My Name is Not Charlie

British Literature

2010-09-26T17:42:00.002-04:00

I hate reading poetry for school. How in the world does it apply to my life?... I don't know, but hey, I get college credits for it, so it's whatever. XD

Wow. I have changed.

2010-08-20T17:19:00.003-04:00

I read over all of my old blog posts last night and oh my goodness, I have grown so much since then. In some ways, I miss some of the ways I felt about things, but I have grown to be much less judgmental, I think, as well.

It's by God's grace we change, and His grace is more than enough.

Finding Gospel References

2010-08-19T22:49:00.003-04:00

At caregroup on Wednesday, we talked about and practiced finding gospel references in many different passages of Scripture. I went straight to work today. I'm going through the Psalms in my quiet times, so I've got it easy spotting Gospel references in those passages - the Psalms are stuffed full with direct and indirect references to the different elements of the gospel: salvation, redemption, adoption, atonement, etc. So here's the part of Psalm 33, the chapter I read today, in which I recognized a reference to salvation.

" Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you. "
[Psalm 33:18-22 ESV]

I found it interesting that in verse 19, the writer recognizes that first in importance is his soul, and then his body.

If you read this passage and were not gospel-minded, you may tend to notice more the part about the Lord keeping the writer alive in famine. That part is important, but put it in perspective of the gospel, and a whole new world opens up. These verses talk about hope [Ephesians 2:8], salvation, and God's steadfastness.

My takeaway point is that the Christian belief is all about faith. The word "hope" is mentioned twice and the word "trust" once in these five verses. Obviously, then, it's quite an important idea that it's through faith we are saved. Not by our own works, but by the calling of the Savior.

New stages

2010-08-15T23:00:00.003-04:00

Well, college classes start tomorrow. That will be very interesting. Central Piedmont, baby!!!

I've still got some free days, so I shall be working and pushing forward on AMP's new album.

I've really been thinking a lot lately about being "spiritually-minded..." keeping my mind on the things above. And I've been thinking about what that means in my life, specifically. I think for myself it means recognizing always that a. God is in control of every circumstance, b. God's purpose is infinitely greater than mine, and c. God's plan is infinitely better than the things of this world. So staying "spirit-minded" would, were I to follow it perfectly - which is impossible - cause me to never sin and only be constructive. I'm human, so I can't follow it perfectly, but it is a good guideline, I think.

What else is new... I saw Inception. That was a good movie.

I think that's about it for now! Peace, my siblings.

I guess I'm back

2010-08-05T11:40:00.002-04:00

I feel like posting more often. I think I shall do that. We'll see how long it holds up.

Israel - the land stolen from Palestine

2010-08-02T11:16:00.003-04:00

[edit, 8/19/10]I want to make it clear before you read that I am addressing only one or two ideas that seem to be prevalent among my friends and acquaintances. I in no ways wish to elude to or incite any kind of hatred against the Israeli people. I love these people just as much as anyone else, and everyone holds false ideas. Perhaps my idea is false. I don't believe it is, but it could be. The point is, I'm just challenging you to really think about why you believe what you believe. I'm not picking on anybody. This, I should have made clear in the original post.[/edit]

The nation of Israel is made up of a bunch of European Jews who decided that they should steal Palestine from those who owned the land. When the New Testament speaks of "Israel," it is not speaking of the land of Israel, but of the people under the New Covenant - the Christians. So trying to defend "Israel" the country is absolute idiocy... it is not their land, they are not God's people, and many lives are lost by their occupation of Palestine.

I do not hate Jews - I love the Jewish people, just as I love all people. There is a special kinship between the Jews and Christians, though. Just because I am opposed to the nation of Israel does not mean I am opposed to the Jewish people. I pray for peace for all people... and for Israel to relinquish their claims on the Palestinian soil must needs mean increased peace in the Middle East. Many Christians believe that they are fighting to defend the "Holy Land," but do not realize that there is no longer a physical temple for God... WE ARE HIS TEMPLE. "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV)

---

I felt led to share this because I think that many Christians get distracted over the issue of the nation of Israel. If people look past their religious preconceptions and realize what is actually going on in the Middle East, I think many would realize what a losing war we are fighting in Israel. I do not mean to say that there is something wrong with opinions or convictions or doctrine... on the contrary - these are all necessary, but we must make sure we have right opinions, convictions, and doctrine. The idea that Israel is a "Holy Land" for Christians is false. The Palestinians occupied the land for hundreds of years before WW II when the Jews decided they had the "right" to move back. This is errant thinking. I believe the Jews have no right to live in the land of Israel, and if they wish to have peace, they should up and move.

Any thoughts?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T23:36:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, y'all. =)

Yo peeps

2009-11-03T18:52:00.002-05:00

So, I really don't have a lot to say, or a lot of time to say it. But, I will say that AMP is hitting the studio up this month to record our EP and our single release 'This Final Breath' is out... it will be on iTunes and other music stores in a month or less.

Aaand God has been really good to me by giving me the power to keep up with my Bible reading better. Keeping up a more regular schedule has really helped keep God as the the center of my life rather than me... isn't it funny how we can so often think that we are the center of the world? It's not a conscious thought, but our entire worldview is with the perspective that we are what matters, not God and others.

So... that's my blog post. Hopefully I'll update more frequently in the future. =)

...coming soon!

2009-10-28T23:56:00.001-04:00

I am gonna make a for serious blog post in the next day or two. Lord willing. =P

According to popular demand...

2009-08-21T17:35:00.002-04:00

I am creating a new post. I hope I actually have something to say. =P

---several hours later---

Okay, so I definitely have a lot to say. =D

First, I have started back to school, this is the end of my second week. At the moment, I am doing Government and Physics, and I'll be starting Pre-Calculus soon. I'm taking an Audio Engineering class at CPCC. There's an interesting story behind that...

I was originally supposed to take the Audio Engineering class from 9 - 11 on Tuesdays. For some reason I don't know, however, my section was canceled. I wasn't notified. You can see where this is going. XD So, I showed up at class on Tuesday, and there was only one other person there who was apparently not notified either. We both waited for about 20 minutes before he finally called the CPCC office and found out that the section was canceled. So, I hung out at CP for a little while, and then came home. Thankfully, I was able to get into the same class that meets on Thursday from 1 - 3.

Needless to say, I wasn't particularly happy with how CPCC handled the situation, but God gave me grace to not be angry, so I'm not upset at all. I suppose He wants me to have a class on Thursday afternoon instead of Tuesday morning. For what reason, I have no clue, but I just know that's his plan. =)

And related to audio engineering, I have decided that I would really like to pursue some area of music as a career. That is where my passion lies, and I don't really have a passion for anything else. God has gifted me in songwriting and in playing instruments, so I believe that it may be His will. Time will tell. =)

Last Saturday, (I suppose I should have put this at the beginning of the post, but I'm to lazy to cut and paste, haha) was the first real "concert" for my band, The Awake Music Project. We played several original songs (Break Me Down, This Final Breath, Funksauce, The One I Run To, World Awaits (acoustic), and Miranda's Sister (acoustic)) and we did a newfangled version of How Great Thou Art. The show went really well. I believe that we could have presented the gospel more clearly, and I would like to have a time, just a minute, maybe, where we present the gospel at our next show.

The next band that played was The Indictment, a Christian melodic death metal band. Dude, those guys were talented!!! I thoroughly enjoyed their show, and appreciate how gospel-centered their lyrics are (though I couldn't really understand them, haha).

I've been working more lately since all of the people at my Chick-fil-A who graduated have gone off to college. I'm enjoying the extra time at work. =)

Today, Nathan and I decided we were going to try different ways of mic-ing his amp to see if we could get really good tone out of it. After this attempt and one before (plus years of attempts by Nathan), we decided that we have to use a software amp simulator instead (For those who aren't tech-savvy, I just mean a software program that we can use to model the sound of a guitar amp... basically just like having a really nice professionally mic-ed guitar amp in my computer, haha). So, we tried out several guitar amp simulators, and decided that we would get IK Multimedia's Amplitube Live because of it's very realistic sound. This product retails for about $100. We have about $80 in our "AMP fund" (change from our pockets plus a donation or two), and I'm covering the last $20. This is where it gets good, though. =D

So, I open my email and see an email from Music123.com. It says there's a sale going on, so I click on it just to look around. I decide to look and see if they have any amp sims. on sale, just because we are trying to save money! =P So I'm looking through the amp simulators, and I get to the /last page/, and lo and behold! There is an amp simulator that Nathan and I had looked at earlier on sale! The simulator that was on sale is Amplitube Metal(like, amps designed for the Metal genre of music), not the same one that we had been looking at, but I decided to click on it anyway. I start looking through the description of the product, and!!!! It included Amplitube Live for free, plus a whole bunch of other unrestricted software!!!! Not to mention, it includes a guitar to USB adapter so I could just plug a guitar straight into the computer, not through my mixer. All of the bundled hardware and software is easily worth $450 or so. So I'm getting really excited, and then I look at the price tag again. And it was $99!!!! So, of course, I ordered it practically immediately (though Nathan will tell you otherwise, haha), and I couldn't be more excited. I was planning on spending $99 on software that is included /for free/ in a bundle that has a ton of stuff I wanted to get when I had the extra money. So, I was gonna spend $99, and I ended up spending that anyway, but got a whole lot more than I thought I was going to. I'm thanking God constantly for providing a cheap solution to our problem. Thanks, God! ^_^

So, that's about it to update you on my life. I'm doing excellent as always, and God is always good. Actually, I was getting pretty bummed that we were going to have to "break the bank" to get an amp simulator, but I'm /really/ excited now. God is always good. =)

So, I've been thinking...

2009-07-29T20:20:00.001-04:00

I don't remember if I've mentioned this on my blog before, but I'm a really selfish guy... I know y'all probably don't see it as much as I do. What I hate is how often I'll be doing something like serving someone, and instead of doing it to serve them, I'm doing it so that I can have the pleasure of hearing them thank me... I hate how my mind works sometimes. =/

And that's about it for now. =)

It never gets old

2009-07-22T14:33:00.002-04:00

God is so good. It's kind of funny, because major things rarely happen in my own life... it's things that happen in other people's lives that make me see how great my God is. That story about little Allan down in Mexico is going to be a story that will forever remind me of how this great God touches even the lowliest of His creation.

Life is still good down here in front of my computer. So, I guess that's about it. Peace, y'all!

EMILY!!!

2009-07-14T19:43:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday, my sister (in Christ)!!! I hope that you have a wonderful 16th birthday! You challenge me more than anyone else to live a godly life: to read my Bible, to have fellowship, to pray. God has truly been honored through your life this year and through your relating to me. Again, I hope you have a wonderful day, and I pray that you will have the most fruitful year of your life yet in this coming year. =)

Oh, how true this is

2009-07-06T23:51:00.003-04:00

How could I say this any better? I know I've posted this before, but it is still sooooo true. Oh, God, why don't I realize this so much of the time?

