Where could I go but to the Lord?

While feeding my brain with (too much) cell biology, I've been filling my soul with gospel gems. Namely, two of the greatest albums ever made. That you should, by now, own. If not, just follow the links I've so generously provided:

Mavis Staples - You are not alone
Ben Harper & the Blind Boys of Alabama - There will be a light

Also, there are parts of various songs on There will be a light that I couldn't help but sing aloud in the supermarket tonight. So, I hope I brightened your day, fellow customers.

The Promise

"At twenty-seven, that is what I'd hoped for, that I'd written something that would continue to fill me with purpose and meaning in the years to come, that would continue to mean something to me and to you. The original "Darkness on the Edge of Town" has done that for me and I hope it's done that for you as well. I owe the choices we made then and that young man their respect." -Bruce, on the songs picked for "Darkness"

Seriously, y'all should go pick up a copy of "The Promise," two CD's jam-packed with songs Bruce Springsteen made, but didn't make the 'cut' for "Darkness." The album's a rare treat on the ears and well worth your money and time.

Memoirs, Biopics, and Leo Tolstoy.

"A doctrinaire known for his "heartless indifference to human contingencies," Chertkov made it his mission to bring Tolstoy's entire life and work into accord with the principles of Tolstoyanism. He became Tolstoy's constant companion, and eventually gained editorial control over all his new writings--including the diaries, which treated the Tolstoy's conjugal life in great detail. Sonya [Tolstoy] never forgave her husband. The Tolstoys began to fight constantly, long into the night. Their shouting and sobbing would make the walls shake. Tolstoy would bellow that he was fleeing to America; Sonya would run screaming into the garden, threatening suicide. According to Tolstoy's secretary, Chertkov was succeeding in his plan: to achieve "the moral destruction of Tolstoy's wife in order to get control of his manuscripts." During this stormy period in his marriage, Tolstoy wrote The Kreutzer Sonata--a novella in which a husband resembling Tolstoy brutally murders a wife resembling Sonya. Anyone investigating foul play in the death of Tolstoy would find much of interest in The Kreutzer Sonata." -Elif Batuman, The Possessed

After reading a string of great memoirs, 'Waiting for Snow in Havana' is so cynical and poorly written that I don't think I'm going to finish it. While I wait for my next read to arrive, I started to think about how much I loved Batuman's gem of a memoir. Two things: I'm actually really upset I missed Batuman at Boston College in October and I'm stoked to relax and watch a movie for the first time in a while. That movie, fittingly, will be the Leo Tolstoy biopic, The Last Station.

Breakthrough!

I'm rotating in the coolest lab ever. The other students are so chill and Dr. Gursky knows her stuff. Quick example of why our lab is awesome: today, the fire alarm went off while I was working with the postdoc in the lab on making SUV's (Small Unilamellar Vesicles). As the safety officer in the lab, the postdoc tried to 'wait it out' so we could get more work done. Alas, we had to evacuate as we were called out by the department chairman.

but...I left at 5:30 perplexed by this terribly written, but crucial part of the paper I present next week. I thought about it the whole way home and for hours after that, rifling through paper after paper on the topic. And then the mathematical breakthrough came at 11:30! This sounds so lame to explain, but let's just say I might have ended up like Sheldon in the ball pit if things didn't click. well, maybe not. also, this is one of the cheesiest fan videos I've ever seen. what are we coming to?

finally, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) is a lyrical and musical genius. and I love recruiting actors/actresses for music videos. but I don't know how I feel about his new music video. creative, but weird.

Waves of regret, waves of joy

I reached out for the one I tried to destroy.
You, you said you'd wait till the end of the world.
-U2, Until the End of the World

I think I might agree with Spin Magazine on their number one choice. But just like I forgot how amazing this song by U2 is (especially when viewed through the lens of Judas), I forgot how much this book helped me this summer. And continues to. Two quotes for you, the first for background:

"I firmly believe that the Land Between--that space where we feel lost or lonely or deeply hurt--is fertile ground for our spiritual transformation and for God's grace to be revealed in magnificent ways." -Jeff Manion

"The climate of the Land Between can be so harsh that neutrality is not an option. The conditions have a way of either drawing us toward God or driving us away from him. While the desert is the ideal climate for transformational growth, it is also the place where faith can shrivel and die. Refuse to cave in to a pattern of complaint. A spirit of complaint is lethal to the trust that God intends to grow. As you journey through the Land Between, remember that God desires your trust more than anything else. The question he will ask repeatedly is the same question he asked Abraham, Joseph, and Moses: Will you trust me? In the barren landscape of wilderness God desires to forge a relationship of trust.
Remember that God cares deeply for you. Remember that nothing can separate you from his love. He sees, he knows, and he is concerned. In your weary fatigue, pour out your heart to him. His shoulders are strong enough to bear your confusion and frustration. Turn toward God and speak candidly about your pain and disappointment. He really wants to hear from you and can absorb whatever it is you have to say. But turn to him in trust and hope, believing that he is there, that he is wise, and that he is at work. Trust that God will provide. In your season of shortage, open your hands to receive his blessing and provision. He loves to provide. It is a reflection of his generous giving heart." -Jeff Manion

So Long, Study Guilt

This morning marks the first Saturday in the past three or so that I have not woken with 'study guilt.' With graduate school midterms out of the way (for better or for worse), the pressing burden of having to study literally all day has fled and the result is a most joyous exuberance.

In the realm of the blogosphere, my presence has not graced it for over a month. And my presence here now will be brief, only tossing a few gems your way.

First, I had been reading The Jesus Storybook Bible as my nightly devotion reading for the past couple months and I finished it! As I plugged it when I first started reading it, I recommend it even more highly here! Sally Lloyd-Jones does an outstanding job of showing how the entire Bible points to Jesus. So if you have kids, if you work with kids, or if you just want to be refreshed by hearing Bible Stories at a child's level again, please pick up your own copy.

Second, since I tweeted this amongst exams, I reiterate it here. Here are four albums you absolutely have to pick up and are my front runners for the best albums of this year:

Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
Javiera Mena - Mena
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

You are not alone

I'm with you.
I'm lonely too.

Instead of reading (more) biophysics, I just wanted to say that the album 'You Are Not Alone' by Mavis Staples (and produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy) has been an extreme breath of much-needed fresh air this past week. The whole album is amazing, but here are a few highlights and reasons you should pick it up:

1) Gospel records are so amazing. Not only do you get the wonderful Gospel vocals of Mavis Staples overlaying bluesy guitar, but you get lyrics with a heavy emphasis on a heaven-bound existence, lost in most thought and music today.

2) Mavis Staples' versatile vocals. Even in her 70's, this Gospel legend still has the pipes. Check out 'Last Train' and 'We're Gonna Make It.'

3) The variety of songs. From the comforting, bluesy 'You are not alone' to the Gospel hoe-down 'Creep Along Moses,' to the whimsical, crisp 'In Christ there is no East or West,' this album's fantastic.

4) The way the lyrics speak to you. 'You are not alone' is perfect for when you're feeling down or lonely. 'Wrote a song for everyone' is a smack in the face for when you go through the motions to avoid one real hard confrontation or conversation. And the list goes on.

So go out and buy it. And you won't regret it; I promise.