text:
To Serve and Protect
I'm not sure how to explain where this fits in. One; its alternate universe, please reread that, I repeat Alternate Universe.
All characters have graduated from high school.
Seto Kaiba is 23; Mokuba is 18; Joey Wheeler is 22; Mai Valentine is 25 Other characters are in this age range.
To Serve and Protect
Joey gritted his teeth. This was going to be the worst time of his life. He was going to prison; in America no less. 'God help me now.', he thought.
"OK All the arrangements are made. You'll be transferred with regular prisoners. Your contacts in America will be prisoners, too. A trustee so it should be pretty secure. Just be careful."
"Yeah. Don't bend over in the showers. Better get me cuffed before the pickup team gets here."
Joey shuffled down the hall. It was hard to walk in transport chains; his hands were secured in cuffs attached to a belly chain, a drop chain fell to his feet which were shackled together, the chain only 20 inches long. He kept his head down, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. He kept his eyes moving, always moving. If anything, he was over cautious, but he hadn't been under cover for almost four years without learning to watch his back himself.
The walk was not going well. The two idiots who were escorting him had never escorted a chained prisoner before. Japan had an odd attitude; when you were caught, you gave up more or less. Prisoners could be and were abused to an extent that would have American Civil libertarians screaming, but prisoners were more subdued because of it. So they were hurrying him too much and letting him trip.
"Hey gimme a break here. Yuh see I can't walk so why yuh tryin' t' jerk my chain, punk. Slow down. We ain't gonna miss th' plane, they gotta hold it." Joey snarled in his worst dock side accent.
In answer he got a punch in the kidney. Dropping to his knees he made it look worse than it was just to piss them off.
"Seto, did you see that? That cop punched that man in the side. Do something." Mokuba was indignant. He hated seeing anyone or anything abused. "Make them stop"
"Mokuba, Hush. The man is obviously a dangerous prisoner. Why would they chain him up otherwise?" Seto looked at the kneeling man. That hair, profile; Wheeler! "What the hell?"
Joey swore softly, if Kaiba called him Wheeler he was fucked big time. "Fuck ya. Ya can't treat Jounochi Katsuya dat way. I'll get ya." Joey looked Seto Kaiba in the eyes; the look froze Kaiba. Whatever he was going to say died on his lips.
"Come away, Mokuba He doesn't want our help. Whatever Wheeler has gotten himself into it's beyond me. That stupid mutt has finally thrown his life away. Come on I said. Now." Seto was surprised at how upset he was. Joey obviously didn't want his help no matter how badly he needed it and Seto wasn't about to try forcing his help on someone he hadn't seen in nearly three years.
Joey gritted his teeth; he couldn't believe how painful it was to see Kaiba turn his back. They didn't get along, never had but they had finally respected each other.
As Kaiba turned his back Joey lunged to his feet, the guards skittered back. "Ya chickens, I never . . . " Mokuba got in one of the guard's faces. "Damnit you can't treat a man like some dog. That's not right. Stop it." Mokuba turned to help Joey. "I don't need help from some rich kid Hands off!" Mokuba stared at Joey for a second, then paled. "What? Ya never see a con in chains b'fore. Take a hike." Mokuba blinked then turned his back and ran "Big brother wait for me"
Joey breathed a sigh of relief; he'd hated to turn Mokuba away like that but at this point a slip of any sort could cost him his life. He couldn't afford to get soft now. After years undercover he had lots of practice covering up.
First, Hirutani. That was how he'd gotten into this mess in the first place. He'd gon to the block office when his dad had thrown him out for the umpteenth time. The Captain was a good guy. He'd even taken Joey home a few times like this night.
Flash back
"Was'sa madda', Watsuki-sama? Bad night all 'round, huh." Joey sipped his tea and grimaced at the officer across the desk.
"It's that punk hood, Hirutani and his gang again. They beat up an old man nearly killed him all for his annuity check. But he had it electronically deposited so they didn't get anything." The Captain shook his head "We've tried to get someone in that gang three times, but they always blow their cover. We get some young looking guy just out of the academy and first thing the stupid fool does is try to play tough guy and get jumped in, they don't even make it to the lowest level. It's a waste."
"Huritani? He's still on the outside? Wow! He musta smartened up since I ran with him. I figured he woulda been in prison by now or even dead." Joey shook his head in wonder.
"You used to run with the Rintama Mako's? When was that?"
"When I was in middle school. I got in some trouble. But the judge gave me a big break. He got me transferred to Domino High and I got in with a good crowd, started playing Duel Monsters and kept my nose clean. You could look me up, I guess. Look for Katsuya the Fist" Joey grimaced, Captain Watsuki-san was going to be disappointed in him now and Joey didn't like that.
"Joey! I know you have been trying to decide what to do with the rest of your life. How would you feel about being a police officer?" Watsuki-san looked hopeful
"I can't! I gotta' record. Not much, but enough to keep me off the force. Look it up yourself." Joey thought about being a cop. It was long hours; but the pay was decent and he liked the thought of doing good instead of spending his life drifting from one dead end job to another.
Captain Watsuki tapped at the keyboard of his computer then came back to Joey.
"I looked up your record. It's not good but there's nothing there that would keep you out of the special division. They deal with gangs and yakuza so they make exceptions that other departments wouldn't. Would you mind if I put your name up for consideration? Since you have a history with Hirutani I think you might have an in we can use."
"Go ahead. Put me up. I don't care. If I can do some good, I'd like that." Joey didn't realize what he had done to himself until much later.
Finally turned over to the American escort, Joey settled down to sleep.
"Comfortable, Mr. Katsuya? I hope so, because I'm not going to mess with you. You do what I say when I say and we won't have any problems. You don't want problems, do you?"
The American, named Jessup, reached out to grip Joey's arm. Joey dodged without even thinking. He was used to the Japanese guards habit of enforcing commands with a slap.
"Hey! We don't hit unless you start it, then we'll finish it. But you don't seem like the stupid sort. I'm going to hold your arm so you don't trip on the ramp. Relax."
"Hn. 'K. Not used to American. And my name Jounochi. Not Katsuya. That given; only friend call that." Joey's spoke much better English than that but he wasn't going to admit it. If they thought his English was bad they were more likely to talk around him, and when he got to America he would be around Yakuza who wouldn't expect a mid level knee breaker to know English.
That was what he was going to America for. Drugs were coming into Japan from yakuza in America. One of the biggest lords over there was in prison in California, so Joey was being inserted to see if he couldn't wangle his way into the gang and figure out how he was running a drug ring from prison.
"Seto, that was Joey. Why didn't you do something? I don't understand. He was doing so well. He had a place in the Graphic Arts School and everything. What went wrong?" Mokuba had always liked Joey. Even though he knew Seto found him annoying.
"I don't know. He probably didn't have the money to pay his tuition. He went back to the streets; down in the gutter he crawled out of and wound up on the wrong side of something. I'd have helped him but he warned me off with a glare that rivaled my own. He's not worth your worry." But he was. Seto wondered what had happened. Joey wasn't the type to get in serious trouble. Fist fights and petty vandalism was his speed. "Come on. I can't waste time worrying over that stupid mutt I've got more important things to do"
Mokuba gave Seto a dirty look. He was old enough now to give Seto a run for his money in stubbornness but he also knew when to go out on his own and this was it. He decided to see what he could do on his own. "Seto did you get that file implanted like they asked you. What was in it?"
"Mokuba I have no idea. They needed a file inserted into their data base without traces of tampering. I do stuff like this for the police every now and then but I don't read the damn things I don't need to know what's in them." Seto turned to his brother, "I'm sorry Mokuba I"m tired and I've got a headache. Their monitors flicker so much it's a wonder the clerks get anything done. Let's go home, forget about Wheeler and have dinner early so we can play a video game. How's that?"
"OK big Bro' I could go for a few rounds of SWAT." Mokuba looked hopeful. He'd graduated from high school just this last semester and he was going on to college so he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Seto. He would be living at school next year and they would be apart for the first time in their lives.
"SWAT? How did I know that was what you'd want to play. You and your shoot 'em ups."Seto pulled a lock of Mokuba's ever unruly hair.
Joey, true to his word, slept most of the way to California. They had to make a change at some airport in New Jersey and again some place in Michigan, both times the guards had been careful of him. He couldn't believe how they treated him, he hoped no one had informed them of his real status. It could be disastrous."You not hit. You hold not to trip. Why? Criminal I."
"Shit kid, you can't be much older than my son. You aren't giving me a hard time or smart mouth. I got nothin' against you, so why start something when it's not necessary? That's the way we do stuff here in the States. Keep your nose clean, stay out of trouble, and you won't get trouble back. Understand? And brush up on your English, will you."
This next part is going to be just bits and pieces showing how Joey and Seto each spend the next six months
Joey backed into a corner. He hated the showers. Every creep in the place wanted to make him a 'girl friend', he wasn't bending over for anyone. One; it was rape,; two he wasn't interested. He had a job to do and he was going to do it. He'd make plenty of sacrifices for this job but that wasn't one of them.
"Come on, pretty boy. Just give it up. I'll be good to you. It won't hurt, I swear."
Joey swore at the man in Japanese, he forgot his english when he got mad enough. "Shimata, kuso. Konoyaru, don't touch me. I'm not going to bend over for you or anyone else."
The bigger man just shrugged, made a motion with his hand like 'come here', then smiled in a not very nice way that made Joey snarl.
"Ok, sweetie pie. If you want it the hard way, I guess I'll have to share you once or twice."
"Omae aho ya de yo, I don't think so. You'll have to work me over pretty good just to get me down and by then the guards will be here. I'd rather spend time in the hole than have you for a 'daddy'."
The two other men that were trying to flank Joey found out that a small, quick, Japanese street fighter was plenty tough enough to hold them off.
Joey kicked one on the side of the knee, breaking it and leaving the man writhing and screaming on the floor. The other managed to get hold of Joey and slice him across the back with a shank which Joey took away from him and threw out the shower room door. The quick snatch-flip was followed by a return blow that took him across the throat, leaving him gagging next to his fellow.
