Thoughtful Thrilling Tasteful Tangible Tantalizing Totally Tite Terrific Tune Tuesday

Monday, February 1, 2010

It's been quite some time since the last Tune Tuesday. I'll blame it on not being able to come up with a "t" word for the title...

Go.

Song: Uprising

Artist: Muse

Album: The Resistance

Here's the video. Push play and read on:

I bought this song about a month ago and then a week later my church band played it one Sunday (and rocked it). I think the message in the song is pretty clear, but something about it being played in church really grabbed me and made me think about it in a new way.

I'm going to use this song as my anthem for my last semester at Winthrop. You'll see why...

The first verse really just describes how the world tries to influence us and control how we act and think. For instance:

They'll try to push drugs to keep us all dumbed down,

And hope that we will never see the truth around...

Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed.

And then to the powerful anthem chorus I love:

They will not force us,

They will stop degrading us,

They will not control us,

And we will be victorious!

When I first heard this song, I thought they=the world and us=my generation. After hearing it in church and reflecting on it in a different way, I thought they=the world, but us=Christians.

Instantly Romans 12:2 came to mind:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The second verse is encouraging basically saying that we can do this together:

If you could flick a switch and open your third eye,

You'd see that we should never be afraid to die...

It's time that the fat cats had a heart attack,

You know that their time's coming to an end,

We have to unify and watch or flag ascend!

Then the strong chorus plays several times until the song ends.

Ever time I listen (and sometimes sing really loudly) to this song, I make that chorus my prayer: that we, as Christians, especially in my generation, will not let the ever-pressuring world force us into doing things we know aren't right or changing who we are, will not get discouraged by the world laughing at our choices, nor will we let them control our actions through fear of the above mentioned things. Through Christ, we will be victorious, as He has already shown us.

So I'm using this song as my anthem as I prepare to leave college, head out into the real world and start fulfilling God's calling on my life. This songs pumps me up to take this [scary] next step. It encourages me.

There's about 20 million others things I could write about this song, but just let this song take on any other meanings to you personally. Share if you want!

End.

Unplanned Plan 343

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Here's a little formula I created:

New Thru 30 + RELG 313 = Unplanned Plan 343

Let me explain:

New Thru 30: My church here at school, Elevation, is leading a series called New Thru 30. Basically, the congregation (plus churches and people from all over the world) are reading the entirety of the New Testament in the next 30 days. They designed a nice little reading plan that is available for everyone on the above web site. It's not too late to join in! I'm on day 4 and loving it so far!

RELG 313: I decided to take RELG 313 just because I love the professor and I needed a class in that area. RELG 313 just happens to be Intro to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. So, I'll be reading and studying (in a more academic way compared to New Thru 30) most of the Old Testament.

Unplanned Plan 343: Coincidently, I'll be reading through just about the entire Bible in the next few months. Woah. It's going to be a ton of reading, but I'm excited for the challenge. I can't wait to see what I learn and how I'm changed through this process. Wish me luck! I'll give updates along the way!

Funday Sunday

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Jennifer and I decided that Sunday was our favorite day in England. It consisted of actually getting into London, me seeing Big Ben, Parliament, and the London Eye for the first time, Hyde Park with Speakers Corner, Trafalgar Square, Hillsong Church, and Piccadilly Square. It was a jammed-packed day and soooo much fun.

The more I think about it, the crazier I think it is that we experienced Speaker’s Corner and Hillsong in the same day, actually within hours.

So Speaker’s Corner is an area in Hyde Park in London where public speaking is allowed. Basically, it’s just a bunch of people standing on ladders yelling and screaming their opinions on topics like religion, language, politics, or even how everyone (including men) should wear stilettos. The fun, or intense, thing is that the crowd interacts with the speakers: argue, yell at, cheer, debate, etc.

We heard all kinds of new ideas like one lady who said,

America is made of all the losers of the other countries.

We were not a fan of her. One speaker demanded from one member of the crowd (they actually seemed to know each other well) to try and name the

features of the creatures

that proved evolution.

Although the several hours we spent there was entertaining and interesting, we left feeling sad and had to leave because we really just couldn’t take listening to it anymore. I think it was the crowds arguing with the Christian speakers, where we spent most of our time, that made us feel this way. I don't really have another word to describe how we felt, just sad. Often crowd members would look at us and ask what we thought of the Christian speakers and we responded in some positive way and they would look at us like we were absolutely out of our minds.

So we left Speaker's Corner and soon entered Dominion Theatre in London where the mega-church Hillsong meets. I’ve always loved the worship music they release and right when the worship began, an awesome and exciting atmosphere was created. Every single person in the crowd was worshipping individually and freely. It was encouraging to be there and to see others (especially neat since they were from a different country) worshipping the same powerful God I do.

I think I find it funny that we did both things on the same day because they represent two extremes. I don’t know. I think it’s hard for me to grasp the idea that they both exist so closely to one another. And I know for sure that London is not the only place where this happens. I’ve just yet to encounter it in America.

Worry Free

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

I’m a worry-wart. I always have been, but this past year or so, I’ve really gotten better with it. I always ask myself in a stressful situation, “Is worrying going to help anything?” Usually the answer is no…and I just try to keep my mind off it.

Well I’ve been without a roommate so far this semester, until yesterday. I literally woke up to my RA knocking on the door telling me I was getting a roommate…today, like within the next few hours. Luckily, Gabi was with me to help move some stuff around so that she would have some space.

As I look back on it, I only had about 2 hours to wonder what this girl was like, why she was moving in on a Monday, and if we would be able to get along. Now, if I had been told a few days before, I know it would have been a nightmare. I would have worried myself sick trying to figure out what this girl was like, even though I have absolutely no control over it.

So, God was telling me again, even though He has showed me several times but I’m just too hard-headed to figure it out, that worrying solves nothing.

Look out for a little series I'll call Tune Tuesday coming next week. haha.

Empty Trees

Monday, January 21, 2008

I spent the weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the beautiful mountains. I’ve always had a fascination with trees in the fall and winter. So, I was able to look at them for four straight days.

The fall is a famous transition time for the trees, completely changing colors, but the process is beautiful. The closer it gets to winter, the more colors come about and the more beautiful and unique that tree becomes.

And then winter arrives and all those brightly colored leaves are gone. At first glance they seem empty and cold, but I also find it breathtakingly beautiful and I have just recently discovered why I feel this way.

There is something beautiful about the tree losing everything it has. It’s even more beautiful that it’s able to recover its beauty with just the help of the warm sun to look fresh and renewed.

I love the idea that it takes giving up everything to feel that newness and sense of freshness. The process is hard; it’s not easy giving up things in my life and control of my life. But if I can remember that God will refresh, renew, allow me to bloom and make me beautiful once again just like that tree, I can and will do it.

Lucky trees right?