Hey guys, I'm moving my blog to VOX!!! so go there!!!
http://www.switchfootprincess.vox.com
with this you can actually subscribe I think, so yeah. It's better over there!
I won't be coming here anymore. :) Love to all!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Fighters
This morning while I was doing my devotions I came across a very interesting verse.
Luke 16:9
"I want you to be smart in the same way - but for what is right - using every adversity to stimulate creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live really live, and not complacently just get on by good behavior."
I love how The Message phrases this verse. The way I interpret is that Jesus wants us to put what we know into action. But not just good behavior but to take it to heart, to really live for Christ. If we focus on Him, He will teach us very important things. Then when we go through adversity He will help us use it and practice it. But it takes effort and we need to fight for it. Fight through our adversities with the help of the HS. I think that is just amazing. And it inspires me to fight, and work hard at being the best person I can be through my adversities. Not just mull over how bad my life is going, but to take it and learn something from it. Being active. :D
Luke 16:9
"I want you to be smart in the same way - but for what is right - using every adversity to stimulate creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live really live, and not complacently just get on by good behavior."
I love how The Message phrases this verse. The way I interpret is that Jesus wants us to put what we know into action. But not just good behavior but to take it to heart, to really live for Christ. If we focus on Him, He will teach us very important things. Then when we go through adversity He will help us use it and practice it. But it takes effort and we need to fight for it. Fight through our adversities with the help of the HS. I think that is just amazing. And it inspires me to fight, and work hard at being the best person I can be through my adversities. Not just mull over how bad my life is going, but to take it and learn something from it. Being active. :D
Friday, September 28, 2007
Switchfoot on Brio Magazine Cover
(From switchfeed.com and Briomagazine.com)
Brio magazine's cover this month is Switchfoot! I love this interview! It is amazing the way that Tim and Jon explain things. It once again brings some kind comfort for those Christians who are still not comfortable with them stepping away from the Christian labels. In the past I have to come to have permanent comfort and trust in these guys and God seethes througn their songs! People just dont see it! I have italicized the stuff that stood out to me the most (except for the movies) and bolded and italicized the the stuff that REALLY stood out to me. So enjoy!
Identifying a band as “Christian” can be complex. After all, what makes a Christian band? Is it their lyrics, the overall message, the people singing the lyrics or something else?
In 1996, Jon and Tim Foreman and Chad Butler started a group called Chin Up. They were just three young guys (all pastors’ kids) doing what they loved—playing and writing music. Eventually, the band’s demo landed in the hands of Charlie Peacock, a popular producer in gospel music. He then called the guys and signed them to re:think Records under the new name Switchfoot.
In 2003, mainstream label Columbia Records bought Switchfoot’s contract. Their fourth record, The Beautiful Letdown, sold 2.5 million copies and produced two Top 10 pop and modern rock singles. But the label exchange didn’t change Switchfoot. Jon continues to write songs about his struggles and desire for more than this life has to offer. And the band continues to play at Christian and mainstream venues.
We caught up with the band before a concert at University of Texas in Arlington. Come on over and listen in as some of the guys discuss, “Who is Switchfoot?”
Brio: Some say Switchfoot started as a Christian band and then crossed over. Others say you weren’t ever a Christian band. Who’s right?
Jon: Well, what do you mean by a “Christian band”?
Brio: Did you sign with re:think Records with a sense of, “We’re going to be part of the contemporary Christian music thing” or was it, “We’re doing our own thing, and Charlie Peacock just happens to be CCM”?
Jon: We had a naive understanding, as any songwriter or young band does. When you first start playing music as a band, you’re just playing because you love it.
With Charlie, we were all believers at the time, but being from San Diego, we had no idea of the behemoth that is the industry of Christian culture. I was just thinking, Yeah, we play in bars. We play in churches. We play everywhere. Wow—here are some believers who make music just like us! You dive in, and suddenly you realize there are Christian radio stations and this whole industry.
Chad: We saw Charlie as a mentor and looked up to him for his musical talent and ability to communicate and talk about the things we were exploring, like faith and music. We had a genuine desire to be involved with him as a person. It wasn’t about the company we were signing to. We thought, He’s great. We want to be part of what he’s doing. It seemed like a natural thing.
Brio: Growing up, did you listen to Christian radio?
Tim: We didn’t have Christian radio, but we were definitely exposed to Christian artists. People like Keith Green were part of my musical childhood.
We’re pastors’ kids, and it was a nurturing environment where there wasn’t this hard-cut line of sacred versus secular. I feel that if the God we serve were truly great and wonderful, why wouldn’t [Christian bands] want His beauty and truth fingerprints all over culture, not just making music for the church?
Jon: It’s healthy to remember as a church that the industry that is Christendom isn’t equated one to one with the body of Christ. These are the same issues that have plagued the church from the beginning. That type of conversation of what is a Christian band could go in so many different ways, but at the same time, as believers we’ve always been honored to be affiliated with the name of Christ. That’s a true honor and isn’t something to be taken lightly. In fact, our hesitancy to jump into the Christian label has more to do with the amount of respect I have for the name of Christ, and I’m not sure I’m willing to sanctify every single thing I’ve ever done in a band and say, “That’s a Christlike action.”
Brio: What do you say to people who criticize Switchfoot for not using Jesus’ name in your lyrics or correlating your music to a certain verse?
