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PMA!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Yes! I'm doing it! Heres some of my Application form Interview thing, In case anybody wants to see. Pray for me man.... Please write a brief explanation of why you want to take this course and how you feel doing so would benefit both you as an individual, as well as your Home.
A: Well…The word says witnessing should be EVERYONES NO.1 profession ideally, so I don’t really understand why everyone isn’t trying to take PMA and it’s only a select few people. If it’s the next big training course for our Life’s ministry and will help us to reach the Family’s goals and serve God during the Offensive, we should take the course if we can.
Actually earlier this year I asked the Lord about my spiritual progress over 2008, and what the goals for 2009 are for me personally. He told me I really need to battle lethargy in several areas, and that taking the PMA would be the Impetus I need to pull out and push me into an uncomfortable place. So, to be completely Honest, I’m not taking PMA because I “want to” or am really thrilled about the massive reading list. I actually am sort of “not” looking forward to it right now, because of the Pressure and stuff that I think it will bring, Ha. Of course I know it’s a good pressure though, and I also know that I don’t really know the whole picture yet so I should make up stressful stories in my head. I am taking it because
NO 1; Being in the Family for good, It’s training I think we all need- Even if it’s hard, It’s a good hard that will change my Mentality about witnessing. So, as a Family member, I think It’s common sense to get the training I need in this area if It’s my life’s objective. I obviously need something to be different, or I’d have loads of sheep and bible classes.
And NO 2; The Lord told me to get out of my comfortable place by doing PMA. Almost more the then the actual training, I’m looking forward to the spiritual stretch that I need in my discipleship.
NO 3; our home Needs all the push It can get to break out of 20 years of mindsets about witnessing. So If I can push myself out the door more, hopefully I can take some of the home with me! Not the mention the added sheep and friends our home will gain as a by product of PMA.
Hey all, took a couple days off for Family Feast 2009. Let's burn something down! I was going to do a fantastic write-up of our closing feast dinner with pictures of our cool costumes...BUT Mary beat me to it. So please gohere to everyones Costumes, and see the food. Happy Family B-day 2009! that's what...41 years of a colorful history?
Heres my top songs, Not in any order or number: But they are classics to me and they deserve mention, for one reason or another. Sometimes a song can really be a significant step in someones life, and to another person the same song might be nothing special. The songs I will pick will be from the FFT era and onwards: anything before that, I don't remember it "coming out" it just always was: My own songs of course, will not qualify for this review either. duh. Some of these songs are things that I can actually remember telling someone when I was 15, are the top 3 family songs. I still think so now. PS: these songs are chosen based on the response they had AT THE TIME of the release, not what I like right now.
My lists of FFT TCD classics: Talking about our family: If this song ever plays to a van-load of people, and everyone in the car doesn't sing all the words to at least one of the rap's, It's probably their way of asking for prayer. This song still gets everyone singing all the little sounds and blips that come with gusto. It's old, but STILL...has this certain energy that other songs don't have, however cool they may be. When this song came out, I remember like 3 teen girls ( I was like 10) sitting around the tape deck rewinding again again to memorize the words to the song. It was the bomb. technically the song is a perfect representation of hit 90's rap by Secular standards. the production is amazing, considering the number of tracks, and huge amount of little sound clips and blips and all the noises that make the song cool- WITHOUT computers! this is 1995 folks... Image how many hours of sampling and tweaking it took. Definitely a top 10.
My Little Rose I flipped out. I only remember thinking "I wish the Chorus drums went to double time instead of halftime, but the drummer probably can't play it, That's why". Looking back as a producer I wouldn't have though, ha. To me at the time, This was the first authentic punk song that with the feeling I loved. It came out at the right time too, just when punk was really big in the system and we were all complaining that the Family couldn't "do it". It was my favorite family song for a year at least.
Charlie Made a Monkey The song of that year for sure...It was a whole new step up, I remember teens being like "Woah, we can do this kind of music?" It was really spot on with the popular stuff of the late 90's. It still wields a certain power you don't really get anymore, even though it's old. Classic.
Wild Cats I know other people don't get this song at all. But for me it's one of the best family hits of all time. I was so ready for this kind of Straightforward fast rock music with real shredding. "Go Get'm!" so cool. It a pretty cool concept song and the music is simple, But catchy with a lot of power. Nothing this fast came out before this time, so it was a new sound for family music to a lot of people, I think.
We cannot be Angels Looking back now, I can't really see what everyone was into this song, Including me. It's not "Super amazing" and actually sounds pretty flat to me now. But all I know is everyone in my house, even the "out-of-it" teens, were mad about this song and the whole album actually, when it came out. Julie was fresh, young, and really relateable to a lot of people. The vocals were totally new and sounded like "system music" if you know what I mean. I think everything in the song just worked really well for the time it was. It was definitely a world-wide smash hit at the time, Classic.
