Finding It Hard to Love Your Kids

For those that know me well, you’ll probably know I’m a pretty laid back person. However, that doesn’t mean I have the patience of a saint. Fact is, for certain things, I have little-to-no patience; long lineups, slow computers, traffic, and “know-it-alls”. But more than all of these things (to which most of us have no patience for anyway) is kids. I have no patience for rebellious, defiant, degenerate, kids and teenagers. Probably why God never called me to youth ministry. My own kids are not immune. Even though Noah & Aaron are both under the age of three, my patience can also sometimes wears thin with them. Now let me preface by saying I love my kids more than anything and I do not find it hard to love them. It was actually quite easy starting from the moment they were born. Being a father is a pure joy and totally rewarding. I mean that. But that doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games.

My two year old, Noah, is a bright, funny, and happy kid. We love him like crazy and he brings us all kinds of joy. However he’s at that stage in his life where he likes to test Mommy and Daddy’s warnings, gets into things he’s not supposed to, eat things he’s not supposed to, throws a temper when he doesn’t get his way, hits, and often does the complete opposite of what you ask him. Even my 6 month old, Aaron, can be a bit frustrating when all he wants is his mommy’s attention 24-hours a day. Now, all that being said, I do realize that these are stages that all children go through. All children. In fact, it’s these stages that help children learn crucial mental and emotional developmental skills and lessons. That doesn't mean it’s not discouraging, frustrating, or feel like just cause for murder.

Sometimes a learning process for Noah becomes a test of patience for daddy. There’s something in me that just doesn’t comprehend how one cannot learn and understand on initial counsel. Why does Noah still attempt to ride our dog, Morris, like a horse when he’s been told a million times not to? Why does he continue to throw his food on the floor when he’s not happy with the choice of condiment? Why can’t he just wake up one morning and decide to use the potty, doing away with diapers forever? Why not go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 8am like we’ve asked him to?
Is it a physical hearing problem? Of course not.
Is it selective hearing? Maybe.
Is he just a bad kid? Absolutely not.
Then what is it?

I was pondering all this the other day and asked myself, “why do I sometimes find it so hard to love my kids?”. I began to think of my own childhood/teenage years and I began to ask myself how my parents loved me through all the crap I had done. Multiple “principal’s office” visits, greediness, vanity, smoking cigarettes, stealing money from my dad’s underwear drawer, or any other selfish act I did out of spite. Yet, my parents still loved me then as much as they do now. How'd they get through it?!

Many times in the Bible, we’re identified not only as God’s creation (Gen 1:27) but His children (Rom 8:16); His kids (1 John 3:1). I began to think about how many times, as one of His children, I’ve disappointed God; how many times I’ve made God mad. David tells us in Psalm 7:11 that, “God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Every day? Aw, man…
Yet, He loves us and He loves us like crazy. So much so, in fact, that he gave one of His own kids to prove it (John 3:16-17).

In my thoughts about being patient with my own kids, the Spirit directed me to Romans 5:8-9: "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Despite God’s disappointment toward me and you and everyone else, he figured the best way to show his absolute, head-over-heals love for us was to give a big piece of Himself so that we would not lose and end up being with Him in the end.

Even though we might make it hard for God to love us at times, He understands we’re only human. He understands that we’re still growing. Our listening skills are still being shaped and our sins are just another part of our learning curve; crucial mental and emotional developmental lessons in our journey to being more like His son, Jesus. Sound familiar?

I need to take this lesson to heart when dealing with my own kids. They are still in process and learning and developing the same ways as I did. Much like my parents loved me despite my actions, much like God loves me despite my actions, I too will love my kids despite their actions.

Even so, how could you not love these faces?!

6-month old, Aaron

2 (& 1/2) year old, Noah

What Does Your Worship Cost?

I recently bought some fencing for my backyard through a connection at my work. My company supplies industrial parts for a local fencing company and I asked if he might be able to get me a deal on a 25 foot length and a gate. He said to me, "Of course. I'll see what we have lying around and put something together for you." Maybe I'm just naive, but by his tone of voice and the "wink-and-gun" he gave me, I thought that meant "free fence". The next day I got a quote. Now, I did get a good deal and still have the laborious task of putting it together, but it was not free. It cost me money. The old adage "nothing in this life is free" certainly applies here and for most aspects of our lives. This includes our worship which I've come to discover by reading 2 Samuel 24:18-26 (NIV).

David disobeyed God's orders 2 Samuel 24:1-9. To atone for that disobedience, God gives David three choices of punishments. Behind door number one, three years of famine. Door number two, three months of "fleeing from your enemies". Door number three, three days of plague on the local Israelites (24:13). David pancaked at the choices and God chose to be swift and sent a pestilence across the land for three days. 70,000 people died. Basically, my whole hometown of Moncton disappeared over under the wave of an angel's hand. Gone.

God ordered the calamity to be stopped just as the Angel was reaching Jerusalem, at the threshing grounds of Aranuah the Jebusite. A threshing floor was an open area outside a city where the edible part of a grain (or other crop) was loosened from the stalk or chaff that surrounds it. When David was asked to make a sacrifice on behalf of the people to stop the pestilence on the land, Aranuah's threshing grounds became the site of the burnt offering.

Aranuah, both surprised and excited to see the king coming to his workplace, bowed and greeted the David with astonishment:
"Why have you come here of all places?"
"To buy your stuff so I can make an appropriate sacrifice for the people."
"Pffft. You don't need to buy it. Just take my threshing floor, my tools, the oxen for the burnt offering, and wooden yokes for making a fire. They're yours! Free of charge."
Then David said something that has really stuck with me lately:
"No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them" (v24).

I will not offer anything to God if it costs me nothing.