Jon: So many of our lyrics come directly from Scripture; that’s nothing new. But the thing I take solace in is that the most creative, outside-the-box thinker I’ve ever read about was Christ himself. Here’s someone who, if anything, was accused of being overly nebulous. “No one understands what you’re saying. Talk to us plain. You talk in these parables.”
I think the means and the ends of the kingdom of God need to be pursued with equal focus. The way He did His ministry is just as important as what He was saying. To be accused of being nebulous, for me, isn’t that bad of an accusation. I’ve come to the realization, too, that not everyone is going to understand us. And that has to be OK. We aren’t trying to be everybody’s favorite band. We’re trying to pursue an audience of one, essentially.
Brio: What do you mean by an audience of one?
Tim: The longer we’ve been a band, the more we’re not in it just to make other people give us their stamp of approval. There has to be a greater purpose than just making people applaud for what we’re doing, and as long as we’re convinced we’re exactly where God has us at the moment, that has to be the ultimate goal.
Brio: As musicians, even though you know better, there’s still some seductiveness in success, right?
Jon: We had no context for selling 2.5 million records. For example, Tim and I were in a band when we were in high school. We made CDs before CD burners were commonplace, so if your band had a CD, you were big time. I figured, “I’m going to save all my busboy money and make a CD.” The break-even point on those CDs was if we sold 300. And we did it! That was success. We thought, 300 CDs is success.
It’s good to keep that in mind. Success is such an elusive term. Who’s to say we’re successful since we sold a lot of units? I think it’s an American concept. But at the same time, it’s where art and commerce meet. To put food on your table, you have to be at least selling a few CDs, more than 300 perhaps.
Brio: Do you feel like you’ve met your “American Dream”?
Jon: To say you’ve achieved your dream is a dangerous thing because there are so many more things I’d like to see happen in my lifetime. I have a list of 100 songs on my laptop that I’m trying to figure out how to get out there and how to do them. We as a band have been talking about ways to impact the world, tour better, ways to love our families better. I certainly think it’s a process.
Brio: It seems that materialism and critiquing that aspect of American culture is a major theme on Oh! Gravity. What inspired you to focus on that?
Tim: Living in America and living in Southern California, I think our culture is becoming increasingly materialistic. If there’s any finger pointing, it’s at us. That’s where all our songs start.
Sometimes we use our songs to guard our own hearts. It’s one thing to discuss something; to sing about it every night on stage is a whole other thing. To sing, “This ain’t my American dream” really hits you. You’re accountable.
Jon: I find that certainly true. I’m singing, “This is your life. Are you who you want to be?” But then there’s 2,000 people singing that at me. It keeps your head in the right place.
Brio: What advice do you have for teens making career decisions?
Jon: There’s a quote from A.W. Tozer that says essentially it’s not necessarily what you’re doing or where you’re doing it that determines whether it’s sacred or secular but why you’re doing it. I found that to be true in my life with all sorts of people. Certain people have a ton of money, but they couldn’t care less about money. They’re all about people. Then certain people in charge of some charitable organization couldn’t care less about people.
I remember something Charlie [Peacock] said that inspired some kind of motto for me: “People over projects.” He said at the end you won’t look back and say, “Oh, I wish I would have won more Grammy Awards. I wish I would have produced more records.” The one thing you’ll have is the people, those relationships. Where you put your treasure, that’s where your heart will be. So be careful what you invest in, where you invest your time.
BONUS Questions
Brio: Do you approach concerts differently, whether it’s a Christian festival or a mainstream venue?
Jon: Totally. Every relationship you have you’re going to approach differently. If you’re talking with somebody who’s sitting next to you at the barber, a baseball game or church, you’re approaching every relationship in context.
I think it’s absurd to think we’d say the exact same thing and play the exact same songs every night. We switch our set list every night, not only for the people coming but also for us to keep it fresh. That’s something I had to learn to understand, the nuances of relationship.
Brio: What will it look for you to “burn out bright” at the end of your life?
Jon: I’ve burned out very dull a few times already.
Tim: Our society teaches us that burning out bright is going out with a lot of toys, a lot of cash, a lot of recognition, at the peak of stardom—whatever that looks like. The kingdom of heaven is completely the opposite. The person who couldn’t care less about what she’s wearing is devoted to serving the people around her—that’s a star right there. The idea of burning out bright looks a lot closer to that than the guy who’s all talk and has it all.
Jon: In the kingdom of heaven, the last are first, and the first are last. The people on stage in front of thousands of people who are catered to and driven around in buses are probably tying shoes in the kingdom of heaven. The people tying shoes down here, maybe that’s what burning out bright really looks like.
Brio: In your music, you aren’t afraid to talk about doubt and struggle. What would you say to teens who want to persevere in their relationship with Christ, but they doubt it?
Tim: You’re in good company. Throughout Scripture, heroes like David and mighty men of God are completely comfortable with not only doubting but also shouting their doubts to the almighty God of the universe. It’s a pretty heady concept to think we’ve been given this privilege to groan to the God of the universe about our struggles.
Jon: For me, maturity has meant to see [doubt] for what it is and to put it all in context. Most of the Old Testament is, “Remember, remember, remember,” and I think that’s a great response to doubt. Remember what has gone on already. Remember that you’re part of a bigger picture.