The Epigone - Becoming the Archetype

There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said
I'm just repeating myself repeating someone else
Equally incapable of uttering a single new thought
Yet you are ever worthy of adoration
So how can I for a moment cease to lift my heart in praise?
Your name is glory
My song is victory
And I will keep on singing
There is no opposition
No thing can stand in your way
Make my life your own

So, I'm really, really busy this week between school, work, Drama Camp, and writing for school. I'm procrastinating tonight, though, haha. Sometimes, I just can't get started on school, I guess. But, I guess that's about it. If y'all could pray that I'll have the strength to get through this week and still get an A in my class, that would be wonderful. I love you guys (and gals, haha)! Aside from God, y'all are what give me the strength to get through life.

Hijacked!!!

2009-06-28T17:25:00.002-04:00

Nathan here!

Well, Wesley hijacked my blog, so i'm hijacking his!! Hehehehe *evil cackle* This will teach him to log out of his account when he walks away from his computer! Hahaha. Yep i think i'm asking for it, but i couldn't pass up the opportunity :-) Have a great day folks! Take it easy and make sure you take some time to tell Wesley how awesome he is!! :-D (Because as we all know, he is awesome!) Well I gotta get back to recording now and get off before Wes catches me =P peace yall!

-Nathan

So, I said I would post soon...

2009-06-26T23:25:00.002-04:00

Thus, I post. =)

First off, I just wanted to let everyone know that I do read all of everyone's blog posts even if I don't comment. And I read all of the comments on my blog, too. If you really want to talk to me about something, just do it in person. =P

So, my life has been pretty good. Nothing major has happened, really. =/

The Bible reading is still going well. I think it would help if I would remind myself of the passage that I read throughout the day, though... I think I shall do that. Oh, some times, I am so dumb... haha. Isn't it so amazing how long-suffering God is? It only takes one sin, and God could justly blow me to smithereens.... but he doesn't. I love God. So, so much. All he has done for me, and all he does...

I hope all of y'all are doing well! And to the ones with colds and such, I'm prayin' for you.

Peace, y'all.

I want y'all's thoughts...

2009-06-16T23:48:00.002-04:00

Where is the line between being critical of someone and letting them know they're a sinner in need of grace? People do need to know that they have done wrong and that hell awaits them. Especially in a musical situation, though, I think that, from an evangelical viewpoint, it is best not to "shove it down their throats." I'm all for being bold with the gospel... I'm clueless about how to preach it in a musical situation without being too forward. Any ideas?

I really have been missing fellowship with a lot of y'all lately. I'm not sure what has been impeding me, but I've really been missing having good fellowship. Don't let a day go past when you're hanging out with me that you don't ask me where I've been challenged, or, as (I think it was Mr. Connolly) said, where "I've been trying to ignore God lately."

As Emily posted recently, prayer really is an amazing thing. Isn't it so funny how we can forget to pray when we need to most? In the midst of temptation, we can forget to pray. In the midst of trials, we can forget to pray. God's peace will rarely rest with us if we don't pray.

I've decided that I'm going to study a particular topic in the Bible that starts with the letter of the day. So, since today is Tuesday, I'll study troubles... If I find something interesting any given day, I'll post about it.

That's all for now, folks!

There is a void

2009-06-11T13:33:00.002-04:00

I've just been thinking about how when we put sin to death, kill sinful desires, there needs to be something put back in its place. Unless we're putting godly desires in the place of the sinful ones, they sins will grow back. Sin can never - in this life - be completely killed. It will grow back over and over unless we keep killing it. And equipping ourselves with God's Word makes it easier and easier to kill the weed of sin. The Bible is kinda like the spiritual weed-killer. And it does work. Guaranteed. =P

Oh, and I got a new computer. It's pretty sweet. It takes less than 30 seconds from turning the computer on to opening an application. 'Tis nice. =)

I've been having a sort of musical writer's block lately... it's rather annoying. =/

Abadeebadadabada... that's all folks!

Help, please...

2009-05-22T09:18:00.000-04:00

I need some ideas for what to draw. I've decided that I want to sell ACEO cards (about 2.5" by 3.5"), and I need some pictures or something to draw from. I think that I can draw from pictures pretty well, but when I try to draw off the top of my head, things usually don't turn out quite as good. So does anyone have any pictures of pets or animals that I could draw and sell? (meaning, you don't mind if I'm selling a work derived from your art)

So, yesterday, I did cow for five hours straight. Well, not totally straight... I did take one short break. Thankfully, I had my mp3 player to keep me going. I actually didn't feel like I was going to pass out afterward... =P

God has really been showing me lately that he knows what's best for me. It's not like I'm in any major situations where I desperately need his guidance (thought, I always need his guidance), but it's more day-to-day things that He will tell me, "No, that's not for you." Life is so much easier when I can just put everything in His hands and let him show me what to do. I'm so glad we have such a wise God. =)

Um

2009-05-16T10:16:00.003-04:00

I couldn't think of a good title for this blog post.

But, anyway, yesterday was pretty much amazing. I almost nothing all morning (at least nothing of note)...

Of course, doing nothing never made any day great. It was what I actually did that made the day good. =P

So, Emily and I, first, headed over to ImaginOn at around 5:30 to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Steph, Torie, Kristina, Adam, and Matt were already there when we got there, and Kailey, Beth, and Kate got there later. The show started a little after 6... and it was AMAZING. Now, granted, considering that it was Shakespeare, there were some adult-oriented parts in there, but they were only for a few moments. I didn't know that it was a romantic comedy, so I was pleasantly surprised. =P

After the show was over, I spent about ten or fifteen minutes trying to figure out where exactly Rita's is... so, after I knew the /exact/ place where it is, Emily and I took off and got ourselves thoroughly lost. Oh, thank God for cell phones. =P I called home three times to try to figure out what roads we were supposed to turn on to get from Sunset road to Mallard Creek Church Rd... The connection I didn't make was that we had to turn onto Mallard Creek Rd. before getting onto Mallard Creek Church Rd. Thankfully, we only went a few minutes out of the way.

So, then I got a Strawberry Martini italian ice (no, it did not have alcohol in it) at Rita's. It was AMAZING. =) I'll definitely go back there someday soon.

After that, Emily, Steph, Nathan (who came to Rita's), and I went to CrossWay to hang out. A bunch of people were there, too. Little did we know that we would be "employed" to help take down the chairs for the book sale. That was kind of fun... just a bit... =P Nah, I'm just kidding. It was fun.

And tonight I am missing the Bible study at the Peatrosses. I hope I'll be able to go to one soon...

And that's about it. It was awesome to get to hang out with everyone. =)

Just death in rationalism

2009-05-09T15:55:00.002-04:00

Isn't it amazing how frequently the cause of our sins is in rationalizations? I think one of the big ways that teenagers rationalize is by convincing themselves that they are "the exception." For example (I have not done this), if I were to convince myself that I could listen to a secular band that contained immoral lyrics and not be affected by it. I really would be fooling myself. Anyone who says that the world will not affect them is just fooling him/herself.
Now, I'm not saying that the world affects people differently. Some people can take in more exposure to the world than others and not be affected as much. The fact is, though, that everyone is affected by the world. The affect may be slight, but it will show after years.

The title of my blog post is from a song by Becoming the Archetype called Evil Unseen:

There is a pattern of deception growing
Feeding off of our ignorance
It won't let go! Until we let go
It wants control! Just take a leap of faith
So many times we doom ourselves
But the root is always the same
We exchange our faith for rational thought
We trade our conscience for advanced reasoning
But there's no love in thought
Nothing that lasts in deduction
There's no hope in justifying wrong
Just death in rationalism
I am not of this world
And science cannot explain me
I will transcend death
This body will not contain me
This evil unseen must be defeated
This pattern must be destroyed
It hijacks the mind
It distorts our perception
Perverting the truth 'til it's gone
It won't let go! Until we let go
It wants control! Just take a leap of faith
Compromising faith will doom the generations
The cancer of mind-worship leaves the spirit to decay
Compromise your faith and doom your generation
The cancer of mind-worship will leave your spirit to decay

My Gun Control Essay, Upon Request

2009-04-27T19:15:00.008-04:00

Banning Guns Cannot Prevent School Shootings

Imagine yourself at the scene of the Virginia Tech shooting. You hide under the desk that you were sitting at peacefully just moments ago. Gun shots ring though the air as you sit curled up on the cold floor, wondering who the next victim of the evil rampage will be. Don’t you wish you could have had a gun in this moment? Don’t you wish you had a way to defend yourself against the murderer?

Because we cannot go back in time, we cannot know how differently the Virginia Tech shooting could have turned out if one of the victims had possessed a gun. We can, however, analyze this and other school shootings to see how they could have been different.

Thirty-one states currently have laws allowing concealed handguns for adults with no criminal record or history of mental disorders. (Lott 1) The cause of concealed-carry has grown over the past decade or two. More and more people are realizing how much of a positive difference allowing guns can really make.

Banning guns on campuses doesn’t protect students. Rather, the policy only endangers those who are ethical enough to follow the law. Outlaws are the only ones who will have guns if guns are outlawed. This means that criminals will have guns, and law-abiding civilians will not. Students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed handguns on college campuses.

In 1997 in Pearl Mississippi, a shooter was stopped by an assistant principal who had retrieved a gun from his car. (Lott 2) Because he was not allowed to bring his gun into the school, the assistant principal could not stop the shooting earlier. If he would have been allowed to bring his gun into the school, the lives of the shot students could have been saved.

In Edinboro, Pennsylvania, in 1998, a passerby stopped a shooter who was reloading his gun by pointing a shotgun at him until the police arrived. (Lott 2) If it were not for this civilian, the shooter would have been able to finish reloading his gun and continue his massacre.

If a person bearing a gun had not been on the scene at either one of these shootings, much more damage could have been done by the shooters. Sharp-minded civilians with guns, however, were present at both of those school shootings. Without anyone even firing a shot, both of these tragedies were prevented from becoming worse.

For a more recent example, consider the Virginia Tech shooting. Obviously, there was no student or teacher with a gun at the scene of the shooting. As I stated before, we cannot know if the tragedy could have turned out differently if someone would have shot the shooter. We can logically see how the tragedy could have been prevented by a student with a gun, though. Imagine if a student or teacher would have pulled a gun on and shot the Seung-Hui Cho before he began shooting people in the classroom. Dozens of lives could have been saved by that quickly-thought action. There is no possibility that someone with a concealed gun would have been on the scene, however, because concealed weapons are not allowed on the Virginia Tech campus.

