I like music. I like playing it. I like listening to it. I like talking about it. And one of my favorite hobbies, when I have the time to do so, is to look for bands that are either new or ones that not many people know about. And once I find a band or an artist that I really like, I tend to recommend it to as many people as I can. After all, good music should spread and should be heard by everyone. And in the past several years, my musical tastes have broadened way further than I ever thought they would (though I don't see country music making it onto my Ipod anytime in the near future!). I also go through these really wierd cycles where I'll be listening to some heavy hardcore music one day, like a Norma Jean or an Oh Sleeper, and then the next day I'll be listening to some laid back acoustic stuff like Jack Johnson or Tyler Burkum. The amazing thing about music is that it's one of the few things that everyone, whether they're pissed off or happy, can relate to. There's always some band or some genre that you can resonate with, no matter what's going on in your life. And that's the beauty of music as a whole. And to be a musician is to be a person who is willing to allow people to get a glimpse of who you really are. No strings attached. This is who I am, like it or leave it. And this brings me to a huge pet-peeve of mine: mainstream "christian" music.
Don't get me wrong. I grew up listening to christian music. Audio Adrenaline and the Supertones were constantly in my cd player (or tape player, if you will!). But my whole issue with mainstream "christian" music these days is that it has become a way for christians to close themselves off from the world and not get "offended" by what they're listening to. And a huge by-product of this is an industry that continually puts out music that is: a.) only meant for christians, b.) always positive and happy go-lucky and c.) just flat out boring, bland, and uncreative.
I believe music is an amazing and beautiful way to spread a message. And, as a christian, I am always encouraged when I come across a band that is composed of christians that have a heart to take their music and the message of Jesus to places that need to hear it. To tour with bands that play mostly in bars. To create music that everyone can relate to, but at the same time, be encouraged by the message. That is why I have no patience with people, mostly the self-righteous ones, who say that only certain kinds of music can honor God or be used by Him. I love Chris Tomlin and David Crowder, but I have to be honest and say that I have more of a spiritual experience listening to bands like A Hope For Home or Haste the Day or even Demon Hunter. And I don't judge people who disagree with me on this subject. Everyone has their views. But I do believe that God is honored by musicians and bands that use their talents to reach out to those around them. It doesn't matter what kind of music they play. And it doesn't matter whether they hum, sing, or even, dare I say, SCREAM their message! God can, and will, use ALL music, not just the bands that are played on christian radio stations.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! I'd love to hear your comments!
and P.S. Here are some recommendations for some good music/bands to check out!
Red (especially their newest cd! so good!)
Beloved (just good ol' hardcore rock and roll!)
Tyler Burkum (good folk/acoustic)
A Hope For Home (my band has played with these guys. they're the real deal!)
Between the Trees
Number One Gun
Holyfield
Inhale/Exhale (for those who like to have their skull crushed)
Jason Reeves (great acoustic laid back stuff)
Tyrone Wells (hopefully you've heard of him already!)
Needtobreathe
Enjoy! God bless!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Currency of Time.
I don't know about you, but I always seem to spread myself too thin. I go through a cycle that starts with me wanting to do too much, then I eventually get to a point where I have to rethink my priorities and simplify my life all over again. I always buy into the illusion that "your life is best spent being constantly busy with things". And the crazy thing is that I almost feel powerless to go against it! There's always a tug of war going on inside of me between doing everything under the sun that I can and slowing down to focus on just a few things. As frustrating as this struggle is, it has taught me 3 very important things that I will share with you.
The first thing it has taught me is that time is infinitely more valuable than money. Even
if you don't have much money, there's always some way that you can get more of it. You can find a new job, sell some possessions, or even ask someone for it. But, with time, you're only given a certain amount and there's no way to get more of it. There are only 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 365 days in a year. And even though we don't know the exact amount, we only have a certain amount of years in our lifetime. Once your time on this earth runs out, there's nothing you can do about it. And how you spend your time and your life reveals what your real priorities are.
