I love my ipod...and I have different artist spot lights if that makes sense! I like to focus for some time on certain singers. My favorite will always be Matt Redman, a relatively young British Christian with not only a charming accent but extreme humility, sincerity, passion, and wisdom. He is a kindred spirit to me, and I have been deeply touched by many of his songs, but especially his most popular hit, You Never Let Go. He is unusual and different from the average artitst, and though he is not very well-known, a ton of his worship songs are sung everywhere today by people who do not know or care who wrote them.

I think that the most popular christian singer in the entire world right now is Chris Tomlin, the best friend of Matt Redman in fact. Amazing Grace, How can I keep from singing, How great is our God, Indescribable, and Made to worship are only a few of his incredible master peices that this Texan has touched lives with.

Next are the newsboys. While a lot of their songs offer tough lyrics that you have to look up if you want to know them, most of them are convicting and in a fun, wacky way make you see the error of your ways without being too preachy. Sometimes I don't understand what they're saying, but this might partially be credited to their adorable australian accents... I have to say I was impressed with their quick interaction with the radio hosts on K-LOVE. All of the other artists were on this annoying kick about food, how early in the morning it was, blah blah blah...basically their message was: "Listen to us, hear how special and cute we are and look how much fun we're having with all these famous people and don't you wish you were here..." But when the newsboys' interview was wrapped up and the announcer said, "Well, I guess we're finished," the main vocalist from the newsboys said, "Awesome, love you guys," and then he added, "Love all you listeners, too." Isn't that nice? For once someone noticed that people are actually listening to this.

Sometimes I wonder why I like Todd Agnew. His voice is very deep and at times quite rough, and on my two favorite songs of his, Did you know and My Jesus, the words are not blended very well with the beat. The truth is, I like their thought-provoking messages, as well as beauty and sincerity.

So there you have it, some thoughts on my favorite artists. Next I'll have a go at reviewing an ND game.

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

Oh I love Chris Tomlin and Newsboys!

I went to a youth camp where Chris Tomlin was the worship leader. Totally awesome!

And, I saw a concert of Newsboys at Rock the Universe. Again, totally awesome!!

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I've never seen any of them in person...you are very lucky!

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

I love Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin! Good stuff.

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(lyrics from the song Broken by Lindsey Haun)

Sweet...I usually have to DEFEND Matt Redman.

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

Well, I was going to review the Nancy Drew game, but I haven't finished it yet because my dad will not let me use his laptop right now. So it will have to wait a bit longer.

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

matt redman and the newsboys are great (i'm afraid i haven't heard anything by chris tomlin or todd agnew) but i have to admit i prefer tim hughes and delirious. i saw them both live at soul survivor a couple of years ago (tim hughes led six of the worship sessions, and delirious led the remaining three) and they were AMAZING. obviously the atmosphere helped a lot - 10,000 christians in a big tent singing and dancing for God is just the most incredible experience - but they're fantastic anyway. i met tim hughes once, and he's so sweet; and martin smith (lead singer of delirious) is so tiny - i just want to keep him in my pocket!

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**MY BOOK**

~ proud to be a shieldmaiden for christ ~</center>

Okay, forget about the ND game...for now.

It’s not like I’ve forgotten all the good stuff that happened at my camp. But I still have to rant about what is going more and more wrong every year. The actual camp GROUNDS are messed-up with a capital M. The beginning idea was that the workers get to do special things because, you know, they’re workers. They are the ones who help us have fun. And that was okay. The workers were pretty much all adults, anyway, with a few exceptions, and the campers were kids. We had to be kept under control and supervision, being not yet at the age when we can even do our own hair.

Then last year something just didn’t seem quite right. The camp fees are getting higher and higher every year, yet the dorms are full of cobwebs and other unspeakable things, there are not enough plug-ins, and this big building behind the park? Instead of becoming a recreation center like what we need, it’s now a “staff hospitality center”, a place which, you guessed it, the campers are not allowed to enter.

Now we have almost the same amount of workers as campers, and like a fourth of them are kids. They get bikes, FREE ICE CREAM, nice bedrooms and bathrooms, and free food. They pay nothing yet they enjoy the benefits of all the day sessions and preachings and after church activities. No matter what the age they are allowed to drive the golf carts like maniacs, go to bed when they want, and sleep in as long as they want, and yet there are so many of them, all meandering about the grounds most of the day, that I don’t see how every single one could really be doing so much work that this is an even balance.

Hello! This is camp, not work. Why do the workers come and have more fun than the campers? After all I put up with, someday I want to be a worker, having as much fun as a camper and more, driving the golf carts instead of walking my legs off, offering rides to the people who were nice to me, staying at the nice, air-conditioned Conquerors Hall, and oh, yeah…getting free ice cream.

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

Oh, of course...but they are local camps and kind of have the wrong focus...like they have to do water activities with socks on, you have to wear sleeves past your elbow, they don't approve of putting up camp memories videos on the screen...and other silly stuff. They're even more quirky than the state district camp!

Don't get me wrong, I love my camp. I've gone there all my life so I can't think of doing anything else. With all that goes wrong, so much goes right that I still go! But I can't help complaining, you know?

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

^ I think I'd be complaining about that, too...that would really tick me off if one of my favorite camps turned out like that...=/

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The pigs have accepted me as their own. And I have been accepted. And they have accepted me.

...why pigs, you ask? Why, because they're amazing, of course!

Yeah, and it's actually a church camp. But like I said, it really is awesome except for those things.

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

Why would they have you keep your socks on? For modesty, or what? (*thinks* I don't consider showing my feet immodest...) O.o

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The pigs have accepted me as their own. And I have been accepted. And they have accepted me.

...why pigs, you ask? Why, because they're amazing, of course!

Erm...okay...

It's partly modesty, and I totally agree with the modesty standards. But after a while they go overboard with the modesty rules and forget that the bible says the most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself...and I think several of them (not ALL of them) could use a little help on that.

I think that since we are supposed to be different from the world, they say we shouldn't dress like the world. But I don't think flip flops are so terribly worldly.

It's not like I want to be rebellious and push the standards, after all I really don't mind dressing like this. But I get tired of being made to feel like a sinner because my sleeves are too short. I like longer sleeves, but in summer they are hard to find!

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~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

^ Ja, it really is hard to find longer sleeves in summer...and sometimes they get unbearably hot...

I agree that we shouldn't follow the world's standards too much, but I think that at times it can be best to dress at least a little bit like others, if only to make it easier for them to relate when they hear people witnessing to them...does that make any sense? =/

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The pigs have accepted me as their own. And I have been accepted. And they have accepted me.

...why pigs, you ask? Why, because they're amazing, of course!

Yes, it does... We just have to draw the line somewhere.

_________________
~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3

It does have a lot to do with culture...and motive. Some just don't want to be over heated and some really do want to show everything off. But girls should NEVER feel pressured to show off if they don't want to. A concience is instilled in every one of us and some people tune it out as soon as they can, so they can't hear it anymore.

But BTW, Aerlinn, they wouldn't hate you for the way you dressed! That's just their rules for the camp, and they expect the campers to follow them.

_________________
~Follower of Christ~

~Extreme Evanescent~

~Claimed Elladan July 03, 2007~ :3