Offending Pain Very cool. It was dry, distorted, and angry-with a new message and approach carried by a top40 vocal performance by Vas. The perfect combination. One of the Best family Rock songs ever, and the only reason I haven't covered it is because It can't get better then this.
Died for you This Song (and Album) was a step up for family music in terms of sound and professionalism. This really had a true pro-studio quality about it, because it was a true pro studio. The sound and production of this song and CD is truly flawless. I was probably old enough to appreciate quality back then, and I couldn't picture a better song. I got goose bumps hearing this the first time.
All that Glitters (Original Mix) John...That guy can do any genre he puts his mind to very well. This was the first family song that fell under the genre of "trance". (Not house or dance or techno) This was trance. I'm pretty sure this song was waaaay overplayed at parties and dance nights for about 2-3 years. A total hit, and another first for family music. It was a whole new type of cool sound, and if this song didn't come out I think things would be different in the electro scene in the family today.
Root Of all Evil Wow...Looking back, It doesn't actually sound all that great, nor are the guitar parts too cool or anything. I just remember getting the chills and listening to it several times in a row the first time I heard it. It was the first half decent rap/rock song, and that style was all the rage back then. Not Classic, But this along with a couple other songs signified to me the return of the TCD standard. The few TCD's before this came out were pretty low point's for me personally.
It's your time to fight Off arguably the best TCD yet, This song and several other songs off the CD took family homes by storm. This TCD was really the solidifying of Godfrey's high place in Family music history. It's your time to fight was just a killer production for it's time. It was really the first time such aggressive lyrics were passed, and it was a new standard for powerful music that also sounded almost flawless technically. Very significant song and TCD in our history.
Lifeblood first time I heard this I played it 3-4 times in a row. I Actually got those "It sounds like system music" Vibes, in a good way. It was just the pop/punk style I was into, and I thought it was such a cool song. I was going around my house raving about it. listening back it's not the greatest mix, but I was 16 and I couldn't tell. This song gave me the chills for some reason.
Called I still remember the first time we heard this; Gabe downloaded the whole Creature CD and I think it was Mick, Gabe, Jesse and I in the studio and we listened to the whole album through together really loud. This song Just felt so right. Back then we were into POD and Creed and whatnot: This song Really had that heavy spaced out feeling that was cool. It was a real trip. We all said this one was the best on the CD, and I still think so. Wow...Thats four Godfrey songs in a row!
Lets Make Love Still my Favorite LJ song. This song has real honesty, and I can feel Vas really belives and Lives these words. Other LJ stuff Is nice but I think this song it tops for simplicity, yet powerful, Catchy, Inspiring and real. This song IS a classic, 10 years later it's still as cool as it was. It always works at LJ night. I remember saying back in the day I thought this was one of the best 3 family songs ever.
Eagle Bleeds THIS song...I remember hearing the tape SO much. We way overplayed the thing...Poor drivers. No one will forget this song or the tape. It was the first time in the family for this kind of Aggression. We ate it up. Let me just say something about Vas. I can tell within...5 seconds of listening to a Vas song whether it's his own song, or something He is singing for someone else. He does a good job on both of course, But when he sings his own songs, you can tell. Something about him, is that...well, more then other modern family artists, he really sounds real. He sounds straight up and honest about his message, and really has that extra spark in the spirit that makes everyone everywhere love the guy. I'd really like to hear more from him right about now.
Why you Hate me This is the last Family song I listened to, and got "the chills". Justin is real, you can tell from his music. He is the real thing, and not some poser trying make a hit record for the family. He loves Jesus and the spirit comes through in his voice. You can feel it esp. In this song. This wasn't so much a first in the family musically, But this song and the way it was executed with his fresh voice was really God. This has the fire! We all listened to this CD way to much.
broken wing A first for a Real top40 sounding Rock song of this feel. The Creed era was going strong back in 2003 or 4, can't quite remember when this came out. But the genre was just waiting to be done properly in the Family, and Peter and David beat us all to it. It sounded professional...the guitars had that real Heavy sound we were hearing the Radio but not on TCD's, and David's voice was new and Killer. Nothing quite as worthy as this song came out for years afterwards.
