Stain My Eyes

Live from The Wire. Hope you love it!

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:15:00 -0800

Live from The Wire. Hope you love it!

Junior

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:49:47 -0700

Former NFL player Junior Seau was found dead today after an apparent suicide. Depression is heavy, share the burden. Friends: be present, serve each other, and love.

Things

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:57:23 -0700

You’re not entitled to them; you’re privileged with them.

Oceans Have No Favorites

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:46:58 -0700

1 Well, I’m afraid, God. I’m not totally sure where the next step is

Or even if said step is gonna take me any closer to heaven

What if the worst happens? And I walk West until I hit the Pacific

And I wash away in the ocean along with all of my habits

5 Good or bad, it’s no matter, oceans don’t play favorites

I just want to be able to know I’m doing your will with confidence

The worst part isn’t the drowning so much as it’s that you got what you wanted

Please don’t retract the calling, the writing, the screaming that I thought was sacred

9 I’ll try to give so much every night that my blood and sweat stains the floors

I promise I’ll do everything to make sure nobody remembers my name before yours

jules-anne: so gooooood

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:50:32 -0700

jules-anne:

so gooooood

Happy Easter

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:32:03 -0700

To be separated from God is to be a son with no father

It’s like being an ocean bed with no blankets of water

There is one that took our place, His view of God’s face was severed

He became the drought so that we could drink from His side forever

Pushing It

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:24:55 -0700

The beauty of Christ isn’t simply that He died for your sins. He also conquered death through resurrection. Therefore, not only are your sins atoned for, but death has NO sting. If you’re not the church-going type, please consider going to church today. You may hear something that makes sense.

Gravity

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 21:48:29 -0700

When your world is turned upside-down, thank God for gravity.

We Are All Wrong

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:45:00 -0700

Found this today. Just some thoughts from a couple of months ago.

1 When something gets some attention

I’ve gotta find the flaws in it

Cause 6 million souls in just two days

Have seen apparent damage that moves them to work for heart change

5 It’s not to say that it was perfect

Or that I’ve pledged an allegiance

But the fact that I can’t escape

Whether wrong or not, our opinions are always God-ordained

9 I could set one off with just one word

A brother is set to draw his sword

But it looks like we all believe

God’s word ain’t verses, instead it’s one man versus everything

Happiness Is

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:37:00 -0700

Can I come home

Home so I can watch my kids grow

Implications

Paint me so I look like a drunk

I am done

Ain’t marriage great when there’s one in a cage

‘81, oh my, how you’ve changed

Litigation is required

I have to protect my funds

So I’m checked out

And made my own checking account

But you have to file

Cause I won’t file

I heard from God that I’m right and you’re not

That’s right, you were wrong this time

Well...

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:01:00 -0700

You have a limited amount that you can give of yourself. No matter how far you dig, eventually, your own cup will run dry. This goes for every person. The Holy Spirit is an endless well. Fill your cups with the Holy Spirit… always.

It was a good day.

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:33:53 -0700

It was a good day.

Recluse

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:38:00 -0700

The spider in this is labeled as a “she” (Much more poetic than “it”)

