good stuff...

Music and books. "These are a few of my favorite things" (that's right...sing it). I have a slight addiction to both, actually. (see 10/6 blog entitled "I have a Problem :) 

Anyway, I always get excited when I discover a new song/artist/album or book/author that inspires and encourages me. So I want to share a couple that I've recently discovered (actually, I can't take credit for "discovering" them, because both were given to me). 

Anyway, the first is the newest Jeremy Camp album, Speaking Louder Than Before. 

I was a huge fan of Jeremy Camp when he first started out, but kinda lost touch with his music for a season. So a friend of mine recently gave me his newest album and I'm loving it. I was reading up on it and what he had to say about it...and that's when I realized why I love it...it's directed toward youth! :) He says,

“I see the hurt, the lack of direction, in this new generation...I always had a passion for youth, but this album is really aimed at them...Some people might think I’m being preachy. I’m not angry; I’m not pointing a finger. Really, my heart is breaking. I’m talking about loving people and serving people...I’m telling my story. I’m pointing that finger at me. If my heart’s not breaking for the lost, I won’t come across the way I need to."

DANG Jeremy...I love it. Check out these lyrics to the title song:

Hear now this Declaration from out across the nation, 

we need to wake up and understand. 

Many hurting hearts are crying, 

but our voices seem to be dying, 

can you see this battle raging on? 

We are the light to reach this world, 

we are the salt preserving these souls. 

lets show them all the love that we've received. 

We are, we are in desperation. 

we need to reach this generation, 

we are speaking louder than before. 

we are the hope that's been forgotten, 

we have a love that has been brought 

& we are speaking louder than before. 

Take every chance that you can, 

move together, taking a stand, 

never losing heart, we'll speak as one. 

We need to be the image of christ, 

to show love and serve at all times.

we can make a difference in this land

Everything's surreal, but this urgency I feel, 

we should be reaching out to all these desperate pleas, 

the need is real, can't you feel this call to revolution? 

My beating heart is breaking for them. 

that's why I am speaking up, that's why I am speaking now.

awesome...

My second "discovery" is the book that I'm reading with my small group called "Walking With God" by John Eldredge. 

I'll undoubtedly be posting lots of thoughts on this book over the next few weeks. It is challenging me in many ways. It's basically John Eldredge's journal as he walks with God over the course of a year. It's stretching and growing the way I see my relationship with my Father. It's challenging me and encouraging me to walk with God not just in the "big" moments of life and not just in the crises of life, but in the dailyness of life. That's where intimacy happens. 

I mean, how small is God if He's just the God of the big moments? I want to walk with Him. More thoughts to come...

Check these babies out...