Straight No Chaser in Concert

I have been a fan of Straight No Chaser for years, but I hadn't made it to a concert.  When I saw they were going to be down in Hollywood at the end of the month, I debated long and hard about going.  I tried to get some friends to go, but since it was the Friday after Christmas, they were all busy.  Finally, I decided heck with it and got a ticket.

I'm so glad I did.

Yes, I was up in the cheap seats, so I didn't have the best view, but I still had a ton of fun.  It's obvious they enjoy what they do, and they had us laughing much of the time.  And the songs were wonderful.  Then again, that's no surprise since I love their CD's so much.  Honestly, I could have sat there for twice as long.  And maybe they would have gotten to all the songs I wish they had done.

And yes, their version of "12 Days" was their first encore.  And they changed it up a little, which had the audience in stitches.

After the concert, I joined the line of people who wanted autographs.  I was surprised the line to get autographs wasn't longer, honestly.  It took a while for them to come out, but once they did, the line moved quickly.  It helped that no one was allowed to take pictures, of course.  Still, it was fun.  I was glad I had brought their most recently CD with me for them to sign.

The concert was in Hollywood, so I did something I rare do and spent a little time as a tourist beforehand.  After all, I was half a block from Groman's Chinese Theater, and across the street from the El Capitan.  I enjoyed that quite a bit, too.

The only downside was how cold it was that night, and I was spending time outside.  I suspect that might have been the final straw in coming down with a mild cold, too.

Month Old Concert Report

After my last mud run of the year, I went to a concert.  I know, that was a month ago and I’m just now talking about it.  That just shows how far behind I’ve let myself get.

And this in no way reflects how glad I am I went to the concert.

The mud run I did that morning was half way between home and the concert, so after getting cleaned up, I didn’t go home but straight to the concert site.  I found a nice shady spot and parked and read.  It was a pretty great afternoon.

I’d been eyeing the tickets sales on line, and I knew the seat I really wanted.  It was off to the side but still front row just cheaper than front and center.  It was still available at the door, so I bought it.

And the artists?  Steven Curtis Chapman, Laura Story, and Jason Gray.  I’m big fans of the guys, so I was super jazzed.  And I became a fan of Laura’s before the night was out, too.  Still not a fan of the CD of hers I’d already bought, but her other two are great.

The evening started with Steven coming out and doing “The Great Adventure” before introducing Jason who did a few songs.  Then Laura did a few.  Finally Steven did a medley of some of his hits over the years before intermission.

Once we came back it was all Steven all the time.  He mostly did songs from his new CD, but he did mix in a few classics.

Honestly, I do have a huge complaint.  It could have been much longer.  I really would have liked to hear more from Jason and Steven.  Once I’ve listened to Laura’s CD’s a couple more times, I’m sure I would feel the same about her.  Still, it was a great evening, and I am so glad I went.  I’ve seen Jason a couple of times before touring with downhere, but I’d only seen Steven in concert once.  It was at the Anaheim stadium or whatever it is called where the hockey team plays.  It was a good concert, but I couldn’t see a thing.  This time, my seat was awesome!

No, I probably shouldn’t have been spending the money with my car repairs and all, but it was so worth it.

Busy but Good Weekend

I was joking to when I got to work on Monday about how I drove right by work both days of the weekend.

Saturday, I went to a play at Glendale Centre Theatre.  They were doing a production of The 39 Steps, which is based on a Hitchcock play.  The twist is, it only involves four people playing all the parts.  And they were brilliant at it.  A new wig and change of clothes was all it took.  The acting was wonderful, and I never had trouble following the story.  At times, I was in awe of how the actors could change characters so completely within seconds.

Then Sunday I went down to the Greek Theater to see Amy Grant in concert.  Believe it or not, I’d never done that before.  Plus she was touring with Brandon Heath, who I also like.  I really enjoyed the show, more than I thought I would.  She jumped around between her new stuff and her older stuff, going back to her 1982 release for a couple of her songs in the second half.  It was a fun night and Brandon’s songs were great, too.  Only did 5 of them, but I enjoyed it.

I should have worn long pants instead of shorts and brought a sweatshirt, but other than that, it was perfect.

