Two Less Lonely Girls

Ella has starting to become a bit obsessed with Justin Bieber the last couple of weeks. I have tried to protect her from the craze as long as I could. Not that I personally have anything against the kid, I just don't want my daughter freaking out over him;  like the hundreds of thousands girls, teens, and moms across the country. She has always known a couple of his songs from the radio and the wii game, "Just Dance for kids." However, she has found his movie "Never Say Never" on Netflix. She has watched it a couple times. She is now singing the songs, dancing to the songs, and talking about Justin as if she knows him personally..... Great! I tried! Thanks Netflix..

Ella wanted me to sit with her and watch the movie last week because she said it is "such a good movie, and Justin even prays to Jesus in it." She even pulled the old, "We need to have some daddy-daughter time and watch the movie together."

So I did.

She curled up next to me and we started the video. Every couple of scenes she would get up and dance around the ottoman and then come back and plop down beside me. I'd get a kiss on the cheek a time or two when she would sit down. I have to admit, I haven't finished the movie yet, but it's actually pretty good..

We are sitting there and they begin to tell the story of his song "One Less Lonely Girl." The song is basically about how Justin plans to make "one less lonely girl" by loving her and dating her. It's cute. They show screaming girls getting taken up on stage, given flowers, and serenaded by Justin. Ella gets up dances and then gets the idea she wants to go to a concert.

NOT HAPPENING... That didn't sit well and she pouted as she she sat back down across the couch from me. I remember wanting to go to a NKOTB concert really bad and not getting to go. So I feel her pain, but it's temporary. She'll get over it. (If you don't NKOTB then Google it)

I'm listening to some of the lyrics of the songs that he wrote. This kid is singing..
"I'm going to put you first, and show you what your worth. Let me inside your world, and there will be one less lonely girl. " 

While sitting there, I get to thinking about these lyrics. God reminds me that the world is not going to have just one less lonely girl, but two--if I keep putting my girls first, showing them what they are worth, and staying inside their world.

The reason so many girls wind up being lonely...is so many do not get the attention from their fathers that they desire, so they search for it in other guys. I have always taken my responsibility as a father very seriously. I shower my girls with affection and affirmation. I want them to be content in who they are, and how God created them regardless of what "boys" think of them. I'm constantly telling them they are "smart, funny, beautiful, and loved."

John Eldredge says that I have to answer their question, "Am I beautiful?", before and more often than anyone else. Not only do I tell them "YES!" but I also tell them why. If I don't, someone else will give them the wrong answer.

So if you have a daughter...take her out this weekend and let her know how beautiful she is.

And just in case you don't know....now you know....enjoy!

You may have went to church today

If you are a Christian in the US, odds are today you went to church. (We had a HUGE day at FaithPoint Church today with 619 in attendance and around 15 Fresh Starts with Christ) You were able to get there with little difficulty, other than getting the kids ready and a possible argument with your spouse about dirty clothes left in the bathroom or getting to church on time. And you were able to go to lunch after service and publicly share your experience at church. Odds are during the week you catch very little flack and your life is rarely threatened because of your belief. To be honest, as Christians in America, we face very little persecution.

Jesus encouraged His disciples that as much as He would be persecuted that they would be even more. Paul even celebrated the fact that he was persecuted everywhere that he went and looked forward to opportunities to suffer more. I believe this is a hard concept for most American Christians(myself included) to grasp. I am both thankful and ashamed of this when I think about it.

We are persecuted so little in the US but still keep our beliefs a secret to most so we do NOT to offend them. How would we respond in other countries where our very life would be threatened daily because of the choice to be a follower of Christ?

We think about this from time to time, whenever we read a book or hear a story of someone who has suffered for the Gospel in another part of the world. After some time the thoughts fade and we sink back into the safe complacent Christianity that we have here in the US.

Don't take what we have, what they are doing, or what He did for granted.

Listen to the lyrics of this song...Powerful!




CHORUS
the pain that i bear cannot compare
to your arms once i get there
people don't hear You
so I'll be your voice
suffering daily
but still we rejoice
time for your glory
im just telling your story
we'll carry the cross
you suffer before me
people dont know you
so i'll be the one
to introduce them to your glorious son
and until that day
when we see your face
this race we'll run
inspired by LOVE

Staring Straight

Listened to this song for an hour straight as I cut my grass this evening.



