Forgotten music, art and writing
04.28.05 (3:20 pm) [edit] 
In my opinion the Christian church today is scared of self-expression and creativity. I believe that as Christians we should, in theory, be the most expressive and creative of all people! God is the creator and we are His children . . . so we should be super creative by association, right? It seems that the church runs away from creativity in a quest to stay away from anything questionable or controversial. 
This is a shame. I believe music, art and writing are a fantastic way to reveal more of God. Art crosses language and cultural barriers, as does most music. Writing is something that people associate with intellectualism and therefore agnosticism or atheism, but it isn't so! Some of the most talented writers I know are Christians who (can) use their love of language to further God's glory. Creativity is a gift - let's not squelch it.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart . . ."
04.27.05 (2:35 pm) [edit]
"And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will guide your path."
Proverbs 3:5
I hope you are doing well when you read this. I think I came to a personal revelation today. I used to think that in times of turmoil just saying the words "God, I will trust you" was enough. But now I see (more and more) that it is a personal decision. I used to just say the words, without the heart behind it.
There are very few people who are not stressed, hurting or alone at this point in the semester. If that is you, I pray that God is with you - strengthening you through this time. In the words of one of my favorite speakers . . . "Life isn't fair, but God is faithful."
Waning desire
04.24.05 (2:04 pm) [edit]Humph.
I know we only have a week left of school, but I have no desire to finish up my school work. I lost the desire to do any school work about a week and a half ago. Yuck. Anyone have any ideas on how to motivate myself?
I have looked up scriptual references about completing my work. I have tried accountability. I just don't want to do it. Plus summer plans are making me upset right now. I strongly dislike having to wait on others to make up their minds in order to choose and finalize my plans :(
Sorry. This turned into a "gripe session." Sigh. Anyways, time to go force feed my brain homework.
Some old, some new . . .
04.22.05 (9:09 am) [edit]All I can think of is cliches right now. Cliches people use in writing (which can be really annoying, quite frankly), cliches in conversation. A lot of cliches are used in consoling a grieving or hurt individual. Here are some . . .
Live and let live.
Don't worry, be happy!
Laughter is the best medicine.
No news is good news.
Truth is relative.
Making a bad decision is better than making no decision at all. (hmm, I wonder about this one)
There will come a day when all the work is finished or when it is too late to finish it. (HA! HA! This one is great for this point in the semester!)
Poor planning on your part does not create an emergency on my part. (A teacher's favorite phrase.)
Haste makes waste.
Popularity (admiration) is not love.
No pain, no gain.
It'll feel better when it stops hurting. (Ahh, my dearest Dad's favorite phrase.)
No guts, no glory.
There is nothing to fear but fear itself.
Life goes on.
When it rains, it pours.
You can't have it all.
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that suggests you tried. (my fave so far!)
Goodbye is not an easy word to say.
Hmm, lets try it out . . . goodbye. Not so hard.
Yay - pinch hitter
04.20.05 (9:52 pm) [edit]Yay Twins! My roomate and I went to the Twins game tonight. They won 5-4. It was really fun. We got there to the game and the player that is my roomate's favorite wasn't in the lineup :( She was really frustrated because this was the first home game of the season that she has gone to. If you want to see who is her favorite player, check out this link:
Anyways, her favorite player got put in during the 8th inning! Yay! And Joe Mauer and Jacque Jones hit homers. It was a great game - I am glad I went.
Right in front of your nose
04.19.05 (12:16 pm) [edit]The truth, that is. Sometimes it is hard to be patient with yourself or others when they refuse to see truth. You shouldn't point fingers and point out the speck in other people's eyes. You should use each situation to look at yourself and examine your oqn heart.
Being patient and praying for someone to see the truth is the stinking hardest thing ever in the history of the world! But, it is the most loving action you can take toward someone. I am writing this for my own benefit - to reinforce in my heart and mind that being supportive/patient is worth it. Even when it is stinking hard!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Getting smarter
04.15.05 (11:16 pm) [edit]In my estimation there are several types of "smart." Let me break it down . . .
