Genius In Progress

A refuge for the poor, a shelter from the storm
This is our God
He will wipe away your tears and return your wasted years
This is our God
So call upon His name, He is mighty to save
This is our God

A father to the orphan, a healer to the broken
This is our God
And He brings peace to our madness and comfort in our sadness
This is our God
So call upon His name, he is mighty to save
This is our God

This is the one we have waited for
This is the one we have waited for
This is the one we have waited for
Jesus, Lord and Saviour
This is our God

A fountain for the thirsty, a lover for the lonely
This is our God
He brings glory to the humble and crowns for the faithful
This is our God
So call upon His name, He is mighty to save
This is our God

–Chris Tomlin

Ok, I admit… I was trying to wait until at least Thanksgiving to pull out the Christmas music, but with all the talk of snow and people putting up Christmas lights and all, I couldn’t resist. This song has some pretty cool lyrics… I highly recommend tracking down the song and actually listening to it, but for those of you too lazy, here are the lyrics.

I Celebrate The Day

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let you know
How much you've touched my life because
Here is where you're finding me
In the exact same place as New Years Eve
And from the lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I wanna be

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
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

And so this Christmas I'll compare
The things I've felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That you have come to meet me here

To look back
And think that
This baby would one day save me
And the hope that
That you give
That you were born so I might really live
To look back
And think that
This baby would one day save me…

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
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

And I
I celebrate the day
That you were born to die
So I could one day
Pray for you to save my life
Pray for you to save my life
Pray for you to save my life

– Relient K

Johannes printed off a bunch of Rich Mullins songs a while ago to add to the huge stack of songs we have on the piano that we play all the time. I had previously known one or two of them, but he loaned me one of Rich Mullin’s CDs (the last one, actually) and I have been listening to them, and realizing more and more how awesome they are. The lyrics I think are even more impressive than the music. The lyrics of the following made me think when I stopped to read them:

Hard To Get

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened in the hurt

I’m reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All these words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can’t see how You’re leading me
unless You’ve led me here
Where I’m lost enough to let myself be led
And so You’ve been here all along I guess
It’s just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get.

– Rich Mullins

Something tocuhed me about the part about being lost enough enough to let myself be led. It just reminded me that God works in mysterious ways sometimes, that may even seem like abandonment at the time, but He always knows what is best for us, evening when we have no clue. Our God truly is an awesome God.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. Thanks especially to my dad for teaching me all that fun stuff I need to know. Check out the lyrics… it’s an awesome song, and it’s got POSITIVE lyrics about dad. Woohoo!

What’s a dad for dad?
Tell me why I’m here dad
Whisper in my ear that I’m growing up to be a better man, dad
Everything is fine dad
Proud that you are mine dad
Cause I know I’m growing up to be a better man

Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I’m older I wanna be the same as you

What’s a dad for dad?
Taught me how to stand, dad
Took me by the hand and you showed me how to be a bigger man, dad
Listen when you talk, dad
Follow where you walk, dad
And you know that I will always do the best I can
I can

Father I will always be (always be)
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me (over me)
Now I’m older I wanna be the same as you
The same as you

Father I will always be
That same boy that stood by the sea
And watched you tower over me
Now I’m older I wanna be the same as you

(When I am a dad, dad
I’m gonna be a good dad
Do the best you could, dad
Always understood, dad
Tell me I was right, dad
Opened up my eyes, dad
Glad to call you my dad
Thank you for my life dad)

– Life of a Salesman, Yellowcard

I got to tell you that he waited all his life
For someone like you to come make the wrong things right
I know he didn’t have the answers all the time
But you can’t tell me that you’ve never told a lie

We’re almost twenty-three and you’re still mad at me
So much that I said to you and I want to take it back now
Twenty-three and it’s so sad to me
You tell the world I’m dead to you
But I know you want me back now

Was it fun for you to watch him fall apart? (Watch me fall)
And suffocate him while you held him in your arms (in your arms)
I swear to God I wish he never let you in (let you in)
And I just hope we never hear from you again

We’re almost twenty-three and you’re still mad at me
So much that I said to you and I want to take it back now
Twenty-three and it’s so sad to me
you tell the world I’m dead to you
But I know you want me back

Wasted on you (wasted on you)
Wasted on you (so much time I’ve)
Wasted on you (wasted on you)
Wasted on you
On you
On you

Twenty-three and you’re still mad at me
So much that I said to you and I want to take it back now
Twenty-three and it’s so sad to me
You tell the world I’m dead to you
But I know you want me back now

– Twenty Three, Yellowcard

PS Names and people represented in the song are fictional and bear no relation (other than age) to any characters in (my) real life

she told him she’d rather fix her makeup
than try to fix what’s going on
but the problem keeps on calling
even with the cellphone gone
she told him that she believes in living
bigger than she’s living now
but her world keeping spinning backwards
and upsidedown
don’t say so long in the cellphone
don’t spend today away
’cause today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
like history is gone,
just try to prove me wrong
and pretend like you’re immortal

she said he said live like no tomorrow
every day we borrow
brings us one step closer to the edge (infinity)
where your treasure, where’s your hope
forget the world and lose your soul
she pretends like she pretends like she’s immortal
don’t say so long
you’re not that far gone
this could be your big change to make up
today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
like history is gone,
the world keeps spinning on,
you’re going going gone,
like summer break is gone,
like saturday is gone
just trying to prove me wrong
your pretend like you’re immortal, you’re immortal

we are not infinite
we are not permanent
nothing is immediate
we’re so confident
in our accomplishments
look at how dark it is

Gone, like Frank Sinatra
like Elvis and his mom
like Al Pacino’s cash, nothing lasts in this life
my high school dreams are gone
my childhood sweets are gone
like es a day that doesn’t last for long

life is more than money
time was never money
time was never cash,
life still more than girls
life is more thand hundred dollar bills
and oh the town fills
life is more than fame and rock and roll and thrills
all the riches of the kings and up in wills
we got information in the information age
but do we know what life is
outside of our convenient Lexus cages

she said he said live like no tomorrow
every moment that we borrow
brings us closer to the God who’s not short of cash
hey Bono, I’m glad you asked
life is still worth living
life is still worth living

–Gone, Switchfoot

“And he said…
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
that this fight is not worth fighting

I have seen their mothers
And I will no other
to follow me where I’m going”

–Dispatch

“Sunrays and Saturdays”

Open the window
Let the sunset in
If only for the last time
Let me see you smile again

I’ll take my records
You can have your books
I’m sorry I never read them
But it says so much about us

Always trying
To make love out of care
The perfect recipe
But something wasn’t there

And I wish you
Sunrays and Saturdays
Perfect starry nights
Sweet dreams and moonbeams
And a love that’s warm and bright
Sunrays and Saturdays
Friendship strong and true
Oceans of blue and a room with a view
To live the life you choose

You’ll write me letters
I’ll call you on the phone
A wire away from touching
And never quite alone

We’ll get to know ourselves again
And we’ll heal our hearts
It’s not that we’re bad together
We’re just better off apart

Always trying
To have one and one make two
And even though it never worked
I still feel love for you

– Vertical Horizon