"Ok, smart guy, you wanna play tough now that your friends are out of commission. Ya? Baka, you work for me now."
The guards stopped any further conversation by rushing in and jumping on Joey's adversary, slamming him to the floor and cuffing him. They started to rough house Joey, but when they saw the blood running down his buttock and thigh he wound up flat on his belly on a nearby bench, with a medic putting pressure on the three-inch cut just under his floating rib.
"Easy there. That hurts." Joey sighed in disgust. He wasn't going to find out anything for a while.
"You know you're going straight into solitary."
"Yeah. It's not fair." Joey didn't believe in fairness anymore. Only in games did you get fair.
"No, it's not, but it's good. You'll be out of the population while that heals."
Joey banged his head against the wall just for something to do besides wish he had something to do. He hated solitary, nothing to look at but four walls, nothing to do but think and he was tired of examining his life. Analyzing all the information he had gathered wasn't getting him anywhere. The Yakuza lord here wasn't the top dog. He was somewhere else. He knew he'd be transferred as soon as someone figured out where to send him.
"Jounochi, you're being transferred to Georgia. Good luck kid, try to stay out of trouble. Lift weights, get on a chain gang, further your education. You paying attention?" The guard efficiently shackled Joey and lead him out to the waiting van.
"Seto, I'm going to the Mall. Do you need anything? I'll bring back some ice-cream. What flavor do you want?" Mokuba stuck his head around the door frame.
Seto put his pen down and stretched. "I think I'll go with you. I'm tired of all this paper work. Since you will be going off to Tokyo soon, I'd like to spend time with you. This stuff will wait."
Mokuba whooped like a kid half his age. Seto had been spending more time with him lately. He seemed to have relaxed, he wasn't quite so driven anymore.
Seto enjoyed his mall crawl with Mokuba; they ate ice cream and junk food and just in general did what two young men would do at a mall.
Joey was hot, tired, sweaty and dirty. His ankles ached, his back was sore and he had blistered his hands. The weight lifting callouses hadn't protected them from the friction of using a scythe. He was mowing a road side with an old fashioned "grim reaper" scythe. He was wearing leg irons and they were taking all the skin off.
Some American television station was filming a documentary and making a real nuisance of themselves. Joey did his best to stay out of the line of fire but he caught one persistent pest filming him so he gave him a cold glare and then ignored him.
"Mokuba, come on I've got tickets to Madam Bouvier. You've been wanting to see this damn thing for three weeks. If we're late, they won't seat us." Mokuba hugged Seto quickly then blushed a little.
"Thanks Big Bro' I know you don't like the theater so it makes this really special. I don't know what you have against being in public all of a sudden"
Seto just shrugged, "You know I've never liked crowds. This thing is so popular that the crowds are crippling. Now hurry up or we really will be late"
Joey sat with his back to a wall and tried to watch the movie. It was hot and humid here in Georgia and all he really wanted to do was find somewhere cool and be as still as possible.
He hurt all over. All that mowing had used muscles he wasn't use to using in ways they weren't accustomed to being used. He was supposed to be watching the five Japanese convicts here in the work farm but he knew that only two of them could be the Yakuza. Three had been eliminated in his mind they were Americans which ruled them out automatically. He didn't understand why the American authorities had even considered them.
The other two, however, were a different kettle of fish altogether. They were old school Yakuza and tough as nails. They kept to themselves not even talking to the other Japanese prisoners. They only talked to their lawyers.
Every conversation was recorded and examined, dissected, analyzed to bits and no one could figure out how they were passing instructions. It was impossible, they only talked about family and acquaintances and legal maneuvering. And duel monsters.
That last left Joey with a crawly feeling somehow.
"Seto, are the new cards released yet?"
Mokuba nearly danced in his eagerness. He wanted to use the new cards but he couldn't until they were officially released.
"Yes, they were just released this morning. Go ahead and use them, Brat." Seto smiled at Mokuba, he'd turned into quite a duelist and he enjoyed watching him regularly beat opponents like Underwood and Raptor.
"When I get to college, I'm going to go find the nearest hall right away. I'm really getting good arn't I Seto."
"Yes you are, but if your grades drop, I'll make sure you don't have access to one single card. You understand me?"
Seto tryed to look stern and only managed to look big brotherly.
"Ok, Seto. I knew you were going to say that. Do you really think I'll slack off my studies , even for Duel Monsters."
Seto shook his head. Getting in between Mokuba and something he wanted to know was like getting between a junkie and his next fix.
"Damn it, I need a new contact. That last one got himself shanked."
Joey eyed the Warden in disgust, he was getting tired of the whole job. He knew that information was geing passed, they knew it, but no one could figure out how.
"Look Katsuya . . . "
"Jounuchi. How many times do I havta say it?"
"Joey . . . we've analyzed and reanalyzed every tape we have. We know they're passing intel, we just can't figure it out. They don't even speak in Japanese. We're stumped."
Joey lit a cigarette and drew in a lung full of smoke. He sat so still, other than the motion of the tip of the cigarette he'd left in his mouth, that the warden started worrying.
"Look. . . " Joey just looked up at the warden, the nearly inhuman look in his eyes shut the man up.
Finally Joey just grunted, stood up, and headed for the door. "I'm in solitary again. You decide why. I want to listen to every one of those tapes myself. Maybe I'll find something you can't."
Mokuba looked at the room he would be occupying in his dorm. It was a complete suite all to himself. He'd never heard of such a thing but he was glad that he didn't have to have a roommate. He'd never had to share sleeping space with anyone before and he wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep with someone else in the room with him.
Seto smirked to himself. The amount of money he'd spent on remodeling the suite was well worth it. Mokuba's sigh of relief when he'd seen the arrangements, made it obvious that he'd been dreading having a roommate.
Seto was hating the thought of being separated from his brother more and more every day. The only up side to Mokuba's desire to start early was that he would be out of the line of fire if the 'letter man' decided to carry out any of his threats.
Joey sat in the computer lab, with a pair of head phones on, listening to the tapes. Something wasn't right about the conversations but he wasn't quite sure exactly what. They talked about family a lot but he knew that three of the people they talked about didn't exist.
"Something . . . something . . . but what the hell is it?"
Joey pressed the phone to his ear and then started writing. When he was through, he had a page that looked suspiciously like a spread sheet.
Gotcha'. Using Duel Monster cards to communicate financial information. Who'd a thunk it?"
When he told the FBI analyst how they were doing it the man nearly spit his coffee.
"Hey Jap-boy, ya know karate, judo, any of that martial arts crap? Wanna' fight me?"
Joey eyed his tormentor in disgust, this happened regularly. Every new group that came in had one fool who just had to try the Jap. "K'sama! I'll break your face. Don't you call me Jap again." Another thirty days in solitary Damn. "You'll get beat down"
"Hey! Break it up. No picking on the little guy. He's like dynamite, big bang in a small package. You, come with me, the Warden want's to see you."
Joey eyed the new guard for a moment. He looked familiar.
"Well, look at the tough guy. I never would have thought it of you. How the hell did you wind up here?" Bandit Keith Howard eyed Joey. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into to wind up in prison in America? Baka!"
Joey kept his mouth shut. He was just about used up and he knew it. He'd gotten as much information as he was going to get and he just wanted out.
"Well, young man. This is agent Howard; he'll be debriefing you. You'll be transferred immediately to a halfway house in Atlanta. I hear you two know each other from a while back. Good luck, Mr. Katsuya."
Joey just rolled his eyes. For almost six months he'd been trying to get Americans to understand that Katsuya was his given name.
"How soon can I leave? I'd like to make my reports as quickly as possible and go home. I'd like to thank you for all the help you've given me. Good-by"
Keith swore softly as he lead Joey into the hall."Shimata! K'uso! Jounochi, you're the mole? Son-of-a-bitch. You've got some big brass ones."
Joey snarled, "Shut up. Someone hears you, I'm toast before I get out of here. Want to get me shanked again?"
"Dosn't make much difference, but if you're so worried about it, ok." Keith took Joey by the arm and dragged him down a hall and straight to processing. "Here, cuff him. I'm taking him to Atlanta. It seems that our little Jap is a bigger fish than we thought."
Joey didn't even move while they cuffed him, the weight of the chains didn't bother him now. After four months on a chain gang spying on a Yakuza lord who had managed to hide himself in the wilds of Georgia on a notorious work farm, he was used to them.
"Seto which suit should I get? I like the blue, but the gray is more dignified?" Mokuba fingered the sleeve of the blue suit doubtfully.
"Buy them both. We can afford it," Seto smiled at Mokuba, he had the oddest habit of trying to save money on the stupidest things. "If you decide you don't like one or the other just send it back."
"Can we go for beef pot? I could really go for a good pot of Kobe beef. There is an antique restaurant down the block. Let's go there. I'm really hungry." Mokuba turned to the hovering clerk, "I'll take both suits. All three shirts and the pearl grey tie, that dark blue one too. Have them delivered. Ok?"
Agent Howard leaned back in his chair. "Damn, Wheeler. You'd think you were the Terminator the way those guys look at you. What have you been doing to get such a rep'?"
"You want the long story or the short one." Joey opened a pack of cigarets and lit one. After taking a drag. He grimaced at Keith. "Gang busting mostly. I broke Hirutani's Rintama Mako's up. Got him up for life. Then I infiltrated that Yakuza gang that was smuggling guns into Domino. That was a hell of a mess. I wound up having to really break some poor fool's knee cap. He'll recover, in fact probably has by now, but it was either that or get my brains blown all over the wall, so the poor sap got hurt. But in a way, he brought it on himself. If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
"That's how I got this." Joey held up the little finger of his left hand. "Boss is just as progressive as hell. Don't believe in cutting off a finger, but this tattoo is just as effective and a hell of a lot less messy."
