Tag Archives: favorites

What Language Do You Speak?

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I don’t know about you, but when I’m alone in the car, I talk out loud… I talk to the Lord, I talk to the other drivers, I talk to myself, and I talk to the radio!

It’s possible that I looked a little cray-cray when I heard this song on the radio the other day! The beat grabbed my attention, but the lyrics…. Oh my! The lyrics resounded loud in my spirit and I couldn’t help pumping my fist in agreement!

Native Tongue by Switchfoot is a powerful statement about who we are and Who we came from! If we marry these two verses, you’ll see what I mean:

God is Love + God created mankind [us] in His image (I John 4:8, Genesis 1:27)

We were created to look like our Dad! He is love, He speaks love, He functions in love! Love is our native language! Take a listen: Native Tongue

We are born with the capacity to function in love and demonstrate love, but too often we are taught to function out of self-preservation, pain, and judgment. It’s time to go back to our native tongue!

Back before we learned the words to start a fight
Back before they told us that the haters were right
He spoke the truth, “let there be” and there was
Love is the language, love is your native tongue

My heart is a beating drum
My head in oblivion
My soul, such a long way from
My lips, my lungs, my native tongue

My friend, where did we go wrong?
My Lord, we forgot our sound
My soul, such a long way from
My lips, my lungs, my native tongue

So sing it loud, get loud, get
Louder than the voices in the crowd, yeah
Even when they tried to drown you out, eh
Your lips, your lungs, your native tongue

So sing it out, get loud, get
Louder than the darkness and the doubts, eh
Louder than the curses and the shouts, yeah
Your lips, your lungs, your native tongue

Songwriters: Brent Kutzle / Jonathan Mark Foreman / Timothy David Foreman
NATIVE TONGUE lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

What a challenge! Lord, Take us back to the Place where we were created from: Your heart! Teach us to communicate like You! Help us to function as You created us to, out of love, instead of pain, judgement, or pride! Help us to “get louder than the voices in the crowd!”

Live Loved! And you will impact those around you with love!

P.S. If this blessed you or encouraged you, please share on social media! Drop me a comment too! 🙂

Favorite Friday: Artist

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OK… fangirl post! From the early days of DC Talk’s hit Heavenbound to his new release, The Elements, dropping today, TobyMac has been at the T-O-P of my favorite artist list!  As I was thinking about this blog, I tried to choose my favorite TobyMac tune and I have to confess, that was not an easy endeavor!  Some songs stand out because of their artistic wow-ness while others have lyrics that go deep… and that’s without factoring in the Christmas songs!

DC Talk, Then and Now

But before we go to the favorites, here are the top 10 reasons that I think highly of TobyMac.  (No, I don’t know him as a person, but the fruit of his walk is evident to anyone who pays attention.)

Top 10 things I appreciate about TobyMac:

10: DC Talk brotherhood: In this age of “no one stays together,” TobyMac, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max demonstrate that brotherhood is still a priority even while pursuing solo careers. Jesus Freak

9: Gotee Records: Toby formed this label with two others when they were unable to find a label deal for Out of Eden.  Today, you’ll find diverse and talented artists such as Aaron Cole, Hollyn, Capital Kings, and Relient K on Gotee’s roster!  Right on Time by Aaron Cole

8: Commitment to People: TobyMac is in his 10th year of sponsoring Run for Hope, a local school in his area.  Additionally, he sponsors Camp Electric which is an interactive worship and rock & roll camp.  He values his community in Franklin, Tennessee, purposefully frequenting the local businesses.  This Christmas

7: Christmas tunes! I love what TobyMac brings to Christmas… A fresh perspective of the delight and beauty found in celebrating Jesus’ birth! O Come, All Ye Faithful

6: Promotes others: I know that TobyMac must have a strong business sense and most likely take seriously the blessing of providing an inheritance for his children’s children.  But kudos to the guy for investing in others by lending his talents to their songs and coming alongside others to help make their vision a reality! Check out this Citizen shop. Hold Me by Jamie Grace

5: Artistic creativity: Do I need to explain this?  Every album: same signature voice in outrageously creative, diverse tunes!  It doesn’t get old! This is Not a Test

4: Passion about diversity: You don’t have to listen long to pick up on TobyMac’s passion for diversity.  Not only does he sing about it, but he even named his band Diverse City!  Colored People, Wanna Be Loved (both by DC Talk), Diverse City, City on Our Knees, One World, all point to his desire to see love trump hate, differences, and division.

