Tunesday- Sugar & the Hi Lows

If you need something for your sweet tooth, try this on for size.

Whoa Mama Wednesday- Jenn Sunderland

Ever met one of those people that as soon as you introduced yourself you immediately thought, “I’ve gotta be her friend”? Perhaps it’s because you have a similar style. Maybe it’s because they possess uncommon charisma. Most of the time for me, it’s simply a “vibe”. Sometimes it’s a vibe of confidence. At other times, it’s passion. With Jennifer Louise Sunderland, it was both.

Only a sophomore at our first encounter, Jenn radiated confidence. People told me that she led dynamically, planned things like a pro and could probably change the world with one arm tied behind her back, but I had lots left to discover. For instance, Jenn has 2 styles. One side is a Chaco-wearing, Patagonia-toting, trail-riding hippie. The other side is a well-groomed, J.Crew-loving, tailored and trim lady. While you may be thinking that this is a girl with an identity crisis, it is in fact quite the opposite.

Jenn gets more comfortable in her own skin by the day, it seems. In fact, over the 4 years I have known her, she’s only grown more into the paradox that she is. Not only does it make her flexible and relatable, it makes her “Jenn”. This “Jenn” is also full of surprises. You may expect someone with such confidence to be proud or self-important. Not this girl. Her MO is hungry, humble, and teachable. Over and over, she positions herself to serve those who should be serving her and honors those in authority above her.  Courageous, uncomplicated, vulnerable, encouraging and refreshing, she’s simply an amazing friend.

Jenn, I salute you!

Tunesday- Birdy

Imagine you’re in north England in the cutest little pub you’ve ever seen. As you sip a J2O and chat with one of your sweetest gal pals, you notice something. The song playing throughout the lounge sounds familiar, but you know you haven’t heard it. All the sudden it dawns on you, “That’s Bon Iver’s Skinny Love”, but that’s definitely a lady voice. The British definitely have true love for covers. Lucky for me, the one I heard was a voice that’s become a favorite of mine. Birdy is a beauty and has a fabulous voice. Check out her full length album.

Tunesday- The Fox and the Bird

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to be entertained by this band. They have definitely become a new favorite. Surely, their laid-back sound and unique style have something to do with it, but honestly, I think they are just plain cool. Enjoy!

Whoa Mama Wednesday- Ally Steiger

Everyone has adventures in college. Whether you move far from home, change majors twenty times or take a few road trips, everyone’s university years are jam packed with new faces. New faces equal new adventures. Life has definitely been an adventure since I met Ally.

Right off the bat the noticeable thing is that we had the same name. We both had dark hair, about 63 inches of height and a habit of getting up early once a week to pray with our friends. The similarities, at that time, stopped there. Allison McKenna Steiger hailed from a suburb of Chicago called Arlington Heights. Being a tried and true northerner, she felt the need to prove her cold weather immunity by donning sandals and refusing a jacket in the dead of winter. She seemed never to tire of comparing “back home” and “down here” in her then thick Illinois accent. As time went on, I got to know Ally for much more than a dry-humored sassy girl from the city.

Steigers know loads of things, partially because patriarch, Joe, challenges then to learn something new each year. Generally, they are well learned in academics, music, athletics, and any number of random skills. Ally is no exception. Her cooking skills are excellent, she knits and sews (and not just because it’s trendy), and she is a die-hard Cubs fan. Foreign Affairs is her only magazine subscription. Washington DC was the site of her research internship. And though you may already think I have painted her as a sort of super woman, those are only a few things she likes and the things she can do.

Sometimes when the newness wears off of those co-ed faces, you find shallow and insecure girls with little purpose. Not this girl. Year after year, I’ve watched her become more sure of her worth, more passionate about real issues and more aware of God’s hand on her life. When others would shy away from correction or challenge, Ally grabs it with both hands ever-believing she’s made to look increasingly like her Maker. She risks bravely in the hardest places, dismantling every wall in her heart to receive the fullest and most beautiful freedom. With the same determination she lives to see others obtain that same freedom whether that is on the Hill or in Lawrence, Kansas. Allison Steiger is a champion of freedom.

Ally, I salute you!

Tunesday- All Delighted People

To merely call ADP “a band” would be like minimizing an accomplished artist to “a painter”. This “painter” brilliantly strokes color, passion and brilliance onto the canvas bringing to life not only art, but a true artist. In the same way, ADP must be considered a collective of divinely inspired musical minds, collaborating to lure the sounds of heaven to earth. Be they from different backgrounds, unique heritage and diverse talent, they unite. You see, musical preference, skill and excellence are not their common bond, though, that they share these things is true enough. This community finds its center in Jesus. He is their creativity, their fuel and their lives. For ADP, music is simply the best way to express their affection, hunger and longing for a face-to-face encounter with the Living God. The thing is, whether you understand what I mean and find yourself in the same space or you simply appreciate innovative and beautiful music, “When the Morning Comes” will likely take it’s place at the top of your playlist. Enjoy!

Whoa Mama Wednesday- Erika Kraus

For 12 going on 13 years, I've had the privilege of knowing Erika Kraus. Our friendship was divine happenstance. Both of us had planned to go on a spring break trip with friends from our college group. We met at a training time and for the first few weeks that we knew each other, she called me “Eve”. Naturally, the longer you know someone, the more you know about them and often, you know them better.  Not knowing Erika but for a days, I was slightly offend that she couldn’t remember my name. Nevertheless, she was way too interesting of a person to brush off; am I ever glad I didn’t.

Erika probably seems, to most people, like a city girl. She lived in Seattle for right around 5 years, after college. Every “off the menu” drink from Starbucks is stored in her memory. No bus or subway system is intimidating to her. Live music, small brewery beers, sparkling water and Trader Joe’s are among her favorite things. And even though she likes organic anything, dreams of growing her own garden and sips kombucha, don’t let her fool you. Her roots go deep in East Texas. She secretly listens to country tunes, sometimes lets her accent slip out, and know how to rock a pair of cowboy boots. You may be asking yourself how this dichotomy could exist in one tiny human. When you know “The Munchkin”, it all makes sense. Her titles include but are not limited to: darling daughter, wise sister, favorite aunt, adventurer, boss and dear friend. And even though those things make her amazing perhaps the most remarkable thing about Erika Gael Kraus is that she knows who she is.

Some may say it’s because she was blessed with unusually loving and secure parents. Some may say it’s because her first-born status makes her fearless. Some may say it’s because she’s simply adaptable to a variety of environments. Though all of those things are insanely true, here’s what I know after almost 13 years with this wonder woman.  Erika has been through a million trials, but she doesn’t quit. She’s had victory after victory, loved and lost, tried and failed, dreamed, died, hoped and seen miracles. All these things have shaped her. But the single most identity-giving thing within Erika is, no matter how good, bad or ugly life gets, her foundation is Jesus. Not every choice she’s made has been easy or even best, but her traveling feet are ever-glued to the one soil that goes everywhere she does. Her life with Jesus is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen and I can’t wait to see what else is going to happen in her future days. If I had to choose one Scripture that describes her, I’d have to say “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come,” Proverbs 31:25, just about covers it. 

No matter if she lives in Seattle, Haiti or New York City, she will forevermore be one of the most understanding, crazy-fun, and supportive friends in my life.

Erika, I salute you!