At first, I was a little nervous when I ordered lobster.  It was pricey, but I was in Cape Cod, and when in Massachusetts…you know what I mean.  Since I like shrimp, crab, and a few other “fishy” items, I thought lobster would be no big deal.  After all, lobster bisque is tasty, isn’t it?

My anticipation grew as I hear the snap, crackle, pop of other diners tearing into their bright red shellfish.  This was exciting, like being in a movie, where people go out and eat lobster.  Usually my idea of a nice dinner out is TGI Friday’s.  But here I was in Cape Cod with my best friend enjoying the finer things in life, complete with a glass of free water!  Yup, I was living it up.

That is, until my meal actually arrived.  I liked my “tool basket” for lobster dissection; it came with bib that read, ‘Time to Get Crackin’.” I tied on my ultra-fashionable bib and got ready to chow down.  I looked at my lobster (who I’ve decided to call “Gus”).  There were these little black specks that resembled eyes on his lobster face.  Hmm, I thought, that’s weird.  No self-respecting dining establishment would serve food with eyeballs sill intact, I reasoned, as I poked at the black dot with my fork.  All of a sudden Gus’ eyeball—yes, his EYEBALL—shot out of his eye.  If there was a sound effect, it would have been, “BOING!”  Horrified, I grabbed a piece of lettuce and covered up Gus’ face.  I felt as though I might throw up.

I hurriedly began to shovel lobster meat into my mouth.  I needed to eat Gus–and fast– before I lost my nerve.  Normal people eat lobster dinners (even the eyeballs) all the time, and by golly, I was going to be a normal person.  I paused and noticed that Gus’ claws were lying next to him on the plate.  It was supposed to have aesthetic appeal I guess.  To me, it just seemed cruel to cut off Gus’ arms and then use them as plate décor.  I told my best friend, Sarah, as much when she informed me I should eat the claws.  Oh.  I  strengthened my resolve and focused on the task at hand—I had to crack this thing open and eat the meat inside.  As I attempted to “get crackin’” on Gus’ claw, his eye inadvertently came uncovered.

There he was, lying on my plate, in a sea of lettuce watching me crack open his claw.  I let out a shriek and began to pack stuffing and vegetables around his head.  As I threw lettuce onto the pile, I observed Gus’ little lobster legs.  OMIGOSH! He has legs!  And eyes!  And antennas!  It was all too real for me. I ripped off my bib and used it to cover my plate, out of respect for Gus.

Other diners happily dismembered their lobsters—even sucking juice from the legs. These weren’t normal people; they were savages.  We weren’t trapped in the wilderness; we were at a fine dining establishment!  But I was the outsider—the non-lobster lover—who was grateful to pay the bill and leave.

Sarah, who went the safe route with lobster ravioli, thought the entire situation was down-right hilarious.  In the midst of my horror, new laughter emerged from the other side of the dinner table.  While she wasn’t particularly supportive during the actual event (it’s hard to offer words of encouragement when one is laughing that hard—it sounds insincere), she did buy me a burger on the way back to the hotel.

The burger, by the way, was delicious.  And more importantly, it didn’t have eyeballs…at least while I was eating it.

NASHVILLE, TN– November 12, 2009–Continuing to fight for the staggering number of orphans worldwide, Show Hope has partnered for the fourth year in a row with Worldwide Photography, an organization that provides Santa photos during the holiday season in shopping malls across America. Starting last week on November 5th and going through the Christmas season, 215 malls nationwide will kick off the program “A Family For Christmas,” which will offer families who purchase photos with Santa the option to donate $1 or more to support the adoption and orphan cause. All proceeds will go to Show Hope’s Adoption Aid Grant program.

Each family who donates to the program will also receive a free download of Steven Curtis Chapman’s heartfelt Christmas song, “All I Really Want For Christmas,” as well as a personalized letter from Santa. In addition, further information will be provided about adoption and how families can make a difference in their community and in the world.

In its first three years, the mall Santa photo promotion has raised more than $186,000, with all proceeds going to Show Hope. Show Hope is the sole charity of choice by Worldwide Photography and its alliance members IPI, Inc., and SEPIA Photo Promotions.

“The greatest gift that Santa can give a child is the gift of a ‘forever’ family,” states Jeffry Angelo, Senior Partner, Worldwide Photography. “As the adoptive parent of a Russian orphan I have seen firsthand the difference that is made in the life of a orphaned child when you wrap them in your arms. Our Worldwide Photography family of more than 2,000 employees embrace Show Hope and the great work they do enabling families to adopt…really, it is the best feeling in the world to save the heart of a child! We are blessed to play a small roll in this effort.”

Since it began in 2006, this Santa photo promotion has been a unique opportunity to educate people regarding the plight of orphans globally and locally, in addition to raising support for families who are not financially able to adopt children. With the funds raised, financial grants are then distributed to adoptive families. There is hope that many children will be received into forever families!

“Each year as we prepare to roll out our program with Show Hope, I eagerly anticipate the ‘little miracles’ that occur daily at Santa sets across the country,” states Alex Allen, VP-COO for Worldwide Photography. “And yet nothing prepares me for the joy or emotional impact experienced through a forever family connection. Incredible!…is the only way I can describe the feeling that comes when you participate as a vehicle for God’s love that makes a difference for others, especially orphans. I am always awestruck by the impact made by the silent heroes at the Santa sets who help promote the program or quietly donate that dollar, that ultimately unites an orphan with a loving family.”

