Why do you believe it to be true?

"Although I try to fend off dicussions like this, Cameron's response made me curious. You seem intelligent enough, so I ask you WHY you believe it to be true.

WHY, without any real, convincing evidence to support that Jesus was not just another human, do you accept that Christ is your personal savior?

WHY, without regard to the rules of logic, do you come to the conclusion that God probably exsists?

Don't get me wrong, I fully respect the belief you presented because it gives everyone the opportunity to be "saved" regardless of what their parents taught them was right, but I still can't grasp why you feel the need to invent (I do not want to use that word but I can't think of a better one) such a tale to explain something that could just be left unknown."

This quote was directed at me just a couple of weeks ago. I had decided to weigh in on an acquaintance's online discussion about the role of "religious practices" in Christianity, and my comments prompted an individual to ask me the above question.

Its a tough question.

This instance was, honestly, one of only three or four times in my entire life when I had been asked, point-blank, the reason why I believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God by someone not sharing my belief. And the last time was probably over 3 years ago.

I was glad that he asked me. I looked forward to actually having to compile my rationale into something of a point-by-point account of my though process. My response, as poorly-written as it was, works decently as a quick summary of why I believe what I believe. Here is a slightly tweaked version of it:

"What has convinced me of the truth of the Gospel (and I use the word "convinced" cautiously, because of course there are many, many times when I doubt, I question, and have to rely on the good ole' Christian fall-back faith... actually, I have to rely on it at all times), you might find completely unconvincing. Personally, the person of Jesus Christ and his message is the most beautiful and worthwhile thing I have ever heard. I think that it truly presents the most beautiful way to live. I think that the sort of descent of humanity presented in the Bible makes perfect sense and goes a long way to explain why there is evil in the world, why there is good in the world, and why we can tell the two apart. It validates good art and gives it worth, it gives value to human life, it assures that "love" is real and is important, it is able to speak to things that science has no way of approaching (all of this is simply my opinion, of course).

Obviously, there have been countless books written about the scientific evidence for and against specific claims in the bible written by men much smarter and more informed than me. There have been countless books supporting and refuting the existence of Christ from a purely historical standpoint, and then books about his resurrection. I don't really want to get into a debate about this stuff (and am nowhere near qualified to do so). I'll just say that the "official" cultural verdict (if it even matters) is still out on pretty much all of that stuff regardless of what both certain Christians and their counterparts would like to say.

I guess the last thing I'll say is something that, really, will likely be of no value to you. You can think its crazy or a lie or whatever. But another reason why I believe these things is because I really do have a relationship with Jesus. I have encountered him in subtle, but unmistakable ways--felt his nudging in my heart, heard his soft voice, witnessed some small-scale miracles, and have been changed. The days that I spend seeking him through prayer and scripture, I really do believe, make me a more humble, compassionate, and loving person--not that I'm not still just terrible now, but he is definitely doing a work in me. I am different than I was 5 years ago. I am different than I was 1 year ago. These are the things I lean on when I doubt or when I don't feel him. He has given me these wonderful experiences to look back to in times of insecurity."

Rough read, right? I think the main point I was trying to make is that it isn't scientific or historical "proof" that has convinced me of the truth of the Gospel--it is Jesus Christ, his character, and the work he has done in me and through me that gives me confidence. That other stuff might be what others cling to, but for me the beauty of the Son of God himself is where I find my assurance.

"Fight Night" Disappointment

Last night the fifth boxing night that my friends and I put on happened. Let me give you a little background on the event. It all started a little over 2 years ago when my friends and I rented "Fight Night: Round 2" for ps2. We all created boxers in the game with our exact heights, weights, and appearances. For a couple of days we had tournaments with our digital representations before we asked ourselves, "Hey, why don't we just really box?" So we did.

A couple of my friends bought boxing gloves and head gear, everyone bought their own mouthpiece, and we had the first real-life "Fight Night" in a friend's back yard. Everyone came up with a "character" that they would play for the matches (similar to pro-wrestling, I guess). We filmed the event and I edited it into a 10-minute video, which we have done with every Fight Night since.

When it was my time to fight, I became Cameron "Captain Insanity" Heger. I wasn't very good. I fought my good friend Tyler "The Mystical Dragon" Ceola the first time and lost the decision.

A month or two later, we had the 2nd Fight Night, this time with several spectators present. "Captain Insanity" lost his 2nd bout to Ryan "Pilgrim Rest" Toomer. It was disappointing. At this point, I was the only one of my friends with 2 losses and 0 wins.

Fight Night round 3 happened a significant amount of time later (I dont' remember exactly when). Many of our friends came out to watch the boxing. I suffered my worst loss yet.

At this point, I knew I had to do something--I couldn't keep on losing all of my matches. And instead of doing something to improve my actual boxing skill, I relied on superstition and blamed my losses on my name ("Captain Insanity")--so I changed my name to Cameron "The Bad Minton" Heger. The funny thing is, I did actually win my fight at the next fight, which happened probably 6 months after Fight Night round 3, with probaby 15 spectators or so. "The Bad Minton" was officially undefeated.

We started planning the fifth Fight Night at the beginning of the summer. I had the idea to try to get into actual decent boxing shape. Before I had a match lined up, I started training every day for the 3 weeks leading up to the fight. Ellen hand-crafted custom boxing shorts for me. I borrowed an old bath robe from my dad. I was going to get a 2nd win.

So last night, it went down. I fought a friend I had known for a long time (going all the way back to elementary school). He had some size on me, but I figured I would be in better shape. Anyway, the bell rang and I came out much more aggressive and confident than I had ever been before. It was the first time I had ever really had much power behind my punches, and I wasn't tiring very fast at all. It seemed that I had won the first round by a pretty big margin. So I was ready for the next one. I came out for the 2nd round and Dylan was a little more aggressive, but it was pretty even for the first half of the match. I knew I would have more stamina the longer the fight went, so I wasn't worried.

Then, it happened. I dislocated my kneecap while trying to dodge a punch. I went down in a lot of pain. I knew I wouldn't be able to fight anymore. My spirits were crushed. I had lost the fight on account of "technical knockout." Its one thing to simply get out-boxed, but its another thing altogether to have something like this ruin the fight. And so The Minton had a record of 1 and 1.

I must say, I still had fun. It was a fun night of friendly competition (as it usually is), and there will be other matches for me. I'll just have to make sure that I bring my knee braces.
-Cameron

p.s. If you like pop, soul, or rock n' roll, do yourself the favor of buying the new Spoon album "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga." It is quite fantastic.

The fruits of labor...

Well, I know it has been a long time since I last posted. I apologize. I would like to be able to say that I'm going to start blogging much more frequently now that the summer is in full swing, but I feel like I've said that in pretty much all of my last few blog posts, so I'll leave that little clause out for now. I may or may not start posting more frequently.

