Or, for all you non-believers, What Would Scott Stapp Do?

He is the light.

For those not familiar with Scott Stapp (a minority I’m sure), he may just be the greatest rock front man of our time. Perhaps of ALL time.

Scott just sings lead for a little group called CREED is all!!!

OK, OK, I’ll take my sarcasm hat off for a moment. Why on Earth is Scott Stapp on my mind? I was zoning out whilst driving recently (not at all dangerous) when a tune started playing on my shitty speakers. “That sounds like… Creed? Is it Creed? Noooo…”

Yes, I have conversations with myself in an empty car. Sometimes you gotta.

I was surprised when the DJ informed me that yes, it WAS the new single from Creed, who have decided to reform. I think you know where this is going…

He is the way.

Who is Creed? I oughta slap you! Creed achieved a middling level of fame about 10 years ago, with their brand of guitar driven pop-rock and faux-Vedder vocals fueling more than respectable record sales and radio airplay. Whilst the music itself was always largely forgettable, what wasn’t was Creed’s adamant stance that they were NOT a Christian Rock band. They rocked! They rocked hard! They rocked often! Can’t nobody stop Creed from rockin!

A few religious iconography-free lyric samples?

“When you are with me, I’m free. I’m careless, I believe.” from My Sacrifice

“Can you take me Higher? To a place where blind men see. Can you take me Higher? To a place with golden streets.” from Higher

“Cause we all live, Under the reign of One King” from What’s This Life For

Annnnd so on. Think Hillsong as covered by circa ‘93 Pearl Jam. For years members of Creed side-stepped the question of faith, when it was blatantly obvious they were for all intents and purposes a Christian Rock Band (my 2nd favorite Christian Rock Band of all time incidentally).

My number 1 favorite Christian Rock Band

Creed would eventually disband in 2004. And, in one of those most wonderful examples of irony, while Stapp claimed it was to pursue individual projects, more than one fellow band member cited Stapp’s ‘increasing messianic complex‘ as the REAL reason for their split. Stapp even feared that his bandmates wanted him dead to serve as a ‘Cobain-like martyr figure’.

No. Really.

My love for Creed was always fueled solely by the fact that once you knew their lyrics, they instantly became, like… the 4th or 5th best musical comedy group around. Sure, maybe they’re not Tenacious D, but neither are they Tripod. But when a Christian band dumps their singer for his messianic complex… THAT’S when I start buying the tour t-shirts and putting framed posters up on my walls.

What about Scott, you ask. Get back to Scott!

Unfortunately Stapp’s solo career was stymied by the usual suspects… bland songwriting, questionable marketing tactics, brawling with members of other bands, various alcohol related felonies and featuring in a sex-tape alongside Kid Rock and several fans on a tour bus… that old chestnut.

Hey, you party with Kid Rock, you pays the consequences

But I forgive him. How could I not after all the joy and laughter he’s given me?

The inevitable Creed reformation came about almost a year ago, and the original lineup have resumed doing what they do best; rocking mildly. A somewhat humbled Stapp has been quoted in interviews as saying “We never felt like we weren’t together. We’re not looking at this as a reunion. It’s more of a rebirth”.

Cheer up Scott, sooner or later everyone's forced to grow up and get a hair cut.

I for one am not surprised by the return of these musical deities. After all, Creed died… were laid to rest… and rose again. All hail the second coming!

Until next we dance, I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine. Because after all, with every tomorrow comes another life.

BPM

P.S - Those wishing to order a W.W.S.S.D bracelet can contact me via the comments box below. I’m pretty sure we can be more popular than Kabbalah by New Years.

By Independent Consultant Michelle Glasshappy

Tired of your house being constantly filled with fire? Try these simple techniques to deal with the persistent blazes.

-Fighting fire with fire is the traditional wisdom, but it actually is better to fight fire with orphans. Why orphans? Because everyone who has met one knows they’re a complete burden on society.

-Water doesn’t actually extinguish fire nearly as effectively as family pets.

-If you see a fire, quickly stop-drop-and roll it out. Also, roll a couple of orphans over the fire while you’re at it.

-If fire is approaching your house, don’t let the fire have the luxury of eating your house. Dissolve your house in acid before the fire gets there.

-Mix in a little bit of water with some fire. The bigger fire will think the water-fire is one of its kind and let it get close, then the water will extinguish the fire.

-Fire, like most organisms, needs sleep. Figure out its sleeping pattern and interrupt it. The pure fatigue of not getting a good nap will weaken it and make it vulnerable to you.

-Attempt to mind melt with the fire to figure out what makes it tick. If you haven’t established a psychic bond with it yet, you need to get closer.

-Try stabbing the fire with a knife composed of frozen water. If that doesn’t work, try stabbing it with a knife made of frozen steam.

-Make a trail with gasoline leading into your basement. Once you’ve led the fire into your basement, lock the door.

