Cody Thomas

New Blog!

2008-06-11T00:39:00.000-05:00

Changing blog sites...

2008-02-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm making the switch over to WordPress. I have held back from making the switch, thinking that Blogger would step it up, but it never happened. Here's the new address:

http://codythomas.wordpress.com/

So make sure to change your bookmark links or subscribe to the feed by clicking on the link on the new blog.

By the way... Benji, I'm sorry that I picked the same template as you. I looked at all of them and just didn't like any of the other ones as much.

Optimism despite circumstances

2008-01-30T00:52:00.000-05:00

First off, this weekend was great. I spent the weekend in Birmingham, Alabama with Ashley and her worship team at her church, Brookview Wesleyan Church. Kindel and Thom came down with me to help out. It was a great time of both work and play. I was introduced to some good Greek food (although it didn't settle well in my stomach for some reason). I watched a couple good movies (especially Freedom Writers). Most of Saturday was spent working with the praise team. I walked them through a few particular songs with the goal of learning the songs, but also (and more importantly) the goal of teaching them how to take a modern worship song, tear it apart, be creative and innovative for your own setting, and implement it in practice. I hope I did my part to teach them those things. This was my first time doing something like this, so it was frustrating at times trying to verbalize or teach some things. The worship team was great though. They were awesome people and I was glad to be able to spend most of Saturday and Sunday with them. They really have a TON of potential to become a wonderful team of lead worshipers for that church. I'm praying the best for them!

Now I'm back here...poor...unemployed...and somewhat bored. Yet, despite my situation, I am still quite optimistic about where life is going. I don't know what God's next step for me might be, but I'm learning to get out of the way and be patient as He reveals it. I'm not sitting idle waiting for God to throw something in my lap. I believe that God moves with us and brings us to the right paths as we are walking, not as we are sitting on our hands. However, it is also easy for me to ask God to follow me as I embark down paths, attempting to make things happen for me. Neither is good and I'm learning the balance in that.

My hopes are up. My trust is in God. He is coming through for me. He always has. He always will.

Sweet home Alabama

2008-01-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well, it will be home at least for the weekend. Later today, I will pick up Kindel and Thom and will be heading down to Birmingham, Alabama for my first ever "worship workshop." Ashley Joiner is the worship leader at her home church down there and asked me a few months ago if I could come down sometime to spend a Saturday working with their band. Although I've had a lot of eclectic worship experiences and positions in the past, this still isn't the type of thing that I feel completely equipped to do, but I'm doing it anyways. We're driving down this afternoon and spending the night having some fun and free time. Then, from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, I will be working with their band, leading a practice through some new songs, teaching some creative aspects to the songs, and advising them on how to be more productive with their particular situation of how much time and talent they have to pour into leading worship. Then, Sunday morning I will probably lead worship with them.

If you remember, please pray for us as we travel. Pray for our safety, for no car trouble, and I also can't afford a speeding ticket. So pray that my foot doesn't fill up with lead...

Also, pray for me and the band. Pray that we will instantly bond and will spend a productive day together but also a fun day together.

Be back Sunday night!

The Church is...

2008-01-22T17:21:00.000-05:00

The Church is...

The continual movement of Jesus
The one and only bride of Jesus
Always changing
Focused on bringing people close to God
Focused on transforming lives
Powerful
Mighty
Able to completely change the culture around her
Meeting people where they are
Fighting with all it has to advance the Gospel
Abundantly giving of its time and resources
Meeting the physical needs of people
Showing love to each person that it can reach, inside and outside of its building's walls
Showing the world who Jesus is and why He should be followed
"Jesus with skin on," He still moves and works mighty things through His Church
A community passionately desiring to give everything in order to see people meet Jesus
Made of people who compassionately love
Made of people who generously and dangerously give
Made of people who sacrificially serve
Made of people who make the movement of Jesus advance
Loving even after it hurts
Giving even after it hurts
Serving even after it hurts
Aiming for excellence in everything
A community of faith, hope, and love
A movement of redemption, transformation, and devotion
Made of committed followers of Jesus who are ready to love, give, and serve until there is nothing left
Undivided and unwavering worshipers of God

The Church is not...

2008-01-22T17:11:00.000-05:00

The Church is NOT...

A social club
An institution
A business
A building
Mediocre
Complacent
Closed to anyone
Only for followers of Jesus
Satisfied with little passion
A museum of ancient rituals and songs
A rock concert
Static
Stagnant
Sitting on its hands, doing nothing
An add-on to the leftovers of your life
Made of people who join but don't serve and give to the movement of Jesus
Aiming for average
Loving only when it's completely necessary
Giving only when it's available
Serving only when it's convenient
Reaching the world halfway
An arena for political gain or agenda
Made of people who treasure security and comfort over risk
Looking for the easiest way to do ministry
Desiring little to no commitment

Smaller church is better church...?

2008-01-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

Many people don't like the megachurch movement for various reasons. Many of these reasons have begun a philosophy of ministry that can be summed up in "The Smaller, The Better." I find this to be a bad philosophy to fall under. Also, many who believe this are only attempting to justify the not-so-productive state of their own church instead of truly searching for the truth of what church can look like. This post is a list of only a few of those myths about how smaller churches are better than megachurches.

