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Anxious For Heaven

2010-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

I used to be very anxious about heaven. I read an article that said, "If you are not content singing and praising God for hours a day, then you are going to be miserable in heaven, because that is all that we will be doing." The picture of sitting and playing some heavenly instrument and singing for eternity, does not seem very attractive to my natural mind. The Bible does not give us a lot of description regarding heaven, and we can see why. It’s foolish to expect that we will be able to understand what heaven is really like since we have no ability to comprehend it with our natural minds. Why would God attempt to describe in great detail something that we were not capable of understanding? There are two things I do believe regarding heaven.

First look at Ephesians 3:18 where Paul is trying to explain to us the full measure of the love of Christ for each of us. He says, "may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-". Notice that in describing the love of Jesus, Paul uses a four dimensional picture even though we live in a three dimensional world in this natural realm. We would portrait something in terms of length, depth, and height. These are the three dimensions that we can comprehend. Yet the things of the spiritual realm are beyond our natural understanding, and can be described as multi-dimensional. We may not understand it, but we can accept that it is a reality that we will eventually understand when no longer impeded by the things of this world. This is why God did not give a lot of explanation of heaven for us. We can neither conceive nor envision its reality, because it is beyond our own. We can know this, however, it is going to be far better than anything that we may be able to conjure up in our limited imaginations.

There is one other important factor to realize about heaven. While praise for the Lord will be a part of the experience, and it will just naturally flow from us when we are unencumbered by these natural bodies, that will not be the sole experience of being in His presence for the ages to come. While God is worthy of our praise, and that will be a natural experience, we will not be spending forever just playing instruments and singing without end. That implies that God is just going to take from us, and God is not a taker, He is a giver. Ephesians 2:6-7 says, " and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." This says that God will spend eternity showing us, individually, His exceeding riches and kindness.

Music News 4/27/2010

2010-04-28T07:08:00.001-07:00

Music News 4/27/10

Toby Mac has decided to create a clothing line for mothers, inspired by his wife. The Bomb Mom is full of apparel for moms, moms-to-be, and babies alike. He said he doesn’t believe he works as hard as mothers do, and he wanted to find a way to honor all the loving mothers out there. Top parenting websites have already written great reviews about the new line. Find more details at www.thebombmom.com.

Fox News wrote an article about the Dove Awards last week about Christian music going mainstream. In the article, they talked to Brian “Head” Welch, an original member of the band Korn, and how his life went from being all about sex and drugs to being all about forgiveness through Christ. The article also pointed out mainstream Christian artists who performed at the ceremony like Jordin Sparks and Ricky Skaggs. To read the whole thing, visit www.foxnews.com and search “Dove Awards”.

This summer you have the opportunity to see an Audio Adrenaline reunion. Mark and Will will be touring this summer with their brand new album The Know Hope Collective, which features brand new worship music by the two guys as well as other up-and-coming worship artists. They are booking a summer and fall tour now. If interested, email the promoter at email@currentmm.com.

With your YesFM music news, I'm Ashley.

Music News 4-15-10

2010-04-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Music News 4/15/10
House Of Heroes has announced their third national release. It’s called Suburba and will release on August 3rd. Although the band has two new members touring with them right now, all four original members have done all of the recording for the album. See a sneek peak of the album at www.youtube.com/houseofheroesmusic.

Music by some of your favorite artists will be featured on the game Rock Band. Anberlin, Hawk Nelson, Switchfoot, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Skillet all recently had songs added to the downloadable content store. To get the songs for your game, visit www.rockband.com/music.

Toby Mac recently sat down for an interview with Jesus Freak Hideout. He talked about his current tour, upcoming tours, his new album, meanings behind the songs, DC Talk, and much more. Check out the interview at www.jesusfreakhideout.com.

With your YesFM music news, I'm Ashley.

Music News 4-12-2010

2010-04-13T06:59:00.001-07:00

Music News 4/12/10

The only remaining original band member of Underoath has decided to leave the band. That’s right, drummer Aaron Gillespie has decided to call it quits to focus on other ministry opportunities as well as his role in his other band, The Almost. Underoath will continue on and wish the best to Aaron. For more details, check their blog at www.myspace.com/underoath.

An album you’ve probably been looking forward to has arrived. X-2010 is in stores now featuring music from Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, Flyleaf, Demon Hunter, Hawk Nelson, Pillar, and many more. Check out the track listing at www.amazon.com/X-2010-Christian-Rock-Hits/dp/B0039VHX0W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1271104294&sr=8-1.

Tickets for PointFest just went on sale this past weekend. The festival will take place at Cedar Point in Sandusky on September 18th, featuring Family Force 5 in concert with Casting Crowns, Remedy Drive, and more. Find more information on the concert beat at our website.

With your YesFM music news, I'm Ashley

Music News 3/20/10

2010-03-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Music News 3/30/10

Switchfoot has a “Roadie For A Day” contest going on, where one fan will win a trip to see them perform live on May 8th in Sacramento! The prize includes airfare, hotel accommodations, meet and greet with the band, a $500 gift card to Journey’s shoe store, autographed Switchfoot memorabilia, and the winner gets to stand side stage during the show, among other things. Everyone who enters to win receives a free download of a live version of their song “Mess Of Me”. To find details on how to enter, visit switchfoot.com.

Family Force 5 has a brand new website. Their old website was exactly the same as their MySpace page, but this new one is entirely its own thing. It features new pictures, videos, tour dates, news, their merch store, newsletter sign-up, and it links you up to all their social networking pages including Twitter, Facebook, and more. Check it out at ff5online.com.

This weekend, Superchick’s song “Stand In The Rain” will be available for download for the video game Rock Band. They also have a new album coming out on April 20th called Reinvention, which is an album full of songs you know, but remixed and changed. About the album the band says, “DaVinci once said that art is never finished, only abandoned. For us, this couldn’t be more true. This is a chance for us to reinvent the songs to be closer to the vision we had for them in the beginning.” Find more details at superchickonline.com.

With your YesFM music news, I'm Ashley.

Music News

2010-03-19T07:23:00.001-07:00

Music News 3/18/10

DecembeRadio has a live DVD releasing on Tuesday, which features a concert from October in Knoxville, TN during The Love Can Tour. Also on the DVD are videos from other live shows as well as the never-before-seen music video for the song “Gasoline”. You can get a sneek-peak of the bonus features or pre-order the album at www.decemberadio.com.

John Reuben and his wife recently had a daughter. Her name is Lily Parker and she is in good health. He posted a picture of their newborn online, you can view the picture by visiting www.twitter.com/johnreuben.

Switchfoot will be in concert on Wednesday as part of our March Concert Madness. They will be at Adrian College with special guests Meese, doors open at 7:30 and tickets are $25. For more info, check the concert beat at our website.

With your YesFM music news, I'm Ashley.

Music News

2010-03-11T10:05:00.001-08:00

Music News 3/8/10
Relient K has a CD deal right now called The First 3 Gears that gets fans their first three albums all rolled together. The package features their albums Relient K, The Anatomy Of Tongue In Cheek, and 2 Lefts Don’t Make A Right…But 3 Do”. With your pre-order, you also receive a Relient K key chain, license plate, and air freshener, everything you would need for your car, since the band named themselves after a car. The First 3 Gears releases on April 20th, find more details at www.gotee.com.

Skillet and Toby Mac are both up for the Dove Award for “Artist of the Year” this year, and the Gospel Music Association is allowing fans to have a say in who wins! Also nominated in this category are Casting Crowns, Francesca Battistelli, Jars Of Clay, and more. Only one vote per person is allowed between now and the awards show on April 20th. Cast your vote by visiting www.gmclife.com/fanvoting.

A few albums you’ve been looking forward to are in stores this week. Demon Hunter’s new album The World Is A Thorn is out now you can win it all week long from YES FM. When you win, you also qualify for a Demon Hunter prize pack, and we’ll pick that winner this Friday during the Power 20 Countdown. Sanctus Real’s new album Pieces Of A Real Heart is also releasing this week, and you could win that album from YES FM as well. And don’t forget about Stellar Kart’s new album Everything Is Different Now, which is also in stores this week.

With your YesFM music news, I'm Ashley.

Music News

2010-03-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Music News 3/2/10

Hawk Nelson hails from Canada, so their frontman Jason Dunn was getting a lot of grief from his neighbors in Tennessee about how the US was going to beat Canada in hockey in the Winter Olympics. Obviously NOW we know who ended up winning, but at the time he decided to take matters into his own hands. So he called his Canadian family and friends, who drove down to Tennessee to challenge his neighbors in a game of street hockey. To find out which team ended up winning, visit www.facebook.com/hawknelson and look for the YouTube video on their wall.

The Classic Crime’s frontman Matt MacDonald has a new side project he’s been working on called Skin And Teeth. The band falls into the acoustic experimental genre, and they describe themselves as “a band comprised of musicians who are often easily bored with life and who love to make music for music’s sake.” While this new band doesn’t have the pop rock sound of The Classic Crime, you may like Matt’s vocals paired up with the worshipful feel of their music. They have one song posted now, just visit www.myspace.com/skinandteeth.

Sanctus Real’s new album Pieces Of A Real Heart will be releasing next Tuesday, but you can listen to the entire album all week long leading up to the release. Just visit newreleasetuesday.com. They are also giving away a free download of the song “These Things Take Time” from the new album. To get your free download, visit www. myspace.com/sanctusreal and look in the blog section.

Music News

2010-02-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Project 86 has teamed up with Ephraim Clothing to design a t-shirt, and all funds raised from t-shirt sales will go directly towards building wells in Haiti to bring the country fresh water through an organization called Charity: Water. You can see the t-shirt at their website, and it’s available there or at their shows. And they do have a show coming to the area soon, they will be in Akron with Flatfoot 56 and Wavorly on Tuesday, March 16th. Find all the details at www.project86.com.

There’s a website called OMGPop that features multi-player games online. The site has one game called Hit Machine that’s similar to Rock Band, only you play it on your computer and your competitors are playing online from all over the world. This game features music from Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson, and The Rocket Summer. To play, visit www.omgpop.com, and click Hit List under the Games tab.

Norma Jean is in the studio working on the fifth album as a band, but their first album with their new record label Razor & Tie. A live music video for the demo version of one song from the record will be available as a free download for anyone who signs up for Norma Jean’s email list. To sign up and get your download, visit www.myspace.com/normajean.

In stores this week is the new album from Lifehouse called Smoke And Mirrors, visit www.myspace.com/lifehouse to hear music from the album.

Music News

2010-02-25T12:10:00.001-08:00

Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer has been promoting his new album Of Men And Angels quite a bit lately, and he recently sat down for an interview with Buzz Net, a main stream website, where he talked about being a one man band, how he got started in music, his writing, his faith, and more. Visit www.buzznet.com and search “The Rocket Summer” to read the full interview.

Almost Alice is releasing soon, the album of songs inspired by the new Alice In Wonderland movie. Family Force 5’s song “Topsy Turvy” is featured on the Hot Topic exclusive version of the album, which releases to their stores coming up this Tuesday. To get details or listen to the song, visit www.familyforce5.com.

Superchick is offering a free download of their song “Courage” now through this Saturday in support of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Band member Melissa used to suffer from an eating disorder and still has struggles now and then, which was the inspiration behind the song. Read her story and download your copy at www.superchickonline.com.

Why The Resurrection Matters

2009-04-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Worldview Wednesday (4/15/09)

Why The Resurrection Matters

This weekend we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus - the holiest of Christian days and the pivotal moment in all of history. As is increasingly the case, we did so awash in a sea of skepticism - from a Newsweek article gleefully proclaiming the death of religion to endless polls reminding us of the sad decline in the number of people who even believe in God, much less in a resurrected one.

So it was refreshing to read the story of one who moved in the opposite direction. A. N. Wilson is an English writer who has written extensively on such topics as why Jesus was nothing more than a failed, and very dead, messiah-figure; and how Paul basically invented Christianity. He was a leading voice in the chorus of those who said we should not make too much of the historical fact of Jesus’ resurrection. It is a fairy tale too offensive for modern ears and should be understood as at best as religious symbolism, more likely as wishful thinking from the disciples, or quite possibly as the manipulative deceit of the apostle Paul - but certainly not as a historical fact.