Almost any mass shooting could be prevented by a quick-thinking civilian with a concealed gun. Because one of the criteria for owning a concealed-carry permit is that the owner must be somewhat proficient at shooting, there is a good chance that a murderous gunner could be stopped by one bullet.

Banning concealed handguns really doesn’t protect anyone. If a person is intent on killing someone, or is intent on killing a mass of people, he will do it. Someone who is willing to go against the law and kill someone, or kill a number of people, will not mind going against the law about carrying a gun on a campus. And even if a murderer does not bring a gun onto campus, there are many other ways to kill someone, such as a knife, baseball bat, or even bare hands. Guns themselves really aren’t the problem, in fact, “Guns aren’t bad things or good things. They’re things, inanimate objects, chunks of metal with no will of their own.” (Medred 3) So if people bent on murdering will murder, people who will be the victims of the murderer should have some way to defend themselves. The best way for a person to defend themselves against an attacker is a gun, simply because it is so deadly.

In a study that analyzed the relationship between concealed handgun laws and crime rates between 1977 and 1995, the effect of those laws was clearly seen. In those 19 years, states that passed laws allowing concealed-carry guns saw an 84% decline in multiple-victim shootings. In addition, after concealed-carry laws had been established for 5 years, murders decreased by at least 15%. (Lott 2)

Some people say that we cannot trust civilians with concealed handguns in mass-shooting situations because they might shoot an innocent bystander instead of the murderer. As I stated before, however, one of the criteria for obtaining a concealed-carry permit is that the owner must be somewhat proficient at shooting. There is a small chance that someone with a concealed handgun would shoot the wrong person in a space the size of a classroom.

Others contend that small arguments could turn into shooting battles. I can see why some of my opponents would think this, but people are just as likely to shoot each other over small arguments as they are to strangle each other or stab each other. One of the requirements for a concealed-carry permit owner is, as I stated earlier, that he or she is mentally sound. People who are right in their minds will not attempt to kill someone with whom they have a minor disagreement. And if a person is bent on killing another, they will find a way to do it. According to Craig Medred, editor of the “Outdoors” magazine, “The problem isn’t the weapon of choice, it’s the anger.” It doesn’t make any difference whether a killer has a gun, a knife, or a crowbar.

Guns are used defensively 2.5 million times every year. (Lott 2) There have been many times over the past decades that multiple-victim shootings are prevented by civilians with concealed guns. Because there are people who are bent on killing others, the victims should have an effective method of defending themselves. Namely, they should be able to defend themselves with a gun. Banning guns doesn’t actually protect anybody, so people should be allowed to carry a concealed gun if they wish. Many lives could be saved if concealed handguns were allowed on college campuses.

Works Cited

Lott, John R., Jr. “...” ...

Medred, Craig. “...” ...

---

Congrats if you read the whole thing. =P

Nothing much is going on right now. I'm trying to figure out when we can get a band meeting together this week...

And why have I never heard this song before?!?

2009-04-23T11:45:00.002-04:00

You Are the Sun by Sara Groves

You are the sun shining down on everyone
Light of the world giving light to everything I see
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in
And everywhere you are is warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still you have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to you

Shine on me with your light
Without you I'm a cold dark stone
Shine on me I have no light of my own
You are the sun, you are the sun, you are the sun
And I am the moon

---

That really is an awesome analogy. I added it to my playlist if you want to listen to it.

Tonight is the princess party at my Chick-fil-A. Guess who gets to be the princess cow? =P

Happy Birthday, Anna!!!

2009-04-18T19:54:00.002-04:00

Hey, Anna! This is yo' bro Wesley here. Yes, I'm talking to you. =P

Happy birthday! I'm so glad that you're my sister!!! Thanks for not being too hard (even if you are a bit easy) on me at work. It's been great to see you grow in leadership skills and in godliness over the past year. I can really see how attending M28 has helped you to be more "crazy" (lol) and to grow even closer to God. I love you!!! =)

---

I think I shall turn this into a power-metal song. (for those who don't know what power metal is, listen to the last song titled "Sign of the Cross" on my playlist)

The End of Night

The makeshift walls I've thrown up
Fall back down on my head
I thought everything was for you
I realize now I was dead

Even as I raised my hands
The curtain of sin still stood
My mind was blind to light
My thoughts left in solitude

This darkness falls upon me
An ever deeper night
Demons whisper, I listen
Avoided if I would just fight

Even as I raised my hands
The curtain of sin still stood
My mind was blind to light
My thoughts left in solitude

Now as I raise my eyes, God
I see heaven where you stand
My mind can see your great light
My thoughts restored by your hand

The night lifts as I see your face
You came down to bring me back up
I can see all so clearly now
You came down to bring me back up

It needs some work, but I think it's okay. It's something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. When I don't think about God, I can "worship" and pray, but it's all just motions. It's not necessarily because of a particular act of sin, but just from a lifestyle where I don't think about God as often as I should. He is so beautiful, why would I want to look anywhere else? He's all I need, all the satisfaction I shall ever find is in Him. I can't wait to reach heaven... then I'll have no distractions from His glory.

And that's about all I have to say, I think...

I thought I should probably post...

2009-04-11T17:03:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post to let those who didn't already know (a very small number) that the Awake Music Project performed (almost) flawlessly at the CrossWay Arts Festival. It was so much fun. I was so thankful to God that he blessed us and let us play for so many people and do so well. I thought that I was gonna have trouble keeping my nerves under control (I had never sung with a microphone in front of me before then), but God was good in letting me keep cool. So, thanks to all of you who showed up to watch us, and thanks to those who participated, and thanks God for being there with us!

I realized a few days ago that I never post any pictures on my blog. I suppose that can get a little boring, eh? Well, I decided to post a picture today. I do not have any idea what that picture is going to be!!! So, let me go find a somewhat interesting picture...

I'm not sure how many of you have already seen that picture... Anywho, Mr. Brown decided at Stephen's 16th birthday party that he would make it easier on the girls' team by making muscles be body parts that could be added to the picture for hangman. Thus the lump on the man's arm. =P

So that's about all I have to say. Love y'all!

Man,

2009-04-01T21:38:00.002-04:00

I love classical music. There's no music as good as an amazing symphonic piece with timpani, harp, strings, brass, cymbals, choir, etc... I love well-written classical music. I much prefer a symphony over a quartet, though... I just love that full, rounded sound that a full orchestra has.

Anyway, that was a pretty random thought.

So I got to go to an AMP band meeting today. (Thank you Nathan) We got a lot done I think we're pretty much totally ready for the performance. Adam and Mark couldn't make it to the meeting, but I think they pretty much have it down anyway. And Matt needs to play around with the lights a little more... lol. PLEASE STAY AFTERWARD FOR THE TWO BANDS THAT ARE PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though the festival is "officially over" before the AMP band and "Aphelion" (I believe it's called) play, please, please, please stick around to see us. We would greatly appreciate it.

I think that I'm gonna start writing lyrics again.... I think I've been missing out on some rich times of dwelling on God by not writing lyrics. I usually find a passage in the Bible that really speaks to me, and then just write my thoughts down in poetry form. It is so rewarding, wondering at God, I mean. He truly is so wonderful.

Hahaha....

2009-04-01T08:26:00.001-04:00

Well... so much for that resolution to post every day, huh?

So, I've started working on the Shutterfly version of the Spelling Bee page for the yearbook. I'm trying to make it fun, but not too little-kiddy, if ya know what I mean. So I'm gonna work on that as soon as I'm done posting...

And I just ordered Define the Great Line and Lost in the Sound of Separation by Underoath. I'm a little behind the times, I know. =P

Um... the Arts Festival is on Saturday, and I'm still trying to figure out when the next band meeting will be...

Okay...

2009-03-30T07:17:00.002-04:00

It is time for this post-less streak to stop. I'm gonna post every day even if I don't have much to say... and that is not a promise. =P Haha, really, though, I'll try to post whenever anything remotely interesting happens.

So... not much has happened lately. I'm working on my final draft for my third writing assignment for English 111 right now... I'm "ranting" about gun control on campus. I'm not supposed to be logical in this essay, just emotional. So it wasn't all that hard... I'm not too happy with the way it turned out, though, and I can't think of what to change. Oh, well.

And that's really about it. I gotta get back to writing now...

Jesus loves you!!!

Hey!

2009-03-25T08:58:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted in two whole weeks!!! Wow, that's a long time.

Well, I have to let you know right off the bat that I don't actually have anything to say.

The arts festival is coming up soon (next week, I think), so the band could definitely use some prayer that we'll be totally prepared for the "show." I think that it's coming together great, but we're still human.

Umm... I got my Alesis Multimix Firewire mixer. Now I can record stuff onto the computer!!! =D I think it will definitely meet AMP's needs.

And that's about it. I gotta go get ready to head to CP!

What has happened?!?

2009-03-12T08:39:00.002-04:00

No one seems to be posting on their blogs anymore... except for Nathan. He's been posting regularly for the first time in months. Congratulations, Nathan! Haha... *cough, cough* Well, I wanted to break my post-less streak with a bang. Unfortunately, I have nothing to bang with. I did come up with another saying...

"Life is pointless if it is aimless"

That's something that I've been struggling with these past few days. I think it is mainly 'cause I haven't had school, so I'm just kind of "wandering around" aimlessly. That kind of life is pointless. Or meaningless, to use Solomon's words. It really is all meaningless without God.

Nathan and I tried and failed to get two band meetings together so far this week... so hopefully the last one will work out. =)

And that's about it. Peace.

Well...

2009-03-07T17:49:00.002-05:00

... the weather outside is nice. And I don't have any spice. In my freestyle lyrics. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

Okay, so the rehearsal at the Brown's went really well. We got a whole lot done, but I think that we did still goof off too much. We revised the song a little bit while we were at rehearsal, and beforehand, also. And, I got to hear Mark/Zach/Stephen/Sammy/Garrett's band's song. I saw heavy The Devil Wears Prada influences in the music. That's a good thing, though. It was amazing, in other words.

So lately, I've been making great strides in killing my sin. Something that I so often forget that goes along with that is striving toward godliness. It's a two-fold journey. If you're moving away from one thing, you have to be moving toward something else. I feel like although I've been moving away from sin, I've been moving toward self-sufficiency instead of depending on God. So y'all could pray for me that I'd trust that God will make me more holy.

And that's about it. I worked 8 hours today, so I'm a bit tired... and it's just 6 o'clock... haha.

Peace out, y'all my brothers and sisters, yo.

I don't know if this is already a saying or not...

2009-03-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

But, I thought this up yesterday.

"A Wise man is Foolproof."

It's not that complicated, y'all. Should just take a few seconds.

