Godly Insights for the 21st Century Life

     This summer, Mom and I did some cleaning around the house. One of the things we found was an old CCM magazine talking about the upcoming book and CD set chronicling the 100 greatest songs in Christian music. While the article hinted at some of the songs featured in the countdown, we were really curious to see the entire list. While we could find the track list for some of the CDs, we couldn't see the entire list without reading the book. We had to use an inter-library loan to get it, but it was worth it to be able to uncover the mystery of which songs made the list.     My parents and I really enjoyed reading the book and seeing the choices that the editors made. Some of the songs on the list came as no surprise. (Among the top five were " Awesome God " by Rich Mullins, " Jesus Freak " by DC Talk, and " I Can Only Imagine " by MercyMe.) Some of the songs I knew well, but not their original versions. (I've sung " Soon and Very Soon " ...

Celebrating Thanksgiving last month got me to thinking about what I'm thankful for. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite things from the past year. Christian Music:  I have listened to Christian music since fourth grade, but this past year has been a particularly good one. My favorites include "The Breakup Song" by Francesca Battistelli, "Best News Ever" by MercyMe, and "He Still Does (Miracles)" by Hawk Nelson. "The Breakup Song" is written as a letter to fear to pack up and get out of our lives, and I had some fears that needed to go away, and listening to that song helped me to face them and get rid of them. "Best News Ever" is the message of the gospel in song form, and reminds us that the story of Jesus isn't just good news, it's the best news ever. "He Still Does (Miracles)" is a reminder that the power of God to perform miracles is not just something that happened in biblical times, but so...

If you read my post, " Road Trip Reflections " you know that I listened to some older albums on my road trip to St. Louis. One thing I meant to put in that post, but forgot to, is how listening to those songs brought back memories of when they first came out. I considered going back and adding that point, but I decided not to because those songs aren't the only ones that are reminders of my past, either because of what was happening in my life when I first heard the song, a past event that I was reminded of the first time I heard the song, or what happened after I knew the song well that drove me to the comfort the song provided. Most of the time, the memories are positive, but there are a few that bring back bad memories. Here are some of the songs that take me back, starting with some I listened to on my trip. Steven Curtis Chapman-" Fingerprints of God " This song originally came out in 1999, but when it really started speaking to me was two years later. ...

A couple of weeks ago, the school I work at had its Spring Break. One of the things I did in my week off was go see two movies. The first movie I saw was I Can Only Imagine , which tells the story behind the hit MercyMe song. The second was A Wrinkle in Time , based on the 1962 sci-fi/fantasy novel by Madeline L'Engle. Even though I had initially only planned to watch one, I am glad I changed my mind because I enjoyed both movies, although neither was perfect. Here, in no particular order, are a list of the strengths and weaknesses of these two movies. Visuals: One of my favorite things about A Wrinkle in Time  was how beautifully done all the visuals were. Even though I was unable to see the movie while it was still in IMAX, the visuals were still immersive enough to draw me into the story. The colors were dazzling on Uriel, and the ever-shifting landscape of Camazotz lends a tension leading up to the climax, where we are introduced to the jet-black, multi-tentacled It. The ...

(I was inspired to write this because of the song " Dear Younger Me " by MercyMe) Dear 16-year-old Amy, I'm not going to ask you how you're doing because I already know. More than that, I know you wouldn't tell me the truth even if I did ask. You hate how you feel, and you don't want anyone to know the truth, but I know. I know what you're thinking, I know what you're planning, and I want you to stop. You do still belong here. So, based on a current popular series and how many years it's been since I was you, here are 13 reasons why you need to combat the lie that your life is no longer worth living. This pain won't last forever:  I know that right now, it feels like you will never be happy again, but you will be. The pain you're feeling right now is temporary, but the solution you're considering is permanent. You are awesome:  I know you're not feeling this way now, but it's true. Behind the glasses and the frizzy hair ...

"I'll celebrate the truth, His work in me ain't through, I'm just unfinished."-Mandisa, " Unfinished " Last month, I heard about the death of Amy Bleuel, founder of Project Semicolon, and I was shocked to hear that someone who was an advocate against suicide would take her own life. There were a lot of people who found hope from her story, and I wondered how many more deaths would happen  because they lost this hope, and I thought it was horrible that she had done this to them. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I shouldn't be condemning her. I can attest to the fact that even though I have defeated the temptation to commit suicide, Satan won't give up very easily, and keeps trying to lure me back to the place where I was 13 years ago. Life doesn't magically get easier just because a person shares their struggles. In fact, it can actually get harder because sharing our struggles, and especially how God get...