About Me

Andrew Schwab is a notable author, journalist and lead vocalist for the rock band Project 86. He has written for magazine publications including: Relevant, AP, CCM and HM. He is a published author with 4 available books, including his latest FAME IS INFAMY, available now on the store button above!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/andrew.hasell Andrew A Hasell

    I read the article about a week ago so it's kind of faint in my memory, what I did get from Anne Rices words are that she is done with being what is called a “christian”, the stereotypes, the box that we are placed in.

    I think the key part of Anne Rice's statement is that she still believes in God and will still follow God. I have no issue with that, because people now-a-days are like the pharisees of old that put unbearable burdens on the backs of people; while not living by the standard themselves.

    I know “Wesley” below mentioned that Christ changed things from the inside but, I don't know if I can agree on that. In some ways he did, in some ways he didn't. Even Martin Luther, he, Jesus, and others adhered to what they agreed was truth and departed from what they felt was lies. I have to question, if Jesus changed things from the inside why did he not give the sermon from the mount inside the synagogue? Why was the miracle of feeding thousands not inside of some synagogue? My thought is he was not allowed, because the pharisees and saducees felt they already had truth and were not willing to question it; similar to most Christians I've come across these days.

    None of us are perfect and we must be willing to admit that there is a possibility that we are wrong. Hopefully the aspects that Anne Rice agrees and disagrees with she will be willing to review in her relationship with God and let him guide her to truth. For one being anti-gay is something the bible speaks clearly on (Romans 1:26-27, 1 corinthians 6:9-11, and others), but if she is saying that we are to hate gay people then she is wrong. Because the whole foundation of Jesus' preachings was Matthew 22:37-39.

    I also must point out that Anne Rice says she has tried for 10 years to be part of the community, a part of “christianity”, and I say that everyone has their breaking point. I agree with what it seems like her heart on the matter but I do think she has decieved herself on some points.

  • King Boots

    @ Anne Rice

    It seems so easy for the kind of Christian she describes to forget or ignore Matthew 22:36-40: 36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

    While it's a bit of poor judgement for her to generalize ALL Christians into being the ignorant and foolish people (such as the ones she has dealt with), I can still see her point. Years ago, I had gone through a bit of the same thing…

    I had gone through some issues finding a good Church, but in time I had found one that I participated actively in for years. After our pastor had passed away, things changed and I was relocating anyway. As I went “Church shopping” (Something I know you struggled with, Andrew), everywhere I went wound up being more about the gossip than the message. I could see people simply going out of their way to do nothing more than listen to the “he said, she said” and to discuss whatever insignificant drama plagued them this week. I was judged as a tattooed, arrogant, “non-believer” who went to Church only to flirt with girls and to cause problems. It got old, and so I got out.

    My response? It was very scary at the time, because for a bit my faith was unstructured. I had left the Church for a while. My religion and my faith became stronger because rather than relying on Church as a crutch, or having to rely on other people to help me talk to God, I did it on my own. The relationship had lacked a more personal touch for some time, and this put my belief back into it being about my actual relationship with God, rather than just “doing my part” by going to church and going through the motions. It also helped me realize that people are people sometimes, no matter what they believe. If they want to go to Church for the wrong reasons, that is their choice, however I had my own reasons and through this newfound approach to my faith. It was a hard line to walk to make sure my needs and wants weren't altering my perception of God or Christianity, but I just made sure I was being fair in my approach.

    The best part? I was able to find other like minded people or realize that many of my friends were in a similar position when I expressed my feelings of rejection and judgement by my peers. I was honest and straight forward with them, and learned that they too struggled with it, and together we had worked to FINALLY find a Church that welcomed us with open arms. While I don't go consistently due to work, I know I have a family waiting for me when I can go.

    It wasn't easy, but this conclusion to make my faith a one on one deal (not having to always go through a middle man) improved the quality of my life as a whole. I think Anne Rice might want to try this herself and see what it gets her.

  • http://www.tommyloveland.com Tommy Loveland

    Being a Christian is hardcore, we must never forget that there is an enemy that works overtime to deceive and destroy us. If it is through Christians or non Christians we must test the spirits like the bible says. But we must find the true believers in Christ and surround ourselves with truth. I don't really know what truly lies in Ann’s heart but all we can do is pray that God leads her in the right direction and away from the truthless. Its hard being a Christian I find myself sometimes becoming bitter towards some people because frankly there are a allot of stupid freaking people out there and they just don't get it. And I’m not talking about be a Christian either some people are just plan dumb, and I don't mean to be bitter towards them but after so many years of being a Christian and you love them and care for them and shine a light around them and where does it get you….It seems like it is a waste of time!! But I must continue to love them because Christ commanded it. And being a Christian isn't easy, but that's when I read the word and then throw some project 86 in and I'm fueled up to fight another day!!!!

  • Wesley.

    To clarify a bit:

    I guess the crux of my statement was that Jesus and even Martin Luther both had to draw a line in the sand against the “church” but they never abandoned it. They stuck with it and changed it. Or at least attempted to.

    Jesus was a blameless jew and was regarded as a righteous rabbi among the masses. It got him 86ed(how appropriate) but he never gave up on his people. Salvation is still first of the Jews and we are the aliens who are “grafted” into their inheritence. Gods patience with his stubborn people is LONG suffering and although he discipline them, turns his face from them for a period, he never fully abandoned them. Instead of totally doing away with their legacy, preserved it and adopted others into it when they rejected it and still welcomes them. That's amazing. That's a hell of a love story. That's a covenant. And we ought to mimick it with one another. We don't abondon ship. Not based on “non-essential” matters of faith.

    Gods word was fulfilled in Jesus showing that the worshiping of God(as in preaching on a mount instead of a synagogue, or healing on sabbath, etc) is done in spirit and truth and not in a matter of customs. And he did these things PURPOSELY in front of the leaders of his time. He ENGAGED them, reasoned with them and pleaded with Jerusalem, etc. He didn't just retreat and say “I wash my hands of you”. It was the other way around. Luther brought grievances before the church and they wouldn't listen. He was radical and went against the grain and a system he thought was evil. Took out what he found unbiblical and unfounded and still stayed….in the church and a church structure.

    Likewise, we should stand with other believers. I don't share the ideologies of Jerry Fallwell or Pat Robertson or most other conservatives, but if we can agree that Jesus is the son of God that makes us inseperable(Body of Christ wise). And if we all truly believe that then we are Gods bride. And I'd rather spend my time and effort into making myself, fallwell and robertson presentable to God instead of totally trying to seperate myself from them.

    You made real good points, btw.

  • http://www.tommyloveland.com Tommy Loveland

    There are 2 types of people in the world: Those that are humble….and those who are about to be.

  • alex

    anyone got a spare copy of 'do not disturb' and 'we caught you plotting murder'? ive been trying to find these for ages. :(

  • ButNeverDestroyed

    [Soulfest, Social Anxieties and My Meeting With the Stage-Destroyer]
    On the 4th day of Soulfest, I am forced to put a new notch in my belt. The sun is beating down hard, with the air and dust pressing themselves suffocatingly into my eyes and nose and mouth. I am practically shrinking from the sweat-loss. My hair is hanging in a tawny, tattered, scandinavian mess around my shoulders and in my eyes, obscuring my face as I squint at CDs and T-shirts. I am praying for God to have mercy on me and remove Justin's vocal chords.

    Justin, a friend and a much more confident individual, is standing at my hip, spouting questions to the merchant behind the table, who, when not selling CDs, is the drummer for Project 86. I am attempting to go unnoticed as I make my purchases and try to spend as much time as possible in the presence of my heroes before they pack up and move on. Justin, in his earnest, energetic, pain-in-the-ass way, is doing everything he can to defeat my cause.

