1,2,3...blogging about Britney.

This blog is the result of a request made by one of my beloved readers. It will be a rather short one but hopefully something that emits some God-given wisdom. Most of you probably listen to the radio. You've probably heard the latest hits that flood through it. So I am also going to guess that you have heard Britney Spears' new chart-topping hit "3". Let me just put this out there: This song is about three people having sex. It was surprising to me because while artists on the radio these days sing songs that are promiscuous and sensual but they dance around that fact, they beat around the bush. This song is a blatant sexual proposal. No hints no innuendo. You see, Britney Spears has been famous for pushing the envelope ever since she hit the pop music scene with the famous single "Hit Me Baby One More Time". The same producer who helped her craft that song is the one crafting "3" but there is no question that the times have changed since that original hit and I think Britney is trying to keep up. Our culture seems to be increasingly amping up the pressure on artists to be controversial. It rewards artists who display behavior like Kanye West and Lady Gaga. Outlandish. Over the top. Now, Britney Spears is getting older and she is noticing that she can no longer be just promiscuous. And this is where the motivation behind producing "3" comes from. It is a shameless play by play commentary on a sexual encounter that Britney describes as "innocent". I shouldn't have to say this but as Christians, this is a song that should not be on our iPods. I understand its a catchy song. One of my friends told me they didn't even know what she was saying on the song at first. That's cool I didn't even know what the lyrics were saying when I first turned it on. But now I do know. Understand that this isn't about solely avoiding songs because they are "dirty" this is about maintaining our purity as sons and daughters of God. In Philippians, Paul says this "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." I believe that applies to our music. We need to ask ourselves about every song we listen to "Am I glorifying God and others by listening to this song?" It's a question that needs to be asked and answered. God loves us and wants us to be pure.

Rihanna's playing russian roulette...

I am sure you guys have heard of Rihanna. Alot of you also probably remember earlier this year that while Rihanna was dating fellow R'n'B singer Chris Brown, he brutally beat her. It matters not what provoked it. The act was horrible and Chris Brown publicly apologized(more or less) and rightly so. Whatever inner turmoil Rihanna experienced was hidden until recently with her single "Russian Roulette" off of her album "Rated R".



In this picture, Rihanna's taken a turn for a disturbingly new persona and in this single, Rihanna's own mental and emotional state is painted with sad detail. The song details the suicidal game mentioned in the title. The game is metaphorical with Chris Brown, a man with violent outbursts as the gun placed to Rihanna's head.The lyrics show a hurting Rihanna, who has accepted her fate as an object of abuse. "As my life flashes before my eyes
I’m wondering will I ever see another sunrise?"

I found this to be a heart-breaking song. Rihanna is so honest about the pain and obviously upset about it. Yet she still chooses to submit herself to possible future abuse. Whats very sad is that people will listen to this song, and not even know how serious it is. I believe Rihanna is in a very dark place. I believe if she does not find hope and get help , something very bad is going to happen. She will either be the victim of another violent act or she will do something horrible to herself.

When faced with an abusive situation, whether its abuse from a friend, family member, or significant other, there are two important steps to take right away.

1) Get out. Stop hanging out with that friend or break up with that boy/girl. If its a faily member, I would say go to a supportive member of the family, another grownup, a pastor, even the police if you have no one else to go to. Don't let them talk their way out of it, don't let them pull you back into continuing whatever kind of relationship you have with them. Just get out.

2) Run to God. After you have removed yourself from the person, go to God. God sees your pain. He has seen it since it began and he has cried with you. God loves you and he wants you to be whole and healed.

No Hablo Espan-Girl

So there is this awesome author. His name is Justin Lookadoo. He wrote this amazing piece on how guys usually communicate on a different level than girls. I found this to be xxxtra-cool because its not some "Dr Laura" type telling you how men think. (I am sure the lady doctors mean well but doods know doods). This is a guy telling you how guys think. So here it is. Enjoy =)

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Guys and girls speak totally different languages. Yeah, we use the same words, but the internal dictionarythat we each have places meanings on those words...totally different.

Girls, people are telling you all the time that guys will lie to you. Heck, I tell you that all the time. And alot of them will. But there's a bigger problem, and that is the differences in the way we talk and listen.

So I am going to change everything.

Let me be the one to say this to you ladies...guys don't lie to you. When they tell you something,they mean it. They just don't mean it like you take it. When a guy says. "You make me feel different than anyone else in this world," he means it. He just doesn't mean it like you take it. Ladies, you think he said that because you are soul mates. No, that's not what's going on. See, guys are logical thinkers, and in his mind it's true. You are different than Kara, so you will make him feel different than she does. And Erika is different from you and Kara, so she will make him feel different.

When a guy says "I love you," he means it. He just doesn't mean it like you take it. It;s not that you are the only one for him, forsaking all others...noooo, that's not what he said. When a dude says, "I love you," ladies, its true, he loves you. And what he means is, "I love my dog. I love my car. I love a number three super-sized. And oh yeah, baby, I love you too." This isn't a pyramid with you on the top, then the car and the dog, and then the number three. Nope , you're all on the same level. With time and God, your status in the lineup will chance. But remember that what he is saying and what you are hearing are different things.

Today, listen to people talk. See if you can start recognizing the things that guys say and what girls hear. It will be hard at first; After all, it's a different language. Pretty soon you will have it down, and you will be able to communicate without setting yourself up for heartbreak.
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So there it is. These words are invaluable because Justin is giving us girls insight into the guys. He may be a bit blunt but he is just telling us the truth because he wants today's ladies to avoid getting hurt. I'd call that good advice.

