Records Awaiting

Since my last blog entry, apparently the trend of recording music has caught on. Tons of my favorite artists are in the studio recording new albums right now. I’m so excited. I think you should be excited too.

David Crowder*Band
David Ramirez
Jenny and Tyler
Mat Kearney
Phil Wickham
Shawn McDonald
Switchfoot

These are among some of the artists with albums coming out in ‘09. I’m so excited for all the wonderful new music that is to come. Check out those artists give them a listen They’re all really good.

Recording Is Fun

So, I’ve been recording lately. Especially since I got this new mic and it’s been a great deal of fun! The new mic makes recording anything really easy (and it sounds great!) and I’ve been experimenting with GarageBand a whole lot. It’s been so much fun!

Here’s the low down on the new stuff I’ve recorded.

A Rockin’ Song: I wanted to make a stereotypical “rocker” song. This isn’t meant to be musically innovative — just a rockin’ song.
Fly Us Away (Blues): A lot of you have heard the bluesy version of Fly Us Away — here’s a recording of it finally.
Fly Us Away (Rap): I got bored and decided to turn Fly Us Away into a rap. This song is pretty freakin’ versatile. I can do anything with it and it works.

Hope you like ‘em!

Podcasting!

As you know from my last entry I recently acquired a new mic to record with. The recording of music was the primary purpose of this purchase. However, there was a secondary reason: Greg and I wanted to do a podcast. Greg is the one who suggested the idea, but after hearing the idea I was excited about the prospect of such an endeavor. So, Sunday afternoon we sat down, figured out how we wanted the podcast to go, and hit record.

The podcast is similar to a talk show in that it is simply a collection of discussions between Greg and myself. We titled the podcast after this aspect of it. The podcast is called Repartee: A Colloquial Discourse. First I will explain the subtitle. Most of you have heard of a “colloquial expression,” meaning an expression that is used in informal, everyday language. And the word discourse implies a formal discussion. So the subtitle basically means, “An Informal, Formal Discussion.” Although this phrase seems to contradict, we thought it seemed appropriate, because although the discussions are pretty much off the top of our heads (informal) we have planned what we will talk about, and set the time of the discussion (formal). As for the main title, repartee is a conversation full of quick and witty replies, which often seems to characterize us quite well.

So, Dearest, Sweet Readership — I implore you to give this podcast a listen! You can either subcribe to it on iTunes or with an RSS feed by using the links below. Just check it out, give it a listen, and let me know what you think.

Negative Love

I recently got a new mic and I’ve been testing it out. In doing so I was just playing around and found a fun little groove on the guitar and thought I’d record something with it. Because I don’t have any new lyrics as of late, I borrowed some from good ole John Donne. This is one of my favorite poems by him and so I thought it would work well to record something with it. I’m diggin’ the quality of the mic and am leaning strongly towards keeping this one. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Negative Love
by John Donne

I never stoop’d so low, as they
Which on an eye, cheek, lip, can prey ;
Seldom to them which soar no higher
Than virtue, or the mind to admire.
For sense and understanding may
Know what gives fuel to their fire ;
My love, though silly, is more brave ;
For may I miss, whene’er I crave,
If I know yet what I would have.

If that be simply perfectest,
Which can by no way be express’d
But negatives, my love is so.
To all, which all love, I say no.
If any who deciphers best,
What we know not—ourselves—can know,
Let him teach me that nothing. This
As yet my ease and comfort is,
Though I speed not, I cannot miss.

Pause.

Pause.

Your portion of peace
is about to be paid.

Pause.

These minutes of madness
musn’t be made.

Pause.

The sound of solitude–
a soothing solace.

Pause.

Peace will soon settle
if you will simply…

Pause.

Thoughts on New Years or (an Everchanging World with a Neverchanging God)

2008 was a year of change.

No, I’m not talking about political slogans.

But it was a year of change. For me.

2008 is the year that I went from high school to college, from status of a minor to a legal adult, from living with my mom to living with my friend, from fleeting romance to enduring love. It was a year of change for me. Many great changes are yet to come in my life, but changes such as I have experienced this year are few through life — at least as I imagine it.

