http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303 Jeremy Louis programs the music for MyPositiveEdge.com! On this blog, Jeremy will keep you up to date on new music that you might hear soon on MPE. You can help him out by telling us what you think of the music you're hearing. Just join the MPE Music Crew by clicking here. Follow Jeremy here: AdvancedMinistry From the I AM SECOND website: "I remember when I was seventeen and a woman asked me if I was saved. I didn’t have any idea what she meant. Saved, what the heck was saved? The best thing I could think through was am I like my grandmother? And I adamantly told her no because I am not like my grandmother. I do hip hop music. Its more than music it’s actually a culture; it is the lens by which you see the world. They are talking reckless, what you expecting from the walking dead. It’s okay to be passionate, bold: it’s masculinity, it is what I do. I used to sneak and watch rap videos in my grandmother’s house because I was too little and she wouldn’t have let me watch them. I would sit there and marvel late at night. I found people to look up to. There were no Barak Obamas, Martin Luther Kings or Malcom Xs, they had all passed away so I had Tupac. I’ve been trapped since birth cautious cause that I’m cursed, fantasies of my family in a hearse, and they say it’s the white man I should fear, but its my own kind doing all the killing here. I wasn’t the greatest athlete, definitely wasn’t a scholarly student, I wasn’t the toughest guy, but being able to rap was my source of significance. I grew up wrestling with significance because my father and mother weren’t together. I never met my father; he became a drug addict and let his life crumble. I felt like my dad was a piece of my life that I needed to have to feel like somebody. Having a single mother who worked a lot, she had to entrust me to the care of family members and different people a lot of the time. I experienced abuse as a kid and neglect and different kind of things so I just wanted significance and I didn’t feel like I would get it trying to be this well manicured, good, all around student and person. The people I looked up to were gangsters. My uncle showed me a gun and I just wanted to be like those guys. I remember taking a bb gun and standing in the street pointing it to a car and I just saw the lady panic and freak out. For me that was fun, I didn’t have anything to do. I wanted to be back in the inner city, I wanted to be doing criminal activity so I kept rebelling and I kept doing worse. Drugs when I was 16 and fighting all the time. I got arrested in high school for stealing. What am I doing with my life? I got put on a gang list, I remember thinking man I guess I am I supposed to care? Went from drugs to drinking, I am a wreck, partying, I don’t fit anywhere. I am just this misfit of a person. My mother was like, “You just need to read your bible.” I remember ripping the pages out of the bible and throwing it on the floor. I don’t want this bible. I couldn’t wrap my hands around this being true or real. My grandmother was a Christian and I remember having to go to church with her and it was older people. So for church it wasn’t about God, it was for them, it wasn’t for me. It’s probably not real; it’s probably something people use as a crutch. I think as the emptiness became more profound, when I had to drink and smoke more, find more and more women, when I was really in a really, really dark place… 5:46 in the morning tossing and turning, chest burning, sermons in my head keep re-occurring, having visions in my head of a kid crying at the feet of the father for all the wrong things that he did. Now I am sweating in my sheets, can’t sleep cause my mind keep telling me I am 6 ft deep. Don’t remind me, even though I am still alive I can tell the way I am living my life I am going to hell. I got invited by a friend to a conference and I really am just more excited about being in the big city. More excited about there being girls and what the city brings, not really concerned about the conference. So when I get to the conference I see guys who had been shot from being in gangs, girls who were extremely promiscuous in the past, I see rappers, dancers and singers; I see people who came from the same background I came from, and they still embodied who they were culturally, but they were all in love with Jesus and I had never seen that before. Then I saw another group and they were sold out for Jesus and they were rapping and you heard about it in their songs; and I was like, “What in the world?” And as I listened to the lyrics I was like, “I don’t know this, I don’t understand this God that they are talking about.” And then finally someone got up and said, “Do you know you have been bought with a price?” Then he told me the story of Jesus, and him carrying the cross and him bearing all my sin, all my lying, all of my cheating, all of my escapades, all of my drinking and drugging, and put it on his own back. He said I was bought with a price. It made me think, “Man, someone thinks I am significant enough to die for me. Someone thinks I am significant enough to climb up this mountain with a cross on his back and take nails in his wrists and his feet for me.” I remember articulating, “God get me out of this, don’t kill me; do whatever you have to do to get me out of this, just don’t kill me.” I was driving down the highway and I turned too quick and lost control of the wheel and my car flipped over again and again. The roof caved in, the windshield caved in, no seatbelt, glass everywhere, my glasses I had on were molded into the frame of the car; and I didn’t have a scratch. That was it. I said I get it. I called up my friends who I knew were living for Jesus and I said, “We got to make this happen. I am coming home.” I saw change happening. I spent a lot of time searching for father figures, and just all the evidence, and God has shown me that ultimately He is my father. It drives me to keep pressing. I started volunteering at a juvenile detention center and some of those songs that I had written in my darkest times when I was crying out to God I would do for them and I would just see them sitting there weeping. And time after time they kept requesting for me to do the song again, “I just need to keep holding onto that, because it’s something that would keep reminding me that I need Jesus.” And it hit me like, this is what I wanted to do, to use music to offer hope and encouragement to people. I was created by God, but I didn’t want to be like him I wanted to be Him. The Jack Sparro of