For more information on the impact your donation can have on adoption, please visit www.AFamilyForChristmas.org, as well as www.ShowHope.org.

–Courtesy of Vining Public Relations

November is National Adoption Month here in the states, so to celebrate I think we should all go out and adopt a child.  Just kidding, that would take months and months.  I mean, adopting a child is a little more complicated than picking up a kitten at the humane society.  But wouldn’t it be lovely if we all had the resources to start the adoption process this month?  Even though most of us probably can’t adopt (or foster) a child right now, we can be praying for kids waiting for homes; individuals, couples, and families in the process of or considering adoption; and for the case workers working with both sides.

Since my best friend Sarah transferred to the adoption unit over two years ago, I’ve learned a lot about adoption.  Most of the children Sarah works with are older kids whose parents have had their rights terminated as a last resort.  These are kids who have been in and out of foster care for years, who have been returned home and then removed again.  They have been hurt by those who should have loved them the most and an imperfect system has only added to their alienation. This doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement for adoption, does it?

Here’s the thing—just because a child is difficult does not mean that he or she is defective.  When I hear about these kids, something stirs up inside me that screams, “Then I will show that kid the love she never had!”  It’s not an easy path.  I guess that’s why most people want babies—less emotional baggage, but—oh man!—lots of poopy diapers.

John Cusack and Bobby Coleman star in MARTIAN CHILD

Over the weekend, Sarah and I watched Martian Child starring John Cusack, his sister Joan, and Amanda Peet.  The story follows famed science-fiction author David Gordon (John Cusack) as he decides to adopt a young boy who thinks he is from Mars.  While the movie makers have taken liberty with the actual adoption process (i.e., sending a social worker for an unannounced visit, not setting up in-home services, and other “behind the scenes” stuff), Martian Child is still a pretty good flick.

Here’s a summation of the plot courtesy of Wikipedia.com, “David Gordon (John Cusack), a popular science fiction author, lost his wife Mary when they were trying to adopt a child. Two years later, David is finally matched with a young boy named Dennis (Bobby Coleman). Socially awkward, Dennis believes he is from Mars and only goes outdoors when under the cover of a large box to block out the sun’s harmful rays. Although initially hesitant to adopt a boy by himself, David recognizes a part of him in Dennis and slowly coaxes him out of the box and into his home.

With the help of David’s friend Harlee (Amanda Peet) and sister Liz (played by Cusack’s real life sister Joan), David and Dennis begin an arduous process of learning about each other, from Dennis’ incessant photo-taking habits, his inclination to eat only Lucky Charms, and his perpetual stealing, to David’s continuing love of his wife, his love of baseball and his own struggles to be accepted by others.

As David teaches Dennis how to be an ‘earthling’, both earns each others’ trust and eventually, they find someone who loves them unequivocally.”

The whole concept is fascinating to me because how many children in foster care waiting to be adopted feel like Martians?  How many think that no one loves or wants them?  Foster families try, but the homes are temporary at best.  Instead of dealing with that reality, Dennis creates his own.  He’s on a mission from Mars, so naturally his housing situation is temporary.  He has to collect data, learn about humans, and then he will be taken back to his permanent home.  The problem is that Dennis knows deep down that he’s not from Mars; he just can’t bear to be a resident of Planet Earth.

Martian Child is chock full of great lines including a conversation between David and Dennis that takes place after David discovers his new son has been stealing items in the house for observation purposes.  David asks him, “What are you doing?”

“Learning,” Dennis replies.

“Learning what?”

“Learning how to be a human, how to be part of a family.”

Oh, man!  That line just hits me in the gut!  I mean, it sounds like something we’re all trying to do—adopted or not, child or not, parent or not—we’re all trying to learn how to be human and how to be part of our families!  It is a never-ending experience!

Dennis also sports a gravity belt (batteries duct taped to an old belt) that keeps him from floating into outer space—a sign that shows Dennis does want to remain on Earth.  His social worker points out, “He probably thinks he’s going to float away because he’s intelligent and sees how people and things are temporary.”  Oh, Dennis, how I understand!

After an argument with David, Dennis decides the Martians are calling him home and climbs a water tower to meet his family in the sky.  But it is David who climbs the water tower to meet Dennis.  Once David finally convinces Dennis that he’s just a little boy, the child asks why his family would leave him.  Then John Cusack-as-David utters one of the best cinematic lines ever, “Because they’re stupid!”  David lists Dennis’ many fine qualities and finishes his monologue with this promise, “There’s nothing you could do that would ever change the way I feel about you.”  The music swells and we know there’s a happy ending in sight.

While Dennis’ story is a happy one, it is also a fictional one (based on the award-winning novella by real-life science fiction writer, David Gerrold).  There are a lot of interesting kids right here in the United States that would love to be welcomed into the loving arms of a parent—so they can learn how to be human and how to be part of a family.

For more information on adoptions in the United States, head on over to AdoptUSKids.org.  Pennsylvania residents, you can check out AdoptPAkids.org to learn about kids who are looking for families.  Prayerfully consider if God would have you adopt one of His beloved children.

