"Awake and Alive" by Skillet

Hello! I was up late last night at WinterJam 2012 in Charlotte. To make a long, amazing concert short: IT WAS THE BEST CONCERT I'VE EVER BEEN TO! And I've been to a lot of great concerts!
   One of the best parts was the headlining band, Skillet, performingt their song "Awake and Alive." Jon Cooper, bassist and lead vocals for Skillet, has an intro to the song. To paraphrase, he says, "In this day and age, people will always try to tell you what you can and cannot do and believe. I am tired of being told what to do! I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ! Are you awake and alive?"
   Awake and Alive is a song about being awake to the war inside every man and woman. We are called to be lights to this world, and we cannot let anyone put us down.
  Are you Awake and Alive?

"Walls," by Manic Drive

This is undeniably my favorite song right now. I just heard about this band a few days ago, and I'm already in love! Manic Drive is a Christian band with a style that is a mix of hip-hop and metal. They started out as an indie band under the name One Cross until they were signed to Whiplash Records. They released their first Whiplash Records' album under the name Manic Drive in 2005.
   The song "Walls" is from their record "Blue." Here are the lyrics:

WALLS, Manic Drive

We are one but we're not the same
For a thousand years we've played this game
And the tension rises up
Yeah, the passion's given up

So our God reaches to unite
While amongst ourselves we fight
And I'm sick of wasting time
Yeah, I got something on my mind

So lift your hands, move your feet
Get your, get yourself ready
Lift your flags, hit the streets
And charge
(2x)

No you can never stop it from coming
Those against me can take off running
Cause there's something going down
Ya these walls are coming down
Cause the truth that has been said
Will unite us once again
Cause there's something going down
Ya these walls are coming down

Can we practice what we preach
And turn these fists into hands that reach
Embrace ourselves with open arms
Turn this hate into loving heart

What goes up, must come down
So I'll march towards this town
And undo what has been done
Tear down these bricks and stones one by one

So lift your hands, move your feet
Get your, get yourself ready
Lift your flags, hit the streets
And charge
(2x)

No you can never stop it from coming
Those against me can take off running
Cause there's something going down
Ya these walls are coming down
Cause the truth that has been said
Will unite us once again
(2x, Instrumental, then 2x)

So, listen to the song, read the lyrics, and then continue reading:

   This song is about waking up to this world which is dying. Families are falling apart, people aren't living for God. It's time to "Lift your hands, move your feet, get yourself ready, lift your flag, hit the streets and charge." It's time that the walls that keep us from witnessing, from trying to save those of this world, fall.

    I seriously suggest that those who like Christian rock look up this band. They're great!

God bless!
- Garrett

First Things First

Alright, so first things first. If you're reading this, you're probably thinking, "Who the heck is this?" So here's a few things about me:

(1) I am a Christian, and that will never change. No matter what happens on this earth, I am held and loved by the Creator, who sent His Son as payment for OUR mistakes. Though I am unworthy, I have been made worthy through Jesus Christ. Amen!

(2) I am a music addict! Ninety-five percent (95%) of the music I listen to is explicitly-Christian music, because I believe what I believe about Christianity. Why shouldn't I listen to it? And also, I find it more encouraging or uplifting in my day-to-day life. Trust me: as a teenager, in high school, I NEED encouragement!
   My musical addiction encompasses practically all Christian genres: rock, CCM (that's "Christian Contemporary Music" for you untrained people!), rap, hip-hop, metal, hardcore (aka "screamo"), etc. I don't prefer southern gospel or country. My favorite bands at the moment are Red (metal), Manic Drive (hip-hop/metal), Thousand Foot Krutch (rap/rock), Wolves at the Gate (hardcore), Chris August (CCM), Jeremy Camp (CCM), and Switchfoot (rock).
   I play guitar, and I sing. I am currently in a band called "Heartstrong," which will be getting started fully soon!

(3) Not only a music addict, I also love books. At the risk of weirding you out, I must make this statement: BOOKS ARE USUALLY BETTER THAN MOVIES. My favorite authors are Wayne Thomas Batson, Ted Dekker, Aaron Allston, Troy Denning, Karen Traviss, Chuck Black, Andrew Klavan, and Joel Rosenberg.

(4) A friend and I have an amateur movie production group we call "Two Men & a Camera." We write, direct, and act comedies, action films, and music videos. Also, we are involved in our homeschool group's play "The Pirate Show."

(5) I am an amateur author, and am currently working on two book series. Stay tuned for tips in writing, and for some hints for my books!
(6) I am a semi-average guy, as you may be able to see. Outside of the arts, I love baseball and I looooove hanging out with my friends (my brothers and my sisters!).

   So that's me in a nutshell. I'm a committed Christian teenager, and even though life is hard, I know it would be much worse without God in my life. He is my hope and salvation, and I hope you find out that He's yours too!
   From time to time, I'll post videos, give my take on certain songs, review books and movies, and etcetera. There will be plenty of Scripture (aka, Bible verses!) mixed in, so if that turns you away, so be it. As Paul says in Galations, "I am not living to please men. I live to please God, because if I didn't, I could not call myself a 'Christian.'"

God bless!
- Garrett

Welcome to Rim!

"Welcome to Rim" is a blog by a young author/musician with a heart for God. Stay tuned for moments of life, writing tips and tales, Scripture and Bible Study, and some awesome music and meanings!

- G. Thomas