Lyrics vs. Music

Think about today’s music, the mainstream music if you will. It seems to me that when you listen to the music that is “popular” it’s more about the lyrics than the band. Most people only know the name of the singer but don’t pay attention to the background music. In Rock bands you can see this more often. Of course the band wants to influence the audience with the lyrics; they want to make a difference in the lives of the fans through their words, but what about the music. When focusing on the lyrics the band abandons the talent of the musicians. Comparing it to the music of the 70’s such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, or the 80’s music of Van Halen and Def Leppered the audience was much more aware of how good the musicians were and much more engaged in the band as a whole. The audience would want to listen to the 4 minute guitar or music solos and the songs would still have a powerful meaning. People knew the entire band and all the members, as today the only name most people would know is the lead singer. If a band today got a new guitar player no one would notice. Examining this subject closer, bands today that do showcase the talent of the musicians are not as mainstream. Bands such as Avenged Sevenfold or Escape the Fate, are too ‘hardcore’ or too ‘emo’ for everyone to listen to. A person would only know those bands if they listened to that type of music. In contrast everyone knew who Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin were and still do today. Those bands will live on forever and they still play their songs in today’s generation in movies or at school dances; people still listen to them. The bands of this generation are sure to fade away into the distant horizon for they are not as influential as the bands previous generations before. Why? No one really knows, but one contribution I think is that the bands are too focused on the lyrics. Sure the lyrics are important but why can’t we focus on the music just as much? Why can’t people listen to 3 to 4 minute guitar solos without getting bored? Why can’t they just appreciate the talent of the musician? Pink Floyd found a way to influence people through the music, while including the lyrics. Maybe its society that has changed; no one wants to listen to a 7minute song anymore. But if a 4 minute song can be influential, think what a 7 minute song could do, it could change someone’s life. Okay maybe not going that far, but it can still touch you and be meaningful. This would give the musicians the opportunity to really showcase their talent and be recognized for it instead of being put on the backburner and overshadowed by the lead singer. The musicians of today should be able to be a famous as the lead singer in their band. Because when it really comes down to it, you can’t have a song without the music and you can’t have the music without a band.

Krystal Buchanan

Change

Right at this moment my world is changing around me. I am scared, yet excited for what it holds in store. Change is uncertainty. Drastic change demands faith and hope. I am clinging to those as I plunge in to the unknown.

Lifes Experiences

I've been thinking about all of the things that I've been through in my life. Hard things, tough circumstances that I thought I would never make it through...and also amazing things....things that I can't even believe that I was apart of. I've been thinking about how people in general hide so much of their lives from other people. It is so easy to share with others during the happy moments that we experience, however, if we truly exposed our hearts during the rough spots I wonder what would happen. Even my testimony of how I became a Christian, often (99% of the time), I only share a portion of how Christ transformed my heart and changed my life. I'm not sure what I'm afraid of because the whole story is even more amazing. The whole story is what makes Christ the Love of my life. I want to be transparent without hesitation, without fear of reactions....If only we were all that way. I think that would take us to a new level as people, as family. Often I daydream of standing up in front of my closest friends and just speaking, like I was giving a sermon, of my life story. God has proven Himself as a loving God over and over throughout my life....maybe if I actually told people what all He has done, people would see Him more and give Him the glory He deserves.....

Orphans

My friends just adopted the cutest little boy from Ethiopia. How amazing it is to take a child who was once an orphan-alone in this world-and make them a part of a loving family. Awesome....Need I say more.

Books

I went to Borders today to just hang out and read by myself....and to pull my thoughts together from a crazy morning. Bookstores are awesome because there are so many good books out there that make you think and wrestle with stuff. Some can really impact your life. Others are just there to provide a distraction from your life and your thoughts. Today was a thought provoking day, so I picked out a few that I've been wanting to read (that have the potential of making me a "better person") and dug in. Of course I ended up buying them because I obviously have to finish them! What a scam! They put a nice little coffee shop atmosphere in there to hook you! They even allow you to bring in school work, or other books to read that you already own. Of course, that's not good enough for me because I am always in dire need of another book.....They've got me hooked.

Adi

So, I started running recently...well attempting to "run" but I'm not so dedicated yet as to go any great length in distance. I did however take my small dog Adi on a run today for the first time. You know it's a little hard to run when you have a dog that is running back and forth crazily around your feet...not to mention the leash was a little short. Oh well.. It was fun. She didn't even mind it when she would stop suddenly (without at least one bark to tell her very focused owner who kept running) only to fall helplessly on the ground being drug in the grass until I noticed....I'm sure eventually she'll learn.

Praise

Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary; Praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resouding cymbals. let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

Kingdoms Part II

I'm still pondering the thought of Whose Kingdom I'm building. I'd like to say that my heart is completely enslaved to the idea of building a kingdom up for Christ. Selfishness, however, still has a small room hidden deep within my heart and I cannot find the key to unlock it. I want to unleash the desires that are only my own so that I will be equipped to focus on those of Christ. How do I get from point A to point B without damaging who I was really made to be? How can I grasp the fullness of humility without longing to obtain the things I so incredibly want? I want to be like Christ, who made himself nothing, without any reservations. God knows the exact time set for me and the exact place I should live. Isn't that good enough....?

