Do you know any local bands that would be cool with me using one of their songs for a 90 second "promo" video? Something moderately "pop / rock" - it would be cool if it was centered around asking some questions about life / faith.
The purpose of the video is to promote an "environment" for folks who want to come and ask serious questions/dialogue about God, faith, Jesus, hurt, hope, pain, Christianity, etc.
If you have any ideas lemme know ASAP - I will track them down and do the asking if you don't want to.
-Jason
ps - please pass this along to folks who could help
Jason . r. gore @ gmail . com
(without the spaces)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
FYI - this is happening
Last week Aidan and Addy realized that upright movement was a legitimate possibility. With vigor and focus a couple of intentional steps were taken. As awareness grew... this lead to more and more effort over a 2 day period. As we have already noticed in his life thus far, Aidan seems to jump in pretty quickly (not sure where he gets it) and as a result we have some great video.
Addy is taking a step here or there but seems to be much more calculated in her efforts. Video will come of this as soon as she feels ready ;)
Enjoy.
-Jason
ps - yes I was sick during this recording and I am in fact not speaking underwater.
Addy is taking a step here or there but seems to be much more calculated in her efforts. Video will come of this as soon as she feels ready ;)
Enjoy.
-Jason
ps - yes I was sick during this recording and I am in fact not speaking underwater.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Greatest Christmas Song Ever... (and an extra poem)
Perhaps... Perhaps not... Either way this Christmas tune, written by Adolphe Adam in 1847, has to be on the top of the list. It captures so much of what a great song should be. It tells a story (un/arguably, one of the greatest ever...) It has a moving melody... and in my opinion one of the greatest measures for a song being a great song - it has stood the test of time. It has spoken to many generations with same power, hope, and significance I imagine it originally did. (other reasons but other things to say ;)
I encourage you to take a few deep breaths and just read the words. Enjoy:
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of Our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world In sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd And the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks A new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts By His cradle we stand.
So led by light of A star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men From Orient land.
The King of Kings Lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials Born to be our friend.
He knows our need, To our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.
Truly He taught us To love one another;
His law is love And His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break For the slave is our brother;
And in His name All oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy In grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us Praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory Evermore proclaim.
His power and glory Evermore proclaim.
Also (if you're still reading), a tad bit more history / significance:
As I was looking for the lyrics to this song I found some history. I found this song was composed based on a French Poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau. Below are the words translated in English. I would suggest it is an equally moving piece of art if not more. There is a lot of power in these words. WHen you're bored or overwhelmed by busyness this season... slow down, get as cup of coffee, and read these words... I think they speak to the soul and remind us of the situation we find ourselves in and how Christmas breaks into through in our world with Hope.
English Translation of Minuits, chrétiens / Cantique de Noël
Midnight, Christians, it's the solemn hour,
When God-man descended to us
To erase the stain of original sin
And to end the wrath of His Father.
The entire world thrills with hope
On this night that gives it a Savior.
People kneel down, wait for your deliverance.
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer!
The ardent light of our Faith,
Guides us all to the cradle of the infant,
As in ancient times a brilliant star
Conducted the Magi there from the orient.
The King of kings was born in a humble manger;
O mighty ones of today, proud of your grandeur,
It is to your pride that God preaches.
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!
The Redeemer has overcome every obstacle:
The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.
He sees a brother where there was only a slave,
Love unites those that iron had chained.
Who will tell Him of our gratitude,
It's for all of us that He is born,
That He suffers and dies.
People stand up! Sing of your deliverance,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer!
Love and Peace friends,
-Jason
I encourage you to take a few deep breaths and just read the words. Enjoy:
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of Our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world In sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd And the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope The weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks A new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts By His cradle we stand.
So led by light of A star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men From Orient land.
The King of Kings Lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials Born to be our friend.
He knows our need, To our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.
Truly He taught us To love one another;
His law is love And His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break For the slave is our brother;
And in His name All oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy In grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us Praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory Evermore proclaim.
His power and glory Evermore proclaim.
