Monday, March 30, 2009

Shipwreck



"Shipwreck" ~Starfield

This song has so many different ways it can speak to you and me..wows. I think i shared this song with a lot of you peoples already, but here it is again :]

because of all the amazing ways i could look at this song i could make this post VERY indepth and long...but i'll let my words be few :]. lately i've been feeling kind of...less than what i wish to be. i've been looking back one or two years, and i notice how i've changed in so many different aspects; and in most of these ways, i wonder "God, how come i can't be/think/act like i had before!" in these moments though, i'm reminded of what i am: a shipwreck that tried to go his own way through the storm. now i'm asking, though i'm just a beggar, for Him to keep working on me...so that with Him in me, I could be who I'm meant to be.


really, i posted this song because i'm really curious to hear what you guys think about this song, and how it speaks to you. if you want to, look up the lyrics; they're really poetic. please comment on the song! have fun guys.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Something To Say

Hey guys my first post for this blog haha. Anyways I found this great song by Matthew West. I don't know if it's on youtube or not, but um... it's a great song, and just reminded me that everyone's life is like a song, or a book, or whatever other cliches are out there. So here are the

http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1ACEW_ENUS320&q=Something%20to%20Say&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=Something+to+Say+Matthew+West&hl=en&emb=0



lyrics
Wake up, 7:32 AMCan’t believe it’s time to do it over againYesterday,
it took all that you hadAnd
you’re wonderin’ if you’ll ever get it back
But the whole wide world is waiting for
Waiting for you to step out that door
Come on and let your life be heard today

You got something to sayIf you’re livin’, if you’re breathin’
You got something to say
And you know if your heart is beatin’
You got something to say
And no one can say it like you do
God is love and love speaks through
You got it, you got itYou got something to say

Yeah, yeahSomething to sayYeah, oh

Listen up, I got a question here
Would anybody miss you if you disappeared?
Well your life is the song that you sing
And the whole wide world is listening
Well the answer to the question is
You were created, your life is a gift and
The lights are shining on you today, ‘cause

You got something to sayIf you’re livin’, if you’re breathin’
You got something to say
And you know if your heart is beatin’
You got something to say
And no one can say it like you do
God is love and love speaks through
You got it, you got itYou got something to say

YeahYou got something to sayCome on, come on, yeah

Sing na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na, yeah

Listen up, I got a question here
Would anybody miss you if you disappeared?
Well your life is the song that you sing
And the whole wide world is listening

Oh

You got something to say
And no one can say it like you do
God is love and love speaks through
You got it, you got it
You got something to say

YeahSomething to sayCome on, come on, yeah

And the world is listening now
And the lights are shining down
Shining down on you today, ‘cause
You got something to say

So just say it

enjoy the song

Re: Jeremy (or "Hero")

This is a song-response to compliment Neilson's post "Jeremy".
The song is titled "Hero" by Superchick





This is basically a comment in post form x].. Like Neilson pointed out, I think we can all think of someone at our school who just doesn't receieve any friendship, any love, any mercy at all. They are the outcasts-- the ostracized at our schools. I can think of one in my class as well. He doesn't seem to know how to socialize in a way that doesn't make him seem weird. I am one of his only acquaintances who can talk to him.

As Christians, aren't we called to be the ones to love on these people? In our high school fellowship, we've seemed to be doing an exhaustive study on "relationships" and "love". How is love? WHAT is love? (*starts bobbing head to side of neck xD..*) Well, 1 Corinthians 13 has that spelled out for us and how we can demonstrate love for these people. I know God didn't just come down to rescue specifically those who have it all together, or those who aren't socially unacceptable. So the commandment is there: love your neighbor as yourself; but as Christians, how well do we fare in following through with this? I think that this is the real test of high school Christians: stepping out to do what nobody else would for the sake of an unbelievable Love.

I love the bridge of this song... it poses the question: Am I one of these people who just walk by? I don't want to be...God please give us the strength to love these people we know You died for when it seems nobody else would. "Lets WAKE UP, change the world, our time is NOW"

Saturday, March 21, 2009

God bless the last ones...

