ignite 'n inspire

What's up? I'm back again with the second half of my music selection. I hope this list inspires you to explore different languages and genres of music. Over the years, I have dabbled into many genres and have found that music is a universal language. It is a language that can somehow convey emotions and share a story. DAY 16- A song that's a classic favourite-  Halo from Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnVUHWCynig The production and orchestration to Halo is absolutely stunning. I remember watching Beyonce sing THIS song during the Super Bowl halftime show and my jaw dropped. It showcases Beyonce's versatility, as a masterful ballad singer. DAY 17- A song you'd sing a duet with someone on karaoke-  Right Here Right Now from High School Musical 3: The Senior Year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3NI0uUl3lo   You are reading a blog written by HSM fan! Right Here Right Now is my favourite Troy and Gabriella duet that takes me ba...

As a commuter student, my music playlists have been a major part of my life. The lists have accompanied me during the rainy spring days, cool fall weather and the freezing months of winter. "K", "M", "^", "C" includes songs that have lifted my mood when I could not bear the stress of university and allowed me to reminisce about my younger days. In different languages, the soundtracks have been playing in the background through my good and bad days. Using the 30-day Song Challenge, I hope to share with you some of my favourite tunes. DAY 1- A song you like with a colour in the title: Red from Taylor Swift's Red https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlot0i3Zykw Since my grade 7 days, I have always been a Swiftie. Yes, my sister and I would use our hair combs as microphones and sing her songs in our bedroom. Aside from that hint of nostalgia, Taylor's songs are poetic and always so intricately written. Since her second album Fearless, she h...

To my JF youth, As you age and grow up, you learn that life is hard. People do not tell you, but you need to learn how to manage your time wisely. You need to learn how to enroll yourself in post-secondary courses. You need to learn how to please your boss and maintain peace with your colleagues. When you get married, you need to learn how to pay your bills and compromise with your spouse. The overwhelming responsibilities and expectations may be written in a dusty book that could be found in your local library, but there is often one that we forget. When you grow up, you need to learn how to come to terms with death. You will need to go to funerals, watch wooden caskets lowered into the cold ground and listen to eulogies. That is the reality of the world. Life is filled with peaks of joy, success and happiness, but also scattered with moments of brokenness, sadness and loss. I know you are all learning to comprehend the loss of this young brother. As a counsellor, I just wanted ...

What is nostalgia? According to the dictionary, nostalgia is the sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal association. Personally, nostalgia is hopping on the journey to re-visit the past. Most importantly, it is the journey of re-discovering what made you-YOU. Working at Coledale Public School this month, it has surely been nostalgic...From the moment I first stepped into the building and put on the "volunteer badge," I smelled the rubber stairways, heard slamming lockers and hear the chatters of young kids. However, beyond the actual movements and sensory stimulation, I was reminded of the blood/sweats/tears that created my elementary school experience. I was brought back to the defining moments that shaped my personality and drive. Here are some of the significant memories that have re-surfaced in my mind:  Where I found my drive. In the science room, I remembered testing my popsicle stick bridge and talk...

J.O.Y. This is the one word I would use to describe my Teens Conference experience. As a first time attendee and coach, I was finally able to understand what my Christian friends have always been raving about. Within the excitement, energy and expectancy, I encountered God. Amidst the pressure to facilitate and lead, I learned to display humility. Within the mass of people, I was inspired to press on heavenwards towards Christ Jesus. Here are some of the things God revealed to me: 1. The joy of knowing that the kingdom of God is beyond my local church. As a youth counselor, I am often discouraged and overwhelmed with responsibilities. It feels like a lone battle...however, my time at Urbana and TC has allowed me to see that there are SO many young adults and youths who wholeheartedly love Jesus. All of these Christians are pouring their hearts out to perform/facilitate conversations for Him. Despite all the crap that is happening in our world today, I was reminded that the kingdom ...

It’s time for my annual Valentine’s Day post. Somehow, I am inspired every year to write a little something, as an encouraged to those who are learning to find love and love themselves. When I think about February 14 th , I can’t help but think about what this special day meant for me years ago. As a Grade 8, Valentine’s Day meant sending candygrams/roses, gushing about the OTPs at our school and wishing to be someone valentine. Somehow, I thought that “being asked to slow dance” meant you were living in a beautiful, ideal utopia. I can’t help but laugh at my naivety and stupidity because love is so much more than “being asked out.” It is so much more than saying yes and updating your facebook relationship status. Over the course of this past year, I have felt heartbroken so many times…not because I have been in a romantic relationship, but because I have sympathized with my friends who chose to leave their boyfriends. The feeling of loneliness and hollowness somehow transcends thro...

Every Thanksgiving, I try my best to utilize this time to count my blessings...because it is so obvious, I am a blessed (maybe spoiled) 21-year old who is living her dream. I am breathing, living without pain and living with my healthy family. I am studying in my dream program and en route to becoming the educator that I have always wanted to be. I am able to spend money on the occasion food court meal and afford a slice of Whole Foods cake. I do not need to worry about my finances because my parents have helped me with university costs and given me a roof over my head. There is an endless list of thanksgiving items, but today, I would like to highlight something that I've often overlooked. I am thankful for my fellow soldiers, who fight the battle with me in the forefront of ministry everyday. The brother and sisters-in-Christ who attend countless meeting and have impromptu discussions about how to make our ministries more effective and fruitful. Often times, we are all working ...