Myths of the "The Smaller, The Better" Ministry Philosophy:

Smaller churches have better quality (or deeper) teaching. This is not true! I have been in churches of all sizes. I grew up in churches from 100 to 1000. During my college years, I attended churches that ranged from 50 to 9000! During my first semester of graduate school, I chose to regularly attend a church of about 8000. (I chose to go there because of the hard-hitting and powerful messages!) I've spent time learning under many different pastors of different church sizes, denominations, and preaching styles. My experience has shown that the pastors at the larger churches fed me more and gave me a better "punch in the face" to live like Jesus than I ever got in the smaller churches. I'm NOT saying that you can't get that in smaller churches. I'm only saying that I, personally, rarely received that sort of life teaching in smaller churches. However, bigger doesn't always mean better teaching either (take a look at my posts on Joel Osteen). All I know is that, in my experience, Perry Noble and Jon Weece taught me far more about following Jesus than any other senior pastor from which I've learned.
Smaller churches truly worship God while bigger churches just entertain and put on a show. Before I get into anything, I just want to say that you can not judge the hearts of those present in ANY worship service, no matter the church size. Also, I hate to break the news, but there are most likely people in ANY worship service (of ALL church sizes) that don't genuinely worship God when they come to church. IN FACT, I would dare say that this is happening A LOT in most of the small churches throughout the southeast US. I say this because many people here in the south go to church because that is the "social expectation," not because they want to thank God for being their Lord and Savior. They go to church to show their face, making their appearance so that people will think they are good Christians and so they can feel good about themselves even if they don't live like a Jesus-follower through the week. Most of them are still going to the small, dying church for no other reason than "My great-grandaddy went to this church and all of my family has gone here since." This is the unfortunate church culture of the south. I despise it. It makes Jesus some social club, like joining the Kiwanis or something. NOW, back to my point. SAYING THAT BIG CHURCHES ENTERTAIN PEOPLE INSTEAD OF WORSHIP GOD IS ONLY A BAD EXCUSE FOR HORRIBLE MUSIC QUALITY IN SMALL CHURCHES. I'm sorry, but it's usually true. This excuse is used a lot to negate the spirituality behind the great quality music of larger churches. A small church can't have that sort of quality, is quite jealous of it, and so finds something that "must" be wrong with the larger church's worship. How dare us. Let's face it. Typically, smaller churches have poor quality music because there are little resources to pull from in a small church, while a large church has tons of resources to pull from (musicians, full time worship pastor, on-staff video/media directors, great sound systems, etc.). That's simply the truth. HOWEVER, just because the larger churches have these resources DOES NOT MEAN IT IS ANY LESS SPIRITUAL OR ANY LESS AUTHENTIC WORSHIP!!!! (Sidenote: Who is utilizing their resources better to give God the best worship service they can give: the larger church who gives intense detail to have the best quality possible in every minute of their service or the smaller church who throws a service together and writes a sermon on Saturday night and everything looks sloppy, struggling, and shoddy on Sunday morning? I've been in both and I know what my answer is. Lack of resources is no excuse for a sloppy service. I've led worship in a small church for years. I know firsthand! Everyone needs to step it up and put together all your resources to worship God best you can, no matter size...without bashing other churches' attempts at doing the same thing!)
Smaller churches do more "discipleship" while megachurches just evangelize. FALSE!!! Typically, it is true that megachurch Sunday worship services are sometimes focused more on reaching the unchurched, I don't see this as a problem. This is a great opportunity to reach tons of people with the Gospel (and in case you haven't noticed, most of America is now unchurched). We have to keep this evangelistic emphasis! Please don't make accusations that bigger churches don't disciple believers. Megachurches usually run on a "small group" model, in which people meet in smaller core groups throughout the week and dig even deeper into God's word and how to follow Jesus. These groups typically range from maybe four to twenty people. They meet together to discuss life, struggles, and look to God's word for instruction in how to live life best in following Jesus daily. These groups are where people get to deal with the "nuts and bolts" of living like Jesus. However, when taking a glance at large churches, a person can't see these life transformations and discipleship taking place because this takes place outside of Sunday morning...during real life.
Smaller churches have better fellowship because you know everybody. First, my experience has been that most "friendly fellowship" in churches is skin-deep...at best. So, no, you can't call the generic "how have you been?" and the "bless you..." as better fellowship. Second, if you think that everyone knowing who you are is better fellowship, then you might think you are more important than you really are. People knowing you is not the point of church, nor the point of fellowship. When in a larger church, I believe that truer fellowship can happen. When a person plugs into a small group that meets regularly and does life together, you actually get to know people on a deep level and also a social level. You also become close to those whom you serve with (because in larger churches, it is quite often a requirement of membership/partnership to serve in some form with the church). [Just a sidenote: Speaking of this requirement of membership, I love that most larger churches are asking this of those who commit to the church. I hate that many people in smaller churches who have been members for years do little to nothing to help the ministry of the church. Smaller churches tend to not push that one must serve. To partner with a church means to serve, not just use its resources.] Anyways, I would rather have 10 people who I deeply know and we deeply care about each other and help each other grow in following Jesus than have 100 people who know my name and ask me on Sundays "Brother, how are you this blessed day?"
Smaller churches teach "doctrine" and "theology," while megachurches only preach practical messages without "true" theology. Look...we have made a bad polarization between doctrine/theology and practical teaching. When did learning how to manage God's financial blessings become a non-theology topic? Last I checked, God is certainly concerned about us doing our best with His money and blessings (just take a look through the Bible, especially Jesus' teachings!). When did learning about relational evangelism in the workplace and coffee shops not become a non-theology topic? Last I checked, Jesus went to Matthew's house to eat with sinners and then "ripped the Pharisees a new one" when they accused him of bad company. We have polarized teachings as either doctrinal or "watered-down." If the preacher doesn't use words with sixteen letters that people don't understand, then it's "watered-down." Yet, in those very messages, some of the deepest doctrinal truths can be expressed and transform lives without ever using "Christianese" words. Again, I have learned more about the real life of following Jesus from teachings at two megachurches I attended than any of the small churches I attended.
Smaller churches are more concerned about real ministry, but megachurches are only concerned about numbers. Again, this is usually a horrible excuse for not reaching people like we are called to. Megachurches are "mega" because THEY ARE REACHING PEOPLE. Numbers don't mean changed lives, but I would bet that there are more changed lives out of the megachurch's 9000 people that they reach out to than out of the 50 that the small church reaches...Numbers matter because numbers translate as people hearing the Gospel and being given the chance to choose to follow Jesus.

