Jars and Jewel

This week's entry from the random emails of encouragement archives... I get inspirations for stuff in the weirdest places and at the weirdest times.  I guess that is what appears to be the randomness of God in my eyes, but is actually the plan of God coming to fruition.  How he can use a song on the radio and the desire to hear that song to eventually lead to the writing of a piece of encouragement is beyond me, but hey, He’s God and He can do that. 

This was written on June 22nd, 2001, ten years ago to the day, back when Jewel was relevant, Jars of Clay was popular, and Coconuts was in business...

So, here is "Jars and Jewel"...

Yes, I did end up finding this CD.  Ten years later, I think
I've listened to it... once?  Maybe twice...

So, let me preface this story to tell you why I was looking for "Pieces of You", the cd by Jewel in the first place... a few days ago, before I started my new job, I was lying in bed about to get up for the morning. It was around nine or so, when on the radio comes "You Were Meant for Me," by Jewel. The song makes me sigh, and brings back memories. I like the song, can't help it, plus, its been stuck in my head for a week. So there. That's why.


Now, the real story...

So, I'm in Coconuts today at lunch. I go there every two weeks or so, and flip through their used cds. Let me just plug them and say they have the absolute best used cd prices in town, better than CD Warehouse, better than Replays... you can find new and old stuff there cheap! Okay, back to my cd flipping. My main goal is to find 2 cds--Goo Goo Dolls "Dizzy Up the Girl", and Jewel's "Pieces of You". Why the Goo Goo Dolls? I love "Black Balloon", one of the saddest songs I've ever heard, plus its a really good album. Why Jewel? Well, you should have read that by now. I find "Dizzy Up the Girl" pretty quickly, for 6.99 mind you, and I go on a hunt for Jewel. I have seen "Pieces of You" there for as cheap at 3.99, so when I find it, that's what I'm expecting to pay for it. Maybe less. I told you, Coconuts was cheap.

Anyway, as luck would have it, the one time I actually AM looking for a Jewel cd, they don’t have it. Unbelievable. So I flip through some more cds and come across a cd that makes me shriek. I shrieked, in fact, loud enough for a Coconut's worker to turn to me and say, "Did you find anything you like?"

Speechless, I nodded my head to affirm. I picked up the cause of my joy, and was holding, with a mere 7.99 price tag on it, a cd by the band Jars of Clay. The cd was The White Elephant Sessions.

Let me explain. Jars of Clay, first of all, is a great band. Yeah, I know, I know, their first cd was the best, and I agree, but because Free at Last was dcTalk's best, that didn’t make Jesus Freak and Supernatural inferior products... same thing with Jars of Clay.

If you are a Jars fan (like Death Cab for Cutie, real
fans call them just "Death Cab"... real Jars of Clay
fans call them just "Jars"), then you need this in
your collection

The White Elephant Sessions is a cd they put out for promotion when they released "If I Left The Zoo", their latest album, back last year. On this cd is a few raw demo cuts of stuff that have appeared on their last two cds, Zoo and "Much Afraid". It's got some stuff they did in college, some early studio works they have done, and songs you wont find on anything anywhere else. Maybe Napster.

I've been searching for a year for this cd... on eBay, I bid on it once, but when the price got to be over 25 dollars, I gave up. Its not a spectacularly good cd, but its just hard to find. You gotta work to get it. Anyone can walk up to Lifeway, Wal-Mart, even Coconuts (their first cd was 3.99, Much Afraid was 5.99) and get any of the other Jars of Clay stuff... but you gotta work to find The White Elephant Sessions.

Same thing with God. Wait, I know I just lost some of you, but here me out.

I don’t want to minimize the importance or the experience, but face it, it's not that hard to become a Christian. But, as I have often said, there is a difference in being a Christian and being Godly. Christianity requires a belief that Jesus died on that cross for the fact you and I are a couple of schmoe sinners. But to be godly, to be a true man or woman of God... well, that requires a Christian that is disciplined, obedient, evangelistic, grounded in Scripture, faithful and prayerful.

