Saturn - Sleeping at Last

While working this morning my ears awoke to the lyrics of this powerful song! From NoiseTrade, I downloaded the score produced for the Charity Water 10 year anniversary video, "The Spring". I have listened through this instrumental album multiple times but for some reason this morning this powerful arrangement caught my attention. After being draw into the middle of these lyrics I took the time to understand the context of creation. This song describes the voice of a person about to expel their last breath passing along these words about existence.

How rare and beautiful it is to even exist

How often do walk through life without being alive, void of presence, preoccupied by worries of tomorrow, blind to our own existence. Being aware in this moment seems to be the most difficult aspect of life! I have found that my instinct is to run, run away from discomfort and my failures, run from the her and now, reaching for some alternate reality, because God knowns' once I receive what I desire I will still not be present! How will living change if we are deeply connected with the beauty of our existence and that of our brother? What aspects of life are restricting this realization; plugging our ears with the wax of our finite understanding of existence, and captivating our eyes with visions of alternate realities not currently in existence. What does it look like to live with our hearts open to the rare beauty of existence?

You taught me the courage of stars before you left.

How light carries on endlessly, even after death.

With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite.

How rare and beautiful it is to even exist.

I couldn’t help but ask

For you to say it all again.

I tried to write it down

But I could never find a pen.

I’d give anything to hear

You say it one more time,

That the universe was made

Just to be seen by my eyes.

With shortness of breath, I’ll explain the infinite

How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist.

Rise Again - Needtobreathe

I have been reading a book about the arts and Christians role in creating culture. Steve Turner, the author, asserts a major critique that modern Christian art does not speak about real life. The art created does not sound genuine or have any ties to real life that people outside the faith can connect with. While reading the book I listened through this album and I think that this song does a great job of breaking the mold. The members of Needtobreathe are all outspoken followers of Jesus but very little of the art that they produce mentions Jesus or Christianity at all. Instead they craft creative music, written from places of pain and joy. "Rise Again" steps through pain that occurs in life as we see relationships stretched and torn. The bitterness of broken hearts and friendships is then contrasted with the truth that we will get up from this pain and rise again. "I can see us moving on, I can feel that coming on strong", the joy that comes after the

Twenty-Four - Jess Ray

Lately I have been listening to lots of music and podcasts while working and biking to work. I was feeling a need for some new music so I turned to NoiseTrade to check out some new artists. My favorite thus far is Jess Ray because of the honest lyrics, tastefully simple musicality and overall enjoyable listening environment. While on my flight back to Atlanta I was struck by this song at first because of the drums that propel this song behind the walking guitar. If I were to add drums to a track like this it would have been done in a very similar manner. Once I got past the drums I was awe struck by the simple power of these lyrics, take a read below and follow the link to her blog to listen. To me it was not written for an outward expression of hope or encouragement but rather as a inward proclamation to the soul. As the psalmist often choose to sing, this song speaks inward in a call to stand up and be reminded of truth all to often forgotten. As I gear up for the star

You Will Be My Ain True Love - Alison Kraus

This song has so much power, even if you remove the lyrics. I just decided to take in the full potential of the song by turning the stereo all the way up and playing the song a few times. Before even looking for a video of this song I knew it was related to the Civil War and the separation that occurred between loved ones. This song starts out explaining the battle field and how the soldier has survived the terrors of war. As the song continues to build you can tell that the soldier wants to be with his love. They have been separated by this war and now he wants to be back with her. The last few lines portray his death and how he has been reunited with his "True Love". I believe that this song describes his "True Love" as God, our eternal True Love. He has returned to his maker after being killed in Battle and this song paints that picture so well. This song has tons of power in the music behind the lyrics, it adds so much to the meaning of this song!

Letters from Lilongwe

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