I’m writing this after taking my last slot in the prayer room.  It’s a bittersweet feeling. I’m partly sad that it’s over, but as I reflect over all God has taught me through my prayer room experiences I’m excited for the next step in the spiritual lives of our group and in my own life.

Prayer has been redefined for me. My prayer life was somewhat lacking before. I’d mostly pray a lot of short prayers. Like many people I’ve talked to, I wondered at first how I would be able to pray for one hour, let alone two or three. I was amazed at how easy it was and how fast the time went. I felt that the lines between prayers bookended with “Dear God” and “Amen” gave way to prayers that encompassed so much more - worship through music and art, writing, reading the Bible, spending time in His presence. I felt God telling me to be persistent and pray for one single thing for an hour straight, and marveled at how easy and fulfilling it was.

I also now have a clearer picture of my purpose in life. There were certain subjects that I read on the wailing wall that broke my heart. Certain themes kept coming up in my prayers. I feel like these are what’s burdened on my heart, and there’s a passion for certain hurts and people that I never fully realized was there. I know now God will use me somehow through this. I hope as you reflect on your own prayer life, you’ll find your passions drift to the forefront as well, and that you pursue them.

As the end of 40 crept closer, I wondered how I could keep the things I loved about the prayer room going. Praying, worshiping and reading the Bible can be done anywhere, but I found myself wondering how I was going to extend the human element. One of the things I loved about that room was the connection I felt to others in the collective. Reading and praying over the writing on the walls - how would I regain something like that outside of the prayer room?

I now realize that this isn’t something to be missed when 40 is over, but that human element is what we need to strive for now that we can’t rely on scrawling on a wall to pray for others. There’s so much hurt in our group that I had no idea about. It has challenged me to go deeper in my relationships.  I shouldn’t need anonymous handwriting to give me something to pray for, but deeper connections with other believers. We need to love each other, pray for each other, share our hurts, our experiences, our praises. I’ve been praying for the needs of people I’m probably friends with, but have no idea of their hurts and struggles. The wailing wall and journals were only a start, now it’s up to us to continue praying for each other now that the “middleman” of the wailing wall is gone.

As I looked around the prayer room tonight, I saw the contrast from my first time in there. It looked very different. The walls are covered in writing, paintings are hung up on every available space with some being piled on the floor. The candles are burnt out, the journal is full and has spilled over into a new one. The Bible we are reading through is used, highlighted, underlined - the margins filled with thoughts on the Holy Scriptures. Our cries of worship, our prayers and laments have filled several large boards with writing. This room can no longer contain us, it’s bursting at the seams, waiting for our passion to break forth. Instead of being sad that the room is going away, we should see it as the Lighthouse Collective has outgrown the room. Now it’s time to take that passion into the world around us.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

Some time ago I was on my way to a concert in downtown Detroit.  I parked my car and started walking to the venue when a homeless man stopped me and asked for a dollar.  Now anyone who has walked more than a block in Detroit knows this is a common occurrence, and while it can sometimes be annoying, I try to look at it as God bringing the needy directly to me.  After giving him a dollar, I made some small talk.  We exchanged names, and I started asking him if he went to church (he did), where he attended, etc. We talked about his life briefly; he told me a little bit about what shelters he went to, where he slept and what parts of the city he was afraid of going into because he had enemies there.  He then hit me with a simple question I’ll never forget. A question that was innocent enough, but the wording of it broke me right there on the spot.  He asked me “So, what’s your life like?”

I’ve never really been asked that before. People always ask the standard questions like “What do you do for a living? Where did you go to school? What do you do for fun?” but never “What is your life like?”.  I didn’t know what to say.  Whenever someone asks me what I’ve been up to lately, I tend to start complaining about work, or the endless projects I have around the house, being way too busy and so on.  But I felt foolish giving those answers to someone with no job, with no house - someone who’s week isn’t filled up with going to the movies with friends, shopping at Best Buy and trying to decide which restaurant to have dinner at.  I ended up meekly telling him exactly what my life was like, and I actually felt embarrassed for having so much.  He asked a few more questions and then said “Have fun at your concert” as we shook hands and parted ways.

My week went on as usual, but this homeless man stayed in my mind.  At first I kept thinking what most people probably think when confronted with the less fortunate - I am truly blessed with what I have.  Though I feel so many times that I have little, God has really blessed me with so much more than I deserve.  I don’t nearly thank Him enough for giving me the life I have, and he reminds me of this every so often, putting things into perspective with encounters like this.

But how many of us just stop there?  When we encounter those who truly have little, those who are in much worse situations than our own, do we just say “Thank God that’s not me” and move on?

There’s another side.  God doesn’t just show us these things to make us feel better about our lives, but to break our hearts for these people.  Right when I began to feel good about my life compared to what it could be, I started to almost feel ashamed about all I had.  I haven’t been blessed so I can live a cushy life, but so I can bless others.  Everything I have should be given back to God. You don’t have to read much about Jesus’ life to see that he spent a lot of His time loving the unloved, the rejected, the needy - the people on the outskirts of society. What are we doing to follow Christ’s example?

