Carry on Wayward Son

"Carry on Wayward Son" - by Kansas

Heh, okay, I guess this is more of the type of song you can consider "Neilson-style." I really like this song. We have all had times when we turned away from God, pursuing our own ways and means. But even at times when we may seem so lost from God, He will deliver us and bring us home. This song provides a nice reminder of that hope.

Let that be Enough

"Let that be Enough" - by Switchfoot

I really like this song. It's simple and has a nice message. Many times, it is very easy to get caught up in what we don't have. "I want this; I want that." -- it may be material goods or it may be relationships with people or it may be a particular experience; whatever it is that can fill this apparently perpetual void in our lives. I'm pretty sure that the situation described in the song is not foreign to us--teenagers, especially. But:

"Let me know that you hear me / let me know your touch / let me know that you love me / let that be enough."

Amen.

Alive in this Moment

"Alive in this Moment" ~Starfield

this is a song that i think just sounds really nice. sometimes it really has been a long time since we've just sat in that "secret place" where we would meet God and just chat and worship Him. but like a wayward son, He takes us back and reminds us of the life He's given us. for everything we go through that simply is...blah..He is there for us.

Be still and know that He is God

Sorry for some old person music here...but may it help at least one of you :) Steven Curtis Chapman is one of my favorite Christian artists, along with Michael W. Smith. This is one of those songs that I occasionally turn to as a reminder to slow down. Sometimes, I fall into the worldly trap of thinking that being busy is good...and that being "still" is not. Even in the church, it's easy to equate our spiritual growth with spiritual activity...when sometimes, the opposite is needed...that is, the very important need to be still in the presence of God. There's more then a few instances in the Bible where Jesus would leave his disciples and go off somewhere to rest and recuperate from his ministries (Luke 6:12). As I look at the lives of some of you, I fear sometimes that some of you are too busy doing this and that at church. It's good to experiment with this and that at church...so that you can explore and discover your gifts and talents. But balance is the key...sometimes, in the process of busily exploring, you overinvolve yourself to the point where you are doing things without quality...barely just getting by. That's when I think it's important to take a rest...and ask God during the rest whether He wants you to let go of some of the things you're involved in. Some people think (and give others a guilt trip about it) that it's wrong to say no. Again, it's about balance. I went through a period of this during my college years (when I first became a Christian) where I got my hands involved in everything. At that stage, I was energetic and had a lot of stamina. But even with all that physical energy, there's only so much emotional and spiritual energy in each person. Right now, I'm going through a similar thing...so I await on God to reveal His plans.

In Matthew 11: 28-30, it reads "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.". This is Jesus talking...He tells us to take His yoke which is easy and light. I believe "yoke" consist of those things that Jesus is concerned/feel responsible for. How many of us can say that our "yoke" is easy and light?

So my prayer for you through this song is that you will find that life is not so heavy and burdensome that you feel like you can't climb out of whatever you're involved in. Share with God those things that has put a heavy burden on your heart...and He will give rest to your soul. God bless you all, my fellow song bloggers.

Fly Like A Bird

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

"Keep your head to the sky / With God's love you'll survive!"

"Fly like a bird, take to the sky / I need you now, Lord / Carry me high / Don't let the world break me tonight / I need the strength of You by my side."

The song popped into my head when I was with some of the EHSF leaders tonight. I'm glad it appeared in my mind; I needed to hear it in my head.

Feel Like Dancing?

"You're committed to the process that makes me more like You"

"not when i'm good enough...not when i've cleaned my act up...not when i've crossed the line a thousand times, and become and better man...Your grace is MORE than enough to cover ALL my sin-- WASH THEM AWAY! right here today, You love me just the way I am!"

"...and You make me wanna dance :]"

"Just The Way I Am" ~Big Daddy Weave

this song REALLY does make me wanna dance...in spite of myself and every reason God has to completely abandon me and my "lost cause", He loves me just the way I am. ooh man, how it makes you so glad to be alive, just to know someone bigger than the universe who made the stars loves you more than you can ever (or have ever tried) to love yourself. what else in the world/galaxy/universe can even compare to this? =]

The Joshua Tree

I have owned this album--U2's The Joshua Tree--for many years now, but I had never really had the time to sit down and listen to it thoroughly like I had a couple nights ago. I put this CD on, and one song after another, it reached deep within me and stirred up much emotion. So rather than sharing one song like we usually do, I decided to share this entire album.