Keith eyed the red line tattooed around Joey's finger. "I wondered about that. You've been a busy little bee, haven't you? How long have you been undercover?"
"Almost four years. And I'm sick of it. I just want to go home to Japan and slack for a while. I may have to come back to testify, but I hope not. I'm going to buy myself the fastest bike I can find and spend a while relaxing by riding the twistiest roads in Japan and camping out until I blow the stink of three different prisons off me.
"Keith. It's not like I don't like your company or nothin' but can I get outta' here now?"
"Sure, Joey, as soon as we get you debriefed we'll put ya on a plain to Japan. Couple a' days at the most."
Joey just grunted and lit another cigarette.
"Howard, when can I get outta here? I've been debriefing for three days now and I"m gettin' restless. And I"m outta cigarettes again."
Keith looked at Joey and shuddered slightly. He'd known the kid for more than five years and knew he was tough, but his time under cover had hardened him in a way that was not good. He was more muscular that he seemed and he'd collected some scars that no twenty-three-year-old should have.
Looking at Joey clothed, all you could see was a young man in the prime of life, slender and graceful; with muscular shoulders and a flat abdomen. His arms and legs were well muscled, but he wasn't bulky like a body builder, he was built more like a gymnast or a dancer.
But seeing him now, in nothing but boxers and a snarl, he looked hard, all whipcord and raw hide. He had shackle callouses around wrists and ankles and a scar just under his left floating rib, over his kidney. He was strung way too tight and his ribs showed like he'd missed one too many meals.
"All you need is a little exercise. Why don't you come to the gym? I'm supposed to teach a course. You could be my subject. I'm always trying to use one of the students and it don't work. They're too inexperienced. Come on loosen up a little. You're safe here."
"So why don't I feel safe. I think I'll take ya up on that class. I could use some distraction"
Twenty minutes later Keith was reconsidering his offer. Joey had looked at the fresh faced American students and sneered. They were all young, earnest and intense; just the kind of Rookie that would annoy a tired, burnt out undercover like Joey. Another ten minutes of demonstrating self defense with Joey really had Keith regretting his offer. Joey was like an eel, every attempt by Keith to get the upper hand and show a move was evaded or negated.
"Well Joey, why don't you try letting me be the defender this time?"
"Damnit Keith, I'm sorry, but I knew this was a bad idea. I'm just too jumpy to be a good subject."
Joey backed away, he felt bad, but his reflexes just wouldn't let him be put down.
The students were all looking uncomfortable. They weren't used to seeing Agent Howard on the wrong end of an attack. And this scrawny looking guy was making him look bad.
After another half hour of struggling Joey snarled, "Just give up, Howard We're not going to get anywhere. I'm just fuckin' up your class."
One of the rookies piped up, "Please Agent Howard, after all, what real difference does this make? Once we get them cuffed, they're done anyway."
Keith just reached behind his back, took his handcuffs out of their pouch and showed them to Joey. He raised an eye brow and Joey put out his hands to be cuffed. "Behind your back, Wheeler." Joey turned and stood while Keith cuffed him.
Then he dropped, rolled, and came up with his hands in front of him. Keith grabbed for him and found a foot in his face. Joey missed his face by an inch. Keith jerked back and Joey used the force of his kick to spin completely around to bring his hands into play. The double fisted roundhouse slap would have taken Keith's head off if it had connected, but Joey wasn't playing for keeps. So, while Keith was still off balance, he dropped and unleashed a spin kick that swept Keith's feet out from under him and dumped him on his butt with a tooth jarring thump.
"Now do you see why this class is so important? Joey Wheeler is one of the best street fighters I've ever seen. He could beat most of the martial arts instructors here. He don't fight in any style and that's what makes him so dangerous. You can't predict what he's going to do next. You hope and pray you never meet someone as good as he is, because if you do, you either shoot to kill or you're toast." Turning to Joey he nodded as he took off the cuffs. "Thanks Joey, I think you've made my point for me."
"Good, I want to go home to Japan." Joey walked away, back to his room, where he sat smoking and wishing. He wanted to see Mai. The last time he'd seen her he had a fresh tattoo around his finger and she was mad as hell. She'd told him she didn't want to see him until he got over what ever juvenile stupidity he was indulging in. That had been almost 18 months ago. He'd wanted to tell her what he was doing but he knew she couldn't keep a secret to save her life, or his.
The analyst came to find him that afternoon asking how he knew they were using cards to pass intel.
"Because I used to be third in the world in Duel Monster cards. I know most of the cards still. The cards they're using are all older. The big tell was Red Eyes Black Dragon, that's my card. They said it had 1400 attack points. That's way wrong and got me thinking, so I started over and listened for the card game. All the attack and defense points were wrong. Any duelist worth his cards doesn't need to be told most cards. They'll ask if they don't know. So I wondered why they were telling attacks and defenses when they should know them. That's how they're passing intel.
"Look, go ask Keith Howard about it. He dueled me. He's not as good as me but he'll be able to get a start on it. As far as I can figure out the attack points are credits or prices and the defense points are debits or weights somehow the relatives are signaling which it is."
His return trip to Japan was eventful and long. He slept most of the way. He couldn't seem to catch up on sleep and heaven help the person who tried to wake him. He nearly took the head off the flight attendant when she bent over him to adjust his blanket. He spent the rest of the flight sleeping next to an Air Martial who had been warned about him. He just took Joey up to first class and stuck him in the corner next to the restroom, putting him out of the way where no one would bother him. Poor kid. He looks done in. I wonder how long he's been working
Please review. I'm a big whiner. If you don't review I never know if I'm doing good or not. There are a lot of readers and not many reviewers. Come on people help an author out.


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At the Canadian Applied Positive Psychology national conference last month, there was a cornucopia of intriguing ideas about what supports the good life, with each idea refreshingly presented from a data-based, scientific point of view. Positive psychology is a recognized discipline within the field of psychology. In the words of Harvard professor Tal Ben Sha-Har, it is the scientific study of optimal human functioning—the science of happiness.
The focus of positive psychology is on understanding what helps individuals and communities flourish. In contrast to pop psychology, positive psychology is data-based and often counter intuitive. It is different from the retail self-help books exhorting everyone to just think positively and be happy.
A core tenet of positive psychology is the value of focusing on what's going right. You may have heard of the three good things exercise, explained in this short video clip by positive psychology luminary Marty Seligman. The three good things exercise involves jotting down at the end of each day three things that went well that day and why you appreciated them. The three-good-things exercise comes out of research documenting the powerful ripple effect on well-being of focusing on what's going right and taking time to savor and to reflect upon those good things.
It occurs to me that in financial planning it is well known that a helpful strategy is to think about some good financial decisions you have made in the past and what you have learned from them. It is also helpful to consider the example of the people in your life whom you view as role models for financial well-being and why you view them as role models.
In the spirit of the "three good things" exercise, here are the three things that I noticed and appreciated at the conference, followed by a key take away message.
1. First impressions: People have come here here from all over the world. Diverse disciplines and career stages are well represented. There is vibrant interaction between academics and practitioners.
Overall there's a sense of something new and important being created, with frequent upbeat references to the just completed 7th European Conference on Positive Psychology . Three C's come to mind: Collaboration, Curiosity, and Calling. It's exciting just being in the exhibit hall.
2. Opening Remarks: The conference opens with a warm welcome and an immediate deep dive into what's coming next in the research world.
In a short video clip Marty Seligman welcomed participants and then described imagination as a next-up topic for research.
According to Seligman and his team, imagination encompasses prospection (envisioning the future in a way that motivates action), originality (novel representation of the future), creativity (novel and useful representation of the future), and innovation (novel and useful mental representation of the future implemented on a large scale).
A better understanding of imagination could be helpful in many fields, e.g., scenario planning and/or new product development in both the profit and non-profit sectors, and for individuals, perhaps enhancing peak artistic or athletic performance. In financial planning, it could improve our understanding of how individuals picture and then move towards their desired future. I really enjoyed seeing what is the next research frontier and how research leads to better day-to-day decisions-making.
3. From the first to the last presentation, insights are presented in the context of data, with new insights building on prior research and interesting nuances and counter-intuitive results explored.
There is intriguing current research exploring what facilitates personal growth subsequent to a terrible loss, building in many ways on the ideas from Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. Other presentations detailed the negative link between consumerism and happiness. (Once basic needs are met, giving money away or buying experiences "buys" more happiness than buying things.).
In the opening keynote, Sonjha Lyubomirsky identified several "happiness myths", e.g. I can only be happy if [some particular thing comes true] or I will be unhappy if [some specific unpleasant thing] happens. She detailed that, in fact, "nothing is as misery-inducing as we think it will be". People are remarkably resilient and often find silver linings in challenging situations. Plus, people tend to adapt quickly to positive changes. (In the words of economists, there is "habit formation".) You get used to a new state, lose the sense of it being special, and don't want to go backwards from it. So the good feeling you anticipate for a job promotion, a marriage, a big economic win or whatever, does not last. You get used to your new state, which makes "being happy" problematic if the presence of that new state is how you had been defining happiness.
Each of the presentations dived into some interesting aspect of happiness, character strengths, and/or meaning and purpose. Character strengths, (e.g. zest, hope, gratitude, curiosity, and love—see image above), are innate in all of us and are the focus of much of applied positive psychology. Character strengths are what "'makes us our best and connects us", and they can be developed.
Throughout the conference there were lots of references to hedonic pleasure (the in-the-moment "let's get some pizza and watch a movie together" kind of of kick-back and enjoy yourself form of happiness) and eudaimonic pleasure (where you get immersed in working hard on something you care about, experience "flow" and find personal meaning and satisfaction). And guess what? We all need both—which makes financial planning for retirement particularly interesting!
In the closing keynote Dr. Robert Vallerand parsed passion by differentiating between obsessive and harmonious passion, commenting "it's healthy and life-enhancing to have a passion to pursue—but it matters how you pursue it".