This post is far too long and I'm sure I've repeated myself too many times in it. So I'm ending. I'm sorry if my thoughts offend, but I would question why they offend you before writing them off as false. Maybe they offend because we as humans too often go on the defensive without good reason. I feel like I have presented good reason for this defense. I want you to hear me one more time: I am not against small churches. However, my experiences have been far better in the larger churches I've been involved with than the small churches I've been involved with. Also, I'm not even part of a large church now, so please don't think that I am defending them for my own sake.

By the way, I caught some of the new "American Gladiators" on NBC while writing this and they had one of the cheesiest lines ever. One of the gladiators is named "Justice," and when describing him, the commentator said, "Judge...Jury...Ginormous." I just thought that was funny enough to post.

Marco! ... Polo!

2008-01-17T23:55:00.000-05:00

One of the hardest parts of following Jesus is allowing him to take control of my life. As humans, we feel vulnerable and frightened by the idea of not being in control of what happens in life. We want to be the final say in all our decisions. We want our own desires to be the most important factor in making those decisions. We don't want to give up our own desires (no matter how good or bad they might be) for something else that we don't want as much. That is all part of the human nature. We need control over our own lives and, if we will admit it or not, we will fight to the death to keep that control.

This is the problem when we give our lives over to Jesus. By committing to follow Jesus, we are giving back to him the right to be the final say in our lives. We are asking him to lead us where we must go. We are asking him to show us how to live. We are asking him to tell us what to do and what not to do. By following Jesus, we are declaring that Jesus has the best life for us. Not the better life. Not an upgrade in life. The best life. We are saying that following Jesus is the best option for living. I could possibly live a decent life on my own (...maybe...), but following Jesus (as he guides me in life and teaches me how to live and love) is the best possible life I could find.

It's hard to let go of control and to hand that over to someone else. It's hard to give the "ultimate veto" power to someone else when it comes to your life decisions. However, this is the life that is chosen when someone commits to following Jesus. I think that a lot of us who follow Jesus tend to treat him as if he is following us. "Come here, Jesus. Come with me as I go here. Help me out when I need it. Thanks. No, Jesus, don't get ahead of me. Stay behind me and just follow where I go."

Have you ever played Marco Polo in someone's swimming pool? Most of us tend to treat Jesus as if he is the one who is "it." We want Jesus to close his eyes, continually yelling "marco," and we want him to keep following us and our movements as we yell "polo." I shouldn't have to explain why this is not the way it should be. We should be the ones who are "it." We should be the ones whose eyes are closed, not even able to see our next step in life. We should have to yell "MARCO," waiting in full anticipation of hearing a voice call back to us, "Polo," so that we can take a step in the voice's direction.

I write all this to say that I continually see this struggle within my own life. I was pondering why I so often don't completely follow Jesus and continually fall short of his message of loving God and others. Then, this question came to my mind, piercing my heart: If you won't follow Jesus in all areas of your life, in all circumstances, in loving people, in loving God, then do you really trust that Jesus has the best life for you? I hate to even think that, but I think that if each of us who follow Jesus would be honest with ourselves, we would each be shocked with our candid answer. I have to say that I don't always live like I trust Jesus to make the best decisions for me. I don't always live like I trust Jesus to come through for me. This is the struggle inside each of us who follow Jesus. This is the struggle that has to be faced, candidly and honestly, and has to be fought with ferocity and ruthlessness. Otherwise, this struggle will continue to gain ground in our lives.

Analyze your life. Analyze your decisions. Think through the areas of your life that don't line up with following Jesus, whatever they may be. Why are we not following Jesus in those areas? Why are we not loving those who get on your nerves? Why are we trying to find "love" or "acceptance" around every corner? Why are we gossiping about others? Why are we trying so hard to find happiness in all the wrong places? Could it be that we have not fully sold out to trusting Jesus? Could it be that we don't completely believe he will come through for us? Or that he holds the best life possible for us?

Live like you trust Jesus has the best life for you.

MARCO!!!!!!!!!!

Full life update...possible employment!

2008-01-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

I guess it's time to give the update about my attempts of finding work. When I moved down here, I knew that is what I needed to do, despite having no clear direction about what I would do for work when I got here. I knew that I finding work that I would really enjoy to do (such as being a worship pastor) would be hard to come by. Honestly, there just aren't many churches that fit my style of worship. Most churches still prefer the Billboard Top 100 from 1770, and even some more have updated to the 1980's now. My preference, as a musician, worshiper, and worship leader, is cutting-edge and modern. I wouldn't use Shakespearean English in my conversation just because it is "more elegant" or "more poetic." I would use the language that allows me to fully express myself to someone else. That is what most conveys my heart. The same exists in worship. I want to worship in a way that fully allows me to express my heart for God. For me, that is usually not found in centuries old language and diction that I sometimes have no clue what is being said (and is typically in the third person, not even addressed from us to God).

I'm way off topic here. I don't mean to get into any of that. I just mean to say that although I find appreciation for the centuries of songs that have allowed people to sing praises about God, I need something that expresses my own praises to God. Now back to my employment...

Knowing that I possibly wouldn't find work in a church around here, I started applying all sorts of places. I applied for tons of bank teller positions, coffee shops, and more. I was getting rejection after rejection. Apparently a college education means less than I thought. I was getting rather discouraged and worried that my savings would soon be gone.