Well, I have some amazingly good news about the studio. I found a mixer that is also a firewire audio interface for $200, and it's normally $300. So that makes me happy. It's almost definitely what I'm gonna buy. As normal, I won't bore you with all the specs and details. =P

Snow Pics

2009-03-02T15:48:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd upload a few pics that I took last night and today. =)

His name was Benedict. =P

And his name was Frankenstein, haha

Peace, y'all

Snow, snow snow...

2009-03-01T18:50:00.003-05:00

It's snowing outside. I like snow. School might get cancelled tomorrow. That would be cool.

Well, I'd like to say congratulations to Mr. Connolly on 25 years of ministry. Congrats, Senior Pastor Connolly. =)

I'm having serious frustration (aka anger) while trying to decide on an audio input computer interface. There doesn't seem to be anything that is both good and affordable. I just pray that God will give me direction with this... I won't bore everyone with model numbers and everything, haha...

Do not be conformed to this world

2009-02-28T09:56:00.004-05:00

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."

That is how we can "live against the grain." If we are not being renewed in mind, we will conform to the world. And are we renewed in mind? By God's power through His word. I believe this is one reason why I find it so hard to not be conformed to the world... because I don't read my Bible enough, and I'm not relying on God to give me the desire to read my Bible or to give me the power to live against the grain. Now, I'm not going to go legalistic on y'all or anything, but there are some things that we have to do. I'm not trusting that the act of reading my Bible will help me stand against the world. I'm trusting that God will speak to me through my Bible reading. And He can't do that if I'm not reading. So now all I have to do is do it... by God's power.

I think I went around and around in a circle there for a few sentences... but, anyway. I just had this revelation this morning, so I hope it speaks to someone.

Stephen's party was amazing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPHEN!!!

And youth group was amazing afterward. HAPPY SOMETHINGDAY, Q222!!!

Okay, I don't want to go crazy so I shall stop. Desist. Nip it in the bud. =P

Peace, y'all.

Well...

2009-02-27T08:35:00.001-05:00

I have secured a ride over to Stephen's birthday party. The only problem is, I need a ride to church to help put the chairs back from Youth Group and go home. It's only about seven or eight minutes to the party... but, anywho... suggestions, anyone?

So I finally pretty much have my voice back. I still can't sing a whole two octaves, but even that is better than it was. =)

And that's pretty much it. Short and to the point as Emily would say. =P

The concert....

2009-02-23T20:07:00.006-05:00

Was amazing!!! There were six bands there, as you know, and Firebred didn't play. Despite My Failure played instead. They were all EXCELLENT!!! I want to buy all of their music!!! Aaaaaah!!!!

But, yeah. =)

This was kinda funny, 'cause the guy's mic broke... but the "sweet picking" of the guitarist on the right was AMAZING!!!

They came back right after and were just as amazing.

So the order of ceremonies was Pandora's Nightmare. They had two screamers. They were pretty good, but definitely not the best.

Next was Despite My Failure. They were just a quartet, but they were pretty amazing, too. Their drummer was kinda crazy...

Next was Rest Assured. I think they were the highlight of the evening for me, personally. The vocalist... I think his name was Sean... was amazing. He had everyone yell "Honey Bear!" at the top of their lungs. =) Also, he took a few minutes to preach. He was basically like, "People, people. I need your attention. I want no talking going on. Quiet everybody. I'm just gonna take like two minutes of your time. We're not up here because we want you to look at us, or because we want you to have fun, although that is important. We're here for one reason only, and that's for Jesus Christ. [clapping starts] No, no. Don't clap yet. Don't clap yet." [I can't remember what he said exactly after that, but the gist was that he and the other band members didn't used to be Christians. They had all turned to drugs, alcohol, and the like for satisfaction. He said that they leave you empty, but that only God can fill the void of emptiness to bring us joy. He said that Christians in "this community" need to wake up and be set apart. That we need to be a light in this community. That we need to be loud about our faith. That we cannot be ashamed about our faith... and that's about all I can remember of what we said.] And then he started the next song screaming again. It was amazing. Then about three minutes into the song, he started yelling, "Come, Jesus, consume this place! Come Spirit of God, fall on this place! Oh, Holy Spirit come! Consume us! Consume us, God!, etc." I seriously felt like crying right then, 'cause I really could feel the presence of God. It was amazing. There were people yelling stuff like "Amen!" and "Hallelujah!" and he ended the song "Jesus, no matter what happens, everything will be all right. Jesus, we'll love you, no matter what! Jesus, we'll love you, no matter what!" I think these guys are my new favorite band even though they've only released an EP.

So, yeah. Rest Assured was pretty good. =P

Next up was Onward to Olympas. That was pretty amazing because Nathan and I were right next to the screamer dude. I probably would have hit him if I started headbanging, that's how close I was. O.o But, yeah. The moshing was the most intense with them, but I liked their music pretty much the best, too.

Onward to Olympas guy -

After Onward to Olympas was Bloodline Severed. They played like ten songs, and their guitarists were definitely the best. They sang, too... I liked their music the best, next to Becoming the Archetype of course. =P

And, of course, last was BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE!!! They were absolutely amazing. They did, in the best order that I can remember, Ransom, Dichotomy, Artificial Immortality, No Fall too Far, Epoch of War, How Great Thou Art, End of the Age, Elegy, and The Epigone. As Seth was going up on stage, he stopped by me, pointed at me and said, "Hey, you preordered our album." (I was wearing the shirt that came with the preorder) I was like, "Yeah! Hey, it's good to meet you, Seth." He was like, "Yeah, it's good to meet people like you. We love people like you, so thanks." It was awesome. =) And later, I bought a poster (for only $1!!!!) and got the entire band to sign it. I was happy. =)

So God was good to us that night. I think that people were reached and affected. For a first concert, I think it was pretty good. =)

And I have almost completely lost my voice from my sore throat. It's really annoying. I'm glad that I lost it after I went to work today... it was kinda funny, though. It sounded like my voice was cracking while I was at work. One of my co-workers kept laughing at me... in a very sisterly way, haha.

Sorry for the long post... I hope y'all enjoyed. =)

Postus Scriptus (I have a horrible command of the Latin language...) : I didn't take a whole lot of pictures at the concert, 'cause I didn't think they would turn out well... but they did... Oh, well... =P

Really short post, but...

2009-02-21T16:16:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Adam!!! 17, dude. I can't believe it. Of course, I've only known you for like... two months, but hey. =P

I'm pretty psyched for the Becoming the Archetype/Bloodline Severed/Onward to Olympas/Rest Assured/Firebred/Pandora's Nightmare show tonight. =)

Well...

2009-02-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not working after all. =/I'm kinda happy, 'cause I need to rest.

Sick and tired

2009-02-20T13:43:00.004-05:00

I'm not sick and tired of anything in particular... I'm just sick and tired. Just sick and tired... I didn't get a very good sleep last night, and I have a splitting headache every time I move my neck. I'll be good though. God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Isn't that so amazing? That even through disease and weakness, God is working something good. Of course, I don't know right now what good he has planned for me, but I'm always amazed by his grace, so there must be something good in store...

Oh, yes... I'm at the Central Piedmont resource center right now... I gotta go meet Anna in about 15 minutes when she gets out of class. Oh, I have some school to do when I get home... ug. When one is sick, it's really unbearable to think about doing school...

God is good. God is good. I don't even have to think of a particular example of his goodness anymore to realize that he is good. It's so ingrained into my brain now how good He is that I know that He is good. He is good. There's no question about it. He is good.

Man, I keep rambling... I guess that's cause I'm tired...

I work 6-9 tonight. I hope that they don't want me to be on Cow Duty, 'cause I will not be on cow duty. I will not, whether they want me to or not, haha. I don't want to get any people who will subsequently get in the cow suit to get sick. 'Cause this is a really bad sickness. It's painful all over...

Oh, now I sound like I'm complaining. Sorry. =(

I'm listening to Pallbearer by Destroy the Runner right now. They're newly one of my favorite bands. They sound a lot like As I Lay Dying, but they're a little happier sounding. They're pretty good. =) Because I can't think of anything else to post about, I'm gonna list all of the bands that I like: Becoming the Archetype, As I Lay Dying, UnderOath, Red, August Burns Red, Disciple, Haste the Day, The Showdown, Destroy the Runner, The Chariot, A Skylit Drive, Sky Eats Airplane, Attack Attack!, P.O.D., Downhere, David Crowder*Band, Third Day, Tree 63, Demon Hunter, The Devil Wears Prada, Aletheian (creepy band), Switchfoot, Skillet, Pillar, Capital Lights, War of Ages, Anberlin, Kutless, With Blood Comes Cleansing, Impending Doom, Iona, Phil Keaggy, Sovereign Grace Music, etc, etc... most of those were metal bands...

So, yeah. I'd probably better go, now.

Peace, y'all! Sorry for the long post...

Stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff...

2009-02-16T19:18:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted or commented on anyone's blogs for the past few days... I've been super, super busy. Like, this is the first time I've been able to sit down in front of the computer and not have anything impending (an event or bed) since Wednesday.

Here is the song that Nathan and I are (hopefully, if we got a good recording...) entering into the PFO (Playing for Others) Songwriting Contest. It is about Christians who do "bad stuffs" and have a hard time coming back from that. It is written from the perspective of a friend.

Work in Progress

They tell me that you've lied
But I've seen you when you cried
They say you're a lost cause
That some things never change
But I have seen that you have tried

I don't know all your life
All your trials and your strife
I cannot read your heart
But you read it to me
Your heart was cut by a knife

I know it's hard to change
Coming from so low
You're a work in progress
God help you on the way

You say you're not that great
That your life isn't straight
You're a work in progress
You hate the things you've done
With truth I say that's great

So that's that. =) Um... I'm working like a whole lot this week, so I'm probably not going to post very much... I hope I'll get to catch up with everyone else's blog posts.

Peace, y'all!

I love Proverbs =)

2009-02-13T07:56:00.002-05:00

Proverbs 20:13

"Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare."

This is my argument for staying up late from now on. =P But, seriously, try to get away with a relatively small amount of sleep (more than four or five hours, please), and you'll get so much more done. It's a good feeling. =P

I was flipping through my NIV Bible last night, in Proverbs, and it's amazing how many of those psalms relate directly to life today.

Here's another one that has to do with sleeping. It's Proverbs 24:30-34: "I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man."

That one is more about laziness, though. It is amazing how wise these men were. It's just common sense, but we tend to forget how much is wasted with "a little folding of the hands to rest."

It's Q222 tonight! I hope pretty much everyone can make it!

God bless y'all.

Duke, ah, Duke...

2009-02-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

Duke lost. I'm trying to not let that ruin my week... especially since we lost to the UNC Tarheels. At home. AT THE CAMERON INDOOR STADIUM!!! THE CAMERON CRAZIES AREN'T SUPPOSED TO LET ANYONE WIN BESIDES DUKE!!!!!! Haha...

