Lagu Untukmu.

I read Jamie Tworkowski's ARTICLE on some online magazine the other day. He called his article "what would you say and what would you sing?". If you were given the opportunity to stand in a small or large crowd with all attention on you, what would you say at that moment?

I always talk about changing the world, sending a message of goodness and love to people who need it. But i haven't really figured out what i'd say exactly. When someone hands a mic to us, we usually put on our shy faces and say "hey guys, erh erh, hey." and give some corny smile. OR we end up talking nonesense [some people just can't get the mic out of their hands].

Jamie was talking about how a stage is a special place. A place where you can either move mountains or contribute to the stagnancy of our world. So i thought in my head, " Alright, the time will come when a mic will be passed to me and i'd have to bring some purpose to the lives of whoever's listening. I'd better get that little message ready." I continued on to read..

"all the world's a stage and that maybe we all have some kind of influence and opportunities to say real things and move people"

Boy, i totally forgot about that. All the world's a stage. Ears are just waiting to hear what the heart needs to hear. Every moment you're conversing with your friends, maybe even one friend, that's your stage, your moment! It ain't any good writing on paper your glorious message that can change the world and wait for someone to hand you a mic while the paper slowly rots in the small compartment of your wallet.

It really doesn't matter where you are, or who you are speaking too. People are influenced by the words we say and the actions we do. Maybe next time when someone says "wassap dei", to you, you should reply "not so good man." and let them ask why. Then you can go on to tell them the thoughts in your heart, the message written on that small piece of rotting paper in your wallet.

What would you say, what would you sing?

So I thought.

When i first heard switchfoot's song "meant to live" about 5 or 6 years ago, i thought "whoa, christians making awesome rock music". We sometimes take for granted the music that some people make. Writing a song is not a very easy thing to do. Surely if lyrics were written, there is a story behind it. To me, that matters a lot. The story, the message, the purpose, the revalation. The music itself is equally as important, if not more, don't get me wrong. I mean, as a musician, i behtahan when people say "awww, the lyrics are so nice!", when the music itself ain't that great. I believe that if the words written in the song are good, the good music will follow naturally.

Anyway, back to the story. As most of you know, Switchfoot and Jon Foreman have been one of my biggest inspirations. Yes, i guess you can say they are my favourite band and artist. After i heard "meant to live", i began exploring switchfoot's music, i began exploring their messages, i began exploring their cause, their hopes, their dreams. Then i realized, Its not about the music, its about a purpose. Music is an amazing tool. It saves lives, gives hopes, inspires dreams for you and me. Like Jon Foreman said "We can talk about anything through our music. things that would normally be deemed as offensive and 'sensitive' are appropriate and can shake the planet in music". What an amazing gift from God eyh?

Music suggests that its okay to be honest, music reminds us we're alive - ToWriteLoveOnHerArms.

I just find it so mindblowing that a lot of what i do and what i've went through for the last 5 or 6 years have been based on 3 words... Meant To Live. Funniest thing is that i was never even aware of it. But in every decision i make for living today and every action that follows up on that decision, all starts with those 3 words. These are the 3 words that have been the central theme for this blog since it was first created.

I am meant to live for more than laziness
I am meant to live for more than hatred, for more than unforgiveness
I am meant to live for more than wishing I could be like someone else
I am meant to live for more than alchohol,more than cigarettes, more than sex

I am meant to live for more than walking past that beggar without saying "Jesus loves you"
I am meant to live for more than hoping someone else will share the gospel instead of me
I am meant to live for more than donating my old, torn clothes to charity
I am meant to live for more than agreeing to what my pastor says without taking action.

I am meant to live for more than keeping my thoughts to myself
I am meant to live for more than wishing I could change our world by staying comfortable
I am meant to live for more than starting a career and making tons of money
I am meant to live for more than going into full-time only after i retire.

