Songs of Water

Maybe you will enjoy this music as much as I am...



www.songsofwater.com

Asheville Music Festival 2012

I have been ecstatic and inspired by the concept of this event ever since I heard about at the Tikkun conference last month.Now their site is live!


Here's the vision for those who haven't heard:

"In the summer of 1969, forty young Jewish Yeshua-believers gathered together in Asheville, North Carolina, for what would prove to be one of the great turning points in the modern-day resurrection of Messianic Judaism. These young people conducted their own meetings, elected their own officers, and held their own teachings. As a result, the following year, the “Young Hebrew Christian Alliance” (YHCA) was officially recognized by the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America. A movement of young Jewish believers was born. Asheville ’69 activated a generation to step into callings that would awaken Messianic Judaism from its centuries-long slumber, thereby preparing the way for all Israel’s coming encounter with Messiah Yeshua.

One generation later, the movement returns to Asheville. We return with the shared vision of a music festival: a stage, a field, and over 1000 people—connected with the Messianic Jewish community in Israel and the Diaspora—young and old, gathered together for three days of live music from promising young artists within this community. This is not a conference; it is a raw, groundswell gathering that wells up out of the hearts of young people in this community, who desire nothing but to step beyond the land of “what is” into the frontier of “what can be.” Like the pivotal gathering of young Jewish believers in Asheville, North Carolina, one generation ago, it will be a harbinger and catalyst for salvation, for renewal, for unity, and vision."

I am convinced that many in my community, as well as the body in the KC area at large, have pieces to bring to the table for this. It's not only a music festival, but many art mediums including visual, poetry, dance, drama and more.

I am especially excited to discover new Messianic artists as my music selection the past few years has been hacked away by the hatchet of conviction (thanks Cass for the music project you've been pioneering). Music is spiritual. To use a phrase of Tom's, let the warrior poets arise! Let sounds resonate through the atmosphere, into the cosmos and penetrate the darkness! To me, there is a big void of quality and originality among artists who are seeking to produce edifying music. I'm excited to see a rise in creative momentum among the people of God that will define the trend for our generation! I don't really know what kinds of artists will be there and what the things they produce will look and sound like, but I am very hopeful.

Check out the AMF12 site for a bit more info, although it seems they're still in the preliminary stages and have a lot of "coming soon" type notices there.

Beyond the Blue

Yellow and gold as the new day dawns 
Like a virgin unveiled who waited so long 
To dance and rejoice and sing her song 
And rest in the arms of a love so strong 
No one comes unless they’re drawn 
By the voice of desire that leads em’ along 
To the redemption of what went wrong 
By the blood that coveres the innocent one 
No more separation 
Between us.






Josh Garrels, "Beyond the Blue"

The Watershed Benefit @ CG

Don't be square.

Look! I just learned to tie my shoes!

www.commongroundskc.com

Independence Day with a Capitol D.C. (pt. 1)

I am trying to live up to the standards of my picture-taking comrades (you know who you are) and document a thing or two...so here's to that...

We headed off for our first family vacation in eons, to Virginia to visit Uncle Randy, Aunt Gee Young, and cousins Rachel and Maria. It was especially great to spend the time with them for Independence Day as my uncle actively serves as a major in the army working in nuclear detection. We are so proud of him and thankful for his service.

 We were able to go to a rad amusement park as well as spend the 4th in the city! Here are a few snipets...

typical dilllon.

Rachel made my mom a huge bouquet of origami flowers. That's because she's a G.

"Hey, take a picture with me...(click)..Connor! Smile...."

..."Fine."

typical.

cousins!

We hit the "slopes," if you will, at the King's Dominion, a VA amusement park. Uncle Randy observes  his soon-coming demise on the Shockwave...

I found this particularly funny. Connor was lecturing me about how I've become too sensitive while my dad was pointing out the big bumble bees and the flowers.

18 hours in the car with family = some level of insanity
Connor first said that if I showed anyone this video he would disown me as his sister and question my Christianity (his words), so you didn't see this.

(just kidding, he eventually caved and said I could post it.)

Independence Day with a Capitol D.C. (pt.2)

Casablanca

Mom and I at the Lincoln

Standing in front of Abe gets me every time, though, the text struck me as a little creepy this go around.

Leaping laberdoodles! I continue to hope for  the day that my own puppy prayer will be answered.

In-your-face fireworks. At the nation's capital. Seated at the Washington monument. 

 Twas' the best 4th yet!

News Blog Name (Updated Poll)

The poll has been updated.

Here are some thoughts:
-Both "olivepress.com" and "theolivepress.com" are taken.
-Although I like the word play of "olive press," it sounds pretty grown-up/formal/overtly Biblical to me. Which may or may not be bad.
-The Glean sounds cool. URL is still available.
-You can vote on multiple names as well as enter your own idea under "other."
-I really like the tag "abstract" because not only does it mean "summary" but has eclectic artistic connotations too. I love word play.