Brio: In your community with the band, do you help each other “remember”?
Jon: Love is always going to be the most mature response to any situation. To love one person well is many times to do something the exact opposite of what you’re going to do for someone else. All of our needs are dramatically different. Some person might need to be smacked across the face and hear, “You’re blowing it.” And another person needs an arm around the shoulder. If we’re to be the hands and feet of the omnipotent God, then that’s a high calling indeed.
Brio: Now for a fun question: How many times have you seen A Walk to Remember since some of your songs were included in the soundtrack?
Jon: I saw it once in the theaters.
Tim: At the premiere.
Brio:Are you still friends with Mandy Moore?
Jon: We hang out all the time and go out for coffee and stuff. No, actually we’re still in contact with her, but we’re not the best of friends.
Brio: If you could be in any movie soundtrack, which would you choose?
Jon: Citizen Kane or Gone with the Wind.
Chad: Life is Beautiful or Star Wars.
Brio: What’s your favorite song to play live?
Tim: Last night “American Dream” was pretty memorable because Jon started the song maybe 100 yards away from the stage in the middle of the crowd, and the crowd carried him back to the stage. He made it back by the first chorus. You never know what’s going to happen.
Jon: The reason we all love music is because of the unexpected, the X factor. The structure of the song never changes, but somehow it’s more than just notes. Sometimes that happens a couple times during a set. Other times it doesn’t happen. It’s just another day playing rock and roll.
Brio: What does the song “Dirty Second Hands” mean?
Jon: I think songs are like clouds, and they float by. It’s the same cloud, but it can resemble many different shapes. The cloud stays constant, but as it starts to cross, it changes a little bit.
That song for me has layers you can get into. When I sing it, I think about time and the idea the secondhand store is the end of us all. Proverbs says to look at the end of things is wisdom. To remember that the secondhand store is the end of all things is a good place to begin.
There are also the filthy second hands we all have. None of our hands are clean. There’s a certain amount of wanting to dismantle the pretense as well that somehow our hands could be clean. There’s a little bit of pulling off the façade of America. I think the last spoken word stands to sum it all up, the idea of fatality and that many times we’re the ones who put the handcuffs on ourselves.
Brio: Besides playing guitar, what else do you enjoy doing on tour?
Jon: I go to a lot of pawnshops and thrift stores. I love the used elements of our Western culture. I would much rather buy something that has been used. It’s a better value. It’s already had some life breathed into it. But we also love surfing and skateboarding. Skateboarding is the closest you can get to surfing on the sidewalk.
I also love writing songs, which I know is the occupation, but it’s also my favorite thing to do. When I haven’t written a song in a long time, my wife will say, “You need to write a song” because I get antsy and ornery. She also says when I haven’t surfed in a long time that I need to get baptized. There’s something about staring infinity in the face and being reminded of a bigger picture.
Brio magazine's cover this month is Switchfoot! I love this interview! It is amazing the way that Tim and Jon explain things. It once again brings some kind comfort for those Christians who are still not comfortable with them stepping away from the Christian labels. In the past I have to come to have permanent comfort and trust in these guys and God seethes througn their songs! People just dont see it! I have italicized the stuff that stood out to me the most (except for the movies) and bolded and italicized the the stuff that REALLY stood out to me. So enjoy!
Identifying a band as “Christian” can be complex. After all, what makes a Christian band? Is it their lyrics, the overall message, the people singing the lyrics or something else?
In 1996, Jon and Tim Foreman and Chad Butler started a group called Chin Up. They were just three young guys (all pastors’ kids) doing what they loved—playing and writing music. Eventually, the band’s demo landed in the hands of Charlie Peacock, a popular producer in gospel music. He then called the guys and signed them to re:think Records under the new name Switchfoot.
In 2003, mainstream label Columbia Records bought Switchfoot’s contract. Their fourth record, The Beautiful Letdown, sold 2.5 million copies and produced two Top 10 pop and modern rock singles. But the label exchange didn’t change Switchfoot. Jon continues to write songs about his struggles and desire for more than this life has to offer. And the band continues to play at Christian and mainstream venues.
We caught up with the band before a concert at University of Texas in Arlington. Come on over and listen in as some of the guys discuss, “Who is Switchfoot?”
Brio: Some say Switchfoot started as a Christian band and then crossed over. Others say you weren’t ever a Christian band. Who’s right?
Jon: Well, what do you mean by a “Christian band”?
Brio: Did you sign with re:think Records with a sense of, “We’re going to be part of the contemporary Christian music thing” or was it, “We’re doing our own thing, and Charlie Peacock just happens to be CCM”?
Jon: We had a naive understanding, as any songwriter or young band does. When you first start playing music as a band, you’re just playing because you love it.
With Charlie, we were all believers at the time, but being from San Diego, we had no idea of the behemoth that is the industry of Christian culture. I was just thinking, Yeah, we play in bars. We play in churches. We play everywhere. Wow—here are some believers who make music just like us! You dive in, and suddenly you realize there are Christian radio stations and this whole industry.
Chad: We saw Charlie as a mentor and looked up to him for his musical talent and ability to communicate and talk about the things we were exploring, like faith and music. We had a genuine desire to be involved with him as a person. It wasn’t about the company we were signing to. We thought, He’s great. We want to be part of what he’s doing. It seemed like a natural thing.
