Hey Y’all…

I just wanted to point you toward a new book that i’m thoroughly enjoying right now. It’s called “The Last Christian,” and although i’m only a little more than halfway done (i’m a slow reader, and this one is giving me a lot to think about) i can already recommend it. While i would normally hold a recommendation until i’ve completed a book, this one, while fiction, has given me a lot to chew on from a Christian perspective. This is one of those books that i’m really looking forward to discussing with friends when i’ve finished it. I especially recommend this one for fans of sci-fi–specifically near-future (think The Hunger Games, City of Ember, or the movie Gamer)

Here’s a recap from the publisher:

A.D. 2088.

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father’s unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity.

Click Here to see more information!

And now, just the obligatory disclaimer: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

The Confession

I’m the kind of man who holds on tight
To the memory of what I’ve done
Every restless day and sleepless night
It’s in my head just like a movie
That I’m watching from the drive-in of my life

‘Cause my mind knows Your mercy is enough
But my heart wants to deserve it

I need You to forgive me
For forgetting You forgive me
I need You to remind me
That Your grace is big enough to save me

I’m living proof that Love is blind
In my weakness You gave everything
And though unrestrained I am confined
As I’m building up this prison
And I’m swallowing the key while I’m inside

These bars are made of nothing but my pride
And I need you even more than when
You set me free the first time

I need You to forgive me
For forgetting You forgive me
I need You to remind me
That Your grace is big enough to save me
From my past and forgive me for my future
You can save me from myself
And forgive me when I hurt You
You can save me from my freedom
And forgive me when I trade it for a chain

 

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I just wanted to tell both of you about something exciting! As you may or may not know, Andrew Peterson finished recording a new album early this spring. Instead of releasing it right away, he decided to shop it around and see if anyone was interested in distributing it. A label called Centricity Music decided to pick it up, and the album will finally be released nationwide in October.

While this is exciting news in it’s own right, even more exciting is the fact that (at least for now) Centricity has put the entire album up for preview in an online jukebox! That’s right…you can check it out in it’s entirety for free! Click here to give it a listen!

As you probably know, Andrew has been my favorite songwriter for many years. As much as i’ve loved each and every record he’s done, this one is probably the best (i’ve only listened through it twice, but my first impressions are strong!).

Don’t miss the chance to preview the record…and please, support it when it’s released! As a culture we can’t afford to let music like this be overlooked and under-supported.

While i’m on the topic of good music, all of you should head over to www.noisetrade.com and check it out. It’s an amazing concept started in part by Derek Webb and some friends. Basically, over 60 artists (and the list grows every day) have put music online (many entire records) that you can download by one of two options: 1.) you can give three email addresses of friends that you think might like the songs, or 2.) you can pay whatever price you like. It’s the future of music in my opinion–and that’s a good thing!

So head over there. Several artists you should look for (and remember, you can get the albums for FREE!) are Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Jill Phillips, and Andy Gullahorn (who’s (free) album ‘reinventing the wheel’ is probably is on my top 5, and who was one of the producers of Andrew Peterson’s new album).

Don’t pass it up, and check back often. New albums are added all the time!