But in an article for the Daily Mail, Mr. Wilson recounts his journey from skepticism back to the faith of his youth - a faith he now admits he left more because it seemed uncool than for any real intellectual reasons. A key component to his return was the resurrection. He writes, “In the past, I have questioned it’s veracity and suggested that it should not be taken literally. But the more I read the Easter story, the better it seems to fit and apply to the human condition.”

A. N. Wilson identifies two important truths that spoke powerfully to him and to his understanding of the human condition. The first is the affirmation that we are both spiritual and physical beings. The second is our hope for an eternal future.

As Christians, we affirm the resurrection because it helps explain both our physical and spiritual natures. Just as Jesus was truly God and truly man - and truly resurrected in the body - we are truly physical and spiritual beings, made to experience the world both materially and spiritually. As Wilson points out, “Materialist atheism says we are just a collection of chemicals. It has no answer whatsoever to the question of how we should be capable of love or heroism or poetry if we are simply animated pieces of meat. The Resurrection, which proclaims that matter and spirit are mysteriously conjoined, is the ultimate key to who we are.”

We also affirm the resurrection because it is the evidence for our hope in eternity. In 1 Corinthians 15 the apostle Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (v. 14, 19-22). The resurrection reminds us we were made for eternity. This too played a part in A. N. Wilson’s return to faith. He writes, “My belief has come about in large measure because of the lives and examples of people I have known - not the famous, not saints, but friends and relations who have lived, and faced death, in the light of the Resurrection story, or in the quiet acceptance that they have a future after they die.”

It is that future we celebrated this weekend. A future secured through Jesus’ actions in the past - his real, true death and resurrection - that will continue to echo into eternity. A. N. Wilson heard the call of that echo, and it led him home. Welcome back, brother.

That is our worldview for this Wednesday.

Ashley's Top Albums of 2008

2009-01-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Here are my favorite albums of 2008.

1) "The End Is Not The End" by House Of Heroes. If you like rock, acoustic, or original music at all, CHECK IT OUT. Seriously. People I know who don't like Christian music, LOVE House Of Heroes. They are amazing, and from Columbus!

2) "Word Of Mouth" by John Reuben. I don't care that it came out in 2007, I got it for my birthday in February so it was one of my most listened to albums this year. Again, originality.

3) "Perceptions" by This Beautiful Republic. Am I biased because I know them? I hope not, because this CD surpasses the last one, which was great.

4) "Make Some Noise" by Krystal Meyers. Not as punk/rock as her older stuff, more pop. Yes, Miley Cyris-ish. But Krystal is like the Britney Spears of Japan, so of course her music is going to have that pop influence. Still, great.

5) "Til We See The Shore" by Seabird. Who knew piano rock could cut to the core like that? It's awesome.

6) "White Lights EP" by Deas Vail. Again, piano rock, only this dude's voice is down and up and up higher than even MINE can go, and it's definitely the kind that makes you ponder life.

7) "The Ringing Bell" by Derek Webb. His music is ALWAYS original and always makes you think. Some songs are mellow, others have an oldies rock sound, love it.

8) "There Came A Lion" by Ivoryline. Reminds me of TBR, maybe that's why I like it? Definitely the kind of rock music you can sing at the top of your lungs to.

9) "The Bird And The Bee Sides / The Nashville Tennis EP" by Relient K. 13 new tracks written by all members of the band, 13 b-sides (hence the title). Always original. Will the next song be country? Will Matt Thiessen be singing? Will bumble bees be talking to each other? You never know. Also clever as usual.

10) "Under The Summer Sun" by Matt Wertz. Smooth voice, has some love songs, some faith songs, it's a feel-good CD all around.

So there you have it, the top 10 albums of the year in my opinion. What are yours? Feel free to comment below

Love, Mt. Dew, and Skizees,
Ashley Alcock <><

Hail To the Victory!!!!

2008-10-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so this past weekend I did one of my favorite things in the world ever. I TALIGATED!!!!!!

It was a perfect weekend surrounded by close friends and family eating hot wings, chili and brats at 8:30 in the morning….it is why football was invented…I truly believe that. I was at the golf course in Ann Arbor ( if you are a Michigan fan you know where I am talking about,) and we were getting ready for what was SUPPOSED to be an easy win for the Wolverines.

Saturday was a bittersweet day for me as I am a Michigan fan but a former Mascot for the University of Toledo. Yes I was Rocky the Rocket. Don’t laugh it was a blast, and I got a scholarship for running around as a costumed rocket….thats right…free tuition and books for acting like an idiot….I was MADE to be a mascot.

Anyway, I went to Ann Arbor like most peeps from Toledo hopeful that the rockets could pull one off but doubtful due to the fact that Michigan is THE winningest team in all of college football and in 24 games has NEVER lost to a school from the MAC. Well, there is a first time for everything.

Toledo went out and took care of business. It was close but they got it done. They drew on eachother's strengths and overcame some incredible odds to beat the seemingly (at the time) unbeatable. Sound like anyone you may have read about? A guy with a rock and a sling perhaps? Just a thought I wanted to share and to remind all of the Buckeye fans that the Rockets have you in their sights. Next year…Cleveland…..do not underestimate this David…..or YOU just might catch a rock to the forhead.

Rockin the Rockets!!
Rob Kelly

GETTING EXTREME!!!!!

2008-10-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

So last month the city of Toledo played host to the ABC network as they were in town to build a house for a VERY deserving family…the Frisch family. If you do not know their story it is an amazing one. I will just try to sum it up in a few sentences (if that’s possible). Aaron is a Toledo fireman and was on scene back in 2005 when Toledo suffered a HUGE black eye in the form a riot. Aaron and his partner were on scene in an ambulance when they were attacked. He risked his life to save his partners'. Amazing. Jackie is the mom and a youth pastor with a huge heart and passion for kids. (Youth pastor have to have a heart for kids….back me up on this one pastors.) While on a mission trip to Haiti, Jackie met and fell in love with a few of the kids there. I am getting long winded on this so in short…Jackie and Aaron adopted 5 boys from Haiti, more from the inner city of Toledo and have 3 of their. (If I am off in my counts I apologize.) with 13 or so people living in a 4 bedroom house with no air conditioning and only 1 bathroom…..ABC stepped in. But they were not the only ones.

I am getting ahead of myself a bit….let’s start at the beginning. When I heard that Extreme Makeover:Home Edition was coming I started doing my research to find out how to volunteer to help with the build. I love the show as does my family. Especially my son Roby. So I sent an e-mail to the folks and said I was interested in working. About 3 days later I got a call that put tears in my eyes. On September 7th there was going to be a benefit concert for the Frisch family with Sanctus Real playing, and that they wanted me to be the emcee for the event. I was shocked, flattered, flabbergasted, and amazed all at the same time. I without hesitation said yes and immediately called my super rockin hottie of a wife Michelle to tell her the news.

I met with the organizers of the event and we got everything in place. They were expecting 3000 or so people at Centennial Terrace that day and ALOT more than that showed up. People were being turned away and there were even people scalping tickets in the parking lot. It was incredible- the outpouring of support for this family whom many did not even know. In the beginning it seemed some were there in hopes to catch a glimpse of Ty Pennington and others were there to see Sanctus Real. But it was incredible to see the attitudes of people shift from being star struck to just a genuine love and compassion for a family that truly loves each other, their community, and most of all their God.

I have no doubt that there were people in the crowd that day that have probably never heard of Sanctus Real, YES FM, or the Frisch Family and that’s fine. But they have now. They know that there are people in the Toledo area who care and want to be part of something bigger than themselves. And that is my point. There are people in your community right now who need help. As a people we tend to get excited to help out others when an event like this is still fresh in our minds and then fizzle out. We cannot fizzle…..fo shizzle…(sorry couldn’t help it…it’s the gangsta in me.)

I am encouraging anyone reading this to be a servant to those who need it. Not just with money…but your time and skills. If there is an elderly person in your neighborhood that needs help with leaves or snow removal help them out. And here is a thought…DON’T ASK FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN!!!!!!!!!! Just do it to help. If there are skilled tradesman reading this….we all know someone who could use some help with home repairs that just do not have the means in which to do it. Take a Saturday and work with them to get the problem resolved. I am not saying do it for them, rather help them do it themselves. There is something to be said for the pride in taking care of your property and ever more to be said for those who are willing to sacrifice to step in and help those who need it.

There have been times in my life when my family, both as a child and as an adult, have needed help. And through the kindness of friends and strangers…and most of all the grace of God….I have gotten the help I needed, and I KNOW that there is someone reading this that has needed help in the past and is now in a position to help another. It is now time to step up as a community and pay it forward.

Get together with your youth group, college ministry, family and help someone. Find ways to get involved in an organization like habitat for humanity or a soup kitchen and find out what is needed and where. I GUARANTEE you will get made over too.

Let's Make History

2008-09-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Waddup y’all

I wrote on this blog a few months ago about the then candidate for the presidency this year. Well, I am back to give you all an update on where we are at. (As if you need one) The Democratic National Convention wrapped up last week in Denver with Illinois Senator Barack Obama accepting the nomination with his running mate Joe Biden. If elected, Senator Obama will be the first person of color to be the President of The United States. On Friday of last week in Dayton Ohio Senator John McCain announced that the first female governor of the state of Alaska, Sarah Palin, would be his vice presidential running mate. For only the second time, and the first by the Republican Party, a woman has been chosen as a vice presidential running mate. The first was back in 1984 when Walter Mondale chose Geraldine Ferraro. And now 28 years later history will be made.

As I stated before I will NEVER tell any one how to vote or who to vote for, just know this….if you are old enough….VOTE!!! Make your voice heard. Your vote will make history. There have been elections where people have said “this is the single most important election in recent history.” Well, this time it’s true. I listened to both candidates speak many times over the course of the last few months and both bring compelling arguments. This year’s election WILL be an important one. Both candidates have a love and desire to see this country move forward and have our own energy supply as well as a stable economy. Both are commendable men whose love for this country should not be questioned by anyone.

I challenge you to look at the 13th chapter of Romans, the 1st verse starts off “every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which are established by God.” And then pray for the candidates and their families. God’s hand is in this election I have no doubt about that. But to be a part of that and the history will be simply amazing.

Do Your Homework

2008-08-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Your Homework!

One of the most enjoyable and rewarding projects that I’ve worked on as Production Manager for the station is The Story Behind The Songs segments. As someone who’s worked in the industry for 16 years (yes I’m that old), I’ve gotten to know a lot of bands, but this project took it to a whole new level. It’s more than just knowing that the guys from Family Force 5 love Transformers or that Jason, the lead singer from Hawk Nelson, is the only one in the band who likes hockey; no, it digs much deeper.

Writing on a range of topics from the serious to the absurd; we get a bird’s eye view of the artist’s struggles, thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc about what they go through, what we all go through, on a daily basis. You find out that they’re people just like you with families and kids and mortgages who like to watch or play sports and go out to movies and eat artery clogging food; and they struggle with heavy things like past drug addictions and losing loved ones to cancer and financial difficulties all while trying to work out their faith and find out who God wants them to be and what he want them to do. And they write about all of this stuff, not just one facet, but every facet of their lives.

A lot of times we listen to a song and we get this preconceived notion about who the band or artist is. If they don’t fit a certain mold or a certain idea, we automatically write them off. I’m just as guilty. However, over the years I’ve learned to do my homework, to research the lyrics to find out what a song is about or to research the artist if I question what they stand for. I’m going to go out on a limb and challenge all of you to do the same. Dig deeper. Check out the band’s website, read the articles written by Jesus Freak Hideout and CMSpin and all the other publications out there, really pay attention to Ashley’s reports on our Music News feature. Find out who someone really is before you form an opinion on them and do your homework. I look forward to comparing notes.

April O’Brien

CALLINGS FROM GOD

2008-08-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

So in the Bible, which we try to follow and live our lives by, it talks about how the body is made up of many parts. It mentions how the hand or foot cannot say to each other “I don’t need you!” because all parts are working together for the greater good of the whole body. It says in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 “…there should be no division in the body…its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” It goes on to say in verse 29, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?”