By Wes Pickering, special to Backseat Writer I somehow managed to get the AM and PM reversed on my alarm clock again.  So, when my phone rang at 10:23, I jolted awake with that sickly “I’m late!” feeling.  I shook myself and answered the phone with my best I’ve-been-awake-for-hours-and-I’m-totally-professional voice.

“Hello, this is Wes.”

“Hi, Wes.  This is Sara Groves.”  And so started my first conversation with the writer whose impact on my own songwriting has been nothing short of profound.

When Groves’ new album Fireflies and Songs (INO) landed in my inbox a few weeks ago, I immediately listened through in its entirety.  From the opening lyric, “Go on and ask me anything.  What do you need to know?” I knew that this was going to be something special, a return to the kind of introspection and vulnerability that made her album All Right Here a staple in my car for the past seven years.  Whether it’s the tenderness of “From This One Place,” the raw honesty of “It’s Me,” or the sweetness of a love song like “Twice As Good,” Fireflies and Songs showcases what Sara Groves does best, and that’s write about life.  I talked with Sara about writing for Fireflies.

Did you approach the new record with a central theme in mind?

I didn’t on this one.  I had some theme ideas, some pretty goofy theme ideas.  I was going to write all these character sketches, and I had a song about a policeman and a boxer, all these things.  I brought these ideas in to a couple friends, in particular to Jeff Mosley, our label president, and he just said, “I feel like it’s been a long time since we’ve heard from you.  Just checking in, you know?  You’re 37, a wife, a mom.  Where are you?  You haven’t written from your home in a while.”

With the first line being “Go on and ask me anything,” I think that it was a good clue that we’re in for a much more personal record this time.

I was kind of, at the beginning, a little, not reluctant, but just kind of felt tired at the thought of it.  You know, it’s hard to do that, to write and press in and be even more confessional because I feel like I’m a pretty highly disclosing person, so to try to disclose more than that.  And it ended up being very reflective because Troy and I went through this whole season in our marriage that I’ve never written about yet because I turned my sights to other things like social justice.  So every single song as it came out, every single one at some point, I was crying like a baby over it because it was just helping me name something we had worked through and to recognize where we are now, which is a really amazing place, and where we were which was a really crappy place.  The whole time, I just got to see the faithfulness of God, and so it was really deeply good to write it.

If you could get everybody in America to listen to three of the songs on the new record, which three would you want to make sure that everybody heard?

I’ll start with “Different Kinds of Happy” because that’s part of our sickness: that we’re pursuing this ultimate, personal comfort and happiness until you’ve suffered through something and get on the other side, and you realize that there’s different kinds of happy.  There’s the happy of my wedding day, which is sort of what all the movies are about, the sweetness of standing up with my family looking on and all the beauty of that.  And then there’s the happy of a day in the counselor’s office where we’ve just ripped our guts out and laid them on the table, and I’ve told him, “This is who I really am.  Are you going to stick around?” and he just showed me, “This is who I really am. Are you going to stick around?”  And we walked out of there with a joy; I can’t even explain the happy of that day.  It’s just unspeakable.  Our marriage now is the fruit of that better foundation being laid.  That was like at Year Seven.  Of all the marriages that I know, the best ones have just gone to hell and back.  Not that you have to do that; I know some marriages where that having just disemboweled each other, but pretty much the best marriages I know are just beautiful because they’ve had to work it out.  That’s what “Different Kinds of Happy is about.” I just love that message, for myself and for others.

Probably, “This Old House” just because that song feels right to me.  I don’t know.  Do you ever feel that way about a song?

Oh yeah, definitely.

I think everybody’s got that house.  I was driving home, and a detour made me turn into my old neighborhood.  I had my little girl in the car, my third, and she was growing so fast, so I wanted my mom to see her.  I miss my mom and my dad; they live in Missouri and I don’t get to see them all the time.  So, I drove by my old elementary school, and it was right when school was letting out, and I saw this little girl running down the street with stringy brown hair, just picturing myself.  And again, all the sudden (and this whole record is kind of this way), it was an opportunity for all the lessons and struggles and the faithfulness of God to just go streaming, coursing through my body.  It’s one of those moments where it’s a barometer reading, where all the sudden I remember how it was when I was that age.  I remember the things that were difficult and great about that, and look at where I am now.  There’s something about physically being there.  You can think about your old elementary school, but it’s just not going to be the same until you’re standing on that ground.

So I told Ruby, “Let’s drive by the house.”  This house was built in 1898, and the stories go on and on.  It was literally just falling apart.  For my mom, it marked a really difficult season because it was not her favorite place to live, but for us it was sort of like an adventure.  You know, there’s the good and the bad.  But it was for sale, and all of the curtains were out of the windows; so I just got to walk around and look into the piano room where I started playing music when I was four and would play my own songs for all those years.  So, I kept saying to Ruby the line from the Laura Story song, which is also line from the Bible, where Jesus says, “He’s withheld no good thing,” not because I’m financially well off but just because all five of us have gone different places now, and God has kept us through all of life, all the stuff.

From there, they’re all stories, but “Setting Up the Pins” is kind of fun.  I don’t know if that should be in the top three, but it’s a song I wrote when I was washing the dishes.  I think that’s also a theme of my life, something I think and meditate on a lot: it’s these small things.  Everyone, in their life, is setting up some kind of pins that will be knocked down the next day.  Even rich people who pay other people to set up their pins like laundry and stuff like that, they’re setting up other pins that will be knocked down.  No one escapes it, and we can either enjoy it or we can always be angry about it.  So, it’s kind of like a dish washing song….a bed-making, dinner-cooking song.