Anyways, I just got back from a camp called Ravencrest just outside of Estes Park, Colorado yesterday. It was my third time to go to Ravencrest, and it truly was an amazing experience, but I'll save that story for another post. This post is about something that has consumed much of my time, thought, and creative energy over the past year--my band, Christmas Fuller Project's first full-length album. It is called "The Philosophy of Time Travel" and it has been in the works for just about a year. Last Saturday, June 23, we finally released it for the world to hear. This is significant for a couple of reasons I feel are worth mentioning. One, as someone who criticizes music (although rarely on paper, and even more rarely with any real insight) all of the time, it is pretty exciting to actually create and put something out there for other people to react to. And I'm so proud of it, and I think there other guys in the band are, too. The second reason is that we as a band (with a new 5th member, no less) can now finally move on and start working on new material, which is exciting. Here's the cover art for the album. Aaron Hopwood and I designed it and Nick Roland digitally put it together.


After pouring so much into it, it feels really nice to just sit back and let go of it. It is finished, done, and there is no more tweaking left to do. Now we just have the privilege of hearing the thoughts of whomever will bless us with actually listening to it. And, for any curious people out there, shortly you will be able to buy the CD on CDBaby.com and iTunes. The easiest way, of course, is to just buy one at a show ($10).

But while the album itself is finished, it isn't quite done with us just yet. I got the idea to create a music video for one of its songs recently, and we shot that video just over a week ago. Its a simple performance video (and I knew it would have to be to retain a shred of dignity given our limited video resources), but we had a whole lot of fun making it. It is my official music video directorial debut. Here it is, for those of you interested:


Like I said, its nothing fancy, but we sure did have fun making it. I am considering doing another video or two for songs from the album, maybe doing one without anyone in the band in it this summer (as me, George, and Tyler are the only ones in the U.S. right now). If anyone has a cool and practical idea for a new CFP music video, or if you would be interested in helping me develop a concept for one, shoot it, lend resources, or whatever, let me know. I would love your help.

Well, I guess thats all for now. I hope you are blessed and growing. Take care.
-Cameron

Local Music Review - Famous In May / "Squares"

I had the idea a few months ago to start a frequent (and by frequent, I really mean extremely infrequent) series of posts reviewing music from local Northwest Arkansas artists. It seemed like a fun and interesting thing to do, and, if nothing else, it may give all 2 of my occasional readers a heads up about bands they may have otherwise not heard of in the NWA area. Now, I'm no legitimate music critic--I don't claim to know an incredible amount about music and I claim to know even less about writing (and exponentially less about writing about music), but, nonetheless, here we find ourselves. So, without further ado, here is my first edition of the "Local Music Review."

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Famous In May / "Squares"

I should start off by saying that I am good friends with several members of Famous In May and friends with the other ones. Also, I should probably mention that they are responsible for getting my band well over half of the shows we have played. Despite these facts, this review will not be a friend patting his friends on the back simply for the sake of doing so. I went into listening to this EP with the mentality that I wasn't going to cut them any slack--mostly because I knew they would prefer an honest review rather than some hollow compliments. However (and not necessarily to my surprise), no slack was needed.

After several months of holding out for my copy of FiM's "Squares" EP with the pretty art on the disk, I finally got my copy a few weeks ago. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, its a pretty quick listen.

I was familiar with all of the songs on the disc before I listened to it and am happy to report that the vast majority of them retain all of their live glory and, in most cases, improve upon it. "Squares" bounces back and forth between a couple of styles, from the tense build of opener "Twist It," to the more groove-based "Lights Ahead" to the acoustic near-balladry of "Will You Be My Friend." Generally, the songs all stick to an ever-so-slightly dark, laid-back pop sound with a tinge of folk. It is reminiscent of the last "Travis" album. Crowd favorite "Defending On My Own" seems to be the only track that loses a little bit of "umph" in its transition to the studio. However, the recorded version is still a whole lot of fun.

The songwriting is solid. Famous In May does a great job of musically complementing the songs and reinforcing themes while never threatening to take over or distract--exactly what a songwriter typically wants out of his band.

The standout track, in my humble opinion, is the longest cut on the EP, "This Is Standard." Heartbreaking lyrics that seem to outline the human condition very simply and effectively anchor a song full of interesting music--most notably the foundational swirling keyboard part and the evocative bass line.

I completely recommend this CD to anyone who is looking for some hope for the Fayetteville music scene. Amidst a sea of bar-bands and screamo sound-alikes, Famous In May bring something unique. Buy it at their shows for $7. Keep up with them at www.myspace.com/Famousinmay.

Grace and Humility (or, more appropriately, 'Why Can't We All Just Get Along?')

Disclaimer: Most of the time, I do not live out these things. This post is a prayer for myself, as well as for the rest of the Church.

I hope I live to see the day when the majority of the body of Christ treat others as we have undoubtedly been treated. It breaks my heart every time I see Christians arguing and fighting with both each other and unbelieving people over things that should be discussed. They are usually important issues, certainly, but it seems that most people tend to assert authority they simply don't have when these things come up. We serve a God that is infinitely big, complex, and mysterious. He has given us many absolute, definitive statements about who he is and how we are to live in response to him. He has also given us many cryptic, debatable statements about himself. I believe there are "correct" interpretations of these things, but I think it is very easy for us to err in figuring them out. And we, most likely, won't find out for sure until heaven. It is hard to find two individuals who share exactly the same views on all theological issues--let alone the same interpretation on what the appropriate response is relationally, socially, politically, etc. to said views. And that is OK! We can all afford to get a few details wrong in this life.

We certainly have to keep striving to find the "correct" theology and responses to said theology--and this is a life-long process of prayer and petition to God. But, I doubt anyone will have all of this until well into eternity. So, lets live this way! Lets live as if we don't have all of the answers. We don't. Lets keep the conversation open about what a Christian should look like in America roughly two thousand and seven years after Christ's death, because when it is all said and done, we could very well be lovingly told we were wrong in many, many ways when we are face to face with our creator. And as long as we loved him and kept striving for him, he's not going to hold that against us. We can all afford to get a few details wrong in this life.

I think that when we get to heaven, a lot of liberals are going be surprised to find that all conservatives weren't a bunch of money-hoarding, close-minded, ignorant, hypocritical bible-thumpers. And a lot of conservatives may be surprised to find out that all liberals weren't a bunch of world-pleasing, afraid-to-take-a-stand, trend-conscious, truth-ignoring tree huggers. We may very well be surprised that the other group was right about more things that we thought. We may very well be surprised that we both missed the mark horribly (that's what I'm betting on). What we will find is that, as hard as it may be to believe for some, those "other" people sincerely loved Christ, and were trying their hardest to build their lives around his call. And we will worship him forever along side them.

Please, for the love of God the Father, can we please show each other grace and humility?

