Lent 2012

Yesterday was Wednesday, February 22, 2012. It is the first day of Lent. I've come to do the same thing each year for Lent. I've given up junk food, pop, and the like. I find with Lent that it's easy to be conscious about eating and drinking such things because I actually think about it. But other times, I just eat or drink it without thinking twice about it. Sure it's easy to not partake in any of things when you make a conscious effort not to. But it's also easy to partake in these things when you disengage your mind. Maybe I'm putting to much into that part of it, but not enough into the actual journey of the fasting from these items.

Are you a person that at actually values the journey? Or are you a person that just gives up something because you think that's what you should do? As for me, I value the journey, but not like I should. I feel as sense of satisfaction when I finish Lent. But is that really enough? I understand God will love us for our sacrifice. Is that truly enough? There is more I can do, but getting motivated to start and continue can be tough. Having a permanent Lent takes a lot will power. If you think otherwise than you are a liar.  Or you are this perfect being that doesn't have anything they need to fast or abstain from anything?

I notice people do give up things because it's Lent.  We all need to be conscious of the journey because we'd get more out of it.   But as I said, I need to be more conscious of it too.  This is a process that I might never get truly right.  That is part of the journey.  I hope I can discover more about myself during this time of Lent.  I never have in the past when I've done Lent.  Whatever you choose to fast from, I hope it turns out to successful.

Song Of The Day #33

This song comes from a band that is relatively new as they've been around for four years.  This particular song has been played on CBC Radio 2 a lot. I dig it.  The guy has a higher voice and it's been likened to Prince.  Take that for what you will.

"Free" by Graffiti6
YouTube link

Loving Thy Enemy

I mentioned in my last post that I struggle with the idea of loving thy enemy.  This post will into depth more about my thoughts about this very issue.  I will use some scripture in a way that will hopefully make sense to you.

Looking scripture on "loving thy enemy," I came across an interesting passage.  It is Matthew 5:43 and it says "You have heard it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'" (NIV)  With this passage, it seems to contradict what most Christians are taught in the "hate your enemy" part of the verse.  A lot of Christians if not 99 percent of them are taught to love your enemy.  But unfortunately, I am in the one percent that either doesn't love the enemy or struggles with that notion.  Is it natural to hate someone you consider an enemy?  I have always hated an "enemy" of mine.  I find it easier to just hate them rather protrude a loving reaction to them.  Even if someone preaches the opposite of this passage, deep down, most people have someone they hate or have hated.  If they say they never did than who am I to call them out on bullshit?  Nevertheless, this passage seems to define how I think with my struggles.  Just go all out and hate this person.

Matthew 5:44 contradicts the previous verse.  It says "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  (NIV)  I struggle with praying for someone I hate.  Maybe it is beneficial to pray for change in thy enemy.  But I just can't bring myself to do it.   So I don't pray for an enemy.  I feel like "screw them" and just leave them to their own devices.  That's what happened with this one guy my best friend and I were friends with.  We helped him a lot and we were given nothing in return.  So herself and I left him to his own devices.  He never changed after going to rehab (he is an alcoholic).  He kept doing the same thing he has always done.  So I hate him and could never be a friend to him ever again.  It may not be right in the eyes of some people, but it's been said that you just have to walk away from it all.  I did that and have never looked back.  I don't feel bad for doing it either.  Don't even think about laying a guilt trip on because that is totally childish and lame to even attempt to do so!

Luke 6:27-28 also talks about praying for your enemy among other things.  "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."  (NIV)  All these things it says to do in this passage, I find myself not being able to do.  I know there is a point to doing it all, but I can't for the life of me bring myself to do it.  I feel it goes against everything I think about this and that's the struggle.  The struggle to do the good I should be doing versus what I do.  I know it's easy for some people to love thy enemy and do all the things as stated, but it's not so easy for me.  It's a struggle and if you've struggled with this, than you will know exactly where I'm coming from.

I am not necessarily holding grudges per se because I try not to do that.  It's just a flat out hate for my enemy.  This is something I face everyday and it gets no easier.  I can't just one day wake and say I will love thy enemy.  It's not that easy for me.  It will never be that easy.  So don't even try to put a spin on it that it is.  It's not all smoke and mirrors.  It's not all black and white.  There is a big grey area for me.  There will for a long time be a grey area.  Until that day comes when I can love thy enemy, it will be a struggle no matter what I'm told.

Westboro Baptists

I've probably done a post on this group of from Topeka, Kansas; but I'm doing another one. Every time I hear about, read about, or watch footage on the Westboro Baptists, I get so enraged. The stuff they do is beyond stupid. The doctrine they believe is quite primitive. It is so primitive that even like minded individuals that in terms of doctrine reject them. Even the Klu Klux Klan think what they do is wrong.

In the Bible, it says "love thy enemy." This is something I struggle with. Westboro Baptists are the enemy. They are blind to what they believe that they think what other people believe and is wrong. They go on the basis of freedom of speech and freedom to protest. That's all fine and well, but when does freedom of speech and freedom to protest become more than that? They use the law to their advantage to spew their rhetoric. Here is the irony, when someone protests or does something against them than it's a no-no and not acceptable. The hypocrisy of it all.  It's all good in their world until you throw it back in their face.

 Even if one of their own throws it back in their face, they will shun you and kick you out of the church.  If you ask me, that would be more of a blessing than anything else.  You are seriously screwed up in the head if you are involved in such a group.  There are better ways to spend your time instead of promoting hate.  I don't know about you, but as a Christian, I've always told to love one another (even though it's hard to do so towards everyone).  But they can't even attempt to show love towards their fellow man.  They would rather look for the negative and dwell on it.  They are wasting their time spreading hate rather do good.