One day this is going to be a real thing!

New News Blog Name

Abram->Abraham
Jacob->Israel
Simon->Peter/Kefa

Many significant people have undergone a name change to step into a new leg of their journey. It has come to the attention of the Shofar So Far contributors that said name may not be the best option when seeking to appeal to a wide audience.

Please help this news aggregate project step into its birthright. Give us your thoughts by participating in the poll!

He's Never Giving Up

[another nod to big cass' big project...don't give up, lil' cassio keyboard! ->

]

I found out about these people a while back from John Mark McMillan's blog. I first watched the "Sing Winter" and thought it was extra beautiful and a neat husband/wife combo.

I was listening to "Never Giving Up" the other day at work while I was closing. I was glad I was alone because I had an unexpected tearful encounter with the Father. At one point, a lady singer broke out and said "You're breaking off the disappointment of the season." Having been particularly disappointed at the season in which I find myself, I could feel the disappointment breaking in the light of the L-rd, in light of His promise never to leave- to never give up on me, on all of us who call on His name. I feel like I may be gaining some ground in the battle against disappointment, discouragement and discontent, one I've felt I've been losing for a while now. It seems like it's been challenge after curveball after confusing twist...but His love never stops and never quits, even if I don't see Him, feel Him, understand Him...
Jesus keeps asking me if I will follow Him. I'm trying to say yes. But to what?

I also highly recommend the "Abba" video. What an amazing space to play in! "Abba, I belong to you..."

It just seems like their music is really intimately worshipful and helps the L-rd speak to my heart, and me to speak to His. Maybe it's just me, where I am now...

...but hopefully it does the same for you too. :)

Up-and-Coming Irish Folk and Polka Fusion Band

Benjamin Netanyahu is my President.

This is on shofar, but I think it is definitely worth everyone watching so I'm posting it here, too.



Does anyone want to help make a cooler t-shirt than this one?

this is pretty + some thoughts on work

sam told me about him. i love the tunes and this art, now, just as much as the tunes. 

i wish i could make stuff like this.

Praise the L-rd, He provided for me to audit an Adobe Dreamweaver class for free shortly after I was pricing the classes on my own. He is the networker of networkers! So, 8 hours a day for today and the next 2 days will be spend learning this web design software. What an amazing world web design is. i have new-found appreciation for the many sites i frequent on a daily basis.

If i were a professional web designer making an average industry rate, i could theoretically make in 1-2 days what i now make in 2 weeks. The ideal of the liberal arts degree is at this moment looking just that: ideal. The older i get, the more bills i have to pay, the more of a capitalist i become.

“Any 20 year-old who isn't a liberal doesn't have a heart, and any 40 year-old who isn't a conservative doesn't have a brain.” -Winston Churchill

Can one break the curse on humankind having to work for a living? Then i could remain a liberal idealist libertarian advocate of a theocratic republic and sleep 8 hours a night.

News Blog Research

If you don't mind and you have a couple extra minutes, please take a moment to answer a few questions on http://shofarsofar.tumblr.com/ . This will help a lot in developing what the blog will be. Thanks much!

Don't feed poison to your skin.

I thought about posting this on shofar but decided that it was a little too "topic-y" for the news.Plus, the article is older than a mug.

This article by this New York Times op-ed author talks about the toxicity in many cosmetics and personal care products.

Then I found about The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics.This site has a lot of info, including a searchable database of companies who have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. In order to meet the requirements for the compact, companies have to:

1. Comply with the EU Cosmetics Directive.
2. Disclose all ingredients.
3. Publish and regularly update product information in EWG's Skin Deep database.
4. Comply with ingredient prohibitions and restrictions under the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and substitute ingredients of concern with safer alternatives.
5. Substantiate the safety of all products and ingredients with publicly available data.
6. Participate in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

There is a more in-depth explanation of everything on the site. Those of you who want to avoid poison absorption via skin, check it out.

I may try to find local retailers of some of these products. But hey, there's always Whole Foods. They're not necessarily guaranteed to be free of green washing, but it's a start.

In the realm of lotion, I personally have become a fan of straight-up coconut oil. It's solid until emulsified which makes it easy to apply (unless your house if hot, then it starts to morph into chunky liquid which gets messy). Can't beat pure plant.

I am the type that needs emotional motivation and like-minded community to affect personal change usually, as opposed to people who are astonishingly able to act purely on principle (e.g. raw foods diet- I was strong when I was doing it with friends and had the excitement and passion. Now I've slacked off big time due to lack of discipline. Ah! The guilt! Repentance is coming...). I say this to say, if anyone is interested in digging more into this with me, feel free to lend your support and involvement.