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."
Sometimes the seed for the most powerful worship is planted during life's weakest moments. The idea for "As My Body Breaks" by Iossa originated in a hospital room, where Filipino singer Jyel Tagbo was fighting Stage 5 kidney disease. Dean Mark Hilario Enoza saw how Jyel continued to worship with unwavering faith in the midst of extreme pain and suffering. The lyrics for this song are deeply inspired by Jyel's journey, and it shouldn't be a surprise that the song is dedicated to him. So, what do you sing when pain becomes your daily companion? The second verse confesses, "The poison creeps, the pain runs deep," but despair isn't an option! The chorus encourages you to look beyond despair: "Is this the end, the last refrain? // But I believe, I'll sing again." That feeling of despair isn't the end of the story. With God by your side, whatever feels like a breaking point will become a breakthrough moment: "As my body breaks, my...
(by Jasper Tan) Have you heard of any heartfelt song lately that elaborates on the pain, yet the yearning for healing feels so heart-wrenching? Andrew Macdonald's latest song, "Gentle," feels just like that. In what seems like a conversational piece with someone, the song actually is a prayer yearning for God's grace and healing. The lush sound of the acoustic guitar, coupled with the heartfelt delivery of the vocals, delivers a certain kind of sincerity wherein Andrew pours his heart out to Jesus. It is very seldom to hear songs wherein the singer cuts through our emotions just enough for us to feel an affinity to his pleas. And Andrew's outreach for help through prayer is something that really cuts through our own pains when we are in those moments of vulnerability while we deal with our own issues. Though the song starts off as a sad song and the lines that are delivered feel so gloomy and hopeless, the song makes a stark change for the better when it starts to...
We've all experienced times in our lives when everything feels impossible, and it feels like God is nowhere near. Tasha Layton sings about that very struggle in her song, "Meet Me in the Valley." Tasha calls out those painful moments and places them in the context of promises that you can read in Psalm 23. God promises that goodness and mercy will follow us, even through life's darkest seasons. Tasha shared the main takeaway of this song on her Instagram account: "You are not forgotten. You are not alone. God meets you right where you are." We often aren't able to recognize His grace until we're desperately needing it, and honestly, we often don't appreciate what we have (and what He has given us) until everything falls apart. But instead of dwelling in despair, Tasha reminds us to look upwards, and ask for His help: "In the middle of the war // Tell me that I'll make it // When I'm not sure // You'll be faithful." We...