David could have easily accepted Aranuah's gift of items for the offering. Instead, David knew that God required more than just free stuff to ward off the plague that decimating the people. There wouldn't have been any honor, price, or sacrifice in burning somebody else's precious commodities. Instead, he declined the gift and gave 50 shekels of silver for the pieces necessary for proper sacrifice. King David likely had everything he's ever needed. He was given all prestige and respect by his people. Yet he was humble enough to know his own King, God, deserved more; a true offering of value that costs something.

Not only have I been trying to live that out in my life, but I've been really trying to live that out as a worship leader. Whether you're leading a congregation in worship or you're a part of the band, what does it cost you to worship your God? I'm not talking about the cost of that cool guitar pedal or preamp you just bought. Ask yourself...
What is my sacrifice as I lead today?
What am I leaving behind as I lead others?
What am I leaving out as I lead others?
What is it that I've been wanting to add to the worship experience that I've been scared to do before?
What do I really want to say or do as I worship?
How do I honestly feel about my God this morning?
How can I challenge myself or the congregation?

It's so easy for leaders and musicians to strap on their instruments each week and just play. I've done it for many years. Last Sunday, I decided that I wasn't going to let my self-consciousness or my pride hinder what I do as a leader. I wasn't going to follow the service order. I wasn't going to be distracted by what people thought of my vocals. I was not going to let how others were (or were not) worshipping affect that way I worshipped. I was going to play guitar like it is the gift that was given to me. Because I did that, something cool happened. I felt the Spirit work through me. The Holy Ghosts became a tangible presence to me. My worship felt true and accepted. That felt awesome and it didn't cost me a cent; just some possible embarrassment and my pride. As a Mastercard PR might say, my experience was "priceless".

What sacrifices are you making when you lead? What does your worship cost you?

Being the Fathers' kind of father.

Two years ago (and add another 9 months or so) I would have told you that I wasn't ready for kids, that I was too young for the responsibility of taking care of another human. In fact, at that time, I was probably still learning how to take care of myself and a new 5-months old puppy. Fast forward 35 months, Catherine and I are watching a "Thomas the Tank Engine" DVD with my 2-year-old son, Noah. We're coming off of the (sugar) high of another birthday and the low of stepping into the inevitable "terrible twos".

I couldn't be happier.

Now, if you would have asked me 9th months ago about having a second child I would have laughed and said we were going to wait until Noah was starting school. Fast-forward 3 weeks and we'll be welcoming a new baby boy into our lives... again. We're praying for a healthy, safe delivery for both Mommy & Baby and Noah is getting excited with the thought of having a brother. It's really quite nerve-wracking, the thought that God has entrusted us with another human. We must be doing something right (other than successfully closing the deal on conception, of course). Everyone says that "everything changes" when you have the second child. I don't doubt it. Things changed with Noah and they'll change with our new son three-fold.

I could be more excited.

For the past few weeks, our small-group has been watching/talking about a series on Jesus' Prodigal Son parable. Save God's own image and example of being "Father" to all, the father in the parable is whom I want to strive to be. Maybe not now. My son is still trying to make coherent sentences, let alone decisions to take his inheritance and waste it on booze and hookers. But when my boys are old enough to make those kinds of decisions, I want to be the father who loves them anyway; no matter what. Like Isaiah 38:19b: "fathers tell their children about (God's) faithfulness".

When I think about being that father, I look at my own life and wonder if what I'm doing, who I am, and where I'm going is consistent with my abilities to be a good father, husband. That's when I really want to change the way I do things. I guess you've got to learn to love yourself before you can love others. When my kids are old enough to understand and live out the life of a Christian, I want make sure I've got my own spiritual things in order. I want to know I am intentionally wanting to learn more each day from God's word. I want to know that I am following God's will for my life. I want to know I'm using my gifts & abilities in the way He wants them used. I want to know my life is daily being thrown on the alter as an offering for him. I want my life to exemplify the life of the Father with the two lost sons; willing, ready, and able to love both no matter what.

Being that kind of Father is difficult. Consistent. Devout. Serving. Set. Wise. Firm. Accountable. Dependable. Loving. Nurturing. Strong. Patient. But, it's possible.

I guess I better get to work, huh?

Speaking to the Deaf

Today at work, I served an older deaf man whom came in to my workplace looking to buy some bearings. The man came in, unloaded some broken pieces and parts of whatever he was working on onto the counter and started pointing. At this point, I didn't know he was deaf (deaf people don't look any different, apparently). I started to ask some questions about what exactly he wanted and he continued to glare at me and point at broken pieces. This went on for 30 seconds or so until he angrily grunted, whined, and frantically shove pieces together in an attempt to show me what he needed. I still didn't understand what he wanted at this point, but I did then realize he was either mute, deaf, or both. A few moments later, his friend walked in and tried to translate for me. However, there was more communication breakdown as I found out the deaf man didn't read lips, didn't know sign language, and both gentlemen spoke very little English. After much deliberation, I found the parts the man needed, but didn't have them in stock. The deaf man probably left as frustrated as I was.

I went back to my desk and complained to my associate about the deaf man's inability to communicate despite his aural disability. I then began to think about my own communication skills and what the man might have thought about my attempt to find the man's needs. I can't imagine I was any more sympathetic to him than he would have been to me. Was I being a good listener? Despite several frantic attempts to get my attention, we never quite ended up on the same wavelength nor was I able to help him in an efficient manner.

Then I began to wonder if God gets that easily frustrated with us. We point to the broken pieces in our lives. We stare at an invisible God with glazed eyes and frantically show Him what we want. We ask simple questions. We mumble our prayers. We don't read God's mind and sometimes we don't even speak His language. Sometimes, we are a deaf people, quiet to our own God's ears. Sometimes it feels our message just doesn't get through.