Anyone who believes that Jesus died for them can walk up and get the CD of Grace and Peace that God has for them. But you have to take the extra effort to receive the Box Set of blessings God has for the godly. Do you see the connection I'm trying to make? I'm not saying God loves the godly more than the lukewarm Christian... but the godly will have more blessings because God promised them to those who follow Him.

Don't just settle for the Jars of Clay cds that everyone has... or the blessings that come with being a Christ follower... hunt, search, seek, find that White Elephant cd... and the treasures God has for you in being not just a Christian, but a Man or Woman of God.

Besides, God is tells us in His Word...

Sing with me...

You were meant for Me... and I... was meant for you...

Sorry, couldn't help it.

He will save your soul

The Summer of Blogging Day Twenty One

Kara DioGuardi Debuts Reality Show “Platinum Hit” On Bravo

Before American Idol nobody knew who Kara DioGuardi was.

And since she left the show… everybody has forgotten about her.

But now she is back in a new reality show on the Brava network taking us deep inside the music industry to see how hit songs are created.

The show is called “Platinum Hit” and stars not only DioGuardi but pop rock music icon Jewel.

The premise of the show is that a group of twelve unknowns has three hours to write a hit song, perform it in front of the judges (Kara and Jewel), and then await their fate.

Kara says that she understands that not all hit songs are rushed through a three hour process but says,

"Good new songs are the backbone of the music industry. There isn't an artist out there who could survive without hit songs. That's how it happens - you have to make an album, but you're touring and you're busy and your life is crazy. So they clear three hours on a Thursday night and they put you together with a writer and you come out with a song. That is the real world for today’s artists, and that’s what we’re going to show in Platinum Hit”.

Platinum will break the group up into teams where one team will write the “hook” for a new song, and the other team will complete the song and hope it passes muster with the judges.

But a lot of people are asking why Kara DioGuardi? Why not some big named music producer we have all heard of?

Kara DioGuardi IS one of those big wigs. You just didn’t know it!

So what songs has Kara DioGuardi written?

Not a lot of people truly understood her background and credentials when she appeared on American Idol – and she has spoken out publicly about that.

Songs that Kara has written or produced have sold more than 150 million copies, and she has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

She collaborated with Christina Aguilera on her album Back to Basics in 2006, co-writing 12 of the 13 tracks on the album, and DioGuardi wrote and produced "Ooh Ooh Baby" and co-produced "Heaven on Earth" on Britney Spears album Blackout.

She co-wrote and produced Pink's "Sober", Kelly Clarkson's "I Do Not Hook Up", Katharine McPhee's "Had It All", Carrie Underwood's "Undo It", and Theory of a Deadman's "Not Meant to Be", among others.

She wrote much of The Hannah Montana Season 3 Soundtrack including "Mixed Up", "He Could Be the One" and "Don't Wanna Be Torn".

Then there was Demi Lovato's song "The Middle", and "If I Can't Have You" for Meat Loaf's 2010 album.

DioGuardi also co-owns Arthouse Entertainment – a production company that provides songs, music, writers, performers, and complete compositions for other companies and artists.

Arthouse has been responsible for B.O.B’s “Nothin’ On You”, Bruno Mars “Just The Way You Are” and “Grenade”, Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You”, Flo Rida’s “Club Can’t Handle Me”, Jim Jones' "We Fly High", Nick Lachey's "What's Left of Me", David Archuleta's single "Crush", Mika's "Grace Kelly", OneRepublic's "Apologize" and "Stop and Stare”, Faith Hill's "Lost", "Sober" by P!nk, "Pieces of Me" by Ashlee Simpson, and "He Could Be The One" by Hannah Montana.

See what we mean? But why are we telling you all of this?

We’re telling you this so when you watch the show you can understand that Kara really does pack a powerful industry background and actually knows what she is talking about.

Regardless of what her American Idol fans thought.

Platinum hit airs on Monday nights on the Bravo channel.

Watch Platinum Hit Producer Sneak Peek Interview


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