Key take away: Well-being is a learned skill.
We think a lot about how to teach our children the three Rs, how to cross streets safely, how to stay safe on the internet, and how to be courteous and polite. How well do we also teach our children about well- being and specifically the habits that support flourishing? And how well do we extend that same care to ourselves? For myself, as a good next step, I'm giving the "three good things" exercise a try. How about you?
Do you see a link between these ideas and how you manage your finances? What is the intersection for you of personal wealth management and personal well-being?
©2017 hoganfinancial.com | 414-352-9111

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Current/Elliott The Traveler Jeans - Tallahassee
$109 Sold out shopbop.com
A pair of distressed Current / Elliot jeans have a boyish slouch and a tapered profile. Shreds and fading add vintage appeal. 5 pocket styling. Button fly. Fabric: Stretch denim. 90% cotton/6% polyester/4% elastane. Wash cold. Made in the USA. MEASUREMENTS Rise: 9in / 23cm Inseam: 32in / 81.5cm Leg opening: 12in / 30.5cm. Available sizes: 23
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Beth Mosier's Profile
I have been painting to sell for over 25 years. For awhile I did craft shows full time. After working with the public I have now decided to create beautiful items every day.
I paint on some new items and lots of old and repurposed things. If I can find a way to use it or paint it, I will. I hate waste so like to redo rather than throw away. When shipping and packing, I reuse boxes packing and anything else I can think of. Less throw away the better.
Please note that I will not ship your purchase until I have received payment through PayPal; it goes without saying that I appreciate prompt payers immensely! Shipping will occur within 5 to 7 days of payment. Also, if payment for a purchase from my shop has not been made through PayPal within five days from the date of purchase, I will be…
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Painted Treasures by Beth Mosier


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A Reconfigurable Signal Processing IC with embedded FPGA and Multi-Port Flash Memory M. Borgatti, L. Calì, G. De Sandre, B. Forêt, D. Iezzi, F. Lertora, G. Muzzi, M. Pasotti, M. Poles, P.L. Rolandi STMicroelectronics - Central R&D - Italy
Outline of Presentation Project motivation and background System architecture –Reconfigurable core –Memory subsystem System performance –Application example: embedded face recognition system Energy efficiency, measurements SoC integration and design flow –System 2 RTL and RTL 2 Layout Summary 2 2
Project motivation and background Conflicting industry trends –Economics of system integration Even more complex SoC More integration Cost effectiveness and performance (per unit) –Increasing design complexity and risks –Increasing NREs –Shorter time-to-market and product life Strong need for: –Faster project turnaround –Lower risk Usage of re-configurable silicon fabrics 3 3
Project motivation and background Pragmatic approach proposed: –Reconfigurable architecture –Joins a statically extensible processor with e-FPGA –Tight connection to Flash memory subsystem –Open architecture with flexible programmable I/O Programmable platform approach –Simple model for programmers 4 4
Programmable Platform Approach System Applications Family System Application Silicon process + Enabling technologies Platform Compilation Config. Proc + e-FPGA Application Compilation Programmable platform 5 5
8KB D$ System Architecture Inst. Ext I/F Extensible MPU bus bridge e-FPGA General Purpose I/O Lines 8KB D$ 8KB I$ I2C BUS M/S AHB I/F INTs DMA & FPGA Prog. I/F Buffer I/F GP I/O 64 bit APB BUS 1kB Buffer AHB/APB Bridge 64 bit AHB BUS I2C Master I/O registers 48 kB SRAM FPCPDP Flash Mem Instr. Ext. 6 6
e-FPGA Purposes Processor ISA extensions –Simplest programmer's model –Specific interface to the MPU datapath –Impact on processor performance –Impact on processor energy efficiency –Efficiency limited by instruction stream decoding Bus-mapped co-processor –Maximum benefits in speed/power Flexible I/O 7 7
e-FPGA – Microprocessor interface E Clock Ctrl Other FPGA Purposes Instruction extension R Pipe Control Decode Register File Instruction Result Microprocessor clock e-FPGA Clock 8 8
Flash Memory Architecture DPCPFP 8-bit P P I/F PMA DFT Power Block 2Mb #0 FPGA PortCode PortData Port 2Mb #1 2Mb #2 2Mb #3 128-bit Memory Sub-System Crossbar 128 64 32 9 9
Flash Memory Subsystem Modular approach –Customizable array of N independent 2Mb modules 3 content-specific ports (CP, DP, FP) HW support for filesystem implem. (DP) –Defrag –Compression –Virtual erase 2Mb Module features: –128b I/O –40ns access time (400MB/s peak throughput) –Power management and arbitration 10
System Memory Hierarchy 64-bit AHB Bus 32-bit uP RegisterFile 6x4 128-bit Crossbar 4 x 16384 x 128-bit Memory Module AHB Bridge 4 x Flash Memory Controller Logic 64 bit Port CP 32-bit Port FP 2 x 64- + 1 x 32-bit Memory Port I/Fs 64-bit CP I/F64-bit DP I/F DMA 64-bit AHB 32-bit FPGA PI/F 32-bit 512-B Buffer 64-bit Port DP AHB Peak Throughput: –800MB/s e-FPGA –400MB/s –(50MB/s sustained) Total Aggregate Peak –1.2GB/s 11
Application Ex.: Face Recognition Target application: –Recognize a face out of twenty –low-resolution images from CMOS cameras Potential applications: –Low cost smart toys –Advanced human-machine interfaces –Color CMOS camera processors Image preprocessing: Bayer filter Face location: based on Hough transform Face recognition: Line-Based Recognition rates over 90 % Scale-invariant Tolerant to changes in illumination intensity 12
Processor Extension (I) _ x + + + '8' '16' Processor Load Unit 64-bit register Result 4-segm. 8-issue, 8-bit L2 distance Complexity: –23 8-bit OPS –6 64-bit OPS 1GOPS peak throughput –Distance computation 10k equiv. ASIC gates Mapped to e-FPGA 13
Processor Extension (II) NumberRemaind.root >>1 << 1 <<2>>2>>30 + _ +1 > + 2 Result Fixed-point square root kernel Complexity: –12 32-bit OPS 2k equiv. ASIC gates Mapped to e-FPGA 14
Algorithm StageRISC w/ basic DSP RISC w/ basic DSP + uP Ext. Speed-Up Bayer Filter58 msec24.7 msecx 2.3 Edge Detection4.5 msec 2.5 msecx 1.8 Face Detection1.5 sec382 msecx 4 Face Recognition (20-face database) 9.15 sec860 msecx 10.6 Totals10.7 sec1.26 secx 8.5 Performance: Processing Time @ 100 MHz
Energy Efficiency vs. Flexibility Flexibility (Coverage) Energy Efficiency (MOPS/mW) Embedded Processors ASIPs, DSPs Dedicated HW 0.1 1 10 100 1000 from: Zhang et Al., ISSCC 2000 Energy-Flexibility Gap ! FPGA-mapped CoProcessors uP + FPGA Instructions 16
Algorithm StageSpeed- Up Energy Gain Energy x Delay Gain Bayer Filterx 2.3x 1.4x 3.2 Edge Detectionx 1.8x 0.95x 1.7 Face Detectionx 4x 2.9x 11.6 Face Recognition (20-face database) x 10.6x 9x 95.4 Totalsx 8.5x 6.7x 57 Performance: Energy Efficiency 17
Cycle Accurate Simulation Performance Analysis C VHDL (e-FPGA) HW (RTL) uP, AHB/APB Bus Peripherals SW Apps SoC Integration uP ISS Functional model (untimed) Partitioning / I/F Synthesis / Refinement Libraries HW/SW Soft Hardware (eFPGA) eFPGA mapping eFPGA HARD MACRO Inst.Ext. Verilog 18
Inst. Ext. Synthesis Mapping (P&R) CPU core, IPs Interface RTL code Flash RAM Synthesis Floorplanning / P&R Static Timing Analysis, Dynamic Verification Static Timing Analysis (SoC + eFPGA) FPGA Timing DB Bit- stream Coproc.I/O I/F eFPGA core Con. Netlist + Timing Database Silicon fab 19
Chip Layout Process0.18um CMOS 2P/6M Embedded Flash Flash Memory (x4) 256kB x 9 sectors 128-bit word 1MB/s write through. 400MB/s read through. SRAM Memory Main: 48kB (64-bit) I$: 8kB (64-bit) D$: 8kB (64-bit) Buffers: 4x256B Chip size8.4 x 8.4 mm2 (e-FPGA size: 8.2 mm2) I/O24 inputs + 24 outputs (tristate) + 8 bidirs Supply2.7-3.6V (external), 1.8V(core) 48 KB SRAM BUFFER Embedded FPGA TAGS 8+8 KB I$ + D$ 32b uP + AHB & APB + 250k GATES 1MB FLASH Memory uP AHB/ APB FPGA 8+8 kB I$+D$ DFT Flash Ports Buffers 48kB SRAM 20
Chip Performances and Power Consumption Processor maximum speed:125MHz (WCMIL) Reconfiguration speed:500us @ 100MHz clock Chip average power consumption 300mW @ 100MHz, 1.8V 21
Summary e-FPGAs allow architectural tradeoffs for reconfigurable embedded systems: –Processor ISA extensions –Bus-mapped co-processor –Flexible I/O Modular, content-specific, multiport e-Flash Performance figures: –Up to 10x speedup –Up to 9x energy reduction –Dynamic reconfiguration in 500 us Specific design-flow for system and RTL 22
Acknowledgements: The authors thank: all the colleagues of NVM-DP Dept. A. Maurelli, F. Piazza and L. Fumagalli. 23
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Metal Sales 6.7 oz. Clear Tube Sealant
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Clear Tube Sealant is specifically formulated to outperform all other sealant technologies, including VOC solvent, silicones, tripolymers and urethanes. This superior polymer formula provides a weather-tight seal against water, wind, dust and dirt. It offers exceptional adhesion to paint or galvalume metal panels or flashing materials.
