The SoCal Gal: Music

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I'M LITERALLY OBSESSED WITH THIS SONG. The last time I posted for Music Monday was a loooong time ago (sorry!) but here we go! Hopefully I won't be as bad with posting as last year. 🙈

Like I've said before, finding a great contemporary song while being God-honoring is sometimes hard to find, so when I stumbled upon this song, I was stoked. Songs in the electronic/dance genres are especially hard to find. I've honestly never heard of Built By Titan or Svrcina. I literally found this song from googling "Christian EDM songs." Honestly, most of those results are usually not contemporary enough or too same-ol' sounding during the entire song, but I found this gem and I ended up buying it the next day.

I gotta admit, when I first listened to the chorus, I was like, what in the world is this song about? Is this actually a Christian song? When listening to it in the car for the first time with the family, my mom was, like, "Ummm...what is this song about?"

In the darkness/In the darkness/I will find You/In the darkness

It sounded like a dark song so to speak...pun unintended. Then I realized that it's about going through dark valleys in life but still seeing the Light through it all; a theme I love.

When you go through dark stages in life, do you seek the Light or do you just wallow away?

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Eph 5:8).

If you're going through a dark valley right now, pray this verse:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps 27:1)

Remember,

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (Jn 1:5).

This stage in life will pass in time, but for now, hold on to - seek - cling - to the Light; Jesus. Just because we live in a world and culture that loves darkness, doesn't mean we should act like them. We are a chosen people! No, being different isn't easy, but it beats being in the darkness all the time.

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness (1 Thes 5:5).

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col 1:13).

Friends, I hope you will not just enjoy this song for it's sound but savor the words and really think about what you do in the darkness. Do you seek Light?

Merry Christmas, friends! Today I want to share a song with you. It's not a Christmas song, however, it does describe what Christmas is centered around - Jesus' real, perfect love for us. Hope you enjoy this song, and savor it's meaning.

REAL LOVE IS WORTH DYING FOR.

REAL LOVE LASTS FOREVER.

REAL LOVE IS JESUS.

In our day and age, love is being sold for getting whatever you want, fulfilling your happiness and everything. This is true, but it's unattainable by anyone other than Jesus. Why? Because people are sinful. They can still love, but they don't have perfect love. Their emotions often sway their so-called love, and dash it to pieces. Real love does not forsake. Real love does not die. Real love does not hide. 1 John 3:16 (NLT) says,

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Jesus is the perfect example of real love because He really was perfect. Experiencing this radical love can happen and has happened with millions of people. It's supernatural.

Are you experiencing real love?

When you’re a child, Christmas is the most awesome time of the year (spoiler alert: it’s still the most awesome time of the year for “adult me”, but that’s the kid in me). The prospect of time off from school, the warmth of wood fireplaces and hot chocolate, and the constant mystery of what is in that curiously “calendar-shaped” present under the tree (why do they always give me a calendar?).

As you can imagine – and no doubt experienced for yourselves – it is very hard for a young person to grasp the true meaning of Christmas in their heart. “Yeah, yeah, the Son of God came down as a baby to save us from our sins. Now, lead me to the presents!” I’m sure we’ve all been there. But one Christmas, it was different.

When I was eight years old, I received a music album as a Christmas present from my sister. It was a Christmas album from my favorite band at the time – Relient K. Most of the songs were covers of the usual Christmas carols. But one of the their original songs caught my attention more than the others. It was called “I Celebrate the Day”. In the song, the chorus goes,

And the first time

That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior?

And the first breath that left Your lips

Did You know that it would change this world forever?

As a young eight-year old, suddenly the importance of Christ’s birth fell upon my heart with a realness and impact that I had never felt before. The idea that the God who created the universe and everything in it – the ultimate expression of power – would come down to us as a small baby – the greatest form of weakness and vulnerability. And the idea that Jesus, even as a baby, no doubt knew in His spirit exactly why and who He was there for. The idea that – from the moment he drew breath as a human – he thought of me. Specifically me.

Christ’s birth was the beginning of a journey – yes, for the world – but also for me to eventually accept Him as my Lord and Savior. For me to be saved and adopted into His family.

And I think the final words of the song explain my feelings at that time best,

And I, I celebrate the day

That You were born to die

So I could one day pray for You to save my life

From that day on, Christmas wasn’t about the presents anymore. I couldn’t put it into words at the time, but that was when Christ’s birth became real and meaningful to me. It was when I understood just what He did for me.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and remember the babe in the manger who in His first breath, thought of you.

Drew is an electrical engineer who enjoys writing, filmmaking, and reading. Homeschooled all the way through high school, Drew has operated his blog on and off for several years now with his brothers, at Genius Brothers Blog @ drew-penguin.blogspot.com. Their blog covers everything from life lessons learned, to film projects, to reviews of wholesome movies, music albums, and video games.

