Book Review: Spiritual Warfare for Women

Women everywhere are succumbing to the tactics of an enemy who has already been defeated, while others are fighting a fierce battle. Why is this happening? Is there an insider secret that some women are not privy to? Leighann McCoy’s newest book Spiritual Warfare for Women is an armory of spiritual truth aimed at equipping women of God to fight for what they love most—their marriage, their children, their family, and their friends.

McCoy begins with an introduction to the most powerful weapon a woman can wield—the love of God. She also exposes the real enemy, Satan, for who he is. The author goes on to address the targets the enemy’s fiery darts aim at. Lastly, McCoy teaches women where they can find their true identity and how to defeat the enemy.

Leighann McCoy isn’t a leader standing back from the crossfire pointing the way; she’s a battle-bruised soldier walking through the trenches, mobilizing countless women almost petrified in a state of fear and anxiety. She shares her own personal experiences, including a cancer diagnosis, as someone who was fighting the enemy as she was writing the book. Some woman may be thought of as the weaker vessel physically, but their strength for spiritual battle is unmatched when their prayer life is fueled with faith and their eyes opened to biblical truth.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the above mentioned book for review from Bethany House. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Wilderness and the Desert of the Real

The Wilderness and the Desert of the Real by Geoff Hall is the first book of a four-part series in Spiritual Direction in a Postmodern Landscape. It is an illuminating landmark in a worldly terrain of illusory ideas. Hall states that after the Christian artist is called by God, he/she will traverse a personal journey through a wilderness of sorts, chosen by God—a time when the artist’s life is stripped to its bare minimum and his/her faith is “tried and tested” in preparation for the fulfillment of his/her calling. It is also a time when an intimacy with God is sought without distractions.

Hall shares that after the wilderness experience, the artist reenters ‘The Desert of the Real’ or UnReal,—the landscape of postmodern thought and Buddhist nihilism grounded in nothingness and despair—borrowed and reflected by our culture and mimicked in the art world. However, this reflection is best understood as a mirage because it’s not based on something genuine.

With this introductory essay, the author creates an exhilarating and challenging spiritual manifesto for today’s artist. It affirms the idea that our authenticity as artists arises from our personal encounter and relationship with God. Therefore, the believing artist rooted in a deep-seated Christian spirituality, strengthened through a wilderness experience, can participate in the issues of our day with an art founded in truth, revelation and redemption, as scale-tipping counterweights to the delusional thinking of our age.

You can purchase The Wilderness and the Desert of the Real  by Geoff Hall through Upptacka Press  (ISBN-13: 978-0-9568034-0-5).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the above mentioned book from Geoff Hall. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Musician Interview: Jimmy Ward

Tell us about your musical background.

I started playing music when I was pretty young, 10 years old. My Dad played the guitar, and I wanted to be like my Dad, so I asked him to teach me. I mainly played Bluegrass flat-pick guitar for the first few years, emulating the styles of players like Dan Crary and Tony Rice (still one of my favorite guitar players to this day). I also joined the school band in the 4th grade, playing clarinet up through jr. high. Music became a regular part of my life and I loved it. I also picked up the banjo and mandolin in these early years.  When I was a teenager I picked up an electric guitar for the first time and discovered a new sonic landscape to get lost in.  I quickly fell in love with bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Live, Our Lady Peace, and other products of the 90’s grunge and alt rock scene.  I’ve played in rock bands over the years, the most recent being a band called Thin December, which disbanded a few years ago.

How has being the worship leader at your church shaped and challenged you as a musician?

Being a worship leader has challenged me as a musician in a lot of ways. One of the biggest things for me was learning how to sing! I began as a guitar player primarily. I started playing guitar at Warehouse Christian Ministries in high school and remained an instrumental accompanist for a while. I only started singing because there was a need. I started singing in the college group, then began leading worship for a Sunday night service. The Sunday night service, called Forty2 (after Psalm 42), was where it became clear to me that leading worship was a calling that God had placed on me. It was a gradual process that the Lord put me through to take me to where I am today.  As the music director, I am continually challenged in new ways; working with other singers on their harmony or solo parts, working with musicians on their parts, song arrangements and instrumentation for the services.  I’m still learning a lot.

