Fling Chune FRIDAY... finally!

Yes, yes, y'all!  I know it's been forever since the last time I flung [past tense of 'fling'?] a chune your way... please say that you forgive me!  I've still been trying to stabilize myself spiritually so I can provide the quality HOLY HOTNESS that you've come to know and love. ;-)  The struggle is real but so is my God!

You've waited patiently for long enough, so let's get to it!  This week's chune came out of the blue as I was going thru my iTunes looking for something I hadn't heard in a while... and this definitely fits the bill.  It was originally released in 1999 by the Kenoly Brothers. [The who?!]  Yeah, I can understand that reaction, except if you're older than 25 and/or listened to mainstream Christian music in the late 80s/early 90s, you MUST recognize the name Ron Kenoly!  Like, before there was Jesus Culture... Byron Cage... Hillsong... Israel Houghton... Fred Hammond... there was Dr. Ron Kenoly, thankyouverymuch!  I wanna say that this man is to Praise and Worship music what James Brown was to soul--the GODfather.

Anyway, the man passed on his musical DNA to his children, 2 sons in particular, who started their own group in the late 90s: The Kenoly Brothers.  Their flavor is more urban/R&B so that's right up my alley... plus, who doesn't get excited about [FINE] young men singing for Jesus?  *Wait... did I say that out loud?* So yeah, this particular chune isn't on that boom-bap vibe but I love it because it's just piano and vocals... they.can.actually.saaaaang.  The arrangement reminds me of Shai's Comforter or the acoustic version of If I Ever Fall in Love, and there's even a nod to K-Ci [Jodeci] with that trademark "Woooh, yeeeah!" #classic90sR&B  And then there's the lyrics; it's a literal love song to the Lord that sends me straight into worship mode.  I can remember that this chune was a big part of my return to Jesus back in college and it will always have a special place in my heart!

Hope you enjoy this throwback as much as I do! Have a blessed weekend. :-)

Fling Chune FRIDAY: Get to Know Ya

Happy Friday once again, fam--sorry for the delay!  This week was definitely an emotional roller-coaster for me as I had to deal with some feelings from the past that I never thought I would have to face again.  Speaking to an old friend led to a conversation in which they asked me about something that happened a LONG time ago, and that completely floored me.  I had no clue they felt a certain way after so many years and them just throwing it at me out of the blue was something I never saw coming.  The funny thing is that I'm so glad they did finally come to me about it because it opened the door for reconciliation... until I realized that I had some unresolved feelings of my own. *sigh*  This episode has the potential to be quite epic so I'm over-thinking the whole scenario [as usual] and praying for God to work things out for the best--salvation for that person.  I hope I don't mess things up...

Along with old feelings came old chunes because I had to go back and listen to songs from the soundtrack of my life that were in heavy rotation at the time.  Came across some vintage Tamia [I wore that album OUT!], Monica, Eric Benet, 112, and the like.  If none of these names sound even remotely familiar then you just weren't feeling neo-soul/R&B of the late 90s-early-2000 era.

Today's chune is one of my all-time faves from my trip down memory lane.  Not because I was ever into Maxwell as an artist, but something about this particular track just gets me in a groove every time!  That bass line is ferocious and the blaring brass in the background adds undeniable funk.  Truth be told, I enjoy the song just as well without Maxwell's vocals--the production is just that fierce!

get your weekend bounce on to dis!

pVI

music just does "it" to me

Everyone has something that does "it" to them. You know...IT. That indescribable feeling that makes you experience multiple emotions all at once. Each person has a different trigger for "it"; some have more than one. But I realized a long time ago that music did "it" to me. Still does... And every time, "it" still feels brand new.