Also (if you're still reading), a tad bit more history / significance:
As I was looking for the lyrics to this song I found some history. I found this song was composed based on a French Poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau. Below are the words translated in English. I would suggest it is an equally moving piece of art if not more. There is a lot of power in these words. WHen you're bored or overwhelmed by busyness this season... slow down, get as cup of coffee, and read these words... I think they speak to the soul and remind us of the situation we find ourselves in and how Christmas breaks into through in our world with Hope.
English Translation of Minuits, chrétiens / Cantique de Noël
Midnight, Christians, it's the solemn hour,
When God-man descended to us
To erase the stain of original sin
And to end the wrath of His Father.
The entire world thrills with hope
On this night that gives it a Savior.
People kneel down, wait for your deliverance.
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer!
The ardent light of our Faith,
Guides us all to the cradle of the infant,
As in ancient times a brilliant star
Conducted the Magi there from the orient.
The King of kings was born in a humble manger;
O mighty ones of today, proud of your grandeur,
It is to your pride that God preaches.
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!
Bow your heads before the Redeemer!
The Redeemer has overcome every obstacle:
The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.
He sees a brother where there was only a slave,
Love unites those that iron had chained.
Who will tell Him of our gratitude,
It's for all of us that He is born,
That He suffers and dies.
People stand up! Sing of your deliverance,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer,
Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer!
Love and Peace friends,
-Jason
Monday, December 07, 2009
Faith... He is good... He is sufficient
There is a Pastor named Matt Chandler and he is the Lead/Teaching Pastor of the Village Church in Texas. In the semi-strange christian subculture that I am probably a part of, he is a guy that I listen to from time to time and usually always find great words of challenge, wisdom, and encouragement. He has a passion for God, the church, and most of all the healing Jesus offers to the world (the gospel) that is matched by few that I have ever heard.
On Thanksgiving day he had a seizure. They found a he has (had) a tumor on his right frontal lobe. I am so challenged and encouraged by the response of he and his family to this situation of unknowing. I wanted to share it with anyone who would take the time to engage. He had surgery this past Friday and it was "successful" as best they can tell so far.
He wrote this the day he was having surgery.
I would love for you to watch this video of Him also. This was taken before his surgery for his church to watch this past Sunday in his absence (in the hospital recovering from surgery or otherwise.)
One thing I really connected with was his line about "because he was so blessed he always wondered if/when he would experience difficulty." I have felt that way before in life. When our children were born (3 months early) I thought to myself... this is it. I pray we stand strong in the faith that we believe to be true. Please God grant us the strength... If I am honest - I still have that feeling sometimes... wondering if there will be a next time... I realize terrible things happen that we will never explain and/or understand. My prayer is if it does I can have the faith that this man/family has. I dont want that for my sake but for the sake you, my family, my friends, and for the glory of our Savior, Jesus.
Love and Peace,
-Jason
side note - I am in no way suggesting that myself or someone else is more or less of a person if they do or dont have this type of faith. I am only suggesting there is something brilliantly hopeful about this type of faith that connects deep within my soul and I hope it for myself (and others) should I ever encounter such a situation.
On Thanksgiving day he had a seizure. They found a he has (had) a tumor on his right frontal lobe. I am so challenged and encouraged by the response of he and his family to this situation of unknowing. I wanted to share it with anyone who would take the time to engage. He had surgery this past Friday and it was "successful" as best they can tell so far.
He wrote this the day he was having surgery.
I would love for you to watch this video of Him also. This was taken before his surgery for his church to watch this past Sunday in his absence (in the hospital recovering from surgery or otherwise.)
One thing I really connected with was his line about "because he was so blessed he always wondered if/when he would experience difficulty." I have felt that way before in life. When our children were born (3 months early) I thought to myself... this is it. I pray we stand strong in the faith that we believe to be true. Please God grant us the strength... If I am honest - I still have that feeling sometimes... wondering if there will be a next time... I realize terrible things happen that we will never explain and/or understand. My prayer is if it does I can have the faith that this man/family has. I dont want that for my sake but for the sake you, my family, my friends, and for the glory of our Savior, Jesus.
Love and Peace,
-Jason
side note - I am in no way suggesting that myself or someone else is more or less of a person if they do or dont have this type of faith. I am only suggesting there is something brilliantly hopeful about this type of faith that connects deep within my soul and I hope it for myself (and others) should I ever encounter such a situation.
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