Killa - Lecrae

Uh, I know it’s going to kill me but I just can’t let it go And the taste so appealing got a grip upon my soul These honey dip lies mesmerize me Pride’s got its crooked fingers twisted all inside in me Fools walk the path I’m on, never to be seen again Sipping on seduction while we eating on some secret sin (Not a lot of love and mercy) says the whisper in my ear And I know I should be over this, but I ain’t seeing clear And I aint leaving here, unless somebody save me Walking to my grave letting evilness enslave me Evil looks so lovely covered in her lace of lies And the silky smooth seduction just manipulates my mind Her fabrical fabrication is fueling my fascination While I’m intoxicated she starts her assassination I’m losing all my honor and my years to the merciless Giving all my life away but I’m just so immersed in this (killa) Hook: Baby this is innocent (Killa) it won’t even hurt a little bit (Killa) I’m only here for your benefit (killa) I’m your every wish (Killa) Come on and let me in (killa), baby this is innocent (Killa) And it won’t even hurt a little bit (Killa) Close your eyes and let’s get lost tonight (Killa) Would it be alright? You’ll see (killa) Her feet go down to DEATH, so don’t let her consume you Even though her heart is black, her exterior’s beautiful She’ll take your life away, strip away your joy Pretends that she gon build you up but she’s just gon destroy you My friends fell low, when they was so high Got me running scared of myself, no lie …

What a Lady Wants(What You Need to be if You Have One)

To be called beautiful instead of 'hot'.

To treat her like a priceless vase instead of a throw away Thermos.

To call her back when she hangs up on you.

To find out what's wrong even when she says 'nothing'.

To stay awake just to watch her sleep.

To put your head on her chest just to feel her heartbeat.

To think and say she is beautiful whether she is in sweats and a T-shirt or lingerie.

To chase her when she runs.

To catch her when she falls.

To wipe the tears away when she cries.

To show her off to the world and say "she is the one".

To discover new things about her despite the time you've known her.

To be her best friend.

To be her place of safety.

To hold her in your arms and tell her that forever is not long enough.

Vacant Souls - Vacant Joy

life
 -
   an orchestrated chaotic blend
      of four chord strums
         in a smokey  filled bar

      set against a dozen
         broken down souls

      you can see in their face
        the hurt
        the pain
        the sorrow
          regrets

            of yesterday
                 last week
                    last year
                      for some their whole life

           broken and tattered souls
           beaten down
           by the tsunami of life
                pain
                     both given and received
                     they wear on their faces
    
              sometimes escaping the sadness
                for a moment of joy
                  quickly fading
                   as the memory of yesterday
                    comes rushing back


                   where do they go from here
                      where do they find
                            something

                            someone

                           anything
                              to lift them back up

                             out of these ashes
                                of a life
                                   burned down
                          
                              like an old condemned building
                                 vacant for years...


                                  ....not unlike their joy.





~raycarroll 2010

Sun Stand Still Review

Based upon Joshua 10:13, Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick is a book about audacious faith, about having a vision, about believing God for the impossible.

Let me go ahead and get the review over with and say that it's a must read, especially to start off 2011, but it's got to be much more than a book it's got to be a lifestyle, a mindset, or as he says in the book a 'movement' that sweeps this generation.  I believe this movement is already sweeping our generation for I have seen so many posts and stories involving Sun Stand Still miracles.  But before anything can become a 'movement' or you can be a part of a 'movement' you have to have that personal eye opening experience yourself, or that 'page 23' vision as he calls it in the book.

Our church started the Sun Stand Still series last week and within three days a baby that has been waiting 8 months for a heart transplant received it and is a living miracle of what can happen when God's people come together with the reality of His glory.

It's not about another book, it's not about another series, it is about BELIEVING in the All-Powerful All-Possible Never-Forsaking hand of the Almighty God that with a single word spoke the universe in existence. It's about letting the god that we have placed into our box and seeing the true God that can not be confined by any limitations. 





I received a copy of this book by the publisher for this review.