    See, for most of my life I've been consigned to one crippling social anxiety after another. I am inherently awkward with people I don't know and still tend to be offbeat with the people I'm close to. After many years of learning to adapt, as well as training from the theater-club and a general desire to survive, I have learned to pass my social-shortcomings off as charming and quirky, and for the most part it's worked. It's not difficult for me to make friends among the different groups of people I have no choice but to interact with, but becoming at ease with myself is a different matter. Like my grandfather, and his son, my uncle, I am prone to bouts of paranoia regarding the way other people perceive me. It's hard enough to feign a confident face to people who's opinions I don't care about – customers at the coffee-shop I work in, peers from school, people coming out of a Ke$ha concert – but to try and carry on a conversation with someone who I admire can be treacherous.

    In my 19 years I have accumulated a list of of men and women who's names would be in the dedication of my first novel. The people on that list range from J. R. R. Tolkien to Fyodor Dostoyevsky to Lee Marie of Children 18:3, to the Brothers Clark of Invisible Creature. Somewhere up with the author of 'The Screwtape Letters' and King David is the name of the man with whom I am hoping to avoid interaction of any sort, lest he remember me as the blond girl with no command of the english language. He is the frontman for Project 86. He is my living hero.

    I examine the cover of a CD and recognize it as the first Project 86 album, which I somehow have avoided owning in my stint as a devout fan. When I offer a $50 bill to the drummer for to cover the cost, his face falls, and he explains that they've only just set up and he can't break that big of a bill. Dumbfounded, I fumble to apologize for my inability to carry perfect change, inwardly cursing my bank-teller, stuttering some promise about finding a different vendor to give me two 20's and a 10.

    Just then, I catch a snatch of black fabric from the corner of my eye; long legs, wild eyes and a mouth that only opens to impart wisdom or scream at strangers.

    Andrew 'Macabre' Schwab is standing not three feet from me.
    Hands in pockets.
    Head cocked to one side.

    Breathing.

    Any and all energy I usually ration off for tasks such as walking, blinking or blood circulation is immediately consumed in a mind-bending power struggle with my stupid mouth, ordering the treacherous muscle that is my tongue to still itself and not to utter a word. If I don't concentrate, I'll say something idiotic, and all I want is for this guy to like me.

    I'd done a decent job the day before, when he'd come to the Mercy Street Cafe to give a lecture on finding the path God's chosen for you. When I'd approached him at the back of the room, about ten minutes before he was scheduled to speak, I'd had a goal and a script by which to perform the task of speaking with the Stage-Destroyer.

    Please sign my books.
    Please take a picture with me.
    Please blink at least once so we know you are human.

    He'd been kind and soft-spoken during our clipped conversation as well as his speech, so I'd had no trouble composing myself into a well-adjusted member of society.

    Now though, with this unexpected sighting, I am at a loss for how to proceed. As if to dig a deeper hole for me to fall into, Justin's eyes light on Schwab, and he looks at me, not in the least subtle. “Is that the front man?” Justin is in a band.

    “Yep.” Monosyllables. That's how I'll get through this. A muscle tightens in my jaw as I try and convince my hand to put the $50 bill back into my wallet so that I can leave.

    “Can he scream?” This question Justin asks the drummer, who merely blinks, possibly confused, possibly unwilling to involve himself in what will likely become a Schwab-themed spectacle.

    Shut UP Justin.

    Justin persists. “Does he scream?” I give him a wide-eyed 'Please-if-you-love-me-just-shut-up-and-get-me-out-of-here' nod.

    Shut up now so I don't have to silence you myself.

    “Hey.” This is Schwab, he's talking to the drummer. I am such an ass for not knowing the drummer's name. “You want food?” He draws certain syllables out like I've heard him do on stage.

    “Is it lunch time?” Drummer might be looking at him. I don't know. I'm studying the glaringly white toes of my Converse All-Stars.

    “Yeah. You want something?” Dialog so simple is destroying my train of thought. Stop it, Schwab. Stop talking like a mortal and go somewhere else so that I may resume my respiratory functions.

    Finally, God intervenes in the form of my boyfriend, who has finally caught on to my innner conflict. Jared, who has been with me for four and a half years and is intimately aware of my eccentricities. My beloved Jared takes pity on me and pays for the CD with $20 from his wallet.

    Justin is now asking Schwab about how to scream.

    I glance at my hero's Nikes, battling the temptation to also pick his brain. Questions about literature and politics and testimony crop up in my brain. Jared receives his change and we depart from the tent before I go into cardiac arrest. We stay away from the Project 86 tent until my heart has resumed a rhythm passable as a healthy pulse.

    Why Andrew Schwab? Why couldn't I have chosen someone reasonably approachable – like Grand Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi or Attila the Hun or a Berserker-freaking-Viking — for a personal hero? Why did I have to chose the Stage-Destroyer, of all people?

    I started studying the lyrics of Project 86 a couple years ago, when I discovered the band on a friend's Youtube page. I have always loved 'Fahrenheit 451' and stories that describe a dystopian future. Combing the works of Andrew Schwab, I found references to Aldous Huxley and Orwell and 'The Hollow Men'; voices from the past that many of my classmates didn't want to hear. I found references to Christ's declaration: “If the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you.” Reading his books, I found out he'd suffered the fear of the little green men and despised the sound of slurped sunflower seeds. I found out he wrote about the living dead, and I felt less lonely in my high school halls, which were lined with zombies.

    I want to write modern fantasy novels about governments that people know better than to trust. I want to make graphic novels about musicians who band together to fight off armies of brain-eating sub-humans. I want to speak publicly to people about what I've learned from my bible and from CS Lewis. I want to never be famous.

    Andrew Schwab writes books and is afraid of the Thought Police, makes Zombie references and speaks to crowds on the subject of things he's passionate about. He is doing what it relevant in his life.

    @TheAndrewSchwab is way more interesting than a Beserker-freaking-viking-warrior.

    Eventually, we return from our camp to the road leading to the Inside Out stage, hoping for a chance to speak with the gentle-giants of the Flatfoot 56 crew. The brothers Bawinkel and the other members of Flatfoot are faces I don't have trouble speaking to. I've eaten mud enough times at their concerts to have broken past that very thick wall of ice, and have even grown confident in my ability to use big-girl words when I talk (head cocked at a 90 degree angle) to Tobin Bawinkel about the socialist arguments made in 'The Jungle'.

    I am later brave enough to finish what I started, transaction-wise, at the Project 86 tent, purchasing a t-shirt I had earlier passed up. I navigate my short conversation with the drummer (Note to self, learn names of band members) and even manage to quiz him about how the t-shirts are produced. Drummer's willingness to discuss the brand of the t-shirts and the company responsible for printing them puts me at ease, and even makes me a bit cocky. My second job is in print-making at a t-shirt company, so I feel I am at a tactical advantage for once. I might even progress to a decent discussion about the benefits of traditional silk-screen as opposed to digital printing (note to self, refrain from being a nerd) until I am accosted by the merch-girl for Exiting the Fall.

    “That's all you're getting?” chirps merch-girl brightly. “You've got to at least get a CD.”

    “Got one earlier,” I defend myself, attempting to stay on track.

    “Get another one,” she advises sagely, her cheeks dimpling around a grin. I ask her if she's ever worked for Starbucks. She suggests I purchase the newest P86 album. I try to present her with a brick wall. “I own them all. All except for the EPs.”

    “Oh, but the EP was my favorite one!”

