oh brother(s) where art thou

Whilst scrolling for updates to http://www.pollstar.com/ as is customary for me, I came across a little something that warmed my heart:

For those of you who don't know, "Behold! The Rolling Thunder" is the band fronted by my little brothers, Kale and Kory. I'm a terrible sister as I have yet to attend one of their shows, but I think they actually prefer it that way. Their style is a little too hardcore for me... I know you are thinking "but Ashlea, you are such a hardcore person" and the truth is, the thrashing and screaming just doesn't do it for me when it comes to musica. BUT the right thing to do is check them out at least once, right? Any takers?

They've been playing shows for a couple years now, but it's never gets old seeing them advertised in public forum. Good job brothers, good job.

oh sweet gravel...

12/28/07 - Hollis Brown & The Beautiful Clarks @ El Corazon
www.myspace.com/hollisbrown
www.myspace.com/thebeautifulclarks

This will be my first El Corazon experience, believe it or not... I didn't even make it to a show when it was the dirty Graceland. BUT I am excited as I have been trying to make it to a Beautiful Clarks' show for a while now.

The band is headed up by a friend of mine from the Mars Hillbillies days, Billy Hatcher, a master of lap steel and all things dirty south. Billy and the band recorded a four song demo with the help of several MH friends and background vocals contributed by Rosie Thomas and Damien Jurado. The product is a melodic soundtrack that puts me in the mood to drive out to the country and lie in a field drinking sweet tea until sunset.

They are playing with Hollis Brown, whom I have not heard before, other than a quick myspace listen, but have heard good things on the street about. Should be a laid back good time.

it's show time

I have made a very important decision with regards to this blog and decided to add a little feature I like to call "Upcoming Shows to Note" ... so creative and original I know. At any rate, I will be regularly posting upcoming shows taking place in Seattle and maybe even Portland & Vancouver, that have peaked my interest and I would like to or am planning to attend. I have also added a link to my "shows" google calendar(see links on righthand side) in case you prefer to view things that way vs. archived posts... this is all assuming you care to view my thoughts at all . (insert overused emoticon here)

Please feel free to leave comments with other shows I may have missed, or your thoughts on the bands I have listed. I intend to add commentary as to what kind of music it is and why I want to see them, etc... but for now here's to get us started:


1/25/08 - The Bravery @ Neumos
www.myspace.com/thebravery

1/30/08 - Nada Surf @ The Triple Door
www.myspace.com/nadasurf

1/30/08 & 1/31/08 - The Decemberists @ The Moore Theatre
www.myspace.com/thedecemberists

2/21/08 - Sia @ Showbox at the Market
www.myspace.com/siamusic

3/8/08 - Alanis Morisette, Mute Math, & matchbox twenty @ Key Arena
www.myspace.com/mutemath


As I said before, commentary to follow.

this is going to be fun...

recent fascination

I can't put my finger on why, but I am utterly drawn to and fascinated by this painting.

n u m b e r o n e

The Number One song on the charts...

... the day I was born: "Footloose" - Kenny Loggins
... my 5th birthday: "The Look" - Roxette
... my 10th birthday: "Bump N Grind" - R Kelly (#1 Wedding Song of all time, haha)
... my first day of Jr. High: "Macarena" - Los Del Rio (who could forget?)
... my first day of High School: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" - Aerosmith (Freshman Tolo memories come flooding back!)
... my Sweet 16th Birthday: "Maria, Maria" - Santana (I friggen love this song still, good Karaoke)
... my 18th Birthday: "Ain't it Funny" - Jennifer Lopez (Ah the Ja' Rule days...)
... the day I graduated from High School: "Foolish" - Ashanti
... my 21st Birthday: "Candy Shop" - 50 Cent (I just remember wanting to hear JT & Snoop - "Signs")
... today: "Stronger" - Kanye West

faith in summary

1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
4By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
13These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
29By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

hebrews 11:1 - 12:2

callous

Silence is burning a hole in my mind
In all the noise, the solitude; both my friend and enemy
My countenance has fallen and I don't know why
Why anything
Apathy overcomes, complete indifference
And yet the irony is, I loathe my apathy
Two pumps, country bass and polka dots
I find myself wandering, searching for balance
Patent hope mesmerizes, so close yet so far
Spanish cities remind me of what's meant to be
I know you hold me, I want to feel it
I know you hold me, I want to feel it
Persimmon, dandelion, licorice, chalk
They are precious
Surely even the birds have food
Much more I, much more I
Greatness seen by lilies
Their tender demeanor and fresh dew


This is a song I wrote about 6 weeks ago or so... just thought I'd put it out there.

Salt and Light

Check out these sermons... seriously fantastic. Do it. I'm not joking around here. Thank you.

http://www.thevillagechurch.net/resources/sermons/20070715saltlight.html

http://www.thevillagechurch.net/resources/sermons/20070722saltlight2.html

mirror, mirror

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God."
- 2 Corinthians 4:1-2

I confess. I am uber guilty of this; "handling the word of God deceitfully." Like Eve, my intentions are good (well, mostly), but the outcome, not so much. As an image bearer of Christ, I have not been doing my job properly, I have been a poor representation of the gospel that I owe my life too. I have not reflected Glory of God, the infinite creator, as I have been designed to do. Instead I have sought my own happiness in things created and well, let's be honest, that doesn't really work out in the end. I have sought my own glory and in the name of Christ no less, which is quite reprehensible.

Let me get more specific. Christ has called us to live in the world but not of the world. Reconciling what this looks like in practice is not an easy or quick task. I would even venture to say we spend our whole lives working on this practice as culture and our stages of life change, requiring us to re-contextualize the gospel as seen through our lives. In recent months my life has been a hands on exercise of this.

Nearly every unbeliever I have ever met has some sort of skewed vision of Christianity based on past Christians they have interacted with. This has caused me to make it my personal mission to redeem Christianity by proving how cool Christians are. I'm not disillusioned to the fact that there are a lot, a majority even, of uncool Christians who are difficult to relate to, I am also not diminishing the value of contextualization, quite the opposite. What I am trying to do is confess as my recent attempts to contextualize the gospel have turned into justification of sinful behavior. I have found myself regularly repenting of events having taken place the night or weekend before, my heart broken further each time. The friends who were with me, telling me I didn't do anything they haven't and worse, while others who have known me for years, worried at my destructive behavior and seeming to them, lack of remorse. My own thoughts trying to weed through the good and the bad, knowing the answer is not to disassociate with the unbelieving friends with whom most of my unacceptable behavior takes place, but not knowing how to merge the dualities of my life.

And now it hits me, the words of my dear sister not long after reconciling her own life. Honesty. Brutal honesty. After a dark time in her life, she left the darkness behind when she began being brutally honest with everyone in her life, no matter how much it cost her. She became a woman of integrity, her life being transparent to all. Her "lives" merged together into one perfect testimony of God's grace and mercy.

Now that it has taken me three days to write this blog, I think I am simply going to wrap it up by asking you to pray as I, with God's grace and power, merge my lives into one honest reflection of Christ.