my Caribbean. I remember the first created being and how he shifted the blame on his dame for food he shouldn’t have eaten. And now I look at us all out of Eden, wearing designer fig leaves by Loui Vuitton make believing. But God sees through my foolish pride, and that I am weak like Adam, another victim to Lucifer’s lies, but then in steps Jesus. All men were created to lead, but we needed somebody to lead us, more than a teacher, but someone to buy us back from the darkness, you can say He redeemed us. I’ve learned to stay close to my source of significance and to my source of worth – and that is God. My name is Lecrae and I am Second." http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=33488 33488 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:33:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=32349 32349 Mon, 5 Mar 2012 16:13:00 +0000 From JesusFreakHideout.com- After nearly a decade with Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, frontman and founding member Jason Dunn will depart the GRAMMY® and Dove Award nominated group on May 15th. Dunn plans to release his first solo project under the name Lights Go Down later this year. Dunn spent the last few months recording at Profile Studios in Vancouver, B.C., with RIAA Gold-accredited record producer Steve Kravac (Blink 182, MxPx, Less Than Jake). Tentatively titled Abandon Progress, information about the album's release date and label and distribution plans are forthcoming. Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Hawk Nelson signed to Tooth and Nail Records in 2004, and to date have recorded 5 full-length albums selling in excess of 600,000 units. A compilation album, The Songs You've Already Heard: Best of Hawk Nelson, is scheduled for release on March 27, 2012. "I will miss playing music on stage with my friends, but really looking forward to the future with Lights Go Down," says Dunn. "I wish Hawk Nelson the very best with their future endeavors." For more information, follow Lights Go Down on Facebook and Twitter http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=31330 31330 Wed, 1 Feb 2012 11:42:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=30975 30975 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:41:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=29097 29097 Wed, 9 Nov 2011 11:16:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=28292 28292 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:53:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=27967 27967 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:21:00 +0000 WHAT: Students at the University of Arkansas and from several campus ministries will come together at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. on Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Passion University Tour this fall. Featuring lead worshippers Charlie Hall and Kristian Stanfill, the Passion University Tour is making its way to 12 university campuses nationwide in preparation for Passion 2012 – a gathering of more than 35,000 university-aged adults at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 2-5. Centered on Passion’s core scripture, Isaiah 26:8, the unique purpose of Passion is to gather college students from campuses and churches around the world, uniting them across ministry and denominational lines to impact their communities and their world for the glory of God. Affirming and valuing the work of local churches and campus ministries, Passion seeks to foster unity and connectivity among them resulting in a louder anthem of God’s renown.  WHO: The night will feature lead worshippers Charlie Hall and Kristian Stanfill with a special video message from Passion Conferences founder Louie Giglio.  WHEN + WHERE: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5 at 7:30 P.M. University Baptist Church, 333 West Maple Street, Fayetteville, AR 72701  TICKETS: $10, Available online at http://passion2012tour.com.or at the University Baptist Church door http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=27063 27063 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:51:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=26525 26525 Tue, 6 Sep 2011 10:53:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=26192 26192 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:51:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=25698 25698 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 17:29:00 +0000 Remedy by Rachael Lampa from Jesusfreakhideout on Vimeo. http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=25375 25375 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:37:00 +0000 Check out the latest song from Hawk Nelson- "Your Love Is A Mystery" http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=24313 24313 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:25:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=23951 23951 Wed, 8 Jun 2011 17:37:00 +0000 Important News From Crowder BandWe have several things to let you know about. First of all, we can't begin to express how excited we are getting about The 7 Tour this fall. If you haven't heard yet, we're doing a national tour with some of our favorite artists ever. Gungor, John Mark McMillan, and Chris August are joining us, and we cannot wait to be in the same room with these folks night after night. We’re pretty sure you'll want to be at every single one of these get-togethers. "Unreasonable!" you say? Well, not to us. That's why we'll be there every single night. Seriously, we, the band, are all getting on a bus and following the whole thing around for like 3 months. It's going to be awesome. Now, another reason we are sure this will be one of the most meaningful tours we've ever been on is because it will be our last as a band. This is why we so cleverly named it The 7 Tour. We've always hidden this little number here and there in our music and artwork, sometimes it would appear in the sum of the numerals 3 and 4, and other times it would be sitting there outright, but it’s always been with us. As you know, the number 7 has often been used to represent completion, and that feels exactly where we are as a band. The David Crowder*Band was formed in the year two thousand; it was the dawn of a millennium, Y2K was upon us, and out of this chaos was born the DC*B. That sounds way more epic than we intend it, but it is fact. We signed a 3 album deal with our friends at sixstepsrecords who are part of the EMI/CMG family. We didn’t want to be presumptuous, presuming there would be more than those first three albums, but we hoped. And