Now, this is something that I wanted to ask you for a long time.  A lot of times you write about topics that get overlooked by other writers, especially in the Christian market, personal things like your marriage or doubt or friendship.  How much of that is an intentional decision to write about things that aren’t being talked about, and how much of it is just writing what comes easy to you?

I think it’s definitely what comes out of me.  I remember trying to write before I was doing music full time.  I was just playing backup keyboards on the worship team, and I would turn myself way low because I was so self conscious.  I was writing music, and I thought, “Well, I’ll write a worship song.”  I have the hardest time writing just a basic, congregational, sing-along song.  They always end up too wordy or too personal.  That’s hard to do for me.  So this is definitely just what comes out of me, and I been really grateful.  I have lots of friends who have gone into general market or secular music.  I have a friend who, years ago, we would have conversations; he was playing in the bars and was like, “This is where it’s at.  This is where people need the music and need the gospel.”  But I always felt really called to speak to the Church and called to preach to the choir because I don’t think the Church is free.

So, in that sense I feel more like Jeremiah… Okay, I won’t compare myself to Jeremiah because he’s my favorite prophet ever!  But I feel like, in my small way, that’s my call, to say, “Hey church, what the heck?” or “What are we doing?” or “What am I doing?”  I also try to use myself; I steer away from finger wagging.  So, I’ve always felt comfortable.  I mean, it took me a while because I would listen to other music and think, “Why doesn’t that come out of me?”  But it doesn’t, and I feel like God’s made a space for me in this way.  I had a friend ask me, “Do you wish, early on, that you had just gotten into a general market scene where you could write about anything?”   I feel like if God had even opened that door, which he didn’t, then wouldn’t be free to write about faith as explicitly as I have.  So, I do feel called to the space that I’m inhabiting.  I feel like God made a space for Sara Groves.

It is different now because everything is going towards praise and worship, but I feel like we still need a Christian worldview.  What I mean by that is there’s no such thing really as “Christian music.”  Charlie Peacock always says, “God is the ocean, and we keep writing about a cup of water.”  So, I always take that challenge up.  I always think about that when I’m writing.  You know, Jesus came to reconcile all things to himself, and I want to write about all things.  I feel like I should be able to square off with any thought and any problem and any issue and write freely about it as a believer.  My worldview, my faith in Christ, should be able to approach that.

With that in mind, have you ever written anything you wish you could take back?

You know, little things here and there, the way I thought when I was young.  Some of the absolutes that I thought about faith: those things have changed a little bit in me.   But no.  I feel really grateful in that regard for the most part.

I won’t tell you what song, but there was one song that I wrote: it was a little bit contrived.  I wrote it from a place – to have a song on radio or something, and that song bums me out.  Because it actually did very well, and that kind of bums me out.  I know, even though a lot of people love that song, and it did really well, I feel like that just personally, after that one time, I thought, “I’m not going to do that again.”  I’m going to ask God, “What do you want me to write?” and write that, write what I feel like whatever he’s is putting on my heart and mind.  So, it’s funny because the one song I regret is probably my most “Christian-y” song.  Well, not regret.  That’s a strong word.

When you listen to a writer for several years, you kind of get the feeling that you know them, especially a writer like you because you put so much of yourself in your music.  But one of the things that you rarely get to see is somebody’s shortcomings.  So, what is your biggest character flaw?

I have ridiculously high expectations, not just of people around me but of myself.  It’s like poison to my family.  So, that’s my current one that I’m working on: letting go of these unrealistic expectations.  I’m not talking about good, healthy expectations.  I just go crazy, and my husband is just so amazing and my kids are so amazing.   So I have to temper that constant voice that I’m not arriving or never have achieved what I thought.

Donald Miller, in his new book – it’s so good!  It’s really great.  He has a chapter on expectations, and he says that the happiest place on earth is Denmark.  And the reason is because they have low expectations.  Just in general, culturally, they tend to have really low expectations.  So, I’m trying to live more like a…Denmarkian?  What would you call it?

A Dane.

A Dane! I’m trying to think like a Dane.  That’s currently what God is purging in me.

That actually answers what I was going to ask you next. I was going to ask what you’ve been reading, but what have you been listening to lately?

Man, I feel like I’ve been kind of music-less.  Oh!  Well, I just ran a half-marathon. So, I’ve been listening to lots of good running music.

Okay, what’s on your running playlist?

Well, Coldplay, for sure, because you can’t run without listening to Coldplay.  It’s such great running music.  And I’ve got this old song, my favorite song; it’s called “Ninety-nine and a Half Won’t Do.”  It’s an old civil rights song, and the chorus says, “Lord I’m runnin’ and I’ve got to make a hundred.  Ninety nine and a half won’t do.”  And the choir sings, “Five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty five, thirty, thirty five, forty!”  They just do this big build up, “Ninety one won’t do! Ninety two won’t do!”  And the woman singing it is just killing it.  So, that’s my favorite running song.  That’s what song I want played at my funeral.  Again, the high expectations!  But ninety nine and a half won’t do.

If you could write with anybody, you’ve just got an open rolodex, who would you want to write with?