Finally, in the first couple days of the new year, I received a call from Austin Porter, who is the student pastor at Hope Creek Church in Seneca, SC. We graduated together from SWU. He called to let me know that Thad Wood, the worship pastor at HCC, has announced that he will be leaving after being there for 5 years. (Thad graduated from SWU in 2005.) Austin had heard that I was moving back down to the area, and he and Thad put in my name as a candidate to replace Thad. Austin was calling to set up a lunch with him and the lead pastor, Travis Holmes. So, after meeting with them for lunch and at the office a couple times, I went to check out their Sunday morning service. They are completely portable and meet in Seneca High School's auditorium. They have to arrive at 7 am to unload and set up everything, including the sound system, children's areas, etc. So I went to see that whole process as well as the service. After seeing that whole process, the meetings with the staff, a couple lunches with Austin, and lots of prayer and thought, I have felt good about this move and think this is the next step in following God's path for me.

This coming Sunday, I will be leading worship alongside with Thad to give the church leadership a chance to hear me lead worship. As long as all are still peaceful and affirmed in the decision, I will be on staff as a full-time worship pastor soon after that.

Please pray for me as I prepare and lead this Sunday. Pray that God would be there and be glorified through the worship. Pray that each person involved in the decision will be guided by the Spirit to make the right decision. Pray that we will continue to seek God in each step. Pray for the transition for the church and for me as well. This will be my first "real job" as a worship pastor on staff. I'm totally excited but horribly overwhelmed with the thought of it.

In other news, I am going down to Alabama the weekend of Jan. 25-27 to do a worship workshop with a church outside Birmingham. Ashley Joiner (with whom I graduated from SWU) is in charge of worship there. Also, on February 23, I will be leading worship for a regional event called "Pure Focus." It's an all-day youth event promoting sexual purity. My housemate, Jon Brady, is the brains behind the whole thing. So far, youth groups from all over upstate SC and some from NC will be coming. It should be sweet!

That's life. Please pray for me as I look towards the future and what God has for me.

Huck & Chuck: Hilarious...

2008-01-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered how Mike Huckabee plans on securing the U.S. borders? Check out this video to find out.

Also, don't think that I am supporting Huckabee because I posted this video. I am not supporting any particular candidate right now. I've watched some of the debates and done a little research on them, but nothing detailed yet.

Also, another piece of advice for people (especially of my generation). It seems to be a considerable trend to quickly "like" Barack Obama because he's relatively young, new, different, a charismatic speaker, and seems to be the candidate most symbolizing change. Don't let that make your decision for you. Most people pick their music choices by what's "hot" that week (and most of it is no-talent pop garbage). Don't pick your candidate by what's "fresh" or "cooler" or what seems to be popular. Dig into their opinions, ideas, vision, and where they fall on the issues.

One more piece of advice. Christians, PLEASE don't vote solely on who is against abortion and same-sex marriages. Those issues are important, but there are far better matters to worry about (like health care reform, our declining economy, and MANY MORE). So, put down the proverbial pitchforks and fight for other causes too!

On my iPod: Jon Foreman - Fall EP

2008-01-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

Jon Foreman has been displaying his thoughts, emotions, doubts, fears, and joys for over a decade as the frontman for Switchfoot. Now, he is once again stretching himself on his first solo work, Fall. On this EP, Foreman is dropping the electric guitar and rock band for an acoustic guitar and folk flavor.

This is the first of four EPs that Foreman plans to release over the next year. Each will thematically correspond with the four seasons, attempting to capture the mood and feel of the season represented. This first attempt certainly did not fall short, consistently conveying a melancholy and pensive mood in both music and lyrics. The songs stay relatively simple, keeping with the typical folk genre, coupling that with contemplative and brutally honest lyrics.

Although folk music is typically a lot simpler by form, Foreman has done a great job of writing a thought-provoking and musically-talented work. In addition to the acoustic guitar, Foreman has a variety of other instruments used on this EP. "The Cure for Pain" uses some keys and brass, bringing more life to the track. "Southbound Train" has its own unique sound with the use of a harmonica and strings, sometimes simulating the sound of a moving locomotive. "The Moon is a Magnet" is a great song, coupling Foreman's voice with a clarinet and bass clarinet. The EP ends with a sensitive piano ballad, "My Love Goes Free." In this heart-wrenching track, Foreman stretches his own voice to its limits, utilitizing his falsetto to wring the heart of the listener.

Released on November 27, 2007, the first of the four EPs is a great work in acoustic folk music. In only six tracks, Foreman has re-sold me onto his bandwagon (leaving the bandwagon after being disappointed by the 2005 release of the Nothing is Sound album by Switchfoot). I will be looking forward to the next three projects. Winter is set to hit the market soon on January 15, 2008, packaged together with Fall EP as a 2-disc set. Spring is projected to come out on April 15, 2008. Summer's date is not announced yet.

Genre/Style: Acoustic/Folk

Discography:
Fall EP, 2007 [Credential]
Winter EP, coming January 15, 2008 [Credential]
Spring EP, projected April 2008 [Credential]
Summer EP, projected summer 2008 [Credential]

Website:
www.jonforeman.com

What I Like Most:

Use of variety of instruments
Brutally honest yet cryptic lyrics
Unique theme for each EP

The Heels are doing it again!

2008-01-10T00:42:00.000-05:00

Tonight, the Carolina Tar Heels finished up their last non-conference game, winning over UNC-Asheville, 93-81. This is the first time they have finished non-conference games undefeated since 1998.

Even the tallest player in college basketball couldn't stop "Psycho T" from scoring 23 points, including a two-handed dunk over UNC-Asheville's 7-foot-7 Kenny George. You can go here to read the whole article.