so we began discussions about building a 6 album set, the second three, if we were ever to have the great privilege of recording them, would be loosely associated with the first three, you know, sort of like how in the creation story day one is related to day four, as in, first there is light, then on the fourth day the sun and moon and stars appear. We do these things because we are quite nerdy and also because we hope to inject meaning wherever and whenever we are able. We also like structure, and this seemed a pretty nifty structure to work within, since, well, it is one of the greatest stories ever. And sure enough, we have had the happy fortune to record five full-length albums and are hard at work on the 6th right now. The problem, or the beauty, is that we’ve never been able to see past album 6. In the meantime, a lot of life has happened. It is now 2011 (this is for anyone who may not have been paying attention) and in eleven years there have been many twists and turns. Each of us has gotten married. New humans have arrived as a result of these marriages, 5 to be exact. We have also lost some really good friends to death along the way and have gotten to celebrate together that death is not the end of things. It’s really crazy to think that we have lived over a decade of life together. And, in the middle of all this life, we have gotten to make music that was a reflection of what was happening among us. We have attempted, to the best of our ability, to insert all of these twists and turns into our music, hoping that our responses to God in the midst of these moments would be an aid to others. At the first of this year we began discussing what was next. For a long while, we have had a good idea what we were going to do for album number 6; we were going to record a Mass. Ambitious, maybe, but we had been working out the details of how it would connect to A Collision, you know the one with the boy and the atom on the cover. Mass happens to be a term used in physics, and this was exciting to us. But we also began conversations about what was to follow this sixth album. Some of us discussed maybe going back to school. Some of us talked about how great it might feel to be home with family more. Some mentioned maybe writing for a living, or at least getting to give more attention to it. Some talked about more music to be made and who they might enjoy making it with and how great it would be to have more diverse options open to them and the excitement they felt when thinking about those options (as in, if this was to be the period at the end of a sentence, they couldn’t wait to read the next paragraph!) And, out of these discussions, the decision was reached that this sixth album would be our last. None of us is sure what’s next, but we’re not afraid. We’re, in fact, really, really excited! And we’re sure that music will play a role in the future for most, if not all, of us, since, well, we wouldn’t know how to not have it a part of our lives. To what extent that will be, none of us is sure. We are hopeful and expecting, and praying that what is ahead of us deepens our need and experience of redemption and multiplies our ability and effectiveness in expressing the story of God in light of the call he has on each of our lives. We are forever grateful for the support we have had from our church community, both local and extended. Really. It has been beautiful, all of it. And we will most definitely keep you informed as things progress and life’s new twists and turns start to make themselves more apparent. In the meantime, as you can imagine, this album we’re working on is pretty special to us. Fittingly enough, it seems our little Mass has turned itself into a Requiem. We’d love your prayers as we endeavor to put a period at the end of this sentence. And obviously it was not overstated when we said The 7 Tour will be a thing you may not want to miss. We would love for you to join us for one last evening together, singing these songs that God has allowed us to carry. With Love and Gratitude,The DC*Bhttp://www.davidcrowderband.com/ http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=23466 23466 Mon, 23 May 2011 17:15:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=22621 22621 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:29:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=21686 21686 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:42:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=21437 21437 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:21:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=20803 20803 Fri, 4 Mar 2011 11:37:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=20395 20395 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:39:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=19804 19804 Tue, 8 Feb 2011 17:52:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=19416 19416 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:27:00 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=18584 18584 Fri, 7 Jan 2011 16:24:56 +0000 You might have noticed that we have begun playing a few Christmas songs on MyPositiveEdge.com, and I hope you are enjoying them along with your other favorites.  Here's a fun video from Relient K- http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=17554 17554 Wed, 1 Dec 2010 11:38:37 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=16401 16401 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:32:54 +0000 I have been watching the story behind the song video clips for the new Matthew West album, which came out today, and have been both encouraged and challenged.  I hope you feel the same way as well.  I'd love to know what you think. Click HERE to watch the video clips.   http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=15651 15651 Tue, 5 Oct 2010 13:34:06 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=14776 14776 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:16:04 +0000 Check out the newly released video from MIKESCHAIR for their latest song "Keep Changing the World"-  Keep Changing The WorldMIKESCHAIR | MySpace Music Videos http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=14233 14233 Thu, 2 Sep 2010 16:24:48 +0000 Ok, so if you don't want to be challenged or convicted, don't watch this video.  I hope you watch it anyway though. It's a special video with Hawk Nelson's song "Shaken" and shows the ministry of Samaritan's Purse around the world.  