For My Soulmate

You are beautifully amazing, perfectly crafted, joyfully floating through every thought in my mind at this moment. You are the queen of my heart and the love of my life, the perfectly chosen soulmate brought together by the One we serve. Our divine path and story has yet to be fully written and though there may be times of fear, doubt, sadness and hurt, the One who wove us together will never unweave our story until He has decided to write that last sentence.

-raycarroll

The Undertakers Heart

words cascading
  upon an already mountainous
 pile of broken and bruised words
blood spilled syllables and vowels
  buried in a cemetery
 of rotting corpses of broken promises.

the undertaker
 i know too well
  he has seen my face here before

as he grimaces
 to his delight my return
   he is pleased that the eventual hole he dug will soon be filled.

~raycarroll 2010

What I meant to say was....

..something totally cool and relevant that would make you think, act and love.

..a divine thought inspired from above playing in your ears like a thousand angels singing while a golden harp is played in the distance.

..instantaneously rhythmic syllables cascading your cerebellum like a jazz street musician on 23rd and 7th.

..artistic divine influence of rgb's on a pixel canvas that can make you lol while showing much <3

 

but that's not what you heard at all was it?

 


~raycarroll

SoulPrint by @MarkBatterson Review

It seems like in the last few years(to me anyways) that 'destiny' has become a hot topic among the Christian community. I personally think it's great, because when I was growing up as a young believer I always thought if I believed John 3:16 and told a few people about the 'Big Guy' upstairs that I was fulfilling my purpose.

SoulPrint accurately starts off with saying 'this is not a self-help book', a point that I love. I believe that somewhere along the line in the last few years we have shifted from His-story to our-story. What's in it for me? How can I become a better person so that I can feel better, get more money and even become famous in the process.

Mark starts off by describing how our memories work and how only a few of our experiences are ever remembered because they were barely felt. He gives some great psychology findings that I thought were extremely valuable and was very glad to see in a book like this. The brief class in 'Psych' 101 taught here by Mark really opened my eyes at how some of the experiences and memories I have, have literally 'defined' my soulprint today. But the best part of it, is that through this stewardship of 'memory management' I can redefine that soulprint to where it should be and inside of that I will find my destiny.

Overall this is not a 'lengthy' book, I read it in just a few days, and many could probably read it in a sitting. The key however is the substance and depth that I have found in this book. This is not a book that you can just read page to page and move on to the next, at least not for me.

I wanted to go through this book once but in the next few weeks I am really going to go back through each chapter and do some of my own soul searching. I was very glad to see discussion questions posted in the back of the book for yourself or a small group so that this can become much more than a 'feel good' book but something that requires you to dig deep and hopefully change yourself, or at least 'see' yourself more clearly.

I highly recommend this book as a book to start your new year off to a great start, a fresh perspective and hopefully to find your destiny in the process.



I received this book by WaterBrook Multnomah to review on this blog.

15 Albums That Impacted My Life

1. Rick Springfield - Hard to Hold

2. Boston - Boston

3. Michael Jackson - Thriller  

4. U2 - The Joshua Tree

5. DMB: Crash

6. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

7. Travis - The Man Who

8. Snow Patrol - Eyes Open

9. Matt Nathanson - Beneath These Fireworks

10. Matchbox 20 - Mad Season

11. DMB - Before These Crowded Streets

12. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College

13. No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

14. Johnny Cash - Complete Recordings

15: DC Talk - Jesus Freak

3 Ways to Make Guests Feel Welcome (If You are Mark Driscoll)

I got inspired by the 'real' 6 Way to Make Guest Feel Welcome and it got me thinking about 6(Ok..could only come up with 3 at such short notice) ways that ONLY Mark Driscoll could make people welcome and pull it off coming across as a great guy.  (If you are unaware of Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill check out the video of Matt Chandler coming across off as Mark Driscoll..Matt's the nicest guy in the world and I don't think he could even pull off a 'Driscoll').



1) Welcome the guy by asking if he is married to the lady that he drove to church in the same car with and when he finds out they are not but just 'living together' he then tells the lady to dump the guy and work on her relationship with God. After which they do exactly that, join the church, become small group leaders for singles, end up 'catching each other's eyes' again at a singles retreat and get married by Pastor Mark and end up having 16 children all of whom become missionaries.

