It can be easy for Christians to believe, almost robotically, that God can do anything. That’s what makes God God, right? So, what does it mean to “ponder anew” what God can do? How does one ponder anew the already established notion that an all-powerful God can do — does — all-powerful things?
Read More Ponder AnewI’ve watched approximately seven Boy Meets World episodes in their entirety, though plenty of passing clips. I’ve blogged about this show in the past, including its spinoff, because my younger sister would watch it after school, and the strong friendship between Corey and Shawn always kept my eyes craning. Lately, life circumstances have again caused me to […]
Read More Love is Not the GreatestI’m not blogging as much these days; believe me, I’ve noticed. I feel the words escaping me the longer I sit here, and I find myself eager to ditch my computer and let this blinking cursor flash all Christmas Day. Perhaps the new year will bring new inspiration for blogging, like old times. But for now, I can only offer […]
Read More My 3 Favorite Christmas SongsHillsong United released Empires last week, debuting at #5 on the Billboard 200. “Christian worship band” notwithstanding, it’s an impressive showing. Though Empires doesn’t resonate with me as much as last year’s Zion, it’s still a solid offering. If nothing else, Hillsong United keeps reinventing itself with every album. It’s crazy hearing the Hillsong United of today compared with Hillsong of the 90’s. […]
Read More When Hillsong United’s New Song “Hurts Like Hell”Sometimes your ink is dry. Sometimes the keystrokes won’t come. Sometimes your soul needs a break. Sometimes a song better translates your heart. Maybe sometimes the Holy Spirit likes to dance on different wavelengths.
Read More My Soul SongI spent 282 days on the road in a car without working speakers. Some might have called my predicament tragic. Many folks offered their disbelieving condolences over the course of 26,301 miles. But my speakerlessness had been nothing new. My Mitsy actually hasn’t had operable speakers since 2011. While initially tragic, my car’s thundering silence grew on me. […]
Read More My #RunningTo Road Trip PlaylistI was never a big Jars of Clay fan; I’m a horrible Christian kid of the 90’s, I know. Give me Steven Curtis Chapman or give me death. Lately, though, Jars of Clay’s stuff has resonated. Especially their more recent creations meshed with my current season of life. Enter my latest struggles. Enter five months of this #RunningTo life on the […]
Read More Just Keep Walking Inland27 years ago, I was born on Good Friday. I spent that Easter Sunday of 1987 in a blessed hospital, though the specifics are a bit fuzzy. I haven’t celebrated a “true” Good Friday birthday since I was 5 years old, and I won’t celebrate another Good Friday birthday until I turn 84. This year, my mid-April birthday fell […]
Read More On This Good and Not-So-Good FridayThroughout the Old Testament, the Israelite people constructed altars. Altars not so much for God as for themselves. They built altars in places where God had delivered them, so that whenever they passed back across those particular locations, they could see the victorious altars of yesteryear and remember. Remember the victory, remember the Victor. Last […]
Read More Song Altars: “In the Dust” by Brandon HeathEver since I posted a revamped Hillsong United countdown, some of the most popular Google searches leading to my blog go like this: who sings oceans hillsong what girl sings oceans hillsong united who is the lady singer oceans hillsong So, to answer the question that myriads have been asking the Internet: her name is […]
Read More The Girl Who Sings “Oceans” by Hillsong UnitedI don’t often “vent” on this blog. I usually reserve such emotional outpourings for my journal. Or if I’m feeling courageous enough, with a trusted individual or two. To all who have personally suffered amid the snotty sniffling presence of a Tom-meltdown, I vigorously apologize. In these two-plus years of blogging, I’ve often considered the […]
Read More Why I’m Sad and Why I Might Run AwayFor the last dwindling months of 2013, I kept a secret that only me, myself, and I knew: after Christmas spent with family, I’d fly to Kansas City for the International House of Prayer’s Onething 2013 conference. I received a lot of flack for my ongoing travel secret, inside my family and out, but can […]
Read More Onething 2013: How I Viewed the Christian Body ChangedThe Hollywood sign never seemed more real. I’ve lived in southern California for over three years now, and I’ve seen those illustrious blocky white letters on countless treks into Los Angeles. I’ve shown off “Lady Hollywood” to visiting friends and family as if it were my firstborn child, lounging on the side of a mountain […]
Read More How the Hollywood Sign Made God More Real to MeSince the inception of this blog, I’ve been doing these little top-11 countdowns. They’ve actually grown to be not so “little,” as my first top-11 Hillsong United countdown remains my most viewed post of all-time. Christian music is one of my many “things,” and I’m beyond thrilled of the increased quality in recent years. Tenth […]
Read More Tenth Avenue North Songs: TMZ’s Top-11 FavoritesOne of my first big “hits” on this blog was an innocent little top-11 countdown I posted in 2011. The countdown featured my very favorite Hillsong United songs, and to say it was difficult paring down Hillsong United’s million offerings of awesome to just 11 is a total understatement. To date, that post is far […]
Read More Hillsong United Songs: TMZ’s Top-11 Favorites, Part 2Over the last year-and-a-half, I’ve counted down some of my favorite things. It began with countdowns for my favorite Hillsong United and Casting Crowns songs. Then I branched away from music, listing my favorite pumpkin foods and books I’ve never read. But another musical countdown involving Brandon Heath is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’m pretty sure Brandon […]
Read More Brandon Heath Songs: TMZ’s Top-11 FavoritesI’ve experienced some bad days in 25 years. Moving from Pennsylvania to Georgia as an innocent 12-year-old kid was pretty sucky. My dog’s sudden death left me in pools of undying tears. Now, add this past Monday to the Worst Day of My Life list. Monday was horrific. I took my car to the mechanic […]
Read More The Second Worst Day of My LifeThis week I got to blog a sermon recap for my church, RockHarbor Fullerton. We’re currently doing a series through the entire Bible, and this week we landed in Malachi. Here’s a snippet of my post! Click the link at the end to read the whole thing. One of my favorite worship songs is called […]
Read More Healing WingsOh hey there, TMZ’ers. Remember how I called you that once long ago? I didn’t like it then, and I still don’t like it now. But like picking a scab though it’s wiser to leave it alone and let it heal, I recycle the silly term and immediately regret doing so. Blast. So anyway, TMZ’ers, […]
Read More TMZ RETURNS & One Word 365A little while back I counted down my top-11 Hillsong songs (“Hillsongs”?). After two months with my own little niche in the blogosphere, that post remains one of my most viewed. So that led me to assume one of two things. Well, three: People love Hillsong. People love top-anything lists. People love my talking about […]
Read More Casting Crowns Songs: TMZ’s Top-11 FavoritesOne of my favorite things in life is hearing an incredible song for the very first time. Such a special, soul-bursting moment, and there’s really nothing quite like it. Except maybe bubblegum snow cones on a sultry day. One of my other favorite things in life is hearing an incredible album for the very first […]
Read More TMZ Reviews “Music Inspired by The Story”EDIT: I’ve now updated this list! Click here for my favorite Hillsong United songs as of 3/13/13! Something I’ve not written much about in my first three weeks of blogistence™ (blogging+existence) is my passion for Christian music. The CCM stuff, yes, along with the straight-up worship too. While interning for Revelife this past spring I […]
Read More Hillsong United Songs: TMZ’s Top-11 Favorites, Part 1