Can you share the background story of how your debut CD Home came about?

When I came on staff at WCM as the music director 3+ years ago we decided to record a worship  album.  The idea was to record a worship record that was a representation of what I do as a worship leader on a regular basis at WCM. It would contain songs that I introduced to the congregation, songs we sing on a regular basis, a couple of hymns, and a few original tracks as well.  The record is essentially the culmination of years of leading worship at WCM.

You wrote or co-wrote “Here Before You,” “In Your Hands,” and “Home.”  What messages did you hope to convey through these songs and the CD as a whole?

The original songs on the album were written a few years prior to recording. I was leading worship on Sunday nights for a service that really allowed us to dig deep musically. Also, we could be loud! We formed a rock worship band for that service and it was from this band that the songs emerged.  All of them emphasize a very intimate worship experience with God, which was the guiding idea behind the Sunday night service. Psalm 42:1,2 says “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” This deep yearning for God shaped my vision of worship and led us to write these songs.

“Here Before You” is about a moment in time, broken before God, and wanting absolutely nothing else. “In Your Hands” is much the same, though a bit more expressive.  The lyrics describe doubts, fears, and our innermost thoughts bare before the Lord. I love these kinds of songs because they are real and honest to me. I love the Psalms for this reason as well. So many of the Psalms are pure emotion, poured out before God. Psalm 55:4,5 says “my heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.” The emotion is so raw and honest. Then later, “But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.” “Home” is another simple worship song expressing the idea of coming home to the Lord, of recognizing a time spent apart, or even just a slight drifting apart, and then suddenly coming back and realizing the overwhelming presence of God in your heart and soul. The story of the prodigal son has always been one of my favorites.

All artists imagine how their work will turn out. What did you envision for your first CD and how is it different from what was produced?

The record took me a long time to make. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and a bit obsessive so I spent a long time experimenting with parts trying to get everything to sound right. As a result, it sounded pretty much how I imagined.  I’m happy with it, though next time I go into the studio it will be different. I’ll probably make something that’s simpler instrumentally and sonically, a bit more raw, and hopefully a lot faster!

What did you learn about yourself and about God through this musical project?

I learned that my guitar playing had declined! As the worship leader, I’ve spent a lot of time singing and playing rhythm guitar, which doesn’t allow for a lot of guitar playing. I knew I wanted to record all the guitars on the record and at some point during the process I realized that I needed to WRITE all the guitar parts first, and practice them. It actually felt pretty good to do a bit of pure guitar playing.  On a more serious note, I also learned more about the faithfulness of God.  I’ve always been a very impatient person and being able to record these songs, some of which are a few years old, was a lesson to me about patience and faithfulness. God’s timing is perfect.

Why is it important for you to share your faith through your musical talents?

I think it’s important for all of us to share our faith through whatever we do in life. We all have talents and skills. We all have social lives, people we can talk with and be examples to. Our ministries go with us wherever we are. I’ve been given some talent in music and so that’s one of the ways I share my faith.

What is your concept of worship?

This question is hard to answer in a short interview, but I’ll try to sum up my thoughts on it. I believe that worship is our response to all that God has done for us. I think it is something that we were all made to do and something that we all long for. We can worship God in a number of ways, but worshipping through song is the most powerful for me personally. I mentioned Psalm 42 earlier.  That passage has always been at the heart of worship for me. The psalmist expresses a deep longing for communion with God that has always resonated with me. “Deep cries out to deep, in the roar of your waterfalls, all your waves and breakers have swept over me…” Music is like an emotional language unto itself, one that can carry these sentiments, and that’s why I love it.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Right now I’m getting ready to produce a couple of projects, not my own music. I’m excited because it’s something different for me.  Instead of getting hung up on the one guitar line I had to play 20 times I get to sit back, let someone else play, and look at the bigger picture of the song and the project as a whole.  As far as my own music, I’m writing songs right now, but they are quite a bit different from the music on Home. My next musical project will probably be very stripped down, folk/roots music.  As much as I love big electric guitars and rock music, these other songs are emerging and I’m excited!

Additional Thoughts:

I’d love to give away some music!

