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BEST OF 2016- PART 2: TOP 20 EPs

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While I know it’s only September, in just a few months time, the year will be over and then I would’ve needed to at least have a list at the ready, to have 1- whatever of songs, EP’s and albums that were my standouts throughout the year. So I started to think, and compose a list. In this special post, I will unveil my favourite 20 EP’s 2016 has to offer. While the year isn’t certainly over (3 months to go), most, if not all of these 20 EPs, are so impactful, that even if another EP were to release that I was fond of, it probably wouldn’t even be in my 20 anyway…then again, who knows (EP’s from last year that weren’t in my list were ones from Hannah Kerr and Hollyn, which upon hindsight, should’ve been included). Anyway, enough preamble. Here’s my top 20 EPs that have made a great impact on myself both spiritually as well as enjoyableness.

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Throwback Tuesdays and Top 10 ___: (Casting Crowns Songs Over the Years)

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It’s been a while since I have last posted anything for Throwback Tuesdays, nor Top 10s for that matter, so I decided to roll them all into one for this week. As many are aware, Casting Crowns releases their new album next week, and if its anything like the songs “One Step Away”, the title track or “Oh My Soul”, then I reckon this new album will be one of my favourites for the year. Which brings me to my next point- Casting Crowns have been around for quite some time, since the early 2000s in fact. From then til now, there have been many radio hits and singles, and while each and every song by the band has ministered to many people, for me, some songs from the band have hit harder than others. Some have spoken directly to my psyche, as I am reminded about things of myself that I may not have looked at had I not listened to a certain song. So with the release of Casting Crowns’ new album, I have devised a list- 10 songs across the years that have impacted my life thus far. Criteria- one song per album that the band has released. It can be tricky, because if you were to ask me my top 10 songs of Casting Crowns that have influenced me the most, I’d say a fair few from The Altar and the Door, Come to the Well and Lifesong. Nevertheless, picking 10 songs from 10 or so years can seem difficult, yet below are 10 songs spanning a number of years, where each of these tracks have ministered to my life in some way. So without further ado, here are the 10 tracks.

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Articles, Features

Message Mondays (Are We All Wanting to Do the Next Thing, or Are We Believing that The Pastors, Evangelists and Missionaries are the Only Ones that Can?)

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‘…I think we all believe the gospel. We all want it, we’re just not sure what we’re supposed to do next. We’ve got this idea of an awesome walk with Jesus out there somewhere, and we’re looking for the bridge to get over to it. Serving God isn’t this giant dream a year from now. It’s not this thing He’s going to have you do in a month. It’s right now. Following God is the next word of love that I need to speak to somebody, the very next heart that needs to be encouraged. Ministry isn’t on Sunday; it’s not on a stage. It’s you, where you are, doing the next thing God tells you to do…’ Casting Crowns, call it what you like or not, are arguably one of the most talked about CCM artists, maybe even of all time. Shooting to fame with their hit song “Who Am I?”, they have had hit after hit, with songs like “Does Anybody Hear Her”, “Lifesong”, “Praise You in the Storm”, “Voice of Truth”, “Courageous”, “Thrive”, “Until the Whole World Hears” and “Slow Fade” some of the songs that have impacted listeners around the world. Now they have a new album releasing this month, titled The Very Next Thing. While this is not an album review per se, this is nevertheless an expose, a space where I jot down thoughts about what I reckon is one of the most under-discussed themes that I believe this album tackles as a whole.

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Message Mondays (Are We Really Undergoing the Change, or Are We Just Gasbags and Don’t Even Know It?)