    “I'll bet.” I have talked to girls like this in my gym class. Genuinely capable of sweetness, over confident, sporty, probably wearing white tennis shoes. As I am writing this I try to remember merch-girl, but all I can think of is one of the freshmen who was on my team when we did the ropes course.

    “You could get a sweatshirt,” says the gym-class lookalike.

    “Bought one last year,” I counter. Take that, merch-girl. Heck yes I was in fencing team in high-school.

    “She's a good customer,” Drummer tries to intervene, blessed man. Merch-girl persists.

    “What about a tank-top?”

    I try flattery. “I admire your tenacity. Really. I do.”

    Her eyes glaze over when I break out the vocabulary. Bad move. I begin to sweat as she squints up at me, her face still comfortable and smiling. “I don't know what that means,” she admits, grinning.

    “Haven't you ever heard of Tenacious D?” I try.

    Good cultural reference.

    Nothing registers on Merch-girl's face.

    The hole I'm digging for myself surpasses six feet. Now Drummer has seen me crash and burn, too. Beautiful.

    Somehow I disentangle myself, walking away with the resolution to sweat this social-insecurity out of my system in a Flatfoot 56 circle pit. I'm surprised that Project 86 has stuck around this long after their gig. Surely, if I bury myself in the sea of bodies long enough; surely if I allow the air to be crushed from my lungs by complete strangers; surely, if I spend an hour kicking up dirt to my favorite Celtic Punk band, Project 86 and all my anxieties about impressions and opinions and my deteriorating grasp on the art of conversation will all pack up and disappear.

    So I leave the skin of my palms and my knees in the circle pit of the Flatfoot 56 concert. Kilts and bagpipes and mandolins and lyrics about Chicago abound. I stay in the pit for as long as it runs, slam into punks, trip over lost Nikes and discarded towels. I dirty my leggings and turn the bright-white toes of my Chuck Taylors a dingy brown. I turn my face dark red. I huff, exhausted. I slap high-fives and try to entice the rest of the crowds to join the fun. This is my element.

    At the end, Flatfoot 56 tells us this; that we are all brothers and sisters. That we are all children under a loving savior, Jesus Christ. Four hundred sweaty strangers lock arms and hang onto one another, slapping high-fives, kissing cheeks and foreheads, singing Amazing Grace. A punk who is a foot taller than me and several years older, with a red goatee and a red spiked mohawk makes friends with one of the security guards. I tap his shoulder and, panting, tell him “Guy, they need to let you mosh.” He blots out the sun with his body when he gives me a hug.

    By the time the Flatfoot crowd has dispersed, Jared I have found the Bagpiper and told him he did the set much Justice. We have told Kyle Bawinkel that Maine wants to see Flatfoot 56 perform, and we've promised him lobster from the shores of Owl's Head if he makes good on the promise to try and come our way one day.

    I have given the last of what ever energy I had preserved for the last night of Soulfest. I am too tired, too dirty, too sweaty, too sore and too happy to be worried about running into heros and legends in the crowds, and thus spend some time lying in the soil while we wait for Living Sacrifice.

    Living Sacrifice, or so I'm told, laid the foundation for most Christian metal-bands. We stand back in the crowd and watch the festivities, heads jerking in the obligatory head-bang required of concert goers. We're positioned in front of the sound booth, near the circle pit, where I watch my friends in security start more trouble than they actually put an end to.

    Men.

    In my pondering, I glance over my shoulder, and my skin goes cold. Who should I find in the sound-booth behind us, head-bobbing, lip curled, soul-searing eyes fixed on the stage?

    Andrew Schwab, for the sake of mankind, for the good of my nerves, will you stop behaving like a mortal man? It destroys me that you listen to music like a regular person. It doesn't compute. The fact that you have positioned yourself in this crowd, where I'm trying to carry on my charade of sanity, only weakens my resolve to be normal.

    I am immediately consumed by the (very rational fear) that he has caught onto my paranoid delusions and that he's been witness to my less than desirable social-toolbox and that by now he has pegged me for a possible serial killer.

    The concert ends. The audience roars for one more song. Andrew Schwab drifts away through the crowd.

    I am not pathetic; I swear it. Secretly, I am a viking-girl. Secretly, I am a scandinavian princess. Secretly, I am stronger than my personality would let on. Secretly, I am not afraid of Andrew Schwab.

    Flatfoot 56 told us we are all brothers and sisters, joined by the blood of one Jesus Christ. I sincerely believe that. Somewhere between the last note in the Living Sacrifice concert and seeing the receding form of my hero's silhouette, I am reminded who I belong to, and where I am going. In the back of my mind, I know every detail that so painfully divides me from the rest of my brothers and sisters will one day pale into nothingness, when we kneel in the presence of I Am.

    I do not remember in great detail how it went when I ran to him in the darkness, or when I called him formally. “Mr. Schwab?” I know I was apologetic for being the 800th person to interrupt his evening. I know I told him he was my hero. I shook his hand – again – and half-hoped he didn't recognize me in the dark. Like I said, I'm hazy on details, and Jared was too far away to hear what words I assembled there on the spot, but he later remarked that it must have been relatively coherent, because he saw all of Schwab's teeth when he smiled.

    Here is what I wish I had said to him;

    Dear Mr. Schwab,
    My name is Alexandra. You are my number one living hero. Your lyrics and your books and the things you say on stage speak more to me than a pastor ever has. I have read and re-read the poems in 'Fame is Infamy' and leant the book to anyone I can hand it to. Mr. Schwab, the fact I was just at the same concert as you blows me away. I hope one day I can talk to you and tell you how much I've accomplished because people like you have inspired me. Please continue writing poetry. I know how corny it sounds, but having Project 86 on my iPod makes it easier to remember that it's a good thing to be different, and that God made me that way.

    Keep destroying stages. God bless you and goodnight.

  • ButNeverDestroyed

    Amazon is a good place to start. I found a couple copies on there but I never got around to making a purchase.

  • Caslyn

    My first reaction when I saw the link on my CNN widget was shock. I thought that surely she’d just made a mistake, like taking a wrong turn (‘oh, I didn’t mean to go this way – why did I do that?’). But, when I read her statement, I felt acute disappointment; the kind that settles deep in the pit of the stomach and later turns up nagging at the corners of the mind. It wasn’t that I didn’t agree with some of the things she said – it just didn’t feel right.
    I read Called Out of Darkness with a mild skepticism (like it was some kind of eccentric stunt) that gradually changed as I realized how personal and real her stories about relating to God and him relating to her were. She really seemed to have experienced God on a deep level – dare say a deeper level than many of the Christians I know. Sure, they can quote scripture, they attend church faithfully, their decisions are generally moral, but if you ask them the last time God related to them on a personal level – generally it is their salvation experience. Of course, it could be that I just don’t know anyone well enough at this point in my life for them to share that stuff with me too – but, overall, I think that’s a fair generalization. Sad, but fair.
    So, in Called Out of Darkness, I saw the beauty of an example of a deep personal relationship, the kind that God wants with all of us – and I was moved to seek out that kind of connection once again in my own life. I finished the book convinced Anne Rice was a believer who knew God and loved Him. An imperfect believer with concerns over specific issues, but an imperfect believer like all of us.
    I can’t help but wonder if she has continually been exposed to hard-line, extremist criticism from the far-right of Christianity, especially concerning her son, who I believe is gay. I’m not saying she’s responded rightly to this in what she’s done, I’m just saying that, if this is what has happened, it makes me want to cry. I know how it feels to be beaten on and criticized and badgered by extreme Christians. The wounds inflicted on the psyche and the resulting mistrust and anger are very hard to work through, especially without a support system. The world, not to mention other believers, should be able to trust us more than anyone to be kind and gentle and meek, and it breaks my heart when we fall short.
    As much as I have thought this through and struggled to find an answer, I have none. ( No eloquent theological insight to add to a really good discussion) . I just think that God is the only one that truly knows her heart. All I can do with this is take the pain I feel about the faults of our imperfect body of believers and try to be different – to not be that Christian that represents a hardened, angry Jesus – but instead a kind and loving one to the next person I meet.