Brio: Growing up, did you listen to Christian radio?
Tim: We didn’t have Christian radio, but we were definitely exposed to Christian artists. People like Keith Green were part of my musical childhood.
We’re pastors’ kids, and it was a nurturing environment where there wasn’t this hard-cut line of sacred versus secular. I feel that if the God we serve were truly great and wonderful, why wouldn’t [Christian bands] want His beauty and truth fingerprints all over culture, not just making music for the church?
Jon: It’s healthy to remember as a church that the industry that is Christendom isn’t equated one to one with the body of Christ. These are the same issues that have plagued the church from the beginning. That type of conversation of what is a Christian band could go in so many different ways, but at the same time, as believers we’ve always been honored to be affiliated with the name of Christ. That’s a true honor and isn’t something to be taken lightly. In fact, our hesitancy to jump into the Christian label has more to do with the amount of respect I have for the name of Christ, and I’m not sure I’m willing to sanctify every single thing I’ve ever done in a band and say, “That’s a Christlike action.”
Brio: What do you say to people who criticize Switchfoot for not using Jesus’ name in your lyrics or correlating your music to a certain verse?
Jon: So many of our lyrics come directly from Scripture; that’s nothing new. But the thing I take solace in is that the most creative, outside-the-box thinker I’ve ever read about was Christ himself. Here’s someone who, if anything, was accused of being overly nebulous. “No one understands what you’re saying. Talk to us plain. You talk in these parables.”
I think the means and the ends of the kingdom of God need to be pursued with equal focus. The way He did His ministry is just as important as what He was saying. To be accused of being nebulous, for me, isn’t that bad of an accusation. I’ve come to the realization, too, that not everyone is going to understand us. And that has to be OK. We aren’t trying to be everybody’s favorite band. We’re trying to pursue an audience of one, essentially.
Brio: What do you mean by an audience of one?
Tim: The longer we’ve been a band, the more we’re not in it just to make other people give us their stamp of approval. There has to be a greater purpose than just making people applaud for what we’re doing, and as long as we’re convinced we’re exactly where God has us at the moment, that has to be the ultimate goal.
Brio: As musicians, even though you know better, there’s still some seductiveness in success, right?
Jon: We had no context for selling 2.5 million records. For example, Tim and I were in a band when we were in high school. We made CDs before CD burners were commonplace, so if your band had a CD, you were big time. I figured, “I’m going to save all my busboy money and make a CD.” The break-even point on those CDs was if we sold 300. And we did it! That was success. We thought, 300 CDs is success.
It’s good to keep that in mind. Success is such an elusive term. Who’s to say we’re successful since we sold a lot of units? I think it’s an American concept. But at the same time, it’s where art and commerce meet. To put food on your table, you have to be at least selling a few CDs, more than 300 perhaps.
Brio: Do you feel like you’ve met your “American Dream”?
Jon: To say you’ve achieved your dream is a dangerous thing because there are so many more things I’d like to see happen in my lifetime. I have a list of 100 songs on my laptop that I’m trying to figure out how to get out there and how to do them. We as a band have been talking about ways to impact the world, tour better, ways to love our families better. I certainly think it’s a process.
Brio: It seems that materialism and critiquing that aspect of American culture is a major theme on Oh! Gravity. What inspired you to focus on that?
Tim: Living in America and living in Southern California, I think our culture is becoming increasingly materialistic. If there’s any finger pointing, it’s at us. That’s where all our songs start.
Sometimes we use our songs to guard our own hearts. It’s one thing to discuss something; to sing about it every night on stage is a whole other thing. To sing, “This ain’t my American dream” really hits you. You’re accountable.
Jon: I find that certainly true. I’m singing, “This is your life. Are you who you want to be?” But then there’s 2,000 people singing that at me. It keeps your head in the right place.
Brio: What advice do you have for teens making career decisions?
Jon: There’s a quote from A.W. Tozer that says essentially it’s not necessarily what you’re doing or where you’re doing it that determines whether it’s sacred or secular but why you’re doing it. I found that to be true in my life with all sorts of people. Certain people have a ton of money, but they couldn’t care less about money. They’re all about people. Then certain people in charge of some charitable organization couldn’t care less about people.
I remember something Charlie [Peacock] said that inspired some kind of motto for me: “People over projects.” He said at the end you won’t look back and say, “Oh, I wish I would have won more Grammy Awards. I wish I would have produced more records.” The one thing you’ll have is the people, those relationships. Where you put your treasure, that’s where your heart will be. So be careful what you invest in, where you invest your time.
BONUS Questions
Brio: Do you approach concerts differently, whether it’s a Christian festival or a mainstream venue?
Jon: Totally. Every relationship you have you’re going to approach differently. If you’re talking with somebody who’s sitting next to you at the barber, a baseball game or church, you’re approaching every relationship in context.
I think it’s absurd to think we’d say the exact same thing and play the exact same songs every night. We switch our set list every night, not only for the people coming but also for us to keep it fresh. That’s something I had to learn to understand, the nuances of relationship.
Brio: What will it look for you to “burn out bright” at the end of your life?
Jon: I’ve burned out very dull a few times already.
Tim: Our society teaches us that burning out bright is going out with a lot of toys, a lot of cash, a lot of recognition, at the peak of stardom—whatever that looks like. The kingdom of heaven is completely the opposite. The person who couldn’t care less about what she’s wearing is devoted to serving the people around her—that’s a star right there. The idea of burning out bright looks a lot closer to that than the guy who’s all talk and has it all.
