Music Wednesday - This Changes Everything by Matt Papa

It used to be that I would post a music video here each week, usually a song that was speaking to me or had some particular relevance to my life. I'm changing it up a bit this week. I want to commend an entire album to you.

I forgot how I came to know about Matt Papa, but I am certainly glad that I did. His album This Changes Everything is one of the most incredible piece of art you will ever hear. The music is excellent, but it is the lyrics and subject matter that shakes me to my core every time I listen to it. I heard someone say one time that listening to a Casting Crowns song is like a trip to a spiritual woodshed. Matt Papa's music does that for me.

Please, do yourself a favor and get This Changes Everything. Listening to it prayerfully really will change everything.

Here is a taste just to get you started. And, you're welcome.

The Song That Has Become My Prayer

My family are (hopefully) on the verge of a new and exciting journey, one that we have been praying for for quite some time. However, this new journey is not like anything that we have been on before and one that will require a good deal of things that are not familiar to us. With that in mind, this song has become extremely important to me. I want to be a youth pastor, but I never want that to become more important than my family.

Just For Fun - My Favorite Albums

The other day, I saw something on Facebook about my favorite album, as in what album do I listen to the most. I couldn't decide on just one, so I have decided to give you a list of the five albums that I have listened to the most. They are in no particular order.

	Dookie by Green Day was essentially my introduction to pop-punk music. I played this album over and over. I had a copy of an MxPx cd, but couldn't get into the music. Green Day solved that problem.
My mom got me this album for Christmas in 1995. Jesus Freak by dc Talk blew my mind. I had no idea that Christians could make music like this. Even today, it still holds up as one of the greatest and most influential albums in Christian music. At least in my opinion.
	Dashboard Confessional is usually equated with whiny emo kids. However, I had this album my senior year of college. I was 900 miles from my girlfriend and I was really missing her. The college I went to did not allow rock music, so I kept this gem hidden under my front seat and would listen to it as I drove around Pensacola.
MxPx is quite possibly my favorite band. I have all of their albums and know the lyrics to nearly all of their songs. I've seen them in concert numerous times and I even had the privilege to talk with Mike and Yuri at the Warped Tour one year. While Life in General wasn't my first MxPx album, it is by far the best and my favorite. The rest are pretty darn good as well.
	Sumo Surprise by Ghoti Hook was another monster album for me. It had the right amount of humor and serious songs, plus the four-chord punk formula that I loved. Ghoti Hook was also one of the first punk shows I ever went to. It was at a Fuddrucker's in Tysons. I also had the privilege of seeing Ghoti Hook play their last show on their last tour, before their farewell at Cornerstone.

What are some of your favorite albums?