Sweet Chicken's March 2008 Archives

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March 31, 2008

What I've Been Doing.

What have I been doing lately? I'm busy...therefore, I've been slackin' on the blog-front. Hopefully that will change for me soon...I miss updating.

I've been roastin' with roommates and good friends

I've been celebrating St. Patrick's Day

I've been listening to some new music by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

I've been teaching a Sunday School class on music, it's beauty and God's creation

I've been playing the resume game...hoping for a job before the New World arrives

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 9:22 PM | Comments (3)

March 25, 2008

After watching American Idol tonight I've decided that Brooke has what it takes to be the winner. Although her performance tonight was a little shaky after the band came in, she still brought it. Check out these past performances...

As far as the other contestants go...

1. David Cooke- it was a pretty nifty performance of 'Billie Jean,' however, the emo-cut has to go. Dude, seriously, you're on American Idol
2. David Archuleta- sings good, but somebody has to take the 'Adult Contemporary' out of 'em
3. Kristy Lee Cook- Carter's Fold anyone?
4. Jason Castro- As I asked last week...was he stoned tonight?
5. Chikezie- Luther would have been proud
6. Carly Smithson- Why does she feel the need to channel Celine in every song?
7. Syesha Mercado- earned herself another week...really good, almost Alicia Keys-like, I mean without that whole playing-the-piano thing
8. Micheal Johns- a little too early to sing 'We are the Champions,' but a good job none the less
9. Ramiele- it's time to start packin' those bags

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 9:55 PM | Comments (1)

Guess Who's Going to Radiohead?

I've always wanted to see Radiohead in concert and it will finally happen in May...they're coming to St. Louis! Although I'll be sitting in the lawn, I'm sure it will be one of the best shows I've ever been to. Get ready Thom, I'm sure a critique will be featured on SweetChicken...then you just might move to one of the best bands in the world! Oh wait, you already are!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 9:34 PM | Comments (3)

March 21, 2008

This Friday is Good

I studied Isaiah 53 this week. I found it appropriate since he (Isaiah) prophesied about the coming of Jesus to "make many to be accounted righteous." (Me? Does that include me? Never thought of myself as righteous, but I digress.) Anyway, it is a humbling thought that Christ would arrive on earth all perfect and stuff and live according to how God originally intended us to, and yet He would be the One to be punished. As I look at the pain that Jesus experienced I am reminded of how much fire I am saved from. Isaiah says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." Isaiah goes on to say, "He was despised, and we [again, myself included] esteemed Him not." Isaiah says later in the same chapter, "[He] carried our sorrows," "He was crushed for our iniquities," "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted," "It was the will of the Lord to crush Him," and finally, "Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied." There are other references to the great burdens and heartaches and suffering that were endured by Jesus for our sake, but I'll stop there.
What a blessing we have in Christ! Not only are we saved from the great punishment that brought separation between the Father and Jesus, (however that works I'm not sure, because they're both God), but we have One who identifies with us in our suffering. When we are lonely, fearful, hurting emotionally and physically...when we are hopeless, burdened, and suffering, we can know that He looks at us with empathy and can understand what we go through. No, I do not believe that our hurts are anything close to His experienced, and the Bible agrees with me, (OK, I should reverse that last part), but He is One we can go to in dark times. However difficult it is in hard times to believe that I can pray and talk with someone who seems to not be there, I must remember that His presence is constant. He is here with us.

In Hebrews we are told, "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." Jesus' works on the cross are finished, although the affects continue, His saving-ness and sanctifying-ness, if you will, keep going. Our sin is null and void; it will not keep believers from living in full fellowship with the Father after the second coming of Christ! Good times!
So, not only do we have a God who has made things right for us, (God looks at us as if we are righteous), but, it was all made complete way back when on a cross. Although the world and it's creatures' perfectness is yet to be seen until He comes back to Earth, we have a perfect God to look to, a saving God even, a just God. He is our great Comforter, our great Abider, our great Savior! Praise Jesus!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 7:39 PM

March 19, 2008

Resurrection Roast!