The Heels have proven themselves once again by their 16-0 record (with 1 win in-conference). Although Clemson stood a good chance of taking the win, the Heels took the lead, with 0.4 seconds left in overtime! It was amazing to see Ellington on fire that game, scoring a career-high 36 points (including the literal last second 3-point shot for the win in overtime). The boys are doing it again and it's quite exciting to watch! I'm hoping that the Clemson game is not a preview of the remaining ACC games. My heart can't take that every game!

Keep it up, Roy's Boys!

On my iPod: Deas Vail

2008-01-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

This is a band that I doubt many know. I have to give credit to Benji for finding them and introducing me to them. Releasing their freshman album in March 2007, Deas Vail has set the bar high for themselves on All the Houses Look the Same. This is quite the piece of art.

Their sound is quite similar to that of Mae, although unique from Mae as well. Deas Vail's keys-driven rock possibly could be described as powerfully gentle. Their sometimes haunting and other times lullaby-esque piano-driven melodies combined with Wes Blaylock's classically-trained voice are elegant yet passionate. Add on top of that the drive of guitar, bass, and Kelsey Harelson's unique rhythms on drums and you have a band that will gain a huge following in no time!

One of the most outstanding features of Deas Vail is Blaylock's voice and use of falsetto. His range is phenomenal and, on top of that, his unwavering falsetto is unbelievable. Lead singers rarely have or at least rarely utilize such beautiful falsetto like Blaylock does. It is definitely one of the features of Deas Vail's music that sets it apart from the mass of generic rock.

Although Blaylock's voice is so remarkable, it doesn't have to carry this band. Their instrumentals are great. They have a variety of keys, synths, and pads sounds and rhythms in each song, as well as great rhythms on the drummers. Some rhythms remind me of Thrice's drummer (just not quite as intense).

Another striking feature that is quite uncommon in today's rock music is their female band member, Laura Beth Hudson Blaylock (her and lead singer Wes got married last spring around the same time as the album release). Since Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee came on the music scene, there has been a recent trend of pushing bands with female lead singers (Flyleaf, Fireflight, etc.) in heavy rock music. However, this is quite a different situation with a female band member that is not the "frontman" of the band. Deas Vail is not heavy rock and she's not a vocalist.

I have not had the opportunity to see Deas Vail live, and would REALLY appreciate it if they would come near South Carolina soon!!! However, if this YouTube video is a good representation of their show, they are a band that only gets better in a live venue compared to a produced CD. I can't wait to see them someday!

Genre/Style: Indie Rock

Band Members:
Wes Blaylock - Vocals/Keys
Laura Beth Hudson Blaylock - Keys/Synth
Jonathan Childs - Bass
Kelsey Harelson - Drums
Andy Moore - Guitar

Discography:
All the Houses Look the Same, 2007 [Brave New World]
Collapse EP, 2006 [Brave New World]
This Place is Painted Red, 2005 [independent]

Website:
www.deasvail.com

What I Like Most About Them:

Wes Blaylock's voice and flawless falsetto
Interesting and unique melodies
Keys-driven music that is still powerful and intense

Psychology of... Women?

2008-01-08T01:14:00.000-05:00

My dad has been going back to school to get his undergrad degree that will correspond with his career in mental health work. This semester, one of his classes is titled "Psychology of Women." Let that sink in for awhile.

So... how do you logically study that which is illogical?

Just kidding, feminists. I don't completely believe you're illogical.

When told the title of this class, my ambassador to the species of women summed up the psychology of women in one sentence:

We have no idea what we want.

How true. This picture has also given some visual aid to the psychology of women.

So... where do you want to eat?

My current mind...in list form

2008-01-07T17:03:00.000-05:00

Here's an update about life and what's on my mind...in a list form.

I hate dealing with student loans! I've been looking through student loan statements attempting to figure out consolidation options and if I can handle payments. Budgeting is not fun...
The RA's are back at SWU for training, so that means Kindel is only 10 minutes down the road now!
The cable and internet is awesome and convenient. No more living out of coffee shops. However, the cable guy installed a basic digital box instead of the DVR that we paid for! What bummer! We're calling them soon!
I enjoyed the New Hampshire Presidential Debate. Some of the candidates definitely showed their rear on national television. I'm still not decided, but I do like some of the ideas and policies that some candidates presented. However, there's no way to know if they will stick to their policies and promises. Keep praying for discernment.
I'm facing major life decisions right now with employment (and what that will do to seminary). I think I know what I should do. However, I keep letting other people's opinions and expectations of me get in the way of that. I need to stop worrying about what other people think or say about MY decisions when I'm not around. I need not to make decisions for their approval. I need to make decisions for God's approval. I need to make decisions so that I can go to sleep at night knowing I've done my best to follow after God today. When it gets to the end of the day, I'm not here to impress others or follow what they think is best for me. I'm here to do what God has for me and use whatever God has placed in my hands and heart to do.
I can't WAIT to get back into playing music, being creative, and worshiping Jesus through song!
Jack's getting married on Saturday, which means I get to see Jack and my boys from Kentucky!!! Yay!!!
Although she won't admit it, Kindel is addicted to Heroes! I'm getting her through Season 1 on DVD. She can't stand the cliffhangers at the end of each episode. It's great watching the season again now that season 2 is halfway done.
3:10 to Yuma comes out on DVD tomorrow! Definitely a new addition to the collection!
There's a new sound coming from what I think is my car's suspension. Not good...

On My iPod: Mute Math

2008-01-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

Since joining the Mute Math fan base in 2005, these guys have been at the top of my charts. In fact, they are beyond a doubt my favorite band. Period. If you listen to anything I ever say about music, this is it. Get their CD. Go to their show. Buy their DVD.
The four-piece is made up of: Paul Meany (vocals/keytar/Rhodes/other keys/more), Darren King (drums), Greg Hill (guitar/keys), and Roy Mitchell-Cardenas (bass).

