"Less of Me...

This is my buddy Bryan.
Bryan has tattoos.
Every time I'm around this guy,
I crave getting one.
All of his are ridiculously rad.
He's got the one up there that says "Less of Me",
and another one on the back of his left calf that says "I'm Not Mine" in Goosebumps font.
These are my favorite.

I remember during Super Summer,

I was studying through 1st Corinthians.
In 1st Cor. 8:13 Paul says,

"Therefore,if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

I thought about this idea.
I've been a "nice guy" before.
I've given extra money that I had to a person in need.
I've given people rides home whenever I didn't have much to do.
I've even gotten up early in the morning for something whenever I'd had a great night sleep and was fully awake.

Paul probably really liked meat.
I'm going to guess this dude used meat in his example because it was something that he cherished eating.
I wasn't like he could just go to Rib Crib and grab some brisket whenever he wanted.
Giving up eating meat would be something that he hated,
but he would sacrifice meat,
if it would ease somebody's life.
He would do it,
if that person would grow closer to knowing Christ from him doing so.

Jesus Christ became a servant for me.
The guy came from being exalted and praised in a kingdom,
to mocked and killed as a hobo here on Earth.
My life has been bought.
I've been made new.
I have been this way long enough to know that my life is not about my wants and needs,
but my purpose is to serve others.
I'm never going to be that Super Christian,
but I think its good to strive towards something.
Jesus was the kind of guy who was always striving to make Himself less,
so that God would become more.
What a beast.


I was dead then alive, She was like wine turned to water then turned back to wine; You can pour us out, we won't mind, As scratch around the mouth of the glass, "Our lives our not our own."

...More of You."

Why Would You Care...

About what music I've been listening to lately? Well, you probably don't. But you've been suckered too far into this blog.

Sometimes you buy an album,
listen to it until it drives you crazy,
wait a month,
then bring it back,
and it's just as good as the day you got it.
Sometimes you get an album,
and it's what you've been looking for in music all this time.
You'll be listening to that jam until you die.
Sometimes you listen to music that's a little older,
or you've been listening to it for a while,
and it just doesn't matter,
the music doesn't grow old.
Why?
Why is music so great?




Who cares...?

The Rocketboys' "20,000 Ghosts". Besides having the cleanest sound on any album I've come across in a long while, The Rocketboys have stepped up their game lyrically and melodically. The song "We Are A Lighthouse" deals with being the light of the world, as well as being individual safe-havens for those who are hurting. They're mid-way songs are full of noises that completely fall into place with each other. It's really amazing how well each song is put together. The guitar parts don't make sense, and I don't understant how Brandon Kinder can be such a good vocalist. I'm not sure if P. Ellis recorded every drum part, but it doesn't matter, the drums are still my favorite part about this band. An original album, and it streams across many moods.


Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". I owe it to Chris Sweeney for the reason this album ever came onto my iPod. He took me to see them in OKC during the summer and I couldn't understand why I hadn't listened to it before. It also went along perfectly while I read Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz book. The music is extremely light feeling. This album literally makes a sunny day feel warmer, and "War On War" is the soundtrack for any person who's on their way to accomplishing something. "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" has a wicked simple but perfectly fitting drum part. The album is just so happy, and depressing at the same time. It gives you a good medium. You're day just seems to run a little cleaner with it in your head.


Explosions In The Sky's "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place". This it music. This album is what I think music is all about. Like, Hammock, this band is just one of those bands that you could play while writing papers, or doing a quiet time, or just relaxing or something. The guitar parts are ridiculously simple, but so simple in that it's genius. Any novice player could've recorded this album's guitar parts, but UGH! Incredible. For the past 2 weeks I've been blasting this album as I walk in between classes. No lyrics, and it never gets too noisy. The music is a collection of amazing melodies that put me to shame whenever I try copying their style with a looper. Ambient-styled music is the new "thing", man. I swear. Their NPR show is really good too if you find the free podcast on iTunes. Listen to "Your Hand In Mine". You'll dig it.

MewithoutYou's "It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright!". You really have to not be picky about music to listen to this album. Aaron Weiss is just a weird guy, alright, there's no getting past it, but every lyric is poetry at it's finest. The music is oddly structured and complicated but it's just always perfect and fitting. My favorite jam is "Every Thought A Thought Of You", which also happens to be the first track, opens up the audience to how the rest of the album will go. "Alright, this is going to get weird, but it's going to be really good, so let's just keep it running." The track is my newest favorite song to worship to. It's a much more simplified version of everything I'm always thinking about when praising. Freakin' awesome. Fact: Micheal Weiss has the best guitar sound of all time, and Rickie Mazzotta is a close second on my list of favorite drummers. Each of them has their own style. You're able to tell when Micheal is on his A-Game, because that's when he starts to "Reverse Wah" his solos. The guy's good.

Thank you God, for allowing music to be a part of my life.
You've made it well.
Thank you Jesus for saving me.
Thank you for making people on this earth to entertain me between classes,
or in the car,
at home,
on the floor,
in my beanbag chair,
on a futon,
while riding my bike,
while I'm reading your holy Word.
I pray for all people who read this,
and that you bless their day.
Thanks for running this show.