3: #SpeakLife Movement: After TobyMac’s song Speak Life hit the airwaves, its popularity inspired the #SpeakLife movement encouraging positive, life-giving words that shine His light to a hurting world. (Ephesians 4:29) Speak Life

2: Spiritual growth: From my perspective, TobyMac demonstrates new spiritual depth with each successive release.  His songs seem to reflect an increasingly deeper personal connection with His Heavenly Father.  In his words, “I try to lean into God and say ‘What’s up? Watchya want me to say, Daddy*?'” when he is in the writing process. As listeners, we feel his growing understanding of walking out this faith, grappling with real life issues, and pressing through the fire to find victory. I Just Need U

1: Commitment to family and faith: It’s clear, this man loves and values his family!  And He loves his Heavenly Father!   He purposes to show that in the choices he makes and the songs he writes and sings. What a blessing! Lose My Soul, Family, Steal My Show

 

Okay… I tried to come up with my favorite, but that was a no-go, so here are my favoriteS by TobyMac and Diverse City:

Maybe someday, I’ll get to chat with the this artistic legend!  Who is your favorite artist and why?  I’d love to hear…

Live Love and Sing with abandonment!

P.S. If you enjoyed this, please share on social media and comment! 🙂

Special thanks to:

P.P.S.: Andy and Caleb met TobyMac, Jon Micah (of Kutless), and Mark Stuart (formerly Audio Adrenaline) at Grove City College in Pennsylvania in 2005.  After a rousing game of stick ball, the artists gladly posed for some fan shots!  Here’s a throwback shot!

Disclaimer: I own the rights to none of these songs or videos.

Favorite Friday-Lemme Tellya!

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Oh no, that was not a typo!  Planetboom’s new song Lemme TellYa is topping my list of favorite’s this week.  Why? Powerful lyrics married with incredible beats!  Turn up that volume…

As a teen, I remember the debate over “Christian Rock.”  Many in the older generation thought that it couldn’t be a good thing, after all, think about the reputation of the rock ‘n’ roll world, right?!  Today, there are many who decry rap, hiphop, metal, reggae, or any music involving more than piano and guitar!

My stand then, is the same as today… What about the lyrics? What are they alluding to or outright saying? Are the lyrics positive or negative? Uplifting or degrading?

 

Music itself is a vehicle that delivers; the lyrics are what impacts the mind and even beliefs.  Regardless of style… the lyrical quality determines the impact value of the song! 

Want to bring more dance inspiring tunes into your day?  Here are two more of Planetboom’s tunes that are definitely worth a listen!

If you enjoy these tunes (and maybe my thoughts too), please share on social media and comment!

Live Loved and Dance like only He is watching!

P.S. Thanks to Miranda for introducing me to yet another cool tune!

P.P.S Planetboom might not be familiar to you, but they are the youth spinoff of Planet Shakers, who have some inspiring tunes themselves!

Favorite Friday: Not-So-New-Artist

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I’m a good ol’ classic rock and roll kind of girl!  My teen years were influenced by a mix of Journey, Petra, Foreigner, DeGarmo & Key, the Eagles, and more.  Today, Skillet tops my list of bands that inspire the radio to be up and the windows down!

Those who know and love Skillet will recognize the name of this new band: Ledger!  Ledger is front lined by Jen Ledger, the talented drummer of Skillet.

Ledger is currently on tour opening for Skillet.  Their EP is available for download at https://ledgerband.com/.  Some of the great tunes on the album include: Bold, Not Dead Yet, and Warrior.