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|Object of the Month
Object of the Month: Sap Sidi (Snakes and Ladders)
Snakes and Ladders originated in India, possibly as early as the 2nd century BC.
Early versions were known as Moksha-Patamu (heaven and hell) and the game works on the principle of good versus evil.
Snakes and ladders were strategically placed on numbers connected to certain behaviours. The foot of the ladder is placed on a square representing virtue, for example 12 represents faith, 76 knowledge. When a player lands on a ladder they would ascend to a higher realm of life.
Snakes represent evil and temptation and are more numerous. Square 44 symbolises vanity, 73 murder, 92 greed. If a player landed on the head of a snake they would fall to the lower realms of life through reincarnation. The winner of the game is the first player to reach Nirvana, the final hundredth square.
Sap sidi is a popular game in Jain, Hindu and Muslim cultures. Cloth games have been made since the Mogul era and are often included in a girl's dowry.
The board is a miniature patchwork quilt of vegetable dyed fabric. It was made by female artisans in Kutch, Gujarat. These women are descendants of a nomadic tribe from Nagar Parkar, in the Sindh region of Pakistan. Elderly women typically turn to patchwork from embroidery when their eyesight begins to fade.
|Tours and Talks


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Tag Archives: Colton Dixon
New REMIXD Album from Capital Kings
After finishing the popular "Hits Deep Tour" with TobyMac, electronic-pop duo Capital Kings (Jon White and Cole Walowac) is gearing up for the release of their new project, REMIXD. REMIXD will compile several remixed tracks from their self-titled album, which released last year, as well as the brand new song "Be A King." The album will be available exclusively at Family Christian beginning March 25.
The remix project will also feature the winning track from Capital Kings' U:REMIX campaign, which called for fans to take an original Capital Kings song and remix it as their own. Through an online contest, the winning contestant and remix ("I Feel So Alive [Matthew Parker U:Remix]") was chosen and will be featured on REMIXD.
The dynamic remix masters continue to build on the momentum of their early success with recent remixes for Colton Dixon, Natalie Grant and Crowder while working on a brand new album. They also made waves at the 2014 Passion Conferences in Houston and Atlanta earlier this year, opening with a thrilling and energetic performance for over 20,000 students representing 1,200 universities and 33 countries. They kick-off the exclusive "Summer Shed Tour" with TobyMac, Skillet and Lecrae in May.
44th Annual Dove Awards
Hosted in the hub of the Christian Music industry, Nashville Tennessee, the 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards included several powerful performances by Big Daddy Weave, Colton Dixon, Michael W. Smith, and For King & Country, to name a few. The official hosts of the event were Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin as well as pre-cast telecast hosts Jamie Grace and Chris August.
The Dove Awards took place on October 15th and will be aired on October 21st at 8 p.m. EDT on UP.
Click here for a list of the winning albums.
Throughout the night, Matt Redman frequented the stage, winning 4 awards for his single "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" as well as the Songwriter of the Year Award. Matt was also a part of the Dove-Award winning album, "Passion: Let The Future Begin" along with Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, Kari Jobe, David Crowder, and Christy Nockels.
Artist of the Year was awarded to Tobymac who took home a total of 4 awards, including 3 for his short film and album, "Eye On It". Upon winning the Artist of the Year Award, TobyMac stated, "It feels weird to be called artist of the year when I know it takes a family, and I always want to acknowledge that. I said in one of my songs a long time ago, 'I'm just a little man trying to fit in God's plan.' I still feel like that".
Other winners included For King & Country as New Artist of the Year, Lecrae's "Tell the World" for Rap/Hip-Hop Song of the Year, and Jason Crabb's "What the Blood is for" (Southern Gospel Song of the Year). The Uplift Someone Award was given to Mandisa "for her music, message, and humanitarian heart, all of which (individually and collectively) have inspired others," said Amy Grant.
Among a number of spectacular performances, the musical tribute to the Gaither Vocal Band, performed by Karen Peck, Daily & Vincent, Signature Sound and the Isaacs, was one of the most remarkable displays of passion and talent. Another memorable moment included a collaborative performance with Michael W. Smith and the Newsboys in honor of evangelist Billy Graham.
UP's President & CEO Charles Humbard stated, "Congratulations to the GMA Dove Awards winners, performers, presenters and hosts Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin for a thrilling night a spectacular entertainment. This evening celebrates the unifying and uplifting power of this genre and demonstrates why this is the biggest night of Christian and Gospel music. There is no other network dedicated to showcase this prestigious musical celebration other than UP."
For a list of winners click here.
To Hollywood and Back – Colton Dixon
American Idol's Season 11 finalist Colton Dixon's powerful and iconic voice quickly earned him a loyal and enthusiastic fan following among the shows 20 million viewers that kept him from placing in the bottom three until his last week in the competition. Following a shocking early elimination, Colton hit the road with the other Idol finalists for the American Idol LIVE! Tour, where he performed in front of over 360,000 fans across the country.
Colton's musical journey has been a long time in the making, beginning with piano lessons at 7 years old. A lifelong fan of Christian music, he remembers his first concert at age 13 performing "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe. That's when he knew he had found his calling. With a humble spirit, he answered the call. To be a messenger for a purpose greater than himself.
I caught up with Colton at a recent festival to talk about American Idol, the fast rise to fame, and keeping a mind on Christ.
John: Colton you made it to Hollywood and back. You have a record out called A Messenger.
Colton: A Messenger, yeah.
John: And you are the messenger?
Colton: Well, I mean, it comes from John 13:16. It says that "No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him." So I called the record A Messenger just because it's not … I don't want it to be about me. You know?
John: Mm-hmm.
Colton: God chose people to write down His Word, so His message is already out there. So now it's just up to us to carry it to my generation and generations to come. And it's so important, so I just wanted people to connect with that and realize that God's the priority here, you know, not me. So that's where A Messenger comes from.
John: Mm-hmm. You're probably sick and tired of answering this question, but what does your sister feel about all of the success that you've had since American Idol?
Colton: That's a great question. Man, my sister, Schyler, is so mature and so cool.
John: Yeah, I'm sure.
Colton: So she's really proud and really excited for me. It's funny. We normally have her out with us whenever we drive and have space. You know?
John: Yeah.
Colton: We were a little crammed in the van this time, but we bring her along, and she loves it.
John: Yeah. I've heard she's been on stage with you guys a few times.
Colton: Yeah, so she loves meeting artists, just like I do. I was just hanging out with Matthew West a little bit ago, and it still blows my mind. You know? It's crazy. So she's loving it, and she's riding coattails and enjoying it just as much as I am (laughs).
John: Good. Great deal.
Colton: Yeah.
John: That's great. Just a little bit about the idea of going to quote-unquote "Hollywood" and living to tell about it. What was that like? I mean, everybody who is within the body of Christ kind of looks towards the entertainment community and goes, "Wow, it would be really tough to be a believer, an outspoken believer, within that type of culture." What type of pressures did you experience while you were with American Idol, on tour, with any of those guys? I mean, was it something that was hard to deal with, or …?
Colton: Honestly, it's like … Let's take religion out of it for a second.
John: Okay.
Colton: Or my faith. It's like with anything. If you think a different way from somebody else or whatever, it's about being polite and respecting what they do, and in return, hopefully, they'll respect you back. Now, let's plug faith back into it. It should be the exact same way. You know? Don't get me wrong. I came across people … my heart just broke for them knowing that they're missing out on something bigger, but the thing I had to realize, too, is some of these people will never crack open a Bible. They're never going to go to church, so I'm the only Bible that they're ever going to see just by the way I'm living.
So just realizing that and that I really have to watch everything I say, everything I do, not that I'm necessarily doing or saying anything bad, but just being set apart, which is what Jesus called us all to, in our actions and our speech and everything in between. So that just made things difficult, just that you're under a really fine microscope. Then, when it finally gets out there that you're a Christian, like the papers have a heyday, and it's like Tim Tebow. People are waiting to see him fall, and I'm so thankful he hasn't. You know? He's really representing us well.
But he was an inspiration for me while I was on Idol. It's like, man, if he can do it, I can do it. You know? It's possible. With God, anything is possible, so … Yeah, I think that was the hardest part, just realizing that, not only if I slip up, Hollywood and the press or whatever are going to have a heyday, but that the people looking at me, it's like I may be the only Bible that they see. So, God let them see you and me. You know? Let's use this opportunity for that.
John: Yeah. Would you give the same answer, Colton, to somebody who's in high school or college that just kind of feels pressure to kind of give in to the world? Maybe they feel like they're all alone in their faith or in their walk towards Christ. How do you speak to that person who's not in the limelight, per se, but certainly feels kind of all alone? I mean, they're here in culture, but they're just having a hard time living out their faith among people that are so contrary to them.
Colton: Yeah, it's the exact same thing.
John: Is it the same thing?
Colton: You know, there were definitely times where I felt alone or whatever, and not just in my faith, but in general (laughs) while on the TV show. There was little communication to anybody except for the other contestants and …
John: Really?
Colton: And after a while … I mean, they're all phenomenal people. Don't get me wrong, but you miss your friends and family from back home after a while, so that's that. But as far as feeling alone in your faith, something that really was a light-bulb moment for me–and it inspired one of my songs called "Never Gone"—is knowing that God's with you the whole time, and He's all that you need. You know? Contrary to belief, God is really all that you need to get through a situation. So I would just encourage whoever it is who feels like they're alone to open their eyes a little bit more, you know? Focus your mind on God, and He'll reveal to you that He promises in His Word that He'd never leave us nor forsake us. So He's been with us the whole time. So that was a light-bulb moment for me on the show, and I'm glad I was able to write that song because of it, to answer that question.
John: Let's change tracks a little bit. Go back to when you were five, six, eight, 10 years old or whatever. Did you ever dream that this is what you would be doing?
Colton: That young, no.
John: (Laughs). At what point in your life did you say, "Okay, I think God is doing something here in me. I kind of want to pursue this."?