My favorite moment?  When she did “Thy Word,” She just sang it her and her guitar.  You could hear all of us singing along.  It was magical.

Called to Love Tour's Southern California Stop

I took Thursday off work to go to a concert in the evening.  Okay, so I originally only asked for the afternoon off.  The concert was two hours away and started at 7.  Did I mention that's two hours of no traffic away?  If I left at 5, I'd definitely hit traffic and miss much of the concert.  But then Chris wanted to get together earlier, so I took the entire day off.

He arrived a little before noon, and we headed out for a run.  Stupid idea since it was hot.  Had to be in the 90's.  I don't mind running in the heat, but that was a bit too much even for me.  Plus it was my first run in any serious heat all year.  Definitely zapped me.  Plus I think we were running faster than normal.  Anyway, we grabbed lunch and headed out.

We got there with a couple hours to kill, so we found a place to buy the tickets and then wandered around for a while.  Even found a Jamba Juice to help rehydrate us.

The concert featured downhere, Jason Gray, and Aaron Shust.  Chris and I are both fans of downhere, but I like the other two artists as well.  I loved it.  Jason came out first and did several songs from his two newer releases.  Considering I just discovered how awesome Everything Sad is Coming Untrue is, I didn't know the songs as well as I could have, but I really enjoyed it.

Next was Aaron, who did songs from three of his four discs.  The one he was missing?  Take Over, my favorite.  But singing along with "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and "My Hope is in You." was incredible.

Then there was a break before downhere took the stage.  Honestly, I wish they had gone longer.  They focused on their last two records, but threw in their Christmas classic "How Many Kings" as well as "Someone to Love."  It felt like about half the show they did here in town in October, so I was glad I saw them then as well, but it was so great to see them again so soon.

The concert must have been a last minute addition because Chris has only spotted it a week and a half before it happened.  I'd been debating about driving up to Santa Rosa to catch the concert.  Turns out the one up there was sold out, so I'm glad I didn't.

And it was what I needed Thursday night, too.  The reminder of God's love convicted me of my need to respond to Him with my life.  It may not be the exact message they were sending out, but it was exactly what I needed to hear that night.

Anyway, I was talking about how last minute it must as been.  The concert was never up on the official tour website.  And attendence was sparse.  We're guessing maybe 100 people were there, which was nice and intimate.  Then again, the church wasn't very big to begin with.  Not too many hung around for autographs afterward, but we did, and were through the line fairly quickly.  All told, it was a wonderful evening that was over much too soon.

Last Friday's Downhere Concert

I can't believe I forgot to talk about this earlier this week.  Especially since I had a great time.

I've been a fan of the Christian Canadian rock band downhere since, like forever.  Okay, I probably found them about a year after their debut came out, and I've been following them ever since.  They have an unfortunately small following, although that may grow thanks to lead singer Marc Martel's recent viral video entry in the Queen tribute band contest.

Anyway, I've seen them three times in concert over the years, twice here in town.  Last Friday, I got to see them a fourth time here in town.  This was probably the first time I've caught them in 5 or so years.

The concert appears to have been part of a fundraiser for a local Christian school.  Honestly, I didn't care.  It was a chance to see downhere in concert.

They only did one song that I recognized from the earlier concerts I've been to.  Everything else was from the discs they've released since then, which doesn't really surprise me.  What did surprise me was just how many of the lyrics I still knew.  I was expecting to know a small fraction, but I was able to sing along to them all.  Quite often, I couldn't remember which song it was until we hit the chorus.

After the concert, I hit the autograph line and was able to get their latest discs autographed, so I still have a complete collection of autographed discs.  They are truly nice guys who were chatting with everyone who came through the line.  I was near the end, and I left about an hour after the concert was over.

They're hoping to be back this spring with their tourmates, Aaron Shusts and Jason Gray.  I'm fans of both of those artists as well, so I hope that happens.  I'd love to spend a night with all three in concert.

The Matthew West and Josh Wilson Spring 11 Tour

So, originally, I had planned to go home last night and watch a ton of TV.  Thursday is my big TV night, and I didn't have choir last night.

