Gotta Know

Life is like an elevator, a lot of ups and downs
People pushin' your buttons and gettin' jerked around
I used to lurk around town tryin' to work around
Workin' so that I could hit the ground with the perfect sound
Even perfect sound sounds like work
When you spend your time flirtin' with the crown in the perp
I was bound for Berzerk with a layover in Crazy,
A lazy Jay-Z hopin' rock-a-fellas paid me
Or rockin' ladies were caught me a Mercedes
But that whole dream was in '80's baby
Missed that shot like the cop that's crooked
TV goes off, third eye still lookin'
Mom still cookin', I can always go home
Even though I'm five years past grown (five years past grown)
Here I go again, I'm still chasin' the wind, I can't win
When it gets hot, it boils down to sin
If Heaven ain't a gift, then I ain't getting' in (man)

I can't even find the words for the way I feel
So I paint a picture, I paint a picture
I've been goin' down this road, seen some crazy things
So I paint a picture, you gots to see it

You just gotta know
You just gotta know
You just gotta know
You just gotta know

(Yeah) I sit and hear the guitars play,
Wonder if they could, what would stars say or Venus and Mars say
Or say that we want it our way,
Stars so desperate to shine that they go on livin' the hard way
The intellect to travel to Mars but so blind,
We worship Venus but she don't even know who we are
And she never cared why, cause she wasn't there
When I was tryin' to drown my sorrows in a pool of despair
I ain't perfect, sometimes I feel worthless,
Worth less than that is the image that I'da purchased
Man, from the shades to the shirt to the shoes,
Just another fool tryin' to cover he's confused, that ain't cool
Sometimes I hate the man in the mirror
Cause I know he's a liar and a cheater and a killer
People say they love him but they love what he can give 'em,
But deep inside he knows that there's a reason for him livin'

I can't even find the words for the way I feel
So I paint a picture, I paint a picture
I've been goin' down this road, seen some crazy things
So I paint a picture, you gots to see it

You just gotta know
You just gotta know
You just gotta know
You just gotta know

You know I need you like aqua,
Day without ya got me so nauseous,
If I ain't cautious, I'm gonna self-inflict my sickness
You know it's true, you as my witness
At how you witness my inconsistence
Yes, the ovation when I need your assistance
And I just gotta know that even though I'm a misfit
I'm still worth more than calamity's French kiss
Yes I'm loved, and I'm pursued
And though I can't feel it, still I know that it's true
Somebody woke me up, and yeah, I know it was you
And yet I keep tryin' to steer clear of your view
Cause if you get me, I know that you got me
But I'm so insecure I can't believe that you want me
But then I heard you went on your way to adopt me
Well you can have my all if you swear you won't drop me
Cause I gotta know (yeah)

You just gotta know (gotta know, gotta know)
You just gotta know (gotta know, gotta know that it's real)
You just gotta know (gotta know, gotta know that it's real)
You just gotta know (hey, hey, gotta know that it's real)

You just gotta know (gotta know, gotta know)
You just gotta know (gotta know, gotta know that it's real)
You just gotta know (gotta know, gotta know that it's real)
You just gotta know (hey, hey, gotta know that it's real)

...  Yes, this is rap...  Christian rap, in fact, and I will be the first to say that it's epicly amazing.  This song was written--and sung--by Lecrae, and so all credit goes to him for lyrics, and it features fellow rapper, Benjah.  Honestly, this song, to me, is one of the best he's done in a long time.  He doesn't sugar coat things like some artists do.  He lays all his issues and the issues many modern day Christians face right out on the table.
<3

What I Want to be When I Grow Up

Today we decided to establish what everyone in our family was good at.  Mum was commenting--for the zillionth time--on my supposed 'artistic' talents while we were sitting at the table when Madeline chimes in, "what about me?!  What am I good at?"  Mom stares at her for a moment, pretending to size Maddy up while she stands there looking all cutified, and then tells her that "she's going to be a sporty girl."  Well I'm glad that's taken care of.  That way, I won't be expected to continue on with my new-found love of basketball. 
After that, of course, David has to give his two cents and asks the same question--albeit in a much quieter voice--in the same cutified manner.  Once more, Mum has to think about it.  And her reply was that "you're the imaginative one in the family."

Well there you go.  We have a crazy artist, a red-headed body-builder, and a wild Andy(from Toy-Story, of course).  Our futures are set.