  • Wesley.

    Second Round's On Me.

    So called life bickers in my head as I recite scripture
    In attempts to forget the liquor hid in light fixtures
    “It's fight or flight Mr.”… My dad says….but I see
    It's a meloncholy truth most truths are meloncholy
    And that's the ebb and flow, I'll learn this lesson slow
    Tonight I'll face myself…..or I could it go
    I wanna let you go, but see I wanna call you
    And reach my hand through the line, choke you, now we're all through
    Nah, on second thought…I'd rather pour another
    And pretend I don't feel that way and we'll ignore eachother
    Tonight you're void a lover, feels like I'm void a soul
    Wolves destroy the fold, least now we know our roles
    I got a new friend… this bottle…she befriends me
    But for one of us to feel full the other must be empty
    Not too unlike we were, infact a mirrored image
    My heart rate in the hundreds, and I ain't even finished
    I got another pint, You got some more revenge
    That I ain't extracted yet comin' for you when I binge
    I never liked to hear you, touch, taste or even see you
    I rant cause you killed my delusion of decent people
    And that's the ebb and flow, I'll learn this lesson slow
    You're exactly like me, I'll learn to let it go
    But until I do… let's have a round or two
    The booze will be on me, cause this is all on you

  • ButNeverDestroyed

    'Whore'

    My Faith is an engagement ring
    The Bridegroom gave to me
    And like a Whore I hide it from
    His handsome enemies

    And like the flighty Jade I am
    I hide my scabby knees
    'Neath ruffled, scarlet skirts and lace
    And ten cent rosaries

  • http://www.tommyloveland.com Tommy Loveland

    I just watched a cool video on you-tube with Andrew Schwab on how to find purpose in your life. Thanks to butneverdestroyed who made the video I was able to sit down for a moment and do a little 3 step exam of myself. Andrew said that when you finish the exam you will see a thumb print of your creator in your life and that we all have a purpose and meaning in this world. So I started doing the exam and sure enough until I saw it on paper with my very eyes I could not believe what I had seen….a thumb-print. I’m not finished yet but I will soon be I’m still working on my vision statement or statement of vision .If you have not seen it copy and paste this in your url and check it out it’s a must see.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm5SSgN8Ocg

    INVENTORY
    EXECUTION
    SURRENDER

  • http://www.tommyloveland.com Tommy Loveland

    DID YOU EVER STOP TO THINK THAT JESUS DOESN'T WANT TO BE COOL

    PAGE 11-13 IN FAME IS INFAMY

    “…I don't do the jew because …wow, the guy who thought of that one is name satan.”

    I really like this one alot but I've been asked several times by my friends what this statement means? Any answers?

  • http://choklitblog.blogspot.com Violet

    “The Fear Infection”

    I recently injured myself. Surprised? I hope not, because that means you don’t read my blog or know me very well.

    I was at a water park with some friends to celebrate the end of summer. I mean, all normal teenagers get together to celebrate the fact that school is starting again, right? Well, we did, and we did it at a water park. So, in my normal tradition, I injured myself on the least dangerous thing in the entire park: the lazy river.

    Yes. I skinned my knee on the bottom of the lazy river.

    I managed to walk over to a lifeguard with blood running down my leg and ask for a band-aid, which lasted for a very small part of the day. For the rest of the day, my skinned knee was completely exposed to… well, everything. FYI: Water parks are not the most sanitary places in the world.

    A little later that night, right around seven, the pain kicked in. Before long, I could barely even bend my knee. I also ate eighteen Twizzlers that night, so my knee wasn’t the only thing in pain.

    For a few days it was like this. On my first day of school, I was limping everywhere, and I cringed every time I had to sit down or stand up. Every night before bed, I would take off my old band-aid, put some antibacterial ointment on my knee, and put on a fresh band-aid. One night I didn’t do that. I said “Oh well, it won’t hurt to keep the same one on for two days.” So I did just that.

    The next night, I was really tired and ready to get in bed. I took off my band-aid to change it, and immediately I knew I wasn’t going to bed any time real soon. Judging by the look of my knee and the horrible scent wafting through the air, one thing was quite obvious: I had an infection.

    Last night I heard a sermon about fear, and it made me think of that infection. I mean, I didn’t need a sermon to make me think of my knee since it still hurts, but my mind immediately started making connections between fear and infections. Crazy how that works. Anyway.

    Take a look at 1 John 4:18. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Conclusion: fear is bad.

    Just like any other negative thing, fear will creep into your life unnoticed at first. You’re not just going to wake up one day and go, “Man, I’m scared today.” Do you think Eve woke up one morning and said “I think I’ll corrupt mankind today”? (FYI: She did not. Read Genesis 3 for the whole story.) It’s just like the infected wound: The infection is there, growing, building itself up, but you don’t notice it until five days later.

    By the time you detect this fear, you have to get rid of it immediately. Otherwise it will cripple you, just like it did to the wicked servant in the parable of the ten talents (and just like my little scratch rendered me unable to bend my knee). “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you’” (Matt. 25:24-25, NIV). In case you don’t know the rest of the story, the servant gets fired for failing to multiply his master’s money–because he was afraid.

    So how do you get rid of it? Well, let’s look at how I got rid of my infection.

    Step 1: Hot water. Not a little splash of lukewarm water. HOT water. Mark 4:35-41 is a perfect example of this:

    “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, 'Let us go over to the other side.' Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (NIV)

    Jesus throws His disciples into a crazy storm and scares them out of their minds, then He tells the storm to shut up, and it does! Why? Because facing fear head-on is the best (and sometimes only) way to get rid of it. Once you face your fear and realize someone more powerful than any force on this earth has your back, that fear kind of goes away. It’s like Romans 8:31 says: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

    Step 2: A powerful antiseptic. In my case, tea tree oil. Not fun. Unlike hot water, which flushes out most of the infection, an antiseptic penetrates deep into the wound and kills any traces of infection that were too set-in to be moved by the water. It takes time and it may be temporarily painful, but if you let the infection continue to grow, it’ll be way more painful… and that pain will last until you destroy the infection–through a painful process, no doubt.

    So what’s a good antiseptic for fear? Something that penetrates deep into your soul and rebukes fear. Any guesses?

    That’s right! It’s the Bible. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). Studying God’s word daily will help to remove those little bits of fear that may still be marinating in the back of your mind. You most likely won’t like everything you see, and some of it will require you to make, often painful, changes to your life. In the end, though, you’ll find that it’s much easier than walking around in fear constantly.

    Step 3: Keep the dirt out. This seems easy enough, right? For me, it consisted of putting on some antibacterial ointment and a band-aid every day until the wound healed. In the case of fear, it consists of not murdering people and stealing and doing bad things like that. Right?

    Wrong. In my case, I was actually smearing useless white goo all over my knee. It turned out my ointment had expired ten years ago.

    Romans 8:5-8 says “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” When we fill our minds with sin, we separate ourselves from God. Without God, who is there to protect us from our fears? No one.

    If you remember all the way back in the beginning of this blog, I quoted 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” So according to that verse, in order to completely destroy fear, we need love, right? According to 1 Timothy 1:5, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” You can’t be fearless in a sinful life, just like you can’t be healthy with a dirty cut.