I was born into a musical family. My dad began piano lessons at the tender age of three, and my mom learned at four. We own multiple instruments and we love listening and making music. So yeah, music is very important in my family. :) You know, God could've decided, in the beginning, to not create music. But He didn't, and I am SO grateful for the beautiful gift of music! Music is one of those things that everybody loves or has at least heard. No matter what background you're in, everyone is an instrument. We can all sing, to an extent. Then there are those people who also play an instrument or write songs or mix music or just listen to songs. One thing that's pretty cool about it is that God didn't just create us to enjoy music. He created us to worship Him through music as well! See, it has this power. It makes you connect with the words in an incredible way. In the book of Psalms, there are many, many instances where the writer praises God with music. Here's just one, found in Psalm 100:

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

I'm so grateful to God that He gave us the gift of music. Without it, my life would not be anything like it is today.

Another VERIDIA song! "Mechanical Planet" is my top favorite. It's empowering, with an addicting rhythm and fierce message.

Set in the perspective of regret, the first verse begins with:

I'm your regret I'll/make you forget all/you were made to be

How many times have you regretted something you've done, or something you didn't do? I've done it plenty of times. I've regretted not speaking up for an innocent person. I've regretted speaking harshly to that friend. I've regretted not spending my time better. Regret can kill you. It will make you hate who you are and wish for the moments you wasted. The danger of it is it can make you unsatisfied, fast, especially because often, there's nothing we can do to get those moments back. The chorus of the song goes like this:

I never want you to know/you were made for perfection/not created defective/on this mechanical planet/you were not made to be/just some broken machine/on this/mechanical planet

See, regret is Satan's whisper. He's the Prince of Lies, and he'll do anything he can to distract you and keep you from accepting the truth. Satan wants you to believe that you're defective, broken and worthless. He wants to keep you from clearly seeing who you are - who God made you to be. Friends, God made each and every one of you for a special purpose. You are not worthless; you are priceless. You are not hopeless; there is always hope. God created worth in you and a beautiful purpose; something only you can fulfill with His power.

Don't let this mechanical planet deceive you. You're not a broken machine; you were made for perfection!

A little different then Hollyn's normal music, "In Awe" is a worship song, crying out to God in awe of His love. It's absolutely beautiful; one of my favorites off of Hollyn's new album, "One Way Conversations." This song is filled with Hollyn marveling about His amazing love for us, despite our sinfulness. I love the chorus:

I'm living in awe/You don't need me at all/but You couldn't love me more/I'm living in awe/every day I fall/but You never let me go/I'm living in awe

By hearing this song, I hope this opens your eyes to God's love if they haven't already been. If you already know of God's amazing love, I hope this brings you to worship Him even more.

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GUYS. I just found this band, and I literally can't stop listening to them. (Apologies to my sisters for playing it repetitively.) I think VERIDIA is my new favorite album. VERIDIA is a rock/alternative band with wholesome music. I first heard them on Air1 with "Pretty Lies," which was a decent song, but when I heard "Still Breathing" a few weeks ago, I was hooked. I looked them up, and it turns out they're a newer band. Formed in 2013, VERIDIA is made up of four members: Deena Jakoub (vocals), Brandon Brown (guitar), Trevor Hinesley (guitar), and Kyle Levy (drums). Wondering about the name? I did, too. VERIDIA is a combination of the words "veritas" (Latin for "truth") and "veridical" (also meaning "truth"), so, as Deena Jakoub says, "VERIDIA means 'of truth'" (Wikipedia). Pretty cool. :)

The big thing about VERIDIA, for me, that won me over is the combination of creativity in their songs (versus albums with songs that sound pretty much the same), infectious beats, clean and meaningful lyrics, and heart for God. Unlike most mainstream songs that have this level of musicality, VERIDIA has deeper, purer messages in their songs.

"Say A Prayer" is one of my favorites. Refreshing and encouraging, it's about remembering others who are in hard circumstances and praying for them. We can get so caught up about how "hard" our circumstances are that we forget how much harder others have it. "Say A Prayer" is a great reminder to pray for those who can't speak out.

Oh, did you notice something different? I revamped my blog yesterday, so let me know if you like this design or my old design better in the comment section!

Merry Christmas, friends!

Can you believe it's Christmas already?! I certainly can't. This morning, I remarked, "Wow, this year is over," to which my dad replied,

"Yep. And it just gets faster and faster every year." He looked at me, and I'll bet he was thinking about how little I used to be.

I chuckled somewhat. "Yeah, I've noticed that."

"I mean, how does the time pass this fast?" Dad continued. "You just really gotta cherish every moment."

I totally agree. Jesus, in His short, thirty-three year life span, definitely cherished every moment and used them all for the glory of God. We should follow His example and live every day as if it's a miracle. We should give without worrying, pray without ceasing, and love without fearing. I believe, if everyone in the world did this all year, it would feel like Christmas everyday, everywhere.