-Cameron

The Philosophy of Time Travel

Hey guys, I posted this last night on CFP's MySpace blog, but thought it also applied to my personal blog since it describes what I've been doing for the past 8 months. Anyways, here it is: a description of my band's first full length album:

After building insurmountable amounts of intrigue, here, on this most auspicious of occasions, we reveal the shape of things to come--the sketchings of an opus. We've whet your imaginations and challenged your notions of time and space. Well, time, not space. It is now, however, on this very hour, nay, this very minute, that we reveal, in full, what we have been crafting ever so delicately over the past 8 months.

I would like to apologize for that above paragraph. It was ridiculous.

In all seriousness, we are ready to reveal exactly what has come from our many hours spent writing, practicing, and recording music. And that, my friends, is a new full-length album.

It's called "The Philosophy of Time Travel" and although we have not yet designed the album art and are still yet to record 2 remaining songs, we are already very proud of it. It has been a difficult time- and thought-consuming process, but it has been worth it.

So how did this come about? Well, the project initially started as an EP to follow up our Milkhouse EP. It was originally conceived to be another 4 or 5 songs that we could quickly record and release to try to make a little bit of money at shows. But, as we finished the first few tracks (Ghosts Are for Graveyards and The Part That Lives, in particular), we realized that, with more recording experience, we were getting much higher quality sounds that we had in the past using the same equipment. Band members started bringing new songs to the table that were, in our humble opinions, quite good and we had an interest in recording more than just the original 5 or so. As we started analyzing the songs, we realized several themes running throughout nearly all of them.

We discovered that these themes could be tied together using the idea of "Time Travel" as a reference point. Thus, "The Philosophy of Time Travel" was born. Several tracks were written after the overall album theme was decided, which serve to make the time travel idea considerably more obvious. Among these are the three parts of a "musical trilogy" (to quote Spinal Tap) about the 19th century swimmer Captain Matthew Webb and a time traveler. The track list is as follows:

1. Captain Webb vs. The English Channel
2. Try
3. Ghosts Are for Graveyards
4. The Part That Lives
5. Learn How to Die (Country Step)
6. A Long Drive
7. Prelude
8. 1875
9. Meet Me in Montauk
10. I Choose to Love You Anyway
11. Optimistic
12. Pop Philosophy

What we've ended up with is an album about the strange place we (the members of CFP and many others) find ourselves in: we are looking to something from a relatively long time ago to dictate what we do today, yet must constantly acknowledge and live with the reality that we are incapable of living up to this standard until some point in the future (read: our deaths). Time Travel is a metaphor for hope, regret, longing, reminiscing, learning from mistakes, and any other experience that finite beings inevitably face as they try to figure out their place in eternity.

It's just a CD--one that will hopefully be in your hands by April. But it's got our (figurative) blood, sweat, and tears all over it. We hope you enjoy it. We can't wait for you to hear it.

-Cameron

Favorites of 2006, or, Me Trying Desperately to Legitimize Myself

Something I always look forward to at the end of a given year is sitting down and discussing with my friends what we all think are the best movies, albums, etc. of said year. And, with my introduction to this wonderful little tool we call the "blog," I have had, for the last 2 years, the ability to actually publish a list of these things for the world to see.

However, a question came up in my mind recently--why do I do this? Why do I feel the need to order these things into a definitive list--why can't I just allow each of them to affect me and leave it at that? And, moreover, how much arrogance do I have to have in order to think that my opinions are worth posting on the internet let alone reading? It seems to me that there is a level of self-importance (how much, I'm not sure) that must exist in a person before he/she deems it neccessary to write a blog. Even worse with this type of blog--one that attempts to tell other people which pieces of art are better. Is this whole thing just an attempt to make myself look smart or cultured or artistic, etc.? Is this whole thing just an attempt to give myself the appearance of being more literate than the next guy? I think so.

Now, realizing this, why am I still going to post these lists? Would this not make me the worst kind of pretentious blogger--the one who realizes his faults yet continues to dwell in them? Yeah, I guess it would. BUT, after thinking about this I realized another thing: I like to read other people's top 10 lists, mostly because they can inform me of films and albums that I may have otherwise never heard of. And the only times that I don't like to read them are when those people try to say that their list is definitive--as if their list represents anything more than just their own opinion. I think there is a key difference in saying 1) These are the 10 BEST films of the year, and 2) These are MY 10 FAVORITE films of the year. I never want to be the type of person who would try to state something like 1).

So, here they are, my favorite pieces of entertainment from the year 2006. Not the best, just my favorite. If you know me and are moved by similar things and have not seen/heard/played any of these--then this list is my recommendation if you are interested. I hope you had a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and are filled with a joy that never leaves you.

Movies

1. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
2. Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris)
3. The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky)
4. The Prestige (Christopher Nolan)
5. Stranger Than Fiction (Marc Forster)
6. Superman Returns (Brian Singer)
7. V for Vendetta (James McTeigue)

Music

1. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
2. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
3. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
4. Camera Obscura - Lets Get Out of this Country
5. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
6. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
7. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
8. Thom Yorke - The Eraser
9. Islands - Return to the Sea
10. Cat Power - The Greatest

Games

1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
2. Shadow of the Colossus (Sony) (2005, but oh well--I discovered it in '06)
3. NCAA Football 2007 (EA)
4. Wii Sports (Nintendo)
5. Call of Duty 3 (Activision)

TV

1. Arrested Development Season 3
2. The Office Season 3
3. Austin City Limits
...I don't think I watched anything else on TV, but those were all very good


Cameron

*EDIT* 1/5/07 - I just saw Children of Men (which originally opened in December 2006 but just saw a wide release) and it blew me away. I haven't had much time to process it, but my gut reaction is that it was the best movie I saw in '06. Fantastic.

Is there a word for "unintentional lies?"

There should be.

Anyways, here I am, months after my last post in which I promised (well, maybe I didn't promise, but I certainly did suggest) that I would start blogging more. I didn't. Thus, it was an unintentional lie.

I'm pretty much just here to say that I, once again, want to start blogging again. I miss the feeling. Blogging forces me to organize all of the thoughts and feelings that swirl around in my head and in my chest--and I'm finding that if I don't organize them, I end up feeling grumpy... and then confused about why I feel grumpy. Sometimes I think I might just need to define how or what I'm feeling in order to feel healthy.

But, now is not the time. Finals start Thursday (and any prayer would be appreciated in regards to this), and continue through Saturday. Tomorrow night I begin the uncomfortable process of trying to learn all of my required material. This means, obviously, no blogging for me until after that.

After that, I will blog once more.

Cameron

p.s. Please don't think of me as a liar
p.p.s. I could probably just use a thesaurus or a dictionary

A quick "Hello" and a name change

Hello.