I don't even consider the Westboro Baptists Christians.  They use the Bible in sick and twisted ways.  They manipulate the scriptures to show hate whether it says it or not.  They actually get joy out of saying that this natural disaster is God's wrath or some crap like that.

Even though I don't like the Westboro Baptists or even "hate" them per se, it's been said that we should pray for them.  But praying for the enemy is something I struggle with.  Hopefully one major event can help them see the errors of their ways that they change.  Then again maybe not.  But one can be hopeful!

Now vs. Then and Mainstream vs. Indy/Indie

People like to bitch about various items nowadays saying that back in the day was better. Not everything back in the day was better. But they complain about the music, professional wrestling, TV shows, and other items. There are good things in each of those aforementioned items. There are times in history where things are bad, but no matter what, people will bitch that things in the now is bad.

People are too stubborn to look at things objectively. They would rather subject things to this one standard nowadays and back than. Nowadays being crap and then being awesome. That's not the case if you look closely. People would rather bitch than look at things objectively.

If bitching about things in the now isn't annoying enough, they have lump in the whole of something based on the mainstream. Take professional wrestling for example, some people will say that wrestling overall is terrible because the mainstream is not what it used to be. If you are not even checking out indy wrestling, than how can you accurately say that wrestling overall is terrible. You can't accurately judge something by strictly the mainstream.

This is a problem I encounter. A lot of people think the mainstream is the measuring stick for everything. That is further from the truth. In all honesty, being mainstream or indy/indie is irrelevant to how good or bad the whole of something is. Unfortunately that doesn't factor into the realm of thinking for a lot of people.

You can find pretentious ass clowns in both the mainstream and indy/indie of whatever. Tegan and Sara have said they did indie music festivals for years and the people that go to them look at you as if your pants are not tight enough, hair is not a certain way, etc..

People need to stop being so pretentious about everything. They can't find anything good in anything. Get over it and stop complaining. But nothing will ever be good enough for a lot of people even when you prove there is good in stuff.

Why Being Polite Is Overrated

The Music Think Tank has an article on why being polite is overrated.  I found the article via a ReverbNation tweet.  When I seen the tweet, it made me check out the article.  I agree with the article 100 percent.  My friend and I talked about this very topic.

It's true that being only complimentary is a big problem.  I know a person who releases music to a very small fan base.  His fan base is nothing but his friends and a few people he knows.  The problem is that they won't say anything critical or be honest about his work.  They will brown nose him showering him with praise and compliments.  It's good to get compliments and praise for your work.  But if you work is terrible, how will you grow as an artist if people are not honest?


Maybe I feel this way because I am hard on myself with some of my music.  I find I write songs that are sometimes too long and I get frustrated that I can't pare a song down from to a three or four minute song.  But some people are too stubborn and thick skinned to realize stuff like this about their music and as I said, people won't tell them that.  Are people afraid to offend someone?  Are people afraid that the artist will get mad?  Proof is with Taylor Swift.  Somebody wrote something about her she felt hurtful.  So she turned it into a hit song... People need to stop being so sensitive.  If you can't handle constructive criticism, than you are in the wrong business.

People can't handle a big steaming pile of the truth.  People would rather have their feelings safeguarded  with some bogus bullshit and fake ass kissing because it's what they want to hear.  But the truth can be your best friend.  You can actually benefit from the truth.  If you want me to lay down a dose of truth on your music, I'll do it.  I'm not afraid that you'll get butt hurt because in time you'll get over.  The article says the truth which is negative can foster creativity and make your music better because it shows you what you can do differently or improve upon.  If you can't accept the truth, than how will you ever improve?  Not improving sounds counterproductive.  Not only that, but arguing or debating and sarcasm makes you more creative because it makes you view things in a different light.  But sometimes it comes back to being stubborn.  Some people don't want to see things differently.

People don't need to sugarcoat things.  If you feel one way, than say what you feel.  Don't say something you don't feel because it's what they want to hear.  Sure it's not pleasant to hear, but sometimes they have to bite the bullet and deal with it.  You as an artist will be better for it.

Winter Weather

In various parts of the world, weather can change in an instant.  This is especially true in Saskatchewan.  This past Sunday, Saskatchewan woke up to a blanket of snow.  This is the most snow we've had all winter (if you would even call it that.).

The seasonal norms for this time of year is not always what we get.  Some people think it's odd to get these cold -40 C with the windchill temperatures multiple days in a row.  We are Saskatchewan after all, so temperatures like this for a few days shouldn't surprise you.  Unfortunately with some people it does.

I guess living in Saskatchewan hasn't taught some of the population anything.  But at least this cold snap we are in isn't effecting just Saskatchewan.  On the Weather Network, they showed the parts of Canada where it is extremely cold.  From part of Eastern British Columbia to parts of Northwestern Ontario are experiencing a major deep freeze.  Some parts of Canada are less accustomed to this sort of weather than other places.

When I hear about other places in Canada complaining about a foot of snow and have to get the army to get the army in to help them dig out, I think "get over it."  Some people are pansies when it comes to winter.  You live in Canada, so you know what to expect out of winter.  Yet people want to live in oblivion thinking that the next winter won't be bad.  We will never know until we are faced with winter.  You can try and predict the winter, but it won't always be what is predicted.  That's the unpredictability of winter and weather in general.

I bet people want what is forecast for weather.  Unfortunately, that's not always possible.  You can use all these methods, tools, and technology to try and accurately forecast what the weather for winter is going to be like, but even that is not always foolproof.  I guess you can think of forecasts as a possibility of what the weather might be like.  As I said, living in Saskatchewan, the weather can change in an instant and if you've spent any time here, you'd know that.