Like Jesus?

Commentary: So I was listening to this song and the line that stood out most to me was the part that says…”so let’s grab a starbucks baby and spend a little more.” It seems that whenever “we”, as Americans, tend to get frustrated or in debt our mentality is to buy in to the corporate business and spend a little more. This song is actually making fun of the American system. Please allow me to ask you, the masses, to not write me off just yet. My view point can be quite radical at times as well as eccentric. All I can ask any of us to do is look at Jesus’ life and see how he lived and how much we can actually be like him.

Five Down for Fighting Superman...

I was listening to this song and encountered a life story that I rarely get out or tell. The life story just happens to be my own and is something of a sensitive issue, to me, than most topics. I used to think this song was nothing more than a mere hip…pop song that just had a nice little tizzy piano riff but after listening and giving a great amount of attention to the lyrics I have come up with a new way in which I view the song.

Being the son of a preacher man I have moved around quite a bit. I have seen and done a lot of things in my life. I have been shoved down, stretched out, and pushed to my limit. I have been just like everyone else and had my good and bad times. I have never had withdraw and have always desired to know something better about myself and see the better part of other people as well which is why I believe the first part of the song is the most powerful part of the whole song.

I can’t stand to fly. I’m not that naïve. I’m just out to find the better part of me.

All my life I have seen other people that help me shape who I am. Which has been me seeing things that I like or dislike? I have learned how to build up walls and defenses in which I am no longer a naïve child and able to let my timid emotions to get hands laid on. This year I have done everything I can to tear down those walls. I have looked for the good in everyone I come into contact with. I think that especially this year I have sought to discover who I really am. I have had to rely mostly on God and his understanding to help me through many hard times while being on my own. My faith has grown tremendously during this time period.

You know, really looking back on everything that has happened to me and have a pity party but the better thing to do would be to take a breath of fresh air and grow up.

It’s not easy to be anyone…

Martin the Poop thrower???

So I was reading about an awesome new revolutionary. A man so insane he had to be crazy, if that makes any sense. The name might ring a bell as Martin Luther. No not Jr. from the civil rights movement. I am talking about the man who stood up to the Catholic Church. I was reading about this guy and found out that he not only wrote much literature but also many songs. When he branched off from the church and started his own sector (the Lutheran church). He created a new set of songs. I have to confess I have read over them and they do not tend to be that good. I would even go as far as to say that they seem to be a bit dull and repetitive.

This is in no sense disrespect to the man. I mean he started a whole new movement with his charisma. He opened new minds to new ideas outside those of the Catholic Church. In the beginning of this post I mentioned the word insane, please let me elaborate on this a little bit… when Luther would get depressed he would throw his feces against the wall in the confession room. Now would you let me be a little blunter…when this crazy cat would get angry he would throw his poop against the wall. Yes, good friend this was the father of Protestantism. Hmmm???

I know How the Story Goes (I'll Come Back Again)

I Know How the Story Goes (I’ll Come Back Again)

Verse 1

The blur of the road seems to cover ground quicker

Than what I thought it would

These tears fill this cup to the brim to tell

How these feelings are held to with…stand

Bridge

So much to lose in a small town but I

Can’t help but wonder what we can…be

Chorus

Shades of grey cover my vision

A loss of depth perception

We seek we find another heart stays in mind

But a spring of color tells a story

Of hope inside two hearts we find alive tonight.

Verse 2

This reflection of love laughs at me misery knows my pain well

Hands down this covers our lies tonight

And I find it hard to breathe when worked up with this feeling

Will you take your eyes and calm this storm inside

Ending

And I know the story started off sad but that doesn’t mean it has to end that way

A new sun will rise to the east I’ll come back again

Commentary: This is actually a love song I wrote when I was in high school. I was only a sophomore and quite confused about what love really was, as I am still today. The time period of the song was during a pivotal and transitional moment in my life. I was moving away to West Virginia and I was going to have to leave my girlfriend behind. We told each other we would try to make it work and so I wrote a song about how time passes us by. It really is a sad song. I think there is also a lot of confusion in the song. I really didn’t know what to feel about the girl. So many different emotions worked me up inside so in the song when I say “will you take your eyes and calm this storm inside” I was trying to look to her for comfort. But in the midst of all this depression I put a sense of hope in the ending. I wanted there to be some happiness in the song that would motivate both parties.

Needless to say I never had the guts to sing the song to the girl before I left. Two weeks passes after moving when I finally returned to make a visit. We broke up the last night I was there. The girl never heard the song. But sometimes when I see her picture in old memories and yearbooks I still think about making a quick visit and singing the song to her…..but I never do. Time moves on I guess.