Stepping on the scene in 2004, these guys have been making a name for themselves. They can best be described as experimental electro-alt rock. They use an eclectic range of instruments, electronics, and sounds. Lead singer Paul Meany sports a keytar for many songs, as well as playing the beautiful sounds of a vintage Fender Rhodes Mark II 73-key stage piano. On one song ("Break the Same"), King breaks down his drum set and the group goes on a crazy percussive breakdown while Hill goes nuts with his Ibanez DE7 (Delay/Echo) pedal, making insane and intense sounds. However, the group takes a sedative on "Stall Out" as all four of them start the song playing different parts and sounds on separate pianos and keyboards. By the way, "Stall Out" is, by far, my favorite song by them. It's a beautiful song with a beautiful message.
I have had the chance to see these guys live twice, both times in Atlanta. Beyond their music, they put on the best live performance I have ever seen...ever. The energy level is high and stays high. Their show is flawless and non-stop, blending songs together with interludes. They have the most amazing stage presence. For video clips of a live performance, please check out their DVD, titled "Flesh and Bones Electric Fun" or search the DVD title on YouTube to find clips. It is worth every dollar to buy it!
For their discography, search iTunes for their self-titled CD. You can also find the "Transformers Theme" that they re-did for the 2007 blockbuster movie.

What I Like Most About Them:

Paul Meany's voice!!! I'm on the verge of sinning out of jealousy!
Beautiful melodies
Creative & experimental sounds
Rhodes Stage Piano...there's nothing like it!
Best stage presence & performance
Thought-provoking spiritual lyrics

For those connected to the SWU community

2008-01-04T18:58:00.001-05:00

I post this here for anyone who is connected with SWU. If you have not heard already, Furman Scott Armstrong, more well known at SWU as F.A., was killed early this morning by a gun shot from an intruder.

You can read more about this tragedy here:
http://www.wyff4.com/news/14978561/detail.html?rss=gs&psp=news

Please pray for F.A.'s family, especially for his twin brother, Jamar. Be praying for the SWU community as well.

Goals for 2008

2008-01-04T15:16:00.000-05:00

So here's my own list of goals and changes for 2008. It's not an exhaustive list, but this is what I'm thinking so far. These are listed in no particular order.

To find a job!!! - This isn't really an annual goal. It's more like a NOW goal!
To continue learning piano - I want to start learning songs by modern artists (Coldplay, Copeland, Mae, The Fray, etc.)
To write at least one full song - I will have to write at least the piano and guitar parts, as well as vocals
To read at least 20 books - I have to read the book through for it to count. My textbooks can count, but only if I read them through, not just selected readings.
To do at least 20 things I've never done before - I doubt many of these will be too dangerous or crazy, but who knows. I'll post the list as I come up with these 20 things.
To post on the blog more times this year than all prior posts - I've posted 102 times over 2005, 2006, and 2007. Now it's time for 2008 to be a good year of blogging!
To lose 50 pounds - I've put on too much weight over the past couple years. This year is the year to do something about it.
To be able to run 5 miles non-stop - I used to be able to do this a couple years ago.
To give up sugar sodas - I went over 2 months last summer without sugar sodas. 12 months will be crazy for me! I can still have diet sodas though!

I also have some goals that are not quite able to be measured tangibly like these previous ones. They aren't quite as tangible goals, but they are some of the most important ones.

To become a better follower of Jesus - Following Jesus requires all areas of life. I want to see more surrender in my life this year as I follow Jesus' example.
To love people more like Jesus - I want to be better this year at treating everyone with respect and dignity. I want to love people more like Jesus loves them...unconditionally. That's humanly impossible, but all things are possible with the Spirit's work.
To keep falling in love with a beautiful woman, Kindel - She has been one of the best things that happened in my life. I don't want that to end, but, instead, to only get better. I want to continually get to know her better, remind her how beautiful she is, and show her how much she means to me.
To never take for granted the people in my life - I hope to continually love and serve all the people in my life. I want to learn all I can from them and hope to become a better person because of them, as well as hoping to help them be better people.

So that's about it. I'll make sure to have update posts on here about how I'm doing with my 2008 goals. If I have to report to other people how I'm doing, maybe I will be more motivated to get them done! Any encouragement is more than welcome!

By the way, I'm writing this post from my house in Liberty! We had our cable and internet installed today! Wonderful yet expensive commodities!

Funniest Wesleyan Joke Heard

2008-01-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I can't take credit for this joke. I didn't come up with it. I just heard it tonight. However, it is the most hilarious yet sadly true joke about the Wesleyan Church.

How many Wesleyans does it take to change a light bulb?

CHANGE?!?! My great-granddaddy put in that light bulb! We can't change that! You gonna split this church in half!!!

Too true...sadly true...

If you have ABSOLUTELY nothing else to do...

2007-12-30T16:49:00.000-05:00

So, since getting my MacBook, I've had some fun messing around with GarageBand. Over the summer, I bought a M-Audio 73-key USB keyboard to go along with GarageBand. For Christmas, I had my parents buy an expansion pack of sounds for the program, including some vintage keybaord sounds (Rhodes, Wurlitzers, Hammand Organs, etc.). I've posted some of my boredom adventures on myspace. If you have nothing else to do, you can check them out here.

On there, I have three recordings I did on GarageBand. Each one has at least two tracks that I laid down. The drums on "Random Night on GarageBand" is a loop. "First Attempt at GarageBand" is a mix of three recordings using the built-in microphone (two guitar tracks and one djembe track) with two software tracks played on the keyboard (piano and synth pad). "Jazz Improv" was a two-track recording that I did in May 2005 (long before my MacBook) for a class project. The live recording is a SWU chapel worship set that I led in April 2007.

