91. Guardian: Dime
92. Guardian: Live
93. Guardian: Nunca Te Dire Adios
94. Guardian: Promesa
95. Hawk Nelson: Letters To The President
96. Hawk Nelson: Smile, It's The End Of The World
97. High School Musical: High School Musical
98. Hillsong: Acoustic
99. Hillsong London: Jesus Is
100. Hillsong London: Shout God's Fame

Guardian is some good old school rock. This is a band that was American, but had album releases in Spanish all the time. For a while they were the only rock band that would sing in Spanish, so in Latin Amerinca (or at least Guate) they were huge. I remember going to one of their concerts... super good!

Hawk Nelson is a cool band. They have some good lyrics and very diverse music. I like 'em a lot!

High School Musical: no comment, i don't this album will stay here for long

The Acoustic CD from Hillsong is pretty much amazing! These are songs from Hillsong and United performed just wth acoustic guitars. Amazing!

Hillsong London: I must admit that I like London better than the regular Hillsong... there's something different about them. The're is so much power in their music. Good Stuff.

Luke 17:11-17

--Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." --

Who would have thought of all the things that I lived in the past year? 365 days ago I was officially leaving everything that i knew and saw as comfortable, to start new. I got on that plane in Guatemala City to finally arrive in West Palm Beach, Florida. Little did I know the journey God had prepared for me.

He had been preparing the way for me to leave Guate and be here in the US. He had given me a dream, walked me through a 4 year process, and finally sent me to fulfill it. I could've not been more excited once I was here. But I don't want to ramble about this, if you want to hear my testimony I will sit down with you and talk about it over coffee. Seriously, ask me.

The whole purpose for me to write this is because I am so thankful. I have seen God's hand at work in my life everyday of the past year. The Bible passage from above is my favorite passage of all scripture. I don't want to over analyze it, except for the fact that it is teaching us to be thankful. If that passage was a statistic 1 out of every 10 people are thankful. Sad, huh?

But that ex-leper didn't just say thanks; he screamed it out of the top of his longs. He also knelt before Jesus. I want to be like this ex-leper. So, I'm going to list a lot of things that I am thankful for. Feel free to stop reading whenever you want; this is my loud way of saying thanks. After I'm done writing this I am going go kneel and pray.

Thanks for your love and mercy; because I have failed you time and time again, but you continue to hold my life in the palm of your hands. Thanks for counting every tear that has come out of my eyes. Thank you for allowing me to be at the right place at the right time. Thank you for beating me into shape, and also lovingly whispering encouragement in my ear. Thanks for where you have placed me: church, work, classes, trains, streets, situation, stage, and groups. Thank you for your talents. Thanks for the people that you have put in my life: those who love, the ones that provide, the ones who give me rides, the ones who clash against me, the ones that call me, the ones that care for me, the ones that hug, the ones that make me laugh, the ones who smile, the ones who encourage me, the ones that teach, the ones who push, the ones that demand excellence, the ones that minister, the ones who continually bless me. Thanks for the times I cried. Thanks for the times I felt lonely. Thanks for the times I laughed. Thanks for the times I felt overwhelmed by people. Thanks for the opportunities. Thanks for the food. Thanks for the times I missed home. Thanks for times I was able to go home. Thanks for the times you allowed me to testify to people. Thanks for the times you gave me words to speak truth. Thanks for the times that I laughed with you alone. Thanks for making me smart. Thanks for allowing me to do well in school. Thanks for giving me abilities. Thanks for the train rides. Thanks for the romantic interests. Thanks for the times of the fat cows. Thanks for the times where they were not so fat. Thanks for everything... absolutely everything.

81. Fireflight: The Healing of Harms
82. Five O'Clock People: The Nothing Venture
83. Flyleaf: Flyleaf
84. FM Static: What Are You Waiting For?
85. The Fold: This Too Shall Pass
86. Forerunner Music: I Can't Wait
87. The Fray: How To Save A Life
88. Funky: En Vivo Desde Costa Rica
89. Further Seems Forever: Hide Nothing
90. Fusebox: Once Again

Fireflight's album is ridiculously rocking good! Much better produced than the album I posted on my last blog. A girl sings, so that gives it a cool sound too. The album might be a little too short.

Five O'Clock People is amazing. I like the whole acoustic (sometimes sounding like country) thing. I wish I could play the guitar like them.

Flyleaf has great lyrics. The music is really good. I don't have a lot of heavy music, but this I like a lot. Again a girl sings (and screams) in this band... I like it a lot!

FM Static is a band that does not have great lyrics, or it is not the best band musically. But it does bring back a lot of good high school memories. They lyrics are more for that age group. I remember thoroughly enjoying their music. Good Stuff.