I just thought I would post today, as I have nothing to do at the moment and haven't touched this blog in several months. I kind of missed it, and I've gotta be honest--it feels good to be back, even if it has only been for 45 seconds at this point. I don't really have anything earth-shatting to say (but, then again, when do I ever?)... I mostly just wanted to (A.) Get a new post so that an advertisement for a 3-month old show isn't the first thing someone sees shold they stumble upon this page and (2.) Mention that I plan to start blogging regularly again. This is not because I think my thoughts are worth anyone taking the time to read, but because it was always a great way to process my thoughts and nail down exactly what was swirling around in my chest. Getting outside input was always great, too (because I can be very, very wrong sometimes and it is important to get slapped back into reality every now and then). So, anyways, hopefully this is the beginning of a new, long chapter in the life of this blog. Adios.

P.S. I decided to change the name of the blog from "They Call Me Heger" to "Learning How to Die." I thought that "They Call Me Heger" sounded a little self-important. "Learning How to Die" comes from a Wilco song titled "War on War." I think it is a concept that is, in a sense, a summation of the rest of my life. Every day for the rest of my life I'm told I have to die to myself and put on Christ if I want to really live. I'm learning how to do that.

You have to lose
You have to lose
You have to learn how to die
If you want to want to be alive
You have to die
You have to die
You have to learn how to die
If you want to want to be alive

--Heger

CFP Saturday, May 13

For one night only, the U of A's own Christmas Fuller Project is co-headlining with Famous In May. The show begins at 8:00pm at the Music Hall in Fayetteville (off College Avenue, right behind Hunan Manor). The cost is $8. There's a strong to quite strong chance that it will be a fun time, so please feel free to come on out and listen to your friends play some music. Siloam Springs' Welling Skydive will also be playing.

CFP is...
...Brandon George (vocals, guitar)
...Cameron Heger (drums, percussion)
...Aaron Hopwood (bass, vocals)
...Nick Roland (guitar, keys, vocals)

www.myspace.com/christmasfullerproject

Jesus, don't cry.

If I can share with you for a moment how much of a nerd I truly am, I would like to let you know something about me. Something a little embarassing. I (and Nick Roland was the first person to realize it) have a tendency sometimes to imagine myself in a movie scene at random times throughout the day. It usually only happens when I have music on (whether in my car or in my headphones makes no difference), mostly around sundown or when it is raining. You know, the moments when the mood is thick. What mood that is, I don't know. Anyway, I will suddenly forget that I'm a regular person doing a common, every day task, and suddenly I am in the middle of a magnificently-crafted feature with the perfect soundtrack to match the visuals. I know, I'm an idot.

All of that to say that I had one such moment today. I turned in a paper to my Anthropology teacher's mailbox, and walked out of Old Main. I stood there, took out my iPod, turned to my favorite album by one of my favorite bands (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco), and began to walk. My plan was to walk to the bus station near the Student Union and catch a ride down to Pomfret, so I set my iPod to the song "War On War" and picked up my pace.

Then, for the first time, God arranged one of the above-stated moments. The song ended in 3 minutes 49 seconds, and then, expectedly, went to the next song on the album, which happens to be one of the best songs Wilco has ever written, "Jesus, Etc." The smooth guitar and keyboard started and, alas, a "movie moment" was triggered. The scene was mournful, although not completely depressing--much like the song. 20 seconds into the song, Jeff Tweedy's words kicked in, opening the song with the line "Jesus, don't cry." 3 words that speak thousands (although probably not, to me, in the way Mr. Tweedy intended). At this exact moment, I turned the corner of Mullins Library and saw something that always hits me right deep in the left side of my chest: a campus street-evangelist. "Jesus, don't cry," I repeated. Only in a movie... only in a movie.

My heart ached at the thought, for surely this one was going to be just like all of the rest I had seen--loud, obnoxious, confrontational, judgemental, self-righteous, etc. I turned my iPod off, and decided to take a seat by the lawn where he was "preaching."

Sure enough, he was everything I expected and more. "Jesus, don't cry," I prayed.

I don't remember any of the exact arguments he was trying to push, but I remember all of his applications of them being nearly 100% wrong, based on my (admittedly poor) understanding of the person of Jesus. It broke my heart. It usually does. I should have known better than to stay and listen, because I always end up with an unbelievable amount of personal guilt and responsibility for what the person says. Although, maybe that's a good thing?

There is a reason why Christianity has been pushed to the margins of our culture. And I don't mean popular culture, because Jesus never had a chance of reigning there in this world. I mean to say that Christianity has been largely rejected as a legitimate lifestyle/worldview by our society in general. And most of it is because of people like 'Moses,' as people call the genteleman I saw today. When robbed of its authenticity and used as nothing more than a way to assert one's superiority over another, Christianity has no purpose in this world other than to, excuse my French, piss off all of those who don't fall under its banner.

I must admit, the effect that "Moses" had on everyone in the crowd was quite disgusting. It caused everyone to begin to throw out hatred like confetti, yelling equally horrible things back at him. And one of the scarriest parts of it was the fact that a few Christian guys I was standing by got caught up in all of the hatred, as well. They started saying things like "someone needs to just go up there and punch him in the mouth," "he needs to die," etc., etc., etc. Even in myself (not surprisingly), I could feel the smallest bit of self-righteousness brewing. Luckily, I noticed what was going on in my heart and in the hearts of those around me before I let it get out of hand, but I was still shocked at myself. Here I am, furious, hurt, saddened, and disgusted with things I am hearing, and then I turn around and nearly let do the exact same thing to "Moses."

I guess I'm just deeply saddened, more than anything else, by the fact that this is what Jesus looks like to so many people out there. If this is who Jesus is, then all of the cynics and skeptics are right--we don't need him. But, luckily, the Jesus that I know and love isn't anything like that Jesus. He is so many things and he isn't so many things, and I don't know where to begin listing so I won't, but he is absolutely beautiful in every way and the people need to know him. They need to know the real him.

I think that that is the problem. Jesus hasn't become marginalized in society, but imposters have. If we were actively showing (not telling, showing) the world Jesus day in and day out, I really believe that multitudes would be changed. His lifestyle is too revolutionary, too simple, even too progressive (who'da thunk it?) to be dismissed. (Note: This is not to say that I don't feel that proclaiming the name of Jesus is important, it most certainly is. But I would argue that showing him is much, much more impactful than nearly any word that can be spoken--to the cold-hearted, especially)

Jesus has recently, in the last year or so, smashed much of my old "American Christian" worldview to pieces and built something back up that is much more beautiful than I could have imagined before. He's smashed my old thoughts of who he is and what he did. He's smashed my idea of who I am. And he's still doing it (because I am stupid and I am stubborn), smashing and rebuilding things every day, keeping the elements that are good and throwing away the ones that aren't. And sometimes it hurts, and sometimes it makes you feel stupid, and sometimes it confuses you, and sometimes its the most wonderful feeling in the world. But, it is happening, both during the times I like it and the times I don't. Its an odd thing to go through, as most of you probably know, but I want everyone to experience it.