Yet, God is not deaf. He speaks our language. He hears our prayers. He answers our prayers. That's when we need to realize that God doesn't need to be told what our problems are; he knows them. He doesn't need us point our fingers; he knows where the problem really is. He loves us that much. God sent His son Jesus to understand us better; to feel and experience exactly what we do. Think of Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. He struggled to make sense of his story. He assumed the beatings, the humiliation, the pain, the death and practically begged for their to "be another way". But, there wasn't. Though Jesus wept, prayed, pointed fingers, struggled, His voice did not go unheard. His Father heard every word, but Jesus' story went on.

His story = history.

And so does ours. We're not always going to get the results we want. We are not always going to get the answers we want. We cannot demand or expect anything from God. Rather, he demands and expects from us. Unanswered questions, unaccomplished attempts at our own dreams, and unfulfilled situations are all a part of our story. We're called to be a listening people. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Though God wants to hear our requests from our own lips, He knows our real needs, desires, and answers. We will not hear His word to us if we're always talking, asking, inquiring, and demanding from Him.

This is where the Holy Spirit comes in handy. The Spirit is the fine line between asking and demanding; talking and listening. I didn't have a "spirit" or interpreter between the old deaf man and myself. If I did, things would have been a lot smoother. But God gives us the Holy Spirit as a catalyst for communication with Him. Not only does the Holy Spirit send our "message" to God, but t also returns the favour.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).

So when we're fighting or struggling with an issue, talk it out with God but don't forget to let Him speak back. Because if we're doing all the talking and not listening for any of His wisdom, we might as well be speaking to the deaf.

My Favorite "M"s of 2009: Movies, Music, Memories

Wow, it's been October since I last blogged. That's a long time. My apologies. I've either been really boring, had nothing to say, or have wasted all my thoughts and happenings on Twitter. Actually, all of the above apply but I figure what better way to end a year of incessant blogging with my annual "Best Of..." blog where I tell you all about my favorite movies, music, and memories of 2009. So, let's go:

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MOVIES:

Favorite Movies of 2009:


STAR TREK - I'm not a Star Trek fan, but this movie was pretty spectacular. And, loving anything JJ Abrahms does helps a lot. casting was great and was far from "geeky".

Avatar - I wasn't gaga over the storyline (since it's one we've all seen before), but the visual "experience" in the theater is amazing. It's like Jurassic Park, Pocahontas, and Star Wars in a blender... in HD... and 3D.

State of Play - great acting, great story, and great twists. Definitely a drama you've gotta catch if you haven't seen it. The ending was really good.

Inglorious Basterds - in my opinion, Tarantino's best work. It read like a novel (that you watch) and had amazing dialogue (though there was often too much of it). I had no idea what would happen next and was not disappointed.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - well, I've got a soft spot of Marvel Comics, and although Wolverine is one of my least favorite of the x-Men, the story was great and tied in nicely with other Marvel universe stories and characters. Can't wait for X-Men Origins: First Class

The Hangover - this was funny. If not for the dirty pictures/scenes during the closing credits, I would have loved this movie, but I found them uncalled for. It would have been better if we were left not knowing what happened during the bach party. Zach Galifianakis is freakin' hilarious.

The Reader - although it was nominated for multiple awards in last tears' Oscars, it was still released in 2009. Kate Winslett had an amazing role and the story was excellent.

Honorable Mention:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I Love You, Man
The Road

Worst Movies of 2009:


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - I don't even want to talk about this one. It was terrible. Terribly terrible. Even Megan Fox was terrible in every way. I still Ike Shia Labeouf, though.

Knowing - any suspense/action movie that Nicolas Cage is in is almost always terrible. the ending was really bad.

Adventureland - what I was hoping would be a funny flick turned out to be a depressing, annoying lump of coal.

Yet to See:
Up
Public Enemies
The Informant
2012
Up in the Air
Bad Lieutenant
Crazy Heart

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Music

Favorite Albums of 2009:

Seabird - 'Til we See the Shore
Though none of these categories are in any particular order, this was easily my favorite album of the year. Like a non-depressing 'Copeland", Seabird have fantastic melodies, groove, and catchy pop-tastic songs... all lead by piano. The title track is on non-stop on my iPod.

Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome
I will admit it. Derek Webb's twitter ramblings about this new record had me scouring to follow its release over the net. Yes, it was self-hyped but I still love it and is unlike anything he's put out before. Derek Webb is constantly changing his sound, and this one was particularly welcome.

Future of Forestry - Travel: Vol. I & II
FoF released two 6-song EPs this year so I'm counting the first two of the 4-volume manifesto as one record. I followed the process of this record and it's seriously great. Especially since The Myriad hasn't released anything in what seems like forever.

MuteMath - Armistice
awww, the long-awaited followup to MM's self-titled release. I wasn't disappointed. Production is great and although their style may have sightly changed, the sound didn't and I love this record.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon
It's U2. Have they ever put on out a bad record? Yes, I'm including POP. I loved POP. It took me a while to dig this album, but once I did, I had to go see them live. So I did. It was awesome.

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
I though Paramore's record would be more of the same pop-punk from RIOT!, but they added some styles and sounds you wouldn't find on any other Paramore release. It's a good'un.

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
The production on this album is fantastic. And while it's not as good as 'Breakaway", it's leaps and bounds better than "My December"



On the Fence:


John Mayer - Battle Studies
it's not that I don't like this album, it's just that's it's so much different than JMs other records. It's a lot less blues/rock and a lot more 1970s rock/pop/ballad. Most notably, it's a lot less memorable for me. There are still some tasty tracks, though.

Christy Nockels - No Not One
I like half of the album. The other half I dislike. A few choice songs, Nathan Nockels' production value, and Christy's amazing vocals save this album from being a complete disaster

David Crowder Band - Church Music

Let me say that I don't hate this album. but I don't love it either. There're a few tracks I really dig but there are just more tracks that I disliked. I found it over-produced. DCB overuse a lot of sounds, tracking, and loops which take a way from Crowder's strong worship writing and instrumentation. I was hoping "Church Music" would explore a biblical or historical view of chruch music throughout Christendom. Rather, they just tried to make a record to please a few ears.


Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Most will agree that Switchfoot's best release was "The Beautiful Letdown" and while no one else seemed to like "Oh, Gravity" as much as I did., Swicthfoot's latest release didn't live up to either, in my opinion. That being said, it's the next best thing and there're some stellar tracks that I really dig.


Most Dissapointing (but not terrible) Albums of 2009:


Metallica - Death Magnetic

Metallica tried to get back to the "classic" Metallica sound/arrangement. They were close, but not as good as past releases. However, it's still far better than Some Kind of Monster. Far Better.. Lars turned his snare drum on and may have used a click in some parts.

Thrice - Beggars
I also followed the recording of this record via blog, but I wasn't pleased with this self-produced/self-engineered project. I especially hate some of the drum sounds and the song-writing has seemed to lose some edge to it.

Muse - The Resistance
Again, I don't gate this record, but if I wanted to hear orchestral music, I would have bought something else. Though I understand the musical genius of Matt Bellamy and Co., I just didn't "get" this record. Half of it is classic Muse sound while the other half is Bellamy showing of his classical piano chops and orchestral arrangements. I imagine it'd still be quite the sight to see live, though.

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Memories

- this year I got to see a lot of great concerts which included my first U2 experience, seeing rock-and-roll pioneer Paul McCartney, my favorite guitar-virtuoso Joe Satriani in his supergroup Chickenfoot (which, while kind of lame, also included RHCP drummer Chad Smith), and one of my childhood favorite bands in Stone Temple Pilots. I also saw OLP for the 4th time, Finger Eleven for the 5th time, and Sloan for the 2nd time.

- watching Noah grow from a baby to a toddler has been a cool experience for Catherine and I. He's a brave little boy and his vocabulary is amazingly extensive at this stage in his life; he's almost putting together coherent sentences. Almost.

- although the news of having another baby was initially frightening to Catherine and I, we made it a point to make sure we saw this as a blessing and something that God has intrusted us with. Though Noah is sometimes too full of energy, has his odd tantrum, and still has some issues with sleeping through the night, he's becoming more and more joyful to teach and parent each day. He's such a joy to us and we can't wait to have more of that in our lives as we await the arrival of another boy at the end of March.

- I'm still trying to come with grips as to why I'm still stuck at the same job after nearly 5 years. I still truly believe that God has a ministry and/or vocation for me on the horizon but I have yet to know what that is. Trusting and awaiting God's will for my life becomes the most difficult thing in my Christian walk, yet I see the foreshadowing in small ways on a daily basis. This year, I was really hoping God would provide me with a musical outlet that I'd be able to express myself with; unfortunately, that hasn't come. Although JSB has been a tiny bit more active then in years past, I still long to find a musical outlet God can use all of my abilities and gifts.

- In November, we moved into our first home and that was a story of God's timing, will, and love for us. Although it's hard to see some months where the mortgage payment will come from, we believe that God would not provide us with such a wonderful home and not provide us with a means to afford it. We found a home that met all our needs and wants in a home and for a price that only He could have blessed us with. The whole process was smooth and the situation was absolutely laid out by God's hand for us. We're always grateful for a roof on our head, but having one you own is that much more gratifying.

- our church has seen some great growth, both spiritually and numerically, which has been really needed and gratifying. The work our Pastor and leadership have put into making Lutes Mountain Nazarene a small thriving church is amazing. Though the church is in a financial tough spot, God continues to bless it in other ways and the church remains faithful to wherever He leads. We're looking forward to serving again this year and see what God has in store for us next.

- my dad retired from the Royal Bank after 37 years of work. That's quite a feat, espeically while doing it at only 57 years of age. To celebrate the momentus occasion Dad and I made a whirlwind trip to Toronto to watch a hockey game (his Leafs versus my Flames), visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, and eat at my favorite Toronto eatery, RichTree. It was a great weekend and I'm happy we got to spend it together. Dad was very honoured by our gift and had a great time.

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so that's my year in review. stay tuned for some more blogs soon, likely about Christmas and other goodies. I promise to do this more often. It's fun and helps waste a few minutes at work when it's not busy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Cambers family.
Jamie, Catherine, Noah, and Morris.

Great New Music

I think I commented a few blogs ago on what I thought of the current state of pop music. Even now, you’re hard pressed to find a trend-setting, mind-changing record come out that totally sweeps you off of your feet. Well, while some of these releases may not have changed my world of music, there have been a few that I thought necessary to mention; everyone loves a good listen every now and then. Here’s what I’ve been listening to lately and what’s been prompting me to write a bit differently and influence me as it pertains to recording the next JSB record.
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Thrice – Beggars

At first listen, “Beggars” is not your typical Thrice record. Although, you’ve got a light “scream” or “yell” here and there, Thrice haven’t completely left their post-hardcore sound behind. The prototypical pop-rock and Brit-pop influences have been subtly added to the familiar hard-rock/prog-rock sound in songs like “The Weight”, “Beggars”, and “Circles”. Add Teppei's soothing electric piano sounds, Dustin ethereal guitar textures and soaring melodies, layered vocals, and tight bass & drum grooves and you get a great body of work by Thrice whom also self-produced/engineered the album. Although I wasn’t as blown away with Beggars as I was the “Alchemy Index” volumes, Beggars is not a far cry from what you’d expect from the ever-evolving band of uber-talented Orange County countrymen.
Akthough I would never consider Thrice a Christian band, singer and primary lyricist Dwight Kensrue is open about Christian influence in his life. Again, Thrice's lyrics are immersed in a lot of biblical imagery and examples of Christ's teaching. "In Exile" hints has a Psalm-like longing for Jerusalem, "All the World is Mad" takes notice of man's fall from sinlessness to its loss of perfection, and "At the Last" seems to reflect teh thoughts of the Prodigal Son. Whether the lyrics are truly biblical annotations or not (I believe they are), the lyrics are just as thgouth provoking and true while the music takes you on many levels from loud to melodic ballad. While it sits second or third on my list of fave Thrice albums, I still reccomend it to anyone looking for seomthing loud, yet melodic and musical.