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We always need an applause. Either affirmation that we’ve done a good job, from our parents, or from our peers. But nevertheless, we need someone to tell us that we’ve done a great job, to ‘keep up the good work’. As soon as we don’t hear that, we suddenly feel as if we’ve laboured in vain, our morale decreases and we hide in our shell. We labour all night to fix an essay for uni, and all we get in return, is a suggestion that the essay was too long, and for next time, it should be cut down. But then you think, Hang on, wasn’t that the same person that wanted me to increase the length of my essays? And now they’re saying that it’s too long? Sometimes we don’t get the praise and exaltation that we as humans want. We don’t get the credit that we feel as if we need to deserve. I did it, yet this guy who hasn’t lifted a finger gets the new car, gets the new house, all because he’s a smooth talker and what did he contribute- his name! That was it. And then he gets the fame, he gets the opportunity to be on radio, he gets the new house, and what do I get?…though it’s not normally like that, and I doubt that any friend would do it; there is that hint of ‘if I don’t get my fair share of credit, then I’m stuffed, literally’. Well, maybe not literally, but at the end of the day, humans are a selfish bunch. We all want to matter in our own way. We all want to have a piece of the action. We all want the spotlight to be shone on us. But then when push comes to shove, it’s natural to think that if we do have that ‘fame’ that goes with living a life for Christ, to naturally think, ‘Gee, I can truly live like this,’ but then forget that we didn’t have anything to do with us getting to that place at the start anyway.

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Articles, Features, Music Video, Video

BEST OF 2016- Part 1: Top 20 Music Videos

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It’s that time of the year again…or thereabouts! Where we compile all of our best of lists, and announce our favourite songs, music videos, albums, and EP’s of the year, as well as TV shows and movies; not to mention looking forward to everything happening in the next year. But while there are still 4 and a half months to go, my first best of 2016 list (of my favourite 20 music videos!) is such that I reckon no other music video that would release throughout the rest of 2016 could enter into this list! So here are my favourite 20 music videos of the year thus far!

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Message Mondays (Tenth Avenue North’s ‘What You Want’)

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Tenth Avenue North have been one of my favourite Christian CCM bands of late. In fact, with songs like “Healing Begins”, “By Your Side”, “For Those Who Can’t Speak”, “Strong Enough to Save” and “Worn” to name a few, this quintet from Florida whose debut album on Provident Label Group was in 2008, have quickly become one of the most underrated and heartfelt bands over the last 5 years. Mike Donehey, lead singer, has always had something great to communicate across to us all through video devotionals about the band’s songs over the years. And while their most recent 2014 album Cathedrals only spawned 2 devotional videos (of their singles “No Man is an Island” and “Stars in the Night”), as opposed to the 5 from The Struggle (“Losing”, “Where Life Would Never Die”, “The Struggle”, “You Do All Things Well” and “Worn”), we are nevertheless blessed with what the band have to say for these two tracks. “No Man Is an Island” is a reminder to always live in community with one another, as we remember that we were never meant to live our lives outside of fellowship and relationship with our fellow man- we were meant for community just as God Himself is a community (of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). “Stars in the Night” is also a comfort, as we focus our eyes on Jesus and remind ourselves that in the darkest of nights, it is the stars, or rather, who created the stars, that will lead us on, from despair into hope, from uncertainty into moments of clarity, from indecisiveness to direction and focus. Now as the band ready for their new album Followers releasing October 14th, they have released a new radio single- “What You Want”.

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Top 10 ___: Top 10 CCM Bands Over the Last 10 Years

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It was about 10 years ago when WOW Hits 2007 was releasing, that I branched out and listened to a wider range of Christian music. From artists like BarlowGirl, Rebecca St. James, Superchick and ZoeGirl, to Tree63, Stellar Kart, Sanctus Real and Hawk Nelson; my musical tastes have certainly evolved from the early days when I just listened to artists like Carman and Delirious?. While over the last 10 years, many bands that I’ve listened to are now disbanded, what had transpired within the 10 years was, and still is, a season of appreciation and enjoyment of music of various styles. So now here I am to start a new series. In light of the new WOW Hits 2017 album releasing in September, here’s my top 10 bands that I have thoroughly enjoyed throughout these last 10 years that I have listened to Christian music on a regular basis. Then next week I’ll discuss my favourite male CCM artists, and then the week after my favourite female CCM artists… and so on. So what are my favourite bands of the last 10 years? Read on to find out.

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