The Fold: This band has recently come to my attention. I really liked their music. I'm not sure what it sounds like, but it sounds good. Definitely keeping this album on my iTunes.

Forerunner Music: I have no idea where I got this album from. It is just worship music, very well produced. Some songs are rather simple, but there are a few that touched me.

The Fray: I really don't see what the big fuss about this band is. There are 2 good songs in the whole album, the rest sound like each other. They just have a really good song (How to Save a Life) but that's it. I fell asleep listening to the album, that says it all to me.

I am not a big fan of reggaeton. So, Funky is an interesting incorporation to my iTunes. I thought it was an okay album, but towards the end it got a lil bit on my nerver... maybe I'll keep just a couple of songs.

Further Seems Forever has a cool name. lol. But good music too. They have a good sound, something that i enjoy listening to. This was the first time listening to their album, so I don't have huge revelations about them yet.

Fusebox is an interesting mix of pop-rock and worship music. Some songs are great worship songs, others are just a rocky tune. I liked it a lot.

Change sucks. I am petrified of change. In a way, I am comfortable where I am. I can breathe easy. I can relax, and be unstressed and just enjoy. Why should things change? It seems that things are not only changing for me, but for others who are close to me. The question here is why?

I once heard an amazing man who I respect and admire talk about a "machete", which is basically a big ol' knife used to do agricultural labor. These tend to be long and with a very sharp edge. They are used for very hard labor, so the material should be resistant. At the same time, it should be flexible enough to not break upon impact. The best machete can be grabbed at the sharpest tip and bent towards the handle without the blade snapping in half. This is a useful machete; one that will withstand the labor and bounce back from the hardest stroke.

But a machete does not just turn out to be like that. The material that makes up the blade is not like that at first, it needs to be purified and molded towards that perfect state. The only way this metal blade will mold and behave according to the desired purpose is through being put to the fire. The refiner will heat the blade until it is burning red, to then proceed to hammer it to make the blade thin and flexible. The refiner will then let it cool and then test the flexibility of the blade. If it does not bend like the refiner wants, the process will be repeated. It will burn again. It will get hammered again. This will happen continuously until it bends. The result is a perfect blade, specifically made to fulfill its purpose.

Zechariah 13:9 "This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.' "

We are burned and hammered to fulfill our purpose. And God does not want to harm us, but allow us to be that perfect blade He can use to it's maximum potential. Why change? I would answer my own question by saying that this change will make me the perfect blade. It is so hard and scary to deal with change, but it is a step forward to becoming more like Christ. God will lovingly burn, hammer, and bend. Let me assure you that after it is over your heart will sing: "the Lord is my God."

71. Everyday Sunday: Anthems for the Imperfect
72. Everyday Sunday: Stand Up
73. Exit East: Exit East
74. Fair: The Best Worst Case Scenario
75. Falling Up: Crashings
76. Falling Up: Dawn Escapes
77. Family Force 5: Business Up Front, Party in the Back
78. Fermin IV: Boomerang
79. Fighting Instinct: Fighting Instinct
80. Fireflight: Glam-Rok

Everyday Sunday was good. This albums are some of their older ones, but still good nonetheless. I enjoyed listening to their worship, but contemporary rock style. I must say that it seems like there are some songs that do not fit in the albums, they are kinda strangely placed.

Exit East is one of those bands that have always been on my library and they aren't outstanding. I like them though. It's easy listening music that's well produced.

Fair is probably my favorite band now. Remember Aaron Sprinkle from my first music blog? Well, he's the lead singer for this band. This band sounds nothing like anything I have. It is very well played music and very well produced. The whole album has harmony and I must admit that I heard it more than once. I believe they were also nominated for a Grammy.

Falling Up gives me energy. Their music is not necessarily loud rock, but just energetic rock. Falling Up combines beats, fast paced lyrics, and rare combinations of sounds to make amazing music.

Family Force 5 i disliked very much. It felt like torture trying to listen to an album that is pseudo-rap and pseudo-hard rock. It's floating in limbo. Lyrically it is probably the worst album I have. DELETE

Fermin IV is not the best album I have musically, but lyrically it's one of the best. Fermin tells the story of how he came to Christ after being part of the most profane rap bands in Spanish music (Control Machete). This is his debut album and he puts it out there that he has changed and brings a hope of Salvation to everyone.

Fighting Instinct was ok. They had a couple of good songs, but that's it. They kept reminding me of Creed. Their music sounds very like that. Good album.

Fireflight is awesome. This album is not their best work and sounds very amateur produced. I know for a fact that their second album is way better produced (next blog). Great Band.

