Three Things Thursday 2/6/14

Today I want to share with you three things that define who and what I am.

1. Catholicism.

Being a Catholic means I am a Christian and I take my faith very seriously. It defines every decision I make and influences my entire day. The biggest thing I try to do is live as Jesus wanted us to live: to love, honor, and serve God in this world so that I may live with him forever in Heaven.

My Life Verse: Matthew 22:37-40

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” 

2. Music.

One day a few months ago, my son told me that I was "made of music." Nothing could be closer to the truth!  I love music. I play violin/viola and I dabble with the piano. I am a music teacher; I dream in music; I am constantly singing or humming. Life without music would be empty! We almost always have music playing in our house, because I can't stand the quiet. I hate when people ask me who my favorite artist is, or what my favorite music style is. I love it all! Right now, I am in the mood for Ed Sheeran's I See Fire. When my kids are going insane and I need them to chill out for school time, I put on Faure, my favorite being Pavane, Op. 50. If we want to have a dance party, I might put on a violin cover of Daft Punk's Get Lucky. A couple months ago I was absolutely OBSESSED with Attaboy. My poor kids listened to that song non-stop for months. They are good to me and never complained. My taste is all over the place, and that makes my brain happy.

"When words fail, music speaks." ~Hans Christian Anderson

3. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

If you even think you know me, than you would have to know of my obsession with Tolkien's works. I think I have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy half a dozen times, if not more. I have actually read The Hobbit less, maybe only four times or so.  The movies, in my opinion, are brilliant. The music is moving and I think Peter Jackson did the books justice. These books are a wonderful allegory to my faith which just makes me love the stories that much more. To be honest, I would add The Chronicles of Narnia in here as well, because C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were very close and their styles are very similar. The Chronicles of Narnia are also an allegory, which I love.

Why do I love these series?  The stories are amazing. The characters are intriguing. The everything is awesome!  I love Middle Earth and wish I could visit it. There is so much in these books that make me lose myself for a few hours while I read. The best part is that when all seems lost and that evil will win, goodness rises from the ashes unexpectedly and the world is saved. Everyone loves that!