I've also learned through this struggle that life is best spent pursuing those things that make you feel truly alive. And with this, I've learned to always ask myself what my passions are. If doing something does not line up with what I'm passionate about, there's really no point in me doing it. And I believe that God wires each of us differently with certain passions for a reason. To ignore those things is to ignore what makes us feel alive. For me personally, the one thing that totally gets me going and makes me feel alive is music. And if I was to ignore that and spend my life doing something that has no connection to that, I would be absolutely miserable. Even if I got a job that made me millions and got me a nice house and a lot of possessions, I would be wasting my life away. For me, life isn't defined by how much you can accumulate or how much money you can make, but rather it is defined by pursuing those things that give you a reason to wake up, to breathe, and to feel like you are truly alive.
The final thing that I've learned is that the most important word you can say is "No". I've found that people tend to take advantage of those who can only say "yes" to everything that is asked of them. And I don't believe it is virtuous to allow yourself to be taken advantage of. When you read about Jesus in the Gospels, you learn two main things about him: He had a heart and a love for people that the world had never seen, and you learn that He also had a spine. He knew when to say "Yes" to something AND He knew when to say "No!". He wasn't exactly "nice" to everyone he encountered, BUT He was "Good". The one thing about the church these days that absolutely pisses me off is that it talks about Jesus as someone who was always nice, who always minded his manners, who never made a scene, and who said "yes" to everything. And it calls us to follow in His footsteps. I'm sorry, but a "nice" person never calls a group of people a "brood of vipers fit for Hell" or "white-washed tombs", and a "nice" person never cracks a whip and destroys tables and makes a huge scene. He definitely wasn't nice, at least by our standards or definitions, but no one can say that He wasn't good. He had a mission to fulfill and a passion to drive that mission, and He had no problem saying "No" to something or someone when what was asked of Him went against those things. And we should have no problem saying "No" either. So, in closing, I have two questions to ask. "What is your passion in life?" and "Are you using your time and your life to pursue it?". Thanks for reading!
The first thing it has taught me is that time is infinitely more valuable than money. Even
if you don't have much money, there's always some way that you can get more of it. You can find a new job, sell some possessions, or even ask someone for it. But, with time, you're only given a certain amount and there's no way to get more of it. There are only 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 365 days in a year. And even though we don't know the exact amount, we only have a certain amount of years in our lifetime. Once your time on this earth runs out, there's nothing you can do about it. And how you spend your time and your life reveals what your real priorities are.
I've also learned through this struggle that life is best spent pursuing those things that make you feel truly alive. And with this, I've learned to always ask myself what my passions are. If doing something does not line up with what I'm passionate about, there's really no point in me doing it. And I believe that God wires each of us differently with certain passions for a reason. To ignore those things is to ignore what makes us feel alive. For me personally, the one thing that totally gets me going and makes me feel alive is music. And if I was to ignore that and spend my life doing something that has no connection to that, I would be absolutely miserable. Even if I got a job that made me millions and got me a nice house and a lot of possessions, I would be wasting my life away. For me, life isn't defined by how much you can accumulate or how much money you can make, but rather it is defined by pursuing those things that give you a reason to wake up, to breathe, and to feel like you are truly alive.
The final thing that I've learned is that the most important word you can say is "No". I've found that people tend to take advantage of those who can only say "yes" to everything that is asked of them. And I don't believe it is virtuous to allow yourself to be taken advantage of. When you read about Jesus in the Gospels, you learn two main things about him: He had a heart and a love for people that the world had never seen, and you learn that He also had a spine. He knew when to say "Yes" to something AND He knew when to say "No!". He wasn't exactly "nice" to everyone he encountered, BUT He was "Good". The one thing about the church these days that absolutely pisses me off is that it talks about Jesus as someone who was always nice, who always minded his manners, who never made a scene, and who said "yes" to everything. And it calls us to follow in His footsteps. I'm sorry, but a "nice" person never calls a group of people a "brood of vipers fit for Hell" or "white-washed tombs", and a "nice" person never cracks a whip and destroys tables and makes a huge scene. He definitely wasn't nice, at least by our standards or definitions, but no one can say that He wasn't good. He had a mission to fulfill and a passion to drive that mission, and He had no problem saying "No" to something or someone when what was asked of Him went against those things. And we should have no problem saying "No" either. So, in closing, I have two questions to ask. "What is your passion in life?" and "Are you using your time and your life to pursue it?". Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Coolest Guy You'll Ever See......