2 Peter 1:5-6 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness."

I have taken a couple of weeks to try and understand this. I am a little confused, so this blog will be quick and to the point.

First, let me try to explain what godliness is. It comes from the Greek noun "EUSEBEIA", which happens 15 times in the New Testament. This noun has a predominant sense of godliness and piety. It also denotes devotion to God characterized by a life of conformity to his will. Are you confused? I was a little bit too when I first read this, but I like sounding smart! Haha. Basically, godliness means living to do God's will with everything that is in me. With this clear, let's take a look at 3 passages.

1 Tim. 2:1-3 "that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior."

Simple. Living in godliness pleases God. It makes him smile. It makes him happy. But also, we need some peace and quiet in our lives to have godliness. It is in these quiet times that God tells us what he wants from us. Without those times we do not know his will. If we don't know it, we can't obey it.

This brings me to my second verse. Titus1:1 "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness."

I have written about knowledge again, but without it, it is hard to have godliness. The knowledge of God brings about a godly living (1 Peter 1:3). If do not cultivate the knowledge of who we serve and who we are trying to serve we cannot fully please him. If we do not try to understand God, if we do not have a passion to know him, living to do his will gets complicated. How can we do God's will if we don't know what his will is?

1 Tim. 4:7-8 "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

TRAIN. No, not like the chu chu train. Physical training gives your body resistance to pain and tiredness. The more you train the more you body can do with less effort. Godliness seems to be the same way. The more you obey God, the easier it becomes to continue to do so. You start with something small and eventually work your way up to obeying God in the huge steps and decisions in your life. Don't expect God to tell you to jump on a plane and be a missionary to Iraq if you can't bring yourself to obey God in something as simple as to give your tithe. You gotta train your will, so that it slowly becomes like God's own. The verse here is trying to compare physical activity to your spiritual life. It adds that spiritual exercise is not only good for this life but for our eternal life.

So, that's all I have to say. Exercise. Be hungry for the knowledge of God. And live to please Him. Go and Put a smile on God's face.

61. Delirious?: World Service
62. Denison Marrs: Denison Marrs
63. Diana Krall: Live in Paris
64. Disciple: Disciple
65. Distronica: Electric Hymns
66. Downhere: Wide-Eyed and Mysitfied
67. Earl Klugh Trio: The Earl Klugh Trio, Vol. 1
68. Emery: The Question
69. Emery: The Question (Presale Exclusive Acoustic EP)
70. Estates: Be Fair - EP

I think that Worldwide is the best Delirious? album. The music is amazing and the lyrics are just as good.

Denison Marrs has an interesting concept of music, but the album was very similar. Not necessarily repetitive, but alittle monotone. I did like a couple of acoustic touch and lyrically.

Diana Krall is just jazz, great jazz!

Disciple is just a hardcore band, but with some touch of ballad rock, and strong and powerful lyrics. I very much enjoyed this album!

Distronica is one of those random albums that I have in my library. This is an electronic music album, and at first it seems weird. But once you listen to it it's a mixture of house and electro-pop. It sucks you in.

Downhere: Spoke to me so much. This is a band that has impacted me the most lately. Musically they are awesome.

Earl Klugh is just jazz with an amazing acoustic guitar player.

Emery is a rockin' band!

Estates is a new and upcoming band with a great new fresh sound. Nothing like you've ever heard before.

Have you ever been in love, or have had a crush on someone, or felt something for someone else, or have had some sort of romantic interest? It's one of the most amazing, and mind-boggling feelings anyone can ever have.

You can do anything else but think about that person. If you're in class you daydream about spending time with that person. Your notebook is full of little drawings of your name and the person's name with a heart around it. When you talk to your friends all that comes out of your mouth is related to that person. You helplessly experience all of this and truly enjoy it.

When you see that person your heart races. Your breathing pattern changes. You literally see white doves hover over the person's head while a ray of light parts the clouds and positions itself right over that person. You see the person walk by and all your senses concentrate on that. You don't smell anything. Your sight blocks everything but that person out. You suddenly become deaf. You loose sense of time and space. It's almost like you loose yourself in the thought of that person.

When you spend time with that person time seems to stand still and at the same time fly by. If that person approaches you, you don't know what to say. You start stumbling over your words and are always thinking what the other person thinks of you. You are supper stressed trying to get their attention and make the best impression ever.

You invest time and energy into that person, with the hopes that something interesting (a relationship?) may happen. As humans we tend to focus the person we like, even to the point of forgetting the rest of the world.