So we see that not everyone is gifted the same way, and God has not called everyone to the same thing. I want to give a couple of examples of what I mean.

My Pastor. He has a calling in his life to teach and encourage those in the church. He does this for a living, so you could say the “job” he’s been called to do by God is to live for Jesus and to help those in the church grow. Does that mean he can’t teach a non-Christian effectively? No. But his “job” is mainly teaching the church, though that is not everyone’s calling.
Missionaries. Some people are called by God to go out into the world, often to an unfamiliar place, and share the gospel with lost people. So the “job” they have been called to is to reach the lost with the gospel. Does that mean they can’t encourage those who are already Christians? No. But their main calling is going out and preaching to the lost, bringing them into a relationship with Jesus. But not everyone is called to be a missionary for their profession either.
Some people have a calling in their lives to work a normal job, at an office or a store or a restaurant or whatever, with whoever happens to work there, Christian or not. And their “job” is to be involved in their co-workers lives, to share their stories about work, life, relationships, and whatever, while being an example of Christ to those people around them. Does this mean they’re not doing enough for Jesus, because their profession isn’t something “Christian”? No. It just means God has called them to live life in that way.

Now do all three of these “jobs” require living for Jesus? Yes. Do all three require loving and encouraging those around you, whether they are a Christian or they are not? Yes. Do all three require being involved in the lives of those around you and sharing your faith with them? Yes. But all three are done in different ways, through different professions.

I’d like to relate these three “jobs” to Christian artists, because I think it is absolutely necessary with where music is going in today’s culture. So here are the three kinds of Christian bands (in my opinion).

Bands that are called to play music for and encourage the church. The example that comes to mind is Stellar Kart. They will straight up tell you they’re basically singing to youth group kids. Their songs encourage those in the church to live lives that honor God. Does that mean a non-Christian can’t listen to their song and be affected by it? No. It just means their main “job”, or their calling by God, is to encourage those in the church to live for Christ.
Bands that are called to play music for the lost. The band that comes to mind is Seventh Day Slumber. Joseph Rojas has an amazing testimony about drug addiction and lots of stuff that goes along with that, and he shares his story at most concerts and they offer everyone a chance to come up and give their life to Christ. Their “job” or their calling is to reach the lost through their music and their concerts. Does this mean a Christian can’t be affected by their music? No, it just means lost and hurting people are the ones God has called them to sing to.
Bands that are called to just play music, to whoever wants to listen to it, and be an example of Christ to those people around them, Christian or not. The band that comes to mind is Family Force 5. A lot of their songs are about God, but they have some that are just fun, about dancing or being from the south or relationships or whatever. They are not ashamed of their faith, they’ll straight up tell you they love Jesus. Their “job” or the calling God has placed on their hearts is to be examples of Christ to the people they encounter working at the churches and venues they play at, as well as the people they talk to at their shows and when they’re traveling. They are called to reach people through their interactions, not necessarily just through their music.

Sometimes Christians sit back and judge these musicians and choose the standard of what is “Christian enough” for everyone else. The truth of the matter is, there is no such thing as “Christian enough”. We all mess up in life and need Jesus to forgive us. But if members of a band are living their lives for God and doing what He has called them to do, then the rest of us have no right to judge them or their faith.

Think about the things you talk to your friends about. Do you talk about doing fun things together? Do you play games or go to movies or go out to eat or swim? Do you talk about relationships you are in? None of these things are inherently “Christian”, so does that make them bad? No. If it is okay to talk about these things, why wouldn’t it be okay to sing about them? Should we not sing about the things that happen in our lives?

If every band were singing music to the church, then how would non-Christians ever relate? How would they ever be reached? Doctors aren’t here for the healthy, but for the sick. Jesus came for the lost. He loves them and desires that none of them should perish. A non-Christian might be turned off by a song that says “Jesus” over and over, but they might really like a song that has a fun beat if they don’t realize right away is about God. And just maybe that song will mean something else to them, they’ll go see the band, talk to the guys, see an example of Christ, and realize they want that in their lives. If you think that is wrong or bad that is okay, but how that band shares their faith is between them and God, it is not between them and any of us.

I want to encourage each of you, God gives us all personal convictions for our lives, but that does not mean that a conviction He gives to you is for everyone else. If anyone feels a conviction against listening to a certain band or song, that is okay, and you should follow what God is calling you to do. But if God has not placed that conviction on other people, I encourage you not to get mad or judge. God is bigger than any of us, He has a bigger plan than we can see or imagine, so let’s not cause division in His body over our own opinions of what God has called others to do.

Let’s just pray for those around us, that whatever He calls them to do, they will be faithful.

~Ashley~

A journey

2008-08-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

Earlier this summer I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Guatemala with Faceless Internatinal. It was an awesome experience, and one that I've found a little hard to explain.

Luckily, one of the leaders, Chris Abel, wrote an amazing article that is on FacelessInternational's website right now.

Fair Wages
We slipped and stumbled our way back from the adobe house to the main road. When all of us finally made it down - dirty but safe - our host, Edwin, pointed down the cliff that bordered the dirt road.

“See this?” We nodded.

“There were about a dozen homes on this cliff last year.”We stared.
“Mudslide,” he side quietly. We stood there for a moment. Then we walked back to the truck in silence.

Welcome to the mountains of Guatemala.

This moment kept coming back to me as the week went on. Covered in sweat and mud, hunched over and gasping for breath, I would see that hillside in my mind’s eye and the too-bare areas where homes once sat. I imagined the villagers here, and what it must be like to spend months picking coffee berries in the very place where friends and family once lived… and died. In moments of clarity like this, exhaustion becomes an after-thought. When people lose their lives and their homes because of something as simple as a roadway drainage system, the cement drain you’re carrying on your back doesn’t seem so heavy anymore.

There were a lot of moments like that.

There’s something about doing hard labor that makes you think. It makes you think about your motivations and it makes you think about the people you are working for. Why were we in Guatemala, anyway?... Continue Reading

While you continue reading, I encourage you to browse the Faceless website. They're an amazing organization made up of amazing people. They are a social justice organization. The main interersts of the group are fair wages/trade and human trafficking.

On my trip, we learned about fair trade and what we could do to make the life of the coffee farmer better. On future trips people will have the chance to learn about human trafficking in India and the United States.

I would encourage you to get involved with Faceless- and if not with Faceless, get involved somewhere! You truly can be the change in someone's life. And by doing that- you'll see an amazing change in your own life.

Mia

Signs Signs Everwhere There's Signs

2008-08-04T08:13:00.001-07:00

Signs, Signs Everywhere There’s Signs.

“If only I had a sign that this is what God want’s me to do!” How many times have you said that. I know I have said it A LOT!!!! We spend so much of our precious time wondering where is my sign from god that I am doing the right thing? There is a famous comedian named Bill Engvall and he has built an entire routine around people missing the obvious and has called it “Here’s Your Sign” Some of them are pretty funny and other that are maybe not so. But it got me to thinking about the opening quote of this blog. I cannot think of a more obvious sign that God wants us to live a life free of sin than the sign he gave us all those years ago when he sent his son to die for us. We need to quit looking for signs and take the time to see the one already shown to us.
Rob Kelly

Jesus Rose From The Dead

2008-04-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

So I’ve been watching videos on YouTube lately. Someone will be like “Go watch this 3 minute video” and I’ll go watch it, and then YouTube will be like “Hey, you should watch these other videos too.” So I’m like “Well, you are YouTube so you must be smart, I will watch those videos as you have suggested.” Yes, I have conversations with a website.

Well, some of these videos I have watched have really challenged my faith. One says “If there is a God, why does THIS happen in the world?” or “If God is really loving, why doesn’t he do THIS?” or “Here is how to prove there is no God,” or “Here is how to prove a Christian wrong.” Sometimes they’re just complete baloney (I think bologna is a ridiculous spelling for the lunch meat, so I spell it my own way), but sometimes they ask some pretty tough questions, questions we can not answer and will never be able to.

So I start asking God questions too, “Why DOES that happen? Why doesn’t that OTHER thing happen? What about all the things those videos said?” You guys might think that because we work at Yes FM we’re super-spiritual, but we’re just like you and have the same questions and struggles you do, so I was legitimately asking God some questions. His answer to me was this: Jesus.

“Jesus? But that doesn’t answer all those questions,” you may be thinking. Well maybe not, but knowing what I know about Jesus makes me not NEED an answer to all those questions. Some people believe in the Bible because they were raised to believe it, they believe the stories because they’re in the Bible so they must be true. I think that is great, it is having child-like faith just as Jesus told us to. But I am sort of an intellectual thinker (although you wouldn’t know it by talking to me probably). I like to look at the facts, historical evidence, how we know things really took place, ect. And here’s what I have found.

Of all religious books ever written, the Bible has the most reliable manuscripts. People question the writings of the Bible which have thousands upon thousands of identical manuscripts, but they don’t question the writings of Plato or Aristotle, when they have very few writings (in comparison to the Bible). Also, the Bible has thousands more identical manuscripts than the religious book with the NEXT largest number, which is only in the hundreds. So the Bible’s reliability is much much higher than that of any other religious book.

Not only that, there is no other explanation for Jesus’ body disappearing than the resurrection. He didn’t have a twin who poked holes in his wrists and feet to make people think he was Jesus resurrected. If so, people might have noticed that Jesus had a twin at some point before then. You can’t really hide something like having a twin from your friends, and ESPECIALLY not from your family (since, you’re twins).

Another theory is that His disciples stole the body of dead Jesus and made up a story about how He rose again. Let me ask you a question, if you made up a lie and someone said “Admit to your lie or I will kill you,” would you really be willing to die for the sake of your lie? I doubt it, you’d probably fold and beg for mercy. But even if you were willing to die for a lie it would be pretty hard to find 10 other people to do the same thing. But I’ll tell you what, Jesus DID rise from the dead, and 11 out of 12 of his best friends were KILLED because they saw it, and they REFUSED to deny what they knew to be true. (The only disciple that didn’t die for his faith died of old age.) They didn’t just see Jesus once and then He vanished or something, but they had multiple conversations with him, He even ate a meal with them to prove he was real and not some kind of spirit or ghost that just looked real. Peter was so sure His Lord rose from the dead that when Peter was sentenced to be crucified, he insisted on being crucified upside down because he was not worthy of dying the way his Savior did.

So you know what, I may not have all the answers. I may never understand why good people starve to death, while bad people become more successful. I may not be able to tell you why God intervenes in some situations and not others. I may not always have an answer to questions people throw at me. But one thing I do know is that Jesus Christ came in to this world, He was killed, and He defeated death. Other religious leaders have come and passed, but none of them PROVED that what they said was true by rising from the dead. And I believe He rose from the dead, and I believe there is plenty of logical evidence to support that. And as long as I know that, I’m going to believe everything He said. And if that means I don’t agree with the way someone lives, or I don’t agree with what someone believes, then that’s what it means. I will still love that person, I will still try to answer their questions to the best of my ability, but I will not back down on what I believe to be true.

Hopefully if any of you have questions about God and the world and why things take place, you can just remember Jesus dying on the cross because He loved us, and rising from the dead to prove that love. And hopefully that will help everything else fall into place.

<><><>

American Idol

2008-04-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how many of you are American Idol fans, but I presume at least SOME of you are since it’s so popular. Well the whole synopsis of the show from beginning to end is this: People audition because they think they can sing and they want to be famous. Viewers watch the show and laugh at some, and enjoy others. Then viewers vote for their favorites. Pretty simple, nothing real spiritual going on there, just another TV talent show, right?

Well I actually have my own theory on American Idol. Let me show you the pattern I am seeing:
Season 1 winner: Kelly Clarkson. She’s a Christian.
Season 2 winner: Ruben Studdard. He’s a Christian.
Season 2 runner up: Clay Aiken. He’s a Christian. (Have your opinions on that one if you will, but he claims to be one and I believe him.)
Season 3 winner: Fantasia Barrino. She’s a Christian.
Season 4 winner: Carrie Underwood. She’s a Christian.
Season 5 winner: Taylor Hicks. He’s a Christian.
Season 5 top 5: Chris Daughtry. He’s a Christian.
Season 6 winner: Jordin Sparks. She’s a Christian.