I have one more song for you. Here's "Heaven Everywhere" by Francesca Battistelli.

Do you feel sad when the festive and bright Christmas decorations and lights come down? It's easy to forget what the holiday is really about. Sometimes, it feels like we're de-festivizing (I made that word up) our houses by physically removing the markings of the season. We can get caught up with the visible things, that we forget the invisible, more important things. "For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal," as 2 Corinthians 4:18 puts it. Though the decorations will waste away, Jesus will not. Christmas doesn't have to be in December only. You can carry the truth and joy of it in your heart by remembering Jesus' birth and life, always.

This Christmas, I pray that you would draw nearer to Christ. That you would understand and appreciate Christ's sacrifice of coming down to our lowly earth. Christ came to earth for YOU. He came so that you could have a personal relationship with God and spend eternity with Him if you simply believe. Do you believe it? I do! I have the assurance that I am His child. And because of that, Christmas is even more special to me.

I hope you've enjoyed reading the 12 Days of Christmas 2016 series, because we've drawn to its end. May you and your family be filled with God's true love that sacrifices, His peace that assures, and His joy that multiplies. Have a blessed Christmas. Wishing you all the best in 2017!

~ Kaitlyn

"Noel" brings so much emotion and depth and power to the listener. Lauren's vocals are amazing as usual, and the meaningful lyrics derive from the Bible. The chorus goes like this:

Noel, Noel

Come and see what God has done

Noel, Noel

The story of amazing love!

The light of the world, given for us

Noel

My favorite Christmas songs are the ones that point us closer to Christ, not the ones that simply put is in a feel-good mood - not that those are necessarily bad; they just tend to draw us away from the real meaning of this holiday. "Noel" definitely draws our focus onto Christ's birth and the meaning behind His birth.

What are you focusing on this Christmas?

Listening to this medley, it just feels like Christmas. It makes me think of all Christmas is about. The joy of the Savior's birth. The hope and assurance of salvation through His resurrection. The renewal of our broken relationship with God. The promise God made so many years ago that He fulfilled. The dozens of prophecies fulfilled by His birth. And most importantly, the love that God showed by sending Jesus down to earth, so that we humans could have the privilege of having a personal relationship with God and spend eternity with Him in heaven if we believed.

Friends, this is the meaning of Christmas. Christ IS the meaning of Christmas. Besides, without Christ, it would be "mas." Seriously, though, Christmas could not have happened without Christ. No matter how much people deny it, it doesn't make it untrue. Just like saying that the sky is really pink liquid doesn't actually make it pink liquid.

Let me know how you liked "Christmas Medley" by Two Steps From Hell.

"Joseph's Lullaby" is a raw song in the perspective of Joseph, Jesus' adopted earthly father. In the song, Joseph is cherishing this moment with his newborn son and talking to Him about His future and His destiny to save the world. It's so beautiful and it just makes me melt every time I hear it. I hope this song directs you closer to Christ as you listen to the lyrics.

The first time I heard this cover of "Mary, Did You Know?" I got the chills. The vocals are hauntingly beautiful, and the melody is absolutely gorgeous. Naturally, this is one of my favorite Pentatonix Christmas songs, along with "Hark! The Harold Angel Sings," "White Winter Hymnal," "Coldest Winter," and "Up On the Housetop."

Do you like Pentatonix? What songs are you favorite?

I love listening to Christmas music. Do you? This year, I just couldn't wait, so I listened to PTX's "That's Christmas To Me" in August. Yeah...I'm one of those crazy Christmas people. :P

I don't listen to a huge variety of Christmas music, but here are some of my picks.

1. "Christmas" by Francesca Battistelli

Image result for christmas francesca battistelli

I still remember unwrapping this CD from my best friend (hi, Rachel!), also a Francesca Battistelli fan.

Favorite tracks: "Heaven Everywhere," "What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude)," "Christmas Is"

2. "Christmastime" by Michael W. Smith

Image result for michael w smith christmastime

Ever since I was a little girl, I have memories of perking up in the car, whenever my dad played this album, and dancing to the tracks. It's just built in me, and connected with Christmas.

Favorite tracks: "Christmastime," "Welcome To Our World," "(Medley) I Saw Three Ships/Joy To The World"

3. "A Pentatonix Christmas" by Pentatonix

My mom just surprised my siblings and me with this a few days ago! All the songs are amazing, as usual.

Favorite tracks: "Coldest Winter," "Up On the Housetop," "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"

What are some of your favorite Christmas albums? I'd love to hear from you!

Okay, so I'm kinda bummed there's no Royal Tailor anymore, but I'm excited that Tauren Wells will still continue making music. "Love Is Action" has a similar message to Hollyn's "Love With Your Life." I LOVE the dance feel in this song.