  • http://www.tommyloveland.com Tommy Loveland

    What do you think about this pastor in Gainesville wanting to burn the quran on 9-11? I live in Florida man and this was kind of crazy cause when I first heard about it I did not think twice about it. But now it is world wide and everybody is watching. How does something so small spread so fast? If you’re truly a Christian aren't we suppose to love our enemies and turn the other cheek? Even though I know this is hard to do, but this pastor and church of about 50 people are claiming that they have prayed about it and this is Gods will. Crazy stuff dude!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=110900712 Ben Miller

    I just posed this question to Andrew through twitter and thought I'd start the concept here as well…

    My question is a yes or no question but goes much much deeper than that once you look past the surface. Can God exist without truth?

    Before truly being able to answer that question, one must ask the question which is at the core of humanity, culture, faith, belief, even our very existence; what is truth? Is “truth” important/relevant/absolute/relative/existent? I started a paper once in college that never went further than a rough outline but because I started with the simple question of whether or not truth is absolute or relative, but wound up with the greatest answer I have ever discovered, I feel it is worth sharing.

    Lets see what the dictionary has to say about truth. I used the Merriam Webster concise school and office dictionary with copy write 1991 for any that would like to know.

    truth n. pl truths 1: TRUTHFULNESS, HONESTY 2: the real state of things: FACT 3: the body of real events or facts : ACTUALITY 4: a true or accepted statement or proposition 5: agreement with fact or reality : CORRECTNESS syn veracity, verity, truthfulness

    Seeing that the word true is used we should probably define “true.”

    1true adj 1: STEADFAST, LOYAL 2: conformable to fact or reality 3: CONSISTANT
    4: properly called so 5: RIGHTFUL 6: conformable to a standard or pattern.
    also :placed accurately syn constant, staunch, resolute, steadfast
    2true adv 1: TRUTHFULLY 2: ACCURATELY, also : without variation from type
    3true n 1:TRUTH, REALITY (usually used with “the”) 2: the state of being accurate

    I suppose now would be a good time to touch on reality and then obviously on “real.”

    reality n. 1: the quality or state of being real 2: something real 3: the totality of real things and events

    real adj. 1: actually being or existent 2:not artificial :GENUINE

    And I will throw in “fact” just to be fair.

    fact n 1:DEED 2: the quality of being actual 3: something that exists or occurs

    Now, since the arguments coming up deal with whether or not truth is subjective and relative or absolute, we should probably define these terms as well.

    A quick look at “relative” shows the following.

    relative adj…1 and 2 don’t apply to this…3: not absolute or independent :COMPARATIVE 4 doesn’t apply either….syn dependent contingent, conditional

    Next is ”subjective” and probably “subject” as well.

    subjective adj. 1: of, relating to, or constituting a subject 2: of, relating to, or arising within one's self or mind in contrast to what is outside :P ERSONAL

    subject adj. 1 being under the power or rule of another 2: liable, exposed 3: dependant on some act or condition

    subject vb. 1: to bring under control 2: to make liable 3: to cause to undergo or submit to

    Finally the last definition I should have to cover for this demonstration, “absolute.”

    absolute adj. 1: free from imperfection or mixture 2: free from control, restriction, or qualification 3-6 don’t apply and 7: FUNDAMENTAL, ULTIMATE

    Okay, now that we have a dictionary definition of the terms we are all using here, let’s try to figure out what we are saying when we use these terms.

    1) Truth is truth.
    You can look above to see where I get this, but if truth is the real state of things, or fact, let us now substitute real and fact. We now see the definition becomes “truth is genuine and actually exists”, or “something that exists.” Therefore truth, just plain and simple IS.

    2) Relative truth/subjective truth.
    With definitions such as the ones given for subjective and subject above, we see that we cannot have subjective truth because you cannot have control or a condition over something that simply exists. The truth was apparently there before you. Therefore you cannot define the truth, rather, it is you who are defined by the truth.

    Relative truth holds the same principles because again, you cannot make truth dependant on anything if it exists on its own.

    3) Absolute truth is actually redundant.
    It is kind of like saying “true truth.” If absolute means that it is free from control or restriction, and truth just exists on its own, of course it is free from control or restriction.

    With dictionary definitions this proves that truth is not relative or subjective as some have claimed, rather it is an absolute. It cannot sometimes be an absolute and sometimes be relative. As the definitions show, truth stands on its own all the time, it is steadfast and consistent

    Truth, according to the dictionary must always have existed. Where did this truth come from? What makes it truth?

    As Christians we are quick to testify that God has always existed even since before time began. The bible tells us that He has always been here. So then, did God create truth? Does God define what truth is and is not?

    The answer, by definition of truth, is no. Truth cannot be bound or restricted to exist in a controlled manner. So then God did not create truth because by it's nature, if created, truth would no longer be truth. But how can something exist outside of God's control? Is not God omnipotent? The answer is found right in the very definition of truth.

    The basic definition for truth became “truth is.” This sounds an awful lot like the name for God in the Bible. God says that His name is “I am.”

    Exodus 3:14 God's name is “I AM.”
    1 John 4:16 “God is love.”
    John 14:6 Jesus says “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.”
    Revelation 21:6 God says He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

    When you lay out the pieces of the puzzle, you have:

    Truth that simply “is.”
    God who's name is “I am.” ——-Same verb. just a different tense.

    Truth that has always existed.
    God, who is the alpha and omega. ——–Who has also always existed.

    Jesus is God….He claims to be the truth.

    Therefore if God and Truth are synonymous, it stands to reason that God cannot exist without Truth. Not because God needs Truth to exist but because God IS Truth. For Truth not to exist, God would not exist and vice versa. The beauty of God can be found in all things including the Truth of His word, though it can be offending to those who will not believe it.

  • http://choklitblog.blogspot.com Violet

    “THE MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT”

    Think back to the most terrifying moment of your life. You probably remember exactly where you were, who you were with, how old you were, and some surrounding events. For many people, it probably happened when they were quite young and involved an animal, water, or some indescribably disgusting food. But I think one thing most people can agree on is that at the moment in their life when they were most afraid… dramatic pause… they were awake.

    I, on the other hand, was asleep.

    The year was 2009. The day was May fourth, and the time was probably one-something in the morning. I was in my church. The building looked completely different than it does in real life, but I think some of the people were the same. I’m not sure, but that’s not really important. It was a normal Sunday morning.

    Upstairs, wandering around, was a man no one knew. No one had seen him before, no one knew his name. All we knew was that we were all afraid of him. Why? Because he was blind.

    Now, I realize that blindness is a ridiculous reason to be afraid of someone; in fact, it’s kind of a reason not to be afraid of them. But this is my dream world, and it typically doesn’t make sense. Plus our fear of his blindness is a critical part of the dream.

    So everyone gets scared because this strange guy is blind, and we all run downstairs away from him. Once everyone has gathered to cower in fear, we notice that he’s taken some captives: two helpless girls, about eleven years old. There were plenty of able-bodied men (with perfect vision) downstairs in the church, and all of them had the same idea: we need to save ourselves from this super scary guy! In fact, everyone had that exact plan. Save yourselves, an old blind man with no weapons might hurt you.

    The church people began calling other people to come get them out of the church before they got hurt. I think someone may have told the guy upstairs that he should let the girls go, but no one actually did anything to help them. Everyone was afraid of getting hurt.

    The blind man took the girls out onto a balcony that hung over the sidewalk in front of the building. He started threatening to throw them over. What did the church people do? “Don’t do it! That’s bad! Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do. He might hurt us if we go up there.”

    And so the screaming ensued. The girls screamed as loudly as they could for someone to help them, but it was too late. Suddenly the screaming stopped, and then one girl started to scream again. Only one. The other girl was dead on the ground in front of the church.