CD GIVEAWAY CONTEST: If you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered to win 1 of 2 autographed CD’s of Home, courtesy of Jimmy Ward himself! Winners are picked using www.random.org. This contest will end on May 18, 2011 at 12:00 a.m.

Music Review: Home

Jimmy Ward’s debut CD Home is a spiritually aromatic mélange of rock music, God-centered lyrics and heavenly singing. Ward brings his experience as the worship leader of Warehouse Christian Ministries to our ears—bidding us to seek God’s presence through praise and worship. Ward’s mission through this musical work thrives—a total surrender to the reality that “home” is where the presence of God is. Every other place is too far.

Home is a compilation of songs written or co-written by Jimmy Ward and other previously produced and/or well-known songs. From the medieval pen of Francis of Assisi, Home begins with “All Creatures of Our God and King” and ends with a 1674 “Doxology” by Thomas Ken. In between these musical bookends are contemporary tracks, such as Newsboys’, “It is You,” Chris Tomlin’s and Matt Redman’s “Wonderful Maker,” and David Crowder’s “I Need Words.”

It is Ward’s original songs, such as the title track “Home”, “Here Before You,” and “In Your Hands,” however, that provides the grounding and the glue for the entire CD, causing the past and the present to run alongside each other and uniting the spiritual and the earthly through a musical art aimed at worship that knows no time or space and that extends beyond church doors. Ward’s debut CD leads us where our spirits are completely at home—drenched in the eternal and revitalizing presence of God.

Music Review: Know Hope Collective

KNOW HOPE COLLECTIVE is a spirit animating worship experience for the broken. Produced by Audio Adrenaline’s Mark Stuart and Will McGinniss with Josh Heiner, the project links worship music and life stories in a ten track album. It is the first in a series of works aimed at joining musicians from varied backgrounds to share personal testimonies through the medium of music, infusing its listeners with hope and inspiration.

Mark Stuart experienced first-hand the desperate need for hope. He lost his rock n’ roll voice some years ago after a 15 year stint as lead singer for the Christian band Audio Adrenaline. In a divinely orchestrated manner, he and bassist Will McGinniss, who attended the same church, shared their personal stories of tragedy over a campfire with a small church group. The safe environment allowed them to wear their heart on their sleeves. This project was birthed out of that experience. Their collective hope is that people realize that God “uses our tragedies for good.” Even when all hope seems lost.

The first track, “Attention” opens the heart of man to receive the voice of God. With “Sanctuary” laying the groundwork by reminding us that we are temples, “Build us Back” assures us that God is in the restoration business. Once we are mended, “Hands and Feet” reminds us to share the hope we received from God with others. “We Remember” is the perfect song for this Easter season, as we recollect the price Christ paid for us and “Ocean Floor” speaks of God forgetting our sins—“wiped away by a mighty wave.”  The oceanic metaphor continues as “Jealous God” tells of how God chases after us “like a treasure under the sea.” The “Good Life” sums up our humanity with the lyrics saying “I’ve lost everything I’ve ever wanted. I found everything I could ever need—here in your arms.”  “Just to Be Here” is the final track that urges us to meet God at the altar—because it is when we experience brokenness that we meet hope face to face.

CD GIVEAWAY CONTEST: If you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered to win 1 of 2 autographed CD’s of Know Hope Collective, courtesy of Integrity Music. Winners are picked using www.random.org. This contest will end on April 10, 2011 at 12:00am.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a CD for review from  Integrity Music. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Life Without Limits

Although he was born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic has set no limits on what he can achieve. In his new book, Life Without Limits, he challenges us to do the same; Urging us not to focus on what we can’t do but on the possibilities. Guided by hope and faith, Vujicic’s book is power-packed with his personal story of living without limbs, his struggles and triumphs, and inspiration to help us reach the seemingly impossible.

Vujicic encourages us to not give up in the face of adversity. He recounts how he attempted suicide, lost hope, regained it and achieved what others would deem impossible by taking one look at him. Vujicic is now an international motivational speaker and the director of Life Without Limbs. In his book, he shares the major principles he learned along the way and that he lives by. He exhorts us to find our purpose, hold on to hope and faith, to value ourselves, maintain a positive outlook, be fearless and unstoppable, be willing to accept change, be trustworthy and trusting of others, embrace opportunities, be a wise risk taker, and most importantly, to develop a giving heart.

