johnny craig

This guy has some serious vocal talent. He heads a band called Emarosa. Give them a listen and know that he sounds that good live. Me gusta

faith. and a lack of hard times

this week i have been really struck with how tough things are right now. i've developed a habit this summer of reading the paper in the morning, a routine i'd have to say i enjoy quite a bit.

there has been a streak of negativity for the past couple of weeks, as one thing after another is catching the attention of newspaper reporters.

teachers who've been laid off aren't able to make things meet. their income was split in half when they received the pink slip and it has been a downward spiral since then. thousands upon thousands are in this situation, many having to stare bankruptcy and foreclosure in the face. it's a reality they never thought possible five, ten years ago.

a family and the community around them were floored this week when two little boys, 10 and 12, were killed. from all angles the police believe it to be a murder-suicide, or worse yet, a suicide pact. the boys had been active in school and were well liked. they were left at home for a few hours as the mom went to work. they were dead before she got there.

a man, his two year old daughter, and pregnant wife stopped me in a parking lot tonight. he had worked for general motors and was just laid off the week before. their life had been a tightrope of paycheck to paycheck living and now they were living out of a motel. yesterday they spent the last of their money on paying for their room and for food. they asked for anything that could help keep them afloat.

my point with each of these is not to make a sob story or put you in a depressed mood about the way things are. that's not what i'm getting at.

in each of these instances, in the newspaper articles for the first two, and lastly in the poor family, there was a faith. there was a hope, however small and dim. God was brought up in each circumstance and was attributed as the thing that was in control, and that He would still be trusted through it all.

that's what i'm getting at. i, and perhaps many around me, have lived a comfortable life. tragedies have been few and far between, nothing compared to the situations of these and many like them. i say that i have faith in God but i don't know if faced with tragedy like this, i would hold strong. hold strong to the truth of who God is: fully loving, eternally faithful and present, completely in control.

i read about all of this in His word, learn about it in the classes i take, but how can i know if it's taken root and changed my heart and head? i'm not inviting hard times, but i'm just saying sometimes comfort can be a bad thing, when we begin to get calloused and numb to what God has called us to: faith in Him with passion, through the blackest of storms or the quiet of summer evenings.

maturity and manhood

i've come across a website that has quite a lot of interesting article about masculinity and manliness, hence the site name: the Art of Manliness. i've been engrossed in a few of the many articles on the site and found this one particularly interesting. it's a bit long, but well worth the read.


http://artofmanliness.com/2010/04/06/modern-maturity-create-more-consume-less/

Anberlin - "We Owe This To Ourselves"

song off the upcoming album. cannot wait

yes.

girl in athletic shorts who's down to throw frisbee in the park > girl in the cutest, trendiest, vintage-est, indie-est, lookbook-iest, outfit






via Chris Youngblood

whatimae

so i guess i have to blog two days in a row. but this news made me come out of the woodwork:

one of my favorite bands growing up was mae. i'm still a huge fan and perk up whenever i hear their music being played anywhere. they're getting back together for a reunion tour(some of the members left, making the band a three-piece) and possibly an ep of new songs with the full band.

i cannot wait for this. i'm gonna be there with so many other kids like me who grew up to the sounds of the everglow, suspension, this time is the last time, the ocean, and the sun and the moon. soo many good memories and soo many good songs. this will be a good way to say goodbye. and good night

it's been dry lately..

i feel like this summer has been dry.
i've lost motivation to blog..as evidenced by the slower pace of the blogomatic 3000 that lives in my brain. there's been plenty of things that are blogworthy, but my inclination is to mull things over in my brain and leave them at that.

some good summer music i've been digging lately:
travie mccoy: billionaire
circa survive: blue sky noise (album)
brighten: that girl
brand new: Deja Entendu (album)
tokyo police club: breakneck speed
underoath: define the great line

enjoying the summer. hope you are too