On the Doulos Blog

Sean asked us to write about how an article or song challenged us in Paste Magazine and post it on the doulos blog (there's a link to it under Five40Five). Here's what I wrote:

Ok guys, I started thumbing through Paste in 1st period (ignoring the notes on the Hebrew language that I was supposed to be taking...) and just looking at the pictures and titles of articles. Who really starts reading a magazine before looking at the pictures anyway?
By my second class I was actually reading the y articles. Paste is totally different from anything I've read before (I tend to live under a rock when it comes to culture, so maybe that's why...), it has such a variety of music. When you label the music genres it includes, they seems so unrelated, but Paste somehow makes them all go together.
So after last period I went straight home (via the Watson's lil two-toned Saturn) and I brought up the blog in my browser and read "the assignment." I was totally excited and went to finish reading Paste from cover to cover. As I was getting near the end, even though I had jotted down gazillions of notes/doodles in the margins, nothing was shouting at me to blog about.
Kinda sad, I found the CD from Paste, dug my lil sis' CD player out from under her laundry pile, and pressed play. #19 (Slow Motion Reign, Isn't It Time?) started as I was scrubbing my pearly whites with that icky stuff called "Crest" (what a gross name for toothpaste, it's so similar to "crust". I don't want to brush my teeth with something that reminds me of the word "crusty"...).
Anyways, I guess the song just kinda spoke to me and said something quite similar to "yeah, life seems mundane sometimes, but it's your perception. Look around you, God's doing tons of cool stuff and your friends and family are amazing, perfect examples. -So what if you've got homework, college, work, etc to worry about? This isn't about you, it's about others. Don't just drop out emotionally 'cus you don't feel it today." Hmm, artistic expression and how does it challenge me... I guess it just encourages me not to get caught up in the basic things like grades, gossip, etc. I gotta be different 'cus I'm representing Christ. I want there to be a difference between me and even the kids who are super nice and not Christian. Since I've been dealing personally with pride a lot lately, the song really applied to that.
"Isn't It Time?"
The whole world is turning nine to five
I have and I know it takes a lot to stay alive
The demons got you by your throat again, again, again
Your life running low
On four-0-five insane

Hey now isn't it time
To get out of here
Pick a day just any day
Will disappear without a trace

Got to make some money
Got to make percent
All the moneys gone, now you're theirs to own
This illusion is the very thing
That makes you real
This rat race in the rat maze
Round and round and round in a wheel

Hey now isn't it time to get out of here
Pick a day any day

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Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God
- soon I'll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He's my God.
-Psalm 42:5, The Message :-)

I chose Psalm 42:5 pretty much 'cus the lyrics are a bit hopeless, but we definitely have hope.

...Not sure if I really wrote about what was asked of me...oh well, it was fun writing it.