Kingdoms

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the statement: Whose kingdom are you building: God's or yours? There are so many things that I want out of life but not for God's glory for my own. Surrender is a hard thing to do, especially living in America when having change in your pocket makes you richer than most of the world. This country pushes the American Dream: Great job, Married, 2 1/2 kids, a dog, big house, nice car, etc. God's kingdom is a little different than that dream. I hope that my heart can focus on the true things of this world. I want to build a kingdom that last forever in my short life here on earth. I can only pray and hope that my heart can focus long enough on God's purpose, so that my life can touch people with love and compassion. I don't want to be remembered for my Master's Degree, the kind of car I drove, the money I made, the house I lived in, or any of that "stuff". I want people to remember the love of God when they look back on my life. Lord, help me to not build my life up only to have things that perish in the end. Help me to keep perspective of You and why I am really here "Not to us Oh Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory."

Sleepy Time

Some days are just long.... They go on and on until finally it is time for bed. I can't wait to fall asleep so that I am closer to waking up fresh in the morning, ready to start a new day.

Life

Life amazes me. We breathe and have life. Sometimes we have bad days and sometimes we have great days. Life is awesome because no matter what happens, we are....get this....still alive. Today I feel like dancing all around and singing at the top of my lungs. I might just go and do that for a while. We all need to dance, sing, swing, play, and laugh. Life does not = no fun.

Bigger Than Me

For those of you that don't believe God exists, I have a list of miracles that He has done in my life to show you He is real. Not only are these really amazing things, they are things that could have only happened by a power much bigger than me. Today was one of those days where I felt the amazing love of the God of this universe. He has provided once again in a crazy way. Not only one time, but over and over again. I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by His grace and goodness to me. Some ask why God allows bad things to happen in this world, but I know that He has given me salvation, the best gift of all, and He showers us with good stuff all the time if we just took the time to sit back and watch.

Good Friends

I am lucky to have such great friends. My day was....lets just say it was not one of the best days ever! I was tired, sick, and just not feeling very excited about what life has to offer right now. I spend a lot of time encouraging other people and there are days when I wish someone would encourage me. I wonder if God puts me on anyone's heart like He puts people on mine. It was one of those days. In the middle of it all, I was very encouraged by two of my friends. I am so blessed to have great friends. There are some that I can call, even after months of not seeing them and I still feel like we can talk about anything. Then there are others that I see all the time that encourage me more than they know. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Suicide

What makes someone get to the point of their life that they feel like they want to take their life? I had a 16 year old girl pour out her heart to me in an hour and a half conversation over the phone. She was in another state and all I wanted to do was drive the many hours it would take to see her and "make sure" she was ok. Tonight she was in a better frame of mind and God has began to work on her heart to stop taking pills, doing drugs, and quit with wanting to run out in front of cars to end her crazy life.....like I can do anything? God can only change the hearts of people and He is the only one I know that can truly change a life, cause someone to think different, feel different, live different. She knows it will be hard, especially with her surroundings and her mom not really living herself. Why do these kids have to face this world with their parents involved in drugs, in jail, gone all the time, abusive....I wish I could just build a huge house that they can all come to and just show them Love. Good thing God is a loving God and I hope and pray that they will see that despite their situation. Oh Lord, to you alone do I cling. The world will show me devistation and despair, but you Oh Lord are my Hope and my Salvation.

Amazing Love

I am facinated by the love of God at this moment. I can't understand why He would die on a cross for me just so I can be with Him, but I am so grateful at the same time. I often write the miracles of God down in a journal. When I doubt, I look back and see that He is always there working through my life in really crazy ways. What an honor it is to be a daughter of the King. I pray and hope that He is glorified in my life and that I would never take for granted His Love for me.

The Power of God

I have been on a lot of mission trips and each time I long to see God work in amazing ways. Somehow He seems to do something incredible in my undeserving heart each time. There is something amazing about being in a different place that takes you out of your comfortable bubble and allows you to see the world for what it really is. Why is it that in the life I live day to day- here in this town-I am so distracted that sometimes I miss God working in amazing ways where I'm at here? I can only hope that He will open my eyes so that I will not miss what He is doing. We pray and pray for God to do these Great and Mighty things here on this Earth, but if we can't even appreciate the things that He is doing daily, right before us, why should we think He would do more?

Fast Away

Do you ever feel like you want to run away from life....I mean run fast... faster and faster until you are away from it all, far away, like in another continent where things are different, people are different and you are outside of yourself. You can forget about the negatives and look towards change which always provides hope of something better. Change is evident in the new surrounding, the new continent. And then...you realize you will be gone for a time and come back to people in your life who have gone through change without you and you know in your heart that now matter how far your dreams seem to be from reality, you don't want to miss the life you have in the moment.