-Sprinkle garlic generously throughout the house since fire–like vampires–abhors garlic.

-Do not begin mopping up the fire until you have swept away some of the larger fire chunks with a broom.

-Maybe fighting fire isn’t always a good idea. Attempt to coexist with the fire by letting it burn some of your house and city. It might be thankful.

-Use radiation. Fire, like most organisms has DNA. Destroy its DNA with radiation and inhibit its ability to reproduce.

-Ignore the fire and it will stop once it realizes that its rude behavior will not succeed in getting your attention.

-If orphans and pets are not enough, you might consider overcoming the fire with astral-projection. Sure, you’re body may burn to a crisp, but your soul will remain intact.

-If your house is haunted, use some of those pesky ghosts to put out the blaze.

-If you need to put out a “fire” in your belly, try Pepcid AC.

-Think outside the box. Mostly cause the box is on fire!

-When the fire isn’t looking, slip a cyanide tablet in its drink.

-If you’re still having trouble getting the fire to leave, just sell it on eBay.

-If your house is at the top of a volcano, and the magma is burning you….well, fuck you.

-As soon as you see that a grease fire has erupted in your kitchen, uninstall Firefox immediately. Opera doesn’t give you third degree burns. Duh.

-Start another fire at the opposite end of the house and the flames will cancel each other out.

-Get some penicillin to treat your gonorrhea if you really want to put out that crotch fire!

-Can’t beat fire? Join it! Consume wood and other flammable materials in all directions.

Are you one of those nanny state liberals who want the government to deal with things like fire? Here’s my advice to you.

-Instead of calling the Fire Department, just call the Water Department silly!

-Have the UN write the towering blaze a letter of reprimand. That’ll stop it for sure.

-Unless the fires has consumed at least half of your house, do not call the fire department since that could waste valuable city resources and tax dollars.

-You should join the Tea Party protests to keep that fire from taxing you, boy howdy!

If you happen to be an actual firefighter, I have professional grade advice for you.

-If you are the fire marshall, find out if any of the firefighters are traitors, secretly aiding the Flame, then execute them.

-Find out the fire’s weaknesses by sending spies into the fire to covertly gather data.

-Pull a more influential bit of the fire aside and bribe it to get the rest of the fire to leave.

-Assassinate the queen fire.

If you don’t like all of this secular advice, here is what the Bible says about dealing with fire.

-An eye for a burnt crispy eye, a tooth for charred dental remains.

-Spare the rod, be engulfed by the fire.

-If a man should lie with another fire, they should be immediately put to death, using fire.

-Judge not, lest ye be burnt crispy.

-God gave his only begotten inferno for our sins. That may seem to go against what you’ve been taught, but remember that Logos was the word for Christ according to the neoplatonist Christians, and for Heraclitus it meant ‘fire.’ Biblical scholars think this is why Jesus is always described as a strong, charismatic chemical reaction burning the countryside.

-Crucifying the fire may seem like a good idea, but biblical history tells us that this will only make it come back reborn, stronger 3 days later as a zombie blaze.

-If the traditional Christian firefighting techniques fail, run to the church and pray to the patron saint of domestic fires.

Cornerstone 20ten announce it’s first wave of artists at Cornerstone Festival 2010 :: Bands.

Switchfoot

Skillet

and more……

Click here to read a great article from New Release Tuesday about the growing influence of Christian rock in our culture.

Walk on Water. words and music by Allen Cross ©2008 How can I claim to be a Christian and walk on water with Christ? Solders on the march stand in a moment of silence before him in our corporate and public assemblies? Beneath our flag we stand in silence as not to offend but what of Christ and his suffering on the Cross? Did he remain silent or did he speak? Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Do not remain silent! Faith without works is dead. I will thank God for the days of sun shine .And when others stand silent in or great assemblies and the storms blow in I will walk on Water. I will pray out load. I will recognize my heritage. I will stand for the Truth that helps me navigate these troublesome waters. Let the storm wind blow! I walk on water with Christ who is my example. When I put my faith in God It is a step of faith on to the waters of this life. The sun is shining and Christ is right in front of me. But what if a storm blows in and the waves of my life become turbulent? A contrast is drawn between my understandings of God and how Christ can save me when I put my eye on him and when I try on my own to walk on water. I will sink like a stone! Christ is lifted by His Father high above me. Only when I realize Gods power will I find the strength to trust in the miracle of salvation and the power of prayer. I am Like Paul who was struck blind only to find his sight. Now! That entire complacent negative attitude should be set aside. Put your faith in God and through the power of prayer walk through the storms and sunshine of life. Walk on water!

“Just another Rainy day” Here is a look at another song I wrote and Andrew and I worked out in the studio. The rain of the soul falls down on each of us. Life and  death  a  reality that each must face with or without Jesus  Christ in their Life. Our faith hope and Love depend  on Christ the cornerstone.

Riding the G train, the cross-Brooklyn local, on a Saturday afternoon . . .