Jon: In the kingdom of heaven, the last are first, and the first are last. The people on stage in front of thousands of people who are catered to and driven around in buses are probably tying shoes in the kingdom of heaven. The people tying shoes down here, maybe that’s what burning out bright really looks like.
Brio: In your music, you aren’t afraid to talk about doubt and struggle. What would you say to teens who want to persevere in their relationship with Christ, but they doubt it?
Tim: You’re in good company. Throughout Scripture, heroes like David and mighty men of God are completely comfortable with not only doubting but also shouting their doubts to the almighty God of the universe. It’s a pretty heady concept to think we’ve been given this privilege to groan to the God of the universe about our struggles.
Jon: For me, maturity has meant to see [doubt] for what it is and to put it all in context. Most of the Old Testament is, “Remember, remember, remember,” and I think that’s a great response to doubt. Remember what has gone on already. Remember that you’re part of a bigger picture.
Brio: In your community with the band, do you help each other “remember”?
Jon: Love is always going to be the most mature response to any situation. To love one person well is many times to do something the exact opposite of what you’re going to do for someone else. All of our needs are dramatically different. Some person might need to be smacked across the face and hear, “You’re blowing it.” And another person needs an arm around the shoulder. If we’re to be the hands and feet of the omnipotent God, then that’s a high calling indeed.
Brio: Now for a fun question: How many times have you seen A Walk to Remember since some of your songs were included in the soundtrack?
Jon: I saw it once in the theaters.
Tim: At the premiere.
Brio:Are you still friends with Mandy Moore?
Jon: We hang out all the time and go out for coffee and stuff. No, actually we’re still in contact with her, but we’re not the best of friends.
Brio: If you could be in any movie soundtrack, which would you choose?
Jon: Citizen Kane or Gone with the Wind.
Chad: Life is Beautiful or Star Wars.
Brio: What’s your favorite song to play live?
Tim: Last night “American Dream” was pretty memorable because Jon started the song maybe 100 yards away from the stage in the middle of the crowd, and the crowd carried him back to the stage. He made it back by the first chorus. You never know what’s going to happen.
Jon: The reason we all love music is because of the unexpected, the X factor. The structure of the song never changes, but somehow it’s more than just notes. Sometimes that happens a couple times during a set. Other times it doesn’t happen. It’s just another day playing rock and roll.
Brio: What does the song “Dirty Second Hands” mean?
Jon: I think songs are like clouds, and they float by. It’s the same cloud, but it can resemble many different shapes. The cloud stays constant, but as it starts to cross, it changes a little bit.
That song for me has layers you can get into. When I sing it, I think about time and the idea the secondhand store is the end of us all. Proverbs says to look at the end of things is wisdom. To remember that the secondhand store is the end of all things is a good place to begin.
There are also the filthy second hands we all have. None of our hands are clean. There’s a certain amount of wanting to dismantle the pretense as well that somehow our hands could be clean. There’s a little bit of pulling off the façade of America. I think the last spoken word stands to sum it all up, the idea of fatality and that many times we’re the ones who put the handcuffs on ourselves.
Brio: Besides playing guitar, what else do you enjoy doing on tour?
Jon: I go to a lot of pawnshops and thrift stores. I love the used elements of our Western culture. I would much rather buy something that has been used. It’s a better value. It’s already had some life breathed into it. But we also love surfing and skateboarding. Skateboarding is the closest you can get to surfing on the sidewalk.
I also love writing songs, which I know is the occupation, but it’s also my favorite thing to do. When I haven’t written a song in a long time, my wife will say, “You need to write a song” because I get antsy and ornery. She also says when I haven’t surfed in a long time that I need to get baptized. There’s something about staring infinity in the face and being reminded of a bigger picture.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
A Life With Christ
A lot has happened in my life in the past year. There have been bad moments as well as good moments. But through each and every moment I can say that God proved Himself amazing in my life.
I came to realize this when I read one of Jon Foreman's (Switchfoot's frontman) blogs. He mentioned Romans 8 on the blog. I probably had already read that chapter sometime in my life but I decided to take a look at it again. As I read it, I started to realize that all I had experienced with God in the past year was all true. And it has been true for a long time, and Paul confirmed it.
In the past year my beliefs changed and I started asking a lot of questions. I started to think outside the box. I realized that Christianity today lacks Christian spirituality. That a lot of Christians spend their time telling people what they shouldn't do, and focus on their good works. It makes me wonder, if we have such an awesome God, then why not get and experience as much of Him as possible? Why do people that have grown up in a Christian home come to a point in their life where they see that it is all a routine? Why do so many Christians give up? I went throuhg a similar phase where I thought going to church was boring, that praying was boring and my spiritual life was just dead. I scared myself and asked God to revive me. Little did I know what He had in store for me.
I started asking questions and took these matters into account and I asked God for His help. I wanted Him to help me figure out the answer to these questions without any outside influence. Just me and Him. It was quite a journey. A series of unfortunate events occurred in my life and God used each and every one of those events to bring me closer to Him. As I drew closer I experience His love, I experienced the real sensation of what it feels like to walk with God. In the silence of my room late at night, I could feel God there, sitting beside my bed. As I cry and cry about the situation He comforts me. Instead of sending His angels to guard me, He Himself came down and comforted me and called me His child.