1 Her dainty legs sidestep potential plight

Though spineless, her legs still walk a straight line

Her markings suggest a unique design

More than distant eyes can identify

5 Recluse is respectful with no pretense

No shallow assumptions or harsh judgements

She has humility like a lamp stand

And fine hair that feels like silk in your hands

9 She dawns a distinctly rare set of eyes

Though, I’m sure she would tell you otherwise

Somehow they’re piercing, but always gentle

If ever they’re harsh it’s incidental

13 She will admit to a sharp set of teeth

Hid in her mouth so the poison don’t leak

Despite this power she’d rather not bite

Because just like her teeth, she loves to hide

17 And hide, this recluse definitely will

It could be more than a few months until

She determines to peek her head again

Piquing the interest of the int’rested

21 Her venom could hand a life certain death

But she will not bite off another’s flesh

I shouldn’t fear cause I will not advance

Well, I might, but she’ll probably line dance

25 That is not totally fair to assume

She’s not a wolf just howling at the moon

But she is a spider undoubtedly

And spiders still scare the crap out of me

Peace is a Fruit, Not The Tree

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 05:09:00 -0700

If you’re a strong believer in peace, please know that I am not writing this article/essay/what-have-you to endorse war, conflict, or dissension. In fact, I’m writing to promote peace—not the peace that signs a document with half-truths and empty promises, but a genuine peace that surpasses all understanding. Now, what are you standing behind by fighting for peace? I understand that activism has become a sort of trend to an extent, and a lot of people are genuinely upset by this. I get why somebody would resent the casual facebook activist for blasting their wall with viral cause videos. However, I personally have no problem with philanthropy being thrust into the public spotlight. (“I cared about people before everybody else did.” “I liked Invisible Children before they went mainstream.” [note: there are legitimate questions as to the ramifications of an apparent humanitarian trend {i.e. what happens when it’s no longer cool to care about Uganda?}]) Although, I am concerned that we don’t always understand what it is that we’re proponents of.

Peace is a hot word right now. Everybody and their Ray Bann’s are pleading for peace to prevail (heavy-handed stereotype). While this doesn’t bug me, I do feel that people need to know what peace is and why it’s important. Are we asking for peace because we don’t believe that anybody deserves to die? Is it because the risk of killing the deserving at the expense of the innocent is too high? Or is it really because peace signs look cool on bracelets and t-shirts? There are a multitude of reasons why somebody could be a supporter of peace. All we know is that somehow we are united through our quest for peace, regardless of our reasons.

Think about this dream: somehow, whether it’s the activism spike, the viral media, or any other means, that every country in the world drafts a perfect foreign policy and is now a part of a united world peace treaty. No more war. Imagine a world that wasn’t at war with itself. Wouldn’t that be something? Hypothetical situation: let’s say that this dream is a reality. Would there be ultimate peace? Maybe that’s not the right question. If there were no international wars going on, would there still be gang violence? Would there still be theft? What about sweat shops? Unfair trade? Drug trade? Sex trade? Let’s even say that somehow we were able to eliminate all of these things through organizations and non-profits. Would people still hurt each other? Cheat on each other? Will we ever escape evil??

The point is this: no matter what we do, there is always war. We will always be at war with each other, and if not with each other, ourselves. Something is wrong at the core of our beings. Whatever means we take to show love, hope, happiness, or whatever we do just to avoid hurting other people, there will come a time where we will fail. We will disappoint ourselves and others. Maybe the peace we’re all looking for is the kind of peace that shows grace to our imperfections. If there is no other common thread between you and the rest of humanity, then you’ll still have the imperfection that binds you. Are we on board with that? Let’s not answer too quickly.

Jason Russell. The butt of many a joke right now. If you don’t know who he is, this may jog your memory. Kony 2012. Chances are that you either got excited or angry with that short sentence. I get it: when things get popularized, people get polarized (ironic twist). Anyway, to make a long story short: Jason Russell, the co-founder of Invisible Children (organization responsible for the Kony 2012 movement) was recently detained and then hospitalized after running through the streets of San Diego whilst drunk and in his underwear. Assuming the worst, he was drunkenly doing really lude things in public. He disturbed the peace (that word means a lot of things … ). Whatever angle you look at it from, he was and is still very wrong for what he did to be detained. I am, however, taken aback at how much people have used this story to completely invalidate everything that Invisible Children has done and will do. As soon as this story made headlines, we were ready to crucify the guy and the organization that he helped build. “He’s a fraud, a fake, a *expletive* hypocrite!” As if he were worse than Joseph Kony himself. I doubt anybody honestly thinks that, but what are we trying to work towards here? Peace. Oh yeah… “But the difference is that he’s in the spotlight so he deserves to fall when he messes up.”