I sit here clutching useless lists
and keys for doors that don't exist
I crack my teeth on pearls
I tear into the history
just show me what it means to me in this world

'cause I am due for a miracle
I'm waiting for a sign
I'll stare straight into the sun
and I won't close my eyes
'til I understand or go blind

I see the parts but not the whole
I study saints and scholars both
no perfect plan unfurls

do I trust my heart or just my mind
why is truth so hard to find in this world
yeah in this world

'cause I am due for a miracle
I'm waiting for a sign
I'll stare straight into the sun
and I won't close my eyes
'til I understand or go blind

I know that there's a point I've missed
a shrine or stone I haven't kissed
a scar that never graced my wrist
a mirror that hasn't met my fist
but I can't help feeling like I'm

due for a miracle
I'm waiting for a sign
I'll stare straight into the sun
and I won't close my eyes

Michael Buble' in Concert

My wife is a HUGE fan of Michael Buble'. Never been much of a listener myself. Not my style of music. To "crooner-ish" for me. However a couple of years ago I "tried" to surprise my wife with tickets, but she found out while checking our online bank statement.

After the concert I must admit I became a lil' bit of a fan. However, only of his live shows. You still won't catch me listening to him on a daily or even weekly basis. BUT I must admit his live show is well worth attending. He is a true entertainer and incredible vocalist and because of that I bought my wife tickets again this year for Christmas to his show in Memphis. To be honest it probably will NOT be the last time I buy her tickets either....

These are a few of the highlights I caught with my flip

Opening Song: Cry Me a River - Cool opening but not big on the song.


Favorite Song: Feeling Good - This is actually the last song I want played at my funeral. I want my urn to be danced out down the middle isle during the 1st chorus and everyone else to dance out during the rest of the song. The lyrics completely describe how I believe I am going to feel once that day comes...but hopefully not for a bit.


Closing Song: Song For You - He closes every concert with a small heartfelt speech of his appreciation for those who work hard for their money and choose to spend a portion of earnings to see him. He confesses his humility in being able to do what he does and works very hard to prepare a show worthy of our money. This is actually my favorite part of the night and was hoping he would be doing this song. You have to watch this one until the VERY END, because it proves the depth of his talent.

It's all crazy! It's all false! It's all a dream! It's all right!

It's defiantly alright for sure. This is the3rd album added to my mewithoutYou collection. They are a very eclectic band to say the very least. On their last tour they rocked a harpist on stage. For the final song of the show pulled out some kazoos and a couple of children instruments for probably one of the most energetic songs ever performed. Their lyrics are colorful, thought provoking, and even riddled.

The band's first two albums were fairly dark, full of doubt, and questions. Brother Sister, their second album, seemed a bit lighter and brighter. And the final song on that album, In a sweater poorly knit, I believe could have been on the new release. It was almost a prelude of what was to come maybe.

Their newest CD, It's all crazy!It's all false!It's all a dream! It's all right!, is full of colorful stories of animals, insects, vegetables, and a king. A lot of the songs carry a tempo and rhythm reminiscent of old Sunday school favorites, but with a bit more edge. Are they fables, parables, dreams? Whatever they are, they are ALRIGHT! I could so totally see this becoming a musical of some sort. I'd be on the front row. I'll definitely be at their next show in TN if I'm free.

Lyrics from a couple of the songs.

Every Thought a Thought of You.
Every song in praise of you. Our darkest nights are days to you. The trees raise branches high like arms in church to grateful sky. Every song a praise to You. No one here believes in You. Everyone else is bound to leave but You. When they swear their love is real, they mean I like the way You make me feel. No one here believes in You

King Beetle on a coconut estate (quote of a beetle talking to his children)
"We've all called me your dad - but your true dad's not me. I laid next to your mom and your forms were conceived. Your Father's the life in all that you see. He fills up the ponds as He empties the clouds. He holds without hands and He speaks without sounds."

A stick, a carrot and string.
With horses hay beneath his head, or Lord was born in a manger bed. That all whose wells run dry could drink of his supply. To keep him warm the sheep drew near, so great full for His coming here. He's come with news of grace, He's come to take my place.

The donkey whispered in His ear, child in 30 some odd years, you'll ride someone who looks like me into town triumphantly. The cardinal sang with a joyful song, He'll make right what man made wrong. Bringing low the hills, that the valleys might be filled.

Here's a video of Aaron, the lead singer, on purpose, belief, and forgiveness.

It won't be like this for long

Remember Hootie and the Blowfish? Hold my Hand? Let Her Cry?