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mutemath – Armistice

Honestly, who wasn’t waiting for this record to come out? It’s been a long wait since 2006’s self-titled release. I’ve been following the various scattered vlogs, blogs, and youtube vids since the beginning of the recordings, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting to hear it. Paul Meany said two interesting things during the making of this record that made me question whether I’d like it not. First, he said, “Our goal is to embarrass the first record, that's what we're trying to do here, and I think we're on point to pull it off” then adding, “Anyone who thinks first album is perfect will hate this [new] record”. I quickly became cynical in the possibility that MM “sold out to the man” and made a record the labels and MTV-cronies would want while leaving behind the sound that make them who they are. I was wrong.
While some of Armistice’s song structures follow a familiar pop-formula, MM still take you to sonic territory that not many other bands do. I am certainly interested to see how some of these will be performed live; I don’t doubt they’ll deliver one of the greatest lives shows. From the opening statement of “set it on fire!” on the opening track “The Nerve”, MM light it up on every track. From a Stevie Wonder-esque “Armistice” to a jazzy “Pins and Needles” to the Brit-pop rip-off track “Goodbye” to the Radiohead-like outro in “Burden”, mutemath take you on a roller coaster of soundscapes. Though not extremely known in the mainstream, I can’t see how Armistice gets passed by for some Grammy nominations as this record has certainly surpassed their previous release and EP.

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Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome

This is another album I was following the progress on through Derek Webb’s Twitter account. What makes this release so interesting is the controversy that came along with it despite Webb being a well-known Christian song-writer and member of Caedmon’s Call. Derek’s INO record label wouldn’t let him release the album based on some controversial content, and some particular lyrics found in the song "What Matters More" (which contains the words "damn" and "shit" which, ironically, came from a popular quote by well-known theologian Tony Campolo). Derek and INO decided to agree upon releasing the record with a censored version after Derek took the liberty of making a digital copy of the album (along with other goodies) available on his website.
Lyrically, Stolkhom Syndrome doesn't stray too far from Webb's other albums where he often dances the line between what is spiritually acceptable in the Christian music market. Songs like What Matters More, What You Give Up to Get It (about the prominence of materialism) and Freddie Please (which is a response to anti-gay activist preacher Fred Phelps) contain material that often offend the squeamish of Christian cynics. Musically, however, Webb takes a 180° turn. Derek, along with co-writer and producer Josh Moore, trades in his guitar for midi controller, samples, techo-beats and many electronic sounds. While its boggling to imagine how Webb would re-create this album to his regular coffee-house crowd, Derek creates something really different and special with this album. There's a lot of toe-tapping grooves (Spirit vs Kick Drum) while also taking you on fragile soundscapes (The Proverbial Gun). If you enjoy blending sounds from the likes Radiohead, Wilco, and Muse then you might like Stockholm Syndrome. However, if you are hoping to pick up a singer/songwriter acoustic album from Webb, buy something else; this is not for you or the light-hearted Christian for that matter. Webb has some really challenging things to sing about, especially for the conservative dogmatist.

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Leeland - Love is On the Move

Leeland's debut album, The Sound of Melodies, took everyone by surprise with its mature worship-rock style of writing from a mere 16 year old Leeland Mooring. However, their sophmore album, Opposite Way, was mediocre in my opinion as they left a lot of their worship-tinged tunes behind for some straight up rock ballads (which are pretty good, mind you). Luckily, Love is On the Move returns to a more worship-centric genre and really create some great tunes including the hymn-like Via Dolorosa, Weak Man, and My Jesus.
Taking a familiar step with having well-known Christian-music producer Ed Cash come on board to engineer the album (and even help write a few songs), Leeland continue their quest to make great worship music while also entering the heights of great worship writers like Tomlin, Hughes, Redman, and the Neufeld brothers. This album is a great pickup if you liked Sound of Melodies, yet does bring some sparkle left behind by some great gems from Opposite Way like "Count Me In" and "Enter This Temple". I'm not overly gaga over it yet, but I've only given it one or two listens straight so the more I listen to it, the more the melodies will stick with me.

LOVE

Other than music, I'm not much of an art-buff. I enjoy reading, I like poetry, and can observe paintings. There are few physical pieces that move me as much as music does. But, there are a few exceptions, and I want to talk about one of them. There's a popular piece of art on the street corner of 55th St and 6th Ave in New York City. I'm sure you've seen it before. LOVE. That's it. The letters L and O (which is slanted) over the letters V and E. The face of the letters are red and the silhouette is blue. It's nothing fancy, colorful, or significant. Ring any bells? Here's a pic:






Pretty simple right? For something so obvious and artistically relevant, it carries the weight of a city on its shoulders. Though just a four-letter word, LOVE packs a strong meaning, and is simple to say, do, and experience. Right?
"What have I learned about love? It's a dangerous commodity, froth will peril". That's a quote from the artist, Robert Indiana, who originally created the concept for the cover of a Christmas Card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964. It then became a popular (and now collectable) postage stamp 9 years later. In 1966, Indiana made a steel sculpture of it and was displayed in the Museum of Modern Art for many years before being moved out onto the corner of 55th and 6. As you can see from the picture, it stands alone as an obvious reminder to the millions of New Yorkers and tourists who walk by it each year to simply love.