Hope you like "Love Is Action!"

I love Lauren Daigle. Her unique voice, her God-centered songs, and her story. Not too long ago, she released a deluxe edition of her album, How Can It Be. One of those songs added to it was "Now is Forever." This is my favorite of her songs so far - so much that I have listened to it looped about fifteen times before. :) It's such a yearning of being with God in heaven, being like God, and denying herself. It's a beautiful and refreshing song of pure worship, and I hope you enjoy listening to "Now is Forever."

In "Exhale," Plumb sings about not hiding from God and instead exhaling and letting go. It's a beautiful reminder of how God, as holy as He is, still embraces us even though we are full of swarming mistakes, sins, and struggles. Colossians 1:21-22 confirms this refreshing truth:

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."

Be reminded that you don't have to hide from Him - that you can come to Him and find healing and simply exhale!

If you haven't heard of Two Steps From Hell (pardon the name, please), they're an epic/soundtrack artist. I really like listening to their songs because they have so much emotion and drama in them. Some of their songs make you feel triumphant, or motivated (like this song), sad or cheerful. Hope you enjoy "For the Win"!

This is my favorite song right now. It's so good, one of the reasons being it's Hollyn! :) Her brand new single, "Love With Your Life," is about making a change in the world by loving with your life. The phrase, "Actions speak louder than words" are rooted in "Love With Your Life." The opening line says,

There's only so much you can say til' words turn into noise.

It's very true. Sometimes, we get so caught up in telling others to love, or just saying empty words, that we don't actually live it out in our lives, and it does become noise. I know, because I have definitely done it. The Bible backs up this truth in various places, one of them being in 1 John 3:18:

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

James 1:22 also says,

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

When you love with your life, you also make a change in the world. Talk is cheap. People can say whatever, and it won't change a thing. When you do something, though, it changes the world. Friends, we were called to make a difference! I love what Hollyn says at the end:

I don't want another day to pass, not another moment. I wanna live intentionally in light of eternity. I wanna love like You [Jesus] loved. I wanna love with my life.

I hope this encourages you to "Love With Your Life!"

Happy Fourth of July! Lol I decided to pick this song for Music Monday because in the beginning, Hollyn sings,

"When we are together we pop off like 4th of July. And when we're apart I can still see the lights in the sky. I've been around and around the world, I've never found anything better."

It's a good song though, so it's a win-win for the holiday and Music Monday. :P

"Nothin' On You" has a fun beat, one of my favorites from Hollyn. Let me know what you think about this song via comments, reaction, or the contact box. Thanks for stopping by!

Now this is my kind of song. I can totally relate with Jonny Diaz as he sings of the struggles of being busy and getting so caught up with a crazy life. "Breathe" calms me down, because it reminds me that sometimes, "Chaos calls, but all you really need is to just breathe." SO TRUE! The second verse especially hits me:

I'm busy busy busy
And there's no surprise to see
That I only have time for me
There's gotta be something more
To this crazy life
I'm hanging on tight
To another wild day
When it starts to fall apart
In my heart I hear you say
Just breathe

It's so true. Sometimes, I am super busy, and I don't have enough time to help out. At least that's what I think in my head. But it's not true. Jesus was busy. I mean, He had crowds of people always wanting to see Him, and He ministered to a lot of people. Despite people constantly swarming Him, Jesus was never too busy to help someone. See, He made time for others. I should be more like Jesus and remember that, even when "I'm busy busy busy," like the song says, I can be filled with "the peace of God that overcomes." Soak in this beautiful peace. I promise it will calm you.

So...if you're feeling the weight of this "busy busy busy," crazy life...

Music Monday - "The Darkness" by Built By Titan ft. Svrcina

Music Monday - "Real Love" by Hillsong Young & Free

12 Days of Christmas 2017 - Day 7: [Guest Post] I Celebrate the Day

Grateful to God 2017 - Day 2

Music Monday - "Mechanical Planet" by VERIDIA

Music Monday - "In Awe" by Hollyn

Music Monday - "Say A Prayer" by VERIDIA

12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 12: Christmas Everyday, Everywhere

12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 11: "Noel" by Chris Tomlin ft. Lauren Daigle

12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 10: "Christmas Medley" - Two Steps From Hell

12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 8: "Joseph's Lullaby" - MercyMe

12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 7: "Mary, Did You Know?" - Pentatonix

12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 6: Favorite Christmas Albums

Music Monday - "Love Is Action" by Tauren Wells

Music Monday - "Now is Forever" by Lauren Daigle

Music Monday - "Exhale" by Plumb

Music Monday - "For the Win" by Two Steps From Hell

Music Monday - "Love With Your Life" by Hollyn

Music Monday - "Nothin' On You" by Hollyn

Music Monday - "Breathe" by Jonny Diaz

Just Breathe.

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