A big guy was sitting by the door with a little kid. The kid was maybe five or six, of indeterminate sex, except for a set of pink rubber boots. Probably a girl. The guy had a big head and thick, almost coke-bottle glasses with thick rims. He looked almost exactly like a friend of mine, a painter who lives off the G in Williamsburg, except that his neck and wrists and even his hands were covered in tattoos, fiery metalhead tattoos, with letters tattooed across the knuckles of each hand, which at first I thought read GODS W111. Yet he looked far too mild-mannered to be a hardcore metalhead and from the way he sat with the little girl he appeared to be her father.

Tehy had a book, a trade paperback with a black cover and big yellow letters on the front. The little girl spelled out the title: “O, W, O . . .”

“That’s an ‘I’,” the guy corrected her a little sternly. Then: “Do you want to read it?”

“No!” The little girl giggled. “Its boring!”

“Boring! Maybe if I read it to you . . . “

“Okay!” The little girl wriggled close to him, starting in the middle of the book, and reading over her shoulder so she could see the page. He read in a soft, flat voice and I could barely hear him over the clattering of the train. “The theoretical . . . backlash of the administrative mindset . . . multiplicity of identities . . . “

From what little I heard it sounded like a combination of Derrida, a political pamphlet, and an office memo. He read slowly, deliberately, turning the page while the little girl squirmed in her seat, laughing at first then looking confused then laughing again and I couldn’t tell if the guy was being ironic and this was a recurring game with them, or if he was serious and she was laughing at him because he did that kind of thing all the time . . .

When I got off the train, I realized his knuckles read ‘God’s Will’. When I got home I googled the phrase, wondering if it was a band. But no band came out and I wondered if he hadn’t been some sort of Christian metalhead, like those Christian hardcore kids I’d read about somewhere, out thrashing for Jesus . . .

Christ-core band Norma Jean

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..

I must be crazy. Really crazy. I finished classes for the semester at UNCW on Wednesday December 2, woke up Thursday and drove from Wilmington, North Carolina to my hometown, Chattanooga, Tennessee. My roommates were sad that I chose to leave so quickly, but there was this band playing in Chattanooga, a band that I have a hard time not going to see if I have the opportunity. Skillet. That’s my obsession. I’ve been following them for eight years now, ever since I heard “Alien Youth” on a compilation CD I bought from a local Christian bookstore.

So I drove nine long hours, got home around 5:30 p.m., quickly changed—combat boots are always a must when attending a rock concert—and then my dad and I went to the venue, Memorial Auditorium in downtown Chattanooga.

I’d forgotten just how nice Memorial is, aside from the bathrooms which looked like they hadn’t been updated in 20 years. We found our plush, maroon seats in row BB—the farthest back I’ve ever sat at a Skillet concert. I’m used to general admission where you can wander up to the front and slip into the mosh pit. But this was assigned seating, so even though I really wanted to rush the stage, I resisted.

Decyfer Down Dec. 3, 2009 Memorial Auditorium

The last time I saw Skillet (way back in April of this year) they were touring with Disciple and this band I’d never heard of—Decyfer Down. I was late getting to that concert and only caught the last song of Decyfer Down, but that was all it took. I immediately bought their latest album, Crash, which recently received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album. If you are fans of Red, which also received a nomination in the same category, then you’ll be a fan of Decyfer Down.

The show began with the stage completely dark—a deep voice came over the speakers, “Jesus spoke these words 2000 years ago,” and then a guitar kicked in, people began screaming. The voice continued speaking, quoting scripture—I think, the sound mixer seemed to overlook the fact that some people actually wanted to understand speakers and lyrics. The lights flashed on, and Decyfer Down rocked it! Being the opening band, they only played for about 30 minutes, but they continued to tell the crowd their purpose for being on stage—to worship God and lead people to Christ. If Decyfer Down continues to produce excellent music, they’ll be around for quite a long time.

TJ Harris, lead singer of Decyfer Down and me Dec. 3, 2009

Next to take the stage was Hawk Nelson. They seem like nice guys, but after listening to the melodic and rockin’ guitars of Decyfer Down, their sound just didn’t compare. A blend between punk and pop rock, Hawk Nelson just isn’t my taste. I spent the first half of their set waiting to talk to TJ Harris, lead singer of Decyfer Down (can you tell I’ve become a huge fan of theirs?). He was a nice guy, kindly talking to fans, signing everything from CD covers, to converse shoes, to a cell phone, and posing for pictures.

Hawk Nelson Dec. 3, 2009 Memorial Auditorium

Back to Hawk Nelson. Their lead singer, Jason Dunn was sick and commented that the Robitussin was making him loopy. I give him props for being about to go on with the show while being sick. And he, and I’m assuming the rest of the band, really seemed to care about making an impact. Dunn encouraged the crowd to sign up for the Mocha Club in the lobby. For a donation of 7 dollars a month, it helps get medicine to children in Africa. For everyone who signed up at the concert, Hawk Nelson gave them a free copy of latest CD, Live Life Loud.