This Saturday my roommates and I will be having our annual Resurrection Roast to celebrate Jesus and the grace that has come to us. It will be a day of ribs, ribs, potatoes, ribs, and beer. Although our good friend Jessie is now in Nepal and Joel is down in South America, we'll continue on with the roastin' and bar-b-q-in'. If you're in the St. Louis area you should come!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 10:13 PM | Comments (1)

American Idol

I just watched yet another incredibly cheesy collective performance by the final 11. A few questions come to mind.

1. Why did they do another week of the Beatles? Have they not figured out that the idols can't do Lennon and McCartney?
2. Was Jason Castro stoned last night?
3. Does anyone else think Jason Castro is the biggest sell-out? Dude...dredlocks AND American Idol. Really? (You can probably tell that he's my favorite)
4. Why did Brooke White sing a song with the words, "do-n-do-do?"
5. Why do they have to make those Ford commercials? They're painful.
6. Could Brooke White be any more perfect? I love her.
7. Has no one told Ryan Seacrest that feauxhawks were cool about 5 years ago? Oh wait, I'm sorry, they were never cool.

My final question is for Amanda Overmeyer:

Do you know that just because you sang a song entitled,"Back in the USSR," doesn't mean that you have to shout loud enough for all of Boris Yeltsin's family to hear the performance?

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 9:51 PM

March 10, 2008

Only 3 Weeks...

until the Cards return to Busch Stadium!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 10:12 PM

March 9, 2008

It's Dodgeball Baby!

So one of my best friends, Rachel, sent a notice that Adult Dodgeball Leagues are coming up in our hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee. I was very excited to hear about this. I wonder if they have Dodgeball in St. Louis? I remember being in gym class at Washington Elementary a dreading the words, "Let's play dodgeball!" I was always thinking to myself, "Come on Ms. Adkins, can't we play some 'Jump-the-River'?" Anyway, it's a lot of fun to play now...it's good to hear that Kingsport is following the way of the red rubberball!

Posted by Nathan Gemayel at 7:13 PM | Comments (7)

Music. Why?

Why Music? Does it really have any relevance in our day and age? I mean, more people watch the Superbowl than the Grammys, MTV Awards, American Music Awards, and the American Idol Finale combined. So, why music?
I've been looking at this very question over the past week or so as I have been preparing for a Sunday School lesson. We see in scripture that David praised the Father in Psalms, and also came to him in fear...both to the tune of music. The prodigal son returned to his father and the servants we're put work in celebration and joy, music was a part of that celebration. St. John on the island of Patmos had visions and dreams that came together in the book of Revelation...much of which was the singing of praise. So, why music?
As we know, the Lord created the world and all its beings. He placed us on the Earth for relationship with Him and His created beings...He created us in His own image. We see this in the first few chapters of Genesis. Not only did He create us, but He gave us a creative responsibility when He gave Adam the task of naming the animals. We live in a beautiful and diverse world where God's fingerprint is everywhere around us. We can look at scripture and see how our creative tendencies produced music and song in scripture, and how we have the great gift of musicality today as well.

The thing about music is that it's universal. Everywhere around the world, among every socioeconomic level, and with every race there is music and song. It is one thing in the world that connects ALL people! Music has the possibility of connecting people of all generations. Norah Jones is one that comes to mind, she is one of the only artists that both my parents and I really like...HA! In the eighties we had Micheal Jackson's Thriller, and in the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, and even today we have Bob Dylan, whose songs are heard all over and people of all generations enjoy his music and what he has to say.

Music connects people through experience. It was the year 2000 and Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory had just come out amongst a genre of music that was dying, Rap/Metal.
LinkinPark_by James Minchin.jpg
Although the rest of their counterparts we're falling off the charts, their album was becoming the highest sold album of the year...a year with major releases by Britney Spears, *N Sync, and Eminem. How could this be the case? Their album was written by a guy in the band who had grown up in an extremely abusive household. The music from the album was based on that alone...his fears as a result, his pride being broken, his self-abusive behavior. If you listen to any song you can hear the anger; and why so many kids came to love that album...someone finally understood what they felt and how they live...it was instant connection for many.
Music is beautiful and a connector for all. I can listen to a song in another language and not know or understand a single song, but get the emotion behind it. I can recognize it as beautiful.
For all the reasons, playing music, writing music, and just plain listening to music is a spiritual act. We connect to God's creations, therefore we connect to God. He pulls us to Him through music, and causes us to pray, to be in relationship with Him. Music is a blessing!