I Say We Stand

I Say We Stand.

Verse 1

How can the sunrise fly? When all else has failed

Every abstract painting tells its own story

I once stood proud and proud to stand

But time has well let that pass

Chorus

But I say we stand for something different

Take our own pen and write the fates away

So turn to face the crowd and shout it out loud

Sot turn to face the crowd and shout it shout it out loud

Verse 2

A brother to a man seems so useless

A standard of wealth captures the intentions

The hate prospers for what benefit of glory

We screen our lies turn up our eyes but…

(Repeat Chorus)

Bridge

So many desires of this life

Proven to be false

But God asks us to rise above

Deny yourself pick up your cross and…

Commentary: I wrote this song back when I was a sophomore in high school. My brother was youth pastor at a church and had kind of talked with me a little bit about what he was talking to his youth group about.

He was talking about how Jesus preached that God’s kingdom was sort of an upside down kingdom in the world’s eyes. I soon began to question my brother on his motives and quickly tagged him as a heretic but was soon changed when he began to explain to me why he suggested such a thing. He began to talk about how when Jesus came to earth he humbled and lowered himself to the point where he was willing to die for everyone here on earth. This was quite contrary to the way people wanted Jesus to be. The Jews wanted a military general with super natural powers that would free them from the bondage of the Roman emperor. But instead Jesus came as a meek and humble man who called us to love our enemies, think nothing of yourself, and to pick up our cross and follow him, where ever that may be. It really struck me deep and I soon after began to write a song about this new concept on life.

The first verse was actually something God said to me I believe. I had woken to go to school that day and was taking out the garbage on the back porch (yes, God can speak to you anytime even when you take out the garbage). I was having a bad week at school and God came down and encouraged me by saying to me “Josiah how can the sunrise fly when all else has failed”. It struck a chord deep within me and that is how the song was begun. I soon implied the concept my brother Caleb had taught me.

The second verse I considered all the things in life we are a slave to. How family values which Christ preached about had diminished greatly in our society. How a dream of wealth and prosperity is what we like to call the “American Dream”. Yet Jesus had come down and said “blessed are the poor” (Matthew 5:3). The ending comes from the verse Matthew 16:24-28. God calls us to deny our self, pick up our cross and follow him. This is so much easier said then done. So often I find myself pre-occupied with the things that sparkle on this world but I must remember to have an eternal perspective and keep in a relationship with God.

The chorus is calling to set ourselves apart from the world. Please come and accept the calling and may we change the world with God on our side.

This Land is yours and this can be mine!!! ok!!

In English 101 we recently watched a comparison video on youtube. Both videos were of the same song with the same lyrics as well as tune. The "context" however was totally different. The name of the video was "This Land is your land". One video was by far a more optimistic video while the other seemed to be a more pessimistic video. This was not a political exercise in class but more of a context comparison exercise.

The first video was one of optimism. The video presented itself in glorified expression of America with its waving flags, majestic buildings, and pride in patriotism. They had a majestic chorus with an ensemble of instruments that was enough to make any man take off his hat, stand, and salute. The thing was that it did not produce very many pictures of people in the video. The second video although was quite different.

The second video was the same song except sung by Bob Dylan. There were no majestic ensembles but merely Bob and his guitar. It was the way he sang it I think. He always tends to have a depressing tone to his voice but this was accompanied by pictures of depressed people with in the United States. It adds a taste of sadness and truth to our country, one that can not be ignored. The example of these contexts were extraordinary and awakened a new since of diversity with in myself, a lesson well learned.

Be Thou My Vision (3rd verse) The Eternal Perspective

Riches I heed not nor man's emptly praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven my treasure Thou art

I was actually just searching the internet for old "vintage songs" I honestly did not even type Chrisitan songs but this song came up and the third verse caught my attention as well as my heart. I have grown up in church and I had never really noticed this song before hand. The content through out the whole song is stunning and magnificent. It sums up a lifestyle of Christianity, in my point of view, to a creed to live by. The third verse, I believe, is the juicy part of the whole song though.

The verse starts of talking about how there are plenty of things to long after and pursue but God is my foundation and my longing. God is first and foremost in my life now and forever. I think this is a unique perspective which I would like to title an "Eternal Perspective". A perspective with the regards that there is a lot of things in this life (i.e money,fame,wealth,women,sex) but the things of this life have no consequence on you b.c you are focused too much on Jesus and doing his will. I am not trying to say that money is not important nor do I think sex is wrong (with in the boundaries of marriage) but I do think we can get so focused on these factors that they replace the perspective that is the most important. That is the eternal perspective