I know I'm kind of jumping around a lot now, and, I'll be honest, I have no intention (and probably not the creative ability) of tying everything up. I guess, if I can end this post with anything, the thing that best sums up my last 2 or 3 paragraphs, it would be these lyrics:

And I'm trying to make you sing
from inside where you believe,
like its something that you need,
like it means everything.

And I'm trying to make you feel
that this is for real,
that life is happening,
that it means everything.

I'm just trying to make you sing.

These are from the last song on David Crowder*Band's latest album, "A Collision." The song is called "The Lark Ascending (Or, Perhaps More Accurately, I Am Trying To Make You Sing)." Its probably one of the most uplifting and inspirational pieces of music I've ever heard (which simultaneously shows my disgusting lack of culture and my unrelenting love for Crowder). Its simply an honest plea to the listener to consider everything that the album had discussed before. Not just to think about it or even to intellecuatlly adhere to it, but to fully, in your heart of hearts, come to realize that this life is what its all about--that it means everything. The incarnation and the resurrection really happened. And it means everything.

It means everything.
--Heger


P.S. Oh and I just kind of feel like mentioning, since I haven't as of yet on this blog, that I currently have a girlfriend, and she is pretty much the most amazing girl I have ever met (besides my mom, but thats a given). Now, I might get in trouble for writing that, as it very well could embarass her, but thats just a chance I'm willing to take. Her name is Ellen, by the way.

A shameless plug...

Well, its that time again, folks. Its time for Christmas Fuller Project to play another show.

Oh, you don't know who Christmas Fuller Project is? Well it is a band composed of none other than Brandon George (vocals/guitar), Cameron Heger (drums), Aaron Hopwood (bass/vocals), and Nick Roland (guitar/vocals/keys). They play music. Sometimes, good music. You should come give them a listen.

Here are the details:

We are the opening act for a local band showcase aptly titled "Spring Fling 2" this coming Friday night. It is at the Music Hall in Fayetteville. In case you don't know, its on College behind Hunan Manor. We go up at 7:15 (give or take a few minutes), so if you're planning on coming, you may want to get there around 7ish.

We only get to play for 25 minutes, I believe, so it won't take up too much of your precious Friday night. The door charge is $8. If we can draw a decent crowd, then we will get a chance to headline at the music hall in the next month or two, so while you're under no obligaton what-so-ever to come, we would really appreciate any and everyone who shows up.

The other bands playing are "Jarris", "Brighter Later", "Johnny Unite Us", "Six Hung Sprung", and "Stars Trapted in Ebony." They'll be playing all night.

We love you.

A Recap

So our band (Christmas Fuller Project) just played its first show this past Friday night. I posted about it on the band's blog. Check it out here.

P.S. I really do plan to get back on some consistent blogging here pretty soon, so my apologies to anyone who might actually like to read this little thing, I'll be back soon.

Top albums of '05 and why I am an idiot

Well, the year of 2005 officially ended 7 days ago, so I thought it would be appropriate for me to do a list of my favorite albums of the year. It was tough, but I think I narrowed it down to my 12 favorites... and I think I have a pretty good order. Oh, and by the way, I do not claim in any way to be any kind of music expert or critic. I siimply know what I like and what I don't. Oh well, here goes:

1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

In my opinion, Sufjan Stevens is one of the freshest voices in music today. With his signature densely layered folk/pop instrumentation mixed with his surprisingly straight-forward and honest lyrics, Illinois is easily his most accessible and catchy album to date (and, in my opinion, his best). If you haven't heard Sufjan Stevens, Illinois is a great place to start.

Highlight: "Casmir Pulaski Day"

2. The Decemberists - Picaresque

I discovered the Decemberists last Christmas when I got their first CD, Castaways and Cutouts, from my parents. Their latest album, Picaresque, finds main songwriter Colin Meloy at his best, matching his beautiful melodies with even more ridiculous yet heart-warming/wrenching fictional stories.

Highlight: "The Engine Driver"

3. Coldplay - X&Y

"The New U2's" third CD shows that while they haven't nececarily broken any new ground, they don't have to. Solid songwriting and instrumentation make the whole album great from start to finish. And while their core sound remains mostly unchanged, a shift to a more technological sound with more delayed guitars, synthesizers, loops, and all kinds of bells and whistles keeps things from getting stale.

Hightlight: "Fix You"

4. David Crowder*Band - A Collision

In my opinion, David Crowder is the most original voice in worship music today. "A Collision," essentially a concept album, is one of the most creative works in the genre that I have heard in a long, long time. Crowder, with this album, not only made worship music "cool," but he made it challenging and thought-provoking.

Highlight: "Rescue Is Coming"

5. Wilco - Kicking Television: Live in Chicago

Wilco is easily my 2nd favorite band in the world (behind Radiohead, of course), and their latest album, a 2-cd live album, showcases the band with pretty much their most cohesive and talented line-up yet. Hearing them play old songs from their 2nd album "Being There" with a newfound burst of energy is easily my favorite aspect of the album.

Highlight: "Misunderstood"

6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Simply fun, danceable music. While their lead singer's voice takes a little getting used to, you can't help but tap your foot to this stuff. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this album, however, is that it was recorded, mixed, produced, and distributed by the band themselves without any help from any record label of any kind. Impressive.

Highlight: "The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth"

7. Sigur Ros - Takk...

The Icelandic group that sounds like a half-man/half-elf/half awesome-creature-I-don't-even-know-about-yet, has put out simply a record containg a great, emotional ride (even though I can't understand the words at all). I haven't heard any of their other albums, so I can't compare Takk... to any of their past albums, but I do know that I like this one a whole lot. Ubben is going to see them live in February, and I am extremely jealous.

Highlight: "Hoppípolla"

8. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans

Death Cab's Ben Gibbard is a great songwriter, and his backing band is very good, as well. We have always known this. And while their new album is very good, it doesn't show us anything new about the band. I'm not complaining, though, because what we get is still a great collection of pop songs, some sad, some happy, that add up to one of the better albums of the year.

Hightlight: "I Will Follow You Into The Dark"

9. Ben Folds - Songs for Silverman

This is the first Ben Folds CD I have heard, but it makes me want to check out his back catalog. His beautiful melodies and impressive piano playing mixed with his always clever lyrics make for a fun, if forgettable album. My favorite song on the album is probably his tribute to the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith called "Late."

Highlight: "Late"

10. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary

Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock produced this album, which sounds quite a bit like an album Modest Mouse could have made. The thing is, I would take these guys over Modest Mouse any day of the week.

Highlight: "Shine A Light"

11. Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

Jack Johnson... the guy will probably never make a "great" album, but he will most likely never make a bad one. He has been essentially playing the same song for 5 years, but it is a good one. His choppy strum patterns with his smooth vocals and surfer-dude mentality make "In Between Dreams," and every one of his albums for that matter, great stuff to put on in the background and swing in a hammock to.