Man, there’s so many people.  Mindy Smith.  I mean, I wouldn’t want to mess up what she does though.  So, when I say this, I mean, I’d just love to sit and watch them write.  Patty Griffin, Mindy Smith, Pierce Pettis: that’s my favorite kind of music.  Whoever’s writing for Alison Krauss.  I love that.  Soulful.

Well, let me take you briefly back to your record The Other Side of Something because on that record you have a song called “Esther.”  I had that album playing the day I adopted my dog.  The shelter had named her Doodles which I thought was ridiculous.  So, I was going through names and she wasn’t responding to anything.  And when that song came on, I said, “What about Esther?”  And she perked up.  Now my dog’s name is Esther because of your song.  So, tell me about that song.

Aw! I love that!  That’s a real Esther in my life, my Great Aunt Esther.  The song is basically her bio.  She was married to David.  David had a degenerative brain disease, and they couldn’t have children.  It was genetic and they risked passing it down to any kids that they might have, so they decided not to have children.  She nursed him until she was in her fifties, and then he passed away.  She was just so faithful to him and it was very, very difficult.  She swore she’d never get married again. She hit the mission field, and she went to Romania, and when she finally landed in Africa, God captured her heart and Africa captured her heart.

She worked as a missionary there and, at 72, married a missionary.  That happened after I wrote the song.  She remarried, and she’s married now to a missionary who had lost his wife to cancer.  I think they’re home now, and I think they came off the mission field just this last year.  She’s 77 now.  So, that’s a real Esther; she did AIDS education and mission work.  It was a Christian organization so they always brought the Gospel but it was mostly education work, teaching communities to take care of their own so that people weren’t sent away.

So, do you still have Esther?

I do, she’s actually right here, lying at my feet.

I guess that brings me full-circle.  I’m sitting at my desk writing with Esther lying at my feet again and Fireflies and Songs playing on my stereo.  The biggest thing I take away from my conversation with Sara Groves is thankfulness: thankfulness that somebody I’ve looked up to for so long is a real person and that the ups and downs she writes about aren’t at all contrived but an honest reflection on where God’s path through life has led her and her family.  All too often, when I’ve had the opportunity to meet someone who I’ve admired, that person turns out to be completely different from the persona they put forth, and it’s refreshing to know that Sara is as genuine as I hoped she would be.  I’m also thankful for the many times over the past ten or so years that Sara’s music has gotten me through the stuff of life, and I’m thankful that she continues to write those kinds of songs.

Wes Pickering is a singer/songwriter who recently released an EP called Being Born.  He resides in Nashville with his beloved dog, Esther.  You can visit Wes online at wespickering.com.

Seabird is back with a new single entitled “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” which hit all digital outlets November 3. The track is pulled off of their sophomore album, Rocks Into Rivers, which releases on December 15. And now you have the chance to download “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” here!

A follow up to Seabird’s 2008 critically acclaimed label debut, ‘Til We See The Shore, Rocks Into Rivers features top-notch production by Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, Sixpence None The Richer) and Matt Hales from Aqualung. The band split its time between Ocean Studios in Los Angeles and The Smoakstack in Nashville, honing what brothers Aaron and Ryan Morgan are calling their most exciting project to date.

Cincinnati-based Seabird comprises brothers Aaron (vocals/keys) and Ryan (guitar) Morgan as well as Preston Lane (drums). The band signed with Credential Recordings in late 2007 and released its debut label project,‘Til We See The Shore, June 24, 2008. A collaborative effort with producers Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Kings Of Leon, Tom Waits, Switchfoot) and Allen Salmon (Mute Math), the album received phenomenal national publicity, featured on episodes of “Numb3rs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and promos for ABC’s 12-time Emmy-nominated series, “Pushing Daisies.” The band was also recognized by its hometown as “Artist of the Year” at the 2008 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards and toured with artists including Barcelona, Meese, and Jars of Clay throughout the spring and summer of 2009. (Read Backseat Writer’s interview with Seabird’s Aaron Morgan, “Seabird Sees The Shore“!)

LISTEN TO AND/OR DOWNLOAD “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” BY SEABIRD HERE! (This will take you to an external link.)

During the last week of October, I went to Florida with my mom and my best friend, Sarah.  We had a great time laughing, swimming, exploring, and letting our hair down–so to speak!  Getting a sinus/double ear infection on the way back was not so fun, but hey, at least I wasn’t gagging up phlegm in Florida, right?  Anyway, I wanted to share a few of our trip pics, many of these are intimate nature shots from Homosassa Springs–a wildlife preserve that has…wait for it…MANATEES! Enjoy! More Homosassa Springs and other trip pics next week!

Someone told me that manatees look like potatoes floating in water.  Yeah, this manatee definitely has that floating potato look.

Flapping’s more fun with friends.

]]> http://backseatwriter.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/amys-trip-to-florida-part-1/feed/ 2 Amy http://backseatwriter.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/in-his-own-words-jon-foreman-explains-switchfoots-hello-hurricane/ http://backseatwriter.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/in-his-own-words-jon-foreman-explains-switchfoots-hello-hurricane/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:07 +0000 Amy http://backseatwriter.wordpress.com/?p=4515 ]]>

Today is the day we Switchfoot fans have been awaiting—the release of the band’s latest album Hello Hurricane.  The album contains a nice mix of songs, including “Mess of Me,” which has been released to radio.  While I prefer songs like “Red Eyes” and “Needle and Haystack Life,” because I’m a moody girl, each song is appealing—some are loud, while others are more introspective.  Hello Hurricane is a full album with the energy, sound, and depth synonymous with Switchfoot—I’d expect nothing  but the best from this band and as always, they delivered.