If you have any comments on the raw recordings, let me know. Thanks for taking the time.

The "Cotton Candy Gospel" of Joel Osteen

2007-12-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

Recently, I saw a re-airing of an episode of 60 Minutes in which they did a segment on Joel Osteen. Joel Osteen is the lead pastor of the largest church in America, Lakewood Church, located in Houston. They meet each Sunday in a 15,000 seat sports arena (which took $100 million to renovate when it was given to the church).

You can watch the segment and read the whole interview here on CBS's website.

What made me enjoy this segment most was the words of Rev. Michael Horton, a professor of theology at Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. He has this to say about Joel Osteen's message:

I think it’s a cotton candy gospel. His core message is: God is nice, you’re nice, be nice. If it were a form of music, I think it would be easy listening. He uses the Bible like a fortune cookie. 'This is what’s gonna happen for you.' 'There’s gonna be a windfall in your life tomorrow.' The Bible's not meant to be read that way... It is certainly heresy, I believe, to say that God is our resource for getting our best life now. Well, it makes religion about us instead of about God.

Thank you, Rev. Horton!

Even the interviewer, Bryan Pitts, says this of Osteen:

Osteen preaches his own version of what is known as the "prosperity gospel" -- that God is a loving, forgiving God who will reward believers with health, wealth and happiness. It's the centerpiece of every sermon.

Read this excerpt from the interview:

But the real money for Osteen comes from his book sales, which are re-packaged versions of his sermons. His latest book, "Become A Better You," for which he reportedly got a $13 million advance, debuted in October at number one on the New York Times bestseller list and has stayed on the list ever since. The book lays out seven principles he believes will improve our lives.

"To become a better you, you must be positive towards yourself, develop better relationships, embrace the place where you are. Not one mention of God in that. Not one mention of Jesus Christ in that," Pitts remarks.

"That's just my message. There is scripture in there that backs it all up. But I feel like, Byron, I'm called to help people…how do we walk out the Christian life? How do we live it? And these are principles that can help you. I mean, there’s a lot better people qualified to say, 'Here’s a book that going to explain the scriptures to you.' I don’t think that’s my gifting," Osteen says.

What I really want to understand is if Osteen believes he is NOT gifted to explain the scriptures to people, then why the heck is he pastoring thousands of people and taking on the responsibility of teaching all of them each week from the living Word?!?! The pastor who preaches regularly is responsible to be the one person in that community of people who is most trained in understanding the Scriptures as deeply as possible, so as to be able to correctly explain them for the chance that those listening would take those Scriptures to heart and live them out. The pastor is to be the local theologian for those people. The pastor is to give his life and time to doing his best to understand the Scriptures and correctly lead people to those truths in order to see life transformation. If he KNOWS he is not gifted and trained in doing that, then stop! By saying he knows he's not gifted in that, Osteen has completely negated his own authority to use Scripture for teaching. So he might as well just become some life coach or Dr. Phil. The only thing that would change about his message is he would stop twisting the few verses of Scripture that he's ever read and used.

I'm not claiming that anyone else has the understanding of Scripture down. If that was so, how do we explain the two thousand years of conflicting ideas about interpretational issues? I certainly don't believe that I have it down. Far from it, in fact. I am a student of the Scriptures and I will die a student as well. However, I also know that I am a servant of the Scriptures. Osteen treats the Scripture as if it is there to serve him in supporting his self-help campaign. He treats it as if it, along with God himself, are here to serve us. He would be better suited to be a writer for a fortune cookie company than take on teaching the Scriptures.

I know that all my understandings of God and the Scriptures are not completely right. There are other traditions of theology and beliefs within Christianity that have valid beliefs and understandable interpretations of Scripture to lead them there. I can accept that, loving them as brothers and sisters under the same Jesus. However, there come some who do completely pervert the Gospel message of servanthood and humility and make it about gaining wealth and prosperity. That sort of obvious twisting of the Gospel can not be validated as just another sect of Christian interpretation. That is a complete disregard for who Jesus was, what Jesus did in GIVING all of himself for humanity, and what Jesus taught us to do (follow him and his example of servanthood). Listen to Jesus' teaching to his disciples in Mark 8:34-36, right after Jesus taught that he must suffer and die soon.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (ESV)

This doesn't sound like the Jesus of Osteen's gospel. This is the Jesus who said, "I must give everything I have for those who don't deserve it because I love them. Now, if you want to follow me, you must live like me." We have to understand that when Jesus asked them to "follow me," that was a loaded statement! That wasn't simply, "Walk behind me." It wasn't even just, "Walk with me and worship me." It was, "I'm going to give all of me for you. Go and do likewise." Paul understood this as well. Listen to these words from Philippians 2:3-8.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (NIV)

That is the Gospel message. God who came down from all glory and honor to give it all away in a horrible, human death for the sake of all humanity. God who asks those who follow Him to follow His example of sacrifice and servanthood. That is the beautiful yet arduous Gospel.

What's New About Your New Year?

2007-12-28T14:44:00.000-05:00

So what's the use of celebrating the coming of a new year unless it is a milestone for reflecting on the past year and the starting line for new beginnings in your life? If the only part of life that changes with the new year is throwing away your wall calendar to replace it with a new one, then why celebrate the new year? There is no reason to set aside time to recognize the beginning of a new year if all that changes is the genre of pictures on your wall calendar!

John Wesley recognized this, seeing the importance of utilizing this celebration for reflection and re-commitment. Starting this tradition in 1755, Wesley called the service a "Covenant Service." It was typically held on either New Year's Eve or the first Sunday of the new year. It was a service specifically meant to aid in reflecting on the past year, seeing what needs to change, and rededicating the whole of one's life to God.