    Everyone downstairs quickly began to panic. First off, they didn’t want one single man with no weapons to somehow hurt them all. Second, they didn’t want people to see a dead girl lying on the sidewalk or the church might get a bad reputation. But they had nothing to worry about, because the cars showed up right then. Whoever they had called to come rescue us had just showed up with enough cars to transport the entire church body, which was quite large.

    Everyone started to rush out of the building, but I couldn’t leave. I just stood there screaming “Why didn’t someone help that girl?! There’s still one up there, why don’t some of you men go help her?!” I was assured by my fellow church-goers that it was far too dangerous, and that I would soon be killed if I didn’t rush out of the church with everyone else. Between the horrifying predicament of the two young girls and the complete chaos going on downstairs, I could do nothing but stand still. I started to breathe faster and my head began to spin. I felt a panic attack coming on and I knew I would soon pass out and be carried out of the church to a car, which would take me to a “safe” destination. Then there would be no one to help the girl upstairs.

    This is the part where I was terrified. Terrified for the girl, terrified that I would do the wrong thing, terrified that I would be trampled to death by a bunch of crazed hypocrites. Then my eyes shot open, and I was covered in sweat and panting… kind of like in a movie. I was awake, and it was 1:40 AM.

    Now, if you ask me, which you have done involuntarily by reading by blog, this dream makes a pretty nifty metaphor. If you happen to attend church regularly, I’m sure you’ve heard non-Christians referred to as “blind”. In this case, the blind party (the stranger dude) will represent the secular media. The little girls represent pre-teens and teenagers in the church, usually around junior high age. The church people represent church people, and physical death represents spiritual death.

    Unfortunately, this is not a very unusual case. The secular media (blind man) comes casually strolling in, and people scatter like cockroaches in the fear that they could be its next victim. But the young girls who just want to fit in don’t know any better, so they don’t run. They get caught up in what they think is cool and popular, and before long they don’t know how to get back out.

    Meanwhile, the church people are poking at the blind people with yardsticks saying “Hey, leave them alone, please.” because they don’t want to get too close and get hurt themselves. What they don’t realize it that if they’re 100% for real about their Christianity, no one is just going to snatch it away from them unless they forfeit it. Sometimes the stronger Christians have to put themselves in unpleasant situations to help out those who are weaker.

    Since their fellow Christians are either too scared to do anything or too self-absorbed to be concerned with anything but saving themselves, the kids are left confused and helpless, until they reach an unfortunate end– spiritual death. Before long, the kids who represent Christians to their unsaved friends (the girl lying in front of the church) are no different from their friends (spiritually dead), and more kids start getting the impression that they’re on their way to heaven no matter what kind of sin they’re involved in. Those kids become our adults, and the cycle continues until the whole world is on its way to hell.

    Before you say “You’re being accusatory!” and stop reading, think about this: The secular media is more than willing to tell teenagers they’re being uncool, but Christians are too scared of offending someone to say they’re being un-Christian. So why is the secular media more confident than the average Christian?

  • http://choklitblog.blogspot.com Violet

    Andrew, I just read your article on anger, and it reminded me of this blog I wrote a while back… it's from almost a year ago so it's not my best work, but anyway, here it is.

    Most people get angry at some point in their life. A lot of people see anger as a bad thing. They think it’s wrong to get angry, because anger is a negative emotion. A lot of Christians think that anger is an un-Christian attitude, and they should stay away from it. Romans 1:18 says “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” The word “wrath” is (according to my computer’s dictionary) defined as “extreme anger.” So basically what that verse is saying is that wickedness makes God extremely angry. Now skip ahead a few books to 1 Peter. Chapter one, verse fifteen says “But just as he who called you [God] is holy, so be holy in all you do.” But wait… didn’t I just say that God gets EXTREMELY ANGRY? Yep. Guess what. Anger isn’t a sin.

    The problem is what anger leads to. There are right ways to deal with anger, and there are wrong ways to deal with anger. First let’s look at the wrong way. According to Galatians 5:19-20, throwing a fit is not the right solution to anger. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Wow. Now that we’ve cleared that up…

    Ephesians 4:26-27 shows us some pretty helpful information on how to properly deal with anger. “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Don’t sin! Don’t go beat someone up just because you’re mad. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. This could be taken two different ways; you could take it to literally mean “resolve all your problems before the day ends”, or you could take it figuratively. Or you could take it both ways. The literal meaning is pretty obvious. If your brother drives you to school every morning and today you were 15 minutes late for class because your brother wasn’t ready to go in time, don’t go to bed that night thinking about how you can get back at him, or how angry you are that he made you late for class. Resolve the issue as soon as possible.

    The figurative meaning isn’t that hard to figure out either. “The sun [going] down” here could symbolize the end of your life. Either death or the end of the world. Jesus even uses similar symbolism in John 11:11 when he tells his disciples that Lazarus is dead. He tells them that Lazarus has “fallen asleep” and that He is going to “wake him up” (raise him from the dead). Job also uses sleep to refer to death: “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed? For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest” (Job 3:11-13). The end of the day, the sun going down, is normally when people go to sleep… and the end of a person’s life is normally when they die. Unless of course they don’t die, because they live until Jesus comes back to earth… “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). And it still ends with the night.

    Now you may be wondering whether you need to deal with your anger before the end of each day, or just sometime before the end of your life. The answer is both. There are two different types of anger; we’ll call them short-term anger and long-term anger. Short-term anger occurs when something happens that makes you angry. Someone insults you, you make a stupid mistake, you lose something important. Then there’s long-term anger; anger at something that’s ongoing. For example, the fact that there are hungry people in third-world countries makes you angry. That will always make you angry… not always as in every second of the day, but whenever you think about the starving people out there, you’ll get mad. It’s not something that can just be resolved easily. Short-term anger is the type of anger that needs to be resolved before the day is over; long-term anger is the type of anger that needs to be dealt with before your life is over.

    So how do you deal with this anger? Psalm 4:4-5 says “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.” You have to make sacrifices. You may have to sacrifice your dignity and forgive someone who hurt you, or sacrifice your time and money to fight world hunger, but in order to get rid of your anger the right way, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. If people were intended to just dream away their anger, what would be the point of it? Anger motivates people to do things; without negative emotion, no one would ever have a reason to do anything useful. But if people aren’t willing to sacrifice their own comfort, they’ll never do anything useful anyway, and they’ll stay angry.

    You should never go to bed at night angry for a reason that could have been resolved already, and if you do, it’s your responsibility to immediately forgive the person who caused your anger (even if that person is yourself). And when you’re a hundred years old lying on your death bed, you shouldn’t be thinking “Gosh, I wish I had done something to help those hungry children. I hope someone will someday.” You should be able to look back over your life and think of how glad you are that you did what you could to help fix the things in the world that God gave you an anger — a passion — for.

  • P. Combs

    We Are The Archers.

    Do you ever feel beat down? Daunted by a task or situation at hand? Alone? Afraid? Uncertain?

    We Are The Archers.

    In Ancient & Mid-Evil times, Archers, or lack thereof, could make or break a battle. The Army with more Archers had a much greater advantage. More arrows meant less opposing soldiers before the battle even began.

    We Are The Archers.

    Picture this. You're the last soldier in a critical battle. Everyone else has fallen at your side. The enemy marches toward you. You feel beat down. Daunted by the situation. Alone. Afraid. Uncertain on how you'll survive. Just at the very moment you are about to be defeated, you hear a multitude of arrows from behind you. The sky seems to rain arrows. The enemy is not completely defeated but enough have been killed leaving only a handful, who are deeply afraid. You quickly defeat them. You are Victorious, thanks to the Archers.