Hightlight: "Better Together"

12. Spoon - Gimme Fiction

Somewhere, a long time ago, pretty pop music and elemental rock n' roll met and had a love child known as the band Spoon. They have always had a stripped down sound, using usually just a guitar, a piano, drums, and sometimes a bass--but with Gimme Fiction, the minimalist approach sounds more exciting than ever.

Highlight: "I Turn My Camera On"

---------------
Whew, that took a while.

I guess, in other news, I am an idiot. I'm an idiot because I have started too many books at one time. Before Christmas, I was in the mididle of both C.S. Lewis's "Surprised by Joy," and his Narnia book "Voyage of the Dawn Treader." For Christmas I got Donald Miller's "Through Painted Deserts" and St. Augustine's "Confessions." I immediately had to start the Miller book, as his first book, "Blue Like Jazz," I consider to be a key part of my spiritual formation. Then I was browsing through Barnes and Noble a few days after Christmas, and I decided I had to pick up Lewis's "Miracles," and "Reflections on the Psalms." I also bought a book called "Emerging Churches" by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger and thought it too interesting to wait to read. So here I am, with 4 books going in addition to daily scripture reading, and several more staring me in the face begging me to read them. I'm never going to finish any of these. I'm an idiot.

Adios.

It's Christmas time!

So this first first semester of college just flew by. I mean, it really got out of hand fast. It literally feels like I just moved into the dorm a few weeks ago.

I started telling myself right before school started that whenever I finished my first semester I would post a huge blog about college and how it has affected me. But, to be honest, I really don't feel that different at all. Sure, class was a little bit harder than High School and finals were definately a pretty stressful period, but, other than that, everything was pretty standard.

I think it's great that I am still hanging out with my cell group guys and that I have met a bunch of new solid Christian friends. There are so many pitfalls that you hear about people falling into once they get into college and experience "life on their own," but with these guys and girls, its been just like the old days. I am truly thankful for these people and our friendships--God is, indeed, good. At the same time, while I have met quite a few new people, I feel a little bit like I could do a better job of branching out. Its easy to stay in your own little comfort zone when you have so many people that you're so close to around you all the time. Hopefully I'll figure out how to balance these things.

So, no, I don't have any Earth-shatteringly insightful observations after my first semester. It sure was fun, though--I'll tell you that. And I'm definately looking forward to the next couple of years. Maybe I'll get a huge revelation later... if I do, I'll keep you posted.

Moving on, Christmas time is here. Before I say anything else about it, I feel like I need to plug some music. Sufjan Stevens, one of my favorite singer/songwriters has a, as far as I can tell, completely legal and completely free collection of 3 Christmas EPs called "Hark! Songs for Christmas." Download them here. He plays a great mix of traditional Christmas songs and new ones written by Sufjan himself. My two favorite are probably "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" Do yourself a favor and check it out.

My Birthday is about a week before Christmas, and my parents got me my birthday present early, and it is an awesome, awesome gift. They got me a Latin Percussion Conga and Bongo set with stands and everything. I've been banging around on them for a couple of days now, and while I have absolutely no skill on them right now, I can't wait to put some serious practice time into them.

One thing I'm kind of bummed about, however, is the fact that we don't have a Christmas tree at the Lake House (where we're staying until our new house gets built). Its not a big deal at all, but I just like the tree as a big visual reminder of the Holiday.

I really don't have much else to say (and I know I haven't said much up until now, either). I guess I just felt like blogging, even though I really had nothing new to add. Oh well. If there is anyone that reads this that I don't see on a regular basis, do me a favor and have a Merry Christmas for me. I would really appreciate it.

A Question of Conviction?

I've been thinking on and off for a while now about the kinds of movies, tv shows, and music I expose myself to--or for that matter, the kinds of movies, tv shows, and music that all believers in Christ expose themselves to.

I know some believers that say they listen to only Christian music because they only want to hear things that are spiritually edifying. They feel that if a song doesn't discuss or directly point to God, it is a waste of their time.

Others I know pretty much refuse to listen to any Christian music because they feel that the music itself, in 99% of the cases, is derivative and uninspired. They sometimes even feel that some (although certainly not all) aspects of spirituality, nature, the human condition, etc. are better expressed by some of today's secular bands than by most Christian artists.

In my opinion, both sides are valid. I fall somewhere in between, typically.

Movies are a little more of an intense subject. I know many believers that if an 'R' rating is mentioned at all, consider the movie to be unboubtedly a tool of Satan. If a movie has a bad word, a hint of sexuality, or extreme violence anyone who watches it is simply exposing themselves to filth and is separating themself further form God.

On the flip side, many believers have (or so they claim) no convictions at all about what they watch. They can watch 100 children be decapitated, 3 explicit sex scenes with gratuitous nudity (although, when is nudity not gratuitous?), and a hailstorm of F-bombs and S-words and have no convictions about it. And if convictions are there, they simply ignore them.

Again, I fall somewhere in between.

But I know why I fall where I fall.

My opinion is generally something like this: We are given pretty clear instructions in the bible on how we are supposed to act in most situations. But, seeing as how there were not movies back in biblical times, Jesus did not say anything specifically about what kinds of movies we, as faithful believers, can watch (although some would insist Jesus recommends a PG cutoff :-)). But here is what we do know:

Matthew 5:30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Obviously if there is anything in our life that causes us to sin, we must flee from it. This is cut and dried. But there is also this:

Romans 14:13-16 "Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed becasuse of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what ou consider good to be spoken of as evil."

Romans 14:20-21 "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but is is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall."

I know that this verse is literally talking about food and how many Jews were upset with other believers eating foods declared by the law to be unclean. But, I think, for the most part, the underlying principle applies to what we're currently talking about.

If I watch a movie that does not cause me to sin in any way (although, they definately can and have--but I'll talk about that later), I see really no reason in scripture that I should not be able to watch it. That is, unless me watching that particular movie causes a brother in Christ to stumble and struggle. In that case, I believe it is my responsibility to not watch that movie around him, discuss it around him, etc. I do not take that series of verses to mean that if any believer anywhere has a problem with a movie then the whole body of believers must refrain from watching it. I don't think that Paul was suggesting that every believer stop eating certain meats because it made certain Jews uncomfortable. No, I take it to mean that the loving thing to do was to refrain from eating those foods in the presence of those who were offended, to refrain from talking about them, etc. So, it follows that even if a number of believers disagree with a certain film, and as long as it does not cause you to personally sin, it is scripturally ok to watch it.

So the next issue is this: what kind of content can I honestly say does not cause me to sin? Well, obviously it is going to be different for every person, as well all have different sin struggles that affect us more than others. This is a personal conviction call. I can say this, personally--excessive/extended/graphic sex scenes are a no-no for me. Outside of that... I don't know. Violence typically does not make me feel the urge to commit a violent act, watching drug abuse does not make me in any way want to try drugs, and hearing crude language typically does not make me want to start using those words. Maybe it is becasue most of the movies I watch do not glorify these things, but show the evils of them.