I met this homeless man, and dozens more like him a mere ten miles from my house.  My house where I lazily play video games and surf the internet in my comfortable air conditioning.  This is what my life is like - Lord, please make it so much more than that.

I always get pretty excited when two separate musicians I love team up to form a new band.  For instance, I nearly had a heart attack when I heard Jack White and Brendan Benson were forming The Raconteurs.  So I was equally pushed to the edge of cardiac arrest when I first heard of The Foxglove Hunt - the new eighties-indie-pop band from Joy Electric’s Ronnie Martin and Fine China’s Rob Withem.Now unless you follow obscure Christian indie music, their names won’t mean much to you, but I can assure you they’re two very talented individuals.  Ronnie Martin has been recording synth-pop under the moniker Joy Electric for fifteen years on Tooth and Nail Records, while Rob Withem was the frontman for Fine China for nearly ten years.  So The Foxglove Hunt aren’t a couple of kids making eighties-style new-wave for irony’s sake, but two veterans of the music industry who’ve been playing this type of music before it became in vogue (again).Their debut album Stop Heartbeat is unapologetic ’80s electronic indie-pop, heavily influenced by legends such as New Order and The Smiths.  Its very true to the genre - almost a tribute to these bands (they even throw in a Psychedelic Furs cover - “Love My Way”).  Fake hand claps and choirs abound amidst electronic beeps and blips.  It may come off as cheesy to some, but personally it puts a smile on my face.  Atop of all the synthesizers is Withem’s guitar work, which adds accents and fills out the sound, but never really overpowers the synths.  There’s no mistaking this is primarily an electronic driven album.Looking past the sometimes jarring electronic flourishes, the vocal melodies are what really sets The Foxglove Hunt apart. Withem’s laid back voice and engaging melodies is what always made his old band Fine China great, and he continues with it here.  His vocal tone may not be appealing to everyone, but I think he has a perfect voice for the style of music.All in all, The Foxglove Hunt’s debut album Stop Heartbeat is a great listen all the way through.  A couple of the songs seem like filler, but there are no tracks that I skip or that stand out as particularly uninspired.  It’s hard for me not to judge the band by the member’s other endeavors, and I’d say I prefer Fine China’s similar sound to The Foxglove Hunt. But since there won’t be another Fine China album, The Foxglove Hunt is a more than worthy replacement.  Hopefully this band isn’t a one off side project and they continue to make music.8 out of 10The Foxglove Hunt on MySpace

When I was a kid I was a huge Speed Racer fan. So when I heard a Speed Racer film was being made, I leaped three feet into the air! I dashed to my computer to purchase a movie ticket and after an hour of fumbling through the theater’s website, I managed to finally buy one (I think I also accidentally signed up for two dating services and bought a Fergie MP3.) I hopped into my car (by jumping through the window, naturally) and sped to the movie theater, barely holding in my excitement as I wove through traffic like my childhood hero, Speed Racer.

As I sat in the theater and watched the images flicker before me, my anticipation turned into disappointment, and then into anger. Now, I understand that filmmakers have to take some liberties when translating a cartoon to a live action movie, but this film was nothing like the original animated series. Instead of the Mach 5 race car we all know and love, Speed Racer races in an iron suit that flies. Yes, you read that right. It was so ridiculous. He didn’t even race other cars- he raced jet planes in the sky. I understand that kids these days aren’t into race cars anymore, but to remove the essence of Speed Racer and transform him into a super-hero type who just flies around in a silly metal suit and fights terrorists is downright offensive. Yes, I understand that in this post 9/11 world you have to always have terrorists as the bad guys, but he could have at least raced the terrorists! At least they kept all the cool gadgets that the Mach 5 car had - like the rocket and the shield - but they just added them all to the iron suit. Stupid!

To add to all that, the casting was outrageous. Robert Downy Jr. as Speed Racer? Speed Racer is supposed to be a teenager. Just because you have a “Jr.” in your name, doesn’t make you automatically young. He’s also a whiskey drinking, womanizing, weapons manufacturer. Great role model for the kids - yeah right! And Trixie, Speed’s girlfriend, was in her 30s as well - and now has red hair. Give me a break! And probably the worst thing was that Speed Racer’s comedic sidekicks, Spridle and his pet monkey Chim Chim, were nowhere to be found. I guess it’s because they always stowed away in the Mach 5’s trunk to join him on his adventures - but there’s no trunk in a metal suit, is there?

I guess if you have no prior knowledge of Speed Racer, you might enjoy this movie. But if you, like me, were the president of the Speed Racer fan club in middle school, played with Speed Racer POGs and learned the theme song on your recorder, then do yourself a favor and spend your $45 on something worthwhile.

Rating: 20 thumbs down.