http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=14054 14054 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:48:04 +0000   http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13983 13983 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:30:03 +0000 Jon Foreman was recently playing an impromptu acoustic set outside their concert venue when the police decided to break things up.  Was it right for the police to break it up?  http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13965 13965 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:00:02 +0000 We recently started playing a new song from Skillet, called "Forgiven" and John Cooper (lead singer and bass player) was kind enough to send us a video talking about the song.  http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13918 13918 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:09:17 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13814 13814 Wed, 4 Aug 2010 15:09:39 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13813 13813 Wed, 4 Aug 2010 14:51:53 +0000 Ok, so I haven't been great about weekly new music updates and I apologize for that.  This week, I am pumped about introducing a new song from Mikeschair featuring Lecrae.  Be listening for the song "Keep Changing the World".  The basic message is that we all get caught up in our own little 'world' while ignoring the hurts and needs of people that are searching for hope.  The song was convicting to me, 'cause I constantly have to remind myself that it is NOT about me.  It's about how God can use me to bring hope and change to the world.  Here's some of the lyrics:To all the people who are fighting for the brokenAll the people who keep holding on to loveAll the people who keep reaching for the lonelyKeep changing the worldI'd love to know what you think of the song when you hear it.  You can listen to it right now at their MySpace page if you don't want to wait to hear it on MPE.  ~ Have a great week and thanks for listening to MyPositiveEdge.com! - Jeremy http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13523 13523 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:55:39 +0000 Get the story behind the new song from The Afters "Light up the sky"-  http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13277 13277 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:13:00 +0000 Find out the story behind Chasen's latest song "Castaway"-   http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=13124 13124 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:21:42 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=12781 12781 Mon, 24 May 2010 10:15:23 +0000 From JesusFreakHideout.com - Remedy Drive, is preparing for the world premiere of their latest music video, ?Rescue.? Ransom.TV, an online ministry of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, will be debuting the video on May 11th with TVU launching the video as an exclusive on May 14th, before going live everywhere on May 18th. The music video features footage shot in downtown Nashville before the recent flood left the historic area devastated. ?If you?ve seen Remedy Drive live, you can?t help but be struck by the band?s energy and passion,? said Kevin Adamson, producer for Ransom.tv. ?Those are two components we really tried to capture in the video for ?Rescue.? The song is a perfect fit for Ransom.tv because of its rich lyrics and its creative approach to sharing the band?s faith.? For more information about Remedy Drive and a complete list of tour dates, visit http://www.remedydrive.com http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=12574 12574 Tue, 11 May 2010 17:11:19 +0000 The new music video from Seabird's song "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" was recently featured on Seventeen Magazine's website.  See it here for yourself...  http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=12240 12240 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:34:54 +0000 Get the scoop behind the new song from Addison Road "Fight Another Day" http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=12239 12239 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:32:27 +0000 The new video is based mostly on a live Skillet performance in Chattanooga, Tenn. with additional footage shot backstage by the band. Photos from the video shoot are currently available at www.facebook.com/WeAreRansom Skillet - Awake and Alive from Ransom TV on Vimeo. http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=12086 12086 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:18:00 +0000 Want to know the story behind the song "Walk on Water" from Britt Nicole?  Be prepared to be challenged!  http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=12010 12010 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 11:11:07 +0000 Be listening for new music from Plumb, RelientK and Lecrae.  Check out the music video from the latest Lecrae songs "Far Away."  Donations from Lecrae's song go to helping rebuild the church in Haiti through Churches Helping Churches.   http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11839 11839 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:38:52 +0000 http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11826 11826 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:20:59 +0000 Deas Vail has a new music video out for you, featuring their song "Excuses".   http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11813 11813 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:29:56 +0000 Hear the story behind their new project "The Light Meets the Dark."   http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11727 11727 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:52:50 +0000 Sanctus Real is set to release their latest CD "Pieces of a Real Heart" on Tuesday, but you can get a free download of their song "These Things Take Time" before then.  Just follow this link-  http://www.tweematic.com/sanctusreal/     http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11535 11535 Wed, 3 Mar 2010 13:12:18 +0000 "Desperate" Official Music Video from Fireflight on Vimeo. http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11361 11361 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:18 +0000 Many of your favorite artists on MyPositiveEdge.com joined up with fellow musicians for a special song, to benefit the relief efforts in the country of Haiti.  Check out the BRAND NEW music video:   Come Together Now - Music City Unites For Haiti from Provident Label Group on Vimeo. http://www.mypositiveedge.com/index.cfm?i=6620&mid=25&blogid=1303&comments=11351 11351 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:46:06 +0000