What I've Been in to - October

Hard to believe that another year is almost gone. It's November 6 today, so it is time to look back at what I've been into the past month.

Reading:
I finally finished Tim Keller's book on Prayer. It was certainly a book worthwhile reading. A great reminder that prayer is about an encounter with God, and as much about listening as speaking.  I was challenged to pray, even when I didn't feel like it.  I found the section looking at how Augustine, Luther and Calvin approached prayer quite helpful too. I've got lots of books on my 'to read' list, but I didn't start anything else this month.

Music:
Here's the another songs on high rotation this month.

• When I First Met You - Amanda Opelt (Embers)
• Centre of the Universe - Amanda Opelt (Embers)
• Appointments - Julien Baker (Turn Out the Lights)
• Feel Alive - Katie Herzig (Single, album coming out next year)
• You're the Best Thing About Me (Acoustic) - U2 (Single, Songs of Experience due out December 1)
• Time Will Be the Healer - Glen Hansard (Between Two Shores, Album due out January 2018)
• Strangers - Katie Herzig (Single)
• You're the Best Thing About Me - U2 (Single)
• Viva La Vida - Katie Herzig (Single)
• One Day - Christa Wells (Album coming out next year)
• One - Sleeping at Last (Atlas: Ennogramm)

Of these, Julien Baker's and Amanda Opelt's album came out in the past few weeks, U2 will release theirs in December, Glen Hansard, Katie Herzig and Christa Wells are all scheduled for 2018 releases. Of these, I think I'm almost most excited about new music from Glen Hansard.

Thinking back on the year, the albums which are lingering in the memory are Julien Baker's Turn Out the Lights and Nichole Nordeman's Every Mile Mattered. Both are awesome honest and authentic song writers sharing their personal stories with us, whether the stories be positive or negative. In these album Bakers reveals her battle with depression and resolving her faith and sexual orientation. 

The songs which have really been speaking to me are Christa Well's One Day and Katie Herzig's Feel Alive. I thought I'd post the some lyrics from both.  One Day was written when Wells was going through a particular tough time.

Oh, I see you laughing on the other side

Where the walls have tumbled and the flowers grow wild

Oh, I see you laughing on the other side

With your broken heart under open sky.

Herzig wrote Feel Alive for a grieving friend. 

I know that you are healing

I know that you are feeling every fear inside, without a place to run and hide

If I could show you one thing-

It’d be the light that’s on the other side

Holding out for the best of us

TV

Haven't been watching too much on TV, aside from sport. I spent the best part of Monday afternoon and today watching games 5 and 6 from the World Series. Its been really awesome to watch; the two teams are really well matched and the series been quite close with so many momentum swings. One of Houston or LA Dodgers will win in tomorrow's decider. 

The other sport I've been enjoying has been the European Champions League. We're just over half way through the Groups stage so it is about to get more interesting.