I was in the checkout line the other day at the local grocer when I noticed all the magazines advertising “Tips to Get into Shape for the Beach”. My mind tried to find reasons why someone would need to be in shape for the beach (my best conclusion: spectacular kicking of kid’s sand castles) before being distracted by the new Snickers Charged candy bars. But after I had consumed that tasty bar of nougaty goodness, I thought to myself, “What better way to help humankind than by providing them a list of my own ‘Fit Tips’ - free of charge.” That’s right, now you don’t have to pay the 25 cents for the monthly fitness periodical (or whatever they cost these days) to finally discover the secrets of staying healthy!

• A great way to stay fit is to replace things you normally do with their healthier alternatives. For instance, when you’re at the mall, try to resist using the elevator to go to the next level. Instead, use the escalator. It’s like taking the stairs, but better since there’s electricity involved. Also, instead of going through the McDonald’s drive-through try parking your car and walking inside. (Side note: Apparently you need some valid reason to park in the handicap space. According to the Troy Police Department, hunger is not a handicap.)

• Accountability is a great way to make sure you’re eating healthy. If you’re out to eat and your date orders dessert, you can say to them, “Yeaaahh… I wouldn’t if I were you.” They’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness, and are more likely to keep you accountable as well.

• There was once an episode of King of the Hill where Hank caught his son Bobby smoking, so he made him smoke an entire carton of cigarettes in one sitting to discourage him from ever smoking again. This is a helpful strategy in dieting too. When you catch yourself eating a couple of cookies, go ahead and finish off the entire pack. You won’t want to eat cookies ever again. Better yet, smoke a carton of cigarettes.

• Dance classes are a fun way to blow off some steam and stay active, but they can be expensive. However, until someone figures out a way to dance at home, classes are a wise and healthy investment.

• I like to treat myself to some ice cream periodically, especially after working a long 6 hour shift, or if I’ve just played an especially grueling round of phone tag. Coldstone Creamery is my favorite. Here’s a helpful tip when ordering there - ask for Peanut M&Ms instead of Regular M&Ms in your Gotta Have It Cake Batter Brownie Chocolate Swirl. Peanuts contain protein which promotes faster muscle recovery.

• Get involved in a new sport! Madden NFL ‘08 for the XBox 360 is a fun way to spend an afternoon, or if martial arts is more your style, take in a few rounds of Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Nintendo Wii.

• Pregnancy can add on a lot of weight in a short amount of time. If you happen to get pregnant, try and give birth to the baby when the weight gain reaches its peak (usually after about 9 to 11 months.) Not only will you instantly lose roughly 6 to 9 pounds, you’ll have an extra set of hands around the house to help with chores, giving you much more free time to exercise.

• Many people take up basketball as a way to get in shape, but are dismayed when they realize it doesn’t help. This is because of the little know fact that basketball - much like wrestling - is actually fake.

• And lastly, Yoga is a great way to stay healthy. Personally I enjoy Dannon’s Strawberry Banana the most.

Hopefully you’ll get as much out of these tips as I’ve gotten out of writing them (fact: typing burns 13 calories a minute). Have a great and healthy summer!

I think most of us latch onto certain music during different periods of our lives - our teenage years especially. Most people can tell you the songs, albums and bands that meant a lot to them in that awkward time of their lives. For me it was Switchfoot’s “Legend of Chin”. It was unlike anything I had heard up until that point in Christian music. The majority of Christian music is positive and uplifting - and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I feel there’s a definite need for more Christian music that acknowledges the pain, sadness and even doubt that we all deal with. After all, there is plenty of scripture in this vein, and it’s comforting to know that other people have gone through the same things we have. Switchfoot’s “The Legend of Chin” struck that chord with me at the time, all the while maintaining the threads of hope that are present in every Christian’s life. However, after that debut album in 1997, Switchfoot seemed to go in a different direction, and while they’ve still made good music since, they explored those themes less and less.

So when I popped in the new solo project of Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman, I was immediately hooked from the first song with the line “I’ve spent 10 years trying to sing these doubts away.” To my ears, it was a poetic return to form for Foreman. The lyrics on these two EPs are by far the most personal and mature I’ve heard from his writing with Switchfoot. They are the reflections of a man who is broken and weary, who is crying out to his Saviour. It’s very refreshing hearing such honest lyrics like this in Christian music.

I must warn you, most of the music is outright depressing. Nearly every song deals in some way with misery, apathy and brokenness. But the songs also acknowledge the hope that God brings us, and His ability to comfort and restore us. The final result is a unique offering that goes against both ultra-positive Christian music and the dismal secular music about these themes.

So far, two EPs- “Fall” and “Winter”- of his solo project have been released (”Spring” and “Summer” are being released accordingly). It’s no surprise that the music reflects the seasons for which the EPs are named. The instrumentation is sparse and mostly acoustic, with various instruments such as piano and clarinet weaving their way in and out of the songs. It’s very reminiscent of other exceptional singer/songwriters such as Nick Drake or Iron and Wine. While the lyrics are very much the highlight of the album, the music itself is pretty good as well and serves as a great compliment.

Jon Foreman’s “Fall and Winter” EPs are for sale together as one 2 CD set, or available individually for digital download. The “Spring” and “Summer” EPs are on their way, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what he creates within the context of the “happier” seasons.

4 out of 5
www.myspace.com/jonforeman