Has it worked? Probably not. We live in a world that seems to do the complete opposite as fine wine; it gets worse with age. Sitting in the Christian box for a moment, I hear about love all the time. With all the sermons, books, music, and special speakers I hear over the course of a year, you'd think that I'd be learning to love better, love more, and love differently. I'm not the one to judge whether that's true or not, but at least I have some sort of self-awareness of it. Sitting in the secular box for a moment, I see more war, killing, lust, and immoral opportunity every time I turn on the TV. When I sit in my lunch room at work every day, CBC news is on (it's the only channel we get) and all I see if how many have been killed in this Eastern country, what political party is slamming the other, and what Pres Obama is doing to save the universe today. (side note: Obama, by the way, had his own version of the LOVE statue created by Indiana to raise money for his campaign which replaced the word "LOVE" with "HOPE").

We're bombarded with pleas to love more. Love each other, love our neighbor, and love our enemies. Love others despite race, religion, sex, political affiliation, and moral belief. Why is it so hard for us to do? Can something as small as buying a hamburger for an ungrateful homeless man be considered love? Can doing the dishes for our spouse be considered love? Can offering hugs to complete strangers be love? Yes, it can. But what else is LOVE and why does Indiana himself call love a "dangerous commodity"? And where do find our example of what love is?

God is Love. And Jesus ended up being the "dangerous commodity" that Indiana spoke about. Jesus' death became the "peril" of what love brings. He was the ultimate sacrifice of love. Maybe you don't believe in God or Jesus. That's fine. But, even the simple concept of God's love is something amazing. I can't imagine giving up my son, Noah, to die for any one human being, let alone all of human race. Regardless, the most fruitful example of love is found in Jesus. His care, love, compassion, and encouragement for the poor, needy, helpless, and disenfranchised is beyond any other religious, literary, fictional, or physical example we've even been confronted with. Bono has a great quote in an interview he did with Bill Hybels where he says, "You either have to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God or believe that he was a complete nutcase. Jesus was either Charles Manson... an absolute nutcase or, in my opinion, who He said He was."

To push these comments a little further, world-renown preacher/speaker/spiritual advisor, Tony Campolo made an appearance on "The Hour" one night and said about Bono, "Here is a guy who is a rock singer who has done more to articulate what Christianity is really about than most of we preachers. In fact, he says to be Christian is to commit to the poor and to the oppressed." Later on in that same interview, Campolo talks a bit about love and how it's portrayed in society (using Luke 25 as his basis): "I (God) am not up in the sky somewhere. I'm waiting to be loved in people who hurt. As you relate to people who are hurt, you relate to me. There is no Christianity that does not tie (Christians) up with the poor and oppressed of the world".

Jesus shows this example of love many times in the scriptures. "The least of these..." so-to-speak. But not only Jesus' example of love through who He is, but God's example of love my simply sending His son down from Heaven into a world that needed love more desperately than ever. Jesus was God's 55th & 6th sculpture. He was the purest form of love to give us, yet "God so loved" that he "gave". We were the poor and disenfranchised until God sent a love to real and pure we didn't have to be reminded; just shown what real love meant, what real love felt like.

Still, though, why do we need a simple structure of steel to remind us to love? A simple word and simple piece of art is all we have left as a physical reminder of God's gift to us. The world is denouncing Christ, taking Him out of our schools, and find every way to find truth without Jesus. I don't believe that's possible. I realize I've asked a lot of questions in this blog without answers, but I leave it up to you to truly seek what true love is; find it so powerfully that you don't need anyone or anything to remind you of it. Having Christ is the ultimate expression of love and by giving, expressing, displaying, and showing love we can make this world better. Of course, that doesn't mean we need to stop making art about it; we just need to make sure that it points to the most fantastic, unreal, and purest example of it. Jesus. LOVE.

"Music is my first love. To wake up early in the morning with a melody in my head is a great gift."
- Bono

Scratching off the top of my Bucket List

Ever see the movie “The Bucket List”? Yes? Well, I feel for you. Ok, sot he Nicholson/Freeman combo was good idea, but the movie didn’t really deliver. Sure, it had a neat concept, but just wasn’t realistic and was a bit cheesy. But the movie does, however, provoke the question “if you had X-amount of time to live, what would you do?”

Of course, not all of us have unlimited amounts of money to spend on frivolous materials and marvelous journeys but we do all have things we wish to accomplish, do, and see in our limited time here on earth. I can’t say I’ve made my list yet but before I even think about such things, I automatically know what would be the first thing on my list: to see U2 in concert.

On March 3rd, U2 released their latest album called “No Line of the Horizon”. I like it. It’s no “Achtung Baby”, but it’s close. I told Catherine months before its release that this would be one of the very few chances I’d have left to see U2 on Tour since they’re getting old and frail; conversely enough, the music does not and still holds just as much power as it always has. I quickly scanned the U2.com for tour-dates and after a few weeks of NLOTH’s release, they released dates and was on the prowl for tickets. Though pre-sale tickets quickly came and went last week, I didn’t have the $50 to spend on a membership to try and get pre-sale tickets. Rather, I waited out until the public sale yesterday afternoon. I was on the phone for 1.5 hours trying to get tickets but could not get through. I had a line on my work phone on hold with TicketMaster, kept trying to call TicketMaster on my cell phone, and kept getting put in and out of queues online. I (along with friend Matt Barbour) wanted to get tickets for the Boston show but by the time I finally got through to a human-being all that was left were the terrible $252 seats. So, I tried the to get tickets for the Toronto show (to which they added another show the next day). Funny enough I only had to make one call to get through the Ticketmaster.ca number and got 3 tickets for the Sept. 17th show at the Rogers Stadium. Although I didn’t get the tickets I wanted ($57 General Admission tickets that were standing-room on the field with the stage) I had to splurge and get “ok” seats for $97. I am excited, though, and can’t wait to finally get to see them live.

I once read (can’t remember where) a memorable quote from a pastor who went to a U2 concert once; he explained it something like this: “a U2 concert is a worship experience like none other. Except, this worship concert has the occasional cuss word and alcoholic beverage”. Even from all the U2 DVD’s I own, you get swept away by the music and its impact on a crowd. I can wait to get caught up in that and just take in the experience for myself.