But, yeah. I need a good verse right about now... this is kinda related...

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

So, Duke losing was all just part of His big plan.

Sorry, I just feel like being goofy this morning... haha.

But seriously, He made Duke lose for a reason.

I'm not bummed anymore.

Honey Nut Cheerios are amazing.

Stuff that's going on...

2009-02-07T22:03:00.004-05:00

I'm hopefully staying after church with Nathan (Please, let's not spend too much money, =P ) to go to frisbee and then go "window shopping," possibly, at Lowe's to get ideas for the studio.

And I finally did my rough draft for English 111. My teacher said that it was pretty much the best she'd seen so far, and that it was more what she expected for the workshop draft than the rough draft. And that's a good thing.

I don't feel like sleeping right now...

I want to get either an ESP or Schecter guitar when I get an electric. I hope (big, big, big hope) that we hit it big with Awake. But, that's not the main purpose of AMP. The purpose is primarily evangelical and for encouragement. I just hope that all of us don't forget what the purpose is when we're writing music and recording it... I guess that's what lyrics are for, huh? =P

Peace, y'all.

EDIT: Oh, and I found out that musical screaming increases my singing range. By a whole half-step in each direction. O.o

It is Thursday night...

2009-02-05T20:31:00.002-05:00

I am not at frisbee. I wish I was. I am at home. I am writing a blog post... obviously. I am gonna work on my English 111 narrative in a few moments.

Oh, how easily we all forget that the world will never satisfy! Too often, I live for myself instead of living for God. Indulging in my own pleasure will never satisfy. Only God can fill the void of need, of want. He is so awesome.

I am freestyle writing. I'm not erasing anything I type (except for a typo... maybe.). I can't think of anything to say... I can't think of anything to say.

I love all my friends. Y'all are just so amazing to talk to (or chat virtually with). Y'all are so encouraging... yes, you /all/. All of my friends help me in my walk with God, whether through encouraging me in him, or telling me about their troubles. Everything points to Him. He is so awesome.

I feel like writing poetry...

Now I'm rambling, and I have probably bored everyone to death. If I hear of anyone dying of internal hemorrhaging, I shall know that I am the culprit. I AM THE CULPRIT! Spencer Chamberlain is an amazing screamer... Okay, this is the end. THIS IS THE END!

Whoa, I just put two lines from two different UnderOath songs in one paragraph!!! W00t! But really, this is the end.

[the end]

[really]

End of the Age

2009-02-03T08:29:00.001-05:00

I felt like being artistic this morning...

Today...

2009-02-01T21:54:00.002-05:00

I am desperately trying to write more music. I'm not having any good ideas right now, though... I wish that I could be alone in the house with the piano so I could compose something without any outside noise and without anyone hearing... this isn't going to happen anytime soon with a big family, though. =P

Church was really good today. The dream and its interpretation were really encouraging for me because it relates to what I talked about in my post "We Will Survive." It's like that verse... "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." Though the storm rages, we will not be touched.

you like to dance?

2009-01-30T08:45:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let people have an idea of what kind of stuff I like writing. Yes, I did write this. No, it's not finished.

I am excited

2009-01-29T21:26:00.002-05:00

Nathan, you make it sound like the studio is going to be amazing. If it is as amazing as you make it sound - all for under $100 - then it will be a work of God. I'm just hoping that there is enough room in the basement... 'cause it is definitely the wish of my family and I to have some living room down there. =P However, since the basement is over 1000 sq feet and the studio will only have to be 100 - 150 sq ft, I don't think there will be much of a problem. =) I just have to figure out where to put all the boards and stuff. Haha.

Ah, God is good. Thankfully, there is a lot we can do for a small amount of money. =) Thank you, Lord, for generous friends and Yamaha.

Tax return

2009-01-28T21:19:00.000-05:00

I now know what it is going to be spent on. =)

Nathan and I are going to build a little studio for A.M.P. in the basement of my house. Fun stuffs. =)

Our light

2009-01-28T19:14:00.002-05:00

Ephesians 5:4 "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."

This is one thing that I feel that we as Christians should pay more attention to. I know that the society as a whole has so accepted crude joking, that we are almost numb to it. I, as one, am almost completely numb, except in obvious situations, to foolish conversations.

Crude joking does not honor God. Voice, in the song Laugh Out Loud, says, "Humor has a way of making things acceptable." We should not joke about things that are sinful. There's a lot of crude humor that really is funny, but just because something is funny doesn't mean we should laugh at it. Again, Voice said, "Don't laugh at sin, man, because it put Christ on the Cross..." Do you think that Jesus would laugh at a joke about gays? I don't think so. Sin is serious, not humorous.

Foolish talk is almost as serious a sin as crude joking although most of us participate in it all the time. When we crack jokes or make fun of each other, we are, in reality, telling God that we don't appreciate the precious life that He has given us. I'm not saying that we can't joke at all. I just mean that we should not spend the majority of our conversations trying to entertain each other. Let God and those around you know that you do appreciate the time on the earth that God has given you.

That's about all I have to say on the subject. I have been wanting to make this post for a while, but kept forgetting. I didn't really have a strong conviction in this area until I started writing this note. When you laugh at something, ask yourself, "Is God laughing along with me?"

The reason why I titled this post "Our Light," is because I feel that this is one area in the American Christian life that is dimming our light. We must live against the grain or that one area we are failing in will turn to blackness just like our surroundings.

I hope that this will apply to someone besides myself.

Wesley

Living Sacrifice

2009-01-26T20:43:00.003-05:00

For a Christian metal band from the early 90's, Living Sacrifice is a pretty creepy band... for serious.

Totally random, I know.

I love totally random.

I conversely don't love chocolate covered caramel.

We are on fire

2009-01-26T16:07:00.002-05:00

Does anyone feel like God has been blessing us all spiritually lately? Like a lot? I do. Pretty much all my friends seem to be really on fire for God right now. God is doing something. Something big. And I don't want this to stop.
Our light will shine out into the darkness as long as the fire is burning. Let us pray that the sparks of our fire will fall on the dead and dying people that surround us.

This is /definitely/ not an original title. Really. And I'm serious.

2009-01-25T20:46:00.005-05:00

=P

I can't think of much to post...

Um... I was in Children's ministry this morning... MP314, to be exact. The skit was hilarious.

And I hung with Nathan and Ying and Zach and Stephen and Sammy and Carter after church... and Mr. Dowdy, Nathan, and I wrote a pretty cool Irish song. Haha, yes, an Irish song. I hope everyone can get to hear it sometime.

Here's a funny picture from today...

click ^

So that was pretty much the sum of my day. I hope everyone else had a good one, too!!!

You get a whole post.

2009-01-24T16:37:00.003-05:00

This one is for you, Person. =)

So... yesterday, I got invited (along with Emily) by none other than the amazing Steph to go to a Bobcats game. So, of course, having nothing else to do but waste away my life, I decided to go. So... yeah. The pictures shall tell the tale. =)

An amazing sunset.

the team warming up

An absolutely hilarious end-of-quarter show thingie... a bunch of people racing on tiny bikes... priceless.

And he missed this shot...

They were supposed to look creepy... and I was supposed to look scared. It didn't turn out that way. Haha.

So, yeah! I had an amazing time. It was really good to see the Shumates again... it was too bad Mandy wasn't there, though...

Oh, and we won the game... by like 30 points. Which is why I became a fan of the Bobcats on fb, Nathan. =P

You're amazing. =)

---

And besides last night...

I found out recently that the people who I thought I was at odds with, I wasn't actually at odds with. I was, as I had hoped, misunderstanding them.

I can't wait to see [most of you] tomorrow!

So, yeah! God is good! =)

The respected and loved

2009-01-23T08:40:00.002-05:00

Last night at around 11:20...

John 13:34-35 (ESV):

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

This, friends, is out guard against quarrels and grudges amongst each other. What message do we send to the World if we fight amongst ourselves just as they do? Not a good one, I'm sure. And what message do we send to the World if we do not forgive wrongs? Again, not a good one. If we are to be a light in the darkness, we mus, must, must be quick to resolve differences, and we must be quick to forgive. By this will all people "know that we are His disciples."
As you have heard many times, God has forgiven us so much more than any sin man has done against us. Even when we sin again and again, He is willing to hear your prayers of repentance. Isn't our god great?
Remember, Jesus commanded us to love as he did. And what did Jesus do? He gave up His life for those who did not want His love, for those who hated Him.
This, also, is a way we can turn away wrath. If we lay down /our lives/ for one another, we are less likely to quarrel. Serving builds respect, and respect a wall against fighting.
Let us be the respected among men and the loved among ourselves.

And now it is 11:40 and I have CPCC tomorrow... maybe I should try to get some sleep...

---

Today:

Well, I found out that I can get away with only 7 hours of sleep!!! I feel great! =D

I think I need to post something humorous because all I ever post is serious... so...

Life had better give you water and sugar, too, or else your lemonade is going to suck.

Haha. Okay, peace, y'all!

Am I understood?

2009-01-21T20:05:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not going to post the Relient K song "I am understood?"

It's just that I often say things that I mean as a complement or encouragement, and end up hurting someone's feelings, or embarrassing myself. And unfortunately, the persons who I tend to do this with are good friends. And then I tend to misunderstand what the problem is, and try to fix it the wrong way... Does anyone else have this kind of problem?

I just want everyone to know... I don't try to insult or hurt people. I just don't.

I had a pretty good day other than that. CP went well... we're almost done with introductions, now. =)

I'm still trying to decide whether I want to get a new amp, a MIDI controller, or a Zoom portable microphone...

Peace! Love y'all!

Viva La Bush

2009-01-20T11:44:00.001-05:00

He wasn't a terrible president, really. He did a lot of good stuff.

Now let's just pray that Obama won't do to much damage in four years.

I do care that I shall die

2009-01-19T17:03:00.002-05:00

This is a song that I wrote the music and lyrics for. This obviously doesn't apply to me, now, because I don't fear God's final wrath. It is more of an evangelical song.

|I do care|

I am a murderer
My hands are drenched in blood
My lips, now, drip with lies
My feet run to disaster

And I do care
That I shall die
That I shall burn
In the lake of fire

I am a prisoner
My hands are chained by sin
My lips, now, cry with pain
My feet tremble with fear

And I do care
That I shall die
That I shall burn
In the lake of fire

I want to escape
To be rid of my sin
But God can't accept me
I'm too far gone

[long instrumental lament]

Thus says God,

I LOVE YOU!