My biggest complaint for the night would be for the unnecessarily long transition between Hawk Nelson and Skillet. Maybe I was just a little anxious to see Skillet, so it seemed too long for me. But as always, it was worth it—everything, my nine hour drive, my frantic packing the night before, the insane amount of caffeine I had had to keep me awake in the car.

The stage went black, and once again a disembodied voice came through the speakers. This time it gave a health warning, that if you weren’t prepared to have you face rocked off, you should consult a doctor, and saying that Skillet was not responsible for crazy behavior (jumping around, screaming till you had no voice, etc.,) that occurred at the concert. Then it began counting down. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1

Skillet Dec. 3, 2009 Memorial Auditorium

BOOM! The drums thunderously came to life, the guitars wailed, and John Cooper’s scratchy voice shouted, “Hello, Chattanooga!” The crowd went wild. Skillet has come a long way since I first saw them, eight years ago in a school or church gym outside Atlanta, Georgia. Now their shows are a full-scale rock concert complete with flashing lights and two rising platforms frequented by Ben Kasica and Korey Cooper, and sometimes Jonathan Chu (violin) and Tate Olsen (cello). It all reminded me of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

About half-way through, John Cooper asked the crowd, “Who here has never been to a Skillet concert?” Over half the crowd raised their hand. Then he asked for “repeat offenders.” He pointed to someone near the front and commented that this guy always seems to be at concerts in this area. This was the guy’s 13^th concert. I shouted that I was at 10, but was too far away for John to hear.

The crowd went wild when they played “Monster,” Skillet’s current hit single that is making its way into mainstream. And hearing “Awake and Alive” live was amazing. I love the lyrics to that song; “I’m awake, I’m alive. Now I know what I believe inside. Now it’s my time. I’ll do what I want ’cause this is my life. Right here, right now. I’ll stand my ground and never back down. I know what I believe inside. I’m awake and I’m alive.” 

I do wish that they had played some of their older songs for those fans who’ve been around a long time. But when you have 8 albums, including a worship album, it must be hard to pick songs for a set list.

Overall, it was an excellent show. If you have to choose one Christian rock band to see in concert, I highly recommend Skillet.

I was out in the rain last night and ran into a old friend and fellow drummer. I told him about my tour for 2010 and his face lit up… Yes I’m getting back out on Tour! I’m putting a group together now to do 4 to 5 dates  late next year.

This is going to be fun Chicago, LA, DC, Miami, Montreal! I created this  tour to do exactly that have fun Oh and by the way make a little money. The days of doing 150 dates on a Bus are gone for me and since I never made it to what some would call the big time I still have created good music and a following I hope that will support this venture.

I’m in  the studio working on a couple of new concepts and I’m about to release a cool uncut reel of some of my older stuff and studio sessions for my fans.

We will be putting energy into creating a more interactive site in the up coming weeks to stay posted to see our new look.

Much love throughout the holidays and go by my holiday tracks on iTunes “Bone 2 die” Little Drummer Boy!(Search to find by “Rayu”) Proceeds go to Christian Education at the Beltsville Adventist elementary School in Belstsville MD

Find sample blogs on a gazillion topics at Alpha Inventions

Sister Alma Rose Insists…

Omigosh. If it’s still December 3 when y’all read this, go immediately to the Morning Prayer at DivineOffice.org and listen to…

Hymn: Amazing Grace by Jane Chifley And Pat McGrath from their album Traditional Catholic Hymns – Lifeboat 14

Sister Alma Rose could dig up only one album by Lifeboat 14 — Who Will Adore Him? (2004) — upon which “Amazing Grace” could not be found.  She looked on several sites and finally discovered this description of the band at Eternity Music:

It’s finally here! Who Will Adore Him? is a CD by Lifeboat 14 containing a mixture of rock, folk, serenade and country. It’s taken a long time and is worth every moment of listening.

Music that will rock you. Music about Mary and the Blessed sacrament. Music that’s Australian. Music that’s Catholic.

You won’t find anything but faith on this CD.

Every Lifeboat 14 album has different artists performing…. The band was founded by Jane Chifley.

Sister Alma Rose sampled several cuts from the album, but none was as clean, elegant, and simply lovely as the unpretentious duet “Amazing Grace.”

One listen to Rez Band’s first album and I was blown away. And when I found out about the church they belong to that was it for me. From then on they were my favorite band.

Jesus People USA is very much involved with helping the poor and homeless in Chicago’s uptown area. I spent part of a summer working in their soup kitchen and living at the commune.

Oh! Wait! I forgot! This is supposed to be a blog about music! My bad!

From Rez Band’s debut album (circa ‘78) here’s the song Waves.

And just for the record, the screaming DJ at the beginning of the clip, I can do his radio rant, word for word.

“AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN’!!!

Speaking of eclectic, here’s the strangest pairing since Anita Dunn put Chairman Mao with Mother Theresa, my two favorite music videos.

One is a serious Christian Rock video and two is a crazy J-Pop video.  The former is by Mercy Me and their tune “I can only Imagine.”  The song about the joy of heaven.  You’ll see everyone holding up pictures of their loved one’s who’ve passed away.

This song really hits close to home since my mother passed away just last year.

The latter video is by Polysics.  They’re like a cross between early B-52’s and Devo on Red Bull extreme.  And it doesn’t get any more extreme than “New Wave Jacket.”

My two favorite videos, the oddest pairing you’ll ever see.

I imagine I have plenty of confessions ahead of me, but here’s my first one: I think Paramore are a kick-ass band. It’s true. I said my three Hail Marys pre-emptively, so let’s just continue. Instead of reviewing their new album Brand New Eyes in full, I thought I’d put it up against Flyleaf’s new album Memento Mori. Why? Because both albums were highly anticipated this year and both bands share certain musical similarities. Plus, both are fronted by hot chicks who have admitted to digging the whole Christianity thing. So let’s begin: you know that Jesus loves you, but which attractive vocalist is his favourite? He died for us all, but which band did he die for more?

I think Paramore have a cool image, grounded attitude and some awesome songs. Their last album was dominated by its singles, but this was easily written off as youthful indiscretion. Considering how some girls spend their insecure teenage years, I’m quite glad that the worst Hayley Williams did was write some album filler. Brand New Eyes is similar in this respect, to the extent that it is often inspired, but occasionally insipid. Part of the problem is how Hayley’s voice has become even more powerful and this time it completely overpowers her lacklustre band. Still, despite this the album feels curiously strong as a cohesive whole. Nothing hits the highs of ‘Misery Business’ or ‘Crushcrushcrush’, but ‘Ignorance’ and ‘Brick by Boring Brick’ come in close. The latter has a cheerful pace combined with an inner melancholy which helps give the entire album a broken fairy tale vibe. This is backed up by the addition of slower and more introspective moments like ‘Misguided Ghosts’ and the addition of ‘Decode’ on the end as a bonus track. Therefore, the first set of Jesus points go to Paramore.

Sadly I have also yet to read a professional review of Brand New Eyes that isn’t exceedingly patronising. Presumably because the band’s biggest growth between albums has been the maturation evident in their lyrics. Although they always kept their religious beliefs implicit, this time some songs explicitly question the value of their faith as they trade their provincial world for a global one where hypocrisies are readily exposed. This seems to impress critics, who want nothing more than to give them a gold star and ruffle their recently less emo hair. Rather than a narrative about losing faith or coming of age, the album creates an aura of disillusionment with fables of both childhood and adulthood. When combined with their optimistic rhythms and Hayley’s charming voice, the album becomes incredibly endearing. Unlike Flyleaf’s…

The first distinction between the two bands is that Lacey Mosley’s group can certainly keep up with her. The album opens to more dynamic riffs and structures than Paramore could hope to accommodate. There’s also something subversively sexual about the way she sings ‘Beautiful Bride.’ That is until she rhymes it with ‘Body of Christ’ and destroys any erotic facade that her rock chick image created. As buff as I’m sure our Lord was, religious symbolism just isn’t hot. Their last album was much more subtle about the idea of faith but here they graduate from being a rock band who just happen to be Christians, to a Christian rock band. Whereas before there was audible angst and a longing for ethereal contact, now the tone implies that their voids are almost overflowing with Holy Spirit. As I said, not sexy. The religious metaphors soon become repetitive, and drag the melodies down with them until it’s all a bit preachy and mundane. Technically it’s much more kinetic than Brand New Eyes, but still somehow tedious. In both sense of the word, it’s just so…missionary. By the time the album reaches its half way point, things have become so Biblically tiresome that you just want someone to throw in a dinosaur fossil to shake things up a bit. Dawkins points also go to Paramore.

Contrary to what you might think, I don’t actually want to go into a debate about Christian rock. Flyleaf have their fan base, and judging by their interviews, they are also surprisingly self aware. That is discounting comments like this:

We’re writing a new record soon, so if you could pray for that, too, that would be awesome!

Because I feel it might be offensive to certain groups to judge the merits of a band purely on their beliefs, I will do it entirely on who has the hottest vocalist instead. I’m pretty sure it’s what Jesus would do. So personally I find Paramore to be superior, but then again I am incredibly biased. Possibly if anyone else was fronting the band, I would be saying ‘Brand New Eyes houses some reasonably pedestrian guitar riffs and rather perfunctory production values’ rather than ‘Hayley is so hot, I’d drink her bathwater.’ Who knows?

