A Quarry To Blast

Come one and all
There's a place for you here
Where the dusty, cracked cups
Turn to fountains and burst
Where the cracks in your soul
Beam with light once they're filled
Because no one's alive
'Till they're freed from death first

Life's a quarry to blast
Living and dying to be born at last

Calling all hearts:
If a bell's born to ring
Then a person is born
For the very same thing
So head for the streets
There are stories to tell
There are leaks to keep leaking
From life-giving wells

Life's a quarry to blast
Living and dying to be born at last

The Exposition of Beauty Through Tragedy

The leaning of ledges on true fate just fell
True tragedies surface, but take time to tell
And IF there is anything thriving in strife
If MUST be true life

Since dust clouds get thin like a wrinkle gets deep
I squint with impatience and scan the great heap
And not to conclude here, it's too thick to tell
But it LOOKS like hell

I ran through the cloud with my hopes draining dry
Through dust I saw devils and dreaded I'd die
Trees tilted, woods wilted; destruction had won
I wanted to run

Through tears I kept looking and calling in vain
A few friends showed up, so I had to explain
That all of the beauty we built to belong...
We built it all wrong

We circled and prayed with our eyes open wide
At last, we prayed true. We had nothing to hide.
The beauty we hid with the acts that we posed
At last were exposed

**Aaron Weiss**

I love the way Aaron from mewithoutYou writes his songs. I cannot guarantee that I agree with everything he says, but I can guarantee that I believe that he believes what he says. The words that go into mewithoutYou's songs are so sincere, so honest. Here are the lyrics to a song that I think particularly highlights Aaron's ability to make things sound fresh and real.

A Stick, A Carrot, and A String

the horse's hay beneath his head
our Lord was born to a manger bed
that all whose wells run dry
could drink of his supply

to keep him warm, the sheep drew near
so grateful for His coming here
come with news of grace
come to take my place
the donkey whispered in his ear
"child, in 30-some-odd years
you'll ride someone who looks like me
untriumphantly"

the cardinals warbled a joyful song
he'll make right what man made wrong
bringing low the hills
that the valleys might be filled

then "child", asked the birds
"well, aren't they lovely words we sing?"
the tiny baby layed there
without saying anything

at a distance stood a mangy goat
with the crooked teeth and a matted coat
weary eyes and worn
chipped and twisted horns

thinking "maybe I'll make friends someday
with the cows and the hens in the rambouillet
but for now, I'll keep away
I've got nothing smart to say"

there's a sign on the barn
in the cabbage town
"when the rain picks up
and the sun goes down
sinners, come inside
with no money, come and buy

no clever talk, nor a gift to bring
requires our lowly, lovely king
come now empty handed, you don't need anything"

and the night was cool
and clear as glass
with the sneaking snake in the garden grass
deep cried out to deep
the disciples fast asleep

and the snake perked up
when he heard You ask
"if you're willing that
this cup might pass
we could find our way back home
maybe start a family all our own"

"but does not the Father guide the Son?
not my will, but yours be done.
what else here to do?
what else me, but You?"

and the snake who'd held the world
a stick, a carrot and a string
was crushed beneath the foot
of your not wanting anything

The Lyrics of Jon Foreman

So sorry that I missed last week's Saturday feature. If you'll remember, Saturday was a pretty busy day for the band and me. :)

This Saturday, I wanted to feature songwriter Jon Foreman. Over the past couple of years he released four ep's, one named after each season. I was very impressed with the sound and lyrical content of these four ep's. I was already a fan of his band Switchfoot, but when I heard his incredibly original solo material he became one of my faves. So here is one of the songs from his Fall ep.

Equally Skilled

How miserable I am

I feel like a fruit-picker who arrived here

After the harvest

There's nothing here at all

Nothing at all here that could placate my hunger

The godly people are all gone

There's not one honest soul left alive

Here on the planet

We're all murderers and thieves

Setting traps here for even our brothers

And both of our hands are equally skilled

At doing evil, equally skilled

At bribing the judges, equally skilled

At perverting justice

Both of our hands

Both of our hands

The day of justice comes

And is even now swiftly arriving

Don't trust anyone at all

Not your best friend or even your wife

For the son hates the father

The daughter despises even her mother

Look, your enemies arrive

Right in the room of your very household

And both of their hands are equally skilled

At doing evil, equally skilled

At bribing the judges, equally skilled

At perverting justice

Both of their hands

Both of their hands

No, don't gloat over me

Though I fall, though I fall

I will rise again

Though I sit here in darkness

The Lord, the Lord alone

He will be my light

I will be patient as the Lord

Punishes me for the wrongs I've done

Against Him

After that, He'll take my case

Bringing me to light and the justice

For all I have suffered

And both of His hands

Are equally skilled

At ruining evil, equally skilled

At judging the judges, equally skilled

Administering justice

Both of His hands

Both of His hands

Are equally skilled

At showing me mercy, equally skilled

At loving the loveless, equally skilled

Administering justice

Both of His hands

Both of His hands

Sun and Rain (We BLOOM)

{brand new acoustic song. the pages I wrote the song on still smell like Starbucks.}

Soft curls bounce like laughter

Bright eyes beam like life can't part

-the start

Heart beats drum the cadence

Marching life between the womb

and tomb

We BLOOM

As long as You are here

I'll march along

I will not fear

You're the sun and You're the rain

Ground is gained o'er hurdles

Things are found when things are lost

-the cost

Conflict writes the story

Housing comedy with room

for gloom

We BLOOM

And maybe I will stick around for 80 more years

Or this could be the day

You're taking me away

No need for tears

As long as You are here...

Packaged and Sold

The toll of the toil is this

To give it that lyrical kiss

You're frozen in time

And without a dime

But then when it is, it just is.

Life's not to become, it's to be

I've learned this the hard way, you see

As stories unfold

They're packaged and sold

So you should check out my EP. :)

...on amazon. Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JMTN8Q/ref=dm_ty_alb_img?ie=UTF8&qid=1272717103&sr=8-1

The Healing

Its time to wrap the burns,

To get up off your knees,

And then demand the terms

Of freedom, of release

So start the car and drive

And clear the wheezing cough

To make it out alive,

Break all the mirrors off

Since hurt won't hold you now

I know some hands that will

The cost: a sober vow

the payment: ceaseless fill