    We Are The Archers.

    We will all certainly face these times, when you're in a battle you don't think you can win.The Enemy of God would have you believe you are Beat down. Daunted. Afraid. Alone.

    Fortunately, We Are The Archers.

    You are an Archer. I am an Archer. We Are All Archers. Many people in your life serve as Archers in your Army. Springing to life when you need it most. Likewise, you serve as an Archer in many peoples lives. In times when you need it most, God calls your Archers, both Human and Angelic, to arms. I've seen this first hand this week. I felt beat down. Daunted by a situation at hand. Alone. Afraid. Uncertain. Just before it seemed the Enemy was about to slay me, the sky opened up and more arrows have rained down that I have ever seen before.These Arrows come in many forms, prayers, encouragement, and counselling to name a few. The possibilities are endless.
    Although my battle will continue with much fighting left, My Archers are with me. I am not alone. I am not defeated. I am not beat down. I am a Warrior, supported by Archers, fighting for The King.

    I encourage you, Trust in your King to send the Archers in your time of need, and be ready to take the Bow from your back and serve as an Archer.

    To My Archers, I Thank you.

    Inspired by the lyrics from”We Are The Archers” by Oh Sleeper.

  • P. Combs

    Two men are flying on an airplane when it crash lands on an Island. One man is a professor, one a student. The professor is slowly dying, so he shows the student how to survive. “If you eat the green fruit, you live, and if you eat the red fruit, you die” he says. The professor then went on to explain the purple fruit, but the student had already walked off. The professor soon dies, leaving the student alone on the island. Weeks pass and the man quickly ate all the green fruit on the island. He begins to wish that he knew about the purple fruit. He takes a chance, eats a piece, and soon dies. If he had listened to the professor he would’ve known that he needed to boil the fruit before he ate it to destroy the toxins.

    How often in our lives do we do just enough to get by? In my life personally I have done just enough to get by in Latin, and I’m paying for it now. But I’ll get through that class eventually, and besides I’m more interested in what we do in our lives as Christians that reflects this story. What part of our walk with God do we do “Just enough to get by” because I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to experience “just a little bit” of God, I want to experience as much as I possibly can. What are you doing RIGHT NOW in your life to just get by? I feel that eventually this catches up to all of us. We run out of green fruit and are left with a difficult situation involving a “Purple Fruit” not knowing what to do.

    Our time here on earth is short, and nothing great was ever accomplished by “Just Getting By”

  • WDS

    2nd Rounds on me.

    So called life bickers in my head as I recite scripture
    In attempts to forget the liquor hid in light fixtures
    “It's fight or flight Mr.”… My dad says….but I see
    It's a meloncholy truth most truths are meloncholy
    And that's the ebb and flow, I'll learn this lesson slow
    Tonight I'll face myself…..or I could let it go
    I wanna let you go, but see I wanna call you
    And reach my hand through the line, choke you, now we're all through
    Nah, on second thought…I'd rather pour another
    And pretend I don't feel that way and we'll ignore eachother
    Tonight you're void a lover, feels like I'm void a soul
    Wolves destroy the fold, least now we know our roles
    I got a new friend… this bottle…she befriends me
    But for one of us to feel full the other must be empty
    Not too unlike we were, infact a mirrored image
    My heart rate in the hundreds, and I ain't even finished
    I got another pint, You got some more revenge
    That I ain't extracted yet comin' for you when I binge
    I never liked to hear you, touch, taste or even see you
    I rant cause you killed my delusion of decent people
    And that's the ebb and flow, I'll learn this lesson slow
    You're exactly like me, I'll learn to let it go
    But until I do… let's have a round or two
    The alcohols on me, cause this is all on you

    W.S.

  • http://choklitblog.blogspot.com Violet

    Why do we kill ourselves on purpose
    When we’ll only live by accident?
    When we should be making chances
    Why won’t we take the ones we’re given?

    Why do we always waste our time
    Pretending we’re not good enough?
    When will we realize our heroes
    Are made of the same dirt as us?

    Why do we wait for inspiration
    Instead of fighting for what’s ours
    Why do we hide our pretty faces
    Behind our made-up scars?

    How can we claim we’ll leap to new heights
    When we won’t even take a step?
    We’ve made our empty promises
    Now skepticism is all we have left

    Maybe we’re just paranoid
    That we may die before our time
    But why bother existing
    If we’re scared to be alive?

  • http://choklitblog.blogspot.com Violet

    BREAK

    I never saw this coming
    Never though you'd be the one
    I saw you moving closer
    But I never though you'd take the plunge
    And now it's done, you've fallen under
    I feel like I'm chasing after thunder
    Reaching for you
    Why won't you take my hand, don't you understand?

    Indecision's on my mind
    I want to tear you down
    But I want to know you're fine

    When you start to shake
    I pray it's more than you can take
    And when you fall apart
    You're always welcome in my arms
    When you come unglued
    I pray you'll finally see the truth
    If that's what it's gonna take
    Then I hope to God you break

    My days are dragging slowly
    As you're drowning in your skin
    Each night I'm begging for you
    That God would pull you from your sins
    It feels so useless, I'm confused
    I feel like my mind has been abused
    Trying to get you
    Why won't you take my hand? I don't understand.

    This thing is hurting us both
    If it's not over soon
    Then I don't know how we'll cope

    When you start to shake
    I pray it's more than you can take
    And when you fall apart
    You're always welcome in my arms
    When you come unglued
    I pray you'll finally see the truth
    If that's what it's gonna take
    Then I hope to God you break

    RELENTLESS

    Down on my knees, I made one request
    That I refused to put to rest
    Cause I'm relentless

    Maybe I was a fool for asking
    Cause I was the only one in mind
    Maybe this infection's passing
    But I won't hold my breath this time
    Maybe I was desperate, I was clinging
    But I swear I wasn't thinking
    I hope that I'm sleeping, I pray that I'm dreaming
    I cry that, oh God, would you please forgive me?

    Down on my knees, I made one request
    That I refused to put to rest
    Cause I'm relentless
    [One request, that I refused to put to rest]
    Cause I'm relentless

    How can I be happy for myself
    When my discontentment's killed someone else?
    I've got exactly what I wanted
    But I lost so much more in the process
    Cause I'm afraid that I'm to blame
    As I'm watching everyone around me break
    And what I've gained isn't worth your pain
    I just hope that you can't read my shame

    Down on my knees, I made one request
    That I refused to put to rest
    Cause I'm relentless

  • http://www.orloseweight.com weight loss tips

    The Born Digital Wine Awards (BDWA) is now accepting submissions through February 28, 2011! The awards, to be presented at the 2011 London International …

  • http://theichabodshow.com/ Malkiyahu

    I don’t know who Anne is, I just read your post and would like to respond. You are absolutely right that forsaking “the assembling of ourselves together” never works out. We are called to be members of a Body. I agree with you that it’s very difficult to change something from the outside, and that we should help our brothers and sisters AS brothers and sisters.

    However, when you talk about being a hypocritical, blind bigot in a church full of hypocritical, blind bigots, you clearly imply that God claims such sinners as His. Of course He accepts them in order to change them, to give them a new birth, but if they don’t change, they are not His children. Only saints are His children: those who have allowed Him to CHANGE them from sinners into sons of God.

    An imperfect Body is not the spotless Bride that He is coming back for. If they are hateful, prideful, racist, shady wretches, then I will love them and tell them the good news that Christ can free them from sin; but they are not my brothers! Claiming them as brothers is like the Pharisees and Sadducees claiming the prophet-killers as their ancestors; Jesus condemned them for it.