This is not my declaration of love to anyone, so ladies don't get your hopes up! lol But I have seen some parallels with human behavior and my relationship with God. I want to be in love with God.

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
Matthew 22: 37

I want my relationship with God to be described as what I wrote above. If my relationship to a person can be like that, why can it not be the same way with God? I want to loose all my senses when God is near. I want to think about God all though my day. I want nothing more than to want to talk and spent time with God, even if I stumble over my words. I want to invest my time and energy to please God and, in a way, try to give him the best impression possible. I want to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and everything that is within me. That's what I want to do, I hope that you desire the same thing.

I think this is a good set, there were a few surprises. Good stuff overall. Oh, btw, happy 4th of July!

51. Day of Fire: Cut and Move [Pre-Release]
52. Day of Fire: Day of Fire
53. dcTalk: Freak Show
54. dcTalk: Intermissions: The Greatest Hits
55. dcTalk: Jesus Freak
56. dcTalk: Supernatural
57. Decyfer Down: End of Grey
58. Delirious?: Deeper (Disc 2)
59. Delirious?: Glo
60. Delirious?: Touch

Day of Fire was mostly good. Their Cut and Move album is a little repetitive. Their Day of Fire album has a couple of amazing songs like Cornerstone and Detainer.

dcTalk is a walk down memory lane for me. It was amazing to just listen to every song in every album and just remember so many emotons, and thoughts, and situations. dcTalk defiantely marked my life. I remember how Jesus Freak would irritate my parents 'cause as a 12 or 13 yr old I would play it loud and often! Welcome to the Freak Show has to be the best recorded live album in Christian Contemporary music EVER! It is so well mastered and put together, I still have to hear something that sounds as good. I love dcTalk, and to be honest, i do not listen much to it now, but these 4 albums were awesome. I guess I do miss dcTalk and wish they would still make music together. Maybe that's why I dislike Toby Mac's music, and Kevin Max's music, and Tait's music, they don't sound as good appart.

Decyfer Down was pretty good. They are such a rockin' band; more than I expected it to be. I had not listened to them a lot, but they blew me away. They have potential to be one of my favorite bands, I just gotta listen to them more in depth.

Finally Delirious? is also one of my all time favorites. I dunno what makes them sound so different, but they always stand out and make some ridiculously good album. They sound so unlike anything else and unplain. I guess it's the whole European vibe that American bands lack, but I can not figure out what it is.

More to come soon!

2 Peter 1:5-6 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, PERSEVERANCE..."

This is the perfect week for me to be learning about perseverance. For a while now I have been making plans of what to make of the money I'm earning, the life I'm living, the friends I have, and the strength I have been provided. I saw myself in a near future being happy and, above all, honoring God. But all of those amazing plans seemed to crumble due to a series of circumstances this week. My money has to go somewhere else, my strength and energy too. Some of my priorities have re-arranged.

My heart was broken. I didn't understand why. It's not like my plans were selfish or were thought out with wrong intentions. The big issue here is not the fact that my dreams crumbled, but that the adjustments that I had to make will bring huge changes for me. It's going to be hard to not be able to do what I used to. I know that there are hard, maybe even lonely, times ahead for me. What's to come will not be easy for me; it will test my faith; it will make me persevere.

Romans 5:3 " ...because we know that suffering produces perseverance."

This verse is really obvious, but so true. As Christians, we have to know that when there is a trial or a hard time, perseverance will come around. Perseverance is not something that happens; it's an action that you have to chose to do in those hard moments. When those waves of trouble hit you, as a human you want to give up. It will feel like nothing will be able to take that burden away. You will be angry with God and will question Him also.

Perseverance is overcoming those feelings and letting God be in control. Sounds rough huh? When we realize that God allows things to happen for a reason and that good will come out of the bad, perseverance will make sense. Perhaps it will make even more sense after you read the following verse.

James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

JOY?!?!?! Ok, so maybe the whole perseverance thing is hard, but joy? Is the author of this verse serious? He is. Why joy? Why perseverance? It will make you complete and mature. Your faith will remain baby-like if you do not face trials. Trials will change your perspective of life. They will make you closer to God. They will make you strong. They will make you endure. But you need to have perseverance.

Maybe you are not going through a rough time as you read this, but you will. Life is not all pink tutus and roses. Life is not always your parents providing for you. Life is not always comfortable. I was probably getting too comfortable and needed a change. Be prepared and know that God is in control and that you will be more like Jesus once your trial is done.

For those who are facing rough times, there is hope. You can't expect to do it all on your own, but learn to lean on God. Once you give Him your burden, things will look less gray. Just know that once this is over you will be smiling and rejoicing because God led you through a dessert.