From the very first page to its last, Life Without Limits will stir your soul and challenge you. It will question the excuses you’ve been making for not living a life of possibilities. Vujicic is inarguably full of hope for the future. His down-to-earth struggles make for a credible witness to the power of faith and sheer determination. His story will give new meaning to the word disability and it will steer you toward a life of fulfillment and purpose.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of the above mentioned book from Blogging for Books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

DVD/Music Review: I Have a Song

Shannon Wexelberg’s I Have a Song DVD is an inspirational and visual delight, produced by Day of Discovery. Shot on location in Galilee in Northern Israel, Wexelberg shares her family’s recent trial and sings some of the self-penned songs from her latest musical release, I Have a Song, which include Praise to the Lord the Almighty, This is the Day, I Have a Song, Nothing Can Separate Us, I Stand Amazed, How Holy, Jehovah Shalom, Becoming, Cling, Psalm 23.

In authentic Psalmist-style, singer-songwriter Shannon Wexelberg bares her soul in her new CD, I Have a Song. Following in the footsteps of King David, she expresses her emotions and gives us the opportunity to join her in praising and worshipping God—reminding us that it is possible to have joy despite our troubles. Wexelberg demonstrates how to open the heart of man to the God who heals the brokenhearted.

I have a Song is full of heart and soul, truth and hope, peace and trust, and praise and worship. Penning nine of the CD’s songs, Wexelberg ushers us into the presence of God with songs that were birthed during the course of personal trials. After having experienced years of infertility, Shannon and her husband adopted a boy. However, an unforeseen hardship hit home, when her husband had a head-on collision and broke 23 bones in his body. After getting through the year-long process of surgeries and recovery, the experience revealed to her that she still had a song, despite it all.

That is why these songs reach deep into our souls—deep calls to deep. They point to the many characteristics of God, providing us with an assurance of His ability to care for us at all times. Sung with a marvelously melodious yet strong voice and powerfully befitting lyrics, these songs will stir innumerable souls to worship God and find the peace that He offers in the midst of the storms of life that threaten to steal it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the above mentioned DVD from Discovery House Publishers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Filmmaker/Actor Interview: Michael Norris

Michael Norris is an actor, director, and producer of Christian films. He and his wife, Valerie Norris founded 2nd Fiddle Entertainment and have produced two feature-length films to date, Birdie & Bogey and their latest release, Maggie’s Passage. They currently have two film projects in the works, the first of which is called “Blind Faith” which is about an 18 year old piano prodigy who loses his sight.

How did you get involved in filmmaking?

I was exposed to filmmaking young through my father. Kind of raised on a set.

Tell us about your acting background.

In the 80’s and 90’s I did a lot of bad action films. People wanted to use the Norris name at a discount. Not proud of them, but it began laying a foundation for things to come.

How did the idea for your most recent film Maggie’s Passage originate?

Maggie’s Passage was going to be a short film to showcase my cousin. But when the time came and I wanted to turn it into a full-length feature, my cousin wasn’t right for the role.

Can you share a behind-the-scenes anecdote from its filming?

I, for the first time, let God take total control. It was my wife’s and my money, our idea, our production, but we really prayed hard that HE would take control. There are many times when I was thinking UH-OH but in my heart I believed God would make all well. And HE did.

Describe the process Ray Normandin and you used to write the script for the film?

Not much of a process with Ray. To be honest, a blank page scared me. I would let Ray write at night from LA. In the morning, I would get the pages and re-write. But the film that was on-screen was not the script written. I like to say we wrote the script but God made the film.

How did your experience in producing Birdie & Bogey aid in the production of Maggie’s Passage?

Birdie & Bogey helped in the fact that I wasn’t leaning on Christ. We were just making a movie. It has shown, not only in impact but also monetarily. It just isn’t a blessed project. But I blame my fear on that also. I feared doing things I wasn’t sure I knew how to do. I changed all of that on Maggie.

What are the challenges and advantages of juggling multiple roles in the production of your films?

I have to do it. I love to direct. But distributors want the Norris name value. My wife takes a major burden off of me. She says, “Just go create. I’ll take care of the rest.” Without my wife, there would be no 2nd Fiddle Entertainment.