Then I was reminded that the first stop in the Matthew West/Josh Wilson tour was last night.  It was an hour and a half away, but the only locations closer was already sold out.  I debate for a few minutes, but I decided to try to go.  I even called my roommate Chris to see if he'd want to go and to let him know we'd be leaving a little earlier than originally planned.

Then that afternoon, I jumped on Twitter briefly and saw that Matthew West was giving away two tickets to that night's concert.  I replied to him, but just after I did, he gave them to someone else.  Then he tweeted me that he was going to give them to me, too.

So as soon as Chris was done with class, we headed out to the concert.  As expected, it took a while to get through with the traffic, so it was actually more like two hours to get there.  We were actually included in an early meet and greet time, which was basically a chance to get Matthew's autograph before the show.  We got great seats, and waited for the show to start.

The first act was actually a guy from the church.  He did three songs, which were good.

Then came Josh Wislon.  I've been a fan since his first CD came out, so I was as excited to see him as I was to see Matthew West.  He sang 6 songs, mostly from his new CD.  It wasn't enough!  It was amazing to see him layer some stuff in since he was the only one up there for his set.

Finally, Matthew took the stage.  He started with his hit "The Motions" from his last CD.  He did another couple of his classic songs, then he gave us an intermission.

So far, he had done nothing from The Story of Your Life, his newest disc.  That changed with the second half of the show.  He started at song one and did all the songs back to back.  After the first couple of songs, he introduced every song with either the letter that had inspired it or a video of the people who had inspired it.  There were several times I was wiping away tears.  It was the first time I've ever seen an artist do all the songs from their new disc, but it made for an amazing concert.

After the concert, we hung around, and I was able to get Josh Wilson's autograph.

The downside is that, because of when we left, I didn't get a chance to run home.  So I went in my work clothes and didn't have my camera with me.  Plus I only had one Matthew West CD with me to get signed.  But I'd do it again this way if it were my only choice in a heartbeat.

We got home around 11:30 and went to bed.  We were both moving pretty slowly this morning.  Now I get to go home and work on those TV shows I didn't watch last night.  A lazy night at home watching TV sounds great.

But I'm so glad I went to the concert last night.

Word Association for 5/12

Time for this week's word association.

1. Rock n Roll :: Music
2. Be with you :: Rich Mullins
3. Richard :: Scary
4. Hair :: Buzz
5. Police :: Arrest
6. Experience :: Teacher
7. Father figure :: Dad
8. Nice :: Sweet
9. Switch :: Foot
10. Appearance :: Concert

I think we need some explanations this week.

Rich Mullins was a Christian recording artist who recorded a song called "Be With You."  I quite like it. 

Richard Scary is rather appropriate for children's book week.

I keep my hair buzzed short.

Who is a better father figure than a dad?

Switchfoot is a Christian band.  I'm not a big fan, but they were the first thing that popped in my mind.

And maybe that's why when I hit appearance, all I could think about was someone appearing in person, like at a concert.

That and This

So, let's see. What has been happening in my life?

Friday night I went to Mountasia with my Bible Study. I won in my group, although I didn't win overall. Three of the four of us in my group got holes in one, which is very amazing, especially on that course.

Saturday I spent the day with friends. Some friends were hosting a BBQ. I got there at 12:30 and didn't leave until 8 that night. Enjoyable time, obviously. We talked. A few of us swam. Played some Mario Kart. Hung out talking some more.

My home owner's association is finally letting us know what I feared. They are going to start selling outside parking spots and forcing us to park indoors. Of course, they can't do that on all the streets since the street in front of my unit is a public street. It's going to make things more of a nightmare. And they didn't let us know about a meeting about it tonight until yesterday. Gee, do you think maybe they are afraid of the reaction? I think I am going to skip the meeting to go to my ultimate game tonight, but we'll see. I guess this is the major life stresser for this summer. I really wish I could just enjoy an entire summer without life throwing something truly complicated at me.

I was reminded a couple weeks ago, I never did mention if I won that Matthew West CD. As a matter of fact, I did. And if you want to read my review, follow that link.

I almost forgot, Saturday, I ran 5K. Did it again Tuesday. Since my race isn't until the 5th of September, I have hope. If I can keep it up, I will be able to finish and still spend the day at Disneyland.

