Way of the Master Basic Training Course Giveaway

Need to grow in the area of evangelism? If so, take the time to visit the Boundless Line. This morning they announced they'll be giving away one, brand-new copy of The Way of the Master Basic Training Course by Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. You'll find all the information you need to enter here.

While you're at it, click over to Boundless webzine and read the recent Mentor Series interview with Kirk and Ray.

Audio Adrenaline Extends Farewell Tour

While I'm not personally a big Audio Adrenaline fan, I thought it was worth noting that the band announced plans to extend their farewell tour. I guess saying goodbye is hard to do.

In a recent press release, Hoganson Media Relations stated:

After seeing the excitement from the fans during the fall leg of the Coming Up to Breathe Tour, MercyMe asked Audio Adrenaline to continue touring with them into the spring. "When MercyMe asked us to extend our farewell tour into 2007, we weren't sure what we were going to do," said Audio Adrenaline member Will McGinniss. "We had been planning to end in 2006, and all four of us were busy trying to figure out what we would do after AudioA ended. Tyler and Ben had already found other gigs, but with their blessing, we decided to carry on in the spring of 2007 to be able to see a few more fans one more time."

Accepting MercyMe's invitation, AudioA extends its fall touring with an encore 40-city winter/spring tour that kicks off February 16 in Tulsa, OK and wraps up April 28 at the final farewell concert in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The complete tour schedule can be found on the band's official website.

Cooke Addresses "The Dreaded 'J' Word"

In this month's issue of Charisma Magazine, media consultant and columnist Phil Cooke discusses the issue of "judging." He writes:

The view that we have no business judging other believers has become pervasive in the church today. The truth is, the Scripture from Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge" (NIV), has been widely misunderstood. Did Jesus really mean that we should never judge others?

It's interesting that when you examine Scripture, it's not just the act of judging that Jesus is talking about; it's also our attitude while doing it. Common sense tells us that making judgments is an important part of life. Whom our children play with, what church we attend, where we work and whom we associate with all are judgments.

However, today the culture tries to convince us that tolerance is the highest virtue. "Who are we to judge?" is the rallying cry of deviant behavior, heretical teaching and immoral living. Without proper criticism and judgment, living in real community would become impossible.

The question becomes, How do we judge like Jesus, and how can we be sure that love, repentance and restoration are the standards we use?

He goes on to lay out three guidlines which include:

1. Start with Scripture.
2. Lose the beam.
3. Judge results not people.

It's interesting that under the third point, he speaks of first examining within the church before "judging" mainstream culture. He writes, "The truth is, the church today has it backward. We spend too much time criticizing the outside culture, and not enough time examining the church."

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think there is a place for "the dreaded 'j' word"? Can Christians practice judgment, specifically among themselves, without it falling into the category of legalism?

New Episode of Soul Check TV

In 2006, the online show, Soul Check TV was launched. During the last year, host Sarah has interviewed CCM artists Kutless, Disciple, Barlowgirl, Superchic[k], Jadin Lavik, and Starfield.

In her latest episode, she spends some time chatting with Hyper Static Union. The band's debut release Lifegiver was produced by Third Day's Mac Powell and is the first project from Third Day's Consuming Fire Productions. You can watch their interview with Soul Check TV here.

Review of Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies

The Short of It

Artists: Andrew Peterson & Randall Goodgame
Release Date: December 22, 2006
Label: Square Peg Alliance
Audience: Children ages one to six (and their parents)
Available for Purchase: Randall Goodgame Store


The Long of It

Several months ago, my two-year-old daughter, Olivia, and I checked out a Laurie Berkner CD from the library. While Olivia loved the songs, I was concerned that she was listening to nonsense all day long. It was my desire to find a CD that was just as fun, but at the same time communicated spiritual truths, especially since she sings along to everything. About a month ago, I stumbled across an ad for Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies, a new children's CD from CCM artists Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame. Being an avid listener of Peterson's music, I immediately ordered the project.

The album -- whose linear notes read at one point "No children were eaten during the making of this record" -- is broken into two parts. The first two-thirds of it contains fun kids songs (many of them very silly), while the remaining one-third is tender lullabies. Styles range from swing to folk to jazzy blues to what Olivia calls "yeehaw music." There's even a little bit of pirate "yo-ho-hoing."