I think the biggest thing I learned in 2008 is that I rely on circumstances to define me. When I left for college, everything around me changed and I felt as if the ground had dropped out beneath me. This means I wasn’t standing on the right thing. I learned that I need to push toward living as David did, “Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.” (Psalm 18:2) I stood on my circumstances (being a senior in school, a leader in church, an actor on stage, etc.), but what I need is to stand on the LORD. He must be the One that defines me. He must be the One “in whom I take refuge.” In Him and nothing else.

This is another thing I’ve learned this year. Note that we take refuge in God, not Him in us. Often times a person will say that they want God to be in their life, but that’s not what the psalm says. We mustn’t try putting God into our life. I assure if this “god” can fit comfortably inside of your life he is not Yahweh. Yahweh God is far too big to fit nicely inside of a person’s life. We must put our life in Him. We must take refuge in Him. He is the fortress which we stand inside of. You may not see it, but the difference is God being included versus God being exalted. It is God being part (finite) versus God being all (infinite). Yahweh is a limitless God and it is in Him that we must put ourselves.

So, after the midnight celebration, after the fireworks, after the sparkling cider I sat down and started thinking about how much has changed for me this past year. I began to think about how much is always changing. Whether it be gas prices, age, maturity, society, culture, situations, people — anything. Stuff is always changing. Everywhere. All over.

Then, I opened up my bible. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. I just thought that reading scripture would be a good way to spend the first few hours of 2009. I was flipping through and got to Psalm 136. A psalm about  how God is unchanging. A psalm about how His love has, does, and will endure forever. I present you with this psalm now and hope that no matter what changes you may face in 2009 you will know that Yahweh’s love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.

the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.

and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.

with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea in two
His love endures forever.

and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.

but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.

who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.

and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.

Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.

and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.

and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.

an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.

to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.

and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Christmastime!!!

more about “Christmastime!!!“, posted with vodpod

Freewriting this morning

There’s a wealth of words that would say what I want,
but they don’t dictate the desires of deep.

I’m always sinking, but never fly.
I’m always thinking, but never try.

God, work Your wondrous way in me.
God, give me the grace to grow like a tree.

Your tree of life — how I long to eat its life-giving fruit!

Your tree of life — may I return to Your garden.
God, grant me the grace to return to Your garden.
I want to be in that place where You are my shepherd.
I want to drink from Your stream — God, You are my shepherd.

Guide me and move me wherever You go.
I may not be going, but, Lord, You know
what’s best for me and what I should do.
I want to eat of Your tree — my desire is You.

Seasons Change (alteration)

Seasons move across the face of the earth
as a cloud across sky
or a breeze across meadows.

Colors change,
air chills,
hearts churn
in response to the natural seasons,
but seasons exist that are far beyond these.

There are seasons of life and of living
whose changes rest not upon the leaves and the air,
but upon hearts and souls of men and women.

These seasons, like others, will cycle at times,
but unlike the rest will be defined
by changes that simply remain.

For natural seasons move in a circle
while seasons of living move in but one way.
They move like an arrow or, perhaps, like a spiral,
but ne’er will return to a previous day.

I sense myself in a season of change.
Desires in my heart.
Longings and pains.
That were not a part
of who I had been,
but I’ve since found
these longings within.

Seasons change, not over night,
but slowly through time.
And thus have these longings
been on my mind.

The seasons are moving,
are changing around.

A new season.
A new song.
The clouds are floating.
The breeze is blowing.

Seasons Change

Seasons move across the face of the earth as a cloud across the sky or a breeze acr0ss a meadow. Colors change, air chills, hearts churn in response to the ever-cycling beauty of creation. A heart may respond to the natural seasons, but seasons exist that are far beyond these. There are seasons of life and of living whose changes rest not upon the leaves and the air, but upon hearts and souls of men and women. These seasons, like others, will cycle at times, but unlike the rest will be defined by changes that simply remain. Natural seasons move in a circle while seasons of living move but one way. They move like an arrow or perhaps like a spiral, but seasons of life never return to exactly what they were before.

I find myself entering a change of seasons. I find that there is a change in my heart, new longings and desires that have not been in me before. These have come about, not overnight, but slowing and gradually, as the seasons change. Perhaps this is a transition from one season to another, or perhaps it is in and of itself a season the way that fall and spring are transitions. I guess there is childhood and manhood with adolescence in between. But, it would seem that there is yet another transition season between adolescence and manhood. It is into that season which I beliefe my life is moving.

A new season. A new song. The clouds are floating. The breeze is blowing.