Go ahead and take a moment out of your busy schedule today. Close your eyes. And I want you to come up with an image of the coolest guy you've ever seen or met. I want you to really focus on the mental image of that person. What does he look like? Does he have a hair style that just screams "cool" or "popular"? Does he wear clothes that make him stand out in a crowd? Does he have a personality that just makes people flock to him? Is he a skateboarder? Guitar player? Snowboarder? Does he own a really cool car? Is he a ladies magnet? Now, how confident are you that the image you came up with depicts the coolest guy ever? Well, I don't know what image you came up with, but I can say with certainty that if you think you came up with the coolest guy ever, you are DEAD wrong! I'm pretty sure my image depicts the coolest guy on the planet. Now, you may be wondering what my mental image was. My image? A big, furry, bright pink monkey! Now this will obviously take some explaining to do.
So I was driving to Guitar Center the other day with some friends. And as I was driving, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was practically impossible not to see because it rivaled the brightness of the sun. There was a guy wearing a bright pink monkey costume! He happened to be one of those guys who stand on the street and hold signs up telling us about the latest sale at a certain store. He was holding a bright pink T-Mobile sign (I applaud that company for taking the time to make sure the sign matched the monkey!) And after I saw him, even to this day, he seems to come to my mind often. A lot of people may look at him and feel pity, almost as if he was forced to wear the costume by the T-Mobile people. But I like to think that he jumped at the opportunity to sign up for the job. Imagine being the only person who could truthfully introduce yourself as follows: "Hey, I've never met you, but you know exactly who I am. You've probably even envied me. I'm the Bright Pink T-Mobile Monkey!" Then he would instantly become the life of the party! To do what he does, a guy has to be perfectly secure in who he is. Which makes me seriously think that we would all be so lucky to have a friend like that! So, if you're ever driving by Guitar Center and you are lucky enough to see him standing there doing his thing, I encourage you to pull over and shake that man's hand. I don't care if you end up causing an accident! Greatness needs to be recognized! But anyways, let me just end this post by saying that if I ever end up becoming just a fraction of the man that pink monkey is, my future wife will be able to truthfully say that she is the luckiest woman on the planet. And gosh dang it, I may just have to agree with her..........
So I was driving to Guitar Center the other day with some friends. And as I was driving, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was practically impossible not to see because it rivaled the brightness of the sun. There was a guy wearing a bright pink monkey costume! He happened to be one of those guys who stand on the street and hold signs up telling us about the latest sale at a certain store. He was holding a bright pink T-Mobile sign (I applaud that company for taking the time to make sure the sign matched the monkey!) And after I saw him, even to this day, he seems to come to my mind often. A lot of people may look at him and feel pity, almost as if he was forced to wear the costume by the T-Mobile people. But I like to think that he jumped at the opportunity to sign up for the job. Imagine being the only person who could truthfully introduce yourself as follows: "Hey, I've never met you, but you know exactly who I am. You've probably even envied me. I'm the Bright Pink T-Mobile Monkey!" Then he would instantly become the life of the party! To do what he does, a guy has to be perfectly secure in who he is. Which makes me seriously think that we would all be so lucky to have a friend like that! So, if you're ever driving by Guitar Center and you are lucky enough to see him standing there doing his thing, I encourage you to pull over and shake that man's hand. I don't care if you end up causing an accident! Greatness needs to be recognized! But anyways, let me just end this post by saying that if I ever end up becoming just a fraction of the man that pink monkey is, my future wife will be able to truthfully say that she is the luckiest woman on the planet. And gosh dang it, I may just have to agree with her..........
