Casting Crowns: On Why It’s NOT Just Another Birthday

 

The new Casting Crowns single, “Just Another Birthday,” is very much in line with their previous hit, “Courageous.” A call to men on the importance of being there for their children, the song depicts the emotional struggle that a young girl faces as she grows up without a father. It is so important for young girls to have a father figure who will be a positive influence on their lives and remind them that they deserve to be treated like a princess. For those who have felt like orphans, the song is also a reminder  that our  true Father is in Heaven. Regardless of what we have been through in the past, Jesus loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him. Not only does he forgive our sins when we repent and ask Him to, but He can also hold us, heal us, and comfort us more than any person on this earth can. It is also nice to remember that women who have this relationship with Christ are already  princesses because they are daughters of a King. 🙂

Visit the official YouTube page for Casting Crowns and check out the new music video for “Just Another Birthday.” Their page also features another video where Mark Hall discusses the thoughts behind the song. Not only did Mark Hall pen the new single, but he also has a nine year old daughter.

http://www.youtube.com/user/castingcrowns?ob=4&feature=results_main

Hollywoodland – When Disbelief is No Longer Suspended

Briefly watching some of the Oscars on television last night brought back some memories of my visit to Hollywood last year. Planning my vacation to Los Angeles was as an exciting time for me as it could be. For years I had looked forward to the day that I might be able to visit the Golden Coast and dreamed of those exhilarating moments when I would bask in the warm California sunshine, search for sea glass on the shoreline, experience the Universal Studios back lot tour, and-of course-hop on a tour bus and spy on the homes of all of my favorite celebrities.

One sight that I particularly looked forward to seeing while in the Hollywood area was the Kodak Theater (now known as the Hollywood and Highland Center)- home to the Academy Awards since 2002. Always having had a great love and fascination for film (not mention also being a bit starstruck), I could barely wait to see the great stage where some of my favorite performers and directors once stood and were presented with shimmering golden statues. I wondered how close I would be able to get to the stage and I fantasized about sitting in the same seat that Steven Spielberg once sat in during an awards presentation.

I got to see the Kodak Theater for the first time during my first evening in California. An accidental detour took my mother and I past it as we trekked down Hollywood Blvd, hoping that the GPS was actually taking us back to the hotel on our return back from Santa Monica. It was so beautiful and exciting to see it that evening as we drove past it. Up close during the day, however, I was very surprised with what I discovered—The Kodak Theater is located in the center of a <gasp!> shopping mall!

“How did I miss that one?,” was the question that I kept asking myself. I racked my brain, trying to remember what the outside of the theater looked like when I saw it on television. Really, I should have known better. Did I not study film and video making for two years in college? Did I not feel spiritually and emotionally smothered that day in cinematography class when we blocked all of the natural lighting off the film set in favor of own lighting system that would make the setting look “real?” Wasn’t the phoniness of the film world the very reason why I had walked away from film school and chose to instead major in plain old Communications?

Yes, it was during this visit to Tinsel Town that I again witnessed firsthand the great illusion known as “Hollywood.” During the Universal back lot tour I saw replicas of stages and lots, and learned how special effects and illusions are created. I took a celebrity homes bus tour and was excited when the tour guide was kind enough to break the rules and show us the home that Michael Jackson passed away in, even though she “wasn’t supposed to.” We passed by Justin Timberlake’s house and were told that he was seen leaving his home during the last tour. In fact, there were three celebrity sightings during the last tour! Too bad my tour didn’t get to see any  rich and famous people roaming around in their natural environments. It was only after spending some time back home in Real New York that I realized how staged and fabricated the whole scenario probably was.

When I finally got over my disappointment over the bizarre location of the Kodak, I broke down and took the theater tour. I learned that the day before the Oscar event all of the stores have their front signs removed. The following day, the shops close and their front windows are covered  up with beautiful metallic curtains.  With that said, how could I have ever known the truth while looking at in on Television?

Inside the theater lobby, there are bars for the celebs to lounge in during commercial breaks. How many times did you see George Clooney in the audience last night? He supposedly spends a lot of time leaving the show and having drinks.  While he’s gone, a seat filler takes his place, just in case he doesn’t come back in time. Don’t get too excited, though, because you need to know someone in order to get that job!

 The theater itself is smaller than it looks on television, but it is quite lovely. Though I never got close to the stage, I did get to see some of the setup for the new Cirque du Soleil production, which was about to premier that weekend…They were awesome last night, weren’t they?

By now, some of you may have been wondering if I was disappointed with my visit to Hollywood last year. The answer is no, I wasn’t. In fact, I had a really nice trip. Would I go back? There are other places in California that I am more interested in visiting and re-visiting right now.

The purpose of film is to transport the spectator into another world, to bring out great emotions by use of an array of devices, to make the unbelievable  convincing. When a person chooses to visit the place at the very heart of something as extraordinary as cinema, then he or she should really expect nothing other than what I experienced during my visit to Hollywoodland.

The bottom line is this—All people, regardless of their background and religious affiliations, love and seek to be entertained. Some people carry so much baggage on their shoulders just from everyday living that all they really want is to relax and unwind at the end of the day. It is during the great moments of escapism when new experiences begin, foreign places are visited, and dreams become reality, and disbelief is suspended.

But no matter how great the illusion may be, however, it is nonetheless an illusion.

Jaci Velasquez’s New Album-Truly a Diamond

Fans are excited over Jaci Velasquez’s recently released Diamond. Released on February 3, 2012, Diamond is Velasquez’s 17th studio album, and her first album in four years since starting a family.

