Say you have so much love for someone and you then decide, for whatever reason, to love them less. You have redirected that love away from that person towards something else, usually this something else is yourself. Therefor, the more a person decides not to love others, the more they love themselves. I'm not talking about liking someone. This changes with the day. Loving someone is different. We are called to love everyone though all too often we love ourselves more than we love anyone else. Each person we meet we either love a little or hate a little. God gives us love and gives us the freedom to use it as we choose. Use it wisely.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Christian Music
I love music, and I'm very into it. I love finding new artists, whether that means actually new or just new to me. Though one thing I keep noticing is how few Christian artists I like.
I thought for a while that I just wasn't looking into Christian music hard enough and once I was into it I would find a lot more artists that I liked. Well this is only partially true. Yes, there are some good ones out there if you look really hard. But a big part of why I don't like it is the same reason the rest of the world doesn't like it. Ever notice that it's only played on Christian stations? I understand that even if it was really good there would be a lot of people who wouldn't like it for the sole reason that it is Christian. But there are a lot of Christians who listen to secular radio and would like to hear a Christian song if it was really good. I didn't like most of it because most of it wasn't as good as the secular stuff. It lacked creativity, originality. It sounded like the Contemporary Christian from the 80's and we haven't been there for a long time.
I understand that some people really like the mainstream Christian music right now and to you I say, that's wonderful. I'm happy for you. But there are also a lot of people who listen to it just because it's Christian. This was me for a while. I listened to stuff that wasn't very good because I couldn't find anything better. So I convinced myself that it was good. And it usually wasn't. This makes me sad because there are so many talented musicians and it just seems like if you combined talent with passion for Christ, it would be something really good.
Well for one thing, I started noticing that there are really good talented Christian artists, who just aren't usually as popular as the very mainstream noncreative artists. And I think the reason for this is that if you're going to be a Christian artist and do well on Christian radio, you are being put in a very specific catagory. Reaching a very specific crowd. And this is fine. But for the rest of us we may want something else, something different. And this is a very difficult area to do well in.
I also realized that God might like some music that isn't praise music. This was sort of revolutionary. I realized that all talent comes from God. If I'm a Christian and my talent is music and I live to glorify God with my life, if I sing a song that is about my friend instead of a praise song to God, does this glorify Him? I say, absolutely. He gave us that talent and He gave us that friend. When we use our talent to make beautiful noise for Him even if the words are about something else, I believe they indirectly glorify God. Just like the song of solomon is God glorifying even though it's about love between a man and a woman. Now this is not to say that ALL music glorifies God even though it showcases talent that God gave us. Because we can sing things that go against God. We can sing about induldgence in sins and this does not glorify God. It's kind of weird though because we are using what God gave us and yet we are sinning against Him. But this is true in all parts of life. We take a beautiful thing and use it wrongly.
I think one problem is there are a lot of talented Christians who think that they have to fit into the Christian radio catagory and they just don't. And if they don't they either try really hard their whole life to fit into it or they change to secular music that has no trace of Christianity. This is wrong too.
So, I realized several things.
1. Most of the popular Christian stuff is popular because the crowd they are reaching like it but it's not very creative and a lot of Christians would like something else.
2. There is something else out there but it's not extremely popular. It doesn't do really well on Christian radio because it doesn't fit that very specific catagory and it doesn't do well other places I guess becaue people just don't think Christian music can do well other places.
3. Some music is God glorifying without being Christian music. As in, if you're a Christian there's really not such a thing as secular. Everything you do is for Him.
4. The bands that are Christian and do well are either a) a perfect fit for Christian radio. Or b) they sing some stuff that isn't Christian. Example: U2, The Fray, Jonny Lang, etc.
I believe that you can be a Christian, be creative, do your own thing, still sing about Jesus, sing about other stuff that still glorifies God and still be really good!!
I thought for a while that I just wasn't looking into Christian music hard enough and once I was into it I would find a lot more artists that I liked. Well this is only partially true. Yes, there are some good ones out there if you look really hard. But a big part of why I don't like it is the same reason the rest of the world doesn't like it. Ever notice that it's only played on Christian stations? I understand that even if it was really good there would be a lot of people who wouldn't like it for the sole reason that it is Christian. But there are a lot of Christians who listen to secular radio and would like to hear a Christian song if it was really good. I didn't like most of it because most of it wasn't as good as the secular stuff. It lacked creativity, originality. It sounded like the Contemporary Christian from the 80's and we haven't been there for a long time.
I understand that some people really like the mainstream Christian music right now and to you I say, that's wonderful. I'm happy for you. But there are also a lot of people who listen to it just because it's Christian. This was me for a while. I listened to stuff that wasn't very good because I couldn't find anything better. So I convinced myself that it was good. And it usually wasn't. This makes me sad because there are so many talented musicians and it just seems like if you combined talent with passion for Christ, it would be something really good.
Well for one thing, I started noticing that there are really good talented Christian artists, who just aren't usually as popular as the very mainstream noncreative artists. And I think the reason for this is that if you're going to be a Christian artist and do well on Christian radio, you are being put in a very specific catagory. Reaching a very specific crowd. And this is fine. But for the rest of us we may want something else, something different. And this is a very difficult area to do well in.