No matter what you've done
I will forgive you
No matter what you've done
I will accept you

I don't care
If I should die
(I can't) be consumed
(Though the) end draws nigh [repeat]

---

I know that it is a rampant idea in today's society that "God can't love me." This is far, far, far from the truth however. I don't remember where this saying comes from, "I may not be perfect, but Jesus thought I was to die for." He loved us so much, that he died for us. Is that not proof enough of His love for us?

I haven't finished recording the song yet, so if you want to hear it, you will have to wait. =)

Peace.

I was a wicked one

2009-01-16T21:50:00.002-05:00

This song really illustrates the glory of the gospel.

Empire by As Cities Burn

And I was a middle son,
between two wayward ones.
I was more deserving of my parents love.

I had an angels smile,
hiding a vultures bite.
I had no use for your redeeming blood.

Aren't I glory, glorious?

Glory, glorious.
Aren't we glory, glorious?
Aren't we worthy, worthy of hearts at our feet?

Cause I was a pharisee,
I never saw my need for grace;
Then your love came to me
stood next to mine, and I saw that I was poor.

Show me I was poor.
Show us we are,
show us we are.

Glory, glorious.
We are glory, glorious.
Not from what good we have done
but from being the least. [x2]

Glory, glorious.
Oh, I don't know how I was made.

My heaven tower sways atop their fleeting praise.
God, I don't know how I was made.

Glory, glorious.
Are we glory, glorious?
Are we worthy, worthy of hearts at our feet?
Glory, glorious.
We are glory, glorious
not from what we've done,
but being the least.

I was a wicked one.

---

This song makes me want to cry every time I hear it or read the lyrics, for this is really the mindset of all of us before we are saved.

It's not the best song musically, but the excellent lyrics definitely outweigh the poor music.

I thought of this because of the preach-o-rama, which was tonight, and was excellent.

I still haven't /really/ started class at CP... we haven't even finished introductions in my English class yet. =)

We will survive

2009-01-15T16:15:00.002-05:00

I know this might seem silly to some people, but I've struggled over the past year or two with the thought that Christians might become extinct. The way the US is now, that's certainly what it looks like. I know that I shouldn't fear, but the thought keeps coming back to haunt me.

The Bible explicitly states that Christians will survive until Jesus comes back (I can't remember any references right now...). It's just an irrational fear that I have that the gospel is dying in places like our country.

I know what the truth is, but I can't exactly explain it to myself. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

2009-01-13T18:13:00.003-05:00

Just $5.00 at Amazon today.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Not much going on today... I've got class again tomorrow... did a little bit of my Intro to Computer today... that's about it. =)

I'm a college student

2009-01-12T15:22:00.002-05:00

Scary, isn't it?

So I'm now attending college part-time at CPCC. My English 111 class is 10:30-11:20, and then I wait for Anna to get done at 2:30. That's plenty of time to get all my school done plus some extra reading. So, yeah. Fun new stuff there. And then I've got an online Intro to Computers class, which I hear is very easy.

That's about the only update for now. I'll take some pictures of me on campus someday, maybe... then I can prove it to y'all. =P

Thought provoking...

2009-01-09T14:31:00.003-05:00

This song by As I Lay Dying is pretty thought provoking. This is "The Sound of Truth." (c)

We have all heard what we wanted to hear
"Truth" that sounds right to our ears

But what wisdom is there within us
To live based on the feeling of our hearts
How many times has instinct let us down
Never to be thought through
Never to be questioned
Say what you really mean
When your ambition calls you
For what use is there in praying
If you will only hear what you want to hear?

We speak of fighting to resist this world
But what about the battle within us?
If we have chosen to live against the grain
Then why are we all facing the same way?
There is no difference between us and them
If we all blindly seek truth from sentiments

---

And I also thought that this song by some random band called "Laudamus" was interesting. It's called Free.

Some might think my hair is too long
Some might fear the beat of this song
So much religion, so many rules
But this is us and we are tools

He calls us to be free
Enjoy that freedom, friends
In time, we all shall see
Where man-made rules end

I might offend you by how I look
But God will not, according to His book
It's by our fruit that we will be judged
To show the world Jesus love

So keep the sheep together
No matter if one's shaved
Cause the wool means nothing
For all Christ came to save

I respect old-fashioned ways
Let's come together in His grace
Lord help us all to understand
How you can use a hard rock band

---

That's how I feel about Metal/Screamo.

And for those interested, I did not actually do the cow for six hours on Thursday... I was scheduled to do so, but I did other stuff instead.

Savior

2009-01-08T11:35:00.002-05:00

Savior by Disciple

Laughter, that's so part of her
Is something that we haven't heard
In such a long long time
Replaced with crying long sleepless nights
She needs your power Lord
Pour it all over
In her darkest hour Lord
Pour it all over

'Cause I know You love her more than I could love her
You've already given more than I could offer
So I put my hope in You.
'cause I know You can save her
Jesus, Savior

The problem hidden inside
Is screaming something's not right
And I would lay down my world
To reach out and fix what's broken in her

Deep within every stripe is the hope that I find within You

---

I really love this song. I just felt like posting it...

I get to do 6 hours of cow-duty today. Pray I don't faint. =P

Friends...

2009-01-07T17:22:00.000-05:00

I get rather distressed when I don't see my friends for a whole week... it wears me out. At least I'm gonna see everyone on Saturday!

Happy birthday, Nathan!

2009-01-07T11:08:00.003-05:00

Just 'cause I feel like it, I'm going to do this Brit' style.

For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good fellow!!!!! And so said all of us
And so said all of us, and so said all of us,
For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good fellow!!!!! And so said all of us!

You deserve it, Nathan. =) Gosh, I have learned so much from you, and most all of it good. I enjoy discussing theology and music and technology and life in general with you. You've had so much experience in life already, I learn a lot just from listening to your stories.

From the late nights when I'm acting high to the groggy Sunday mornings, it seems like we're rarely apart.

Now for photos...

This was when you were sick... and tired from lack of Diet Coke... at Drama Camp.

You were no longer sick... just pretending to look so... haha.

Late-night theological discussions...

One reason why I love Highland Creek.

Your signature photo!!! =P

I'm glad to call you my friend, Nathan. Peace!

Today is January 6th

2009-01-06T20:44:00.002-05:00

And it is also Marissa's birthday. Happy birthday!!!

Tomorrow is Nathan's birthday. I shall dedicate a whole post, to be sure.

Tomorrow is also CPCC registration day. I just hope that my life doesn't become so full that I don't have any free time.

Today, at work, I worked for my longest weekday shift... 6 hours. *le gaspeth!* Haha, I know, it's kinda sad, actually, that that's my longest shift. I'm exhausted, though, mostly because I helped unload a several-hour-late truck delivery...

So that's about the full explanation of my day. Can't wait to see everyone soon!

Nothing to post #3

2009-01-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

I'm alive. I have a psychedelic rock song stuck in my head... and it's not very well-written (a.k.a. cheesy). I'm trying to write music, but it all sounds like what I've already written, and what I've already heard. I want a piano or keyboard... and I think I will buy one before too long. I wish I could write music like Coldplay... it's so simple, but so good!

Here's a random thought... I don't understand how people can go through life without God. It just doesn't make any sense. Even when I go through several hours without thinking about God, I feel terrible. There is no purpose in life... when you don't have God. Everything is meaningless. I want, in my music, to, quoting Disciple, give purpose to melody. I want to sing a new song to the Lord.

Is it just me, or was today rather depressing. I just don't like cloudy days, I guess...

I think that we have enough material to start recording for Awake. We (Nathan, Eric, JP, me, whoever else...) should actually record something, just to get people pumped about Awake. I've written five or six songs, now, that are pretty good, so we can get going soon.

That's all for January 5, 2009. =)

Oh, and I get to register at CPCC on Wednesday... =D

Light

2009-01-03T17:23:00.004-05:00

What a wretch am I?
I have no beauty... I am nothing
It was nothing in me...
He loved me so...
So, so much,
That He came to die, to die
So I could live
Nothing have I to give
but my life, all of it
That His light may shine
in one more heart

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T12:14:00.000-05:00

OMGOSH! I can't believe it's 2009 already... Well, I shall, in honor of the new year, post some new years resolutions, post about friends, and all that stuff that we all do once a year... =P So, here it goes.

Resolutions (there's a lot of them):

1. To love God more. I want to love Him, love His love, love His awesomeness, love everything about Him... more.

2. To pray more. I want to pray every night... for as long as I can stay awake.

3. To be pure in everything.

4. To do all my work with gladness.

5. To look people in the eye. I'd say this is the biggest downside of homeschooling... I got hardly any practice when I was little of looking people in the eye. When I'm not comfortable, I don't look people in the eye, and I know that this makes the people that I'm talking to not be comfortable. Everyone probably knows what I'm talking about.

6. To get really good at bass. I think that I'm gonna start practicing drums on the side... it's not where I'm gifted, really.

7. To get closer to my friends... I need to start having more fruitful conversation... to ask what's going on.

And that's it for my resolutions! Y'all can help me out with those... and I do know that I can't possibly keep all of them, but that's what I aspire to.

Friends:

Nathan: I thank God for you, Nathan. Your trials and how you get through them have been examples and lessons for me. I love how you try to keep God at the center of your life. For you: love God, no matter what... He is all that really matters.

Nathaniel: Thanks for being a moderator and middle man. Middle man in a good way, of course... You really do keep me from doing foolish stuff. =P I love how God is working in your life... For you: love people for who they are.

Jordan: I've known you since you were tiny... haha. It's been great to see how God has been working in your life. I remember your many struggles from 11-16... although it's been a rough climb, you're always headed upward. For you: keep your mind on things above.

Brandon: You're one of my oldest friends (age-wise). Besides being older than me age-wise, you're older wise-wise. The wisdom of God is evident in your life. You're a great mentor and "older brother." For you: be an example of godliness for all.

Bethany: I wish I knew you better. Even though I don't know you that well, I can truly see your love for God and people in everything you do. For you: seek first the kingdom of God.

Emily E.: I wish I knew you better, too. You constantly challenge me to read and study my Bible more. I love how you think of everything in terms of godliness... you are becoming more like Jesus. For you: run the race hard to hear His voice at the end.

G: Bass buddy!!! You are such a loveable guy. =P I don't know you as well as I want to... I think your best talent is your friendliness. You make time to talk to everyone, and you have a love for people. Awesome. For you: no love is greater than His.

Josiah: Your laugh is contagious. You are so fun to be around. I love your gregariousness. Yes, that's right... gregariousness. I just wish I knew you better... for you: worship God in all that you do.

Eric: You are such a positive influence in my life. You insist on godliness. That in itself is amazing for a guy at your age. God has given you many talents. Don't let them go to waste! For you: see the gifts that your friends are.

Melly: You are so optimistic. Your smile and the way you talk shine with God's light. It's great that you find time to talk to everyone. For you: let your life shine with the light of God's love... forever.