I don't know much about Joshua Trees, but from what I know about them, they are found in the deserts of South Western United States (i.e. Nevada, Utah, Arizona, etc.). So I actually researched this tree in this big encyclopedia, and I found that it's believed that Mormons gave the tree its name because it reminded them of Joshua raising his hands to the heavens in the middle of the desert, leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Accordingly, the tree has become the driving metaphor for this album. I don't remember the exact verses, but there is a Psalm which depicts a lonely tree (the Joshua Tree, in this case) standing firm in a barren, desolate land that delivers a message of longing and perseverance in a fallen, broken world. The album exhibits this very theme.

The album is littered with songs of depravity, which sit alongside songs of spiritual themes longing for a remedy for the world's brokenness. While all the songs are excellent without a doubt, the former have taken me through this roller-coaster of emotions that I cannot begin to describe. The first of these songs is "Running to Stand Still."



I believe that I have shared this song with at least some of you before; it's probably one of my favorite songs off the album. The song details the internal struggles of a heroin addict. The protagonist of the song is trapped inside a world in which she is suffering (i.e. drug addiction). For many of us going through "similar" situations--while we may not be going through something as extreme as drug addiction--it feels as if we can't change the world in which we're living; there are no more doors open ("I see seven towers, but I only see one way out"). What's that "one way out"? We may feel that if we can't change the conditions of the world in which we're trapped, an alternative would be to live our lives from a different perspective. In the context of this song, the heroin gives the protagonist "heroin eyes," so to speak, to see through. While looking through her new set of eyes, she feels this "high," during which she is temporarily free from her sufferings. This song shows what it feels to be so helpless that in order to cope with our world, we find ourselves willing to embrace a remedy that ultimately promises only destruction. I don't know about you guys, but that idea scares me--and what's scarier is that it's actually true.

Another song that really shook me was "Exit."


I was actually debating for a very long time whether or not to share this song. Unlike any other song that I have ever heard, this song stirred up SO MUCH emotion within me that I had never felt before from a song. The imagery lyrics are literally HAUNTING, and the music only adds to the effect. I'm sorry, but I actually can't write about this song...it has really shaken me like no song has ever done before.

Another song is the closing track about social injustice: "Mothers of the Disappeared."



The song details the military dictatorship in South America, I believe. The lyrics themselves are very disturbing: "In the trees our sons stand naked / Through the walls our daughters cry / See their tears in the rainfall." I have actually just recently done some independent research on Central and Southern American terrorism. There is this thing called the "School of the Americas"--don't let the title fool you, though. As patriotic as it may sound, it is actually a school that trains people to capture and torture those in Central and South America who are considered subversive or dissident to the government. What's even more frightening is that the United States actually supports and backs up this school. This song kind of paints a very disturbing picture of our world in which terror thrives.

As dark and sad as these lyrics are, hope is not completely absent in this album. The first track, "Where the Streets Have No Name," is the anthem of this album, longing for a better place.



This should be a pretty familiar song to most people, I believe. I see this song as an image of Heaven, a refuge where we can "take shelter from the poison rain." I really like the concept of "where the streets have no name." Our society is pretty much divided into different sects of beliefs, religions, race, financial status, gender, etc...you name it; there is no unity. Just by looking at San Francisco, you can almost tell who a person is by examining his neighborhood. Each sect holds its own beliefs, its own set of moral values. Even among Christians, different sects exist--this stemming throughout the history of Christianity (hence, the multitude of denominations and church splits). Inevitably, conflicting values and beliefs between sects lead to disorder, and our world becomes even more shattered--more "streets" with different titles appear. Just listening to this song, though, gives me hope that a place like this does exist--a place "where the streets have no name." It's a beautiful song.

There are many more great songs in this album, but I have a feeling that this entry is getting kind of long. I would love to write about all the songs (they are all EXCELLENT), but I could save some for another time, I guess.

I highly recommend this album to you guys. Listening to the CD was an amazing experience. It has reminded me of the depravity and brokenness that exist in this world. But as hopeless as my world and life may seem, there is hope--God will deliver me. What a great reminder.