With this view, it’s practically impossible to see peace as being tangible. We’re so ready to show what peaceful intervention can do to stop foreign conflict and war, but will we not take action to reconcile with Jason Russell, our neighbors, or even our own friends. How can we establish ultimate peace if we can’t even get along with our own friends? Should we even try to move towards it if we’ll never see it? This all sounds really discouraging. I sure hope there’s a resolution …

… there is. I don’t believe that peace is unattainable. I believe that it’s inevitable. There will come a day where all darkness will be brought to light and the motives of men’s hearts will be revealed (check out 1 Corinthians 4:5). I have faith that Jesus Christ will establish a peace that will last for eternity. We merely have a choice (as far as we see it) to be a part of that or not. How? Through reconciliation. Through Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, and is now entrusting us to this very message of reconciliation (check out 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Christ’s death means reconciliation between us (broken humankind) and God (perfection Himself).

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

If you don’t believe in God, or you just don’t believe in Jesus as the son of God, I desperately ask you not to tune out just yet. I’m sharing these verses so that you can possibly understand where Christians are coming from when talking about sin and forgiveness. Sin is a tough word to swallow because of all the pretense and judgement that comes with it. Nobody likes to be told that what they’re choosing to do wrong. I know I don’t. What we believe about sin is that it goes beyond the things that we do. It comes down to the core of who we are. A brilliant song/lyric by mewithoutYou exclaims, “a glass can only spill what it contains.” A huge reason why we aspire to depend on God as an everyday relationship is because we have come to the conclusion that our hearts will not lead us in the right direction. We will not find ultimate peace in ourselves. Therefore, we cannot pour out perfect peace. So we rely on God to fill us up with His love and His peace. That’s what we’re talking about when we mention the Holy Spirit. Ultimate peace is peace that goes beyond all understanding. Peace is a fruit that comes from the transformation of your heart through the Holy Spirit.

“For in him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things to himself. Making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20)

In conclusion. We should work towards peace with all people. Peace goes beyond campaigns and foreign policies. It surpasses governments and conflict resolution. It transcends understanding itself. You have to seek what you wish to find. If you wish to seek peace, know this: Peace is a fruit, not the tree. Root yourself in Christ, and you will bear peace to all of the nations… including your own.

Negotiating Ghosts

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:34:00 -0700

1 I’ve spent so much time negotiating with ghosts

Negotiating how much I’ll allow them to know me

However, much dancing around reason and logic

Has lead me to question their very existence

5 I’ll improvise as many reasons as I want

But the validity will always fall short of concrete thought

Sometimes truth is more like water or air, you can’t grab a handful of it

But a headful of the devil can give you dehydration

9 This evil is a rock, there’s no question that there are blood filled hands

I just pray that if Good is the ocean, He’ll turn the evil into sand

I Want You to Think I'm Funny

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:25:54 -0700

I’ve been thinking a lot about Facebook, twitter, and now my sudden interest in tumblr (mostly because I’ve been at home all day). If somebody looked at my page, they wouldn’t exactly find a whole lot that points to my faith. I would like to let you know right now: if you’re not a Christian, I believe that these ensuing thoughts can bring insight, as well as shed some light on “Facebook” Christianity, and therefore be relevant to you as well. With that said, I will continue right where I left off. I consciously make a decision NOT to post verses all that often, I’m reluctant to share a spiritual anecdote unless I really believe that it’ll make an impact, and I most certainly stay away from posting anything that deals with debated theology. While I believe there is honest wisdom in steering clear from posting about those all-to-debated hot button issues in the Christian faith, I’ve really been battling myself about the other two.

I feel that if I’m constantly posting verses and praise reports (Christian lingo for good things [the way we see them] that happen to or for us), then I’ll come across as a pharisee that prays and fasts in public so that everybody can see how awesomely close I am to God. On the other hand, I may come across as pretentious or elitist if I deliberately don’t post Bible verses because I think I’m better for avoiding the newsfeed. It’s also possible that by not posting anything that pertains to what I believe to be the most important part of my life, people may question just how important that is to me.