Instead of continuing with my rambling thoughts, I decided to post a few of lead singer Jon Foreman’s explanations of his songs and this album.  Enjoy!  And let me know—what’s your favorite song on Hello Hurricane?

For more information on Switchfoot, head over to switchfoot.com and connect with the gang!

Hello Hurricane: The Songs

by Jon Foreman

The storms of this life shatter our plans. They tear through our world and destroy our hopes and dreams. They ruin sunny days, flatten the structures we depend on, and shock our world views. Hello Hurricane is an attempt to sing into the storm. Hello Hurricane is a declaration: you can’t silence my love. My plans will fail, the storms of this life will come, and chaos will disrupt even my best intentions, but my love will not be destroyed. Beneath the sound and the fury there is a deeper order still- deeper than life itself. An order that cannot be shaken by the storms of this life. There is a love stronger than the chaos, running underneath us- beckoning us to go below the skin-deep externals, beyond the wind, even into the eye of the storm. Hello Hurricane, you’re not enough- you can’t silence my love.

I’ve seen storms in my life. I’ve even seen them pass through on stage. I’ve witnessed chaos and dissonance overtake a song. But after the rain, some of these unsettling musical experiences become my favorite moments: the ones that can’t be planned, rehearsed, or repeated. I’ve had a few of these unexpected elations up in a tiny LA club called Hotel Cafe playing cover tunes with a few of my friends/musical heroes.

The organizer of the evenings was none other than friend/hero Tom Morello, the Night Watchman himself who would invite his friends (Slash, Ben Harper, Serj Tankian, Perry Farrell, etc.) to join him in the musical festivities. The nights would usually end with a memorable grand finale of cover songs with everyone onstage playing songs that were only partly rehearsed. Most the time the results were spectacular- other times we would have to stop the evening to figure out logistics like who was going to play what and determine what key we were going to be playing in. It was during one of these pauses that Tom said a quote about music that I’ll never forget. He said music is like sausage. “Sometimes you want to enjoy it without knowing the details of what goes into it.”

There may be some who want this type of experience: to enjoy the music of Hello Hurricane without knowing the back-story. Maybe the blood, sweat, and tears make you a little squeamish. I completely understand this sentiment. There were stormy, (though necessary) moments during the recording process that were neither graceful nor pretty. This was not an easy record to make; we were fighting to get somewhere we had never been. Looking back at the ground we covered I’m certain that every moment (even the more difficult ones) were meaningful to the final push. But it certainly was a push… so if you want the shiny new music detached from the labor pains, turn back now! For everyone else, here are a few of the stories behind each song. I’m so honored to have been a part of this record- to share these experiences with Tim, Chad, Drew, Jerome and everyone else who helped in the struggle for excellence. In many ways, these songs are like children to me and I’m honored to be able to introduce you to them first-hand.

“Mess of Me”

I am my own affliction

I am my own disease

there ain’t no drug that they can sell

there ain’t no drug to make me well

there ain’t no drug

there ain’t no drug

it’s not enough

the sickness is myself

I’ve made a mess of me

I want to get back the rest of me

I’ve made a mess of me

I want to spend the rest of my life alive

we lock our souls in cages

inside these  prison cells

it’s hard to free the ones you love

when you can’t forgive yourself

I’ve made a mess of me

I want to reverse this tragedy

I’ve made a mess of me

I want to spend the rest of my life alive

“He not busy being born is busy dying.” – Bob Dylan

“You were born a white man in mid-twentieth century industrial America.  You came into the world armed to the teeth with an arsenal of weapons. The weapons of privilege, racial privilege, sexual privilege, economic privilege. You wanna be a pacifist, it’s not just giving up guns and knives and clubs and fists and angry words, but giving up the weapons of privilege, and going into the world completely disarmed. Try that.” - Ammon Hennessy

Lyrically the song is yearning for abundant life to spring from past mistakes. The song attempts to explore the darkest parts of the human animal and transcend them, rising above these gloomy moments to find true life. If you’re Freud, you call these darker urges the death drive. If you’re St. Paul, you talk about doing the things you don’t want to do. Whatever you call them, these dark places destroy us if we leave them unchecked. I feel that tension everyday, between the right and the wrong, between life and death. And yet there is no easy path to freedom from self. It’s a narrow road and few find it. We’ve all thought about the quick fix: that special something/someone that could take the pain away. Yet the problems in my life are much bigger than any temporary solution. We die a little everyday- physically, spiritually; we are in sorry shape. Ain’t no drug to make me well. Ain’t no drug that can relieve me from the monster of myself. Ain’t no one to blame. But my decision is made. I want to follow this through… I want to spend the rest of my life alive.

This tune has lived several lives all revolving around the guitar hook. It started out as a song called “I Saw Satan (Fall Like Lightning)” I wrote it a couple years back when I was stealing heavily from scripture.