Colton: Yeah, it's actually younger than most. I was 13, and I knew without a doubt that this is what I was going to do. I didn't know that Idol was going to be the door, but…
John: Right.
Colton: I sang in public for the first time when I was 13. I'd been taking piano lessons for several years, and my piano teacher just kind of set up a microphone and said, "I think you need to sing tonight."
John: We're doing it.
Colton: Cool. So I sat down, and I was supposed to play "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe that night, and instead I played and sang it, which was a very, very difficult song for a kid going through puberty. But I got through it, and it was just the coolest thing because I really just felt the Holy Spirit just telling me deep down, it was like, "This is it. This is what I made you for." And I gave up sports for music when I was 15. I finally gave in. It took me a couple years, but I just continued to pursue and pursue and pursue, and I got a lot of people telling me, "Nah, you can't have that sound," or, "You're not going to be able to look that way," or whatever, telling me no over and over and over again. Then, finally, just God just opened the door to American Idol, and, boom, there it was.
John: The rest is history.
Colton: Yeah.
John: Colton, if there is one artist that you would love to go on tour with, either you open for them or they open for you, who would that be?
Colton: Oh, look at this. I would have to say Switchfoot.
John: Really?
Colton: And it would feel totally wrong if they opened up for me.
John: (Laughs).
Colton: I would want to open up for them.
John: You never know.
Colton: That would be too strange.
John: (Laughs).
Colton: I don't think I would allow it. But I would really enjoy that. I met them for the first time a few months ago, and they were great guys. But as far as the rock side of Christian music, they were really one of the first bands that got me into it, and then I just got heavier and heavier as time passed with Skillet and RED and you name it. But I really just enjoyed "Beautiful Letdown" by them, and it seemed like every single song on that record was an anthem at one point in my life, so I really appreciated that record a lot.
John: Cool.
Colton: Yeah.
For more from Colton, click here.
Brandon Heath Announces Holiday Album, Christmas Is Here
Emmy Award-winning, five-time GRAMMY nominee Brandon Heath will release his first holiday offering, Christmas Is Here, Oct.15, 2013. Rich in musical diversity, Christmas Is Here takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the most anticipated time of the year. "I want people to just hear a song and slip back into the past," Heath says. "Good Christmas music is really about sparking people's memories."
Heath has dreamed of creating a Christmas album for a long time and invited some friends to join him in the studio to make the process memorable. Sonja Isaacs, Ellie Holcomb and Matt Wertz all contributed background vocals, and Ben Shive (Andrew Peterson, Matt Wertz) produced the album, which was recorded in mid-July.
The award-winning songwriter looked to some of his favorite Christmas albums for inspiration—recordings by Nat King Cole, Harry Connick, Jr., Patty Loveless and Kenny & Dolly—desiring to craft a timeless release fans would want to pull out year after year. Reflecting his influences, Christmas Is Here features three originals and seven classics, including traditional arrangements of "The Christmas Song," "O Come All Ye Faithful/Angels, We Have Heard on High," "Silent Night" and "The Bleak Midwinter," among others. The well-known Christmas songs showcase a spectrum of sounds ranging from big band to a cappella to bluegrass.
Two of the three new cuts reveal Heath's witty personality that has endeared the hit-making award winner to audiences. "The Day After Thanksgiving" pokes fun at the Christmas commercialism that sets in at the end of summer, leading most to completely overlook fall, one of Heath's favorite times of year. "Momma Wouldn't Lie to Me" is equally as lighthearted, with Heath putting his parents on the spot for the truth about Santa, mirroring a real-life conversation from his childhood. "Rest assured, no child-like beliefs will be harmed due to the listening of the song. No spoilers!" Heath proclaims.
In his trademark storyteller fashion, Heath highlights a lesser known character in the Christmas story on "Just A Girl"—the innkeeper who turned Mary and Joseph away. "I took a little creative license to tell what happened," he explains. Through the innkeeper's eyes, Mary is seen as an ordinary girl, but Heath notes the irony of the scene. "There's a story [about] when a non-believer asked a Catholic, 'Why is Mary so crucial to the Christmas story?' And the Catholic says, 'She's just a girl who said yes.' I think that says a lot for us," Heath offers. "God is often giving us opportunities we don't realize the significance of, but we just need to say yes. God can do things though ordinary people. Mary was just a girl, but she was also a catalyst in a huge event in the rest of history."
Fans can see Heath live on tobyMac's "Hits Deep" Tour beginning November 7 and running through mid-December. The tour will hit 20 cities this fall and also features Mandisa, Jamie Grace, Colton Dixon, Chris August and Capital Kings. Heath and Mandisa will also reunite for select dates this fall on their popular "Brandisa" tour.
Colton Dixon – Never Gone
Colton Dixon's musical journey has been a long time in the making, beginning with piano lessons at 7 years old and culminating in his time as a finalist on season 11 of American Idol. A lifelong fan of Christian music, Colton remembers his first concert at age 13, performing "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe. That's when he knew he had found his calling.
With a humble spirit, Colton answers the call, to be a messenger for a purpose greater than himself. His debut album, A Messenger, carries that message of hope and God's unyielding love.
Here is his new video for the song Never Gone.
What do you think? Leave your comments below.
The 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards' Nominations Are…
The 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards is Gospel music's biggest night of the year, featuring top artists from the many different genres of Gospel and Christian music. The event will be an evening of music and celebration held at Lipscomb University's Allen Arena on Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Recently, the GMA announced the nominations for the 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards. Some of the highlights are:
Artist of the Year-
Chris Tomlin
Francesca Battistelli
Tamela Mann
New Artist of the Year-
Capital Kings
Colton Dixon
for King & Country
Rhett Walker Band
Tasha Cobbs
Again, for the full list, click here for a downloadable pdf.
Mandisa – Finding Freedom by Overcoming
I sat down with Mandisa at a local coffee shop to talk about new music, coffee vs. tea, family and what it means to be an over-comer. What follows is a real conversation. Mandisa, some would say is a true artist. She is that for sure, but she is so much more. She is a warrior in a huge battle. She is a fighter – fighting for the truth of the Gospel. That can be summed up with one statement from her, "There is joy unspeakable!"
John: I'm reading a quote, and I'm not sure where this was, maybe on your promo sheet or something, but you said, "I recorded both the song 'Overcomer' and the album to fuel faith and empower people; to remind those facing a battle that all for the strength and power they need is readily available to them. We are all overcomers."
So, my question is, why do you think people struggle with not seeing that identity themselves?
Mandisa: Because we are natural people. We have a supernatural heritage, but we're natural people. We tend to only see our circumstances and not look beyond our circumstances. I was reading in Judges 6-8, which is the story of Gideon, and it was fascinating to me. If you look at the snapshot of who Gideon was and Judges 6, and then if you look at the end in Judges 8, it's almost like two completely different people. He was really kind of riddled with fear; I just think it was a stronghold of his. When the angel came to him and said, "Oh, mighty man of valor, the Lord is with you," Gideon's initial response was, "Well, if the Lord is with me, then why is this happening?" That's so typical of us, isn't it? We hear that the Lord is with us but then we look at our circumstances and say it doesn't feel like the Lord is with me. Once Gideon started to believe what God said about him, he started walking it out. It took him believing what the angel of the Lord was saying to him to make him really started walking as a mighty man of valor. It was a process.
I'm convinced that when people start believing what God says about them, they'll start walking it out. But God, He requires the faith at first. That's why He says time and time again, "Believe Me, trust Me." I love the man in the Gospel as He says, "I believe; help my unbelief." God honors that prayer; it's like, "Lord, I really want to believe and I believe you a little bit but help me in the areas where I don't so much." I think when we pray that, God says, "Okay, thank you for finally asking me." Wham! "Here you go!" [laughs]
John: When somebody comes to you and says, "Yeah, but you have it all together."
Mandisa: Ugh! Please. [laughs]
John: They may say, "I'm just a single mom raising three kids," or "I'm a college student with the whole world ahead of me," or whatever, and yet they can't see anything going on in their lives spiritually. How do you say, look at Gideon or look at the man in the New Testament who said, "Help my unbelief"? What is your secret? Have you found a set of steps or something?
Mandisa: Totally. I say look at them and look at me. My last album was called What If We Were Real? That's because God really sent me on a journey of taking the mask off. It was the mask that I would wear to try to tell the world that I've got it all together. He taught me to really let people see me as I truly am because I've found… I don't know, I think so often in the Body of Christ we drive up to church, get in an argument with our family in the car, and then drive up and hit the church door and we're like, "Hi. I'm blessed and highly favored." We put on this veneer like I've got it all together and I actually think that God calls us to live more transparently, to live more vulnerably and to let our brothers and sisters in Christ see us as we really are. One, because in that way we can help one another know that we're not alone; and two, it helps us to become more than what we are or were to start with.
So, my last album was a process of coming to understand that, and I have just learned to be very transparent–almost to a fault on my social media sites. I posted earlier this week about a moment where I had to confess to somebody at a store—it's a long story, you can read it on my Facebook [laughs] —I had to confess to somebody at the store that I lied to them and [groans] that is just never easy to do! But I did it because, well, the Lord told me to and he convicted me and the less you listen to the conviction of the Lord, the more you get numb to it. I just want to always follow the conviction and to repent when I need to and to receive God's grace and forgiveness and to keep it moving.
I just try to make it a point of letting the world know I do not have it all together. I'm on this journey just like you are and let's do this together, let's learn from one another.
At the same time, you have to recognize that you're more than what you currently see. When God looks at us, He sees us as he created us. He sees us covered in the blood of Jesus, not as what we see when we look in the reflection in the mirror.
John: Is it scary sometimes when you get that vulnerable with people?