It’s definitely important to me that people think I’m funny. Although it doesn’t run my life, often times it will dictate how comfortable I am with a friendship. If I don’t feel like I can make you laugh, typically I’ll anxiously consider whether or not you like me at all. I’m not exactly proud of that truth. In fact, it’s something that I haven’t even realized about myself until this past Sunday night, and it’s definitely not a trait that anybody should cater to. This revelation hasn’t totally shocked me though. I look back at my Facebook statuses and think about some of my comments and I can definitely tell that based solely on my Facebook presence, my main goal with social networking sites is to make people think of me as a bright, clever individual. Sometimes it seems to work. Other times … not so much. Luckily, now that I’ve acknowledged my apparently humorous insecurity on the internet, I can finally conquer it via this post (tongue in cheek).

Ultimately what I’m trying to work though is my visible identity. I know who I am, at least to an extent. I know what I believe. I’m confident in myself as a person. Why? Because my faith in Jesus Christ has given me an identity far better than one that I could have made or imagined for myself. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are called to be a lamp on a stand, or a light on a hill. You should be a beacon of Christ so that others would ultimately see His light in you. Am I hiding my lamp under a bowl by my reluctance to post something spiritual due to my fear of alienating people? Is my apprehension dimming the light that I’m reflecting? Or if I post a verse a day, am I just feeding into the problem that we have with non-relational evangelism, discipleship, and growth? I don’t know, but my gut tells me that there’s some sort of balance to be found here. So with that, I’ll say goodnight. I don’t typically end my rants (incoherent “blahs”) with concrete conclusions. There isn’t really a nugget of wisdom, acronym, or three point challenge. I just kind of write until I feel better. So … I feel better now. Goodbye.

Here’s an acoustic cover of one of my favorite songs. You...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:49:34 -0700

Here’s an acoustic cover of one of my favorite songs. You can download it for FREE if you’d like. The lyrics are killer.

Horizontal Liar

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:15:00 -0700

1 I’m a warrior—standing tall and righteous

A pride that won’t fall. I’m humble and I know it

I’d better better myself if I want to taste heaven

I’ll never, never burn so I can still get in

5 I see the queen in her beckoning attire

She came into town looking for a bright young squire

The queen, she picked me (the last thing I expect)

But the bed of royalty was not my intent

9 As I lay down my opportunities and gaze upon her form

I see the curves and sweat attempt to justify the storm

Well, normally conviction would keep my Adam behind bars

But my ship’s fruitless bow boasts a performance that leaves it far

Far from any altar

14 She is beautiful and she is broken, well, I guess we both are

Cause a responsibility lies with a horizontal liar

I cried out to God, “Your temple’s on fire in my heart!”

Then she praised, “God! I’ve finally found a godly counterpart.”

18 You see, she’s a dungeon full of secrets, this queen

Secrets kept in cases of bottles that she can proof read

They come out once, never twice to repeat

Silence again, but there’s no truth in the cup she drinks

22 She’s a metaphor cause she has no identity of which to speak

An anomaly of beauty that twists and bends when it’s convinced it’s ugly

Her worth? It’s a painted tree and all of the flesh

It inherited from a sacred loaf of broken bread

The River (cover) | Sounds of Satellites New Manchester cover....

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:03:32 -0800

The River (cover) | Sounds of Satellites

New Manchester cover. It’s free for download.

and Junk

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:06:00 -0700

Hey everybody, my name is Chance. I’m a singer/songwriter from a band called Sounds of Satellites. I just decided that I’m gonna start posting lyrics, songs, and other random junk. I hope that you enjoy my random thoughts, rants, and musings. I just like posting new things and I wanted a place that I could do it without spamming facebook walls.