We dragged it into the studio with Charlie Peacock for a week of recording at Big Fish Studios and came out with a really great bridge. Then we wrote a new chorus, called the song “There Ain’t No Drug” and built the verse lyrics around the new chorus. We made the bridge the chorus after that. (And at this point I was about as lost as you, dear reader. These are the limitations of having no limitations!) So we stepped away from this song. We knew it was a great one; we were just too inside it. When we came back to it we realized that we were really close… we just needed the final push- so we re-tracked everything at Mike’s place. Tim was the champion of this tune: lifting it from one phase to the next, never giving up on the riff. I’m really proud of Tim for pushing through till the final version that ended up on the record.

“Hello Hurricane”

I’ve been watching the skies

they’ve been turning blood red

not a doubt in my mind anymore

there’s a storm up ahead

hello hurricane

you’re not enough

hello hurricane

you can’t silence my love

I’ve got doors and windows

boarded up

all your dead end fury is

not enough

you can’t silence my love

every thing I have I count as loss

everything I have is stripped away

before I started building

I counted up these costs

there’s nothing left for you to take away

hello hurricane

you can’t silence my love

I’m a fighter fighting for control

I’m a fighter fighting for my soul

everything inside of me surrenders

you can’t silence my love

hello hurricane

you can’t silence my love

“Love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself.” -Soren Kierkegaard

“The capitalist culture of consumption… does not provide meaningful sustenance for large numbers of people.” -Cornel West

This is a subject matter that I speak of with holy reverence. Having grown up on the East Coast I know firsthand of the houses lost, of the dreams turned into nightmares. I take my shoes off and recognize that this is a matter that is dear to our nation, especially of late- with every passing hurricane season. Last year, with Habitat for Humanity we helped to build a house for a woman who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane had taken her city, her house, and her leg. As she relocated to Baton Rouge and learned how to walk as an amputee, her mantra was this: “I walked out of my house and my life in New Orleans on my own legs; I’m going to walk into this one the same way.”

This is the spirit that I wanted to capture with this song, and moreover with this record. The storms of life might take my house, my loved ones, or even my life- but they cannot silence my love.

Yes, the reactionary impulses of hate, fear, and despair really are defenseless against the storms of this life. And yet, this selfless love really might be stronger than death. Perhaps, the kingdom of the heavens really is at hand; ready to give, ready to love. And with this love as my song I will overcome. In surrender to divine love I will find my strength. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love another.”

“Red Eyes”

what are you waiting for,

the day is gone?

I said I’m waiting for dawn

what are you aiming for

out here alone?

I said I’m aiming for home

holding on, holding on

with red eyes

What are you looking for?

with red eyes

red eyes

all of my days are spent

within this skin

within this cage that I’m in

nowhere feels safe to me

nowhere feels home

even in crowds I’m alone

holding on, holding on

every now and then I see you dreaming

every now and then I see you cry

every now and then I see you reaching,

reaching for the other side

what are you waiting for?

“Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough… The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” -Mother Theresa

“Our churches have done little more than reproduce and radiate this brokenness of our culture… Many congregations do nothing but outsource justice.” -John Perkins

So here we are at the end of the world. And the beginning. Here we are at the dawn of the next generation. Y2K has passed us by. MLK, Kennedy, Elvis, Lennon, Cobain, MJ… they have all left the living. They have left us searching, wondering, hoping… I read the headlines, I watch the news. Iraq, Rwanda, Iran, Darfur, Tibet, Columbine, OKC… Towers falling, mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers… passing from life to death. We’re killing one another, destroying each other. Sometimes the state of the world can bring a man to his knees. It could make you cry. I get angry. I get overwhelmed. I give up… almost. Sometimes, I find myself staring into a blood red dawn, still awake from the night before. Still wondering why this new day has so much of the old darkness, the old sorrows, the old hatred. I feel so alone. I feel so alone in this world of pain.

All my heroes are the ones who ran after the higher vision, the news that stays new. We’ve been chasing lesser gods, gods who do not know our names, gods who will die alongside of us. The kingdom of the heavens does not come to us in our wealth, it comes to our in our poverty. Our money, our knowledge, our medicine, our sex, our privilege- these are double-edged swords, dependent upon our own shaking hands for guidance. With our two hands we build up and destroy, we hold and break the future. My own hands are shaking. I reach for the new day with fear and trembling. I’m reaching for a bird called hope, for the one true song who could bring me home. I’m waiting for dawn. I’m dreaming, reaching for the other side.

At the end of the record there is a reprise that goes back to the first song. For me this is a reminder of the repetitive nature of all that we call life. Wonder, surrender, joy, forgiveness, hope- yes, give us today the daily bread of our moment by moment existence. This life is so fragile- at any instance one of us could slip beyond this life into the infinite unknown. It’s as though every breath we take has been given to us on loan. We are surrounded by mysteries, miracles, wonders, and tragedies that we will never master. Yes, I will die one day- of this I am certain. But I’m not dead yet! No, tonight there is breath in my lungs- pushing, pulsing, yearning to break free… I will dream, for dreams are the seeds of what may be. I will wonder, for without wonder, how could life be wonderful? And I will sing.