What are your thoughts on the current state of Christian filmmaking?

“Faith-based” films are getting better. But I feel we as a community, need to make films that non-believers can watch and not feel they are getting pounded over the head. Our mission really is to try to lead people to Christ.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Two films are in development. But first, Blind Faith about an 18 year old piano prodigy that loses his sight. Tag Line: It took Finn Hannah going blind for him to truly see.

Additional Thoughts:

I just want to be a child of God and be a great husband and father. And if I can help, try to lead people to Jesus. I was looking back on 20 years of pictures with my wife a while back. I wish people could really understand that life is short. But, we can have eternal life. And also, I would like to thank all the people who have seen Maggie’s Passage and spread the word about the film. I like to say, the little film that could.

Music Review: I Have a Song

In authentic Psalmist-style, singer-songwriter Shannon Wexelberg shares her soul’s cry in her new CD, I Have a Song. Following in the footsteps of King David, she expresses her emotions and gives us the opportunity to join her in praising and worshipping God—reminding us that it is possible to have joy despite our troubles. Wexelberg demonstrates how to open the heart of man to the God who heals the brokenhearted.

I have a Song is a musical compilation full of heart and soul, truth and hope, peace and trust, and praise and worship. Penning nine of the CD’s songs, Wexelberg ushers us into the presence of God with songs that were birthed during the course of personal trials. After having experienced years of infertility, Shannon and her husband adopted a boy. However, an unforeseen hardship hit home, when her husband had a head-on collision and broke 23 bones in his body. After getting through the year-long process of surgeries and recovery, the experience revealed to her that she still had a song, despite it all.

That is why these songs reach deep into our souls—deep calls to deep. They point to the many characteristics of God, providing us with an assurance of His ability to care for us at all times. Sung with a marvelously melodious yet strong voice and powerfully befitting lyrics, these songs will stir innumerable souls to worship God and find the peace that He offers in the midst of the storms of life that threaten to steal it.

CD GIVEAWAY CONTEST: If you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered to win a CD of Shannon Wexelberg’s I Have a Song. Winners are picked using www.random.org. This contest is open to US residents and will end on December 5, 2010 at 12:00pm.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the above mentioned CD from The Adams Group. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



Film Review: Maggie’s Passage

In an age when the issues young women are facing are spotlighted by celebrity profiles, the film Maggie’s Passage steps in and offers the missing component not covered in the media blitz—hope for a way out and a second chance.

Maggie (Ali Faulkner) is a young woman mourning the loss of her adoptive father. In her desperate search for love and her birth mother, she runs far from home, leaving her adoptive mother (Janine Turner) behind and becomes entangled in a world that strips her of her dignity and identity.  It is not until she comes face to face with the truth of God’s word that her circumstances begin to change. Maggie encounters Grace (Sheran Keyton), a faith-filled homeless woman, three of her homeless friends and Max (Mike Norris), a grief-stricken man.

Grace is without shelter, yet she is at home in her heart’s passion to help the people she encounters. She is a metaphor for the way the grace of God is out in the open and available to all. Both Grace and Max, set aside their own struggles long enough to help Maggie. These divinely orchestrated meetings prove that the roads we are on cross each other at just the right time and that even the slightest encounter can dramatically impact another person’s life.

Directed by Mike Norris (Birdie & Bogey) and written by Norris and Ray Normandin, the vision behind Maggie’s Passage is timely in addressing two prevalent social issues within the main storyline. This film lends its lens to headlining teen prostitution, falling under the global umbrella of human trafficking and divesting women of their innate worth. It also shrewdly portrays homeless people as unexpected representations of God’s beauty, as human as any of us and just as valuable; demonstrating how God uses the unlikeliest of people to fulfill His purposes.

Maggie’s Passage is a story about how the love of God swoops us up from the pit of mire we sometimes find ourselves in and holds us close to His heart, even in our grimy state —like a mother with her newborn.

DVD GIVEAWAY CONTEST: If you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered to win a DVD of Maggie’s Passage. Winners are picked using www.random.org. This contest is open to US residents and will end on November 14, 2010 at 12:00pm.