The Firegirl Five - Attention Please
Let's see how fast I can write The Five this week. I've got to go to France. - The Firegirl
1. Taylor Swift is now streaming everywhere.
Maybe you don't think that's a big deal, but you'd be wrong. It is a big deal because listening to this songwriting supernova will change your life if you let her.
Hey, hey, hey!
Just think while you've been getting down and out about the liars And dirty, dirty cheats of the world you could've been getting down to this sick beat.
Don't be a snob. I used to not care about high-school heartbreak songs either, but if you think that's what Taylor still writes and sings about, you're not paying attention.
This is not a woman who is famous for being famous. She is a lover of her craft and a devoted student of it. She works her ass off and her evolution over the last decade proves it. RESPECT! Curious about her beef with Spotify and Pandora read here.
2. The Comey Hearing
If you're not paying attention to this or you think it's the typical D vs. R Washington death match, you would also be wrong. Certain corners want you to think that because it minimizes the seriousness of it.
What matters here is this: The former highest ranking officer in the US Security Organization said that a HOSTILE FOREIGN POWER meddled with the 2016 presidential election. Maybe you're pleased as punch with the outcome of the 2016 election. Good for you! That isn't the point.
"There should be no fuzz on this whatsoever. The Russians interfered in our election during the 2016 cycle," Comey said. "They did it with purpose, they did it with sophistication, they did it with overwhelming technical efforts and it was an active measures campaign driven from the top of that government. There should be no fuzz on that." - Former FBI Director James Comey
If you've ever spent time in countries that lack free and fair elections, you know that trying to do business there is like carrying water in a bucket with holes. Comey was right when he said this is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, it is a deeply serious issue for the stability of the Republic. Get your eye on the ball America.
3. Intermissionary @ Chamonix starts in ten days.
Very soon, seventeen people will gather in the French Alps to spend a week hashing out where they've been and where they're going. What incredibly valuable questions. How often do we do that in small communities of committed listeners? For most of us, never.
That's what Intermissionary is. We believe God put you here for a purpose. What is it? Are you doing it? If not, why? What's your plan? Need help drafting one? And if you're not even sure about the God part, we can talk about that too. Doubt is real. It's only toxic when we deny it and fake our way around it.
The Girl Catch Fire FB page and Insta feed are about to blow up with pictures and stories from the French Alps. A lovely place to put your attention. See...
4. Become a better storyteller - The Moth.
If you want to be a good public speaker, it helps to be a good storyteller. Luckily, it's an art you can enjoy studying by subscribing to The Moth Podcast.
The Moth Radio Hour has been recording live storytelling sessions for two decades. They choose the very best stories and podcast them - usually three in an hour. No matter the topic they speak universally and powerfully to the human condition. Plus, they're fascinating.
This week I listened to a 94-year-old man talk about surviving Stalin's work camps, a mother of triplets who leads all-female expeditions to the North Pole and a woman who cried through her grade school talent show performance - two years in a row.
If nothing else, they are an absolutely engrossing way to pass your commute.
5. Firegirl at work.
Meet my friend Maya. Mild mannered barista by day, Jesus-loving vocal powerhouse by night. She's just a kid, finding her way toward Jesus like the rest of us, but when she sings it's easy to be amazed at the gifts God puts in people. Plus she's kind, super-intelligent and funny.
Here's Maya just warming up with the rest of the talented Jesus loving HOF crew.
Stay tuned for the next Firegirl Five - on location in Chamonix, France. Have a great weekend.