Yes, until my pending death I will sing. In the face of indifference, I will sing. In the face of adversity, I will sing. I will sing about the pain. I will sing about the mystery. I will sing of the hope, the cage, the bullet, the winter, the dreamer. I will sing of all of these. I’ve seen miracles there in your eyes. It’s no accident we’re here tonight. We are once in a lifetime

Books in the genre of Christian historical fiction (especially those of a romantic nature) have never been high on my reading list.  However, The Red Siren (Barbour Publishing) by M. L. Tyndall had such a tantalizing title, I couldn’t help but take a peek at the first book in her Charles Towne Belles series.  Plus, the book description mentioned pirates—how could I pass that up?

Set in the early 1700’s in colonial America, this pirate’s tale is also one of a belle named Faith Westcott, the second eldest daughter of Admiral Westcott of England’s Royal Navy.  After her mother’s death and her older sister’s unfortunate married to a terrible man, Faith has undertaken the gargantuan task of caring for her younger sisters, the flirtatious Hope and the pious Grace.  Instead of seeing her sisters married off to the highest bidder, Faith engages in a secret life of piracy on the high seas, with her trusty groomsman, Lucas, by her side serving as first mate.  Using the stolen loot, Faith hopes to provide herself and her sisters with financial security apart from relying on untrustworthy husbands (and an absent father).

All seems to go [relatively well] until a captain from her past—Dajon Waite—shows up and is appointed guardian to Faith and her sisters while Admiral Westcott leaves his family again for another sea-faring adventure.  Mr. Waite seeks to keep the ladies in line while serving as captain aboard the HMS Enforcer, whose main objective is to rid Charles Towne of nuisance pirates, especially a woman known as the Red Siren.  Will Waite discover that strong-willed Faith, who seems to have stolen his heart is the same woman who had stolen his ship five years prior?  And will Faith, who has little faith in God or men, find romance with Mr. Waite and know the love of God who she rejected years before?  You will just have to read The Red Siren to find out!

Faith Westcott is an appealing character with her sharp wit, dedication to her sisters, and oh, her secret life as a pirate.  Reminiscent of real-life pirate lady Anne Bonny (who some say also had flaming red hair), Faith is different than most pirates because she has a passion, purpose, which are overshadowed by compassion and kindness.  While Faith clearly enjoys being in control and commanding a ship, she does not harm others when looting a merchant vessel.  Still, the longer Faith raids ships, the more she realizes the risk associated with her lifestyle and it doesn’t help that the man who turns her knees to jelly is an intense pirate hunter. Plus, he’s a looker!

The Red Siren is well worth your time, especially if you like high seas adventure, plot twists, and interesting characters.  Instead of saturating her story with Scripture, M. L. Tyndall uses just enough—her characters examine their faith in God, but this isn’t a a secret witnessing tool pieced together with a sloppy plot—it’s a good book.  I can hardly wait to read the next two books in the Charles Towne Bell series—The Enchantress and The Raven Saint, which follow the adventures of Hope and Grace Westcott.

Amy’s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*I did no pillaging nor plundering to obtain The Red Siren. The book was furnished for me for review by Barbour Publishing. Aren’t they swell?*

One of my favorite duos, Shane & Shane, released their seventh career studio project Everything Is Different (Inpop) on November 3.  Chock full of the acoustic strings, lyrics drenched with Scripture, and the melodic vocal blends that Shane Barnard and Shane Everett are praised, Everything Is Different is the first album the duo released since signing on as worship pastors at their home church in Red Oak, TX.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to look back with Shane Barnard on his career, talk about the new album, and share a few laughs along the way.  I invited you to Take 10 (and a couple more minutes) with Shane of Shane & Shane.  To learn more about the band, head over to the S & S hub at shaneandshane.com.

And, yes, you can hear my dogs barking in the background towards the end of the interview.  They’re big Shane & Shane fans and couldn’t contain their glee!

(Note: To listen to the interview, simply click the “play” button [triange button] and turn up your computer speakers.)

*Dear FTC, I wanted to let you know that, yes, this album was provided to me for free by Inpop.  Love, Amy*

Life hits full force with a series of circumstances that break our hearts and the hearts of those we love.  After a great time of joy, all of a sudden things turn…unexpectedly.  The news hits as we relive that phone call, that moment, that news that changed our lives forever.

Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise, was written for such a time as this.  Being hailed as Chapman’s “most personal album to date,” Beauty Will Rise releases a year and a half after the world learned of the tragic death of Chapman’s young daughter, Maria.  The songs are contemporary versions of biblical psalms full of poetic lamentation, proclamation, grief, and thoughtful memories—all overlaid with persistent hope for the future and praise for God.

All twelve tracks on Beauty Will Rise are excellently crafted—some are gentle like the album’s first single “Heaven Is The Face” while the title track, “Beauty Will Rise” goes for a bolder, faster melody.  Each song is fused with raw emotion that grips the heart.  Each time I listen to the album, I have a new favorite song, lyric, or melody.  It’s that kind of album.

Beauty Will Rise is profound-no matter what your place of suffering–because it shows that hope for healing rests in God alone.  Steven Curtis Chapman lets us walk through his pain as we try to make sense of our own.  In fact, if I may be so transparent, I have yet to listen to this album without dissolving into tears—for loved ones I miss, for words that ring so true in the difficulties in my life, and for the ever-persistent notion that life can hurt but God is still good.

Amy’s Rating: 5 out of 5

**I almost forgot to inform y’all that I was graciously provided a copy of this very album to review courtesy of Sparrow Records.  Thanks to the FTC for making me do this on every single blog post!**