Ragamuffin Ramblings

Believe it or not, this post was originally going to be about the late night power struggle between Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and the ever-bungling National Broadcasting Company (NBC). But as I began to write, I realized that while this late night brouhaha is entertaining, in the grand scheme of things, it means very little.

This past Tuesday, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti, decimating the capital of Port-au-Prince and killing upwards of 40,000 people. The dire situation in Haiti can be summed up in these words from Haiti's president: "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. The hospitals have collapsed."

The more and more I read the newspaper, browse Internet articles, and watch the news, my heart cries out for the people of Haiti. There is so much fear and death. There is so much heartache and need. All of this in a place that is only 700 miles from my front porch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and yet it feels so far away.

The nation of Haiti is very close to my heart. Three years ago, I traveled to Haiti on a mission trip, and I can honestly say that I am a different person because of that trip. Haiti is one of the poorest nations on the face of the earth. According to most sources, around 80% of Haiti's population lives in poverty, with the majority of Haitians living off of roughly $2 per day. And Haiti is one of the most spiritually dark nations on the face of the earth. Vodou and witchcraft are regularly practiced alongside other religions, pointing to a deep spiritual need existing there.

So why am I writing this? To make you feel bad? No. To guilt you into doing something? Certainly not. I am writing this to the body of Christ to encourage action. This action is not motivated by guilt; rather, it is motivated by the following command.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." -James 1:27

In addition to this, the scriptures say these things.

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." -James 2:14-17

"Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." -James 1:22

So what is my point? Undoubtedly, very few of us can pack up and head to Haiti to help with the earthquake aid. Besides, that is not what I am suggesting anyway. What I am suggesting is that we, as a community of believers, as the body of Christ, lift up the nation of Haiti in prayer. There is power in prayer, and we are commanded to pray. I am also suggesting that, if you are financially able, you find an organization like Compassion International or World Vision that you can contribute money to in an effort to help with the earthquake aid. Every little bit counts.

Lastly, I want to stress that this post is not intended to guilt you into giving away money. In fact, if giving away money is your way of making yourself feel better, don't do it. For, as the scriptures say, "Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -II Corinthians 9:7

Happy New Year, everybody!

As a gift to you all, I have released a brand new Christmas song entitled "O Come, Divine Messiah." Composed by Josh Dahm, from the band Too Many Drummers, this song echoes the cry of God's people as they long for the divine Messiah sent to redeem the world.

You can download it for FREE below. You'll also find some album art there too. To preview the song, just click on it. To download, click the arrow tab to the right of each item and choose the DOWNLOAD option.

Enjoy the music, and have a Happy New Year!

The Muppets are back... again! Four months after posting their first round of videos on YouTube, the Muppets have returned to the interwebs with four new videos. The one receiving the most buzz on the web is a cover of Queen's hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody." You can watch the videos below.

Believe me, you won't be disappointed!

Three close friends of mine at Asbury (Christian Loftus, Lauren Wallace, and Faith Shaw) are in a band called Eugene & Doris. Just yesterday, they released their first full-length album entitled Instead of Goodbye... and it's awesome.

And you can get it for free.

Check them out on Facebook, MySpace, and NoiseTrade. If you want to download their album now, see the widget below. Wow... this post has way too many techie terms! Oh well... if you want some good music, look no further than Eugene & Doris.

Jars of Clay. A band that's been together for over ten years now and a band that continually churns out solid music. With their newest record, The Long Fall Back to Earth, Jars exceeds expectations with rich lyrics and exceptional musicianship. I've been a Jars fan for a long time, and I can say this without hesitation: This is one of their best albums yet.

This album is so good that I struggled to pick out one song to post on my blog. The song I did choose, Boys (Lesson One), struck a particularly close chord with me, as it illustrates a father's relationship with his growing boys. Being one of four brothers, I felt compelled to choose this song.

However, the scope of this song should not be limited only to the relationship between an earthly father and his sons. Rather, we can see many parallels between our earthly fathers and our heavenly Father. So enjoy this Song of the Week, and check out Jars of Clay's new album, The Long Fall Back to Earth.

You won't be disappointed!

Boys (Lesson One) by Jars of Clay
Lesson one: Do not hide
Lesson two: There are right ways to fight
And if you have questions, we can talk through the night

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far

It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time

Lesson three: You're not alone
Not since I saw you start breathing on your own
You can leave, you can run
This will still be your home

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far

It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time

In time, to wonder where the days have gone
In time, to be old enough to wish that you were young
When good things are unraveling
Bad things come undone
You weather love and lose your innocence

There will be liars
And thieves who take from you
Not to undermine the consequence
But you are not what you do
And when you need it most
I have a hundred reasons why I love you

So you know who you are
And you know what you want
I've been where you're going
And it's not that far

It's too far to walk
But you don't have to run
You'll get there in time

If you weather love and lose your innocence
Just remember... lesson one

Readers thrilled to the phantasmagorical adventures in On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book 1 of the Wingfeather Saga. Now in Book 2, Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby, mom Nia, ex-pirate grandfather Podo, Peet the Sock Man, and trusty dog Nugget flee north to rebel headquarters.

Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic, talking sea dragons.

Andrew Peterson's lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book 1 "one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time," and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring "themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility."


If you'd like to purchase North! Or Be Eaten, visit the following link!

Hey, everybody! Just to let you know, I've written and recorded a few songs this summer to share with you. If you'd like to download my new EP, Summer Musings, click on this widget.

Enjoy!