Thats not all the songs I wanted to honor. But I have to stop somewhere. The family does have a lot of great songs. TTL! Lets keep working on it. Other songs that didn't quite make it to the list, but are also family top40 awesome songs are: Million Voices Shangrila(Classic) Radical Teens (Godfrey's) Psychic Waste (the real thing) Prophet (Amazing chill inducer) Double speak (Amazing lyrics) PHILLYDEE (everything)
Hey once again. Here's a little bit of reality. These are from today. Just thought I'd a talk a little bit about what we use nowadays when we go "busking", in the lifelong struggle to follow the shining star that is Streetlite. Let's have a moment of silence. Today was a bit slow...We tried a place we don't usually go to, It's like a rest area off a highway- so we got out 7 CD's. But, the lord is always cool, and we met 2 guys from the Rotary Club who seemed pretty intent on calling us back...but you never know. Pray they do! It was a pretty-fun-very-warm-very-good-sandwiches day, and we had times when no one was around so we did a couple ones we don't usually do, for practice. Florence didn't come today- She doesn't usually come unless we have a "Gig" and not just busking. Anyways, To the point: Here's Shun, in all his glory. He looks like king with that guitar. We're old-skool. Where would we be with that XTlive....
Naoto with 1 of his 2 babies, Yamaha P-120. His other baby would be his Korg X-50. This guy is one of the funniest people around. Look at him...see that...glint in his eye? he just turned 16 Taka with his Fender P-bass. This is one solid tall guy. You can count on him. God willing we'll be getting some type of analog bass DI-distortion stomp unit soon, right now he goes straight into a mixer channel (it's a Hi-Z input) but the mixer we take around has no mid frequency sweep, so it's not the punchiest tone you've heard. (Bringing his tube Trace Elliot Combo would be kind of.... loud. It sounds sweet though. ) Our Manager. Tabitha is the best. She's by far my favorite band manager ever. (That's actually not her real face!) Me, taking my turn under the speaker. Don't ask, It's totally normal here in Japan.Shun and Naoto fooling around between sets.The guitar case with Cable case holding it up. Cool signs uh?
The center of out busking system. I...just...thought...you might want to see...it Oh, here we are playing "Change the World". Oh! Here I am, surprised by the Camera. I'm totally un-prepared, but we are learning to be ready for anything. It's the offensive.
"hint": Look at the guitar cabs. My God, I don't wanna be anywhere near that gig. "How about a nice wall of Mush?" Tip: For that "great sound", hang a mic over the cab, in-between the speaker cones. Tip: For that "tube sound" I'm actually curious to know what that last one sounded like. I wonder If he was happy with his tone that night. Really, That person doesn't deserve an amp like that! Lol!
Alright, what's wrong with this mic placement?It's in front of Britney Spears.
here's why I created this blog. To say things I think are important...but not important enough to record a song about.
Wow, T'was so fun to see everybody, I'm so glad you all showed up, and you know who you are. I actually had a lot of fun, holding a hand here and there, and slapping some backs. It didn't help that some folks at home at the gurgules, So we couldn't like...LEGALLY...hug. and that REALLY sucks. If you can't hug family members at a fellowship...you might as well not go. It feels so darn un-natural!! You see your chick friend across the field...and the loves starts pushing it'self into your legs, forcing you to run across the field yelling their name. You skid to a stop, she looks into your eyes, wanting...whatever is it, but whatever it is, you can't do it to her. You just say, "HI! I missed you. Uh, yeah, you look nice." An evil voice is telling you "Hug them! hug them! nyahaha!" But no, you're a Christian. You wouldn't dream of it. We all know a influenza epidemic is ravaging Japan, but hey. Somehow it's just not possible that the fever or barfs your home is circulating could have come from one of the hundreds of people you stood next to on the train, or had breathing on you out witnessing. You didn't pick it up from a sick kid during the children's hospital CTP, and you didn't get it from the brazilian lady behind you at the checkout. We already know, that the sickness came from "-blank-" home! really guys, when can we just...hug? Honestly, carcasm aside, I understand why we weren't hugging and stuff, I get it. PTL! BUT...you know...those times...when someone in the home has only a COLD, or maybe a fever. Of course non-family members need to go to work, and get on that train behind you even if they've got that fever. But we in the family...stay home. Even just not coming in direct contact with the diseased would launch our preventative measures over the pitiful system labor machine. Come on. In heaven, when we find out exactly how many times we picked something up from a family member from another home VS picking something up from our frequent outings in the world, I think thats where we will have those "tears in heaven" Dad talks about. (hey...do we not go to the supermarket or hit the trains when our home has measles going around? No. Them neither!) I love you all! hugs and kisses (Just kidding, none of that for a couple of months yet). I'm going with Tabitha tomorrow to see a contact and possibly book a gig. (Should we not? for his sake?) Something...I think...is a little bit weird here. Lord...help us to have more faith, and trust in you. You have the answers! Now I delivered my soul, I will trust God.
