Day #22 (12/02/14) "Song Someone Has Sung to You"

This is day #22 of the 25 day, 25 song challenge...

• Day 22 Song That Someone Has Sung to You:

As a general rule people don't usually sing to me. Even my kids will sing a song, but not to me but while I happen to be in the room. So really the only song I can remember anyone singing to me would be Jesus Loves Me which is a traditional song. I'm not sure who wrote this one but it has been around for sometime. While it's simple in construct, it's theology is pretty sound. "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..."

Day #16 "Song That Has Made You Cry"

This is day #16 of the 25 day, 25 song challenge...

• Day 16 (11/21/14): Song That Has Made You Cry:

The song that seriously make me cry every time I hear it, even before his daughter died, is "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman:



Damn you Steven Curtis Chapman for giving my tear ducts a cleanse every single time!! It really is a good song. I just can't listen to it in any public setting!

Day #13 "Former Friend"

This is day #13 of the 25 day, 25 song challenge...

• Day 13 (11/17/14): Song That Reminds You of a Former Friend

                             The song that reminds me of a former friend would have to be Pool Party
Aquabats:

"Soundtrack" Day #11/25

This is day #11 of the 25 day, 25 song challenge...

• Day 11 (11/15/14): Song from My Favorite Movie Soundtrack

                             I like so many movies soundtracks, so to pick one as my favorite is a little crazy. I'm not sure what I would consider my favorite movie either because I think I have so many there as well. So, I'll just give my top three movie soundtracks in that I could listen to them all day and in no order:

Young Guns Two Sound Track:





The Last Of the Mohicans:



Sister Act Two:



And Harry Potter as a runner up:

Day #9 "Hope!" 9/25 song, day challenge

This is day #9 of the 25 day, 25 song challenge...

• Day 9 (11/13/14): Song That Makes You Hopeful

                             The songs that always makes me hopeful are these two:

Everything by LifeHouse- It's mostly because of this skit/drama that this song makes me hopeful for redemption and to fight against the darkness. The imagery is just so viscerally powerful and it gets me everytime...



and


Kingdom in Reverse (AKA: The Shepherd is the Lamb) by O.C. Supertones- One of the most honest worship songs out there. Almost every time it brings me to tears know that God's love took the place and has this,
"...unshakable love for the unloved and the unlovely, the weak, the abased, the unworthy, the unwarranted, the rebels, [the outcasts], and the sinners..... you and me"
      -O.C. Supertones The shepherd is the Lamb

"Summertime" Day #7 of the 25 song, 25 day Challenge

This is day #7 of the challenge for 25 days, 25 songs...

• Day 7 (11/10/14): Song That Reminds You of This Past Summer

                             This Summer I started my practicum and my new hours at my work. So even though I didn't listen to this song once this Summer, it's more the Title of the song.

Crazy Times by Jars of Clay:

Day #4 25 songs, 25 songs The Calm

This is day #4 of the challenge for 25 days, 25 songs...

• Day 4 (11/08/14): Song That Calms You Down

                             Today's song is a song that calms me down. I'm not sure there is a single song that calms me down. It depends on the reason I'm not calm. So here are the top 3 songs that calm me down for most occasions:

Dandelions by Five Iron Frenzy- For those days I see too many weeds in the flowers of what I offer to God and to Others




On and On by PFR (Pray for Rain) Reminds me God is with me On and on and on...

Everything by LifeHouse This one reminds me that struggle is tough but it's worth it. 


Lifehouse - Everything Skit from GracePoint on Vimeo.

not the will be but the NOW!

I'm reading a book called The Way of all Flesh" which is an interesting book. It however got me thinking that there are times in life where I feel God will be working in, through or even near me. As I started thinking more about it, the coolest part in-fact, is that it's not this distant far away thought that God "will be" moving, no...God is moving in, through and even near me. If my life were a book this would the most exciting part the now, this moment and every moment that follows it for in these moments are the adventure of entrusting every step into the hands of God Almighty...now.

Joshua Tree

Did you know if the text of the New Testament were written in Hebrew and then translated into English we'd know Jesus the Christ as Joshua the Messiah? I've always thought about this when going Joshua Tree every Easter Break in high school. I started my real journey as a Christian there in that desert place and the name took on a new significance for me. I know it now as Joshua's tree...Jesus' cross. Since I became a Christian there near Easter, where we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death, it's nice to have a place to point to when times go nuts. Every morning and afternoon i'd climb rocks to take in the view, knowing God made it, made me, made the stars I'd see at night and the people surrounding me at the camp, i knew that i could point to what He showed me there. I was just thinking about this place tonight and was reminded again of the wind against my face as I stared off the rocks into the distant lands of the horizon, painting a picture for what still is to come as I rely on my Life, my Friend and my God!

Thin Places...

"Thin Places"- Has nothing to do with dieting. It's an idea that I came across when I was reading I BECAME A CHRISTIAN AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT By Vince Antonucci. He talks about seeing God in the unexpected places; flickers of God's handy work. He says in the book that he gets the idea of the ancient Celtics held that there were places and times where the veil between Natural and Supernatural was the "thinnest". He says, "When you're in a thin place you are able to catch a glimpse of God, and it becomes easier to sense His presence." He goes on to give examples of watching a movie and your heart clenches up or a sunset causes you to stop and to say "thank you" and so on. For me it's usually when listening to music. There are words or phrasings that draw me to the Divine One or they reflect His love, grace, forgiveness, mercy or justice. The other day there was a song called SEAN by Stavesacre I was listening to what was said:

"Come on out – it's only rain
Don't you miss how it feels on your skin?
Come on out – it's only rain
I like how it feels on my skin
It feels clean
So come on out"

For some reason I couldn't help thinking of some of my friends who shut themselves inside, which isn't always literal. usually it's more of the idea of either not becoming like those "outside" or afraid of being hurt by others or circumstances on the outside. This song took me to a thin place where we as people wish we could escape the messy, wet world we live in and in not engaging the world around us we can become sullied by our own underdeveloped longing for connectivity. We sit in the mire we've created instead of letting God and/or others to help us clean up. Those who stay "inside" may not get "wet" but they also don't get cleaned! At least this is the thin place where the song took me. I hurt for friends who refuse to "come on out" to feel the rain on their skin to be made clean once more. I just get sad when I think about it.

So what are your "thin places"? It could be a place you go that helps thin the veil or it could be a time or event or what have you. I want to hear about it. Maybe we could be strengthened by what we read here from each other!

His Peace,
-mark-
(08/28/2009)

Spoke at church on April 26th 2009....

Here it is!! Just click the link below:

"Don't Just Listen...Do" My Message 4.26.09

Not the best I've ever spoken...but tell me what you think about it!! Thanks!

Little Reminders

In my office i have hanging on the wall little reminders, reminders that tell me to say thank you to God for little things, big things and even in-between things. The reminders tell me to be thankful for other's big-small things and that there are others who, like me, forget from time to time and need reminders. Reminders of God's love, care, providence, leading, etc. Mostly reminders that God is still here still in charge and still leading. These are what a small group of people were thankful for on a particular Sunday, the small group of people was everyone who showed up to church that day. I love reading them and re-reading them. It reminds me to LOOK UP! It reminds me I'm not alone in my journey. It reminds be to be thankful for things that I forget to be thankful about. From the simple to the complex, from the weird to the straight-laced, the prayers go up daily and this wall reminds me of that. So I've put the wall up here so you can read it too and maybe be reminded as well!

HIS Peace!