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Matthew+West/track/The+Last+Ones

I was searching and searching... and they dont have this on youtube! so i found a website where you can listen to it for free... just click "The Last Ones" under Song Clip...(idk if you can listen for more than 25 times, sorry... if i find another link, i'll put it in the comments or edit the blog...)

So... i heard this a long time ago too... it's called "The Last Ones" by Matthew West. This song is really powerful... Everytime i listen to it, it always hits me and means so much. and now...we have a blog to share it on! yay.

Listening to the verses is like listening to a beautiful story being told. About a girl who is mentally disabled, but who is so content with how God made her. "And I confess when I first saw her, I was thinking 'Life's not fair', then she wrapped her arms around my neck, and it all became so clear... God bless the last ones".

Maybe the last ones are the lucky ones
The ones who got this whole thing figured out
'Cause when they go looking for something beautiful
They start looking from the inside out

Sometimes I think we believe that we know so much because maybe we're physically and/or mentally sound. We believe that we know what is happening in this world.. Or maybe, some of us feel like the world is crashing down on us, and we can't see anything in this world that might be worth living for. This chorus, to me, is so wonderful and so hopeful... "cause when they go looking for something beautiful, they start looking from the inside out..." Also, in the 2nd chorus...

I wish we could all be the lucky ones
The ones who've got this whole thing figured out
Maybe the next time we go looking for beautiful we'll try looking from the inside out

There's a message here for all of us, in the last line... See, God has blessed every one of us.. maybe you feel like you're so blessed, and maybe you feel like you're not worth a dime. But here, there's hope, in the presence of God. We all have "beautiful" inside of us, and we all need to search for that beauty inside each other. Our eyes may have a film over them, but we dont need our eyes to have a heart. We dont need our eyes to know God. That's what faith is... that's what love is...that's what beautiful is...

God bless the last ones...

Friday, March 20, 2009

Understanding grace...

I just heard this song on KLOVE. It's a song I've heard often...but today it brought to mind some of the people at our church. The thought that came to mind is that it seems some people, when they mess up, they feel like they have to do something in order to make up for it. The problem is not in trying to make up for it...but the persons continue to make the same mistake...thereby, they're stuck in this vicious cycle of doing the same sin, asking God for forgiveness, and then guilt forces the person to have to do something...instead of realizing that God's forgiveness is complete the moment He says He forgives us. And He has...through the blood of Christ. That I think is what "grace" is.

I guess it's hard to grasp why God would forgive us...even when we're stuck in habitual sin. But He has...completely...when He sent Christ down for us in our place. Our challenge is to really tackle these habitual sins...and one of the primary ways to do that is to let go of our shame and pride/ego and ask a brother/sister in Christ to keep us accountable. That requires sharing our ugly habitual sin with someone. Until we do that though, we will often fall to this same temptation over and over again...because through our own strength, we can not overcome it...but with the accountability, prayer and support of another, a habitual sin can be overcomed.

The lyrics are included in the song...but here it is also:

By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North


Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

(Chorus 2x)

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

(Chorus 2x)


Jeremy



"Jeremy" - by Pearl Jam

As I was walking home from school this afternoon, I suddenly thought of this song, and I felt a very strong conviction to share this song. This is a very disturbing song with a video that compliments the atmosphere of the song very well. Nevertheless, even in an angst-ridden, grunge song, God has spoken to me.

The high school experience is one that can be socially and mentally nurturing, but it is also one that can be socially and mentally degrading. I will speak of the latter. At every school, there is always the select few who do not "fit in"-- the social pariahs with whom nobody wants to be associated. Not only that, they are often the target of much verbal or physical harassment. I'm sure, as you read this, a few faces will appear in your mind.

Now, I can't speak for all high schools, but at Lowell, at least, I have witnessed the degradation in some of these students. This song is based on a true story of a teenage boy who, after much torment from his peers, went into class one day and committed suicide in front of his teacher and all his peers. It's very disturbing. I don't know much about the story other than that, but it reminds me of a boy I know at my school. For the sake of anonymity, let's call this boy "Bob." I'm sure many have heard of his story already. Basically, Bob, like Jeremy, was ultimately pushed to the brink of madness from the incessant harassment. Rather than being pushed to suicide like Jeremy, however, Bob formulated a hit-list. Now, that is scary.