This didn't stop there. Surprisingly I started feeling Him everywhere. As if He were standing there right in front of me. I desired more of Him, and my love for Him grew and grew. There were times that I drew away from Him but He would still be waiting there for me. He would tell me things that nobody else could know, just our little secrets and we shared a lovely relationship.
The love that I did not get from my father, the lessons that my mom didn't have time to teach me, all of these things God did for me. I started to see the world in a new light. Everything carried beauty inside. Even pain. Even the pain that I was going through, trying to fight suicidal thoughts. I saw beauty in it because I let go of the control that I was trying to put into my life and surrendered to him. It was hard because I couldn't see past the darkness, I felt wobbly and unsure. But God always took care of me. Sometimes I thought to myself wether I was making it up, and I doubted sometimes. But He was always there.
When I read Romans 8, I just cried. I have to admit that my devotional times do not comprise of mostly Bible reading. I spend most of my time either praying or writing in my journal. I pray because I'm talking to God and I tell him about my day. I write in my journal so I can sort out my feelings and be able to balance my emotions that are originally unbalanced and a confused mess. Through the journal I am able to analyze how I really feel (I'm not able to do that with clarity instantly due to some emotional problems) and I talk to God about how I feel. But the shortest time is spent reading the Bible. I don't know if that is bad or not but it works well for me. So I haven't really done much extensive Bible reading on my devotions except for the fact that I'm reading some OT books and read some psalms of praise every now and then. That is why I was so amazed at Romans 8. I experienced it, then it was confirmed. All my doubts of "could this be true" vanished. It really was God. I'll share some of my favorite parts of the chapter. The version is The Message so I'm not going to put the verses.
The law ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it.
This is kind of like the questions I asked. Why do so many Christians end up focusing on what should be done and forget about the intimacy that we can share with God?
Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them - living and breathing God.
When I let go of the control that I had in my life (not trying to do good works to impress my mom or the pastor, trying to decided my fate of wether I should die right now or not) I let God take action. And when I did that, He showed Himself and I felt His presence everywhere.
Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end: attention to God leads us out into the open into a spacious free life.
When we hold on to the control in our lives we are really thinking about ourselves. About what makes US feel comfortable. We want to know that we are exactly in the right path with God an we obsess with it in such a way that we end up forgetting to just rest and let God transform us. We can't do good works forever without a transformation of our hearts. Because sooner or later we tire and end up leaving God because we get bored. But if we continually renew our minds and let God change us and do the work through us then we find ourselves feeling free! At first it is a very queasy and different feeling. It actually feels the opposite of freedom. This happens because we WANT control but we know its not good for us so we hand it over to God, but then again we want it so bad but refrain from taking over because we know its not good. So its a constant inner battle, but after the beginning stages we experience God's love and a feeling of peace and freedom.
you yourself experience life in God's terms.
not in our own terms.
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God witha child like "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches, our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is and we know who we are. Father and children.
Soon enough we experience a great desire to do whatever God wants us to do. We don't have to force ourselves to think so or to want so, we naturally desire God's love and God's will in our lives. It comes with the transformation. And then we truly truly feel like God's chidlren. We feel like God's children, God's friend, God's comrad, God's princess. It depens on how our lives have been and how we view God, but the important thing is that we feel like we matter to Him. We don't just know it in our heads, we feel it.
If we go through hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
While I was going through my hard times God always promised me a bright future. He always promised me joy. This confirms it! If we go through the hard times with God there will be good times! And we can go through those good times with Him.
But sometimes the wait for those good times is tough:
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordles sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good!
Through those hard moments God is always there beside us. And sometimes we don't know what to pray for. During the times that I had no words to express how much pain I was going throuhg or during the times where I didn't even know what I wanted, what would make me happy, or what would get me out of this, I would just sit back and sink into His presence and let my heart speak for itself. God knows me better than I know myself. And He uses that information to help me. That is what I call a true friend. So everything that happens in our life is for a good purpose.
Finally, I know I can ask God for anything because He is a loving Father and I don't have to worry about my needs because he is always there ready to fullfill my needs.
Is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, or angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolute nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
This makes it even better! It doesn't have to end. I keep wondering to myself, "I feel like I've gotten so so so close to God that I can't see any other way to get any closer!" I know that nothing can separate me from God's love. No matter how many mistakes I make, no matter how many times I try to take control of my life once again, I know God is always there to love me. He always gives me a second chance. It's so overwhelming!
The good thing is that I'm not saying these things to preach. I'm sharing this because it's what I have experienced. So many have said the same as I have but haven't experieneced it. What is Christianity without spirituality? What is Christianity without a deep and intimate relationship with the Creator the Universe?
I came to realize this when I read one of Jon Foreman's (Switchfoot's frontman) blogs. He mentioned Romans 8 on the blog. I probably had already read that chapter sometime in my life but I decided to take a look at it again. As I read it, I started to realize that all I had experienced with God in the past year was all true. And it has been true for a long time, and Paul confirmed it.