    And Jesus did NOT do everything in accordance with Jewish law! That is very clear! Allowing His disciples to eat grain on the Sabbath; healing the blind man with His spit; telling the lame man to carry his mat on the Sabbath; touching lepers: ALL against the Jewish laws! He broke their traditional laws on purpose, to show them that God demands righteousness, not religion.

    “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” (1 John 3:4-9).

    “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13).

    The New Jurusalem: “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:26-27). I belong to a perfect body of believers; maybe not according to you, but according to the Scriptures (Hebrews 10:24). Yeshua surrounded Himself with REDEEMED sinners, not hypocrites. If you’re talking about people who make occasional mistakes, then OK. But it sounds like you’re talking about people who sin every day, which is the definition of a “sinner,” the opposite of a “saint.”

    Don’t mistake God’s unconditional love and PATIENCE for ACCEPTANCE.

  • http://theichabodshow.com/ Malkiyahu

    Typo: We are perfect according to Hebrews 10:14.

  • http://sw4mpf0x.wordpress.com/ Joel

    Sup. This be Joel from the infamous TOXEMIA. Got done with your book “It's all Downhill From Here” and I must say. You remind me of ME. Which makes me even more convinced that we should tour together sometime friend. I would love to bounce some ideas off of you. Anyways, here be some material for ya. You can find the rest at:http://sw4mpf0x.wordpress.com/

    “Insert Gimmick Here”

    I’m in a solid state of mind, and I will fight tooth, and nail to keep it that way. I can’t really pinpoint it, however I think this mindset started when I was on my way to seminary. I was reminiscing about playing with my stretch arm strong, while riding on the chariot with a girl named Norma Jean.

    We must have talked about the class project 86 times. Geesh, there was indeed something special in her eyes as our minds, and hearts met. It was kind of strange because ever since october I’ve been able to have a decent conversation with people I thought were cooler than me. But it’s different, because she’s an artist, and so am I. With that being said, I think pain is relevant, and close to being both of our saviours. However if it wasn’t for absolute truth, we both wouldn’t be here today. With that being said, we know who we serve.

    Anyways, I believe it was during free time between classes. I was in the middle of painting the letter black, when all of a sudden: He shows up, suit, and tie along with the tattered, and singed brief case. Hair slicked back and arrogant smile. I guess he thought he was the number one gun around these parts. After asking some penetrating questions to some students, he finally gets in front of me.

    He asks, “are you payable on death?” This totally came at me from my blindside. I replied with a simple “yes” in fact I am working on becoming a living sacrifice. “Oh really!!!” this shady weasel of a man replied. The coversation went on, and he basically said I was who they were looking for. So out comes the pen, which seems to be filled with blood. Strange considering during the conversation my heart had a sharp pain like it was being pricked.

    While this offer seemed too good to pass up. I had to decline. I simply replied, “Only one problem with this.” The man smuggly replies “yes?” I say: “I’m training to become a demon hunter.” This man quickly packed up, and disappeared smoke and all.

    We all went through our day as if nothing happened at anberlin seminary. Something most certainly changed in me that day. The feeling of belonging to a higher purpose. A hidden purpose, where it would be strange to others to want to be among the crucified. But not here, among those training for eutopia. Myself, as well as the others continue to make paths with our brush strokes.

    And she, well. She is in the arms of someone else. That’s okay though, because we’re better off friends anyways. That way we can extend that thousand foot krutch to eachother if we’re not around to embrace. So as I walk back to the dormitories this fine brisk fall evening, I know she’ll be there waiting for me. As I look up to the sky towards my Creator. I simply pose the thought “Master, I just can’t imagine mewithoutYou.”

    fin-

  • Nicklotze

    Do you have a work email or something similar? I'd really like to talk to you.

  • Pact6570

    Andrew, Andrew, Andrew…My steaks are AWESOME!!!  A-1 would only ruin it!

  • Dave

    I was cleaning out my email account, when I came across this old submission I had sent to Andrew’s  ”Octoberthirty” site back in 2006.  Anyway, here it is in all of it’s glory.  Enjoy…

    What If Andrew Schwab and Chuck Norris Swapped Lives?

    Okay..maybe it’s all of the Diet Coke with Lime I’ve been drinking, but lately with the recent flood of “Chuck Norris” facts on the internet, I started to wonder what would happen if in an alternate reality, Andrew and Chuck traded lives?  Before I delve any further, let’s take a look at some of their similarities.  First of all, they both have rugged lumber-jack style beards.  (At least until Project’s next album comes out and Andrew once again changes his appearance!)  Secondly, both have lent their vocal abilities to a Western-themed song.  (Don’t believe me, try listening to the theme from Walker,Texas Ranger and My Will Be a Dead Man back-to-back!)  Finally, both are experts in the deadly arts.  (I’m sure by now you’ve seen Andrew in action during the Spy Hunter video!….After all, he was caught off guard by Randy’s guitar!  And how many times has Chuck been taken by surprise throughout his career?)  
        Now, as far as the big swap goes, Chuck just doesn’t have the vocal chords to belt out screamers like “Stein’s Theme”.  He could, however, handle the tamer Project diddys, like “Bottom Feeder” and “Something We Can’t Be”.  In fact, Chuck is so mellow, he would probably turn Project into an emo band.  Of course, he’d switch up Andrew’s “prancing”  with 80′s glam-style rock kicks!  As far as band security goes, they would never have to worry about stolen wallets or gear…I mean, who’s gonna try to steal from Chuck Norris?  

      Now, what about Schwabby, Orange County Ranger?  Well, once Andrew resurrected the show, there would be an equal mix of dark humor and violence.  Andrew would replace all of Chuck’s disposable one-liner’s with gut wrenching screams that would scare the crime out of good ol’ gangstas!  Instead of driving a Dodge pick-up, he would track down thugs in a souped-up Honda hatch-back.  Andrew would end up killing his partner Trivette, because of his non-stop tardiness and persistent sunflower seed addiction!  The final epsiode of the show would feature a 45-minute battle between Schwab and Mark Solomon…… now I could go on, but you can see where this is heading…it is amazing what comes out of your mind at 4am! 

    by  Dave Kratz          

  • Zach C

    My Applause by Zach C.

    The glamorous
    life has blinded us all

    Our own pride
    has captured us, ever since the fall

    We are sucked
    into the lie of forgetfulness

    Forgetting that
    we were once lost and oppressed

    Our faith didn’t
    come from a glamorous scene

    The crucified
    Christ came to seek and redeem

    The broken and
    crushed were always on His heart

    Because when
    Adam sinned, the world began to fall apart

    The master plan
    didn’t include the glitz and glam

    A Savior’s body
    was scarred for the sake of man

    Pain and
    suffering was His pursuit of choice
    To show His
    love for those who had no voice

    The sick and
    the shameful, forgotten and lost

    The freedom for
    captives required a great cost

    To lay down
    one’s life is the greatest love of all

    To imitate
    Christ’s humility, YES THIS is our call

    Satisfaction
    can’t be sought in the acceptance of man

    But in God, who
    holds our life in His hand

    The lost and
    the sick, everyday they pass by

    But we don’t
    even spend the time to look them in the eye

     TURN, TURN back
    to the cross, and see the blood which was shed

    That purchased
    our souls now ALIVE, not dead

    Breathe this
    new life, let it shine in our hearts

    To carry out
    God’s plan, for this we were set apart

    Love, LOVE the
    weak, the lost and the slave

    As this is the
    narrow path Christ has paved

    Seek the love
    and grace flowing from the throne of God

    As we SHINE for
    His glory, YES this, THIS is our Applause!

  • zach

    sorry for the long format error ;(

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