The lead singer, Darius is back with a solo country album. My sister had told me about it a few weeks ago, but after the first few lines of the first first verse, I couldn't listen any more. I remembered the song this morning and thought...I can tough it out. I'm not into country that much but this song is breathtaking. Especially if you are a father to a cute little girl, if this doesn't move you - you are heartless.

See www.ionlylisten.blogspot.com for lyrics and more...

Artist in the Ambulance

This is the soundtrack of my day...these days. I posted this on www.ionlylisten.blogspot.com but wanted to post it on here too. Go there and read my thoughts....I really should just think about renaming the blog to Twice the Thrice . . lol.

Rhetoric can't raise the dead
I'm sick of always talking when there's no change
Rhetoric can't raise the dead
I'm sick of empty words, let's lead and not follow

Dance or Die

Ella getting down to a little Family Force 5!

I only Listen

So I started a new blog today. I've been thinking it over a few days. Most blogs that I read are "themed" around a central topic. Leadership, Ministry (youth and college). Well findingmoore is mostly about me and my life. Things I experience. Things I learn. Things I love. All in the process of finding more of who God created to be.

As time has passed I've found that most of my posts on here are on music and how I am moved by the truths found in it. There will always be the TRUTH of God's word. But I believe He speaks through us in many things, since he is the Creator of ALL THINGS.

In an effort to be more "themed", organized, or whatever, most posts pertaining to music will now be found at a more simple site. There will be videos, lyrics, and brief description of why I'm moved by the song. I will still post those that really strike a cord within me on here, but most will be on the new site.

www.ionlylisten.blogspot.com

Dustin, David, and Dave

As you may can tell by most of my posts I can be a music Junkie most of the time. I really have to force myself to sit without and Jen gets really upset with me when I can't.

The next few months are pretty exiting for me. I will be attending 3 shows, one each month. I just need a show in March, anyone have any suggestions!

On the the 27th Dustin Kensrue of Thrice will be in Memphis.


On the 5th of February I'll be rocking to David Crowder Band in Corinth, Ms with my Youth Group.


Finally in April I'll be jaming to the sounds of the Dave Matthew's Band with a couple of good friends, Jason and Rachel, in Nashville!

This is War

This is a little video that I made for our Wednesday Night Youth Christmas Service. I've been kinda pressed for time and stayed up until about 3 this morning to finish it. It was really hard b/c I had to literally shred a few different videos from bluefishtv.com to get the clips I wanted. And some of those were only a couple of seconds which I had to slow down and repeat. Tough stuff. But the song is still so very powerful!


This is War from steven moore on Vimeo.

This is War

I just downloaded a most enjoyable but unlikely Christmas album by Thrice's frontman Dustin Kensrue, This Good Night is Still Everywhere. It's rootsy-earthy feel is totally different from most pop-fun, sing along, Christmas Music. Oh it's packed with classics like "Oh Holy Night", "Hark the Herald Angel Sings", and even a nice rendition of Christmas (baby please come home.) However, the real gem of the album is the last track, "This is War."

In this season we work hard to remind ourselves that "Our Christ was born on this day." We try to remember how our Savior came in such a unusual usual way. But the song goes beyond His birth, behind the scenes. Dustin reminds us that we are constantly at war in the spiritual and the Birth of Jesus was the final move of attack freeing us from the captivity of sin and death. The battle was won yet we still act at times as if it's undecided and it's up to us aid in the outcome. What a Powerful Song!

There's not a video or song on the web that I can post directly on here yet because it's so new. I may have to make one over Christmas break, we'll see. So to hear the song you'll have to travel to his myspace to take a listen. It's song number six on his page: www.myspace.com/dustinkensrue

This is war like you ain’t seen.
This winter’s long, it’s cold and mean.
With hangdog hearts we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

This is war on sin and death;
The dark will take it’s final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

Welcome to Heartbreak

I've been a rap fan since Fresh Prince comforted me in that Parents Just Don't Understand. Over the years there have been ups and downs. Seems more recently more downs than anything real innovative. Last month I had a little post on Mr. West and how important his art is to society and the sacrifice he has made to make it. His new album I will say is very innovative in the world of Hip Hop, not like much else I have heard lately*(this is not a promotion for his album).


One song in particular relates directly to the previous post as Kanye vocalizes on some things that he's missed out on. Throughout the song he makes a couple of remarks about not having kids. Is he wanting to be a dad? Is he ready to be a dad? But then in the Chorus he reiterates that he "can't stop having these visions - I gotta get with it" Is he having those visions of a "normal life" and wants to get to that, or is he wanting to stop those visions so that he can focus more on his work? In the bridge he chants that, "I've seen it all before." What has he seen? What's he's afraid of?"