"wherever the wind blows" by pillar

"wherever the wind blows" by pillar. i really really like this song, once i heard it i knew that i had to share it....but i didn't have time to think and write out my thoughts because i needed to focus on studying.....but it was so hard D: o and yea i was scared that someone would take this song before i did because there are people out there who apparently are not so different from me :P

anyways, hmmm you know when i heard this song, "be still and know that i am God" (Psalm 46:10) came to mind. hmmm.... well while listening to the song, i pictured myself as a green leaf. (yes a leaf) and leaves are always still, unless they are moved by a force.OK....there are times where i want to be a leaf. I want to be still and know that the wind (God) will easily and simply carry me wherever He wants me to be. It is not so easy for a human because we are not an inanimate object. Unlike a leaf that can't move on it's own, i can move. We are given so many choices. Even staying still is a choice. It is hard because there are so many things happening at once in life itself. We are constantly moving and it feels like we are being controlled by distrations. That is not what we need, we need to let God take the steering wheel, not these distractions. It is not easy to just simply stay still because the world is always constantly moving. It doesn't stop for anyone.

well, Dom made me realize something
This is God's plan that He is lifting us through. It is still a pretty complex topic, but i do realize that it is not our plan. It is His. we need to move on and let Him take control, so we can fulfill His plan...... we are bits and pieces of his plan.



XD ooo and and we all are "leaves" here are the lyrics:
The leaves they move like poetry
Its all still such a mystery
But I can finally hear the melody
this is how i interpret the lyrics.......well the leaves are you guys (*points*) and before i watched you guys..... I watched how you guys showed your love for God through voice and actions. I didn't understand why you guys love God, I just knew you guys did. Well, now i understand this love. there are some poems that are not easily interpreted. You need to analyze, observe, get a sense of who the poet is, spend time with the words, and basically see how it can relate to your life. Well, i have done that and now i understand why "the leaves move like poetry" and "i can finally hear the melody." well, if we continue "moving like poetry", then we will touch others and they too "can finally hear the melody." and didn't Dom say in a post that God's plan is for us to plant seeds......so overall, does that make sense? well if it doesn't, you guys can interpret the song your own way. I bet you can see this song in so many other perspectives XD

man....this took me so long to write and i wrote soo much and i still can't believe there are so much more i want to say. i also revised it so many times just so it can make sense to you guys...well, i give up, i am tired XP This song makes me crazy....good crazy. XD

Broken = Beautiful

hehehehe




some of you know this song! I LOVE THIS SONG! i've wanted to share it with fellowship but didnt have a chance to....
i love how when things make you cry, when you are in pain, when something really HURTS YOU, it is still beautiful to God. because just like how a pearl is form ( some of you maybe read this already) it is formed out of pain from the oyster! the little tiny rough SHARP piece of sand discomforts the oyster so much that the oyster need to relieve itself from pain. so layers and layers of pearl made stuff is formed over the little sand and becomes something very very unique and pretty! random fact: no two pearls are the same. Just as there are no two same of YOU! that includes no other person is the same as ME! i am UNIQUELY created and i stand out. Yep~!
and it doesn't matter if you are going through pain, well it kinda does but given redemption to cover your sins is so much bigger than how you feel! Salvation should be big enough that you look past the pain and embrace Love. Love=God
man i can go on and on and on with this song....but i shall end here for now....heheh

Disappear

ahh, there are so many songs that are share-worthy, but i can never decide which ones to put up xD. for now, this one is it.

sometimes all the stuff in our lives make so much noise and stress us out so much. on top of that, there are so many distractions that our lives to reflect something OTHER than God. we're putting so much stock into all these useless/temporary things that don't really matter. our lives should be revolving around the One that really matters, the only One who has stability who is unchanging in our chaotic lives. wouldn't it be SO amazing if in our own lives, we "disappeared", our own nature and all, and all that was left was a reflection of God? "i'm so tired of it being about me...". so much of my life has been centered around ME. i want to be hidden in Him so when people see me, they see our awesome God.

My Heart

hey guys! this is my first post!

Well, this song is called "My Heart" by Paramore. Josephine first showed it to me and when i heard it, i was really moved. it was so pretty! hehe. well, anyway, getting back to the point. I dont know whether or not Paramore wrote this for God or for a boy or something (i think i've read once that Hayley Williams (singer) is christian), but i looked through the lyrics and listened to it. This song, to me, is very beautiful, and it helps me in that i need to refocus my life on God, admit my mistakes, and just understand that we need to let go and let God. "We could sing our own, but what would it be without you?" Without God in our lives and our praise, our worship is meaningless, and our lives are pointless. God has given us so much, and we need to give our all back to him. "This time I will be listening." I realize that there are so many things that distract me in life from God, and I need to just listen to him and give him my burdens. I need to let my life revolve around God.

"This heart, it beats, beats for only you. My heart is yours."

well, i must get back to my homework, but i just wanted to share that with y'all.
-abi

Imperfection

Please pray for me.