Mandisa: I think it used to be; it's not so much anymore. It's been a process, but I can thank Simon Cowell, in part, for that [laughs], for kind of putting me on blast, you know, on American Idol years ago. It helped me to not live hidden and not live hiding who I really am. Him making fun of my weight on national television put my weight story out there for the world to see, and that's the main area where I was the most timid of letting people really see what was inside. So when Simon threw me out there, I was kind of forced out there, but it was a blessing in disguise because I feel like I've really learned a lot through it. I've helped several brothers and sisters along the same journey know that they're not alone and that they—and I'm struggling just like they are—we have everything we need to fight and to come in victoriously.
John: Total sidebar, but do you still stay in contact with some of those people from those days?
Mandisa: The contestants I do.
John: Who won that year?
Mandisa: Taylor Hicks. He is in Las Vegas right now, and I know I'm a little bit biased, but I think that we had one of the more successful seasons. If you look at our Top 10, you've got Catherine McPhee on an NBC show, Kelly Pickler was just on Dancing with the Stars, and Chris Daughtry is a superstar. So many of the people on my season are doing really well, so that's one of the great things about social media. I can always tweet them and Facebook them and keep in touch with how they're doing. Then when I get to their cities, I can look them up and say, "Hey, let's go grab some coffee." But no, I don't hang out with Simon Cowell on a regular basis. [laughs again]
John: So let's look at this: Each of your records seem to tell another chapter or story in your life; adding, maybe, another layer of who you are. When you put those songs together or create that album, are you thinking of Mandisa? Are you thinking of your personal friends… or your fan base? When you make a record, who's that for?
Mandisa: I don't think I've ever been asked that question and I like it!
My albums have been a journey of my life. True Beauty was first and that was coming right off of doing American Idol and really learning not to define myself by the standards of the world but by what God says about me. Freedom was when God started chipping away at the things in my life that I've been bound by, mainly my food addiction, and I began really letting Him teach me that true freedom is not the fact that I can eat these scones that are right behind me, but that true freedom is knowing that I don't have to and knowing that I have the power to resist those scones and the chocolate cookies or whatever is tempting me.
The third was What If We Were Real? That record was God chipping away at the layers and letting me show the world who I really am, and with this one, it was a combination of me looking at my life and how I'm overcoming not just the weight struggle, but also lots of other areas in my life. I'm overcoming … I think for a long time I was very miserable being single. I call myself super-duper single because I think once you hit 30 you're not just single, you're super single. (Laughs)
I'm just saying, once I hit 30. (laughter). I think I was so miserable in that for such a long time, and I feel like God has been helping me to overcome depending on a man to complete me. I believe that I'm called to be married; I believe that I'm going to meet my husband one day, but saying "I'm going to live my life right now and not just wait for the moment when I get married." That's a big overcomer story for me.So, I was thinking about myself in those areas and then I was thinking about some friends of mine. One in particular, whose name is Keisha, was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant and was undergoing chemo treatments while she was seven months pregnant. When I looked at her story, I went, "Wow! You were in the middle of this battle and had the greatest outlook!" I could just see how God was going to use this as a testimony. I was like, "Keisha, you're an overcomer and we've not even seen the end of this battle." For me, it's about really studying the Word of God and coming to understand that an overcomer is somebody who has not even conquered their circumstances yet.
The Bible describes an overcomer as, first of all, if you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, the Bible makes it really clear that those who believe that Jesus is Lord, are overcomers, because Jesus is an overcomer. Then, of course, in John 4:4, it says that the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. So, it really isn't about circumstances; it's not about feeling like we're an overcomer. We're an overcomer because God says that we are. Like I said earlier, once we believe that, I think that's when we'll start walking it out. But we have to believe it first.
That's what this album is, is it's convincing both myself and my brothers and sisters in Christ to believe that you and I are overcomers. That we need to and can trust God, and that the One who is inside of you is greater than the one who is of the world. You can beat whatever it is that you're going through, even though beating it may not look like we think it does. Keisha's doing really well with her cancer. She's had a double mastectomy and is still going through more treatments, but her baby was born perfectly healthy. We don't know what the end is going to be, but that doesn't change the fact that she's overcome this; she may overcome it by seeing Jesus face to face sooner rather than later. Or she may overcome it by God completely healing her, but what we know is that because Jesus lives in her, she's an overcomer regardless of how we see the circumstances working out.
John: Is this record more personal for you?
Mandisa: I think all of my records have been personal. This one is different in that where I am in my life is different than all of my other past albums. I just feel like I'm in a great place of contentment that I've never had before. I love being single now; there are many benefits. Let me tell them to you… (laughs)
On Mother's Day, I got a last minute flight to Charlotte where I got to support my friend Lisa who was speaking in her Church. She was speaking about something that was really difficult for her, and as I booked those flights with my miles, I was like, "If I was married and had kids, I probably couldn't have hopped this flight at the last minute and gone to support her." I can take my money and use it to benefit causes that are important to me. I can spend as much time in my bed as I want to and I get the whole bed to myself. I love my bed; I named my bed Rufus because I love it that much.
I have the ability to do that without having to worry about somebody next to me pulling my covers, I love that. I think more importantly, I can spend as much time with the Lord as I want to. I can wake up on any given day, sit there in my bed, Rufus, and talk to the Lord all day long and study the Word and fellowship with my friends. You can't really do that when you have different devotions to your children or to your husband.
John: It's different.
Mandisa: It's a different kind of a calling, but for right now I'm just appreciating that I have those things. So, yeah, in one area, that's important, and I have a song, "I'm Praying for You" that I wrote with Chris August. That is a song to my future husband—who is not Chris August, by the way. (laughs) Let me just make that clear!
So, I long for that day, but I'm not putting my life on hold. And I've got a lot of great workout songs on this album, just because that's been important to me in the last few years. More than anything, there's a lot of worship songs this time around because I'm just so loving the Lord and just so thankful for so much that that came out in my music. I've got a lot of songs that are like, "God you don't have to do another thing, I just want to worship you because you're that good."
Yeah, it's different from my other albums. I think a lot of my other albums were more like, "Lord, when?" and "Help me," and "I can't get through this!" So now this one is a little bit more like, "Thank you, Jesus! I know that I can get through this!"
John: "Dear John"… Can you tell us about that song?
Mandisa: Oh, gosh! Do you have Kleenex ready? (laughter)
John: We can get some. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay too.
Mandisa: No, I'm happy to talk about it. Although I've never been able to talk about it without crying.
John is my brother. He is not a Christian, and I really want him to be. And the reason I want him to be is not because I want him to live a life of rules and regulations. It's because I know the abundant life that I have from a relationship with Jesus, and I simply want him to have that same abundant life. We've talked many times about faith. But right now he's enjoying his party lifestyle, and he sees a lot of hypocrites—people who say they believe one thing and then their lives reflect another. So I think that's just kind of been a way that the enemy has blinded his eyes. I pray for him on a regular basis and I have a lot of people praying for him. All of my Facebook and Twitter people know. Natalie Grant is a great friend of mine, and she has an alarm that goes off at nine o'clock every single day to remind her to pray for John. Here I go with the tears… (laughs)
So, I played "Dear John" for him on Fourth of July weekend. It was the first time he heard it, and his response was, "You know, that's a great song, Disa." And, of course, my response that I wanted was, "What must I do to be saved?" and I know that that day is going to happen; it just hasn't happened yet.
So "Dear John" is a song that I wrote, if I were to write a letter about my desire for him to live that abundant life in Jesus and then if I were to put that letter to music, that's what "Dear John" would be. I am praying first for his salvation, and hoping that as he listens to that song, he would put it on repeat without even knowing why, that he just keeps playing it and calls me up and says, "Okay, I'm ready." Secondly, I'm also praying for every unbeliever who listens to it. I just … I'm asking God to flood them with grace and forgiveness. I think so often people think that it is about, I don't know, a list or something of things that you have to do. My brother's enjoying partying and he likes going to bars and he likes women, and I just think that he probably has some shame there, but he's just kind of enjoying that. But if I could just convince him, you don't know what you're missing! Jesus is literally the best thing that's ever happened to me and what you think you're getting from these bars and alcohol and women, it does not even come close to the joy and the freedom and the satisfaction you get from a life with Jesus.
So I'm praying that for him and I'm praying for every unbeliever as they listen to it that they'll just receive a flood of forgiveness and grace. Third, I'm also praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ who have loved ones in their lives who don't know the Lord, that God would just rise up like faith to talk to them, to maybe write their own Dear John letter and say "Hey, one of my favorite artists, Mandisa, has this song that I really want you to listen to," (laughter) but before you listen, let me tell you about what Jesus means to me.
I don't know, I can just imagine people sending a letter with that song and then their loved one calling them and saying, "Okay, I recognize that you want this for me because you love me, so let's talk about it." I'm just praying that God opens up doors for conversations about Jesus to be had through this song.
John: Very good. Okay, so let's see. We'll kind of change gears a little bit. So talk about the record. Any new guest vocals?
Mandisa: Yeah, lots of guest vocals.
John: Is Chris on it as well?
Mandisa: He is, yes. I wrote with Matthew West. We wrote a song called "The Distance."
John: Okay.
Mandisa: I wrote with Plumb, we actually wrote "Dear John" together.
John: Does that mean that Matthew is then singing with you?
Mandisa: Matthew was doing the background on "The Distance."
John: Okay.
Mandisa: I wrote "Dear John" with Plumb, she's singing background on that. I wrote "Praying for You" with Chris, he's singing background on that. Then, there are a few people who aren't singing on the album, but we wrote with… Israel Houghton on a song called "At All Times." He lives in Houston, so we didn't get those vocals. Then Cindy Morgan and Britt Nicole wrote a song that I did not write on called "Where You Begin," and they're not singing on it but they wrote that song.
So, yeah, lots of guest appearances on this album and they're not only some of my friends, but they're also some of my favorite artists. So it's just been neat to be able to come together on these.
John: That's great! That's cool.
Are you a book reader? You are a book reader; what are you reading right now? That's okay if you mention like three or four.