Is anyone else seeing a pattern here? Every season’s winner is a Christian, and some of the people who do NOT win but still become really popular are Christian too. I’m sure you can come up with some reason that you believe each of those people are NOT a Christian, because it’s so easy for us to try to judge what makes someone “good enough” at life to be called a Christian. But I’m basing the above statements on what THEY claim about themselves. And you could argue that most Americans claim to be Christians because there are a lot of churches here, but what I’ve encountered is that when it comes down to it, most people in the mainstream would be ashamed to call themselves followers of Christ, and the above people are not. Yeah they might write songs about love or relationships or whatever, but they let Christ come out in some of their lyrics too, and I respect that, especially since their music is being purchased by TONS of people.

And there’s more to my little theory (which I have not yet presented) than Christians winning every year. Sometimes we think being a Christian means we’re against abortion and go to church and that’s the extent of it, but we miss out on a huge part of our calling when we leave out those other things Jesus tells us to do, like taking care of orphans, feeding and clothing the poor, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and doing for “the least of these."

Now I’m not saying American Idol is a “Christian” show, but they are certainly doing a lot to live out those Biblical standards of caring for people, even if it’s for no other reason than a moral obligation and just knowing in their hearts that it’s the right thing to do. They raised $76 million last year during “Idol Gives Back” to fight AIDS and malaria in Africa, provide housing and education to orphans in Africa and here in America, and the money was used to help lots of other people in various ways. And this year through “Idol Gives Back” they had raised $22 million by the end of the 2 ½ hour show, and probably way more even now 2 days later. We might want to condemn the show because it’s not “Christian” or it’s not on the Christian TV station, but they are helping do a lot of good in the lives of “the least of these."

Not only THAT, but they are proclaiming the name of Jesus on the show! Okay maybe it’s not the judges or the host telling people they need Jesus, but His name is being spread through the music. A few weeks back was “Dolly Parton” week, and at the end of the show she performed a song called “Jesus and Gravity”, which talked about how she keeps grounded in life: She has Jesus lifting her up, and gravity holding her down. So basically Jesus is what keeps her going, but reality also keeps her humbled. It was great.

And then this past week “Idol Gives Back” had many guest appearances performing, and one of them was Mariah Carey. I almost wanted to just mute the TV, (no offense Mariah, just not my style), but in the first verse I heard something about Jesus. So I started paying closer attention, and in a part where she wasn’t singing I heard a man’s voice in the background saying, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you, trust in me” or something like that! Then this choir came out and she was singing with them about how we need the Lord’s strength to get us through life, it was amazing. The song was called “Fly Like A Bird,” and it’s a Darlene Zchech song.

And THEN, to end the evening all the Idols came out wearing all white and sang “Shout To The Lord”! It was AMAZING! “Let every breath, all that I am, never cease to worship You… Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name… Nothing compares to the promise I have in You…” Dude. Do you have any idea how many non-Christians heard that? Whether it’s people who don’t really think much about God, or they’re atheists, or they’re other religions, or whatever. And American Idol is aired all over the world! The name of Jesus was literally being proclaimed all over the world. It was such an emotional, moving experience. Whether or not those singing on stage believe in Jesus I don’t know, but I do know the who God is and His promises were declared for millions to see and hear, and for THAT I am ecstatic.

So, my theory is that God is using a secular show, a show looking for an “Idol” (and God wants no one to make an idol but just to worship Him), and He is using the show to proclaim His name all over the world. Whether it’s through the actual TV show playing Christian music, or it’s through the contestants and winners and THEIR music, He is making Himself known through the TV show American Idol. I’m not telling you to watch it, but I am encouraging all of us to think outside the box. Sometimes God doesn’t just use things branded “Christian” to make himself known to the world, but He uses the things OF this world to reach those THROUGHOUT the world.

<><><>
Ashley

Questions and Doubts

2008-04-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

As Christians, sometimes we have doubts. Sometimes those doubts are just mental issues, like we don’t FEEL God in our life, or we’re going through something tough and want to take control ourselves instead of trusting God, things like that. But other times those doubts come from things people say to us. Things related to science, or other theories of what happened to Jesus, they say there’s no historical proof, stuff like that.

I used to be involved with a Christian organization on my college campus, and we were always getting training on those sorts of things. But it’s been almost 2 years since I graduated, and today for some reason this website popped into my head: http://www.everystudent.com/.

That website is one that our organization referred people to who had questions about Christianity and what is truth and stuff like that. I used to visit the site a lot, but just got out of the habit. But if you have doubts or questions or anything like that, I encourage you to go to that website because it’s really great!

Whether your question is something like “How do we KNOW God exists?” or “But didn’t people just get here by chance?” or “Where is God in the midst of tragedy?” or “Did Jesus ever SAY He was God?” or whatever, there are answers on this website.

After reading some headings, I myself am going to start referring back to http://www.everystudent.com/ to read up on answers to questions I have, and I encourage you to as well.

<><><>
Ashley

A ROCK AND AN ACOUSTIC PLACE

2008-04-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

I love a good rock show. No question. I have seen a lot of them in my day. Everything from Stryper and Whitecross and Holy Soldier (old school I know but that’s how I roll) to the bands of today like Disciple, Sanctus Real, This Beautiful Republic and my personal favorites Family Force 5. I like to leave a concert and feel like I have been in the presence of the lord and at the same time feel like I was just smacked square in the temple with a Louisville Slugger. Call me crazy but I LOVE a rock show. But last night I got a show I was not expecting.

Let me start by saying that I have seen Kutless numerous times and these guys can put on a rock show. High energy and yet they also convey Christ to the crowd as well. But last night I was pleasantly shocked. When I first heard that Kutless was coming I was like “cool Kutless is coming back to town….should be a good show”. Then I heard that they were doing an acoustic set and thought…” well…that’s cool….it may not rock but o.k.” Now, in case you totally skipped the first paragraph of this blog, I should reiterate that I LOVE A ROCK SHOW!!!!! Acoustic shows have never really been my thing. They are nice don’t get me wrong but I just am not a huge fan. Well, as usual….I was wrong….AGAIN!

This was one of the BEST shows I have been to in a long time. Maybe I am getting older or whatever but I was so incredibly impressed with that band last night that at one point near the end of the show when John-Micah sang “Take Me In” and told the story of the young girl that they had befriended that had later passed away form cancer….I was moved to tears. This young girl was so terrified before her death that her mother began singing this song to her….then she joined in…and John said her last words on earth were “take me into your holy of holys” I lost it. The stories behind some of the best “rock” songs were told last night in Ottawa Lake Michigan to a crowd of people there to see an acoustic show and 1 guy who was there to see a rock show and left with something he will never forget. A new found respect for and acoustic guitar and the stories behind some of the song of Kutless.

Keep Rockin’
Rob Kelly

p.s.
Chris Taylor and Esterlyn opened up for Kutless and These bands were INCREDIBLE as well!

Anberlin!!!

2008-04-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I saw Anberlin.

It was amazing.

The End.

.....Ok. I actually can't end there.

Here's what Deon posted on the forums on Anberlin's website www.anberlin.com - click on "community."

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:32 am Post subject: MSU

well, we just played one of the shows we are playing while working on our new album and i must say, we were so pleasantly surprised by everyone's reaction. we thought it was going to be a subdued show considering there were chairs on the floor. but everyone there definitely still managed to rock out with us by promptly passing the chairs overhead to the back of the room. we were all so amazed by the energy in the crowd and there is nothing to say but thank you! thank you thank you! that was one of the best shows we've ever had. go spartans! haha deon...

This was one crazy show. Initially everyone had seats- some were floor seats, some were bleacher seats and some were higher up. It was at MSU's Breslin Center where they play basketball. It's a large venue. But people were not energetic at the beginning at ALL- partially due to being confined to their seats (and partially due to the nature of the opening acts)- so Anberlin called everyone to the floor and had them pick up chairs and pass them back, so people had room to get rowdy in the front. And oh yes- they got rowdy. People kept jumping on the stage and dancing or just doing backflips off of the stage.

Unfortunately the rowdiness caused the set to be cut short. But they still played for about 40 minutes- performed a bunch of songs and put on an amazing show.

Another awesome thing was- the show was FREE!!!! MSU students could go and show their IDs and pick up tickets. So we pulled a few strings (seeing as how none of us are MSU students) and ended up with 6 tickets. 2 of which were a suprise when we got there. Unfortunately we didn't use 3 of the tickets- but anyways. It was an amazing & free show.

If you get the chance to see Anberlin play- do it! Even if you have to pay ;-)- it's well worth it. Stephen Christian is an amazing front man. His vocals are awesome and his energy is contagious. The whole band puts on a fantastic show. And the whole time they were playing they kept thanking everyone for coming out. It was cool. That set the tone and the crowd really connected.

I wish we could have seen the entire set- but seeing what we did was amazing. I keep using that word HA! But it's the truth!

Go listen to Anberlin NOW! You won't be sorry :)

Now tonight it's off to Kutless! I think I may need an energy drink on the way home! ;-P

Mia

Pray About It

2008-03-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to an election year. For many of you this will be the first time that you have voted in a major presidential election, and let me say, it will be a very enlightening experience.

This year has already seen its fair share of controversy surrounding the election. From One candidate's alleged marital discretions to another's religious beliefs, it has been crazy to say the least.

But as I sit and watch endless hours of news…(by the way I am a CNN/FOX NEWS/MSNBC/C-SPAN addict) it has become more apparent to me that we are more obsessed with digging up dirt on people than digging up the truth. If we were to spend that much time praying for our leaders, present and future, think of how different things might be, because the power of prayer is an amazing thing.

I will admit I have been sucked in at times by the videos shown on the news and have even spent time on youtube watching highlighted video of preachers and political leaders saying things and then having “experts” analyze what is said. It is tough to get away from when it is all that you see. So I decided to do what any one should do…crack open the bible, and without fail I found the book I needed to find. The 13th chapter of Romans starts off pretty clear. It says in verse 1: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except form God, and those which exist are established by God.”

Gods hand is already in this election. I believe that. I am by no means telling you how to vote at all. It is not my place to do so. But what I am saying is between now and November of this year be informed and PRAY! Pray for our current president and his staff as well as the future president…whoever it may be. Because according to God’s word it will be the man…or woman HE establishes.

A PROUD AMERICAN
Rob Kelly

Music That Changes Our Lives

2008-03-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Most of you have heard us utter the words, "Music That Will Change Your Life." Some of you have even taken the Extreme Makeover Challenge, where you've listened to us exclusively for two weeks and experienced profound changes. This simple, yet powerful statement, is not only directed to you, the listeners, it's also directed to each and everyone of us who works at Yes FM. The scripture that I've been meditating on of late comes from Romans 5:5 where it says, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

What makes us different from non-believers is that we have hope, a hope that was given to us by God out of love, as manifested in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God promised that to us. So you can imagine my surprise and delight the other day on my way to work, when I caught the words to You Gave Me A Promise, a song found on the new Fireflight CD. You know when you hear a song and you can relate to it? It just clicks. That's what it was like for me when hearing that song. Because the song hadn't finished before I shut off my car, I literally ran into the building, just to see what it was. That's how excited I was about it.

Be encouraged, we here at Yes FM are just like you. We go through the same stuff, we listen to the same music, we are ministered to just like you. Music That Will Change Your Life...And Ours, Too.