This is a video of U2's second single from NLOTH, "Magnificent" and is my fave track from teh album. After the album's release, DAvid Letterman had U2 as the musical guests for a whole week and tore the Ed Sullivan Theater down with nermous performances; this, also, was my fave. What a fantastic lyricist:


"I was born, I was born to sing for you.
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
and sing whatever song you wanted me to.
I'll give you back my voice.
From the womb my first cry it was a joyful noise."






"Only love, only love can leave such a mark."

Noah's First Birthday

I haven't blogged much about being a dad. I guess it's because it's a position that naturally comes without notice and is a gradual learning process. If I'm being as honest as I can, it's the most frustrating and rewarding thing I've ever had to experience. On the one hand, I'm not sure if there's any better sight than to see my son, Noah, smile and no better sound than to hear him giggle. I know that sounds cliche and sappy, but it's the Gods-honest truth; I'm sure any dad will agree. On the other hand, the first 9 months or so were a bit of a challenge because of loooong nights of 5 or less hours of sleep, headaches from the screaming and crying, and the worries that surround his eating, sleeping, and pooping habits. It's all relative when you're a dad.

But, today Noah is one year old and I couldn't be happier. Not only for him but his health, to see him grow, develop a personality of his own, and see him change daily. A year of my life has never gone faster, and I thank God for the many blessings he's given us, getting us through financial difficulties, and most importantly blessing us with a boy that coudln't make us any happier. Since Noah wasn't planned this earlier in our marriage, God has challenged us to be as good a parent as ours were to us and I believe we're walking in the right direction. I can admit that God still has some things to do inside of me, but I believe He's teaching me and Noah has been a huge part of that.

Noah is starting to walk now (actually, he just took 4 steps and bailed beside me while I write this) and his baby-babble is more prevalent (yet, still irrelevant), and he's sleeping about 10-11 hours a night. He's a beautiful boy and Catherine and I are so proud of him. And, if I can say so, I'm proud of us too. We've survived the first year and I imagine the second will be just as rewarding, exiting, and purely frustrating as the first. Funny thing is, I can't wait.

Happy 1st Birthday Noah.
I love you and can't wait to put skates on you so you can make me millions when you're older.
Or, put you behind a drum-kit so I can have someone to jam with.



PS: I've made a video of Noah's first year and I will post it as soon as I've finished editing it... stay tuned.
PPS: Macs make life so much easier.

Resolutions or Revelations?

It's been a week or so since I've last blogged, and my last blog was a poor excuse of a blog. So, I just wanted to comment on "New Years Resolutions".

I don't really have any. I can't say I've ever really had any New Years resolutions before. At least not any that worked out well. But, being someone who is conscious of his own inner and outer being (both physically and spiritually), I realize that there are things that I do need to change or improve on. I'm not sure that they're considered resolutions or not because I don't believe most issues can be "resolved" in a year. Rather, I believe I can "reveal" in my own soul that need improvemnt, changing, and beginnings. So, this year I'm replacing resolution with revelation; I choose to improve myself by not changing who I am. Rather, change who I am by the improvements I make. When we look at our own lives, the things we need to resolve are revealed to us over the course of our journey. So, here're the things that've been revealed to me that I want to accomplish:

Eating:
It's only been the last few years that I've started to notice the spare tire starting to form around my gut. It's more of the bicycle tire at this point, but who's to say it won't move to a motorized vehicle tire at some point soon? So, if anything, I'm probably going to watch how much late-night snacks and in-between-meals munchies I'm consuming. I've always had great metabolism, but since I got married (and probably become less active the past few years), I find my sugary desires catch up to me and show a bit more. I am in no way saying I'm fat or need a diet, but I can certainly become more aware and disciplined in my eating habits. My wife is always serving me great (and healthier) foods so I certainly can't blame her. It's my own cupboard-scouring habits that get me into trouble.

Less TV/More Reading:
I love TV. And I especially like watching movies/DVDs. There're only a few shows on TV that I deliberately watch: House, Heroes, & 24 on Monday with Survivor and The Office on Thursdays. There're also a few shows that I like to catch now and then like American Idol (usually only the audition episodes), 30 Rock, and Hell's Kitchen/Kitchen Nightmares. And, of course, I'll watch every Calgary Flames game I can when they happen to be on TV (if not, I'll try and catch a live stream on the net). So, that only takes up a few of my TV-watching hours in the course of a week.
I hate reading. However, I love knowledge, spirituality, philosophy, and debate. I've got a stack of about 4 or 5 books that I deeply want to read. Moreover, I don't just want to read them, I want to enjoy them. With the TV being on almost all the time, with being a father, and with the the weekly routine filling in the rest of the blanks, I find I don't really have time for reading as much as I would like. Catherine and I have mentioned canceling our TV service on several occasions, but we've never followed through. I imagine that is only because we really don't want to miss the shows we faithfully love to follow (see above). While I'm sure I could download those episodes, we then wouldn't have the time to catch up on them. And with the digital-cable era taking over, there will soon be no such thing as "basic" cable or the 3 fuzzy channels that any TV might receive. A conundrum, for sure.
So, this year, I hope to watch less TV and read more books.

Bible/T.A.W.G.:
As a Christian, I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what God's Word has for me. Then again, I doubt anyone really has, but even just the simple stuff is waiting there for me to retain. My Bible (wherever it lies in my house) has virtually been unopened this past year, so I intend to start to wear the binding a bit more. Along with this, my Time Alone With God has also suffered. Although I have taken some steps over the past few months to change that, improvement is still needed. Even if it takes getting up a 1/2 hour earlier (thx, Tim) then I should do so if it is going to refresh my soul. I'm sure the payoff is killer (figuratively speaking).