Mandisa: Okay. I'm reading Captivating by John and Stacy Eldredge, just because as a single woman that's a great book for me to have. I'm also reading through The 5 Love Languages because there's kind of a new relationship in my life. I don't know where it's going to go but, shhh. (laughter)
John: And it's not Chris August.
Mandisa: It's not Chris August.
Female: He didn't hear that part. (laughter)
Mandisa: I think it just kind of helps to know how people are wired. I'm really into my friend Tam here; she does radio at Capitol with me and we've been talking all day long about personalities and how different kinds of people communicate with one another. I'm just into stuff like that. So I'm reading The 5 Love Languages, as I mentioned, and I'm realizing what my love languages are and are not. I think it will really help me to be able to show love to whomever I marry; but not just in a potential marital relationship, but with friends and family and coworkers too. So I'm reading that. Then, I'm also reading through the Bible; my Church is reading through the Bible, the Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament, and I'm using the voice translation, which I absolutely love.
Those three things I'm reading right now.
John: You are an author as well.
Mandisa: I'm working on a new one [book].
John: Really? Wow! When does that come out?
Mandisa: We're just in the process; we're meeting with publishers now. I have my preference, but we want to do an overcomer book. We want to do an overcomer book where people would compile a bunch of overcomer stories because I'm just convinced that when people tell their story in their testimonies, it helps them because the Bible says that we overcome by the word of our testimony. But it also helps people to hear it so I want to hear people tell their stories of how they overcame cancer because when people are going through cancer to read something like that, fuels their faith. So I want to compile these powerful stories about people in the middle of their battles, and also at the end of the battle. So, we'll see.
John: What kind of music to you listen to now?
Mandisa: I'm a big CCM fan; the thing I love about CCM music, which stands for Contemporary Christian Music for those who don't know, is that it comes in every style. You've got Christian Hip Hop and Rap and Country and Rock and Polka, probably! I don't know. (laughter) I love that you can get all these styles, but the thing I love most about Christian music is that it's not just something that makes you feel good, that makes you want to get up and dance, there's a purpose and a meaning to it, and it helps you connect with the Lord. I love worship artists. My favorite worship artists are Israel Houghton and Jesus Culture, Meredith Andrews. I love the more current, more pop, hip hop styles. Capitol Kings I'm loving now. Then more pop artists like Britt Nicole and Natalie Grant. I don't know; I love it all! If you look at my iPod, you'll see a little bit of everything, but it's pretty much all Christian music.
John: Last question, because we're going to end here at three o'clock.
Female: Okay, we can leave a few minutes late too, because we came so late.
John: Well … What are you most excited about in 2013 besides Overcomer coming out?
Mandisa; I think the Hits Deep tour. We did it last year. It is tobyMac's tour. He brings out a bunch of artists that are all my favorites. Last year it was Britt Nicole and Group 1 Crew were on it, but Britt and Blanca from Group 1 Crew are in baby mode right now, so they're not on it this year. But we've added Colton Dixon who was on American Idol as well and is my label mate, and Capitol Kings who I just mentioned. I love them, they're just really current. Then the people who were on it last year as well, like Brandon Heath, Jamie Grace and Chris August and Toby and myself. I cannot wait; it's literally all of my favorite artists in one night.
John: Is that this fall?
Mandisa: It is. It starts in November and goes through December. Then in October I'm doing some more shows with Brandon Heath. We've been touring all year together; we did a 3-in-1 tour with Laura Story, and then we did a few shows called the Brandisa tour (laughs), because there was a rumor that he and I were dating so we just sort of embraced the name Brandisa. We are not, we are not dating.
John: Who started that rumor?
Mandisa: He did. (laughs)
John: Oh, he did? (laughter)
Mandisa: He went on a national radio station and said that we're dating. I was like, "Brandon, look, I know it's all kind of fun and games, but as a single woman you are messing up my game by telling the world that we are dating!" (laughter)
So we set the record straight. There's a video on YouTube of him clarifying that we're not dating. But, yeah, we've been touring together all year long.
John: So we need to pray for a husband for Mandisa, and for her brother.
Mandisa: You can pray for continued contentment for Mandisa and then the husband will come whenever God is good and ready. (Laughs)
Jamie Grace Introduces New Single
GRAMMY®-nominee and Best New Artist GMA Dove Award winner Jamie Grace has released her follow up single to the smash hit success of "Hold Me." The single, titled "Beautiful Day," is available from Gotee Records beginning now. The song reunites Jamie with producer/songwriter Christopher Stevens under the direction of TobyMac and will be a part of her forthcoming new album to release later this year.
Accompanying the single, Jamie has also released a lyric video for "Beautiful Day" that combines her performance of the song with animated hand drawn lyrics and imagery here:
"I'm still having a hard time processing the response to 'Hold Me,' the song I started in my dorm room," says Jamie. "The past few years have been absolutely incredible and I feel so blessed to have the privilege of sharing even more music. 'Beautiful Day,' although a fun song, has a message saying that in spite of what we're going through, every day is a good day and an incredible gift because God made it. In my young life I've learned that every day can begin with worshipping my Creator."
The breakout success of her previous GRAMMY®-nominated, No. 1 smash hit "Hold Me (feat. TobyMac)" assisted in propelling Jamie to win her first GMA Dove Award—for New Artist of the Year—last year, in addition to a Billboard Music Award nomination. As a result, in part of the huge success of "Hold Me," she has experienced a major wave of acclaim and popularity in the last few years, that is evident in her YouTube's channel combined 13 million views and even finding her making an appearance on ABC's hit talk show 'The View." This fall, Jamie will appear on the silver screen with the release of the LIONSGATE® film GRACE UNPLUGGED, an entertaining story of a talented teenager rising in the music industry led by AJ Michalka (Super 8, The Lovely Bones), James Denton (Desperate Housewives), and Kevan Pollak (A Few Good Men).
Jamie Grace will be a featured guest on TobyMac's "HITS Deep Tour 2013," making stops across the country in November and December. The "HITS Deep Tour" 2013 will also include Brandon Heath, Mandisa, Colton Dixon, Chris August and Capital Kings.
New Album from Mandisa – Overcomer
GRAMMY®-nominated artist Mandisa is calling out all Overcomers in her latest project which drops on August 27. The long-awaited fourth studio album, Overcomer, comes over two years since the release of her critically revered and best selling GRAMMY®-nominated record, What If We Were Real, which brought on fan favorites and No. 1 songs such as "Stronger" and "Good Morning." "Overcomer" is the lead single from the album and is an extension of the impactful message once began with her song "Stronger," an anthem that there is hope in the midst of life's battles.
Mandisa says, "I recorded both the song and the album to fuel faith, empower people, and remind those facing a battle, that all of the strength, power, and weapons of warfare they need is readily available to them. We are all overcomers."
Produced by Christopher Stevens and David Garcia, Overcomer continues to showcase the former American Idol finalist's powerful vocals and pop-leaning hooks that blend effortlessly through all 11 tracks. With caution-to-the-wind melodies weaved throughout the record, anchored by emotional songs like her open letter to her brother in "Dear John," Overcomer is set to be Mandisa's most impactful release to date. Many songs were co-written by critically acclaimed artists and friends including Chris August ("Praying For You"), Israel Houghton ("At All Times"), Tiffany Lee, aka Plumb ("Dear John"), Britt Nicole and Cindy Morgan ("Where You Begin") and Matthew West ("The Distance"). This fall, Mandisa will once again embark on six-time GRAMMY® winner TobyMac's acclaimed "Hits Deep Tour." Joining Mandisa on the tour, which kicks off Nov. 7, are Brandon Heath, Jamie Grace, Colton Dixon, Chris August and Capital Kings.
Track Listing for Overcomer:
1. Overcomer
2. Back To You
3. The Distance
4. Face 2 Face
5. Press On
6. What Scars Are For
7. Dear John
8. At All Times*
9. Joy Unspeakable
10. Praying For You
11. Where You Begin
*Produced by Ronald Rawls and Chuck Butler


text:
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The history and story of how the song Amazing Grace came to be. . Knowing the story behind this magnificent song, certainly adds an appreciation that would .
Amazing Grace by John Newton
Amazing Grace - by John Newton. Amazing . 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace. . I love it more when I got to learned the real story behind it.
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story behind Amazing Grace.mp4 - YouTube
Feb 9, 2011 . A Hero's Tribute ~ Amazing Grace ~ The Story Behind the Songby . Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin - Story Behind the .
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smithsk: America's Story (part 5) - Amazing Grace
Jan 11, 2012 . In the clip below, Pastor Wintley Phipps gives the moving story behind Amazing Grace. The lyrics were written by a former slave ship captain, .
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'Amazing Grace' tells story of slave trader turned abolitionist ...
May 15, 2012 . 'Amazing Grace' tells story of slave trader turned abolitionist . the slave trader turned abolitionist behind the hymn "Amazing Grace" opens at .
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Amazing Grace in John Newton - Probe Ministries
Are you familiar with the classic song Amazing Grace? You probably are. Do you know the inspiring story behind its songwriter? Maybe like I did, you think you .
Amazing Grace - The Man and Story behind Amazing Grace
'The Man & the Story behind Amazing Grace' - NEW BOOK! Here is a book that tells The Wonderful Great Story Behind The World's Greatest Song!
The man and the story behind 'Amazing Grace' - On Line Opinion - 9 ...
May 9, 2007 . Newton, an only child of John Sr and Elizabeth Newton, was born on July 24, 1725 in London, England. Thirteen days before his 7th birthday, .
Amazing Grace the Story - Christian Video Sharing - JesusClips.com
Sep 4, 2007 . The Story Behind Amazing Grace www.amazinggracemovie.com. Channels: Christian Movies Music Videos Christian News Tags: amazing .
Amazon.com: Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic ...
Eric Metaxas provides the story behind the movie "Amazing Grace." Whereas the movie somewhat down-plays Wilberforce's Christianity, Metaxes' book clearly .


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