Of course, if I was judging these albums on how well they achieve their own objective, then Flyleaf have created a solid set of allegories set to moderately rocking music. If that’s your communion, then I recommend Memento Mori. Personally, I’m thankful that Hayley sports the Devil’s red hair, so I shall willingly join the legions of males who would happily sell their soul for a glimpse at whether the carpet matches the curtains.

In the spirit of Christianity, I will get off the cross and conclude with a simple message gone wrong. This time it’s the vocal faux pas on Flyleaf’s ‘In the Dark’. The echo effect and reverb on Lacey’s voice does not create atmosphere, only an imitation Irish accent. When she says ‘I used to hide myself, in the dark, in the dark’ she may as well be finishing the sentence with ‘to be sure, to be sure’ instead. The result is more potato famine than post grunge. Whether this is a Catholic in-joke or not, I am not sure.

Artist: Me in Motion
Title: Me in Motion
Website: http://www.meinmotion.com
Style: Christian/ Pop/ Rock
Label: Centricity Music
Rating: 8.7 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

Band Lineup: Seth Mosley (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Tim Wilson (bass, backing vocals), and Brian Dexter (drums, backing vocals).

Me in Motion was formed in 2006 and list some of their music influences as, Jet, Foo Fighters, Switchfoot, Oasis, The Killers, Weezer, The Bravery and the Beatles.

This self-titled debut release from the band is filled with a mixture of pop/rock music that will make you a happy person. On this release the band is able to find just the right mix of upbeat rockers and more rhythmic anthem tracks.

Band vocalist Seth Mosley produced the first three songs found on the release while award winning producer Ian Eskelin (Dove Award for “Producer of the Year” in 2008) was brought on board to handle the producing duties on the rest of the songs.

When asked about the band’s songs Seth Mosley said, “I’m trying to write songs that will inspire people to ‘live’ in a way they never have before, to realize that loving everyone, regardless of circumstance, is what it’s really all about. Doing simple things like helping their neighbors, or sitting by a lonely kid at the lunch table at school, or giving someone an open ear–It’s often those little things that let people around us know how much they’re really loved.

The releases first track-, “Losers,” is a really good example of that thought process with its pumping rock beats and song lyrics filled with words of encouragement for all those who feel like their outcast and have been rejected by their peers.

Track-2, “Leaving Here Someday,” keeps the music pumping with its pop filled beats interesting song arrangement. The song talks about being constantly feed with ‘Hollywood’ type of dreams, that in the end will leave you only feeling empty inside. Also that we need to concentrate on what’s really important and realize that this is only our temporary home.

The next track that grabbed my attention was track-5, “Back to You.” This track is a mini-power ballad that deals with back sliding in your faith life and reaching that point when you realize that you’re not where you should be and turning back to God.

Track-7, “You Never Fail Me,” is the most rocking track found on the release. The song is filled with big guitar and drum beats that drive it along with nice lead and backing vocals. The song deals with the fact that God is always going to be there by your side, even when you do something you shouldn’t, He won’t forsake you. The peace that comes from knowing that is one that can’t be beat.

Track-9, “Losing Myself,” caught my attention for the keyboard parts that are found on it, that give the song an interesting sound.

This release ends with track-10, “You Move Me,” another ballad style track that’s filled with worship for God. The song deals with reaching that point in your faith life that you don’t need to have evidence of His existence right in front of you to believe and following His guidance for your life.

While Me in Motion doesn’t break any earth shattering new musical ground with their music, they do what they do very well, playing a very radio friendly pop/rock style of music that’s filled with song lyrics that offer up words of encouragement and hope that will lift your spirit. Any music that can accomplish that sounds like a really good thing to me.

Have you ever been called a pharisee or a legalist? I hurts a bit. Have you ever had the displeasure to have to call out someones sin? I personally feel bad if people see me with dirt all over. Please someone! tell me if I’m full of sin! I don’t want to be like that before my Holy God!

As of late, I’ve noticed that many people I know are emerging out of rigid Christianity. Every time I hear of another brother or sister going that way, my heart is pricked. I feel a deep sorrow and it nearly brings me to tears. Why? Why can’t believers just take the bible for what it says? Can’t they read it? can’t they understand it? Does anyone take the time to read the Word anymore? why do people feel the need to spiritualize it as though the plain meaning just isn’t enough? is it too legalistic? too pharisaic?

(Hebrews 5:12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

When you left the tight and rigid Christianity, where did you go? sloppy and loose Christianity? Jesus said “If you love me keep my commandments” and for those who think that “Love God” and “Love your neighbor” are Jesus’ only two commandments. Try reading the bible some time. Good works and keeping commandments DO NOT get you to heaven, neither do they seal your seat in heaven but they are your evidence. Let your light shine! Stop looking like the filth of this world.

Praise God that my salvation and exercise thereof isn’t dependent upon other peoples loose ideas of scripture. I am not perfect, but I want to try. I’m bought with a price, and his blood is worth, at least, my full life’s attempt.