Patience:
I think I've actually become a more patient person since getting married. My wife brings out the best in me, I believe. Probably because I'm more patient than her and it makes me feel better about my own... heh. But, no, she does bring the best in me and I love her for it. Even when my son is crying in my ear, or being stubborn as a mule, I need to learn patience and not get frustrated so easily. Babies are learning too. Also, cooped up dogs need something to keep them entertained. So when Morris has been alone for a few hours and feels the urge to chew my Dion Phaneuf statuette or eat the whole bag of caramels my mom bought for me, I need to be more patient with him. I also need to have patience in finding God's will for my life. God is enver late, God is never early, God is always on time. That needs to be instilled in my life. Then again, I can only discover that through reading His Word more and said T.A.W.G.

Play More Guitar:
I'm serious. If there's one thing I could do more of in my spare time, it'd be playing guitar. If it's something I want to do as a living, I better get better at it. My practice time is next-to-none these days. When I get home, I veg for a few minutes, eat supper, and help my wife exhaust the baby and put him to bed. Once that's done, I can't turn my guitar amp on in fear that it'll keep/wake the baby up. I had the chance to play a few gigs with Matt Brouwer over the holidays and while they all seemed to go very well, I realized how important it was that I stay sharp on all my chops. On our drive home from Saint John on New Years Eve, Matt had some very encourageing words for me on my playing. While I strive to accept both criticism and compliments equally, I couldn't help but feel my playing was inadequate as he talked about some players and artists he's shared the stage with. I also think of what opportunities could be held for me if I was to be better at my craft.
On the flip side of this, I do believe that I'm learning more about music in general. Theory, different styles, music technology, and playing different kinds of instruments are all aspects of playing music I've been able to embrace. I certainly can't claim any deep comprehension any of those aspects, but I do believe they've made me grow as a musician in small ways.

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Anywho... those're my 2009 "goals". I believe I have a great support system in friends and family that will keep my accountable on those things. So, feel free to be one of those people and send me a msg now and then to see how I'm doing on those accounts.

So, from myself, Catherine, Noah, and Morris, the Cambers family wish you a very (belated) Merry Christmas and Blessed 2009!

Super-Powers of the Bible

Bleh… I’m not feeling well this morning. It probably has to do with a the fact that Catherine and I haven’t been getting much sleep lately because Noah is trying to get back into his sleep schedule. The trip to Calgary last week really messed with his sked and now mom & dad are taking the brunt of the sked. Also, I think I’m coming down with a cold. I played floor hockey last night and walked home afterward. Even though it’s not far for me to walk, I think the mixture of sweat and cold night air didn’t mix well with me. I couldn’t’ even stay up for HEROES I was tired! Oh well, I’ll have to d/l it tonight.

I’ve been struggling with HEROES this season; there’s so much going on and so many characters to follow. It’s starting to become more like your average day-time soap but with electricity , time/space manipulation , and the cutting off of heads . Oh, and characters who don’t belong . Then again, day-time soaps have those too. But, it got me thinking this morning, “what if people in the Bible had super-powers”? Then I thought, “I guess in a way they did. Jesus had super-powers and God passed his super-powers onto other people”. Then I thought again, “this calls for a list”. Get our your Bibles and prepare to do a small bit of reading. Here’re some examples of some of the coolest super-powers found in the Bible:

The Conjuring of Bears: 2 Kings 2:23-25 – some youth start to poke fun at Elisha so he puts a curse on them; a curse that would have two bears appear out of nowhere and maul 42 mouthy kids. Take that you tight-jean-wearing, emo kids!

The Staff of Moses: Exodus 7:10-12 – neat. This staff could turn into snakes and eat other staffs/snakes. Cool. This staff could do a few other small feats like turn water into blood, part seas, make frogs grow from the earth, and also control the weather. If I owned this staff, there’d be no more snow. And, the Peticodiac would become that of Grape Koool-Aid

Health by Fashion: Mark 5:25-35 – a woman suffering from hemophelia who was too ill to elbow her way through a crowd of people to see Jesus, thought to herself, “if I just touch his robe, I will be healed”. Surely enough, the woman stretched out and caught a nibble of Jesus’ robe. Jesus sensed the touch and told her that because of her faith, she’d been healed. Neat. If our TWLOHA shirts could all do that, life would be so much more healthy, am I right?

Demon-pigs: Matthew 8:30-32 – I’ve got mixed emotions on this one. On the one hand, it would be fun to single-handedly drive out demons from friends and family and into the closest livestock. Demons, and the grips they have on our sins, suck. But on the other hand, why take it out on the pigs? If we had no pigs, we’d have no bacon. That would definitely suck.

Lion Meat: Judges 14:5-6 – “The Spirit of the LORD came upon him (Samson) in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.” Enough said.

Water into Wine: John 2:1-11 – Jesus makes a big splash at a wedding turning the water into wine. This is two-fold. For the wine connoisseur, it’d be a helpful way to smell, stir, and swish to your hearts desire. But alcoholism would also be up 400%.

Balaam’s Ass speaks: Numbers 22:21-35 – Ok, maybe I was just looking for an excuse to say “ass", but Balaam deserves some cred because I imagine it’s where DreamWorks got the idea for Donkey .

Raising an army of dead: Ezekiel 37: 1-14 – Just think of what it could do to the war on terror… it would bring new meaning to "beating a dead horse".

Confusion and Coals: Isaiah 6:1-8 – The presence of God is like a rubix cube. You really gotta sit down, concentrate, and unpack what you’re looking at. Then, all of a sudden, BAM! Someone burns your mouth like a hot pan of sizzling fajita meat.

Of course there're a lot more miracles & feats in the Bible. I guess I'd be foolish to not mention Jesus taking a crazy beating and then raising himself from the dead. Sounds kind of like Claire Bennet , but without the "saving humanity" and "defeating Satan" part.