In my case, music transports me to a mind-altered state. One in which the laws of the universe are non-existent and my consciousness takes on another form. By that, I mean that a song, a tune, the first few notes of a composition all instantaneously give me flashbacks to the environment/emotions/frame of mind I was in when I originally heard it. For most people, this kinda thing happens with smells. And that's no coincidence because the olfactory system happens to have a direct pathway to the area of the brain that also stores and processes emotional memory. (Sorry... went nerd on ya for just a little bit, but I digress.) However, yours truly experiences this phenomenon instead through hearing music. Some research has been done in this area, as well, but lets just keep talking about me, shall we? :o)

image credit: http://www.newswise.com

So I'll openly admit my 'soft spot' for 90s R&B music, and I'm guessing that has something to do with the fact that it provided most of the soundtrack for my rebellious phase during adolescence (i.e. sneaking and listening to secular music so my mom wouldn't know). And it's nothing short of amazing the way a song I haven't heard or thought of in almost 20 years can elicit a That's So Raven-esque type of vision of everything that was going on in my life when I first used to listen to it. It's so intense that not only my mind's eye is seeing what I used to see, raw emotions wash over me like waves tsunami. Like, I can remember as far back as age 4 or 5--singing What's Love Got to do With It. And now, hearing that song reminds me that I would sing it to keep my mind off the fact that my parents were fighting. They got divorced shortly after.

And then there's music as a function of worship. I've chronicled my thoughts on the way music affects mood (and at some point, I'm gonna post on the true purpose of music), but when it's power is intentionally harnessed to exalt the most high God?! #chillsupmyspine That is sumthin' kinda serious! I don't play instruments or produce beats but, thankfully, I was blessed with the ability to hold a note. Singing came naturally to me as a little young thang and I grew up singing solos in church and being one of the crunkest altos you'll ever find in choirs. But whether alone or within a group, singing to the glory of God is able to skyrocket my spirit out into the stratosphere. I recall having my very first independent experience with the Holy Spirit during a rehearsal with my gospel choir in college. Other times when we went to minister through song, I've felt nothing short of out-of-body experiences... spiritually transcending time and space while being fully aware of where my body is standing and knowing which words come next in the song. #truestory I'm not doing a lick of justice in trying to articulate this, but I can truly say that mere words fall short in every way. You just have to feel it for yourself.

Ultimately, I'm grateful to have the soundtrack of my life stored in the recesses of my mind, only needing a few notes to bring it back to recall. Hmmmm... ain't that sumthin'??! Evolutionary theory notwithstanding, can't nobody tell me there is no God!

Bless,

pVI

"Do you know what today is?"

That's part of the hook from Tony Toni Tone's infamous couple's anthem Anniversary. [But those of you, like moi, who came of age during the 90s glory days of R&B probably already knew that.] I'm listening to the song--for the first time in years--as I type, out of cruel irony more than anything else. This song is more like my 'anti-soundtrack' because even though today actually is my anniversary, July 9th marks a dreaded milestone in my life: yet another year of singleness.

I don't have the intestinal fortitude to confess exactly how long it's been since my last relationship ended; since the last time I was kissed or even held. *long exhale* Just the thought of it is beyond [clinically] depressing. But this morning I told myself that I wasn't going to let the 'cloud of July 9th' overshadow my entire day, as has happened in the past. I opened my Bible to the book of Job because, in all honesty, I figured I could only make it through the day by reading about someone whose life sucked exponentially more than mine [yes, cruel and unusual--I know--but hey, it worked]. After meaningful meditation on real suffering in life, I skipped right over to Psalms since I was guaranteed to find something reassuring there. I did. By the time I closed my Bible, the joy of the Lord truly was my strength, and my mantra, at that moment in time.

Though my world tends to revolve around me and my issues, I have to remind myself that it truly is NOT about me. The story of Job reminded me, yet again, that it's not what we do--or don't do--that determines what happens to us. It was because Job was an upstanding man that Satan dared God to allow him to attack his faith in God and strength of character. I'm not trying to say that I'm on Job's level but we both question[ed] the fairness of God's actions while remaining true to our belief that He ultimately knows what is best. What if my suffering singleness is for a greater purpose than I can grasp right now? I mean, Job's life story is still inspiring me and countless others thousands of years after he ceased to exist. Suppose this tear-laced blog post can let just one other woman know that it is possible to be single/abstinent and keep your sanity--even if by just a thread... is it worth my anguish?

I want to believe that the answer is "yes". I also want to believe that, just like Job, I will be compensated for my pain many times over and testify to the world about where God brought me from.  The truth is that I'm also scared to death that I won't get to exhale after waiting for so long. But if I say that I trust Him, I'll have to do just that--TRUST HIM.