1. Street smarts - This is when you learn how to avoid certain parts of the neighborhood or how to drive defensively.
2. School/book smarts - Being a bookworm, picking up a lot from your classes - applying what you learn to everyday life and situations.
3. Self smarts - Like Aristotle said "know thyself." Being able to step back from your life and situations to evaluate your decisions and learn from mistakes. Self evaluation is key.
4. People smarts - Knowing how to work through relationships, make people feel comfortable. Being able to relate to people in different walks of life.
Hmm, what is the most important smart? I am not sure, because each of them have different value in different situations. Am I missing some type of smart? (Not me personally - ha ha, but the list?)
Two weeks left!
04.15.05 (9:55 am) [edit]Yay,
Two weeks of school! Right now I have to study for a big test. Check out Erin's page for fun pics :)
Faithful
04.13.05 (10:19 pm) [edit]God is so good and faithful! That's all I have to say right now :)
Seventh Day Slumber and KJ-52
04.11.05 (1:19 pm) [edit]Here is the article I published. Unfortunately, it is not as lucid as I would have liked it to be. I finished writing it at about 2 a.m. Here is a link ro KJ-52, so you can see a picture of him. I'm sure the picture will pay him better homage than my itty bitty picture below!
http://www.kj52.com/" title="http://www.kj52.com/" target="_blank"http://www.kj52.com/
:)
TWO ARTISTS WITH MESSAGE OF HOPE
KJ-52, Seventh Day Slumber showcase their musical chops and poetic prowess
by Hope Andrews
Joseph Rojas knows the meaning of despair.
“I remember when I was broken and empty,” Rojas said. “. . . At the age of 12 years old, I wanted to end my life.”
Rojas was a $400 a day cocaine addict by age 14 and incarcerated more than twenty times in seven years. He can’t remember how many felonies are on his record because he was high every time he was arrested. When Rojas overdosed and lay prostrate in an ambulance, he called out to Christ for the first time in his life. After that Rojas dedicated his life to Jesus, and secondly to his music.
“Jesus offered me a cure to life that drugs couldn’t offer me,” Rojas said.
As the lead singer of the band Seventh Day Slumber, Rojas tours to share a message of hope and salvation. The band’s sophomore release “Once Upon a Shattered Life” flew off the shelves in February as they toured with KJ-52, Hawk Nelson and Falling Up.
Rojas and his band believe their ministry is to share their testimonies. Every member has a story of brokenness they desire to convey.
“Our music is a reflection of all we have been through in our lives,” said SDS guitarist Jeremy Holderfield. “Pain is universal. Everyone’s experienced it. Coming from different backgrounds, all of us have pain in our lives . . . we want to show kids we are not blind to the fact they are hurting.”
The new album deals with themes of pain some Christian bands seem to ignore. Seventh Day Slumber wants to address these issues while offering a message of hope.
“There are kids out there that are dying everyday,” said drummer Ray Fryoux. “You can talk about these things and kids want you to. Christ is the universal solution.”
Seventh Day Slumber so strongly believes Christ is a universal solution they are willing to lose everything the band owns to share that message. The group was invited to play a show in Canada after a recent teen suicide.
The group gladly accepted, but they realized passing through customs would be risky because of Roja’s criminal record. All the equipment and the tour bus could be confiscated because Roja had been convicted of theft during his stint of drug abuse. After much prayer they braved a four-hour interrogation on the border and were allowed to pass.
At the performance, more than 70 high school students turned over their lives to God. The band feels that experience happened because they didn’t hide their faith.
“So many bands wimp out,” Rojas said. “They hide the fact that they serve God because they want to play this club or that. But those kids are looking for a leader. They are looking for someone to stand up and say ‘Yes, I serve God . . . Here’s what He’s done in my life.’ How is anyone going to follow us if we don’t lead?”
Off their new album, the song “Caroline” floats at number two on the official Top 10 Christian hits songs.
“We want a radio hit. Everybody does; this is how we make a living, ya know?” Rojas said. “But we don’t write songs for radio first. We write songs first for God and the kids that need to hear this message. If you stick to that pattern you will always have a number one.”