Listen to my current favorite Ledger tune, Bold, now!

“All this time
I have believed the lie
That I wasn’t made to fly
My wings were bound, stuck to the ground

But I hear truth remind me
You are right behind me
Go ahead and break the mold

I’m gonna be bold
Gotta hold my head up
‘Cause I know when I get up
There’s a victory I already hold
I’m gonna be strong
Gotta get my fight on
‘Cause I know Whose side I’m on
Got a heart like steel, a faith like gold
I’m gonna be bold

Take a breath
Faith builds within my chest
Spirit in every step
I’m made for this and so I rest”1

What is it that you are facing?  What circumstance is trying to make you cower in fear or frustration?  Look it square in the face, let your faith build and believe that you have a heart like steel and a faith like gold!
Turn it up, sing loud, and be bold! 
Live Loved,

1Lyrics from Bold by Ledger

Favorite Friday-Dancing Fun!

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Yes, you busted me!  It’s actually Saturday!  But yesterday, focusing on my firstborn’s birthday was a priority, so here we are with slightly late Favorite Friday!

I’m not sure what your “religious paradigm” involves, but I was raised in a non-conservative denomination with solid faith foundations that I am very thankful to have embraced.  However, as I explore the difference between Kingdom Culture as evidenced in the life of Jesus, outlined in the Word, and confirmed by the Holy Spirit and America’s version of Christian culture, I realize that much of what I was raised with is definitely rooted in the latter instead of the authentic Kingdom Culture.

I could give you various examples of how historically many cultures have translated Kingdom culture through the lens of their own culture, but I will give you this biblical example:  When the Gentiles joined the rank of believers, the Jews felt that they should be circumcised because that was Jewish law.  However, Paul contended that under the New Covenant, it was a circumcision of the heart God expected, not the physical body (Romans 2).  Physical circumcision was Jewish culture; heart circumcision (spiritual submission to the Lord) is Kingdom culture!

All that to say, that I was raised believing that dancing was not appropriate in the Christian culture unless you were dancing “in the Spirit” (II Sam. 6:14).  Sound familiar?  As I’ve grown as a person and a believer, I understand that while dancing in the Spirit is a very valid (and biblical) act, dancing in and of itself is not wrong either!  I love that!  I love that we can worship the Lord with dance (Psalm 149) and we can also just have fun dancing (Jeremiah 31:4)!  Dancing is healthy for our minds and bodies!1  (Caveat: like anything else, dancing can become negative but that’s not the subject of this blog!)

Then I stumbled upon this song by MercyMe in one of my playlists:

Love it!

“We’ve got reason to get up 
Reason to get down
He done traded our sin for joy
And now, that joy wants out”2

Don’t wait! Play the song and jump out of your chair to dance!

“It’s okay, to cut loose
Oh, it ain’t about how you move, but what moves you
We’re so consumed with what we think we’re supposed to be
That we stop living like we know that we’re free”2

Dance because you are free!

Live Loved,

1Dancing Makes You Feel Better article

2Lyrics from Happy Dance by Mercy Me

Favorite Music Friday

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I enjoy music… I sing it, learn it, play it (on the radio!), share it, and engage with it!

I like rock & roll.      

I like rap.

I like worship.

I like soul & R & B.

I like piano.

And this list goes on: gospel, pop, kid’s music, etc. etc.  (Note only the purposeful omission of opera & country!)

So, I thought I’d share a song that is speaking to me, right now!  It’s called Lovely by Hollyn:

The lyrics that pop out to me are:

“But You call me lovely
You say I’m wonderfully made
Your river floods me
Your words feel like a serenade
I love that You are thinkin’ of me
All of those voices fade away
When You call me lovely
Lo-o-ovely
Lovely, You call me lovely
You call me lovely
And I’ma soak in it
And I’ma soak in it
And I’ma soak in it”1
I’m hoping this song blesses you!  Share it with another lovely woman in your life!
Live Loved and Lovely!
1 Lyrics from Lovely by Hollyn