makes ears happy

their are few things that carry the power of music. it moves people like few things can. at times certain songs cling as a back drop to episodes of our life, or help us through difficult times. These are some of the songs that have stories in my life. They are the songs that have convicted me, challenged me, and have shaped me and my faith,...as well as some just plain fun songs that make me giggle and smile.

Lead the Way- Further seems forever
This is my favorite song of all time. It has come to comfort me, and carry me along in some very difficult times. "You know me better then I do, it would be best if you lead the way" Powerful, simple lyrics that reveal the surrendered heart of a Christian. Hide Nothing is my favorite Furtherseemsforever project. One of the most God glorifying projects I have heard to date.

Islands gone bad- Shapes and Sizes
These guys are a new band to asthmatickitty records, the label owned by Sufjan Stevens and his step dad. I love this song. Beautiful, unique Indy vibe, and a story that progresses from a family stranded on an island picking fruit off of trees to children eating their parents. Good song, good song.

Casimir Pulaski Day- Sufjan Stevens
Wow. Sufjan is amazing. I love this song, because the lyrics are sad, yet the music is happy, and combined they seem to paint a picture of hope. The song deals with suffering and Gods place in it. A tear jerker.

When did you fall- Chris Rice
This song is one of my new favorites. Its a love song about a guy looking back over his relationship with his significant other trying to place the moment she fell in love with him. www.myspace.com/chrisrice

Transcontinental- Pedro the Lion
David Bazen, the main mind behind amazing indy act, Pedro the lion, is known for his blunt, straight to the point, and often controversial music. His content and language has thrown some Christians for a loop as he has played major Christian music festival, Conerstone, and though I can't agree with his content and language choice all the time, there are a couple songs that have really struck home and I think are good to hear. His voice, and soft, relaxing music are not soon forgotten, nor his story telling abilities. Transcontinental is a story in which the narrator gets ran over by a train, and tells us about the experience. Yeah, no theological message in this one, just a ridiculously fun song. To bad their is so much dirt with the gold... www.purevolume.com/pedrothelion

On and On- Kevin Max
Although this former DC talk member seems to be forgotten quicker then Tait or Toby, I would say Max is my favorite of the three. His music is by far the most original. On and On is an amazing love song "You are an island, I am the raging of the sea, You are a Fortress, and I am abandoned, you are the valley, you are the bird that flies so high, you are a temple, and I am a beggar" Lyrically Max is amazing, and with a voice like that, you have to wonder why we haven't heard more of him

Priceless (For Eleanor)- Copeland
"I need you like the dragonfly's wings need the wind, like the orphan needs home once again, like heaven needs more to come in. I need you like you've always been." this is a beautiful song. All of Copeland's music is what I would deem "pretty" music. Its like candy for your ears. And not that cheap candy they throw at you during parades. This is the delicious candy you find in a candy shop, the kind that you have to close your eyes and smile as it rests on your tongue. Imagine your aunts special fudge at Christmas. Copeland is fudge....really good fudge.

Bold Son- Aaron Espe
For me, this song completes what furtherseemsforever's lead the way began. Both these songs are incredibly important to me. Though it takes great surrender to allow Christ to lead the way in our lives, it takes trust to boldly follow him. "So don't be timid, don't be cold, be bold son, be bold son." Aaron Espe is from my home town, and a great guy. Perhaps the fact that I know the guy contributes to my love of his music, but you can be the judge...(he's going places, just wait, I'm telling you...) www.myspace.com/aaronespe

Fly- Jars of Clay
"Be Still let your hands melt into mine. The part of me that breathes when you breath is losing time. I can't find the words to say I'll never say goodbye. I'll fly with you through the night so you know I'm not letting go. I'm not letting go. My tears like rain fill up the sky. Oh my love, I'm not letting go, I'm not letting go." I view this song as God's love song to me. He gave this to me over the radio on a night I desperately needed it. This song reaches deep into my heart, and I thank God for such a gift.

This World- Cademon's Call
"This world has nothing for me and this world has everything. All that I could want and nothing that I need." Cademon's call and Derek Webb both are artists I greatly respect. They speak messages that Christians desperately need to hear.

other amazing songs

Those words are not enough- Relient K

What is Love- Pax217

I'm not alright- Sanctus Real

Learning to Breathe- Switchfoot

We're very greatly loved- Half-handed cloud

Did i step on your trumpet?- Danielson

Autobahn- Anberlin

Jesus' Blood- Delerious?

Wait for me- Rebecca St. James

At the Zoo- Simon and Garfunkel

play-dough heart

words can't match feelings
reality can't match dreams.
Its not what i had hoped for, I'm not what I had hoped to be.
frustrated when the image in my head doesn't match the strokes on the canvas.
And in it all, in this all, have I become jaded and dry?
When things aren't as they should be, when you fail me, when you miss my plan,
do i just give up?
When you touch my play-dough heart, does it crumble?

or is there hope?

Take my heart. press your thumbs in.
mold it, shape it, form it.

stamp it with trust.

More strokes will join those on the canvas, and the invisible ink will show itself, and a captivating picture will one day fill my eyes.

but it will be your picture, not mine.

can you tell i'm wearng makeup?

I just downloaded 61 songs legally for absolutely free! I'm tickled pink and I don't even know what that means...

Its snowing outside. That's pretty ridiculous.

So I have been thinking a lot lately about the nature of humanity, and perhaps more specifically, the church. You know, the church looks so beautiful. We are airbrushed, and glossed people. Fake plastic Christmas trees made to look perfect, we are the spotless bedroom with all the crap shoved in the closet. We hide all our dirt under the rug. Why is it that so often the church feels it must live a fake life? Why are we afraid to reveal our ugly sides? Like a record gone bad, we enter a pattern we can't escape from. We try to look as perfect as we can, hiding our faults from those we call brother and sister, so we can compare to their fake perfection. We put up firewalls, and blockers to hold away eyes that could see the real us. But that's just it, we are all fake, plastic, dyeing, choosing to give up life. How hard it must be to join the church when we make it a place for demigods. Only those who have reached this level of "godliness" are welcome. We have made church a club rather then a hospital. We are thespians with the church our stage, and we play our roles so well. We expect the world to come running to us, instead of sending our ambulances out to them, and when a dyeing person comes crawling to our doors we worry and whisper about the blood they are getting on the carpet. I never liked fake Christmas trees. They have no fragrance. Sure, with the real thing, there are some bare spots, and the needles fall, but they are real! Why can't we be real with each other? What is our fear? Why do we lie to each other and to God saying that we are ok, or try to make ourselves more lovely then we are? That didn't go well for Ananias and Sapphira. This is not intended to be a jaded tongue lashing towards the church, to my family. I count it a blessing to be one with the bride of Christ. This is a reminder to us all, to wash off the makeup, remove the corset, stop holding our breath, and just let the belly hang out. No more wigs, no more toupee's, just the real deal. We all have our ugly parts. We all have bad hair cuts. We all have toe fungus, patchy beards, and strange rashes in strange places, but we are real. If we are brothers and sisters in the beauty of Christ, lets be real with each other relying on his beauty rather then our airbrushes. Realize that you are beautiful, because he made you beautiful.

Im Not Alright

If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then cool is just how far we have to fall

I am not immune
I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall

Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth, I need to confess

Im not all right
Im broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you.

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone

And when Im open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on

Honestly, Im not that strong

Im not all right
Im broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you.

And I move closer to you

Im not all right


thats why I need you --Sanctus Real