oasisCHURCH

Help Bring "The King" into the Top 50

I'm calling on all you websurfers to give me a hand with something. In a recent post I mentioned that I had joined a community of Christian songwriters called "Indie Heaven". I've spent the last few hours nosing through their website and I've discovered something pretty cool. Any member of Indie Heaven can submit a song to something called the "Fan Faves" section of the Indie Heaven website. Apparently, the Fan Faves section of the Indie Heaven website is one of the most heavily trafficked sections of the site. People go there to listen to songs that Indie Heaven members have submitted. After they have listened to a song they vote on it. The more votes the song gets the higher up it moves on the charts, ergo, more and more people hear the song. What I'm asking from you, if you have the time to do so, is to go over to the Indie Heaven website and vote for "The King" in the Fan Faves section. Once you learn how to do it it should take you less than a minute if you have a high-speed connection. You are allowed to vote once a day. The King will be on the Fan Faves chart for the next 30 days. It would really help me out if you were able to vote as much as humanly possible over the course of the next month. If you are able to vote every day that would be great but any amount of votes would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, here's how you do it:

First Go to the Website
Follow this link to the website:  Fan Faves @ Indie Heaven
This link takes you directly to the Fan Faves website at Indie Heaven.  If you scroll down you'll notice a long list of songs and artists on the right hand side of the page.  There are approximately 50 listed.  You'll notice that at the moment "The King" is not listed.  You can help me change that by voting for the song.

Here's How You Vote
Since "The King" is not yet in the top 50 you have to find it like this:

When you scroll down to the list of songs you'll notice a drop down window above the number one song.  From left to right you should see some text in red that says "view our other charts", then the drop down window which should say "view all" inside of it", then a little buttown you can click that says, "view".  Simply click the "view" button and all the songs currently on the Fan Faves chart will come up.  "The King" is all the way down at the bottom at number 194.

To vote for "The king" you just do this:
To hear the song you just click on the title.  To vote you just go over to the stars.  When you drag your mouse over the stars they fill up.  Give the song whatever amount of stars you think it deserves.  1 star means "I would rather have had a root canal than listen to this song" and 5 stars means "I LOVE THIS FREAKING SONG!!"

While you're at it check out some of the talent at Indie Heaven.  There are some really incredible songs on the Fan Faves list.  Check those artists out and vote for them as well.  Remember, this is going on for the next 30 days and you can vote once a day.  Thanks for helping me out. 

chad 

Songs of Solomon: The Writing Phase Is Nearly Complete

A short while ago I did a post here regarding a new project I had been working on.  The post was called "A New EP on the horizon".  I've since come to call this project "Songs of Solomon".  God has been incredibly gracious with me in this new endeavor.  When God first began prodding my heart with this project I have to admit that there was some sinful reticence within me.  These reservations were largely self-conscious items of concern.  The purpose of this project was to create Bible based, God-centered, love songs from husband to wife (and vice versa).  But I had to ask myself, "Is it okay to do something like this and then give it to other people?"  I worried that putting these songs in the hands of our fellowship, and for mass distribution on the internet, could have negative effects.   I don't want anyone to think of these songs like some kind of gimmick to give me an excuse to write sappy love songs.  My aim with this music, as is the aim of all the music that God has given to me, is to return it to him in worship for the sake of glorifying him.

To Married Couples:  I encourage you to take this music and allow it to take you straight to the Bible.  Open the Song of Songs and read it together.  Learn how God intends love between husband and wife to appear before Him and the world.  Learn how God intends sexuality to be conducted.  Some may read the words of Solomon and say, "Well that just sounds like some newlywed couple...wait till they've been together about 10 or 15 years...they won't be like that then...how much you wanna bet they won't be saying all that then?"  If you are such a person then please know (and I say this with sincere love) that the problem with your perception lies within your own heart, not the sentiments of Solomon.  In other words, if you no longer look upon your spouse in the way that Solomon and his bride see one another then something is not right.  In all things that you do, ground them in a firm biblical foundation so that you would not stumble constantly over sin and fall under condemnation.