You Gave Me A Promise-Fireflight-from the CD Unbreakable

The Waves Are Crashing Down On Me
But I Know This Cannot Be The End
Be The End...
Right Now I Feel Like Copping Out
Will You Hold Me Up If I Just Say
That I Will Stay

I Will Hold On To This Hope That I Have
You Gave Me A Promise
You Gave Me A Promise
I'll Push Through This Moment
I'll Never Give Up
You Gave Me A Promise
You Gave Me A Promise

I'm So Tired That I Can't Stand
But I Know That Time Will Heal This
Heart
Heal This Heart...
With Every Door That's Slamming Shut
A New One's There To Lead Me Where
You Are
You, You Call Out To Me
You're Just Out Of Reach
But I'm Closing In

I'm Still Going, Still Believing In Your Word

- April O'Brien

It's Not All Glitz and Glamour

2008-03-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

I was at the Heart Support Tour about three weeks back, and in having an opportunity to talk to several of the bands, I got to find out what was going on behind the scenes. Now I'm no stranger to how concerts work. Long hours on the road, time spent away from family, lack of sleep, etc. But this tour, in particular, really struck me with how much these bands go through just to minister to the rest of us live in person.

Spoken suffered problems with broken down vehicles and a lot of sickness. One of the band members was out for almost two weeks with pneumonia and Matt's (the lead singer) 15 month old son was very sick for about a week. And, while they could have just thrown in the towel on the whole tour, they stuck it out. In fact, the day that I saw them perform was the first day they had all been together on the tour since the start. You wouldn't have known, though. Their show was amazing, as well as the others that performed.

Members from Family Force 5, Falling Up and This Beautiful Republic had also been sick, and right towards the end of the tour, I found out that FF5 and TBR also had vehicle issues and had to reschedule a few of their shows. I'm also sure that Heart Support, the ministry that they were partnering with, also faced challenges along the way.

So let me challenge you with this thought, the next time you go out to a concert, remember to keep those who are putting on the show in prayer and continue to pray for them long after the show is done.

That's all for now.

April

My Night With Sanctus Real's Drummer

2008-02-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

This evening I went to work knowing that we were having a secret guest speaker. (I knew who it was, but all we told the youth was that a famous person would be there.) The plan was that He'd help with worship and then give his testimony.

Mark Graalman, the drummer from Sanctus Real was our special guest. He came with his drum kit, wife, and son. It was SO COOL!! of course, I played it cool. I'm not one that's prone to hero worship. It didn't really hit me till just now anyway. I got to play with Mark! I played with Sanctus' Drummer!!! Oh My GOSH!

Mark's testimony was really cool to listen to. I'm a big fan of testimonies. They really do a good job of sharing the power of the Lord that a person has seen affecting their lives. My favorite testimonies are those that take people way out of their world and into the realm of the church. (probably because that's how mine is.) God is rockin' the planet one person at a time.

It's like my boss at the BG Vineyard always says: "Pre-Christians are everywhere."

I had a great time at worship tonight. It was really cool to play with Mark. He is a tribute to Christian Music. Genuine people like him are always inspiring to meet.

- ALEX

A Different Side

2008-02-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

I’ve been previewing some of the new music from a few of our favorite bands lately, and have noticed a different side to some of them. Take, for example, the solo work of Jon Foreman, lead singer for Switchfoot. Take Switchfoot and strip it down to its bare roots and you’ve got the music from Fall and Winter. I love the music from both. It’s the kind of music that you can just put in and chill to. And the instrumentation, along with Jon’s vocals, is gorgeous. I would have never thought to put some of the combinations together that he has, and I’m a band geek. Trumpet representin’.

My favorite would have to be White As Snow from Winter. He basically weaves Psalm 51 into this beautiful tapestry of sound, lyrics, and emotion. It’s always been one of my favorite verses and I loved when Charlie Peacock did a song to it. However, Jon’s version blew Charlie’s out of the water. No offense intended, Charlie, you’re still the man.

So, if you’re looking for more Switchfoot, Jon’s solo projects are not it. However, if you love music, and you love Jon Foreman, and you have an open mind, this is definitely for you. Right now you can hear the music on Jon’s myspace page (and on Yes FM), but a two disc package featuring Fall and Winter will be out soon. And, soon, he’ll do the same thing with Spring and Summer.

Until next time...
April

Support Your Local Music Scene!

2008-01-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! So here's another chance for you to support your local musicians. Pawn's been nominated for Indieheaven's Momentum Awards Rock Artist of the Year!!! If you're a Pawn fan- vote! :) Below is a copy of an email that they've sent out! Go to the link and vote away.

- Mia

We have been Nominated for a Momentum Award as Rock Artist of the Year!!

We have been building this Momentum for four years please help us to keep things rolling. Visit the web address below and select PAWN for the Rock Artist of the Year

{http://www.indieheaven.com/momentum_awards.php}

Foward this to all your friends and put bulletins on Myspace.

PAWN NEEDS EVERYONES HELP TO WIN THIS AWARD!!!!

Thanks to everyone
PAWN

Online Auction Part 2

2008-01-25T10:54:00.001-08:00

Hey Yo Peeps!!!!

Rob Kelly here holdin it down!!!! (how cool do i sound huh?) Just wanted to remind ya’all the the 3rd Annual On-Line Auction gets underway this Monday morning at 6am. There is a ton of wicked sweet stuff for you to bid on this year. For the sports fan we have autographed photosw of Troy Polamalu, Nate Robertson, Peyton Manning, and THE Ohio State University Football team. Family movie night gift baskets, Moms and Dads, you can take your family of 5 to see Family Force 5 in Lima on Valentines Day and sit stageside for the show!!!!!!! Hows that for an I Love You? Or buy that 16 year old with a crispy new license their first car…a 1998 Honda Civic! Kids, you can send mom and dad on an overnight stay at the Mill House Bed and Breakfast in Grand Rapids, (then stay up all night playing video games and eating cheetos till you barf!!!!!) the best thing about this auction is ALL of the proceeds go to the ministry of YES FM. You get cool stuff and we get much neede funds to keep us on the air for all to enjoy. Remember Monday January 28th 6am get up and start bidding!!!

3rd Annual Online Acution

2008-01-07T09:40:00.001-08:00

YO YO PEEPS
Rob Kelly here keepin it real in the 419! (WOW am i hip or what!!!???) Anyway i just wanted you all to know that the 3rd annual YES FM on-line auction kicks off on January 28th and runs through February 11th. We have a ton of great hard to find items this year like Family force 5 Hulk Gloves signed by the band. Hard to find classic christian cd's and yes even vinyl from the like of Carman, Michael W. Smith, Keith Green, Phil Keaggy and Glass Harp, Mylon Lefevre and More. We also have great Sports Items as well including an autographed photo of Peyton Manning, Baseball tix to the Pittsburg Pirates, and St. Lous Cardinals. There is something for everyone this year and prices in every price range. If you would like to sponsor the auction or donate and item or service please feel free to call or e-mail rob@yeshome.com 419-389-0893.
God Bless, Peace Out, Keep it Real, Sincerely, Thank You, and any other Salutation i may have forgotten
Rob Kelly

Songs

2007-12-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

About every few months or so a song comes out that I really get excited about. Yes, only about once every few months! Until recently! This is the first time in a long time, if not ever, that I have been really geeked out about several songs. One is the new song from JR called Not A Slave. It is fresh, unique, and it has a beat! I really think this song could compete with anything out there in the secular market. Next is the new song from 12 Stones called It Was You. Wow! I think this is the best song ever from the guys. Now I am a guy that likes to rock, but this song is so powerful and encouraging! Some other songs are by a couple of new artists. One is by After Edmund called Like A Dream and the other is by Silverline and it is called “Letter’s I’ll Never Send.”.Probably my favorite out of all of them is Medicine by The Fold. I think The Fold is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated bands of recent. Check them out soon! I hope you enjoy them as much as me!

Jeff Howe
YES-FM Music Director

Christian Music In The Mainstream Culture.

2007-10-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

In more stores I hear it, on TV and in movies, Christian music is invading the mainstream culture!

Toby Mac music is used on extreme sports shows. December Radio’s Dangerous is the theme song for the new TV show Cane. Hawk Nelson’s Bring ‘Em Out is used on TV promos for Sunday Night Football. Hawk Nelson had a role in the movie Yours, Mine and Ours. A video game features Superchick’s music. Disciple’s Rise Up and Game On are being used at sporting events including the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team. And the list goes on!

Some may see this as a bad thing, but I see it as a good thing! We are to go into all the world. WE are to be the influence. The cool thing is, this is the music we play on YES-FM! People hear these songs all over the place, then as they are tuning across the dial, or walk by someone playing YES-FM, or at an event that YES-FM is at they’ll hear a song that is familiar to them. We get them hooked in, then they hear the life changing message of Jesus Christ!

Let’s pray for the bands to have more open doors, and that this will have a big influence for Christ in our culture. Also pray for the bands that they will remain firm in their walk. They will also face ridicule and persecution from some, just as Jesus did as he influenced the world.

We talked about this just recently on the Power 20 Countdown and a lot of you called in to share your experiences of when and where you heard Christian music in secular places. If you have a story to share, please post it on this BLOG. Just click on the comments link.

Thanks!

Jeff Howe

YES-FM Program Director

Being a servant when you least expect it.

2007-09-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago Rachel, one of our new deejays, and I loaded up the trunk of my Impala and headed to Findlay Ohio. We were going to hand out bottled water to people working hard on a hot day. We do it every year all over the area. We call it the YES F.M. Thirst Quenchers, and it is always a fun time. We chose Findlay because the city suffered one of the worst floods the area has ever seen.

I remember thinking what a beautiful day it was, not a cloud in the sky and temps in the 90s. As we exited I-75 and headed towards town, I wondered if we were going to be able to even get near the place after seeing news reports with the reporters walking through waist deep water covering the downtown area. Luckily the water receded enough that we were able to find a place to park.

What started off as a fun little radio station outreach quickly turned into something else. The first people we saw was a group of people laying out learning supplies for kids trying to salvage anything they could, one small business affected by a natural disaster trying to salvage what they could.

Rachel and I left them some water and went to the next spot, and talk about God showing up! We happened upon a place called Mission Possible, a Christian outreach facility for missionaries. They lost almost everything in the flood. Computers, paperwork, files, you name it, it was soaked. More water for another small business trying to salvage what they could to continue God’s work.

What amazed me the most was the attitude of most of the people affected. These people lost their livelihood, their business that puts food on the table and clothes on their backs, yet they kept working despite the high temps and humidity. Neighbors helping neighbors, friends helping strangers, and a couple of D.J. s’ from Toledo handing out water.

After a while we sat down the cooler and began helping where we could, putting up tent to keep workers cool and out of the sun. As we were leaving town we stopped and bought one of the last cases of water in town ( the tap water was not yet deemed safe to drink) and went through the neighborhoods. It was there that my heart was both torn apart and blessed at the same time.

We stopped at a house with an elderly woman and her daughter sitting outside. The power was not yet restored to the house and there was no air conditioning, so we stopped to offer some water to help keep them cool. It was then that I heard the most heart breaking story of the day. “Thank you so much for the water,” the daughter said. “Today is my parents’ wedding anniversary and my father had a heart attack this morning and is in the hospital.” I chocked back tears as this lady’s son came over and thanked us with a donation of $5 for the ministry of YES F.M.
I could not believe what had just happened. Here these people have had quite possibly the worst 72 hours in the history of the planet and they hand me a $5 bill for a donation. They had never listened to us, never heard of us, but just wanted to thank us. I never even asked them their names but I pray daily that the Lord keeps them safe, and I thank him daily for putting me somewhere I needed to be to realize that no matter what I may be dealing with, He will always have a hand in making sure that I am taken care of. This may sound kind of weird, but every time I look at a $5 bill I think of that family in Findlay and thank god for their strength.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend head to Findlay, or Ottawa, or Carey, or any of the places affected by the flooding. I am sure there is something to do there. If you don’t want to drive that far there is probably someone in your neighborhood who could use a hand. After all I think I read somewhere once…”Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Put down the Playstation controller and get to work :)

Rob Kelly.

New Blog Site

2007-09-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Hello once again!

Those of you that visit our blog regularly may notice a different look to the blog and also notice that we've switched blog sites. Well this is because on the previous blog only those with Xanga accounts could post comments. On here anyone can post comments.

So- please feel free to post your feedback on our blogs!

Mia

Your Opinions and Comments

2007-09-28T07:52:00.001-07:00

Aight dudes....