By Request: Fireflies by Owl City

Hey guys, I will warn you before hand that I LOVE Owl City. It is not a crush, not a mild infatuation. I love him. So this post is going to be absolutly biased. Deal with it.
Here is the video for this amazing song!

Fireflies by Owl City Video

(Sorry I couldn't paste it right into the blog but youtube was being dumb.)

Here are the lyrics:
you would not believe your eyes
if ten million fireflies lit up the world as i fell asleep
'Cause they'd fill the open air
and leave teardrops everywhere
you'd think me rude but I'd just stand and stare

Chorus:
I'd like to make myself believe
that planet Earth turns slowly
Its hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause id get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs
as they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head
a sockhop beneath my bed
a disco ball is just hanging by a thread
(chorus)

When i fall asleep leave my door open just a crack
(please take me away from here)
'Cause i feel like such an insomniac
(please take me away from here)
why do i tire of counting sheep
(please take me away from here)
when I'm far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause i hate goodbyes
i got misty eyes as they said farewell
but ill know where several are
if my dreams get real bizarre
'cause i saved a few and i keep them in a jar

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that i'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
'Cause my dreams are bursting at the seams

If you have not heard this song I highly reccomend you listen to it soon. It seems to be hitting the airwaves (A first for an Owl City song) so you might just hear it on your local station. If you have heard it...ISN'T IT AMAZING??!!! What a perfect blend of instruments in a song! And Adam's voice has never sounded more melodic. It really stands out from the rest of recycled pop music that filters though my car radio. In fact, even though I have the song on my Ipod, I am so excited when I hear it on the radio because I know there are people getting hooked to Owl City at that very moment.

Something to note about Owl City is that his songs don't always make sense. I find that amazing for my own reasons which make me sound crazy so I will not note them here. After searching for the meaning of the song on various websites, I noticed that this song has had a common effect on a lot of people. Multiple comments made by fans cited that the song made them reminisce about childhood and filled them with feelings of nostalgia. While I couldn't really find the exact meaning of the song , I found my findings to be rather interesting. I think that the effect this song has had on people is an example of how music doesn't always have to make perfect sense but it can generate a similar feeling for a large group of people.

And thats why I think the song Fireflies by Owl City should be in your Ipod. Seriously.Go download it now.

Believing it.

Just a quick one this morning. I am about to head off to meet with VCU. It doesn't seem like a huge thing because I have been been in the process of applying to VCU on and off for about a month.

But I am so nervous, you guys.

I guess its just more real to me now. I might be going to VCU. Its exciting. Its awesome.

And its scary.

This could be the opening page to a new chapter in my life and my heart is all flutter-bys.
Questions are bubbling up to the surface "Will I get in? If I do get in, will I be able to handle my classes and all the new responsibilities that come with going to this new place?

God showed me this verse today.
There is hope for your future, declares the Lord - Jeremiah 31:17

What an encouragement! It really helped me chill out. God says that there is hope for my future.
Maybe that will help you guys. When you feel like something is too big for you or you are making a big transition to something unfamiliar, know that there is hope for your future and God is gonna be there with you every step of the way.

Answering The Question

There is a question we have all asked since we were very young. The question is different for boys and girls. However, It is a question close to our heart and the way we seek to answer this question shapes our lives. John and Stasi Eldredge describes this idea of the Question in the book Captivating.

"You see every little girl- and every little boy- is asking one fundamental question. But they are different questions, depending on whether you are a little boy or a little girl. Little boys want to know, Do I have what it takes? All that rough and tumble, all that daring and superhero dress up, all of that is a boy seeking to prove that he does have what it takes. He was made in the image of a warrior God. Nearly all a man does is fueled by his search for validation, that longing he carries for an answer to his Question.

Little girls want to know, Am I lovely? The twirling skirts, the dress up, the longing to be pretty and to be seen--that is what it's all about. We are seeking an answer to our Question."
The tragic part of it all is that many of us have not received an answer to our question or we have received a negative response. Usually this is because it was not answered properly when we were growing up. This is what Stasi had to say.

"When I was a girl of maybe five years old, I remember standing on top of the coffee table in my grandparents' living room abd singing my heart out. I wanted to capture attention--especially my father's attention. I wanted to be captivating. We all did. But for most of us, the answer to our Question when we were young as, 'No, there is nothing captivating about you.' Get off the coffee table. Nearly all a woman does in her adult life is fueled by her longing to be beautiful, to be irreplaceable, to have her Question answered, 'Yes!'."

Sometimes though in the search to have our Question answered, Girls look to boys or guys to answer their question for them. They may look to romance and a relationship to tell them "I am worth something." And while this may satisfy temporarily there will always be an emptiness when we try to fill our empty hearts with infatuation and fleeting relationships.

I am not saying relationships are bad but when we use them to answer such a vital question, we get hurt. Its like trying to fit a square into a circle shaped hole. It won't work.

God is the only one who can give us the ultimate and fulfilling answer to this question. He made us, he knows our desires and our dreams. He tells his daughters You are lovely because you are mine. Let me just speak that over my female readers right now. You are lovely. You are beautiful. Every single one of you are precious and dear to God's heart. Let God answer your question. He is the only one who can fill your heart completely.

P.S. I love you all and know that I am praying for you!