To Singles:  Let these words wash your mind clear of any doubt in how God regards marriage, love, and sexuality.  Notice that the only acceptable context for sexuality that is given to us in the Bible appears here in the Song of Solomon.  That "proper context" is marriage.  O how I needed the words of Solomon when I was 17.  For so much of my non-married life I was completely wrong about God's design for sexuality.  I was equally as wrong about God's design for love.  When we're single we convince ourselves of so many things that aren't true.  Even when we're "involved" we convince ourselves of so many things that aren't true.  Sinfulness always clouds the issues that matter.  Too often single people and unmarried couples convince themselves of lies.  It's more difficult for the pervasiveness of sin to break through when you have the word of God steadfastly stored in your heart.  So I encourage you, if you're living in a sinful relationship, if you're committing rampant sexual sin, if you've perverted the concept of love in your mind, please stop.  Stop pursuing unrighteousness.  Seek the cousel of God in prayer and in His word.  Begin learning how it is that you can pursue righteousness in your life, especially your ineractions with the opposite sex.  Begin glorifying God with your whole self.   

Below you'll find four very rough tracks from the Songs of Solomon project.  There are only two more left to write and once I've completed writing them I'll rough them out on my digital recorder and then post them here on the net.  I just recorded vocals and acoustic guitar.  This will give you the idea of how the songs will eventually be.  Think of these recordings like reference sketches.  I use them to help me remember what I did that I liked so that I can re-capture it in later recording.  One of the songs (Beautiful) has a long break in the middle of it for an instrumental solo to be added later.  Again, that's just part of the sketching process.  Check these tunes out at will...feel free to let me know what you think...I'm always up for constructive criticism.  I hope you enjoy these works in progress...

Beautiful
Only You

Open to Me
Resting Shadows

Hebrews 1:3 - A New Song

This is one of the new tunes that you've been hearing once in a while during our times of gathered worship on Sundays.  Chris posted the lyrics in another post but I'll go ahead and post them here again.

A dying son birthing righteousness
For the Father, for His Father’s renown
All have fallen low
All have failed to see
But mercy through grace
From the Father, to honor Him as He

Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
All the universe stands by the power of His word
When He died He brought all I could not see
Without Him

For all You are
All in joy should raise all the praise that you deserve
For Your splendor, Your immaculate renown
Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
All the universe stands by the power of His word
When He died He brought all I could not see Without Him

All hearts open here
See the grandeur, greatness, vastness of the King
You’re astounding; breathtaking
You’re astonishing; awe-inspiring
That’s You, I love you Lord, that’s You
That’s You, I love you Lord, that's You

......I hope you enjoy this recording

Download Hebrews_1_3.mp3

You...My God

This is a new song that I was recently given, I actually just finished writing it about an hour ago.  I was calling in my heart to learn an important lesson about the growth of my spiritual relationship with God.  This song is how God responded to my prayer.  It's a very quiet, meditative kind of song.  I don't have a name for it yet so if anyone can think of something to call it please give me your ideas.  Here are the lyrics:

Verse:
You came into my life
Like a storm out on the sea
I fell apart there in Your arms
But You saw the best of me
On that day You filled my heart with life

Chorus:
Now I am breathing You my God
Now I'm in love with You my God
I long to be held by You my One, my God

Verse:
Please hold me close like Your bride
And place Your hand indside
My everything bare before You
Come replace myself with You
I know You're there
So I tell the stars tonight

Chorus:

Verse:
Come rest Your head next to mine
Jesus I need You near
I'm Yours in every way...unbound
Though I'm fallen You smile on me

Chorus:

Download untitled_song.mp3

A Musical Prayer

Last night I came home and felt a strong compulsion in my heart to pray. I felt the irrepressible urge to pour my heart out to God. I felt like God was calling on my heart to engage in an intimate moment with Him. In my music I am vulnerable. My music is the voice I best know how to use. I sometimes wish that I could speak in this voice and no other so that my most pure heart can be given to God at all times. This is a weakness of mine I realize and I’m trying to let a voice spring from every ounce of my being. But as many of you know this is a learning process and God is yet busy teaching me how to do many of these things. Yet I love to express this voice to God. So I sat down and planned nothing. I simply found a sound that moved me. I turned off the lights, lit a candle, and stripped my soul naked before God. This is what came out of that moment. Perhaps it’s nothing to write home about but that doesn’t really matter to me. This was the conversation that God and I had last night. It was His love pouring into me and my heartfelt attempt at pouring it back out to Him. Sometimes the things we do can feel insignificant or inadequate. Yet God is a steadfast presence holding us there in the dark beside the candle. He wraps us in His warmth. He kisses the top of our head and cradles us. He sways us in His arms like his greatest love. His smile weakens us because it is so beautiful. He is there with us when we look upon the night sky and behold the majesty of the stars calling us home. He is there with us when we behold the splendor of life an invigorating sunrise. He is the rain that covers us in love and grace. He is…everything. He has been this since before the rise of time. He has been this all our lives even before we knew the sustenance of breath. He is the kiss of joy upon our lips. He is to be praised in all things. So let all our voices, in whatever form they might come, rattle the heavens with abounding joy. Go ahead. He is listening………………………

Download musical_prayer.mp3

You Move Me

Lately I've really been diggin on this Matt Redman tune called "Breathing the Breath" and it made me realize something.  I used to almost exclusively write for piano and voice.  Yet I have not yet done a praise band song in this setting.  I was hoping that God might lay something on my heart and like always He did.  It had been one of those days where nothing goes the way you want it to go.  I was frustrated to no end and I was sitting alone in my office when the urge to worship God washed over me.  I prayed a very simple prayer in that moment, "God help me to praise you now.  Help me to lift your name up in glory."  Then God slammed me with His love and it was beautiful.  This song is a result of that night.  I call it "You Move Me" and the lyrics are below.  My prayer is that it may speak to your heart like it spoke to mine as a reminder that God is ever present and always moving in our lives. 

You Move Me

These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
The dark and fear inside
These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
The chill of wayward days

Your eyes have seen me
Your eyes have found me
Your arms have held me
Your heart has touched me

Lord you move me
Lord you free me
Lord you fill me
Lord you reign in me

These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
Your calming touch inside
These eyes have seen
These eyes have known
Life unchained in your words

Your eyes have seen me
Your eyes have found me
Your arms have held me
Your heart has touched me

Lord you move me
Lord you free me
Lord you fill me
Lord you rage in me

Lord you move me
Lord you free me
Lord you fill me
Lord you reign in me

Download you_move_me.mp3

Let My Heart

When I first read through Psalms 119 I took notes along the way.  Basically I took note of any lines that stuck out to me.  Tonight I sat down with that list of lines after taking these past several days to ponder on my studies of Psalm 119.  As I was looking at these lines of scripture they just began to come together in a song.  This new song is called "Let My Heart" and it's a synthesis of some of my favorite lines out of Psalm 119.  This passage of scripture has impacted my life in big way this past week and I had to express that somehow.  Hence, I was given this song.  I began work on this song probably about 5 hours ago and after a dinner break I decided to sit down at my little workstation to whip up a rough cut of this tune.  I'm eventually going to go back and do a lot more with this song but this is the skeleton of it.  I just had to share it with my family because I feel like God really did a powerful thing with me tonight.  These words from His scripture have just really hit home with my life experience.  So below you'll find the lyrics to this song as well as the link to download it.  I hope that these words can minister to you as they have ministered to me.

Let My Heart:

Verse:
Open my eyes to see
Revive me by your word
How sweet are your words to my taste
I need the guidance of your hand
I rest my hope in your words
On your path is where my joy is found

Chorus:
Let my heart speak of you
Let my heart shower you
Let my heart beat wild for you
I will thank you by living your word

Verse:
Your word is a lamp for my feet
And a light for my path
Your gifts are my treasure
You've been the music of my life
Surround me with your mercy
So I may be your hearts delight

Repeat Chorus:

Bridge:
I faint with longing for you
You're boundless...beyond compare
Come salvation
Make me true for you
Make me true

Repeat Chorus:

Download let_my_heart.mp3

Amazing Grace

How many recordings of "Amazing Grace" do you think you've heard in your lifetime?  Hard to say isn't it.  Well, I decided to whip up a version of the tune.  We just got our regular keyboard back from the repair shop so I put it to some use to help me come up with this rendition of Amazing Grace.  Download at will.  I hope you like it.  This is one of those songs that I truly don't think I'll ever get tired of singing. 

Download amazing_grace.mp3