1.) Do They Know It’s Christmas (Feed The World) – Band Aid

The worlds most amazing music artist, singing for the world’s greatest need. The above is a modern version, but this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=280FERTWG3A and the original version (my favorite), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU4E9vLtxIM are equally as great.

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Sometimes I walk my life out on a tightrope
Somewhere so high above your head
Yeah you can’t understand my balance
and if I didn’t I’d fall dead

Already died once can’t do it again

Up here I got my life line
Up here walking is divine

Up here getting closer to the vine
closer closer all the time

If you ask about my lofty perspective
It comes from the one who gave me this directive

He said, lose your life to gain it back
He said, die to sin let your new life begin

It’s a true love guarantee
written in blood for you and me

Yeah, you may think I’m insane
but the reality is…
To live is Christ, and to die is gain!

You may think I’m insane,
well that’s what I think of your life
so insanely lifeless, a life mundane.

So come on already,
Come on up here!

Up here we’re having forever time
Up here we drink the new wine!

As I was working late night Saturday, a seemingly random thought came to me, “Brittany Murphy… hmmm, I wonder what she’s doing these days. hmmm… hope she’s doing well…”

I smiled to myself as I recalled her charm and personality, “HAH!… of course she’s well, and probably just as busy as she ever was… I bet she’s even got a new movie project or something special she’s working on…”

Then I briefly thought back to back to 2002 remembering praying for her and how I prayed for her well-being on several occasions over the years every since then. Why did I find myself suddenly thinking about her now though?

I mused over the fact of how easily I can get distracted as my thoughts went toward a quick google search to ease my curiosity….

“No, Stop! Wait a minute… ohh no you don’t!”, came the cries of discipline just as I went for a new firefox tab, “Not with all this work you have to do!!”

Back to the task at hand, I worked all through the night on into the morning.

Finally ready to call it quits after a 12 hour work stint, I flipped over to Facebook to see how many fresh messages awaited my attention…. Instead what I found left me staring at the screen in bewildered disbelief….

“Actress Brittany Murphy dead at 32…Sad..” – quoted by a friend of mine.

WHAT!?!?!? WHAT???

Brittany Murphy Nov. 10, 1977- Dec. 20, 2009

I started to check the news… no. bad idea. …already some reference to drug involvement and I could just imagine the ugly feeding frenzy of the tabloids and etc press who were most likely drawing and reporting their own ill conclusions and opinions as per usual. No, none of that for me… I felt sick.

I did not want to know what happened.

I just logged off the computer and went to sleep.

The next day I cried. Today I cried more.

Only 32.

...gone before her time

This past week’s rainy days here in Texas are reminiscent of my past life and struggles.

It’s desperate days like these of which the song and video, ‘Work’ by Jars of Clay, so adequately  convey the feelings of.

Working, striving, fighting just to breathe when everything in life seems to suffocate us, when we feel as though we are drowning… the times when we must be remined that we are not alone.

Knowing that God will never let us down, that He is with us, eliminates all fear of drowning and allows us the sweet relief of finally letting go – which turns out to be the best thing we can ever do anyways!

For there is no fear, or failure, or the stress of our own works when we finally, as they say, “let go, and let God”. When we truly know that nothing can ever separate us from His love, there is truly nothing to fear because His love is forever so we who are in Him are also forever! All this drowning in retrospect to our new life in Christ is only a false illusion. For those who are in Christ, letting go is the only option! It is freedom! Living outside the matrix!!

As I was getting through these desperate December days, I found comfort in the following wise words of hope and encouragement from my awesome sister, which can also be found in full here.

“Whatever your life experience appears to be, you have, at this moment, an opportunity to let go of personal striving and let God move in you and through you to fill every need.”

“No matter how great the gulf seems between you and the solution to your deepest desire, you can trust God …God never leaves a void. He will never desert you or forsake you, His own creation.”

“God’s presence of love and wisdom is ever nurturing your soul in its gradual unfoldment of spiritual potential. God’s power is ever at work within every circumstance. “

“As you let go and trust God, everything is transformed- yes, everything- into a blessing. God continuously makes dark places light, rough places smooth, crooked places straight and empty places full. Full of His loving kindness and abundance of joy.” – Mary Kupferle

Thank God for Jesus’ redemptive power working through people like Mary reminding us to let Him do all the WORK.  ~ You can read her full article on http://www.workministry.com/

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

– Marianne Williamson

I enjoy studying companies that have attained huge success and I spend a great deal learning about what makes them work well. I like seeing brands evolve and understand the phsycology behind product marketing.

Having said all that, I pose the questions: What makes Starbucks (obviously a massive success) so special? What gives it true value? Does it have any? Is it really found in their coffee? Do you even like it? Maybe it’s the service? How about the environment? Maybe you go for the smoothies LOL? Conveinent Locations? What??

Since people get unhealthily attached to brands in a cult like way, which in this case many are, I do realize the potential backlash this post may receive from loyal Starbuckers.

Making enemies by sharing my opinion of Starbucks Coffee certianly is not my intent here but is a rather predictable response to the truth, especially of people who may have embraced a lie for an extended period of time.

My real hope in sharing here is that truth liberates you – as it does when you truly let it in! So… I hope those reading will do so with an open heart…

…and now for the truth about Starbuck’s product and marketing:

STARBUCKS’ COFFEE IS NOT GOOD!

STARBUCKS’ LOGO IS PERVERTED!

Yes, the Starbucks logo and Startbucks’ coffee are both really gross; equally offensive even.

As far as the coffee goes… well, it is quite insulting to the U.S. populace that a company continually thrives by selling inferior coffee because the majority of consumers lack any experience of good coffee. I see this as exploitation over an ignorant populace and I much prefer fresh roasted beans, thank you!

Once you know good coffee, I promise, you’ll only drink Starbucks in desperation due to the lack of alternatives and for it’s convienience – not by preference… I certianly buy there as an exception rather than habit. Also, I like investing my money with companies who I trust to reinvest their profits into Kingdom ventures (…but that’s another topic all together).

If you would like help understanding why their logo is so distasteful in representing something people drink, you can take a look at these references:

• An interesting link showing the evolution of the Starbucks logo which even includes correspondence from the original logo designer.
• Here is Wikipedia’s entry about the melusine creature depicted on Starbucks’ logo which is also known as a succubus.

Conclusion:
Consumers’ ignorance and the lack of convienent alternatives work well for this company.

Now for a more positive perspective of which I’ll leave you… I’ll have to admit I have enjoyed my past visits to Starbucks. Since they have managed to build one on every corner they are often easy meeting points which also offer the value of providing a clean and chill environment most the time. Also, on several occasions I have met many exceptionally cool Starbucks employees who made my visits worthwhile.

PEACE, LOVE, TRUTH

• (If you are wondering what really is good coffee is all about, and where you can find it, stay tuned… I feel a new post coming up in which I write about how and where I learned about different types of coffee and what truly great coffee I enjoy most.)