So- We've been getting a lot of comments on our site lately- both on the music survey and on the question on the homepage. Someone voiced a concern about their comments being erased. So here's the deal.

1. More than likely if you post the same comment 87 times in a row- we'll erase it so that only one of those remains. We want to know what you think- but once is enough. This way it's easier to read ALL of the comments and it saves some ink when we print them out. And it's easier for those visiting our site to read all of the comments. It's nice to not have the whole screen be one repeated comment.

2. If there is any use of profanity or hint at profanity your comment will be erased. Thank you to those that have self censored themselves and put little *** instead of the letters- but we'd like it if you went one step further and just left off those words completely. Say you hate/love whatever. Those are strong enough words without the expletive adjectives.

3. Please refrain from the word "sucks." I know I'm writing it here- but that's just to tell you not to say it. Some people have a big problem with this word and lump it in with profanity. We'd like to respect those people and not use this word. You all are smart enough to come up with some creative words to use instead of that one. Because if you say that word above your comment will be erased. - Well it will be as soon as we catch it :)

4. When the poll questions and music surveys are changed your comments are cleared so that new comments can be added. As it said above- we print out the comments and the results of the polls. So they may be off the site- but we still retain that info.

We want to know your opinions good or bad. We appreciate you taking the time to visit our site and to leave your comments. Your opinions are very valuable to us. Don't I sound like one of those recordings you hear when you're on hold?! HAHA Well anyways it's the truth. We would like you to be respectful and know that if you break one of the rules above- the comment will be deleted.

So be the awesome people I know you are. Refrain from profanity- give us your comments- but don't send it to us 150 times, and don't use the word typed above :P Have fun and keep commenting because you are important to us.

Peace Out Homies!

Mia

Music Survey

2007-09-28T07:51:00.002-07:00

Monday, September 17, 2007

I want to address the Online Music Survey, but I want to start off with something God tells us first.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” This doesn’t mean “Don’t say words that are considered curse words.” It means don’t talk badly about someone or criticize them to bring them down, but be an encourager who uses their words to help build people up. Just like we learned in kindergarten, we should only use nice words.

Well if you have taken the survey recently and left a comment, you have probably noticed some “not nice words” being used, and negative comments directed at certain artists or DJs; comments like “Why do you play Toby Mac? He is a disgrace to Christian music.” Or “Barlow Girl is terrible, nobody likes them. They don’t sing about God.” Week after week we get comments like these, and week after week we get people defending the artists or DJ’s and voicing their opinion as well. I want to bring some peace to this situation.

Well we here at Yes FM take every person’s comment seriously, and we value the opinions of each and every one of you. But we also want to play the music that the majority of our audience wants to hear. So if someone leaves the comment “Nobody like Toby Mac,” but 2,000 people in Toledo pay to go to see Toby Mac in concert, and the overall RESULTS of the survey say that most people like Toby Mac, then we will play Toby Mac. We love that people leave comments and we want you to know that we read each and every one, but we also know that one person can not speak for everyone when they say “no one” likes a certain artist or DJ.

We’ve recently gotten the comment “It is not disrespectful to have an opinion. It is disrespectful to argue about it.” Well the truth of the matter is that although it may not be disrespectful to HAVE an opinion, it may be very disrespectful the WAY you voice your opinion. Accusing artists of bad motivation on a webpage IS disrespectful. Another person standing up for that band is NOT disrespectful. You can let us know your opinions of our music or artists without offending those people who do like the music or artist.

We as DJ’s also like to know how we’re doing. Sometimes you tell us we talk too much, or we don’t announce songs enough, and we try to listen to that as best as we can. Our programming director has eliminated some talk-time we used to have every hour, to keep the talking down for all of you! So we really do like to know if there are things we can improve on.

“But if I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.” Please leave your comments with LOVE, even if you have a critique for us, something we can do better, a question about an artist, or anything that may seem negative. God’s Holy Spirit does not give us a hostile or negative spirit, it gives us a gentle and loving one. If people continue to have hostile comments we may have to just delete them from the website. We will still read them and keep them with our final comments results, but we may have to delete them from the website so as not to bring anyone down.

Again, we value your opinions, and we take every single comment into consideration. We are here to bring new, fresh, positive music to our listeners. Please continue to take the survey and let us know how we’re doing!

Sincerely,
Ashley

Recommended CDs August 2007

2007-09-28T07:51:00.001-07:00

Recommended CDs
We’ve had a lot of great CDs come out in 2007 (and there are more great ones to come!). Here are a few that I would recommend.

The new CD from Anberlin called, Cities. This is a masterpiece! Top three songs are The Unwinding cable Car, A Whisper And A Clamor, both official radio singles, and the final track, Fin.

Next I would recommend the new one called Southern Weather by The Almost, which features Aaron Gillespie of Underoath. Top tracks on this one are, Say This Sooner, Amazing Because It Is and The title song.

Finally I would suggest the new CD from Seventh Day Slumber called Finally Awake. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guys of Seventh Day Slumber but I always personally thought their music was just OK; until this new CD! Finally Awake wakes you up and rocks you with the first track called Awake. Other top tracks are Broken Buildings and Last Regret.

If you're looking for some good CDs to get, these are three great ones!

Jeff Howe

Deal Or No Deal

2007-09-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

Deal or No Deal

When I was a kid I was selfish. Kids are like that, especially with their toys. As a father, I see this every day. My kids have a hard time sharing with each other. One will get something new, and when the other wants to check it out, the possessiveness takes over and the fighting begins. And trying to reason with a 5 year old and a 1 ½ year old is like trying to get blood from a stone.

Sometimes we as Christians keep our gifts to ourselves as well. We don’t like to share with people our faith for various reasons. “They’ll label me as weak or a Jesus Freak.” So what!! What is wrong with that? James 2:1-9 says: “1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”

I am just as guilty as the next as the next person of this. There have been many time when I have had the opportunity to share Christ with someone and didn’t do it. Jeff Howe and I went golfing on Wednesday night and were paired up with two gentlemen to help keep things at a decent pace. There was a perfect opportunity that passed me by. So I’ll make a deal with you. I will do my best to convey Christ with someone at every opportunity I get if you promise to do the same. Deal or no deal?

“Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come”

If We Are The Body

Casting Crowns

Kickin’ tires and lightin’ fires

Rob Kelly

Not As Young As I Used To Be

2007-09-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday May 31^st Jeff Howe and I were given the opportunity to preview Cedar Point’s newest and record-setting 17^th roller coaster, Maverick, and let me tell you it did not disappoint.The ride takes you up a 105 ft. hill at record speed and drops you 100ft at a 95 degree angle, (A 90 degree angle is straight down so this took you down and in at the same time.) A series of loops and barrel rolls followed, and then we went into a tunnel where the train slowed only to launch us out at 70mph.It was completely awesome!!!!

It was after the ride that I realized that I am not as young as I used to be.When I was a kid I loved (and still do) roller coasters.The Beast at Kings Island is my all-time favorite.There is nothing like the sound of “click-clack, click-clack” and the smell of chain grease as you climb a hill only to have your breath taken away by that first drop.Anyway, after getting off of the Maverick, I felt something I had never felt after riding coasters before…a little nauseous.But as the day went on and I rode some more it happened after each ride…the Raptor…nauseous…the Millenium Force…nauseous…(by the way that was my first ride on the Millenium Force and it was worth it.)

Jeff tried to get me on Top Thrill Dragster but I knew my limits. Maybe next time.I guess my wife is right I AM a 10 year old trapped in a 35 year old body that is falling apart.But that’s o.k. because I bought a whole box of Dramamine (motion sickness medication) and SpiritSong Fest at Kings Island is 1 month away so bring it on.

Putting the barf in barf bag

Rob Kelly 35 going on 11

Tooth and Nail Tour- Concert Review- May '07

2007-09-28T07:48:00.002-07:00

Cleveland Tooth and Nail Tour Concert Review

The Tooth and Nail Tour is on! Last Sunday Night, May 27th, the tour kicked off with Run Kid Run, followed by Sullivan, The Fold, The Classic Crime, and MXPX headlining.

Run Kid Run started the tour off with great energy and enthusiasm as they played their set, and it was cool to hear them lift up Jesus’ name, crediting Him for what they do and why. Their CD is great, but they have more energy and presence live, so it was great to experience their music in person.

Sullivan is gearing up for their national release coming out June 5th called Cover Your Eyes. The lead singer, Brooks, has an energy and personality that makes him stand out, and throughout the performance, the band members were really feeling it, and so was the crowd – sometimes literally, as Brooks would drench himself in water and shake it off all over everyone!

The Fold has been experiencing all kinds of difficulty lately, but it has not set them back! Their tour bus is on its last leg, they were having a tough time getting the shipment of their new merchandise for their new album, Secrets Keep You Sick, (which came out May 22), and to top it all off, on Saturday night, the night before the concert, Aaron, the guitarist fell out of his bunk, landed on his shoulder, and dislocated it! With his arm in a sling, he was not able to play, so the Fold played an acoustic set instead. Considering how quickly and unexpectedly they found themselves in the situation, you never would know it. They sounded great, and the crowd got into it with the cell phones held high! They played some songs that they don’t normally play on tour, and may not play again. As they continue on the tour, please keep Aaron’s shoulder and their van problems in your prayers.

The Classic Crime lead singer, Matt, opened their set with a back flip off the drum stand, and the energy built from there! Their live performance has a passion and drive which is contagious. The Classic Crime played a lot of songs off their CD, Albatross, and they will have an acoustic EP coming out sometime in October 2007, so we can look forward to hearing more from them.

MXPX punk rawked in a big way as they concluded the night. With a new CD, Secret Weapon, coming out July 17th, they showed they are as just as big as ever! The band’s energy filled the room, and the crowd moshed to all the favorites, as the band even asked for requests in the middle of their set.

The Tooth and Nail Tour will have a number of other stops coming up, including this Friday night, June 1, at Saint Andrews in Detroit, where Run Kid Run will switch out with Hawk Nelson instead. You can find out more about the tour on www.toothandnail.com.

Loriann

Host of the Loud Planet and Rap Up on Weekdays

Mute Math: Not Your Typical Concert

2007-09-28T07:48:00.001-07:00

May 2007
A couple months ago, I had an opportunity to see Mute Math play in Detroit. I became a fan in listening to their stuff on Yes FM. I got their self-titled album, which came out at the end of September packaged with a live CD, and it blew me away. I checked out their web page and watched videos of performances on YouTube, and after seeing their keyboard acrobatics, I had to go check them out!

I heard it would be a great concert, and but I have never experienced anything like their performance! The guys of Mute Math (Paul Meany, Darren King, Greg Hill, and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas) are complete artists in every way. They experiment and produce unique sounds from instruments they build themselves, including one called The Atari. In everything, from the lights, the music, the acrobatics (Paul Meany, the keyboardist and lead signer rolls, tumbles, and jumps around his piano throughout the performance), you can tell they are completely immersed in their art and they draw you into the experience. The lyrics are honest and deeply spiritual, and their music soars!

A couple months ago, they released a video for “Typical,” which illustrates a lot of their creative and artistic flair. You can check it out at Mutemath.com or on Youtube.com. If you have the chance, and want to experience a show like no other, seriously, check them out!

Loriann

YES FEST

2007-09-28T07:47:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

YES FEST
As I sit here wondering what to write about, it hits me that we are heading into festival season. There are an abundance of Christian music festivals to choose from this year including Alive, Cornerstone, Icthus, and Spirit Song. But the one I am looking forward to the most (here comes the shameless plug) is YESFEST.

This will be the 3rd YESFEST and by far will be the biggest yet. We will still have great local bands like The Glass City Boyz, Pawn, and the up and coming Keys 2 Eden. But this year we have added great national bands: C.S.G’s, Fireflight, Everyday Sunday, and local band turned national This Beautiful Republic.