As a whole, the project has a very organic feel. What I mean by that is you'll find no auto-tune happening here. There are several songs where Goodgame could've used a bit, such as in "God Made Me" and "Beautiful Girl," but instead a decision was made not to use the tool. And frankly, it's refreshing. There are times when I want to hear a human voice sing without all the bells and whistles of technology. To me, children's music is perfect for this; it shouldn't be too polished.

While I know little about Goodgame, I've come to expect much from Peterson. In my book, he's one of the master storytellers in Christian music, able to beautifully craft songs that make me smile, cry, and think deeply. After listening to this CD, I've had to add laugh to that list. For anyone who picks up this album, get ready to be very amused.

The album contains songs that are simply silly, such as "Piggy Little Toes" (or "The Yeehaw Song" as Olivia calls it), "Bears," and "Tractor, Tractor," as well as songs that communicate spiritual truths including "Stop" and "God Made Me."

"Piggy Little Toes" tells the story of a dad (Peterson) looking for his daughter at a square dance. He sings:

Hey, little Skye girl, where did you go/Out of the holler in the rain and snow?/Maybe she's down at the Do Si Do/Just kicking her feet with the piggy little toes

My girl's got one bellybutton and two elbows/A cute little face and a pretty little nose/And one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten piggy little toes

In "Bears," we hear:

No grizzly bears don't wear underwear/Socks, or jammies, or gloves/No baby bears don't wear diapers/No Pampers, no Huggies, no Luvs ...

No panda bears aren't so scary/They're eatin' up China bamboo/But if you don't mind your mama/They might just come and eat you

One of Olivia's favorite songs on the CD, "God Made Me," uses humor to teach kids that God made them:

God made slugs and bugs and rats and bats/And nasty bees that don't say please/They'll sting your elbows and your knees if you chase them

But God made me like he made the sea/He filled it up with green and blue/He sent His Son, His Only One/To fill me up and make me new

What's great about this CD is that Peterson and Goodgame have managed to do what VeggieTales has done -- make an entertaining product for both children and parents. For example, kids may not understand the humor in a song such as "Chicken Wiggle," but any parent who's had problems burping their baby will love hearing:

You've got bubbles down in your tummy/And they'll be trouble if they don't rise/Well I know that milk is yummy/But the doctor says no matter how much the baby cries, you've got to ...

Burp, burp, Chicken Wiggle, don't spit up ...

It also has the distinct touch of "dad." Written, performed, and produced by two dads, it's no surprise to find an entire song about eating beans that ends with:

Why did you eat them beans, boy/Why did you eat them beans?/The neighbors done up and they moved to Queens, all 'cause you ate them beans

"Who's Got the Ball," also known as the "ballgame song" at our house, celebrates the fun of kids playing ball with their daddy. The track includes a sports announcer midway through the song, adding a fun touch to what would have otherwise been too repetitive if left solely to its lyrics.
The one complaint I have about the silly tracks is that I think Peterson and Goodgame were unknowningly influenced by already existing children's songs. The music to "God Made Me" reminded both Ted and me of something off of Blue's Clues, while "Dreams" brought to mind VeggieTales' "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything."

As a parent, my favorite part of the album is the lullabies. Let's just say, they've brought me to tears on many occasions. While auto-tune is clearly missing from Goodgame's "Beautiful Girl," I love this song because it reminds me of the times I've heard my husband singing our girls to sleep. In it, Goodgame sings:

I've got you swaddled and I've got your bottle/And you're too loud to ignore/Your mama is sleeping/The angels are keeping/So cry no more

Hey, beautiful girl/Daddy loves you, he loves you/Most beautiful girl in the whole wide world

However, my two favorite songs on the album are Peterson's "May the Lord Bless and Keep You" and "My Baby Loves to Dance." In "May the Lord Bless and Keep You," we hear:

Goodnight, my dear/Be at ease/Till you're floating like the sunlight through the trees/Be at ease

May the Lord bless and keep you/The Lord shine His face upon you, child/And give you grace/May the Lord turn His face toward you, love/And give you peace

In "My Baby Loves to Dance," Peterson sings:

My baby loves to dance/She loves to spin around/She's only two feet tall, but I don't mind at all/She hears a song in every little sound ...

My baby loves me so/She loves me as I am/She lifts her little hands/Her wish is my command/I'll pick her up forever if I can

In the end, the lullaby portion of this album is more than songs meant to soothe and settle down kids. It's also a beautiful testament to the joys of parenting; hence the reason it brings me to tears at each listen.

Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies. It's silly. It's moving. And to borrow a popular phrase, at our house, it's kid-tested. Parent approved.