But how can I watch a movie with repeated drug use, unbelievable acts of violence, and crude language and still walk away saying that I "enjoyed" or even "loved" said movie with a clear conscience? Well I can tell you that if the movie glamourized or promoted drug abuse, I would have a very hard time enjoying it. But nearly every film I have seen dealing indepthly with drug abuse has portrayed it as the evil it most certainly is. And to the filmmakers of those types of films I say "Bravo."

I think there is a difference between a movie with "bad" content and a "bad movie." That many movies would contain detestable behavior is nearly a given--it happens all around us. If a movie is trying to show us a truth about the real world, its probably going to have to deal with the real world as it is--bad guys and all. Even scripture makes surprising references to things that could earn a boycotting by hardcore Fundamentalist Christian moms. Let us not forget the stories of Rahab the prostitute, Abram, Sarai and Hagar, aspects of Ruth's story, the countless old-testament wars, the Song of Solomon, etc. I am no expert on the Old Testament by any means, but that list right there is a pretty good start. Its some pretty head-turning stuff. The reason they are not viewed as "bad," however, is because they are used to illustrate greater points from the real world. We don't focus on the fact that Rahab was prostitute, we focus on her great faith that she developed even after years in a job like that. And nowhere in scripture are things like adultery, prostitution, and killing glorified. They are shown as elements of the world we live in that we cannot ignore.

Now I'll give you this: many filmmakers, well, most filmmakers push it too far. They show more of these types of activities for one reason or another than is necessary to establish their point. That is where it comes back to conviction. Has the filmmaker crossed the line from thought stimulation to personal sin temptation? Has the filmmaker crossed the line from presenting a bad situation as it is to celebrating said situation? These are the things we need to consider. And for the most part it comes down to the individual. Do YOU feel like the movie crossed the line? Do I feel like the movie crossed the line?

These are really my thoughts on this issue right now. I concede that I am just an 18 year old kid, and I still have a lot that God has to teach me. Any and all input on this subject will be greatly appreciated.

--Cameron

P.S. I love you.

First Audiopost

Hey guys, I just realized that I could publish audio to my blog with my Cell Phone, so I thought I would set it up and give it a go. I really have nothing to say, but I may take advantage of this sweet feature in the future, so be on the lookout for that. But, anyways, without further ado, here it is:

I apologize, again.

Popular Music

Every now and then I forget to bring my iPod with me when I get into my car. On those fateful days, all I have to feed my musical appetite is my handy dandy FM radio. I oftentimes wonder if the quality of popular American music has gotten any better since I swore off the radio a year or two ago. The answer is, of course, no.

The sheer ridiculousness of the majority of the music I hear on the radio blows my mind. It seems like every new "hit" song is just trying to one-up the one before it in a contest of "Who can make the most absolutely ridiculous sexual reference?" I've never heard so many bad puns, double-entendres, and made-up words in my entire life. I can't believe the media still refers to most of these people as "artists."

And so, without further ado, I give you

Heger's Most Ridiculous Songs of 2005:


3.) Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl

Uh huh, this my ****
All the girls stomp your feet like this

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my ****, this my **** [4x]

I heard that you were talking ****
And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my ****, this my **** [4x]

So that's right dude, meet me at the bleachers
No principals, no student-teachers
Both of us want to be the winner, but there can only be one
So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all
Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you
That's right, I'm the last one standing, another one bites the dust

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my ****, this my **** [4x]

Let me hear you say, this **** is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
This **** is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Again, the **** is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
This **** is bananas
B-A-N-A-N-A-S

A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
[2x]

Oooh, this my ****, this my **** [4x]

Commentary: First of all, I don't know what a "hollaback girl" is, but I wish she was one so she could just shut up. Oh Gwen, why? Why did you make this song? You're better than this, No Doubt is the proof. This is one of those songs that got stuck in everyone's head, so no matter where you went you always heard someone humming or singing it. I don't really know what the song is about, but here is what I've gathered: Apparently someone was "dissing" Mrs. Stefani and she wasn't too happy about it, and seeing as how she's "a few times been around that track", it ain't gon' happen like that. She perfectly summarizes the state of the situation by proclaiming it to be "bananas." And then she spells it... a lot.

2.) Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha

I know you like me (I know you like me)
I know you do (I know you do)
Thats why whenever I come around shes all over you
And I know you want it (I know you want it)
It's easy to see (it's easy to see)
And in the back of your mind
I know you should be on with me

Dont you wish your girlfriend was hot like me
Dont you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me
Dont cha, dont cha
Dont you wish your girlfriend was raw like me
Dont you wish your girlfriend was fun like me
Dont you, dont cha

Fight the feeling (fight the feeling)
Leave it alone (leave it alone)
Cause if it aint love
It just aint enough to leave a happy home
Let's keep it friendly (let's keep it friendly)
You have to play fair (you have to play fair)
See, I dont care
But I know she aint gon wanna share
Hmmmm....

Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me
Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me
Don't cha, don't cha, baby
Don't cha, alright, sing
Don't you wish your girlfriend was raw like me
Don't you wish your girlfriend was fun like me (big thrills)
Don't cha

See, I know she loves you (I know she loves you)
I understand (I understand)
I'd probably be just as crazy about you
If you were my own man
Maybe next lifetime (maybe next lifetime)
Possibly (possibly)
Until then, Oh friend you're secret is safe with me

Dont you wish your girlfriend was hot like me (oh)
Dont you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me (like me)
Dont cha, dont cha, baby
Dont cha, alright, sing
Dont you wish your girlfriend was raw like me (raw)
Dont you wish your girlfriend was fun like me (big thrills)
Dont cha, dont cha

Commentary: The answer is no. No, I don't.

1.) Black Eyed Peas - My Humps

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps. (Check it out)

I drive these scrubbers crazy,
I do it on the daily,
They treat me really nicely,
They buy me all these ice-ys.
Dolce & Gabbana,
Fendi and then Donna
Karen, they be sharin’
All their money got me wearin’
Fly gearrr but I ain’t askin,
They say they love my *** ‘n,
Se7en Jeans, True Religion,
I say no, but they keep givin’
So I keep on takin’
And no I ain’t fakin’
We can keep on datin’
I keep on demonstrating.

My love, my love, my love, my love
You love my lady lumps,
My hump, my hump, my hump,
My humps they got u,
She’s got me spending.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spending time on me.
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me, on me, on me

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What u gon’ do with all that ***?
All that *** inside them jeans?
I’m a make, make, make, make you scream
Make u scream, make you scream.
Cos of my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps. (Check it out)

I met a girl down at the disco.
She said hey, hey, hey yea let’s go.
I could be your baby, you can be my honey
Lets spend time not money.
I mix your milk wit my cocoa puff,
Milky, milky cocoa,
Mix your milk with my cocoa puff, milky, milky riiiiiiight.