(1 Peter 1:16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Second Banner
I have my second Atypical Jesus banner!!! I LOVE doing this stuff. Here it is:

I draw my art on this website: Neondragonart.com. When I posted this piece of art and left a link that leads to this site, some people who were not believers got upset. Some other people defended me, even if they didn’t believe in Jesus, and I’d like to post some of those people’s comments.

Replying to comment by someone who called themself a “half atheist”, another person said:
“`Half` atheist? Speaking as a 100% atheist I feel compelled to say you should respect other members artwork by not calling them an idiot for believing in something YOU dont agree with. Religous freedom works both ways and they were not bashing atheists or making you go to church so calm down. As for the picutre I like the lettering and heart that you did.”
The “half atheist” was complaining about Christians and how relgious ‘idiots’ should just go away. I appreciate the 100% atheist because they showed me respect, even when they didn’t believe what I believe. That takes some real courage and even some Christians won’t show those who don’t believe what they believe respect. This person shows good character and true kindness. On top of that, they actually said something nice about the picture. Woohoo, that was awesome of them!

Another person said:
“i like the picture, but im not…uh, well im not wutever religion u r, that’s for sure. i really like the border. and the stuff around the heart.
actually, i don’t think anyone on here is the same religion as me…..not even my family is…..XD “
I love that this person can say they don’t agree and still show such kindness. That’s sweet!

Another said:
“I like how the border blends in. The gold color makes it pop.
P.S .to bashers- Art is all about expression of your own thoughts and beliefs. This is something she has a passion for and incorporating it in her art is what MAKES art personal.”
This last comment blew me away. This was amazing that this person realized what makes are so personal and real. Part of art is expressing a piece of who you are, and that’s what I did, and that’s what she pointed out. BRAVO.
That’s it. I replied to kind people and I really wanted to post this.

Religious freedom does work in both ways. It takes respect from both parties for us to live together and to tolerate each other better. This is how we can get along more in this world.

Elizabeth’s Birthday
My friend from my bible study group turned 18! It was last week and I made her a card and got some of our friends to sign it. I made muffins for 12 and just for her, I got a piece of strawberry cake and put a candle in it. I got neckleces and gave them to my friends. I got a bunch of candy and shared it with people who came to our table. I gave her a birthday balloon. She said she loved it all and she thanked me a lot for it. My friend Andrea said I was too sweet, and that comment made me so happy. It’s still ringing in my heart, LOL! I told Elizabeth I loved her and she was so happy. This is what I do for my friends to show Jesus’s love through me. It’s what I’m supposed to do- care. Not necessarily this much, but I just wanted to care this much.

Just doing small, nice things for people- congradulating them, making them feel special, talking to them, being nice to them- you can show them God’s love.

Operation Christmas Child
Instead of going to NewSpring for the past few weeks, I’ve been going to Electric City Fellowship, which is a smaller and more personal church, because it is smaller. Not to say that NewSpring is not personal. They were doing this program called ‘Operation Christmas Child’, where people get shoeboxes and fill them with gifts for needy children around the world.

Even without a real job, I scrambled up some money to do two boxes, which cost me about $40. I did one for a boy and one for a girl. I bought an Etch-a-Sketch, 2 boxes of markers, a stuffed animal, 2 ring pops, 2 toothbrushes and 2 boxes of toothpaste. I put a picture of myself in each box along with a letter in each one and a picture of Jesus with children in each one. I put a little green bible in the one for the girl.

I honestly wish I could have put more stuff in there, but I did not have that much money. My letter explained how Jesus loves them very much, and how even when they are sad, he is watching over them. I said if they trust him, they will meet him in heaven and always be happy, even when they are not happy on earth.

I explained how he thought they were beautiful and precious and how they mean so much to him. I said that he really wants them to have the gifts because he loves them, and then I put in a few sentences about how to recieve Christ. I prayed that they might recieve him, and I’ll pray a lot more. It’s so important to me. I wrote everything in a way that I think 10-14 year olds can understand. I must say, the feeling of giving to those who actually need it most is worth much more than a mere $40. The act in itself will be priceless to them, and it’s priceless that they might meet Jesus and that he may change them and flip their lives right-side-up and make their lives a lot better.

Christmas is not about Americans getting more of what they have plenty enough of, it is not about selfish acts and endless greed. For well-off people, Christmas should not be about getting but about giving. Sometimes, that goes for those who don’t have much. God the Father gave us Jesus, because we need him so much. We should also give because others need it much more than we could ever need it. That is the true Spirit of Christmas, and that’s what Jesus is really about.

Here’s a story about someone who received a gift from Operation Christmas Child, and how it changed her: Read it please!

More Art
A picture of Lacey Mosley, from the band Flyleaf. It’s one of my all time favorite bands, along with Korn. It took me around 10 hours to draw.
This is the smaller version. Click on it to see the actual size.