In the past year my beliefs changed and I started asking a lot of questions. I started to think outside the box. I realized that Christianity today lacks Christian spirituality. That a lot of Christians spend their time telling people what they shouldn't do, and focus on their good works. It makes me wonder, if we have such an awesome God, then why not get and experience as much of Him as possible? Why do people that have grown up in a Christian home come to a point in their life where they see that it is all a routine? Why do so many Christians give up? I went throuhg a similar phase where I thought going to church was boring, that praying was boring and my spiritual life was just dead. I scared myself and asked God to revive me. Little did I know what He had in store for me.
I started asking questions and took these matters into account and I asked God for His help. I wanted Him to help me figure out the answer to these questions without any outside influence. Just me and Him. It was quite a journey. A series of unfortunate events occurred in my life and God used each and every one of those events to bring me closer to Him. As I drew closer I experience His love, I experienced the real sensation of what it feels like to walk with God. In the silence of my room late at night, I could feel God there, sitting beside my bed. As I cry and cry about the situation He comforts me. Instead of sending His angels to guard me, He Himself came down and comforted me and called me His child.
This didn't stop there. Surprisingly I started feeling Him everywhere. As if He were standing there right in front of me. I desired more of Him, and my love for Him grew and grew. There were times that I drew away from Him but He would still be waiting there for me. He would tell me things that nobody else could know, just our little secrets and we shared a lovely relationship.
The love that I did not get from my father, the lessons that my mom didn't have time to teach me, all of these things God did for me. I started to see the world in a new light. Everything carried beauty inside. Even pain. Even the pain that I was going through, trying to fight suicidal thoughts. I saw beauty in it because I let go of the control that I was trying to put into my life and surrendered to him. It was hard because I couldn't see past the darkness, I felt wobbly and unsure. But God always took care of me. Sometimes I thought to myself wether I was making it up, and I doubted sometimes. But He was always there.
When I read Romans 8, I just cried. I have to admit that my devotional times do not comprise of mostly Bible reading. I spend most of my time either praying or writing in my journal. I pray because I'm talking to God and I tell him about my day. I write in my journal so I can sort out my feelings and be able to balance my emotions that are originally unbalanced and a confused mess. Through the journal I am able to analyze how I really feel (I'm not able to do that with clarity instantly due to some emotional problems) and I talk to God about how I feel. But the shortest time is spent reading the Bible. I don't know if that is bad or not but it works well for me. So I haven't really done much extensive Bible reading on my devotions except for the fact that I'm reading some OT books and read some psalms of praise every now and then. That is why I was so amazed at Romans 8. I experienced it, then it was confirmed. All my doubts of "could this be true" vanished. It really was God. I'll share some of my favorite parts of the chapter. The version is The Message so I'm not going to put the verses.
The law ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it.
This is kind of like the questions I asked. Why do so many Christians end up focusing on what should be done and forget about the intimacy that we can share with God?
Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them - living and breathing God.
When I let go of the control that I had in my life (not trying to do good works to impress my mom or the pastor, trying to decided my fate of wether I should die right now or not) I let God take action. And when I did that, He showed Himself and I felt His presence everywhere.
Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end: attention to God leads us out into the open into a spacious free life.
When we hold on to the control in our lives we are really thinking about ourselves. About what makes US feel comfortable. We want to know that we are exactly in the right path with God an we obsess with it in such a way that we end up forgetting to just rest and let God transform us. We can't do good works forever without a transformation of our hearts. Because sooner or later we tire and end up leaving God because we get bored. But if we continually renew our minds and let God change us and do the work through us then we find ourselves feeling free! At first it is a very queasy and different feeling. It actually feels the opposite of freedom. This happens because we WANT control but we know its not good for us so we hand it over to God, but then again we want it so bad but refrain from taking over because we know its not good. So its a constant inner battle, but after the beginning stages we experience God's love and a feeling of peace and freedom.
you yourself experience life in God's terms.
not in our own terms.
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God witha child like "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches, our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is and we know who we are. Father and children.
Soon enough we experience a great desire to do whatever God wants us to do. We don't have to force ourselves to think so or to want so, we naturally desire God's love and God's will in our lives. It comes with the transformation. And then we truly truly feel like God's chidlren. We feel like God's children, God's friend, God's comrad, God's princess. It depens on how our lives have been and how we view God, but the important thing is that we feel like we matter to Him. We don't just know it in our heads, we feel it.
If we go through hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
While I was going through my hard times God always promised me a bright future. He always promised me joy. This confirms it! If we go through the hard times with God there will be good times! And we can go through those good times with Him.
But sometimes the wait for those good times is tough:
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordles sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good!
Through those hard moments God is always there beside us. And sometimes we don't know what to pray for. During the times that I had no words to express how much pain I was going throuhg or during the times where I didn't even know what I wanted, what would make me happy, or what would get me out of this, I would just sit back and sink into His presence and let my heart speak for itself. God knows me better than I know myself. And He uses that information to help me. That is what I call a true friend. So everything that happens in our life is for a good purpose.
Finally, I know I can ask God for anything because He is a loving Father and I don't have to worry about my needs because he is always there ready to fullfill my needs.
Is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, or angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolute nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
This makes it even better! It doesn't have to end. I keep wondering to myself, "I feel like I've gotten so so so close to God that I can't see any other way to get any closer!" I know that nothing can separate me from God's love. No matter how many mistakes I make, no matter how many times I try to take control of my life once again, I know God is always there to love me. He always gives me a second chance. It's so overwhelming!