I am meant to live for more than routinely playing the guitar in a worship team
I am meant to live for more than saving God specially for sundays
I am meant to live for more than seeking God only in my troubles
I am meant to live for more than waking every morning with a heart that can't serve.

I was meant to live for so much more. We were meant to live for so much more.

let's find ourselves.

All for love.

Today is known as one of America's darkest days. Most of us can't relate to what those guys in newyork went through on the morning of September the 11th, 8 years ago.We live in a country where a terrorist attack is not as probable. But for them, it was a day of defeat.

8 years ago, we were praying for comfort for all the families that lost love ones, families that were affected greatly from a day's events. but i think its time for us to pray for forgiveness, for love and for change.

I can't imagine the amount of hatred that these families might have had or probably still have toward terrorists. Of course it isn't fair, their loved ones didn't do anything that deserve such a death. But hatred does nothing for the better. Forgiveness on the other hand, can move mountains. If these guys could truly put the past behind them, and pray, pray for the ones who once hurt them, change will happen. A great one at that. So lets pray that these families will learn to forgive and eventually, move mountains.

Terrorists are only humans. They are no different from some of the people we've read about in the bible. Whether they are God's enemies or not, is not for us to decide. But i do believe they have a God shaped hole in their hearts like everyone of us and deserve to be shown God's love. We need to intercede in order for that to happen. These guys have families as well. Our future depends of the upbringing of their children. If their children learn to hate,to kill and to destroy, when will the wars end? pray for the breakdown of strongholds of negative thoughts and hatred being built in their young and fragile minds.

There is no use mourning over the things that have already happen. like Matt Garner says, these things are no mistake, its just a set up for a miracle to take place. But that, is only if we believe that a miracle can actually happen.

To write change on our hearts.

The 'to write love on her arms' link has been on my blog for a while together with the other sites i occasionally visit. Back when i first linked it, i just took a quick glance at the website, never really bothered to go check out the big picture. Well, i did that the first time today.

Reading some of their stories, their visions, their hopes and fears is breathtaking. Yes, breathtaking, simply because you finally get to take a breath of life as it truly is. real, honest, painful, joyful, persevering, hopeful, unjust, full of moments we hang by a thread and moments we soar above the clouds like eagles.

It saddens me, how most of us need a constant reminder on the amount of people there are with broken hearts, bearing a God-shaped hole. My dad has an album of some of the many photos of refugees and starving children he's taken on his mission trips through war-torn countries on facebook. He titled the album 'always on my mind'. I can honestly say that the broken hearted and God's love for them are not always on my mind. Maybe it is, but its back there, behind the studies, behind the entertainment, behind the pleasures and the temporal things of my life.

Just because its not "always on our minds" it doesn't mean we aren't fit for kingdom work, or capable of bringing that one person to Jesus. It does take time for us to be able to see with the eyes of our heart, to see how the real world looks like all the time. But guess what, God is in the business of restoring our hearts. He's in the business of making us, the blind, see. He's in the business of making us, the deaf, hear. He's in the business of making us,the lame, WALK to ACT.

That is why i believe we should do our part as well. If you're too young to leave for the real world, nevermind. Find out about what's going on outside, find out who is going through what, find out how you can make a change. walk the city streets and slums and pray for the real world. Gather your friends together, ask God to break your hearts for what breaks His, to see things the way He sees them.

Everyday i long more and more to go out there and change our world, to bring purpose to people or to even to one person through Him. there is a song that says "make ready your hearts, make ready your homes, make ready the people of God." We need to keep training and preparing ourselves for what God has planned for our lives.

When God calls me, i'll be ready.

Fireflies.

Last night i downloaded Owl City's live opening gig for Relient K. Adam Young is just awesome. I think he deserves a spot right below Switchfoot under my list of life-changing-awesome-artists. If you could spare 4 minutes and 9 seconds, i suggest that you check out his very first music video, produced by himself to get a good idea on what i mean by awesome.