Speaking of which, I am heading there tomorrow to use the Summer Fun Pass for the first time. The count down has begun! Can't wait.

Booksignings are Moving (or Something Like That)

Saturday was a busy day for me. Frankly, the entire weekend was fairly busy. Anyway, it started early Saturday morning (okay, 9AM). I helped my friends Jason and Ashley Cooper move from an upstairs condo to a house on my side of town. They had a very good sized crew there. I had planned to leave around 1, but we had everything moved by then.

So from there I went down to The Mystery Bookstore. Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin were there signing their latest tie ins. I'd never met Bill before. The two of them were highly entertaining as they shared stories of their career in Hollywood and the process of writing these books. I've already read the latest Monk novel, but I did get the Psych tie in. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm really enjoying it.

But my day wasn't over yet. From there, I went to Sears and bought a dishwasher. Believe it or not, after one evening of shopping, I knew what I wanted. And they had them on sale 20% off. So I couldn't afford not to buy it.

Sunday morning I was up early for church. Then I came home and crashed. Almost literally. I took a two hour nap. It felt so good. But I was up and back to church again that night. This Hope was doing a concert, and I really enjoy their music. That means it's probably no surprise to learn that I enjoyed that evening service.

In other news, I finally have Gold trophies in all the races of the 100cc level in Mario Kart. I have trophies in all the 150cc levels as well. Now I just need to upgrade them to Gold.

I've taken a couple of days off working out, partially because I am being lazy (yes, I admit it) and partically to see if it will help my shoulder. Actually, what I think is helping it more is the fact that I am really moving it all around at various times throughout the day. I feel funny walking around work swining my shoulder, but it if helps it heal, I'll do it.

I'm home right now waiting for them to install my new dishwasher. They'll be here sometime between now and 5PM. Naturally, I hope it is sooner rather then later. Either way, I took the entire afternoon off.

Gays and Christians

This week, I found out about a Christian singer who has come out of the closet. He's divorsed his wife and is now attending a gay friendly church and a living that lifestyle. This is a classic Christian artist who has probably faded from the minds of most Christians. And no, I am not going to name names because it is irrelevant for this discussion.

The article I read it on allowed comments. And the comments were fairly typical. There were those who promised to pray for the man. There were those who quote the scriptures that condeem the gay lifestyle. Then there were those who attacked the Bible thumpers for being hypocrites and compassionless. There were even those who praised the man in question for being true to himself.

And you know what. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong.

Let's make it abundantly clear I believe God condems the gay lifestyle. I am not going to go over them again because everyone on both sides is familiar with the verses that talk about this.

But what is the first Christian response when we learn someone is gay. To shun them. Take a step back, sometimes almost literally. To condeem them to hell. To throw up our hands and walk away because they have turned their back on God. And by all means, don't get too close because we might catch it. Whatever it is.

Now the pro-gay side is quick to point out that Jesus never said one word on the subject. And they are right. (Frankly, that's a red herring.) They are also quick to point out that Jesus showed compassion and love to those his society considered sinners. And they are absolutely correct. Remember, the Pharisees condeemed him for eating with tax collectors and prostitutes.

And remember his response. "It isn't the well that need a doctor but the sick."

On the flip side, we need to remember Jesus's words to the woman caught in adultry. Yes, he said "Neither do I condem you." But look at his next words. "Go and sin no more."

Yes, Jesus was kind and compassionate to sinners. (Praise God He was.) But He also called them on their sin and called them to repent. Remember Zacheaus. Jesus spent time with him, and as a result he repented. Would Jesus have continued to hang out with him if he rejected the call to repent? Maybe, maybe not.

Of course, Jesus did have an advantage because he knew the heart. The best we can do is love and call to repent. We will never know if someone's heart is beyond repentence or not.

But I want to look at the charge of hypocracy leveled at the people condeeming the sin of homosexuality. There is a certain point where it is true.

Let's look at the Christian music scandels of last decade. Sandi Patty admitted to an affair, got divorced, then married her lover. Amy Grant also divorced and remarried. And Michael English got someone other than his wife pregnant. In two of those cases, there was clear violation of the commands of scripture. In Amy's case, it really is hard to know all the facts to judge if there was sin on either side.