They say I’m really sexy,
The boys they wanna sex me.
They always standing next to me,
Always dancing next to me,
Tryin’ a feel my hump, hump.
Lookin’ at my lump, lump.
U can look but you can’t touch it,
If u touch it I’ma start some drama,
You don’t want no drama,
No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama
So don’t pull on my hand boy,
You ain’t my man, boy,
I’m just tryn’a dance boy,
And move my hump.

My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump.
My lovely lady lumps [x3]
In the back and in the front.
My lovin’ got u,
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spending time on me.
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me, on me, on me.

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What you gon’ do with all that ***?
All that *** inside them jeans?
I’ma make, make, make, make you scream
Make you scream, make you scream.
What you gon do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off this hump.
What you gon’ do wit all that breast?
All that breast inside that shirt?
I’ma make, make, make, make you work
Make you work, work, make you work.
She’s got me spendin’.
Spendin all your money on me and spendin’ time on me
She’s got me spendin’.
Spendin’ all your money on me, on me, on me.

Commentary: Absolutely, without a shadow of the doubt, one of the dumbest, most lyrically incompetent, degrading, and embarassing songs I've heard in a long, long time. I just pulled up my iTunes, and sure enough, this song is currently the #1 downloaded song. Unbelievable. People actually paid money for it. Just when you thought the Black Eyed Peas had made the worst song they could possibly make in "Don't Phunk with my Heart," they throw us a curveball and unleash the masterpiece that is "My Humps" to the world.

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I don't think this is what God had in mind at all when he allowed us to "create."

In closing, these are the "hit songs" that our (well... your) children are listening to and memorizing every word of.

Thanks for listening.

He's a pretty dark knight--you should really come see this knight

What do these items equate to?

1 part 7-year-old Batman costume
3 parts Under Armour
1 part toy Batman utility belt
1 part black Converse All-Stars
1 part black workers gloves

The answer? 1 disgusting Batman suit--that I just happened to wear to work at the Mall on Halloween night. My boss dared me to wear a Batman suit to work, but little did he know that I would actually do it or how... uh... "form-fitting" my suit would actually be. Needless to say, this was probably the dumbest thing I have ever done. But, to be honest, it was worth it.

Enjoy these nice prowling shots:

"Freshening up the room a little bit"



"The Heisman"



"On Lookout"



"Just jamming out a little bit"



"Household chores"



"Classic hero pose"



I'm an idiot.

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On a similar note, Todd Sisson, Robert Sanderson, Dustin Moser, and James Miller dressed up as the Channel 4 News team. It was glorious. Ginger McKinney dressed up as Veronica Corningstone, or, as Sandy kept repeating, "His little china doll."



From left to right: Miller as Champ Kind, Sisson as Brian Fantana, Sandy as Ron Burgundy, Ginger as Veronica Corningstone, and Moser as Brick Tamland. That may or may not have been the greatest night of my life.

A Collision Tour

Tuesday night I went down with a crew of people to see David Crowder Band on their "A Collision Tour" in Tulsa. I'm not gonna lie to you... it was awesome.

I know that after I saw Coldplay I said that I probably never see a better show than that in my entire life, but I may just have. I'm not sure, its too early to tell. I'll have to let the experience sit and simmer for a little while.

Either way, though, Crowder was incredible. The 2 opening bands, I wasn't such a fan of, though. Robbie Seay Band opened, and while they were definately talented, I felt like they were quite generic. They were great musicians, its just that their songwriting didn't seem particularly interesting. Maybe I'm the only one...

Shane & Shane went up next. A bunch of the people I was with were already big Shane & Shane fans. I had never heard them (although I had heard a couple of their songs--I was told we sing them in FSM/The Grove quite often). Whichever shane played guitar was a very, very good guitar player. Musically, even though they apparently screwed up a few times, they were incredible. Whoever their drummer was was freaking unbelievable. But, much like I was with Robbie Seay Band, I wasn't particularly interested in their music, for the most part. I would be willing to give one of their albums a shot, though.

When Crowder came up, it was insane. They opened with "Do Not Move," a song I was seriously hoping they would play. Very intense song. When they got to "Foreverandever Etc." Crowder came out with a keytaur and discussed the "phatness" of the beat he layed down with it. Man, the guy can engage a crowd. I would love to see how he engages a community of believers while leading worship.

"You Are My Joy" was the peak of the show, I think.



They ended with "Rescue is Coming" (which, also, was awesome), left the stage, and then came out and encored with Robbie Seay and Shane & Shane on stage with them singing "Be Lifted or Hope Rising." Very, very cool.

I just realized that I have never given my impressions of the new Crowder CD "A Collision" on here. I guess now would be a good time.

I love it. I think David Crowder*Band is one of the only truly creatively progressive bands in worship music today. They're essentially the only "Christian band" that I can with confidence say is one of my favorite bands. They're probably the only "Christian band" I've ever heard that is not content with being reactive to the secular pop music scene. It seems to me that most Christian artists tend to come off as being "the Christian [insert popular band here]"--gaining their popularity by emulating a sound that a secular band got popular with. Crowder is forging his own sound, and doing a wonderful job of it. I even put Crowder up with the ranks of Radiohead, Wilco, Coldplay, Sufjan Stevens, and Guster from both a pure personal enjoyment standpoint and a creativity standpoint.

Now, with the CD "A Collision or 3+4=7", Crowder has outdone himself. He has created a very, very complete concept album. All of the ideas come off as fully realized. What is the concept? What it means for a Holy being to lower itself (in a manner of speaking) while raising us up to him for us to be able to interact (or Collide, if you will), and how death, life, forgiveness, hope, and abandonment tie into that idea. It is so densely layered with ideas and actual musical layers that it seems like every time I listen to it I discover something new--a new way to interpret a lyric, a new lyric itself, a beautiful banjo part that I had previously never heard, etc. This isn't just a collection of songs, it is a fully realized concept album from start to finish--every part seems to have a meaning. It seems like this is the album that their last CD, "Illuminate" wanted to be (another concept album with the theme of luminious vs. illuminous objects and what it means for us to reflect Christ's light). And while Illuminate was an amazing album (most likely the best contemporary Christian release in 5 years, and one of the best albums period of the year it was released), its smaller scope and narrower focus pales in comparison to "A Collision." Ok, I'm rambling. Lets just get down to the basics: I love "A Collision" and I think it is one of the best albums of the last couple of years, one of my personal favorite albums ever, and probably the most important Christian release since Dc Talk's "Jesus Freak" in the 90s.

I have a pretty funny story to tell about when I met David Crowder Band's lead guitar player, Jason Solley, Tuesday night, but my hands are getting tired. I'll post about it in a few days.

Thats all I have for now.