YESFEST will take place September 8th from noon to 7pm on the lawn at Calvary Assembly of God on Glendale Ave. in Toledo. Admission is $8 and $5 in advance for groups of 10 or more. A family of 4 can get a full day of fun and great music for less than $30- by far the cheapest festival ticket around. There will also be plenty to do to keep the kids busy such as giant inflatable games from Air Extreme and fun carnival games where kids can win prizes. As always there will great food as well. This year in addition to East of Chicago Pizza, Chic-Fil-A will also be on hand with their delicious sandwiches and waffle fries, and there will be drinks from our local 7-Up bottlers.

We are looking forward to this year’s event and are proud to offer an affordable family-friendly festival in the Toledo area. More info on this and other concerts in the area is available on our website www.yeshome.com or on our 24 hr. concert beat hotline at 419-389-0893.

Thanx for reading

Rob Kelly---(the K stands for Quality!?)

GX International

2007-09-28T07:46:00.003-07:00

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

GX International

Can I just say how awesome the ministry of Impact World Tour is? These guys and gals are going to be sorely missed when they head off to Dayton next week. I can’t believe it’s come and gone already. *sighs*

The cool things is I had the opportunity to see GX International twice while they were in town. The first time a few weeks ago at Libbey High School filming with my husband’s show (inserts shameless plug for Contact 29.18 right here), and the second time this past Saturday at Savage Hall. It was interesting seeing it both times, because I got several different perspectives on the whole event.

At Libbey I got to see a lot of what goes on behind the scenes, as we were hooking up with Marty and James to get our media passes to film. We wound up hanging out in what looked like a locker room, where they had just finished eating and had entered into their praise and worship time. That was so cool to see because, unfortunately, many ministries are guilty of jumping right into an event without ushering in the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide them through the event first. I’ll admit I’ve even been guilty of that myself.

The event itself was so unique and such an awesome way of showcasing the talents from God in a relevant way. The arts of boarding, dance, and hip hop transcend any gender, social, denominational, or even age barriers out there. Even if you’re not into any of those types of activities, it certainly is fun to watch. The guys and gals put so much work into what they do and the fact that they’re willing to share it with the rest of us is phenominal.

Marty had made mention that these people volunteer their time. They have to raise their support in order to bring it to us free. That just staggers the imagination. The fact that our local community rallied behind this in the way that they did speaks volumes about the kind of community we live in. Lately we’ve been hearing so many negative things, so it’s about time we heard something good. Even better, seeing it put into action.

So off to this past Saturday at Savage, which was a whole different animal. Add in the pyrotechnics, some local skaters, and you’ve got the makings for an incredible evening. And even better was that I wasn’t hiding behind the lense of a camera. (No offense hon.)

I had the opportunity to see Marty rally the local links. That was so cool. To hear the testimonies of these people, as they help those in our area come to Christ and then get plugged in to a church thrills me every time. And healings. Wow! I guess Bowling Green was just off the hook.

I was also blessed to see several people that I knew. People like Jim Oedy, Scott Wood and Keith Stepp who not only support Yes FM, but support anything that would minister to our young people. Kids like Randy and his brother Jeramy who not only listen to the station, but were also helping usher. And, of course, all the people that make up IWT from the performers to the administrators and so forth. What a great way to pull together our community.

If any of you out there haven’t had the opportunity to get out to one of these events, I’d highly recommend it. They still have one weekend left down in Findlay and, while it may be a bit of hike from Toledo, but it’s definitely worth the drive.

In closing, a big thanks to everyone involved with this incredible ministry, and thank you for letting those of us at Yes FM be a small part of it.

April

Superchick Show May 2007

2007-09-28T07:46:00.001-07:00

I went to an AWESOME concert last Thursday!

Alright, the line-up was Superchic[k], DecembeRadio, Krystal Meyers, Nevertheless, and Group 1 Crew. I love Nevertheless, and I've been wanting to check out Group 1 Crew because I keep hearing good things about them. So the first two bands were the ones I was most excited about seeing.

So Group 1 Crew opened the show, and they were AWESOME. The music they have up on their MySpace page is good, but it's even better in concert. They have this pop/hip-hop sound that pretty much anyone can like. The girl, Blanca, has an amazing voice too. And not only that, but they talked about Jesus from the stage, which is awesome. You can hear their heart for God and for people through their music, but seeing them live really shows you how important God is to their ministry and their music.

I was talking to Group 1 Crew after the show, and Manwell (one of the guys) expressed to me why they do hip-hop music. He told me, "You will never hear a kid listening to rock music in the ghetto, he'll be listening to hip-hop. And it's not just those kids who like hip-hop, it's kids in the city, the suburbs, out in the country, everywhere people are listening to it. If you look at the music charts hip-hop is what's popular. It has taken over mainstream music. We want to be able to reach all kinds of people, and all kinds of people like hip-hop." That's not word for word, since I wasn't interviewing the guy, but it was something along the lines of that. So their music is awesome, and they are awesome. (And the two with the same last name, not related in any way. How weird is that?)

So then Nevertheless came on. An outstanding performance as usual. I saw them with This Beautiful Republic last month and they were awesome then too. Afterwards my fiancie bought a t-shirt and we talked to all the guys, and they are just so nice. They love Yes FM and the people here in Toledo! It was pretty funny because the guitarist at one point said, "How are you doing, Toledo?" and realized later that they were actually in Perrysburg. He was afraid people would be mad at him for saying the wrong city, haha. It was pretty entertaining.

Then we were talking to the lead singer Josh, and he was talking about the time he got to meet Jon Foreman (of Switchfoot) and how nervous and excited he was, and it was just so ironic because other people are so nervous and excited to meet him! In a young rock band's mind they are not "famous" and get nervous and excited to meet "famous" people, but in the minds of young music fans, young rock bands are famous and these fans get nervous and excited around them. I just think it's cute.

So then Krystal Meyers went on. I didn't listen to her set much because I was out talking to Group 1 Crew and Nevertheless, but what I heard from the hallway sounded good. She's very cute and small too. I mean, teeny tiny, adorable. Lots of kids went to her table and bought stuff.

DecembeRadio was apparently good. They just won a Dove Award, so they must be good. But once again, out talking to the other bands and missed them. From what I heard they had kind of an older hard rock sound, and pretty much everyone I talked to who is over the age of 30 liked them the best. Maybe it's because of that older rock sound, who knows.

Superchic[k] went last. I haven't always been the biggest fan of them, not because I don't like THEM, but because I generally don't like rock music with female singers. I couldn't tell you why, that's just usually how it ends up. But they were really good in concert. The girls seemed really nice and I genuinely enjoyed watching them. The drummer looks like Reuben Studdard (the dude who beat Clay Aiken to win American Idol a few years back. I bet you didn't even know Clay Aiken didn't win that year!) So I thought that was pretty funny.

All in all, a really fun concert. I really want to buy Group 1 Crew's CD, but it'll have to be once I get some extra cash. Maybe I'll ask for it for a wedding shower gift :)

About to eat a ham and cheese sandwich,

Ashley

SHARATHON

2007-09-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

SHARATHON
We got our $100K goal! Thanks to everyone who supported us during Sharthon! We really appreciate it. I'm sure someone will write more later, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU and let you know that we did get the goal!!! We ended up a little short on Saturday- but did a continuation on Monday while doing "All Request Monday." It was pretty fun! :) I kinda liked "All Request Sharathon."

Thanks Again Guys- YOU ROCK! And most importantly Thank You Jesus!!! You always provide! :)

Mia

Jeff @ GMAs Continued

2007-09-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

MONDAY 4/23

Only got 4 and a half hours of sleep! That’s not much for me! But I learned the first day that we sleep in 90 minute cycles. If you don’t break that cyce, then you’ll be ok. I had three full cycles of sleep and it seems to be working, at least as of 2:15pm when I am writing this. Had breakfast with Hillsong United. That was cool. They played recenty at Battle Cry. Next, sat in on a seminar, then went to the Tooth & Nail Suite to interview KJ-52, Project 86, Falling Up, Seventh Day Slumber and Hawk Nelson. At lunch saw Decemberadio perform and Barlow Girl. Mark Shultz was one of the emcees; he’s hilarious! Ran into the Glass City Boyz after lunch and talked a bit.

Went to some seminars in the afternoon. I saw T-Bone at what seems to be the very same place I see him almost every year, the main entrance at the hotel next to the convention center.

At dinner I attended the EMI CMG records dinner, this is the label that Sanctus Real and This Beautiful Republic are with. Bethany Dillon, from the Lima listening area, performed along with Toby Mac. At night I saw Falling Up play at one place then left to go see This Beautiful Republic play at a club where a lot of legendary performers including Johnny Cash and The Police. TBR sounded excellent!! From there i went back to the place I was before to see Demon Hunter!!!

This was the highlight if me week!!! OH MY GOSH!! They were great!!!!! They did 1000 Apologies, My Heartstrings among others and closed with Not Ready To Die!!! WOW! Afterward I was so fired up!!!

TUESDAY 4/24

Started the day doing several interviews including The Afters, Demon Hunter (they’re working on a new CD), TFK (they are too!), Run Kid Run, The Send and Ruth. They’re all great guys, and Run Kid Run was hilarious! Didn’t learn too much at the seminars I went to. At one they talked about the number one reason people don’t listen to your radio station. It was because people are too busy. Hey guys, slow down! Clear your schedule and listen to the radio more!

Around 5:15 if you were listening to the station you heard me talk with Kevin of Disciple. Went on a dinner cruise in the evening with the Provident Label Group. A couple of the guys of RED were at our table. The guys of Third Day were the hosts of the event where we payed Bingo for some prizes, believe it or not! Performing were Leeland, Casting Crowns, and Michael W. Smith did a song! Afterward I saw Seventh Day Slumber, Adie Camp and Jeremy Camp. Went to one final concert showcase and saw Wavorly, Nevertheess and RED! RED did Breathe Into Me for their last song. A great way to end my night!

Live Like We're Alive

2007-09-28T07:43:00.002-07:00

John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

April here again. Why is it that a lot of us Christians act as if the resurrection has never happened? What I mean to say is that we believe in the crucifixion of Christ, but we don’t celebrate in the resurrection. Jesus’ tomb is empty, he beat death, so why not rejoice in that fact? Why not live life to the full, instead of just surviving day to day? Jesus didn’t live a ho hum life, so why should we?

As stated above, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. We can’t allow satan a fold hold into our lives. We can’t allow him to lie to us, making us think that we have to be sullen and somber all the time. Or, even worse, living a life with no substance.

That’s not to say that there’s not a time to be serious, not a time to be mourn, to weep, etc. As Lamentations states, there’s a time and a season for everything. But even in our more troubled seasons, we can still live life to the full. One thing that Todd has really impressed upon me is praising God in the midst of troubling circumstances. What an eye opener that was.

As I say on the air, here’s something for you to chew on.

Live Like We're Alive-Nevertheless
They say we can’t make it throughtoo young; don’t know what to do. This life is much too hard for you and me. They say we’re living in our dreams black, white, and nothing in between. This world is never as it seems to be. But they don’t want thisand they don’t feel thisbut this was never theirs at all!
So here I stand.
I’m ready for anything.
Just a man, but I’m giving everything.
We’re here only for a second
and then we’re gone when we least expect it.
So do more than survive.
Let’s live like we’re alive!

They say, “Stay inside the lines we’ve drawn
and you will be just fine. Don’t take chances
with your life. C’mon.” But they don’t want this,
and they don’t feel this, but this was never theirs at all!

So here I stand.
I’m ready for anything.
Just a man, but I’m giving everything.
We’re here only for a second
and then we’re gone when we least expect it.
So do more than survive.
Let’s live like we’re alive!

This world, we’ve gotta let it go.
This life is out of our control.

So here I stand. I’m ready for anything.
Just a man, but I’m giving everything.
We’re here only for a second
and then we’re gone when we least expect it.
So do more than survive. Let’s live like we’re alive!

Ashley Will Rock For Food

2007-09-28T07:43:00.001-07:00

Hooray for blogging! This is my first blog for Yes FM ever! Okay, well here we go.

Oh my goodness, I am so excited about the concert I'm going to tonight! It's Sanctus Real, This Beautiful Republic, and Needtobreathe. I am excited about ALL of the bands for pretty much unrelated reasons.