Jesus: My best friend. God, you are amazing. You're love is indescribable. The wonder of your works is too great for me to imagine. Words cannot express how much I love you, my God. I can't even start to understand the depths of your love, but I am brought to tears. How awesome are your works. How awesome is your might. How awesome is your love. My God, your love is too great to imagine. For you: let your kingdom come.

---

So, I tried to pray for every single one of my friends last night. It was a rich time. I thank God for every single one of you. I prayed in particular for one friend who I don't know very well, but one who I love so much. They are having a very rough time right now, and I don't think that they are feeling God's love as they should. They certainly aren't feeling their friends' love. Oh, God show them your love!

This was a very, very, very long post... congratulations on reading the whole thing. I love all of you!

Brown's New Year's Eve Party

2009-01-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

There were a lot of people there.... it was pretty amazing.

This picture turned out hilarious.

Worship was pretty good...

Thank you, BJ... *bows* Nathan, you need to learn how to get your whole head into a picture... =P

Cheers! Oh, and that is non-alcoholic, btw... haha.

Sterling is amazing.

And Stephen is amazing.

And Hunter and Mark and Stu are amazing.

Rock band drums...

Look at Sammy's face. Haha. He was playing pretty hard.

It's New Year's Eve Eve!

2008-12-30T12:55:00.000-05:00

That's right, it's new years eve eve. I'm really hoping I'm going to be able to go to a New Years Eve party... but I still don't have a verdict.

I've been working on the BMW a little more... she's still not finished, but here's the product so far.

I hope you can see the detail pretty well...

So I work 5-8 tonight....

And I'm gonna go play drums...

Talk to y'all later!

Nothing to post #2

2008-12-29T16:01:00.000-05:00

I had a good Christmas. Glad everyone else did, too! =)

Peace!

Can't believe it's Christmas

2008-12-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

"I am no angel, no shepherd, no king. I have no gold, no gifts to I bring. I'm only a man here, who's remembering... when this lowly stable held court to a King."

a song by The Crossing

Man this year went by fast. I'm glad to have met so many new friends this year! If you're my friend, then I speak to you! Y'all are excellent.

Tagged

2008-12-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

Nathan tagged me.

The Rules

1. Copy the questions and then answer them (post it on your blog).

2. Tag 4 people and let them know you have tagged them.

3. Let the person [who tagged you] know that you have done a post for the tag.

What are your nicknames?
Little Charlie... um Master of Thunder or something like that... Luigi, maybe. I don't have very many. =P

What TV game show or reality show would you like to be on?
AFV... I want to be the person who took the video of someone doing something stupid. Haha.

What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD?
None? I haven't bought any movies?

What is your favorite scent?
Oh... red cedar. And the smell of Hollister and Abercrombe & Fitch and Aeropostale. Haha...

If you had one million dollars to spend only on yourself, what would you spend it on?
Oh, let me see... I would give half of it away, then pay off the mortgage on the house, then save a few hundred thousand. Then I'd build an addition on the house and make a home studio... with lots of guitars, drums, bass, keyboards, and stuff. And I'd get a new Nissan or something... and give all my friends $1000. I think I would have no money left after that.

What is one place you've visited, can't forget and want to go back to?
Youth Camp... at Lake Junalaska. Man, that was so much fun... so many memories made... so many friends I don't see anymore...

Do you trust easily?
I trust people who I know are lying to me.

Do you generally think before your act, or act before you think?
Both.

Is there anything that had made you unhappy these days?
When I mess up... when I hear anything about the economy... when I hear anything about politics... when I hear anything about anything, basically. Sin makes me sad.

What is your favorite fruit?
Ummmm... Pears.

What websites do you visit daily?
Blender3d.org, KVRAudio.com, Facebook.com, Blogger.com, everyone's blogs, DAB, playlist.com, etc.

What is your favorite thing to wear?
My jeans... same as everyone else... and my Becoming the Archetype T-shirt.

Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?
Yes. If they are sugary enough. =P

What items couldn't you be without during the day?
PC, Zen X-Fi, bass, drums...

What should you be doing right now?
earning money

I tag:
Was anyone not tagged, yet? If someone was not tagged, I'll tag upon request.

A Call to be Faithful

2008-12-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

I'm sick of Christian bands that don't sing about God. Most CCM bands still do, but especially Christian rock bands are drifting. I hate that bands like Emery are considered Christian, even though they definitely aren't. Even through all this, though, there are some bands that are deserving of being called Christian... August Burns Red, Disciple, War of Ages, Becoming the Archetype, David Crowder*Band, Seventh Day Slumber, Living Sacrifice, With Blood Comes Cleansing, Impending Doom and many others that I don't know about. I thank God for people who aren't ashamed to sing His praise.

Now, I don't believe that all songs written by Christian bands have to be religious, but the majority should be. And even most religious songs shouldn't be about "me" or "us"... they should be about God and what he's done, doing, and is going to do.

If Christian bands are Christian, why don't they sing about Him?

One thing that I'm glad of is that the most religious bands are my favorite ones... and the most talented.

Bands that I really want to see return to their Christian roots are As I Lay Dying, Relient K, Family Force 5, and UnderOATH. These bands are so popular! But they rarely (if at all) sing about God. How could they be so blind as to sell a million albums and not try to reach out to their audience.

Now, I'm not being self-righteous. I know that I come in contact with thousands of people every year, and reach out to only a few of them. As a people, we Christians need to work on this soooo much.

Now I have pretty much emptied my mind of all thought, and any more words would be rambling... so, end post.

Gibberish #2

2008-12-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

Calgivan autuo sufonshn ocksome suffesca allish hemin.

That's what Blogger told me over the past few weeks. =P

So, for real life... I got to work in the kitchen at work today! Yeah, it sounds really exciting, doesn't it... haha. Actually, it was pretty fun. Now that I'm sixteen, I get to do that kind of stuff. I did the fries, CFA sandwiches, chargrilled club sandwiches, soup, etc, etc. But anywho, it was pretty fun.

And I am glad that my ingenious plan worked. =P You know of what I speak.

Thanks, EVERYONE!

2008-12-13T21:50:00.001-05:00

Thanks everyone for making my birthday so special! Yes, /everyone/! I'm not even going to try to list everyone, so, if you wished me happy birthday, you made my birthday special.

Man! I keep using words like "birthday" and "special" and "me"... huh. That doesn't sound like me at all. =P

But seriously, thank you everyone! Even if you didn't wish me happy birthday, no one annoyed me yesterday, so that was kinda special in and of itself.

I am listening to /Southern Hospitality/ right now. It's pretty good. Thank you Zach.

My Zen X-fi is charging on top of my /new backpack/, thank you Anna.

My /new shoes/ kept my feet warm this morning, thanks Mom and Dad.

I'm still not sure what I shall do with your gift, Emily. =P

And since I don't know what it is, I can't really say anything about your gift, Ying. =P

And thank you everyone who gave me cards! Y'all really know how to make a guy feel good inside. =P But seriously, I'm gonna start crying over those cards now. *tries to feel like there are tears in his eyes*

And thank you everyone who came to my /game night/.

Happy birthday Sammy! You're one of the best comic breaks in my life. It's too bad I don't get to see you that often.

Happy birthday, Brandon! Ever since I've known you, you've been very honest and helpful. Just awesome.

And I know it's not for two weeks, but happy birthday, BJ! You've been an awesome friend, too. Keep singing and playing guitar. Do not stop. Please. =)

And now that I've specifically mentioned a whole bunch of my friends, this blog post would not be complete without thanking Nathan Dowdy! NATHAN! You are pretty much my best friend. Thanks for putting up with my many idiosyncrasies, my many interruptions of conversations (which I confess I have not noticed until recently), and for listening to everything I say (not with the most attention, always, /you/ must confess, =P ). But yeah... you are... literally... Awesome.

Oh, my, goodness. Where would I be without God?!? Oh my God, my heart cried out to you from the wilderness of my sin. My heart was dying, and all I could see for miles was the wilderness, but I was delusional. I thought I was in paradise. It seemed as if water flowed all around me. But it was not water; it was only the dust of this world, this fallen world. But you reached out and touched me and lifted my eyes to you. Only then did I see the helplessness of my situation. You raised me up. As I soared from this wasteland, You held on tight to me. You told me you would never let go, and you haven't yet. I am not of this world, for Jesus, He who is in heaven, has a hold of me.

Well, that was rather poetic, I think?

If you have read this entire post, I congratulate you. However, it took me far longer to write than it took for you to read. I don't think this post would end well with the word "wolf..."

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-12T07:49:00.000-05:00

Hey Wes,

I'm blogjacking your blog to tell you how grateful I am to have you for a brother.

Over the years I've watched you grow in your love for the Lord and others. You love to serve and put others first, as well as having fellowship with your friends. Your passionate worship at church is a great example to me of a humble servant of God.

You are so talented. I love watching you mix music and draw on the computer. Your talents amaze me.

You've taught me how to laugh at myself and not take life too seriously. I love goofing around with you until my sides hurt from laughing! :D You put a smile on my face.

Happy 16th birthday, Wesley! Hope you have a great day!

~ Emily

Amazing

2008-12-11T20:14:00.000-05:00

This video was made entirely with blender, a free program.

Big Buck Bunny

pretty amazing what one can do for free these days.

Random Post #3

2008-12-10T13:59:00.000-05:00

If people are smart enough to counterfeit money, who don't they go and get a job? I mean, you go to prison simply for counterfeiting. You've gotta be smart to counterfeit, so counterfeiters are smart enough to have almost any job.

I wish that nice people didn't get picked on. People think that since they're nice, that they either don't get hurt, or they don't mind getting picked on. I, however, know that this is not true. No names mentioned, but there are two people I can think of who get picked on way more than is good for them.

I feel like having a philosophical debate about the end of the world. I've done it once with Nathan and Eric, and it was very enlightening. So if you're talking to me on Sunday, please bring it up so I don't forget. =)

On the topic, here's a song by Becoming the Archetype:

End of the Age:

The earth is shaking because of His wrath
The mountains tremble at the sound of His voice
He pulls down the sky to crush His enemies
He descends upon them with fire

He is clothed in greatness
His voice resounds through all the earth

His vengeance no longer is contained
His light destroys the darkness
If He speaks the earth will crumble
If He moves, the universe will fall

He is clothed in greatness
His voice resounds through all the earth
He is clothed in greatness
His voice resounds through all the earth

With the valleys of the seas exposed
And the surface of the earth laid bare
He reached down into the void
He reached down and took hold of me

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

(Hallelujah!)

Go Panthers!

2008-12-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

Be prepared to be nailed, Bucs.