2)The week after seeing very few people 'tithe'....he begins his new series 'People Who Don't Tithe are Complete Morons'. Which results in 1600 souls saved/rededicated to the Lord and an excess budget amount that allows Mars Hill to come out with their own clothing line..the first of which was 'classic Driscoll' torn jeans that say 'If You Don't Tithe You Are a Moron!' across them....(untold of Walmart/Target employees are rumored to have been slain in the spirit after it's arrival.)



3)Get up and say what church plants are legalists and which ones are the reverse....oh wait..that one is right above....I am SURE all of these have happened...I'll end here...BTW..I do LOVE Mark Driscoll and watch his podcasts every week...he has stepped on my toes more than once...but he speaks the truth.

YouTube #Fail...but in SUCH a Funny Way...Single Again...Because Luv is a Verb!

So on my youtube page...you know how there are 'recommendations' based upon your previous videos you've watched?!?

So I see one...that say's "since you watched DC Talk - Luv is a Verb - We think you'll enjoy this..

just had me rolling...and had to bring this up from the ashes just for this...

Don't think Toby, Kevin and Max quite had this in mind....

A Prayer For God's Will

Father,
I thank you that you are instructing and teaching me in the way I should go. I am looking to you for council as your eye is upon me.


Just as a Shepard calls his sheep and they recognize his voice so I will recognize your voice by becoming familiar with it. You lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your names sake. 


I thank you that my path is growing brighter and brighter everyday and I am glowing with light each and every day.  As I follow You, Lord, as I sing your praises with my voice, your purpose for my life is becoming clearer each day.


I thank you for your wisdom that is found in You.  Confusion is not part of my life.  I am not confused about my future or about Your will for my life.  I trust in You in all of my ways and believe that you are directing my path.  As I trust in you completely You will show me the path for my life.


Amen. 

The Closeness of Death - (Poetry Post)

The closeness of death
is but a breath
a second in time
I am next in line
For the greatest journey to come

A brief mist
but a vapor
an eternal longing
of that which is to come
Moments unwind memories left undone

All my thoughts of urgency
Those temporary things I couldn't put away

castles in the sand
waves now crashing
taking away

all that's left
that which was not built
upon the solid rock
by which I stand

dust to dust
ash to ash

We all fall down


@raycarroll

We Walk This Road by @rrtfb Album Review

When I hit play what began to circulate through my headphones gave me the feeling of what young Charlie must have felt the moment he began to walk through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

Make no mistake about it...these are not like the little Oompa Loompa's and their clever little tunes about the effects of too much television or the rotten behavior of spoiled brats who chew bubble gum all day and night.

This is some seriously good music.

I've been a RRTFB fan since the beginning of time...well, at least since I saw them open for DMB years back.

This album doesn't disappoint and I might even go on record saying this is their best album to date.

First off, they chose none other than T-Bone Burnett and all of his genius that he brings to the already talented Family lineup.

Yes...what can I say...this is a must have for any hippie, jam band fan, rocker, soulster, r&b, gospel, blues or even if you do a little hoedown in the barn every Saturday night...I am pretty sure this won't disappoint.

If it does...you probably need to stop reading me and go over to  Ryan Seacrest for all of your music needs.

We Walk This Road by Robert Randolph and the Family Band (Audio CD - June 21, 2010)

Buy new: $13.99 $11.99

 

19 new from $8.21

3 used from $8.49

Download MP3 Album: $8.99

Kickin the Bucket - First Day of Summer...Let's Get This Started!!

“Life is too short not to make the best and the most of everything that comes your way everyday.”

Sasha Azevedo

Summer Bucket List 2010

1) Visit a cemetery.

2) Write Psalms.

3) Read a classic.

4) Read a biography/autobiography.

5) Record my life story.

6) At least once a week try a new fruit/vegetable/dish/etc....

7) Select a life verse.

8) Write thank you notes to some of the people in my life who I've failed to thank enough.

9) Learn a new (technical) skill.

10) Build a doghouse.

I'll post updates during the summer as well as expand on any of these once I start them.

Looking forward to this.

Life is too short, can't wait to see all these items checked off come the end of summer.