I'm not the biggest believer that just because someone else did it in church history, we should. I'm the last person to ever say, "That's how we've always done it," as reasoning for doing something. Tradition is good to look at and glean from, but not in the least amount imperative to use. However, in my opinion, there is much to glean from Wesley's tradition of the "Covenant Service."

This comes down to more than New Year's Resolutions and just trying to better oneself. This goes beyond mere self-improvement tapes and "7 Habits to a Sucessful Life" junk. This goes farther than Joel Osteen's "fortune cookie" way of using the Bible as a self-help manual. This goes to the depth of our souls as we understand that we are not our own, but are God's. We are His servants and owe Him every part of our lives for His use. This is why we need to take time like this to reflect, re-evaluate, and re-focus with new goals, dreams, and passions for the coming year. It is taught throughout scripture that each arena of life (physical, mental, emotional, social, etc.) is a part of one's spirituality and one's striving towards holiness. All those parts matter to God. Since we are creatures of forgetfulness and distraction, we have to take time out of our busy lives to evaluate where we've been, where we are, and where we want to be. Even more than where, we need to evaluate who we've been, who we are, and who we want to be.

Take time over these next few days to pray and think through this. Take extra time to evaluate this past year. Think about what you've done. Celebrate your successes and relationships with others. Mourn your mistakes and shortcomings. Think on who you've been. Take joy in your growth as a person and your discipline to become more like Jesus. However, recall your selfishness and tendencies to fall back into self-centered desires. Learn from all of this and look forward to this coming year. How do you want to be different? How do you want to walk closer with the Spirit every day? How do you want to serve instead of take? How do you want to love instead of hate? Think about each area of your life (physical, mental, emotional, social). These parts are a part of your spirit as well. When these areas of your life are marked by balance and discipline, your spiritual life begins to take on better balance and discipline as well. Measure yourself up in each of these areas.

Let these not be merely new year's resolutions, but commitments made in a covenant with God.

Settling in the New Residence

2007-12-27T16:18:00.000-05:00

I'm finally settling in down here in Liberty, SC. It was crazy trying to move my life down here and having to gear up for Christmas festivities at the same time. I made it though! I'm now settled in my house, living with Brady. It's quite fun so far. It will be even more fun when SWU starts back up. Then, we'll have more friends close by, and especially because Kindel will be less than 10 minutes away instead of 45 minutes away in Westminster. Here's a couple pictures of the house:

This is the living room. Yes, I know what you're thinking. You are in love with the fake wood wall paneling. I know. You're jealous. Ha... Brady and I are going to hook up extra car subwoofers (two 10" subs) into our sound system. I think the wood paneling will blow off the walls when we do that!

This is my growing DVD collection. For Christmas, I received:
- House - Season 3 (completing my House collection!!!)
- Scrooged
- Gladiator (3-Disc Extended Edition)
- Hamlet (2-Disc Edition)...This is NOT Mel Gibson's version. This is the good version done by Kenneth Branagh (4-hours long and GOOD)

This is the office room. Brady's section is on the left and mine on the right. Here's a closer look at my side:
I finally have two bookshelves to store my books on. And I still have a space for some music stuff. Thanks to Benji for the free desk! Much appreciated!

This is a picture of my floor lamp in my bedroom. I was planning to take more pictures of my room after this one. However, my camera broke. After a dreadful fall to the ground while the lens was out and unprotected, the camera cannot move the lens in and out very easily to focus. The sound of broken things inside makes me assume that the teeth of gears that move the lens back and forth are broken. This was quite a sad day. Now, I have yet another expense to take on whenever I get a job.

Other news in my life:

I'm reading Authentic Spirituality by Barry L. Callen. I read portions of it for a class in my undergrad, but I wanted to read the whole thing this time. It's not an enjoyable read so far, but it is informative.
I joined the Central-Clemson Rec Center a couple days ago. I'm starting a new routine of lifting and running again. I'll need encouragement to get back into it. The first month is the hardest!
Health insurance is expensive. Period.
I saw I Am Legend twice. It was remarkably good! If you have read the book, you might hate the movie. To pull a random number out of the air, it is only about 5-10% like the book. That's it. However, Will Smith is one of my favorite actors ever and he has again proven himself in this film! If only they could burn Wild Wild West and act like he never did that one...
I really want a hybrid Civic! I rode in Phil Pranger's hybrid Civic a few days ago and loved it! I hope I can get one in a couple years!
I'm looking forward to 2008! More on that in a post coming soon!
I miss the Wilmore guys! I'm looking forward to seeing you guys in a few weeks at Jack's wedding!

That's all for now. I'm tired of the coffee shop and am going home to find food. Until next time!

Apologies to my readers....or reader...

2007-12-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

To the few of you who frequent my blog, my apologies for not posting for quite some time. I moved from Kentucky to South Carolina a couple days after my last post. In Kentucky, I had internet access at the house, but Brady and I have not ordered cable and internet services yet. Without that access, my internet usage is limited to coffee shops and Panera Bread, which is where I am right now. It's hard to sit down in a coffee shop and collect all my thoughts for a blog, especially since I am usually not alone when I go there. After Christmas has come and gone, we will pick up our search for getting internet service at the house. Then, I will be able to pick up the pace and start blogging regularly. I hope to make blogging a daily practice, hoping that I can post about something interesting and at least not mundane each day. We shall see.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have time to spend with family and all whom you love over this season! I pray that you experience the work of God's Spirit in your life in a refreshing way!

Housemates' Christmas Portraits

2007-12-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

SWU boys. Free time. Trip to Goodwill. Tacky Christmas sweaters. Mmm...

So, yet again, a trip to Goodwill has paid off in quite some laughs. You can view the full photo album here on Facebook, but here is a glimpse at a few of them for your laughing pleasure. I hope it brightens your day...