To Echo The Words Of Those

To echo the words of those that have said it and will keep saying it as long as it needs to be said. If you have read my blog before, you know that I am a follower of the band, Switchfoot. It's not about being some fanatic fan or going giddy because of this or that. There's deeper meanings and connections when you believe in seeing the same thing take place-the hearts of man finding an ever, unending flowing of redemption. Not that man can obtain it all by himself, but that it is a gift, free to be embraced. This redemption is found solely by the blood of Jesus Christ. By no other name may we find the true message of eternal life.

Switchfoot is about to release a new cd, Hello Hurricane. It will hit landfall on November 10, 2009. The prerequisite for the song, Hello Hurricane, Jon Foreman, lead singer, said, "...if you're not crying, why are you singing it...if you don't believe it with every ounce of you, then there's no point in singing it."

In light of these things, these lyrics came to me. I wrote them out in less than 15 minutes. Sometimes it just happens like that. Even as they are inspired by the triune themes that can be found within the lyrics of Jon Foreman & Switchfoot, they have also cultivated from recent adventures in my life.

"desert"

i got to keep believing
the time is here and now
where it's all left behind
the death of me will turn to life
and i'll wake from this sleep
when i learn to see

that i was born to run
there's no wall to keep me out
i'll beat the world like a drum
until love comes flowing out
until love comes, until love comes
here it is now, all flowing out

in the desert of this life
i find that time brings meaning
away with the calloused hearts
remove the mud from my eyes
there's liberation and freedom
because now i can see

that i was born to run
there's no wall to keep me out
i'll beat the world like a drum
until love comes flowing out
until love comes, until love comes
here it is now, all flowing out

The Will of the Abduction, I Dare You To Make A Difference...

They scour around in the jungle searching for their next victim. They see by rays of the moonlight as it breaks through the battered overhangs of the canopy. Their shear eyes blur their own humanity. The lies are all they know. It has far removed them from the humanity that they were brought into this world to know. But still they know, they know that things are not right and that they need help. There is hope. They need my help. They need your help. They need our help. Because if we do not help, then who will. Who will make a statement? Who will stand up for their human rights? Are they not human? How long will this happen?

April 25, this coming Saturday is your opportunity to bring more light to this situation. Watch this video:


The Rescue Instructional Video from Jason Russell on Vimeo.

Now go to this website:

http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/

I'm not going to type any more information. You have now been summoned to make a difference in the lives of the child soldiers.

I dare you to make a difference. If we make a statement, we will be heard. Become part of this campaign and spread the word. If you are unable to go, do as I am doing am make your voice be heard!

I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
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I dare you to make a difference.
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I dare you to make a difference.
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I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.
I dare you to make a difference.

The Corner

It sits there in the corner. And it screams. You try to block it out of your mind and act as if it's not there. But you know that it is, yeah, it is still there.

All day long and all night long it remains there, sitting in the corner. It stares at you, laughs, and mocks you.

You try to block it out, you try to forget about it, yet it continues to haunt.

You learn to deal with it, you keep hoping that it will go away. You keep thinking that, I am gonna get through this. This will not beat me.

But still, it sits there in the corner and reminds you that it is still there.

So what is this in the corner? How do you define it? How do you overcome it? What do you say?

You later find yourself taking a seat in a circle of people. Some you know, some you don't. You say your name and as you have encountered this circle you realize that you are not there on accident. Then you tell them that this is divine. A sign of the One of great things, and God has brought you here.

Hello, my name is Randy and I am living with cancer.

Most of you do not know, but my mom has breast cancer.

And it sits in the corner.



Learn more.

The Foot That Switches

I wanted to share with you a group of guys that I believe go beyond just being a "rock band."

The picture is the cover album for their "greatest hits so far."

Switchfoot!

I'm not gonna sit here and hark on them all day long, but I will tell you that not only do they have an awesome rockin' sound and put on an incredible live show, but are raw and genuine as it comes.

Front man, Jon Foreman, has even ventured out and produced some solo records full of raw and genuine themes. He has even partnered up with Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek to put together Fiction Family.

These guys are putting out some great music. I would encourage you to check them out. You can learn lots of things about them. The best fan-based website out there is LandofBrokenHearts.org.

As you filter through their lyrics and bios through out these websites I hope that you will find that this is a whole lot more than just about music, I think it's their way of making this world a better place.

The Journey

Welcome everyone and thank you for your time.

To start, this is about a journey. A journey to where, I do not know, but it is in the pursuit of the question. What I will find, learn or discover, I hope it will bring me to a new place if not reminding me of a place I have been before.

There are many questions. Answers, some we have, others, we do not. You have to keep asking in order to keep the journey alive. And perhaps somewhere along the way, things might begin to make sense, if not, you keep moving along.

The Good Monster, let me quote Dan Haseltine, lead singer of Jars of Clay, talking about their record "Good Monsters."

“There have been so many things to look at and describe. This record is part confessional, part euphoric love poem, part bitter divorce, and part benediction. It was born out of many experiences and conversations between addicts, failures, lovers, loners, believers, and beggars. And so the language of recovery and the honest discourse about our attempts to live apart from God and apart from each other is a theme. Engaging people who are doing the hard work of laying their lives open to others, and avoiding isolation, has allowed me to see that there is both immeasurable evil and unfathomable good mixing under my own skin and it is grace, mercy and freedom that allow me to not simply be a monster, but to be a good monster.”

It is grace and mercy and freedom that allows me to not simply be a monster, but for me to be a "good monster."

May you have a blessed day and find grace and mercy and freedom!