I had to reevaluate the way I reacted and treated these people. I actually sat next to Bob for the first semester of 10th Grade English. I witnessed first-hand the constant teasing and harassment that Bob endured daily. It was a wonder he kept his composure for so long. But it's like that part in the song:

"Clearly I remember picking on the boy
Seemed a harmless little f***
But we unleashed a lion
Gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady's breast
How can I forget?"

It's very difficult to type about this subject, and I'm very tired... I admit that I am guilty for having contributed to it all. I'm not proud of it. I try to connect to these people, and if I can't, I don't add on to the madness. I want to be different; I want to be a light. These sorts of things should not happen in a high school--nor should they happen anywhere else.

Be different. Demonstrate Christ's love.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Miracle!



Sorry guys, but here's another Paramore song... hehe. i dunno. i heard this a while back, and i thought it really was meaningful... the chorus anyway, because i didnt read the lyrics for the verses until recently.
Anyhoozits... umm, yea. this song is really meaningful to me because in the chorus it says...

I'm not going
Cause i've been waiting for a miracle
And i'm not leaving
I won't let you
Let you give up on a miracle
Cause it might save you

Hearing those lyrics brings me to the realization that more often than not, we have friends that we feel that we can't bring the message of Jesus to, so we give up on them. Little do we know that that piece of information is the most crucial and influential piece of information they could ever recieve. "I wont let you, let you give up on a miracle, cause it might save you."

We've learned to run from
Anything uncomfortable
We've tied our pain below and no one ever has to know
That inside we're broken
I tried to patch things up again
To cut my tears and kill my fears
But have I told you, have I?

We're so absorbed into this materialistic and socially driven world that we dont want to hurt anyones feelings or anything so we want to remain in our little comfortable bubble, and we're not able to share ourselves. I think I personally can relate to this song because i need "to kill my fears" and not "run from anything uncomfortable".

I'm sorta rambling, but i guess when i re-listened to this song, and the bridge too, (It's not faith if, if you use your eyes, Oh why) I felt that this really shows that we need to really trust God and put our faith into action. We can't just sit aside and watch our brothers and sisters fade while we're on the sidelines enjoying our little comfortable lives. If we really want this miracle of letting others know of the blessing of a new life, we need to step out there. I know this will be a tough job, esp. for me, but i know it's also necessary.

Also, reading the 1st verse... we've been blessed with this gift, and we've been provided with an opportunity to start over, "beginning with you and i"... beginning with God and I. We have this new life, "hope embraced", and filled with faith. Wouldn't you like to spread the love?

Ahh, sorry, talking a lot. but yea... just wanted to share. thanks for reading. and maybe next time, it wont be paramore, but who knows... they're a good band!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Heaven is hurr NOW

blah, i've been meaning to post this for weeks! maybe even months! one day i was just taking the bus from or to work, i forget but i had this idea stuck in my head very much!
people joke all the time about not being scared to die, cause they'll just say quicker to go to heaven, or even may enjoy the idea of dying and going to Heaven right away. you know, at least i'll be in heaven. better than Earth right? ehh, it depends...
Jesus says the same thing three times in the book of
Matthew 3:2 , 4:17 , 10:7
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
i think it might have been this passage that i was thinking about...
man this is what i get for not posting this earlier....lose my train of thoughts, well anyways, there is some passage in the bible where Jesus tells us that the kingdom of HEAVEN is here. it's all around you. it's whereever you place Jesus as your KING. so if you go to the bathroom, and acknowledge that in this place, Jesus is still Lord, that's Jesus kindgom right there. that's heaven right there. why are people saying they don't mind dying young or even just joking about it while not knowing that the kingdom of heaven is already here.
yeah this isn't all my thoughts, but i just don't have time to gather my thoughts. i really need to take the be still and know i am God verse to heart. anyways i don't know any song that relates to my heaven thing and all i could think of was this one.

gr...couldnt post the html thingy cause the authors disabled it but here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADZdDWfNzlw

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Ocean Floor



"Ocean Floor" ~Audio Adrenaline

so today, neilson and i went for a walk to that "Sutro-" place. it was rEALLY nice. we saw lots of green and lots of blue. it was actually quite amazing to me how everything looked so much greener and bluer today. not exactly sure what it was. anyways...

one of the most aweing thing of that walk was looking out at the huge ocean. it was so vast. my head had to make almost a 135-degree turn to see the extent of the horizon (horizontally :D). (<-- dunno if that made sense..basically imagine looking out at the ocean and turning your head almost a 135-degress and seeing nothing but the blue ocean reaching outward farther than you can see... tHAT's the kind of vastness we were witnessing.) this song popped into my head. probably because it's associated with that giant body of water. that giant body of water though is a very awesome image of what God does to our sins.

"they're all behind you, they'll never find you, they're on the ocean floor..."
"your sins are forgotten, they're on the bottom of the ocean floor"
"your sins are erased, and they are no more..they're out on the ocean floor"
"they're wiped away by a mighty mighty wave, A MIGHTY MIGHTY WAVE!!"

all those things that we feel stick to us and weigh us down beyond anything and everything..God comPLETELY wipes them away! its so amazing. God allows us to have nothing hold us back-- even what we could never touch: our past, present, and future. imagine you, standing and completely weighed down by everything that you hate. from behind you though, a tsunami-wave that's come specifically to take away all of that.. ahh its really cool.

neilson (right next to me): it's interesting. what went through my head was the extent to how deep the ocean actually is. there are parts of the ocean that are so deep that even light cannot penetrate it. that's REALLY deep.

anyways, hope ya'll can praise God somehow with this song. vivian, can you please make a post replying to this song, cuz i know you really like this song and i'd really like to hear what you have to say :]. yeah. kay, see ya'll!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Make It Happen



"Make It Happen" - by Mariah Carey

I should be sleeping right now--I am SO TIRED. But I want to share a song. I apologize for writing something this late; it's not going to be too organized. Who cares?

I am a very big fan of Mariah Carey's music; I especially like her gospel-tinged songs such as this one. It's great seeing someone who is as powerful as Carey is in the music industry singing for the Lord.

Initially, I was going to share this song simply because I liked the feel of this song. Upon further inspection, however, I could see the depths to which this song reaches. I don't know about your prayer life with God, but I can honestly say that mine was very shaky initially. The thought of prayer actually seemed very foolish to me. Growing up watching all these people at church doing the routine bowing of their heads, the clasping of their hands, and of course the falling to their knees made me want to roll my eyes. I saw prayer as a petty attempt to give hope to a hopeless cause. Rather than speaking to God, I saw prayer as a psychological means of attempting to organize and make sense of the many things that go on in one's life by speaking to oneself (or an imaginary being). Obviously, I didn't have much-- or any-- faith in the power of prayer.

Even when I became a Christian, I was still pretty cynical about prayer. It wasn't until the end of my sophomore year or so that I recognized the incredible power of prayer. At that time, my mother came down with a life-threatening ailment: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. It is a very rare disease that proves fatal to many inflicted with the disease. I was scared. All hope seemed to be lost for my mom: she had just come out of unsuccessful ocular surgery only to be stricken with a fatal disease. It was time to attempt to give hope to a hopeless cause; it was time to pray. As cynical as I was, I prayed daily, even asking the fellowship to join me in prayer. And right before my eyes, I see my mother quickly recovering from such a predicament; I could barely believe it. All I know is that God was at work, and I am forever grateful.

Accordingly, my take on prayer has grown to be much more positive since then. As foolish or stupid as it may seem at times-- like the song says-- "He can make it happen." I especially like the point in the song when Carey belts out:

"I once was lost, but now I'm found
I got my feet on solid ground
Thank you, Lord!
If you believe within your soul
Just hold on tight and don't let go
You can make it happen!"


Don't ever let go of your faith. There is truly SO MUCH power in prayer. For those of you in the high school fellowship, I encourage you to try Mark's "centering prayer" exercise, and really experience God that way. I guarantee that it will be very fulfilling.

"And if you get down on your knees at night
And pray to the Lord
He's gonna make it happen
Make it happen."