And how were they treated? Amy was hardly hurt. Sandi Patty disappeared for a year then came back. Only Michael English truely was hurt by his affair.

And I'll admit I was right there. While I haven't bought any more of Michael's music, I certainly continued to buy Amy and Sandi's music.

And there is a point where I can't judge. I am only getting part of the facts.

But when someone is living in sin, it is my job to call them on it, especially if that person is a believer.

Now, is the sin of homosexuality the unforgivable sin? Let's remember what Paul said in I Corinthians. "And such were some of you." And, while God dispises it, remember that list from the preceeding verse. "Neither Homosexals nor adulterers nor forecaters nor liars nor thieves will enter the kingdom of Heaven."  Fornecaters.  You know, anyone who has sex outside of marriage.  If that doesn't get you, there's always thieves.  And if that doesn't get you, there's liars.  Basically, this verse points out that no unforgiven sinner can enter the kingdom of Heaven.  So we can't sit here and judge someone else as worse than us.  In God's eyes we are just as deserving of hell as the homosexual.

So I can't sit here with impure thoughts and judge this person as worse than I am.

I can't sit here with anger against someone in my heart and judge this person as worse than I am.

And that's just from the last few days.

The truth is we are all sinners saved by grace. And we all will struggle with sin until the day we go home.

But there is another angle to all this. I just acknowledged my sin (rather publically). When I repent, I am forgiven. But this man isn't struggling with sin. He isn't trying to repent. He is living in it. In fact, he has embraced it. That is not something to celebrate. That is something to grieve over. And that is certainly something to pray over.

So yes, I will be praying for this man. But I will also continue to examine my heart. Because I am no better than he is without God's grace forgiving me daily of my sins.

This has been a rather series topic for Watercooler Wednesday.

I'm Suddenly Feeling Old!

So, I have a confession to make. I first watched High School Musical two years ago and completely fell in love with it. I have the soundtracks to both movies and both movies on DVD. Cheesy? Check. Predictable? Check. Fun? Double check.

So that's how I came to be watching High School Musical: Get in the Picture. Probably one of the only people in the country to be watching it based on the ratings. The theme of the big show this last Monday night was sitcoms theme songs of the 70's and 80's. Cool, I thought, immediately imaging all the songs I love they might be singing. And sure enough, I was familiar with the themes for "Mary Tyler Moore," "Cheers," and "Greatest American Hero" (aka "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air.") True, I didn't know "One Day at a Time" because I've never caught reruns of it. But I had at least heard of the show.

Now keep in mind that I didn't watch that much TV until after college. So my familiarity with these other shows is based on reruns and TV on DVD.

Now the kids competing on HSM: GitP are high schoolers. I think the age range is 16-18. As soon as they got the songs, they started talking about how none of them knew the songs. None of them! One of them pointed out he was born in 1990. Another said she had never heard of Mary Tyler Moore.

Suddenly, I felt very old. Granted, Mary was in her fifth season when I was born. But the other two I knew were all on while I was growing up. I'd heard of them even if I had never watched them. And I'd heard so many references to all of them over the years I at least knew the names!

Of course, the performance was a medley of the four put together. I've had the three I know going in my head all week. And it is making me smile big time. I miss good theme songs with lyrics on TV these days. Heck, it's one reason I watch the credits to Monk and Psych every week.

(This has been my post for this week's Watercooler Wednesday.)

I Am Beginning to Hate Augusts

I really think this month has it in for me.

Three years ago, it was the unexpected death of my uncle.

Two years ago, it was my on going health issues.

Last year, it was being fired from youth staff and all the people jumping on me about being single.

This year. Oh this year.

Actually, this year's emotional drama is the cumination of the building drama all summer with my roommates moving out under less than ideal circumstances. So, while I am trying to deal with the loss of a friendship, I am trying to build new roommate relationships. And that is always challenging because we're all human. One hasn't moved in yet (happens Tuesday), and the other is around hit and miss, but we're making it work.