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Little Things.....
I'm about 3 weeks away from turning the age of 26. It's kind of crazy. And as I survey where I am and who I am right now in my life, I find that I'm nowhere near the person I thought I'd be at this age. And, for the most part, that's a good thing. Of course, there will always be things about yourself that you would want to change, even it it's just a small change. But overall, I really wouldn't change much at all. Growing up, I always thought that the older you get, the more mature and the less childlike you should become. I no longer believe that to be true. At least to a certain extent. True, becoming a responsible person is a very worthwhile pursuit. And it's also good to be learning how to adapt to different situations as you get older. But, for the most part, my goal is to never fully "grow up". I still want to find joy and amusement in the littlest of things, just like little kids do. And if you know me at all, it doesn't take much to amuse me. I'm the guy who gets excited every time he sees someone with a mullet, (especially if it's on someone younger than me!). I'm the guy whose spirits are lifted whenever he eats a really good cookie. People-watching has always been a favorite hobbie of mine. And if you ever want to totally make my day special, you don't have to go out of your way and do something spectacular. All you need to do is buy me a coke, give me a donut, or quote a really funny line from a movie or tv show. That's it! And that's something I hope to never change about myself. (And if I ever do change that and become "mature", you have full permission to just kick me in a really sensitive spot, you have my word.)
Every once in a while, someone will come along and ask me what my favorite thing to do was when I was growing up. And as I reflect on it, I can pretty much sum up my entire childhood in five things: basketball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game for the NES, Sling shots, building forts, and rousing games of Battling Tops with my brother. If you don't know what Battling Tops is, you really are missing out! You have this mini arena thing that you launch these spinning tops into and the last top still standing wins the round. That's it! It seems so simple, but to this day, I still find it incredibly amusing! I had been looking for this game for a long time because they don't make it anymore. And just last week, my amazing mother, whom I love even more now, found one at a Goodwill and graced me with it. You have no clue how much joy surged through my soul when she told me she found one! I played it last night with some friends and seriously, it was hilarious. Here are 4 guys, all 20 and over, playing this game that has the "6 years or older" comment on the box. And no one was more happy than me! So, to make a long story short, my life is now closer to being complete. Sure, a girlfriend, or even just a date, would be nice (of course, having a decent amount of time to be social is important for those!). But I know that I will be perfectly happy with some coke in the fridge, a guitar to play, good music on my ipod, and Battling Tops in my closet. Now, if only I could find that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game...........
Every once in a while, someone will come along and ask me what my favorite thing to do was when I was growing up. And as I reflect on it, I can pretty much sum up my entire childhood in five things: basketball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game for the NES, Sling shots, building forts, and rousing games of Battling Tops with my brother. If you don't know what Battling Tops is, you really are missing out! You have this mini arena thing that you launch these spinning tops into and the last top still standing wins the round. That's it! It seems so simple, but to this day, I still find it incredibly amusing! I had been looking for this game for a long time because they don't make it anymore. And just last week, my amazing mother, whom I love even more now, found one at a Goodwill and graced me with it. You have no clue how much joy surged through my soul when she told me she found one! I played it last night with some friends and seriously, it was hilarious. Here are 4 guys, all 20 and over, playing this game that has the "6 years or older" comment on the box. And no one was more happy than me! So, to make a long story short, my life is now closer to being complete. Sure, a girlfriend, or even just a date, would be nice (of course, having a decent amount of time to be social is important for those!). But I know that I will be perfectly happy with some coke in the fridge, a guitar to play, good music on my ipod, and Battling Tops in my closet. Now, if only I could find that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game...........
New Blog!
Those of you who know me, more than just a little, know that I'm usually against anything that can be described as "trendy", but I decided to start a blog, not because "everyone is doing it", but because I figured it would be a good way for people to get to know me. I'm a really deep thinker so this is also a good way to sort through things that I'm happy about, pissed off about, or thankful for, etc. So I hope you enjoy reading my random thoughts, no matter how random or amazing they may be! God bless!
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