Welcome.December.

December is so happily welcomed in my life this year.

Normally I'm a bit hesitant of its arrival; as it brings the bitter cold and final exams. But this year as December comes; I am conscious of the fact that this is my last holiday season as a single woman, and I plan on making the best of it! Not the put-on-a-dress-that-should-actually-be-a-shirt-and-go-downtown-to-get-my-dance-on kind of making the best of it, but the being-intentional-about-the-time-I-spend-with-my-family-&-friends kind of making the best of it.  I have a so many wonderful events to look forward to, and the countdown is officially on until I am home in Apex for 3 glorious weeks [14 days to go.] Just two days into December and I'm already in love with this month.

Last night me & a sweet friend made the drive to Raleigh to see one of our favorite musicians live in concert, Dave Barnes! I've seen him once already with Walker to celebrate our 1 year anniversary...and we had a great time, so I couldn't wait to see him again. If you don't know who Dave Barnes is: He is a singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. [And you can check him out here. You won't regret it!] As far as his genre...it just depends on what song you're listening to! He could be classified as contemporary christian/bluegrass/R&B/rock...he's extremely versatile which I love. But the thing I think that really draws me to him, are his lyrics. In today's music culture, there are so many artists who 1) don't write their own songs, and 2) use lyrics that are either too complicated or too vulgar or too irrelevant for most people to understand. While so many artists are writing songs about concepts the world can't figure out, Dave writes songs about the things we do know. The things we can grasp. Things like love, and grace, and family. His simple lyrics are good for my soul.

The opening band for Dave Barnes was Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors. What a treat! I had heard a bit of their stuff before but never expressed a desire to see them live, but I am so glad I did! Their songs are wonderful and they have a great energy on stage. I want to write about something that happened during their set, and it will probably seem lame & cheesy. So if you aren't interested in things like that, I feel bad for you and you shouldn't keep reading. But the way I see it, everyone has these precious, unexpected, vivid moments in their life that they will never forget. They just, can't. This was one of mine.

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors were singing one of their songs, Fire and Dynamite. Near the end of the song the lights came up over the crowd, and everyone was singing, and smiling so big, and just glowing with happiness. That theatre was filled to the top with genuine joy. For just these few, random, blissful moments, it was like an entire room of people who had never met, became best friends. Everyone was on the same page. Everyone was in the exact same moment. Everyone was beautifully united. As I said, this may sound cheesy. But when you're lucky enough to have one of those moments in your life, and recognize it...I think you should be wise enough to document it.

The concert left me feeling grateful for a new appreciation for those moments. I am only 22 years old so I pray there will be more to come, and I pray that I would be given discernment to see them. I also left with a deeper understanding of unity, and the important role it will play in my marriage. Unity opens the door to laughter, support, and harmony. All things that I pray are components in my marriage. If December 1st was any indication as to how the month will progress, I say, with a huge smile on my face: Welcome, December. Welcome.