Those who have been looking forward to this highly anticipated recording have been far from disappointed. Diamond features a diverse collection of tracks that range from the upbeat and socially sensitive “Give Them Jesus,” to the soulful and romantic “Stay,” and the funky rock track, “Guilt.” One favorite is “Tell Me Again,” a reflection of a broken heart’s yearning to be reminded that God really loves them. Also inspiring is the album’s title track, which is a testament to God’s majesty. Other favorites include the beautiful Spanish track “Con El Viento a Mi Favor” and the powerful “Girl” (a positive track that reflects Velasquez’s early work).

Multifaceted and impassioned, it is without a doubt that this long-awaited album is a strong comeback from a powerful and gifted artist. Not to be overlooked, Jaci Velasquez’s Diamond is truly a gem.

Rejuvenating Tours Coming to City Near You!

For those of you who have been feeling like the Spring season just can’t come fast enough, have I got some good news for you!

Now just might be the perfect time to beat those Winter Blues and be renewed and refreshed at a live concert with some of your favorite Christian music artists. Here is a list of some of the uplifting tours that are happening now. Fans who live in the NY/Tri-State area should take particular notice of the March tour date in Newark for Casting Crowns 😉

THE SONGS & STORIES TOUR
Steven Curtis Chapman, Andrew Peterson, Josh Wilson
http://www.stevencurtischapman.com

ROCK & WORSHIP ROADSHOW
MercyMe, Tenth Avenue North, Lecrae, Disciple, Hawk Nelson, Sidewalk Prophets, Rend Collective
http://www.mercyme.org

WINTER JAM 2012
Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, NewSong, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, Brock Gill, Dara Maclean, We As Human, For King & Country, Speaker Nick Hall
http://www.jamtour.com

COME TO THE WELL TOUR
Casting Crowns, Matthew West, Royal Tailor, Lindsay McCaul
http://www.castingcrowns.com

GOD’S NOT DEAD TOUR

Newsboys, The City Harmonic, Anthem Lights, Abandon, Bob Lenz
http://www.newsboys.com

WEST COAST TOUR
The Hoppers
http://www.thehoppers.com

THE REVOLVE TOUR: DREAM ON
Hawk Nelson, Stellar Kart, Jamie Grace, Jenna Lucado Bishop, Chad Eastham
http://www.revolvetour.com

A NIGHT OF SONG AND LAUGHTER
Chonda Pierce, Natalie Grant – March 2012
http://www.chonda.org

Saying Good-bye to a Star

On a rare occasion, a superstar is born. It bursts forth in an array of vibrant colors, glistening in a sparkle that is unique unto itself. In its beauty and rarity, it stands out above the rest. It is praised and loved for the gracious gift that it generously shares with all who delight in it. Adulation helps keep the star thriving, and admirers eagerly partake in as much of its brilliance as they can.

But the unfortunate truth is that even the brightest stars will soon die, some even younger than they perhaps should. But the great ones will not simply fade away into a nonexistent state. Never. These stars will instead rupture into a great supernova, leaving behind a radiant splendor that can outshine an entire galaxy. With that kind of luminance, how can we say that  the star ever left us? Now it shines greater then it ever did before! Those who remain behind shall enjoy the stars remaining gifts until the end of time.

Today friends, family, and fans gathered together to say good-bye to such a star. Though she is no longer here with us physically, she leaves behind the great fruits of her labor–Her music, her films, her ministry. Her essence remains, and her spirit lives on Heaven.

Thank-you for sharing your gifts with us, Whitney Houston. May you rest peacefully in the arms of Jesus our Savior.

 

Frank Rendo’s “Don’t Laugh at Me” Addresses Bullying

Have you ever teased another person because they were different from you? Or judged the homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk because you believed that his destitute situation was his own fault? Have severe judgments from others left you feeling like an outcast? Bullying hurts. When we refuse to look another individual in the eye because we feel that person is beneath us or believe that it is okay to make fun of someone because he or she is “weird” what we are doing is actually a form of abuse. It is never okay to invalidate another human being, and our negative words and actions could linger in the mind and soul of that person for the rest of his or her life.
Issues like these are addressed in Frank Rendo’s “Don’t Laugh at Me.” The song was originally recorded by Country artist Mark Wills, and was introduced to Rendo by his friend Samantha Tetro. The Long Island born musician admits that taking on the project was an emotional endeavor.
“I can identity with it in a very great way,” says Rendo. “We all can.”
The song is featured on Frank Rendo’s 2009 Deliver Me album. It has had significant airplay on some local radio stations, including WHLI. This year Rendo’s friend and publicist Timothy San Paolo created two music videos for the recording. The first project, which was released in April, mostly features images of Rendo. Its purpose was to give the song more publicity. The newest video was released three weeks ago and includes a compilation of poignant images that are appropriately fitting to the content in the track. The images in combination with the lyrics and Rendo’s emotional interpretation of the song are sure to bring any person to tears.
“Frank puts so much feeling into his read of this song,” adds San Paolo. “He feels the story deeply.”
Rendo recognizes how easy it is for any person to be able to relate to the song.
“Seeing how we’ve all been laughed at, mocked, and treated cruelly by our friends, peers and society, I can’t help but think that everyone can be touched by the message of this song,” says Rendo. “Let’s face it, we’ve all been on both sides of this message: the laugher and the laughee!”
In an age where individuals are being bombarded with negative messages from our social media and young people are taking their lives due to the recent phenomenon known as “cyber-bullying” the present could not be a better time for the message heard in Frank Rendo’s “Don’t Laugh at Me.”

For more info on Frank Rendo’s music, check out the following websites:
http://www.CDBaby.com/Artist/FrankRendo
http://RamblingsRegardingRendo.blogspot.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/frankrendo

Originally written for examiner.com in 2010.