Reference picture: Lacey Mosley!
You like? LOL it took sooo long, but it was so worth it. Flyleaf is an AWESOME christian rock band, and Lacey is amazing, hence this picture. Haha. I must say that their new CD recently came out and I wanted to get it. I remember going to Target to get my Operation Christmas Child stuff and I thought about how it had just came out. I looked in the CD isle for it and saw one was left.

The CD is called ‘Memento Mori’ and I had been waiting for the longest time for a new Flyleaf CD to finally come out, because I had heard all they already had out. Of course, there was no way I would trade the Christmas Child opportunity for that desire. It broke my heart to walk away from it and it really did hurt a little, but it was truly okay. I think I child’s life means so much more than that! Thank you, Jesus!

A few days ago I went to a presentation by “The Embassy” a student ministry at a nearby university. The topic of discussion was Hell. Here was what I found out about the event on their website beforehand:

Skeptics Welcome:

Nov. 09/09 – Go To Hell
The concept of Hell is hard to swallow – that a large number of people will spend their afterlife in a place of eternal torment and unquenchable fire. At The Embassy, we want to take a good, hard look at where this idea came from, expose the myths associated with it, and make some suggestions that might just surprise you – whether you’ve been attending church your whole life or have spent an equally long time avoiding it.

And judging by this material I had the impression that this group would be more progressive and rational than other church groups. On the flyer it said that “the concept of Hell is hard to swallow” and I jokingly commented that they would try to make me swallow it. Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened.

When I walked into the small auditorium I was surprised  to see band equipment on the stage. I believed that this was going to be a thoughtful discussion. However, I was surprised once more when I had to endure three terrible Christian rock songs before they got to the substance of the discussion. This involved me sitting down while the faithful stood up, some with their arms in the air (maybe even waving them like they just didn’t care).

The first speaker talked about what Hell might be like. He quoted some theologians and apologists and came to the conclusion that we don’t exactly what kind of place Hell is, but it is not a place you want to be. What I thought was going to be a thoughtful discussion was actually a sermon. I was being preached to. This part wasn’t all that bad. The speaker did assume that the Bible was the true word of God and that Hell existed, but I couldn’t have expected much more from a church group.

It was the next part that really surprised me. The main pastor came up on stage and talked about why Hell exists in the first place. He said that God created Hell for Satan and the other fallen angels who rebelled, but made no connection to human afterlife.

He also said that heaven would not be heaven if all the bad people could get in. And he said that these bad people would be getting what they wanted anyways, to be away from God. However, he still maintained that God was still omnipresent because only the compassionate part of his nature would be missing in Hell (also known as a cop-out).

Furthermore, the pastor said that qualifying for heaven has nothing to do with the amount good things or bad things you did. He said that all that was required was belief in Jesus Christ. But, it is never answered what happens to people who have never heard the Gospel. It is also never explained how a belief in a deity has to do with being a good person.

In addition, he ends up contradicting some of the statements he made earlier about it being easy to imagine Hitler, Osama Bin Laden and other evil people being in Hell because he labelled them as evil solely by their actions. It is very arguable that Hitler who was Christian is in heaven. It is even arguable that Bin Laden is in heaven because for all we know he may have been a believer in Christ.

During the sermon we could text questions to the pastor to be answered at the end. Two of my questions came up at the end. The first one was: What if you don’t believe in the concept of Hell? They basically answered me as a Christian and said that the Bible makes it clear that Hell exists. But, I guess that’s the basis of Christian apologetics: assumptions and more assumptions.

My second question (more of a comment) was: An omnipotent God is capable of infinite rehabilitation especially a loving one. And for this they answered me as if I was a Catholic and which consisted of  the concept of Purgatory being attacked.

The pastor also said that when you force your will on a person it is the same as rape. So, sending people to Hell in the first place doesn’t count as imposing on someone? And he also made the point that some people might not want to reform. This logically implies that given the option of heaven or hell that some people would actually choose Hell (which is both a very disgusting and fallacious suggestion).

At the end of the sermon, the conclusion they came up to was “God is not loving in spite of Hell, but because of Hell.” By that time I was already thoroughly annoyed, but I still had to endure some Christian rock music as I exited the auditorium. Overall, I felt I was deceived into believing I would hear some rational discussion. Instead, it just ended up being like any other sermon; it was meant for indoctrination, not education.

My favorite blogger Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs besides having a take no prisoners to perdition with being politically correct attitude she also has a Saturday music open thread to lighten things up.   I think a weekend music thread is a good idea.

Twice, I’ve done music posts on the soapbox before

and my other blog even has a theme song . . .

But let’s see if I can keep a weekend tradition of my own going!

For this week there’s my favorite music video of all time,

“I Can Only Imagine” by the band Mercy Me

Notice everyone holding up pictures of their dear departed ones.  What joy they must be feeling right now.  “I Can Only Imagine!”

Every blog should have a theme song,

so here’s mine

It’s Rez and

“Love Comes Down”

Because when you lose you win!