Then I found out that one of my former roommates has slandered me. Don't know how much since he won't talk to me about it. I can't tell you how much this hurts. And since he won't return my phone calls, I really can't put it behind me yet.

But God is still faithful in the midst of it all. How do I know? As I've mentioned before, I am church shopping this summer. Sunday, I showed up at a new church. A church where I saw no one I know (although I do know people who go there.) A church that didn't know I was coming. And the sermon topic? Dealing with Slander from an Unknown Source taken from Psalm 64. Okay, so I know the source. But still, everything said was exactly what I needed to hear. I've been trying to remind myself of it over the last week.

Also this week I got Brandon Heath's new CD. I've been captivated by the song "Wait and See" which is a reminder that God is still at work in our lives. Again, just what I need to hear.

But it hasn't been all downers. My workouts are still progressing, slowly but surely. And everyone is always nice about encouraging me.

And Wednesday night, I made it down to Glendale Centre Theatre to see Brigadoon. I'd never seen it before and really enjoyed it. I think I'd enjoy it more knowing how it ends.

And I'm going to Disneyland this Sunday and next weekend. This week is with Angelique to activate our three day So Cal resident pass (and ride some rides, of course.) Next weekend we will be joining Debbie and family whom I haven't seen in a year and a half. So that will be lots and lots of fun.

Free Download. Act Now!

Looking for some new music to brighten your summer? Well, today on Watercooler Wednesday, I am passing along info on a free download happening during the month of June only.

The band downhere is currently offering their latest release, 2006's Wide Eyed and Mystified, as a free download. The entire album. Just go here.

So, what to know a little more about the band?

downhere is a Christian rock band from Canada. I enjoyed their first CD, liked a couple songs from their second CD, and love this one. It's got some good rock songs like "The More" and "Stir" but plenty of slower, thoughtful songs like "A Better Way" or the smooth "1000 Miles Apart." (If you want to read my full review, follow this link.)

In the last two years, I've gotten to see the band live three times, and they rock. I also have the blogs of two of the band members on my list there on the right. (Lavs' Blog and Normal Rockstar.)

They have a new CD coming out in September, so now's the perfect time to discover their music.

Thursday Threesome for June 5th

This week's edition is brought to us by iTunes and The Back Porch.

Onesome: So-- what if everyone else does it?!? I'm different and I'm going to do it my way! Heh, what is that for you? ...the peanut butter and banana sandwich? ...tie-dyed seat covers for the car? ...or maybe an unusual sport?
I do everything my way, in case you hadn't noticed. :) For example, I play ultimate Frisbee, but not much else. I read, but hardly ever the best sellers. In fact, I read books that few men read. And I still enjoy family oriented movies and TV even though I have no kids.

Twosome: Ya'll-- gonna' be catchin' any big ol' trout this year? ...any fishing people out there on the porch? Hey, even watching on TV counts for something...
I have never gone fishing once in my life. I have a feeling I'd find it boring rather quickly. And since I don't like to eat fish, there's really no motivation.

Threesome: "like Music--, like friends": we all have different varieties we listen to from time to time. How about an update on your musical tastes? Go for it!
I stick with mostly Christian music, but I've been pulling out my soundtracks a bit more right now. I tend to go through phases. I'm even considering buying the revival casts of Fiddler on the Roof and Sound of Music since I seem to enjoy the contemporary version more than the Original Cast recordings.

Some Great New Music

For this week's Watercooler Wednesday, I thought I would highlight a debut CD I got recently and am loving.

The CD's is Josh Wilson's debut, Trying to Fight the Ocean in a Cup. (Link takes you to my full Epinions review.)

This CD fits perfectly into the singer/songwriter pop mold I like so much. In fact, it almost fits in there too perfectly. I was about to dismiss it, but I gave it a second listen. And now I'm hooked.

The music is fun and catchy. I find myself bopping my head along with multiple songs as I listen.

Yet the words are wonderful. Some songs are encouraging. Some are challenging. "Beautiful Like This" is a wonderful praise ballad. "Oak Avenue" is a sobering reminder of opportunity lost.

The standout is the writing is is absolutely honest, even when it is having fun.

