Lunar Boulevard

I can think of few other artists as talented and incredible as Elvis Costello. I've made no secret of the fact that he's one of my biggest musical heroes and I even went so far as to review all of his albums here a couple years ago. He's also one of the best balladeers out there, able to be snarky and loud in one song and soft and gentle in the next. It's this kind of diversity that makes him so incredible and I wanted to look at some of my favorite ballads that Costello has penned over the years, in no particular order. Some of these will be obvious and others more obscure (unless you own all of his albums or have followed him beyond the hits) and I'm well aware that there are some songs that didn't make the cut by a thin margin (like "Almost Blue", "Still", and "Indoor Fireworks"). Anyway, let's roll! 15. My Three Sons (from Momofuku ) I love you more than I can say/What I give to one, the others cannot take away C...

I remember going to see the IMAX presentation a couple years ago about the Hubble Telescope and all the work that had gone into it for its final mission. One of the astronauts who was repairing the outside of the contraption talked about the delicacy of working on such a device and trying to do it in space, no less. The film showed footage of him installing screws while he described how difficult and nerve-wracking it was. What really struck me was that his method. He stated that he simply focused on the screw he was working on. He didn't think about how many he had left or what he had already done. He focused solely on what was in front of him and completing the job in a timely and satisfactory manner.     Often in life it's easy to get caught up in the future or the past. We obsess over all the things we still need to do and reminisce about what we've done (or in many cases didn't do) and thus lose our focus. I'm not saying looking forward or back is a bad...

A couple weeks ago I looked briefly at the frequency of prayer and how any time spent with God is well worth the investment. Now I want to look at the second poll question my church asked a month ago, which is this: How would you describe your relationship with God in prayer? A.) Intimate B.) Distant C.) Obligatory A majority of the congregation answered "Intimate", yet I was in the tiny minority who had to admit that, more often than not, it feels obligatory to me. Let me be upfront about this: I do believe that prayer is vital for any Christian and that it's an obligation we need to stick to. However, it can't just be an obligation: it needs to be a passion and this is where I've struggled many times. I find myself praying because I know I'm supposed to but often my mind or heart are elsewhere and I find myself just wanting to get through it so I can get on with the rest of my day. It's not that my prayers aren't sincere or honest: I j...

A song based on La Fontaine's fable, "The Fox, The Wolf and the Well"? Quite possibly, though like all great art it's up for debate and interpretation. This has always been one of my favorite tracks from the Neon Bible album and the lyrics have always intrigued me. I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again Left for dead Heaven is only in my head In some ways it almost seems like a commentary on sin. We're guilty and yet, if given the choice, we'd be willing to commit the same transgression all over again. Perhaps the one telling this story doesn't believe there is any hope for salvation, only the fate of living with the regret and punishment of what they've done. I heard a voice Calling from down inside a well "See that silver shine?" She said to come claim what was mine So down I fell Down into the water black My prison cell Only the moon was shining back If I seem los...

I'm the most hated man in America. If you find this strange or hard to believe in then let me explain my case: * I'm a born-again Christian. I believe the Bible is the true and inherent word of God and is infallible * I'm a conservative and lean heavily to the right in my political beliefs * I favor traditional values and believe in a definite right and wrong * I'm a proponent for small government, lower taxes, and hard work and self-reliance Getting steamed yet? Chances are good that you are. I've found that nothing angers people, even many Christians, more than when they find out my political beliefs are conservative. It's something I don't voice publicly very often simply because I don't find discussing politics fun. No one ever changes their mind and often it just divides and makes people angrier, leaving friction and bitterness where friendship and love once resided. It's also unpleasant to discuss because so many people, even in the C...

It's been an interesting ride for this English group. They captured our hearts and won instant acclaim with their 2004 debut Hopes and Fears , introducing a poppy piano-driven sound that managed to win over both mainstream and indie listeners alike. The follow-up Under the Iron Sea  was moodier and darker, a twisted ride through the troubles the band was going through and it's definitely my favorite album of theirs. It expanded upon their sound and added new atmospheric touches that elevated them to exciting new heights. I know I'm in the minority but I really enjoyed Perfect Symmetry , the band's previous full-length album. It was certainly different but it was nice to see them keep pushing themselves and taking chances. However, their Night Train EP from 2010 was pretty bad and featured only a couple of really great songs. After all these twists and turns I was curious to see where they would go. As it turns out, they went back to square one. Kind of. Strange...

A couple weeks ago I discussed an overview of prayer and began to examine my own prayer life and how it can be improved. The first of the poll questions I mentioned earlier asked about how often I pray and I answered, "Frequently". Now I want to look at that aspect of prayer just a bit more. It's true that I spend a fair amount of time in prayer each day. I don't say that to brag or make myself seem more righteous but rather as a simple statement of fact. Sometimes they last a few seconds and sometimes they can take half an hour depending on the situation and how much time I have. It's true that quality time with God is certainly important but quantity time is also critical. In fact, any time spent with God is time well spent. No one walks away from praying or reading their Bible and says, "Wow, that was a waste of time!". Any time is a good time to be with Him. However, there does need to be some balance within that space. We should pray whenever...