So, I basically became a Christian through Sanctus Real (their music and their ministry), therefore they are my favorite band. I just love seeing them in concert and talking to them, and the reason I'm MOST excited to see them tonight is. MY FIANCE HAS NEVER SEEN THEM AND HE'S COMING WITH ME!!! WOOHOO! So he finally gets to see my favorite band ever! We are both stoked.

So I'm also stoked to see TBR. I liked these guys back in the day when they were called Falling Upward and had a different lead singer and bassist. Well they were good then, and now they are AWESOME! Ben (lead singer) used to be in a different band at my church, and I was sad when that band broke up because I think he's an amazing singer. But then he joined up with TBR now they're like the coolest thing since ice cubes, so that's pretty cool if you ask me.

And THEN there's Needtobreathe! I don't have their CD, but I remember the first time I heard "You Are Here" when I started my internship here at Yes FM last summer. I'd have to do these survey calls, where I'd call people at home and ask them what they thought of songs, and play little music clips of each song. Well every time I played the clip of that song I just had this warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy, I loved it so much. Then they came out with the song "Shine On", and I got that same warm fuzzy feeling. Now more recently, they just released "Don't Wait For Daylight", and you guessed it! Same feeling! Their music just makes me feel so happy inside! I dont have any money really, but I fear that I might have to buy their CD at the concert if they're as good as I'm expecting them to be. (This might possibly be the longest paragraph I've ever written.)

So, there you have it, I am completely stoked for this concert. Dang, I just realized I forgot my ear plugs. I wear ear plugs at concerts because I am half deaf already and dont need any more tiny hairs in my ears to die due to my love of rock music. I must be getting old.

On a side note, you know how people wear those "Mosh For Jesus" shirts or whatever? I think we should start a new slogan. "BLOG FOR YES FM!" Chant it with me, Blog For Yes FM, Blog For Yes FM, Blog For Yes FM..... Nothing? Yeah, me either.

-Ashley in the hizzouse

Jeff at GMA week

2007-09-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY 4/20

Arrived in Nashville. Stopped at a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Marketplace. I’ve never seen a Wal Mart like this before. It is a grocery store only, not a super center but just a grocery store. Standing in front when I got there, smoking a cigarette was Elvis! Welcome to Tennessee!

Went to dinner that night with a good friend down here. His name is Seth. He had some new artists with him so I ate with Creswell, Relikis and a new female Christian rock band called Ilia.

We ate at a Logan’s Roadhouse and fireworks were gong off while we were waiting!

SATURDAY 4/21

Went to lots of sessions. At a special lunch I went to at the San Antonio Taco Company (YUM!)

All Star United played an acoustic set. Everyday Sunday was there but they didn’t play.

On the way to walking to a restaurant for dinner, Mark from Sanctus Real drove by and honked. Hey Mark, why didn’t you stop and give me a ride?!?! At night I saw Kingsdown, Since October, Ilia and some new all girl screamo band. That girl could growl!!

SUNDAY 4/22

Morning worship was great, led by Desperation. The message was about how after Jesus was baptized and God spoke His pleasure about Him, His ministry to save the world didn’t start right then, but after he went into the wilderness. We may have to go through some refining and testing before God reveals His plan in our lives. But He loves each and every one of ud and has a great plan for each of us.. We are not to take short cuts but wait on his timing, even if it means we must go through the wilderness first.

One the way to lunch I saw the guys of This Beautiful Republic. At lunch Leeland performed as well as Decemberadio and the events closed with Sanctus Real! By the way, President Bush was there!..............OK, it was a George Bush impersonator. He was great!! He even sung a blues song!

In the afternoon there was a reception for DJs and artists. Mark from Sanctus was hanging out by the dessert bar. I talked to This Beautiful Republic there as well as RED, Pillar, Article One, Leeland, Wavorly and Eleventyseven. After that the liner taping session & saw most of the forementioned and Needtobreathe, The Afters, Air 5, Manic Drive, Krystal Meyers.

After dinner, I met up with Bert Elliot, one of our Djs going to school down in Nashville. When I got back downtown I saw Red Cloud perform (he is the BEST freestyle rapper I've ever seen!!) and Pettidee.

Helping Pettidee perform was The Glass City Boyz!!! Attending the event supporting the Glass City Boyz was The Last Broadcast, formerly known as Indy United. It is so cool to see so many of our hometown artists down here!

Jeff Howe

Working Out For Jesus

2007-09-28T07:41:00.001-07:00

So I recently acquired a personal trainer (who is awesome!) and I have been working out. I feel so much better when I do! For those of you who don't, I totally suggest it. Especially now that it is getting nice out, just take a walk around your neighborhood.
Anyway, I find sometimes when I get to the gym though it is hard to have the right motivation. I try to think about why working out and staying in shape is important to God. For example, I try to remember that God gave me this body and I am supposed to take good care of it. It makes me think of the story in the Bible about when three people were given money and they were supposed to take care of it and make it grow. I think that can be applied to our bodies as well. We have been trusted to take care of this body. Anyway, it helps me to think of this while I am working out. It is a much more consistant and encouraging motivator than beauty magazines.
lisa

Wake Up!

2007-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

April O’Brien, here, your hostess with the mostess week nights from 6 to 9 and production goddess. That means I’m the one who puts together all the promos, liners, etc for the station and, from time to time, spots for our underwriters.
I’m a firm believer in "music that will change your life." Take a look at some of the songs coming out right now:

Wake Up, Wake Up...Finally Awake...Wake Up...Awakening...
What’s up with all the "awake" songs? If you ask me, I see a growing trend. A trend of a generation rising up and saying, "No, we won’t stand idly by, while our world falls apart." I believe that God is calling the church as a whole to account, and several artists are speaking out about it in their music.

I see it as no coincidence that ministries like Impact World Tour have come to our area. I see it as no coincidence that they’re getting their hands dirty and doing something big for Jesus. Shouldn’t we all strive to do that? We can’t afford to sit on our laurels, while the fields are ready for harvest. People are hungry for something real, and it doesn’t get more real than following Jesus, than having a personal relationship with our creator.

You may have heard me talk about doing something big for God this year. I may sound like a broken record. Well, folks, I’m passionate about doing something big. That’s the main reason I chose to come on staff full time when Jeff and Todd approached me. I get to do something big for God through this ministry, and that just blows my mind. I am humbled and honored.
So, I don’t know about you, but I plan on putting on a pot of coffee, digging in and doing something big. Any takers?

Until next time,
April

2007-09-28T07:38:00.002-07:00

On Sunday April 1^st I was given a once in a lifetime opportunity.I went to Wrestlemania 23 in Detroit.Having spent some time in the world of Professional Wrestling myself, I jumped at the chance to see it on a much larger scale as well as see some of the people I had a chance to meet in my wrestling days.Now, I know what you are thinking, “Wrestling today is so vulgar.”And you are not far from the truth on that, but behind the curtain are some of the nicest Christian people you could ever meet.

One of the current top “Superstars,” Shawn Michaels, is at the forefront of Christians in the business.He puts his faith out there for all to see, even on his t-shirts that sell like hotcakes at the concession stands and the on-line store.The designs bear crosses and phrases like “reborn and forgiven.” Even his walk to the ring shows his faith.Once he emerges from behind the curtain, he stops, drops to his knees and praises with open arms.Shawn is not the first pro wrestler to be open about his faith.“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, who has been a guest on the morning show, has written a book about his life and his faith. George “The Animal” Steele and Steve Borden AKA “Sting” have also written books, and Sting has a movie documenting his life and ultimately his decision to give it all over to Christ.

While the show in front of the camera may be, at times, unsuitable for viewing Christian wrestlers are changing the WWE from the inside out- not only on-camera but off as well. It is the WWE’S work off camera that should be showcased.In 2003 Shawn Michaels single-handedly organized a major fundraiser for the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.The WWE has also been honored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation as well as other worthwhile charitable groups across the nation.Please keep Shawn and the other performers in your prayers.The lifestyle that these guys live is tough (on the road close to 300 days a year), and the toll it takes on their bodies is incredible.Pray for them daily because that is what we as Christians should be doing.

- Rob Kelly

If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at rob@yeshome.com.

Ben Franklin's World Of Sports

2007-09-28T07:38:00.001-07:00

Greetings everyone!

Welcome to the Yes FM blog site! We hope you enjoy your time here at our site. Well, I am a big sports fan and since there are a few things going on in the wide world of sports, here are my thoughts.
While they may not be tearing it up in the beginning of the season, I know that my Detroit Tigers will get it going pretty soon! I plan on checking out my boys sometime this summer and if I am really lucky, I hope to see them in the playoffs again! Maybe with Mr Gary Sheffield on the team, we will be able win the World Series against whoever. But it is early in the season, and teams are still coming together.
Another big thing that is coming up this weekend (April 28th & 29th) is the NFL draft! While I pray that my team (the Detroit Lions) will do well with the 2nd selection overall (behind Oakland), I truly do hope that they will be better this season, than they have been in the last 6 years. I will pray!
And finally. The Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing, and like the previous 2 teams mentioned, I am a Red Wings fan! The series against San Jose will be tough, but I feel Detroit will pull out a close series to advance to the Western Conference Finals, with hopes of going to the Stanley Cup championship!
Well campers, I hope you enjoy your time here on our website and check back often.
Keep it real!
Ben Franklin

Battle Cry

2007-09-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 19, 2007
Battle Cry
Welcome to our new YES-FM DJ BLOG! This will give you a chance to know some of our DJs a little better and see how weird we really are. OK, weirder than you already think we are! I’m Jeff Howe, YES-FM’s Program Director, which means I’m in charge of and oversee what goes on the air here at YES-FM and am the afternoon DJ from 2:30-6:00.
April 13 and 14 I had the opportunity to go to Battle Cry in Detroit with my church’s youth group (shouts out to Revolution Youth at Cathedral of Praise!). P.O.D. was there along with Hawk Nelson, Tye Tribbet and Hillsong United did worship. Flyleaf was supposed to be there but Lacy, the lead singer, was too sick to perform. Bummer! Skillet played in their place. Not a bad trade out!! All the bands were great, Skillet and Hawk performed flawlessly!! A+!
Ron Luce was the featured speaker and he was awesome! He really slapped me up a bit (gently and lovingly!). He challenged us to be God stalkers!! Psycho followers!! He talked about the state of our culture and it reinforced how important YES-FM is to the area. I left there refreshed and renewed! A former terrorist that got radically saved spoke there as well. I was impressed how well spoken his English was and how well he know the bible. We Americans are so pitiful sometimes in our walk with God (he didn’t say that, I thought that!!).
For those that went, I’d love to hear how Battle Cry affected your life! jhowe@yeshome.com
The event will be back next year, though it looks like at will be called Acquire The Fire instead of Battle Cry and it will be at Joe Louis Arena instead of Ford Field and it will also be in Grand Rapids Michigan.
See you later!
Jeff

TV Or GOD

2007-09-28T07:35:00.001-07:00

Monday, June 18, 2007

TV or God....

I have been fasting television since Memorial Day and WOW what a difference it has had on my relationship with the Lord. At first I thought it would be ok if I watched the NBA finals since my hometown was in it, and I really really wanted to watch it, but I felt the Lord ask me to sacrifice that for Him. I had gotten a verse from Luke from someone that was about the man telling Jesus he wanted to follow him and Jesus said ok let's go and the guy said "but first let me do this other stuff first..." (Lisa paraphrase there) and I was like man I don't ever want anything to be more important to me than God. Sooo, I immediately sought the Lord on this and He showed me that when I do things sometimes I say I will give up TV for example, but I add...except for the NBA finals in this case. So I didn't watch the NBA finals which ended up being a blessing in disguise because who wants to see their team get beat 4 straight in a row...hehe... Anyways, since I gave up TV I have been spending extra special time with the Lord and even hearing Him so much more clearly. And as hard as it was to not watch the finals it felt 10 times better to really sacrifice something I really wanted to do rather than to sacrifice something that I just kind of liked or wanted to do- for the Lord. I never realized how maybe my "sacrifices" weren't such big sacrifices after all. So my challenge to you is step it up yo!

- Lisa Bell