I also realized that God might like some music that isn't praise music. This was sort of revolutionary. I realized that all talent comes from God. If I'm a Christian and my talent is music and I live to glorify God with my life, if I sing a song that is about my friend instead of a praise song to God, does this glorify Him? I say, absolutely. He gave us that talent and He gave us that friend. When we use our talent to make beautiful noise for Him even if the words are about something else, I believe they indirectly glorify God. Just like the song of solomon is God glorifying even though it's about love between a man and a woman. Now this is not to say that ALL music glorifies God even though it showcases talent that God gave us. Because we can sing things that go against God. We can sing about induldgence in sins and this does not glorify God. It's kind of weird though because we are using what God gave us and yet we are sinning against Him. But this is true in all parts of life. We take a beautiful thing and use it wrongly.
I think one problem is there are a lot of talented Christians who think that they have to fit into the Christian radio catagory and they just don't. And if they don't they either try really hard their whole life to fit into it or they change to secular music that has no trace of Christianity. This is wrong too.
So, I realized several things.
1. Most of the popular Christian stuff is popular because the crowd they are reaching like it but it's not very creative and a lot of Christians would like something else.
2. There is something else out there but it's not extremely popular. It doesn't do really well on Christian radio because it doesn't fit that very specific catagory and it doesn't do well other places I guess becaue people just don't think Christian music can do well other places.
3. Some music is God glorifying without being Christian music. As in, if you're a Christian there's really not such a thing as secular. Everything you do is for Him.
4. The bands that are Christian and do well are either a) a perfect fit for Christian radio. Or b) they sing some stuff that isn't Christian. Example: U2, The Fray, Jonny Lang, etc.
I believe that you can be a Christian, be creative, do your own thing, still sing about Jesus, sing about other stuff that still glorifies God and still be really good!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Fun times..
Things to do if you're bored:
Canoe in a dry creek bed.
Float in a canoe in the middle of a pond while reading.
Dig holes. Deep ones.
Make your own slip n slide out of trash bags, water and dish soap.
Find a creek, find the steepest bank, and climb it.
Ride your bike to the nearest sonic or dollar store.
Have a silly string fight with as many people as possible.
Do the same with water baloons. Invite the neighbors.
Sleep in a tent in your back yard.
Make s'mores. You can do this with a fire place, bon fire, microwave, gas stove, candle, or any other form of heat.
Read a funny book aloud with friends.
Dye your hair with the cheapest hair dye you can find.
Rent a super hero movie.
Rent an indie film and watch it with a friend really late at night with lots of sugar and caffine. Redbull is good for this.
Make a desert out of anything and everything sweet in your house.
Turn on music really loud in the middle of the house and dance with any family members who pass by.
Go on really, really, long walks.
Canoe in a dry creek bed.
Float in a canoe in the middle of a pond while reading.
Dig holes. Deep ones.
Make your own slip n slide out of trash bags, water and dish soap.
Find a creek, find the steepest bank, and climb it.
Ride your bike to the nearest sonic or dollar store.
Have a silly string fight with as many people as possible.
Do the same with water baloons. Invite the neighbors.
Sleep in a tent in your back yard.
Make s'mores. You can do this with a fire place, bon fire, microwave, gas stove, candle, or any other form of heat.
Read a funny book aloud with friends.
Dye your hair with the cheapest hair dye you can find.
Rent a super hero movie.
Rent an indie film and watch it with a friend really late at night with lots of sugar and caffine. Redbull is good for this.
Make a desert out of anything and everything sweet in your house.
Turn on music really loud in the middle of the house and dance with any family members who pass by.
Go on really, really, long walks.
Sit in a hot tub with coffee, music and awesome people.
I have tested all of these boredom sollutions personally and find them all quite satisfactory.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Alas, I have been tagged!
What I was doing 10 years ago: I was 8 years old, living in an old victorian house in Hallettsville. I was mostly swimming in our pool, playing barbies, and visiting Mema and Papa.
Five things on my To Do List today:
1. Water my garden
2. Cut Molly's hair
3. Give Molly a bath
4. Listen to a Mark Driscoll sermon (Faith and Works)
5. Finish planning my awesome birthday!
Snacks I enjoy:
1. Peanut butter fold-overs
2. Red Pears
3. Chips and home-made salsa
4. Chocolate
5. Kashi bars
(sorry Ev, we just have similar taste!)
What I would do if I were a billionaire:
Hmm, I would give some to all of these people I know who are waiting to do awesome things but are halted by funds, that would include myself.
Five places I have lived:
1. Petionville, Haiti
2. Pelerin, Haiti
3. Manchester, CT
4. Halletsville, Tx
5. Bryan, Tx
Five jobs I have had:
1. Orphanage worker
2. Baby-sitter
3. Cook
4. Housekeeper
5. Hole Digger... :)
Five things on my To Do List today:
1. Water my garden
2. Cut Molly's hair
3. Give Molly a bath
4. Listen to a Mark Driscoll sermon (Faith and Works)
5. Finish planning my awesome birthday!
Snacks I enjoy:
1. Peanut butter fold-overs
2. Red Pears
3. Chips and home-made salsa
4. Chocolate
5. Kashi bars
(sorry Ev, we just have similar taste!)
What I would do if I were a billionaire:
Hmm, I would give some to all of these people I know who are waiting to do awesome things but are halted by funds, that would include myself.
Five places I have lived:
1. Petionville, Haiti
2. Pelerin, Haiti
3. Manchester, CT
4. Halletsville, Tx
5. Bryan, Tx
Five jobs I have had:
1. Orphanage worker
2. Baby-sitter
3. Cook
4. Housekeeper
5. Hole Digger... :)
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