And there's plenty of fun. I do think this is the first CD I've ever seen that has a "No Thanks" section. (For the record, Josh Wilson doesn't thank high gas prices, cavities, pop-up ads, and the Black Smoke Monster from Lost. That last one cracked me up.)

The first single from the disc is "3 Minute Song," which is exactly as advertised. During those three minutes, Josh muses on how hard it is to fit all there is to know about God and eternity in a short pop song. Yes, it's slightly tongue in cheek, but it manages to be fun (I'm always smiling as I hear it) and a good reminder about how big God really is all at the same time. I like this song enough that I downloaded the chorus as the ringtone for my cell phone.

So if you're in the market for a new artist, give Josh a chance.

Thursday Threesome for May 29th

Today's edition is brought to us by the fast lane and The Back Porch.

Onesome: Life Goes Faster-- than you want it to sometimes. Is anything moving just a little too fast for you lately
At times yes, and at times no. I can't believe May is almost over, but it's not like I want time to pass slower either.

Twosome: (Faster) Than You-- can pull a search? ...anyone know where the subject and title for this week's T-3 came from off the top of their head? No? It's worth a quick search...
I had to look it up, but I found it right quick. Good reminder, too.

Threesome: Think-- ing about Summer? Time at the beach? Vacation plans? ...or not: has the fuel price thing put a hold on some plans? ...or are you thinking of alternate forms of travel for Summer fun?
I just got my summer league team information. I'm on the purple team this year. Never been that color before. First game next Wednesday night. And I can't wait to play ultimate again!

Top Easter Songs

So yesterday on his blog, Mike talked about the joys of Easter music. And he then listed his top 15 Good Friday/Easter songs. That got me thinking, and I just had to create my own list.

So here, in no particular order are my 15:

He's Alive - Don Francisco
Too Small a Price - Don Francisco
Rise Again - Dallas Holmes
Christ the Lord is Risen Today - Scott Wesley Brown (with wonderful new music by Michael W. Smith)
Via Dolorosa - Sandi Patty
Criminal on the Cross - Acappella
I Was the Nails - David and the Giants
A Better Way - downhere
Because He Lives - any and all versions
Why? - Michael Card
The Great Divide - Point of Grace
The Day He Wore My Crown - Sandy Patty
Love Song - Third Day
Great Exchange - Bruce Carroll
Watch the Lamb - Ray Boltz

Honorable Mentions: We are the Reason (David Meece), End of the Beginning (David Phelps), Secret Ambition (Michael W. Smith), The Wonderful Cross (modern praise chorus version). Where the Nails Were (Sandi Patty), Was it a Morning Like This (Sandi Patty)

Thursdays Threesomes

Since I was in New York last week, I need to do a little catch up with these.

Both were taken from The Back Porch.

And the first was brought to us by The Wizard of Oz.

Onesome: "Over-- the Rainbow" Has someone 'Somewhere' done the song better than Judy Garland did in the movie? ...or does she still 'own' it in your opinion?
You know, I don't think I've heard anyone else do it, so Judy wins by default.

Twosome: the-- best all time album in your collection? ...or one you'd like to have? Sure, the Go-Gos count, but hey...
I'm going to keep going back to David Meece's Learning to Trust, although I have several close contenders.

Threesome: Rainbow"?-- As sung by Billy Ray Cyrus? (Yes, on his latest album.) Who has done the best "cover" of a song you like to listen to? You know, better than the original artist...
Believe it or not, I'm going to go with DC Talk on this one. I think their version of "In the Light" is better then the original.

And now this week's, brought to us by, well, The Thursday Threesome.

Onesome: The-- best things in life are free? What's your favorite freebie? I'm thinking of some annual event you partake in...
Without doubt, the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA.

Twosome: T--buckets, Model T's, maybe even Thunderbirds? Do you have any ties to classic cars or modified roadsters?
I've had old cars, but never classic cars. And the closest I've come to any is looking at them drive down the road.

Threesome: 3-- days until Sunday, but the NFL season begins tonight! Who's your team this year? Not a football fan? Post your rant on why not !
It's not really a rant, but I just don't get into sports. I only care if I am playing. There are so many other things I'd rather sit around and watch, like movies and TV shows. Or I could be reading.