All posts by Jonathan Andre

Fun Fridays – Board Games

Yes, I know another blog post series that we as a site post from time to time…and the first post is today. But just hear me out. Not literally, but just have a read through. If this post series doesn’t resonate with you…well, still give it a chance. And while my goal is to write Fun Fridays on a regular basis (not sure about Food Fridays or even Futuristic Fridays, both these posts are up in limbo at the moment), I do realise that realistically, I may not post as much as I want to…and I have to be ok with that. Because as this blog post series suggests, this is a time for me to post, about, you guessed it, having fun. Because frankly, as I look around at people at the place I work, I notice one thing- most people aren’t enjoying life as much as they should. Sure, that is a grave assumption, and many who read this statement might be up in arms about what I just said. But it’s true. People have somehow lost the spark and innocence that were once in all of us. And what I sadly see is this- people going about their mundane lives and basking themselves in busyness, hurrying and rushing around, all in the name of creating a world for the future, at the expense of enjoying it right now. Sure we can claim that what we’re doing is for the future generations, but if we’re miserable now, how’s that going to be as setting an example to the future of how they ought to live? The future and what we have to do to steer the course of circumstances that could either make or break the world of tomorrow is of utmost importance, but we really do need to have fun in the process.

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New Singles of 2017

I know I know, I said this back in 2015, and I quote- ‘welcome to our new post of the week.’ Well here I am a year and a half or so later to say- we’ve only done one such post. And I know, we as a site should’ve probably been more active in posting these ‘mini-reviews’ of sorts, highlighting songs that came throughout the year that we’d think would’ve made an impact in the hearts of many around the world. So without further ado, here’s the second post of this series. And the series is this- while we’ve previously reviewed albums to this point, I want to branch out and review songs. Songs that have either just released or will release pretty soon, songs that in my opinion, will become big in the upcoming months ahead. The previous 5 tracks I highlighted in the last post were pretty much spot on- “Be One” from Natalie Grant is still in circulation today, and Sanctus Real’s “Longer Than a Lifetime” is still getting airplay even now, more than a year after Matt Hammitt departed the band. So what are these next 5 songs, that I reckon will become hits in weeks and even months to come? Read on to find out! Which songs will you pick up when they become available on iTunes?

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First Impression Review – Hollyn’s “One-Way Conversations”

Hollyn has been, if you could argue, one of the greatest finds in CCM within the last few years. If you would just pick one, I’d say it’d be her. Only 19, Hollyn has found her way into the hearts and living rooms of many listeners around the world, myself included. Signed to the small yet equally diverse Gottee Records (home to artists such as Finding Favour, Capital Kings and Ryan Stevenson to name a few), Hollyn’s maturity lyrically and stylistically, even vocally beyond her 19 years is as remarkable as it is awe-inspiring, which makes her new album One Way Conversations dropping February 10th digitally (and March 3rd physically) a must have for anyone who loves hip hop, pop, worship, rap, or even just plain something different compared to whatever is out there on the radio right now. Hollyn’s music is a sight to behold, full of hope, encouragement, emotion and raw honesty, something I reckon isn’t as expressed as it should within the confines of Christian radio.

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Message Mondays – Comfortableness: The Enemy of Conversation

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be of service to someone else’s needs. To look beyond what I believe to be what I need at that certain moment, and to see what the other person is longing and yearning for. To lay what I want to happen in my own life down, and to ask the question- so what is going on with you? To earnestly ask, and see what we can do in someone else’s life, without any expectation that they will return the favour, because 99% of the time, we know they probably won’t. Because honestly, if we want to be real, no one really, really likes to ask the other person what is going on with them. Because once that happens, all bets are off. Everything we have planned for the entire day, well kiss that goodbye, because the person you are talking to may just pour their heart out to you, and you will have to listen, whether or not you even want to hear it. You have to genuinely care enough to say, ‘yes, I know what I want in my life today, but I am willing to shelve all that to one side for the sake of the person I am in conversation with’. Are we indeed willing enough to offer a shed of encouragement, from the deepest parts of our hearts (yes, indeed we may have to delve there, but I’m sure it’ll be very much worth it), as we service the needs of whomever we are in connection with, at that moment of the day?

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Cimorelli

I recently had the privilege of interviewing pop vocal group Cimorelli, comprised of siblings Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Amy, Lauren and Danielle; via email as they unveil their sophomore full length album Alive recently via Pledgemusic. We discussed the album, what the band wants listeners to hear and gain from these honest and inspiring melodies, as well as their favourite songs to record. Check out the interview below with Katherine Cimorelli, and be sure to check out the new album at Pledgemusic, and on iTunes and other streaming services at a later date in 2017.

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