Random Post #2

2008-12-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

Since I still have almost nothing to update on, I'll post things as they pop into my head. These things usually turn out very well... usually.

5 hours of reading Little Women can't help my masculinity...

Parker guitars are amazingly thin.

Okay... here's something to update on! So, I just got my PSAT scores back, and I got a 191... which is out of 240. I know.... really exciting! (*is sarcastic*) But hey, that's in the top 7%, so it's not too shabby. =P

Okay, back to rambling.

I think that kid's tv shows are weird...

I love classical music... especially harpsichords.

Did you know that harpsichords were originally called virginals, then spinnets, and then harpsichords in England?

Pizza is excellent... especially pepperoni and italian sausage.

Thoughts come really slowly to me when I'm distracted by the tv.

God is good.

Oxygen is good... in a kind of similar way.

---

As I stated... it's very hard to think when the tv is on.

Boring Post #1

2008-12-02T13:20:00.000-05:00

I finally recorded This Final Breath for Nathan... that's about all that's goin' on right now. =/

Something to remember

2008-11-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

Even in this world of communication, there are a lot of lonely people. I feel lonely sometimes, even right after chatting with friends and stuff. Why do I feel lonely?

I think the reason that people are lonely, or a large part of the reason, anyway, is that they don't have, or have very little fellowship. If I have goofy conversations for an hour, I'll feel empty after I'm done. If I have even a little fellowship, though, I know that the conversation was not in vain.

Anyone have any ideas/comments?

Oh, and I had a great Thanksgiving!

Nothing much

2008-11-26T19:50:00.000-05:00

Nothin' much goin' on with me...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Tagged

2008-11-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

Rules:1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages)
The Hobbit
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence, which is: Quickly now to the top of this rock the eagles swooped one by one and set down their passengers.
4. Post the next three sentences: "Farewell!" they cried, "wherever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!" That is the polite thing to say among eagles.
"May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks," answered Gandalf, who knew the correct reply.
5. Tag five people. Let's see. . .
Umm.... personally, I don't see the point of this, so I'm not tagging anyone, lol.

Marquee signs

2008-11-24T15:17:00.000-05:00

Random quote of the week, from AutoBell Car Wash (on the marquee):

Temperature Drops
Still Your Stop

It takes a long time to figure it out... if you're anything like me, that is. =P

Here's an old one from a church marquee:

BBQ Blood Drive and Bake Sale

If say it kinda fast, it sounds a lot different. Try it.

Anyone else have funny marquee mess-ups?

Becoming the Archetype

2008-11-23T18:23:00.001-05:00

For once, I'm not actually talking about the band. I'm talking about the meaning of the phrase. An archetype is, according to the Random House Dictionary:

- the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.

The point of becoming the archetype is to become the ideal... absolute perfection. This is my greatest motivation for holiness, other than to please God. I want to become the absolute ideal.

That's about all I've got to say, so I want to hear what everyone else has to say.

Rediscovering...

2008-11-20T20:06:00.000-05:00

...GM.

No, not the car company. GM not only stands for General Motors, but it also stands for General MIDI. Learn something new every day, huh?

Anywho, I've been rediscovering sound fonts (the basis of general midi). Most sound fonts sound terrible, but there are some that sound half-decent. =P Really, though, some do sound pretty good. I'm gonna try working with an SF2 (Sound Font 2) Sample-based synth. Who knows where it will lead?

And I've stopped using the composing program I've been using, MULAB. It kept crashing, which I believe was the result of ASIO4All, the ASIO driver I was using to run the audio.

Anywho (I love that word!), if that made any bit of sense to you, you're either a geek, a sound engineer, or Nathan.

Cheers!

Dreaming

2008-11-19T17:29:00.000-05:00

I am resolved to not research things (such as computers, musical instruments, cars, etc. ) unless I'm actually interested in buying them. It wastes a lot of my time looking stuff up and dreaming about it.

Anywho, that's the most random and short post I've done yet, I believe.

This final breath

2008-11-18T20:11:00.000-05:00

No I'm not dead. =P

Some lyrics I might use for a song (revised, of course)...

/verse 1/

You have been good
I've never been in need
You're all I've ever wanted on earth
Faithful You have been
You answer all my prayers
Given me more than I asked for

/chorus/

This final breath is not my own
I Lay it down before Your throne
I live my life and die this death
All for my God, my Lord, my King

/verse 2/

On this solid rock
I have spent my days
Through troubled times and hours
Now I lift my heart
In praise to my King
He redeemed me and kept me

/chorus/

/bridge/

I'll stand, I'll stand, I'll stand
Stand for my God
'Til the last dying breath
I'll stand, yeah... (repeat)

/chorus/ (2x)

/bridge/

/bridge 2/

I await glory
I await glory
Take me to glory!
God, Take me to glory!

---

That's it. Yes, I already have music for it. I think that the music fits the words, too. The verses and chorus are rather solemn, but end on an uplifting progression. The bridge is very triumphant sounding. Don't ask me to email the recording to you ('cause for one thing, I haven't recorded it yet, and the "producer" is gonna be the first to hear it.)

Yesterday, I accidentally took the marquee keys home from work. Yeah. Emily took them back in the morning, thankfully. =)

That's about it! Adieu!

Nothing to post

2008-11-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

I really want to post Sacrifice by Tree63 again, but that would be weird, since I already devoted a whole post to it.

The trip to Maryland went really well. We were actually only gone for 48 hours (36 in Maryland). I got to meet my cousin's wife and her family, and I got to meet a few more of the Altrogges. Yes, Nathan, /those/ Altrogges. =P But, yeah, it was a good time. I only took scenic pictures, 'cause I prefer talking over taking pictures when I'm around people.

And, that's about all I've got to say... maybe I'll do like Hannah G. and post all of my favorite bands, later. I dunno.

I wrote another song (or rather finished one that I wrote a few days ago). I can't email it to anyone because it's not recorded. The guitar part is too complicated to write in MIDI. I tried, but it didn't turn out right.

Okay, that's actually all I've got to say. =)

Upon Request...

2008-11-12T19:44:00.000-05:00

A few people requested that I post one of my songs, so here is something that I wrote yesterday and today. It's not actually finished... I just wrote it once, then put it on here. Anyway, it's the first keyboard-based piece I've written as of today. Enjoy! =)

Revelation

2008-11-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

Revelation 22 (ESV)...

16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let the one who hears say, Come. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20 He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

---

I don't know what it is about these verses, but when I read them last night, I literally cried. I guess that they proved to me even more God's love, and that He is coming back, and that His Word is true. I love the Bible. =)

Aaaand... I wrote a bunch of music today. Not a whole song, yet, though.

And I just finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. Next to the Bible, it is my favorite book. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Even though it's not a true story (though parts are true), it really helped me to see how the Bible applies to everything. That past sentence really doesn't make any sense unless you read the book... lol. So READ IT!

2008-11-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

How can I ever cease to lift my heart in Praise to Him?

---

I don't have much to post, but this is something that has been pressing on my heart lately. I (almost) literally weep for people who have no desire to worship our God. He is the One who has loved us from eternity. Let us, simply put, love Him back.

I wrote and recorded an entire song today. I think it's about as good as the last good one. No, Nathan, it's not the one I showed you last night. =P

The Epigone

2008-11-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

The Epigone by Becoming the Archetype

There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said
I'm just repeating myself repeating someone else
Equally incapable of uttering a single new thought
Yet you are ever worthy of adoration
So how can I for a moment cease to lift my heart in praise?
Your name is glory
My song is victory
And I will keep on singing
There is no opposition
Nothing can stand in your way
Make my life your own

---

Yes, it is screamo. But it's my favorite band, and their lyrics are amazing also.
An epigone is an undefined follower or imitator, btw.

I'm definitely not happy with the outcome of the election, but I'm not too sad, either. I know that God will complete his purpose through Obama, even though I can't see how. Ah, well, it's in His hands.

Random

2008-11-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I haven't posted in a while (yet again)... BUT! I am posting now, so all is well.

So, I have been thinking about a few things lately...

1. Serving requires sacrifice. I had never really thought about it until recently that serving really does require sacrifice.
Some things, like opening the door for someone, require sacrifice of pride. That kind of sacrifice has an immediate effect on the server and the served (I guess that's the word I want to use). The server is moved along in the process of sanctification by becoming more humble. The served person is served (who would have guessed?). Those kinds of things are the easiest for me, because I can see the immediate effect it will have on /me/.
Other things, though, such as serving in children's ministry, require a sacrifice of time and, in a small way, relationships. When I'm helping in children's ministry, or in the Starting Point class, or doing drama team, etc, I don't get to talk to my friends during that time. If you know me very well, I usually go to church at like 7:30, and, besides setting stuff up, I like to talk to my friends who come early. So, when I'm doing children's ministry, I have to sacrifice a total of about an hour of conversation. When I do drama team, it's about an hour and a half, and the same for the Starting Point class. I really like to hang out with my friends, so doing these things really is a sacrifice for me.

What prompted me to think of this? "All I Have is Christ," duh! Really, though, it did. In the end, I'm not serving the kids in Children's ministry, or that person that I open the door for. I'm serving Jesus. If all I have really is Jesus, then serving should be a joy. When I serve, I'm worshipping Him. That's all that really matters in the end. It's worth much more than my time spent with friends, talking or just hanging-out (I know y'all know it's so. =P )

That song has really affected so many people...

2. I need to start working on evangelism. Last night, at Care Group, we talked about our "One Life" person. Again, if you know me well, you would know that I don't have a One Life person. This is mostly from my ignorance of the world around me. The media and nominal Christians have so blinded me to this dying world, that I find it hard to see the immediate surroundings as a ground for ministry. I need to start taking more of an interest in, especially, my co-workers' religious views, church background, political opinions, etc. I know that God will open the doors for evangelism through that.

3. I'm still trying to write music for Awake... my only frustration so far has been that there is no such thing as a good, free guitar virtual instrument. I've tried DVS Guitar, DSK Electric GuitarZ, SuperRiffGuitar, LemonStrum, and a few others, but none really sound like a real guitar. I guess I'll have to wait until we actually record the "real deal" for there to be a real guitar sound in my songs. Oh, well.

That's about it. I hope there was something in at least part of this post that intererested you. =)

My Life V.1

2008-10-30T16:29:00.000-04:00

This is my life. (Not) The entirety of it. (This is not) Not a small part of it.

School's going pretty good... that's about all I've got to say for that area of my life. =P

I'm still writing music. A lot of it. I wrote a 2:40 Techno/Trance/Dance song yesterday, and if you want to hear it, just email me. (I think most of y'all have my email address)

Ummm... frisbee tonight. I haven't gone in like a month, so I'm pretty excited. =)

That's about all of the (not) not small part of my life. I hope you enjoyed. =)