend and she was coming over to Seattle for the show and then we all went out to dinner as a family to celebrate another year of her life! I could type for days about my mom...but this post isn't about my mom. This post is about A christmas Story - The musical.

Have you all seen this movie? It is fantastic and such a classic! Well I think it is at least...soo much so that I bought it for Peter for Christmas last year...and I also bought it for his brother to add to his MASSIVE DVD collection because every DVD collection should contain A Christmas Story right? Well lets just say that my family didn't own this DVD or I guess I should say VHS because DVDS weren't around back then...but EVERY single time the Christmas season would roll around I would scour the tv channels for this movie because ONE Of them was bound to play it right?

Oh there are soo many good bits from tongues getting stuck to poles, kids visiting santa and getting pushed down slides, bb guns, randy in his HUGE winter suit, the bunny outfit, the dogs eating the turkey, the leg lamp...and I could go ON, but I won't because i don't want to ruin the entire movie!

Anyhow, this year the 5th avenue Theatre decided to turn this movie into a music..and I must say I am always a LITTLE skeptical when they try to turn my favorite movies into musicals. I mean the people aren't singing in the movie, so how will that actually work out? But then I remembered that my mom and I also went to see Hairspray at the 5th Ave...and that wasn't a musical originally, but it is one of my all time favorite movies...and I thought it was excellent. So I had high hopes for this next one...A Christmas Story, and boy was it GOOD! I kept anticipating certain parts and crossing my fingers that they wouldn't leave certain bits out...and they didn't! They stayed soo true to the movie and it was excellent even if I did know what was coming next.

So five stars for A Christmas Story and if you have the chance to see it this holiday season...I fully believe it is worth your money and your time!

Music.

Do you have those songs that just move you??....Do you have those songs that just put you in a certain place regardless of the actual place and time? Regardless of what your answer is...I know my answer is YES!

This past Sunday Peter and I woke up early to go to church in the AM, well we always go to church in the AM so that wasn't out of the ordinary and we were running late which also wasn't out of the ordinary! But as soon as we walked in the doors I heard MY song. The congregation was singing MY song...and having a nice moment while Peter and I were scrambling trying to find a seat. I started to panic a little because I was missing this delightful opportunity to sing MY song...and I was soo bummed we couldn't find a seat. So we went across the street into an overflow room..and as we were crossing the street I nearly started to cry simply because I thought I had missed my beautiful moment to sing MY song alongside all these people. I dragged my feet and literally told Peter I wanted to go home...sounds sooo childish now and lets be honest I can be childish. My husband kindly responded to my childish outburst by stating that they sing the same songs in the overflow room, while I pouted and stated that they did NOT. Well my husband was right and MY song was coming through the doors of the overflow room.

I remember hearing this song on the radio AGES ago and loving it soo much that I played it one night at my bible study. And then the song just kept coming up - my lovely friend Meg had someone sing it at her wedding, I put the song on the video I made for my final school project, someone mentioned how they had sang the song at a conference.

Anyhow, this song moves me...I don't know why, but it just does...along with soo many other songs we sang at church on Sunday such as Be my Everything and Be thou My vision. Be My everything reminds me of my dear friend Serenus and Belfast...and my desire to cry out to the Lord for Him to be my everything and Be Thou My vision reminds me of August 15, 2009 - the day Peter became my husband - and when we sang that song during the ceremony. Songs take me back to a place and time...they remind me of how far I have come...they remind me of precious moments in my life. I could go on and on, but I won't...so without further ado here is the song you have been waiting for!

From the Inside Out.

So we sang this song at church on Sunday and as soon as the band started strumming on their guitars, I realized what song it was going to be. I must admit, my eyes started tearing up and the memories came streaming into my mind. There are certain songs and certain moments that transport me directly back to a specific moment in time. The first time I heard this song was in Belfast, and I instantly thought about how hard that year was, how I clung to the Lord, and how I would play this song OVER and OVER and OVER again, and while everyone else around me was tiring of the song my love for it was simply growing stronger! I thought about my dear friends Serenus and Lindsay who I haven't seen in AGES! I thought about how challenged I was that year, how much my relationship with the Lord grew, and how much I grew personally from that relationship and countless others.


So the lyrics...I love the lyrics.

A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
(love the imagery of losing myself in Christ)

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out

And the Truth is...the cry of my heart IS to bring Him praise, but sometimes I get so caught up in myself that I lose sight of that cry. My hope and prayer is that I will continue to cry out to the Lord even when things seem hopeless, when I am disappointed, angry, frustrated and deeply hurt, when all I want to do is turn into myself and wallow in my sorrow, I will turn to Him.