Tenth Avenue North has been my favorite band for the last few years. I love their musical style and their purpose behind each of their albums. Out of every band that I have listened to, they have some of the greatest, real to life lyrics that speak powerfully and clearly to the Gospel. The song I attached is entitled, "Times" and it discusses the plethora of situations and experiences we as believers face throughout our lives. I remember listening to this song for encouragement during times of sadness, struggle, or even joy and being reminded of the immutibility of Christ and His unconditional love. Hopefully you can read it, but I also posted what is listed inside the CD cover for what the band's purpose is for their two albums.  

I'm not a fanatic when it comes to the movie Inception, but I did really enjoy the film and thought there were some interesting truths behind it. The whole concept of an idea having great power is really intriguing, and is something I've been thinking about the last few days. Not to make a clique or watered-down analogy, but when we as Believers are thoroughly captivated with Christ it can be a powerful thing that drives us to make choices some might view as outlandish or absurd. The notion that life apart from Jesus has no value has the capability to (and should) underpin all that we think, say, and do.

The Office has been one of my favorite shows for a long time now. I love the humor that it contains, and the characters are always hilarious. Thursday nights episode was pretty funny, but the thing that stood out to me was how the theme of "Rags to Riches" was very present in the character named Andy. Andy is the worst salesman in the office, and literally is in a position where he could lose his job. Andy comes up with the idea of teaching a business seminar with the hopes of selling his "experties" to the would be business men and women. Towards the end of the seminar, Andy realizes that things are actually going well and that people might want to buy what he is offering. Despite the success looming over his head, Andy gets scared and almost backs out of his sales pitch. With the help of his boss (Michael), Andy picks himself up, conquers his fears, and makes not only one sale, but three altogether. Whether or not this is directly related to the American ideal of working hard and getting what you want, I'm not sure, but I definitely found this episode thought provoking and insightful.