The good thing is that I'm not saying these things to preach. I'm sharing this because it's what I have experienced. So many have said the same as I have but haven't experieneced it. What is Christianity without spirituality? What is Christianity without a deep and intimate relationship with the Creator the Universe?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
In Over My Head
Lately, a lot of things have been confusing for me. I am at a place where I am trying to find myself and find where I really am, what I want to do, what my beliefs and values are, where I stand in society amongst other things. It gets tough sometimes because you think you know something and then find out its a lie or something happens to contradict it. It's in those times when I think of God. He is the only one that I can really hold on to. A few days ago I purchased (well, my mom did anyway) one of Reubens Morgan's solo albums called World Through Your Eyes. It is an amazing album with great songs that help me worship God. Reuben Morgan has written a lot of the finest worship songs like "My Redeemer Lives" and "I Give You My Heart." But there is one song that he wrote called "In Over My Head" which is a new song (relatively) and it describes my situation perfectly.
In Over My Head
by Reuben Morgan
The world is all changing
I can't believe my own eyes
The moment I think
I've figured it out
I am flawed
I'm not so sure
Of myself this time
I'm in over my head
And all I have is you now
I'm in over my ehad
And all I am is holding on to you
I can't see the way now
But this one thing I know
When everything's changing
You're still closer than a friend
And so I will bow
And my heart will trust
I'm in over my head
And all I have is you now
I'm in over my head
And all I am is holding on to you
I'll never let you go
I'm in over my head
And all I am is you now
I'm in over my head
And all I have, all I have
Is holding on to you
peace out for now!
In Over My Head
by Reuben Morgan
The world is all changing
I can't believe my own eyes
The moment I think
I've figured it out
I am flawed
I'm not so sure
Of myself this time
I'm in over my head
And all I have is you now
I'm in over my ehad
And all I am is holding on to you
I can't see the way now
But this one thing I know
When everything's changing
You're still closer than a friend
And so I will bow
And my heart will trust
I'm in over my head
And all I have is you now
I'm in over my head
And all I am is holding on to you
I'll never let you go
I'm in over my head
And all I am is you now
I'm in over my head
And all I have, all I have
Is holding on to you
peace out for now!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The King Of The Universe
Today for devotions I prayed in a different way. I wrote a letter to God.
Dear God,
I haven't talked to you like this in a long time. But let's give it a try. How are you? I'm sure you are feeling a bunch of of emotions at the same time because you deal with everyone in the world at the same time. 7 billion emotions?! Wow! I would never take that. I would explode like Peter Petrelli (Heroes)! But you are God so that doesn't matter. You have been really good to me lately. Giving me music to cheer me up (yesterday I bought some new cds), sitting by my bedside every night rocking me to sleep, sending your angels, and now YOU, Yourself sit down while I'm sleeping and guard me. God Himself. Wow. I feel very special when I'm around you. I feel loved. I feel like its just you and me. And average human being with the King Of the Universe. I feel like a princess when I'm around you. Yes, you are my Father and my Friend. When my dad forsaked me, you never did. When my mom stopped listening to me, you never did. I can't even explain how happy that makes me. Even when I thought you were gone, you would yell, "Hey! I'm here! I never left, and I never will." I want to thank you for being with me. I want to thank you for not letting me go. And for putting up with my silly fits. You never cease to amaze me. And I know that whatever comes my way, I can trust my Daddy. The Kind of The Universe.
It sounds like a child wrote this. Well, in my heart I am still a child. Despite my problems I am glad that I can write something like this. I feel free and I have felt free this past year. How? Well, God is amazing. I even made a Meez .
This is how free I am :
This reminds me of the times when I was a kid and I would always go on the tire swing at school. That was the last time I remember feeling really free. And thankfully, despite everything that's going on right now, I feel exactly like I felt then.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Listen
Listen is a song that I love. It is featured on the movie Dream Girls (with Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Anika Nina Rose, and Jennifer Hudson) and it absolutely describes the situation I am in. I feel like I am not being heard. That my thoughts and opinions don't matter. I feel that I have to do whatever I am told to, to live well, and that my dreams and values are just going to be stripped away. I wish people would just listen. Listen to what I have to say. The song is performed by the beautiful Beyoncé. Here are the lyrics:
Listen
To the song here in my heart
A melody I start but can't complete
Listen
To the sound from deep within
It's only beginning to find release
Oh the time has come for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned I
nto your own all 'cause you won't listen
Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on my mind
You should have known - Oh
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened
There is someone here inside
Someone I thought had died so long ago
Oh, I'm screaming out and my dreams will be heard
They will not be pushed aside or worse**
Into your own all 'cause you won't listen
Listen I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on my mind
You should have know
Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own
I don't know where I belong
But I'll be moving on
If you don't, if you won't
Listen
To the song here in my heart
A melody I start
But I will complete - Oh
Now I'm done believing you
You dont know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you think you gave to me
But now I gotta find my own
My own
Here is the video.
I would also like to share with you another video by a band that I recently discovered (today actually). Jamie posted this video on myspace but I didn't pay too much attention to it. But I watched it today. It's by a band called Between The Trees and this song is about cutting and hurt and pain and depression. They are huge supporters of TWLOHA and I think they have an awesome sound and they are just AMAZING! :D Hopefully I'll be able to get some more of their music and know more about them.
that's it for today folks! :D
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