Stoned Loner has released a Christian Hip Hop track called 'Mercy'.
Stoned Loner shares: "The story is more just about my life and the journey God has taken me on to finally see His light. I was depressed for years, and I wanted to end this life a few times. But God was in me somewhere, even though I was unsure who or what it was. And He told me to hold on and give it time.
What I ultimately learned by holding on is that life is about perspective. And my perspective all those years was one of negativity. I saw the world as unsafe, deceitful, manipulative, and hopeless. And it's not necessarily that I was wrong. My perspective was my reality. But I realized that I could change my perspective, and therefore also change my reality. So I began to see life as hopeful. I began to see people as trustworthy. I started believing that I could do whatever I want. And then I didn't see life as stressful anymore. I didn't see it as depressing. I saw it as an opportunity. I saw it as a gift. And that's God's mercy. He renews your mind and shows you that this world is a place of wonder, not just chaos. We have to choose life, and then we can finally live."
Peace begins in a willing heart. When did you last open your own time capsule? Avery Stafford found a time capsule somewhere in his mind and opens it in his song “My Love of Christmas (Peace Starts in Me)”. His time capsule contained a Folgers can filled with buttons and thread, a crystal globe, a denim patch, and the scent of Avon cologne. Seemingly ordinary treasures, but each one carries a Christmas that he’s never stopped loving. Avery blends gospel warmth with soulful pop to speak to the child in all of us, the child who still believes that Love leads the way. In the bridge, he wishes that child well, “forever dancing under the starlight with stories yet to tell.” The song also reminds us that memories alone cannot fix a restless / broken world, and he knows it: “We long for happily ever afters, but none of us really knows.” So where does peace begin? Not in a headline, a treaty, the outcome of the midterms, or a December calendar. Paul gives us an answer in Colossians 3:15: “And...
Obedience comes first. The rain comes later. Brandon Drit knows what dry seasons can feel like. His song, “Digging Ditches”, opens on a desert road, with strength fading and a question that probably sounds a lot like yours: “How much longer will this last?” The message of the song grew out of 2 Kings 3:16, and it also marks his first professionally edited and mastered release, a ditch of its own, dug in faith. Picture the following scene. Three armies are stranded in the wilderness with nothing to drink. Then God sends Elisha with a strange order: dig trenches in the dry valley. The promise that follows sounds impossible: “You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink” (2 Kings 3:17). Digging in a drought will seem foolish to some. Who on earth shovels dirt for rain that hasn’t shown up? Only the people who trust the One who promised it. We’ve seen similar promises happen before (e.g., Noah), and in 2 Kings 3 we see it happenin...
Honest worship starts exactly where your pain is. Years of loss pushed the songwriter behind “You Are Holy” into a wilderness. Loved ones died, jobs and homes disappeared, health and finances faltered, and a church plant that failed. Most worship songs felt dishonest to him during that season, so the Psalms became his lifeline. “You Are Holy” sits down beside you and tells the truth. “It’s hard to be patient with nothing but time.” “It’s hard to be hopeful when everything dies.” Have you ever whispered something like that? That’s okay, it’s what we do next that makes a difference! “Yet though I am suffering, I’ll trust in Your name.” David faced that same kind of challenge in Psalm 13. He opens with “How long, O LORD?” and lands here: “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” His circumstances barely moved between the first verse and verse five, but his gaze did. You can do the same today. Be honest with God. Tell Him exactly how heavy e...