Ultimately Kanye says, "I can't stop - I gotta get with it" fighting back the visions, the desire, the need for family and friends and the so called "normal life." What a dangerous path he's choosing. The man is talented, but lost in his own success.

Kanye, I pray you realize what your missing and what your loosing.

Worth Dying For

I picked up a CD last week of a new group, Worth Dying For. This seems to be a new generation of worship music. A blend of electronic, with a bit of hard edge at times, and then softer worship melodies at others. It's pretty good stuff. I've stuck the last song on repeat in my car and on my PC at the office. It's a cadence that needs to be apart of every action in life. There will definitely be a mass of human videos to come on the web. We've got a couple of ideas brewing of our own...I feel the Holy Spirit all over this one. Really!

"It's gettin' hot in hur'...."

This is an amazing choir. I wonder if they travel? You have to watch until the very end to get the full enjoyment!

Kanye on Sacrifice?

"I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice," he said in an interview on Wednesday. "It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan."

Kanye is the epitome of Hollywood Narcissism. I really don't think there are few as stuck on themselves as he is, proven by these opening lines in a interview of the former "College Dropout". Unless you have been living under a rock you have at least heard many of his colorful antics promoting himself as the worlds greates rapper - or was that lil' wayne....

The end of the interview was more noticable than the beginging.

"And you know now when I'm on that stage and I look out and I say, 'What am I going to do with the rest of my life?' Like when does a real life start?' Because I have sacrificed real life to be a celebrity and to give this art to people, which is great. It is great that I was able to do that, I'm not trying to shun that in any way, but it's definitely a Catch-22 and it's bittersweet."

It kind of reminded me of an older eminem video/post with his daughter Haily. Can you imagine, being a multi-millionnare, standing on stage in front of thousands and wondering, "What am I going to do with the rest of my life? When does real life start?" That question - "When does real life start?"- is one that can bare some tackling by all. At what point do you start living "for real". When you get your liscense / graduate high school / graduate college / get married / have kids / retire?

Kanye almost has it! He realilzes that he's sacrificed something to obtain what he has. He feels he's sacrificed real life for the celebrity life and for our sake of having such amazing art.

You would think with Kanye's first big hit was about walking with a man named Jesus, he wouldn't have this problem. Kanye must have not listened to anything the Man had to say. But I guess he did it for the fans. I mean we wouldn't have had such amazing music had he not made the sacrifice.

Matthew 16:14-16

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?^[a] Is anything worth more than your soul?

Thrice

So I found a couple of new albums over the weekend. Actually I've had a couple of people tell me they were good way before now. But, I had been reluctant to listen to them, b/c I wasn't wowed to much by Thrice's previous albums...but these two have definitely wowed me to the core. (If that's even an appropriate review). The Cd's travel the whole spectrum of musical styles from Hard core screaming types to more melodic earthy acoustic. Thus the titles Alchemy Index Vol. 1&2 - Fire and Water / Alchemy Index Vol. 3&4 Air and Earth. I haven't been able to pull away from Vol 3 & 4 enough to listen to the entire Vol. 1&2 but what I've heard is pretty amazing.

Check out the Alchemy Index's by thrice...here's a sample. Dustin's voice is really amazing. No mics , no amps , just music.

Ella in Technicolor

New little video...I set a new goal of trying to do a couple of videos a month. I took about 20 minutes of footage cut to a little over 2 minutes. The videoing took about 20 minutes....the editing about 3-4 hours and added an "80's film effect" with little dust particles...but you probably can't tell that. All for a 2 minute video...lol


Ella in Technicolor from steven moore on Vimeo.

New site and New Song

I've found this new video site. Actually I've known of it for a while...but I'm really digging the quality of the videos on here. The picture quality is much better than that of Myspace or YouTube. If you have time check out www.vimeo.com

In addition I'm really liking this song right now. It's not what I normally listen to in that it is very very catchy. But the chorus is maybe one that needs to be stuck in our head like some of the cheezy commercial jingles.


Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes from Brandon Heath on Vimeo.

Jesus is a Friend of Mine

"Once I tried to run, I tried to run and hide
But Jesus came and found me and touched me down inside
He is like a Mounty, He always gets His man
And He'll "ZAP" you anyway he can!....ZAP!

Jesus is a friend of Mine!
Jesus is my Friend!

Man it just doesn't get any better than this....I love it. No joke...this was probably WAY progressive at the time.