These are a few of my favorite things....A Life Defined by Thankfulness

I decided in an effort to remember to be thankful to GOD for everything, that I will post things that are some of my favorites in life...small and big, what seem to some as insignificant or powerful...anything and everything...TOTALLY random because if you know me that it the way we roll around here.

I am striving to live a life that is defined by thankfulness. I want gratefulness to exude through every cell in my body. Praise comes from grateful hearts very easily...get the connection??? Do you want your life=your worship=your life to be a beautiful fragrance to our precious Father? (Your life IS your worship...it is not those songs they put up on the big screen on Sunday mornings - just sayin) Saying thank you is not enough. When you have a grateful heart, when your life has been touched my grace, you can't help but want to give your very essence as a living sacrifice to the Saviour you love with all of your heart.

Ok...to summarize

Lesson Learned: In EVERYTHING give THANKS...because it is GOD's will for my life...PERIOD

How beautiful that is...there is nothing left to "interpretation". I love that sometimes GOD is just as blunt as I am.

Also, if you know me well, I like all types of things...my tastes vary as the day is long. That provides a preface to my first "fav" post. Anyway...here is today's favorite:

http://youtu.be/v9NYZQ5bh0c

Photograph: Enrico Caruso

Caruso: By Lucio Dalla, dedicated to the Italian Tenor, Enrico Caruso

Qui dove il mare luccica
e grida forte il vento
su una vecchia terrazza vicina al golfo di Surriento
un uomo abbraccia una ragazza
dopo che aveva pianto
poi si schiarisce la voce e ricomincia il canto:

Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...

Vide le luci in mezzo al mare
pensò alle notti là in America
ma erano solo le lampare
e la bianca scia d'un'elica
sentì il dolore nella musica
si alzò dal pianoforte
ma quando vide la luna uscire da una nuvola
gli sembrò più dolce anche la morte.
Guardò negli occhi la ragazza
quegli occhi verdi come il mare
poi all'improvviso uscì una lacrima
e lui credette d'affogare.

Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...

La potenza della lirica
dove ogni dramma è un falso
che con un po' di trucco e con la mimica
puoi diventare un altro
Ma due occhi che ti guardano
così vicini e veri
ti fanno scordare le parole
confondono i pensieri.

Così diventò tutto piccolo
anche le notti là in America
ti volti e vedi la tua vita
come la scia d'un'elica.

Ah si, è la vita che finisce
ma lui non ci pensò poi tanto
anzi si sentiva già felice
e ricominciò il suo canto:

Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...
Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...

Now...in English:
Here where the sea sparkles,
and a strong wind blows,
on an old terrace overlooking the gulf of Sorrento,
a man holds a little girl in his arms
after he's been crying.
He clears his throat and sings the song again.

I love you so much;
so very much, you know.
It's a bond, now,
you know, that thaws the blood in the veins.

He looked at the lights, out at sea,
and thought about the nights in America.
But they were only the lamps of fishing boats
and the white of wake.
He felt the pain of the music.
He got up from the piano,
but when he saw the moon come out from behind the clouds
death seemed sweeter to him.
He looked into the little girl's eyes -
those eyes as green as the sea,
then suddenly a tear fell
and he thought he was drowning.

I love you so much;
so very much, you know.
It's a bond, now,
you know, and it thaws the blood in the veins.

The power of opera!
where every drama is a sham;
where, with a little bit of make-up and mimicry,
you can become someone else.
But two eyes that look at you,
so close and so real,
make you forget the script,
confounding your thoughts.
And so everything became insignificant,
including the nights in America.
You look back and see your life
like the wake [of the boats].
Ah yes! Life is ending,
but he wasn't worried about it any more.
Instead he felt happy
and began to sing the song again.

I love you so much;
so very much, you know.
It's a bond, now,
you know, that thaws the blood in the veins.