My ridiculously creative friend...

Gave me a 30 day Birthday activity yesterday. She came to the door with a tiny little yellow box filled with 30 tiny little numbered envelopes and a stack of iTunes gift cards. My assignment is as follows:

-Each day, for 30 days, I am to open a new little yellow envelope.

- I am then to go to iTunes and download a song that fulfills the challenge.

- Finally I am to periodically post on my blog as to why I chose each song.

At the end of 30 days, I will have a playlists to remember my first 30 years. FUN! Thanks Jasmin!

Day 1:

Your Favorite Song

*If you want to listen to this song as you read this, find the player at the top of this post and push play.

I chose Martyrs and Thieves by Jennifer Knapp. I love nothing more than putting on Jennifer Knapp's album "Kansas" and singing along at the top of my lungs. Her songs have stuck with me for years and years and have had a positive impact on my relationship with God.

I know there has been some controversy surrounding Ms. Knapp in the past few years as she has come out about her sexuality. I obviously don't know her personally, nor do I think I can make judgments regarding her faith. I can, however, imagine that if this was an area that she was struggling with for a lot of her life (being a poster child for a young Christian lady while simultaneously not feeling secure in her sexuality) it must have impacted her music. Her lyrics always did seems like a true cry to God for his grace and forgiveness.

We are all children who have "squandered till pallid and thin" and have had to cry out for that Grace that is always there thanks to a pair of crimson stained hands. The longer I am a child of God, the more I come to realize how unbelievable this grace is; How wide, how deep!

Lyrics:

There's a place in the darkness that I used to cling to
It presses harsh hope against time
In the absence of martyrs there's a presence of thieves
Who only want to rob you blind
They steal away any sense of peace
Though I'm a king I'm a king on my knees
And I know they are wrong when they say I am strong
As the darkness covers me

Chorus-

So turn on the light and reveal all the glory
I am not afraid
To bare all my weakness knowing in meekness
I have a kingdom to gain
Where there is peace and love in the light, in the light
Oh I am not afraid
To let Your light shine bright in my life, in my life
Oh I... am, I...

There are ghosts from my past who've owned more of my soul
Than I thought I had given away
They linger in closets and under my bed
And in pictures less proudly displayed
A great fool in my life I have been
Have squandered till pallid and thin
Hung my head in shame and refused to take blame
For the darkness I know I've let win

(Chorus)

Can you hear me? (repeat 6x)

Well I've never been much for the baring of soul
In the presence of any man
I'd rather keep to myself all safe and secure
In the arms of a sinner I am
Could it be that my worth should depend
By the crimson stained grace on a hand
And like a lamp on a hill Lord I pray in Your will
To reveal all of You that I can

(Chorus)

There's a place in the darkness that I used to cling to
It presses harsh hope against time...