“Behind the Musik”
Hip hop musician and rapper KJ-52 isn’t a stranger to number one hits, either. His March release “Behind the Musik” has quickly risen on Christian charts. Not unlike SDS, KJ attributes his success to meaningful lyrics that reveal heart-wrenching emotions.
“I thought I could take my audience a little more seriously [with this album],” KJ said. “People had already connected with the music . . . My responsibility as an artist is to make music that is going to changes lives, as opposed to just making good music that people go ‘oh, that’s good music’ and pat you on the back. That is the responsibility God has laid on my heart.”
“Behind the Musik” marks KJ’s third release. This album has become deeply personal for Sorrentino, as this is the first time he has revealed his past. Jonah Sorrentino (as his mother calls him) coped with a broken home and by drinking, using drugs and sleeping around. At the age of fifteen, KJ dedicated his life to God and changed his course.
As a pioneer of Christian hip hop KJ sometimes feels lonely breaking new ground. Some critics liken him to Eminem, and for that reason KJ refuses to listen to any of the other rapper’s CDs.
KJ wants his audience to understand this album is a product of pushing himself to the limit. He produced more than half of the tracks, along with writing all of the lyrics and beats. However, he feels that his talent only takes him so far and God does the rest.
“Honestly, everyday I hold that microphone I count as a privilege,” KJ said. “I should not be doing this. A white dude from Florida who does Christian rap? That’s just not the recipe for success. That just makes me appreciate God even more.”
KJ-52
04.09.05 (9:58 pm) [edit]Here's a pick of KJ-52 aka Jonah. He was really nice. More later :)
Sorry its so stinking big! I reduced it like three times.
Ohmygosh
04.07.05 (10:49 pm) [edit]I had such a cool night . . I got to interview KJ-52 and Seventh Day Slumber (two Christian bands). And seriously, they were so NICE. I was amazed at how inviting, kind and sincere they all were. Wow. And seriously both of them have an amazing testimony of how God has brought them out of drugs, alcohol, etc. God is awesome and He draws us all to Him with His deep, deep love. His love covers time and space and race and culture and every barrier that man can make. Thank you God for being you!!!
Anyways, the bands were just, wow. If you want to read the article I write about them both, the article will come out next Tuesday. Have a good night everyone!
This is Seventh Day Slumber. From left to right . . . Ray (drummer), Joseph (vocals), Solveig (kick butt friend), me :),
Josh (bass) and Jeremy (guitar).
Everybody's Changing . . .
04.06.05 (4:16 pm) [edit]This song fits my mood. Cool music and interesting lyrics. Check it out if you can. It's by Keane.
"Everybody's Changing"
You say you wander your own land
But when I think about it
I don't see how you can
You're aching, you're breaking
And I can see the pain in your eyes
Says everybody's changing
And I don't know why
So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same
You're gone from here
And soon you will disappear
Fading into beautiful light
Cause everybody's changing
And I don't feel right
So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same
So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel t
I need a mini-vacation
04.06.05 (10:16 am) [edit]25 days until Exams. It is good for me to remember. I am proud of myself because I have been working practically non-stop on homework/newspaper/intern ships/summer job. I have been working harder than I can remember.
It feels good to feel some measure of control over my life . . . like I have choices that can help determine my future. It I make wise ones, then tomorrow looks a little brighter. However, I have a tendency to fall into a trap of self-reliance. So I need to beware of that.
I didn't really have a weekend - i worked the entire time (except for when I was rescuing friends with car problems or having minor car problems of my own :) So now I feel like today should be the weekend and time to rest a litte, but its not at all. Well, here is looking forward to tomorrow. I get to do a few fun things - more on that later.
Till the next time my fingers feel like typing . . .
Thanks to those who are indespensable
04.03.05 (11:20 am) [edit]
This is a shout out to my friends who have supported me through this difficult time in my life! Thank you so much!
Thank you to . . . friends form out of state who spend their phone cards or cell phone minutes to call me :)
Thank you to . . . friends who help me fix my car because I am a clueless girl :)
Thank you to . . . friends have cried with me and let me cry.
Thank you to . . . friends who have been patient and loyal.
Thank you to . . . friends who show me God's goodness. Thank you everyone.