Hillsong Young & Free "This Is Living" EP Album (2015) mp3 Download

This Is Living EP official album art - Hillsong Young & Free, 2015

Hillsong Young & Free released an extended play album (EP in short - which is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full studio album) "This Is Living" last week on Tuesday, January 13, 2015.

The EP features a track by the same name with Lecrae.

Taking on electronic dance music style with a little pop touch, Hillsong Young & Free offers a glimpse at Hillsong Church's Youth Ministry with the new EP's lead track "This Is Living," which has been available on iTunes and major music stores worldwide. 

"The wait is over! #ThisIsLiving is now available worldwide," the band wrote on Twitter on Tuesday last week and this threw many fans of their music (including myself) into a rush of anticipation. 

On featuring Christian Hip-hop singer and Grammy award-winner Lecrae on "This Is Living", they wrote and said,  "For us it was a dream come true to collaborate with Lecrae who we not only love and respect as an artist, but as someone who is a strong voice for freedom to this generation... If anyone's message echoes the message of 'This Is Living', it's Lecrae."

On Tuesday last week, Lecrae (@Lecrae) voiced his own excitement for the track's release, tweeting: "My friends @hillsongyandf just released their EP & I'm on the track #ThisIsLiving. Check it out here..." as he posted a link to where the fans may access and download the new music. 

Meanwhile, the new Young & Free EP also includes a newly-recorded version of "Sinking Deep," which was first released on the group's debut album "We Are Young & Free" released in 2013. An acoustic version of "This Is Living" is also among the new album's songs. Rounding out track list for "This Is Living" are the songs "Energy" and "Pursue."

The announcement of the new EP was also done via YouTube in a clip featuring Lecrae.

Here is the download link to the EP containing 5 songs:

Hillsong Young & Free "This Is Living" EP (2015) full mp3 download (21MB) 

Note:
This review was partly obtained from  www.christianpost.com.

Bonface Morris.

Gloria Muliro’s Divorce: My Views

I know very few married people in the Kenyan Christian fraternity will want to talk about this in the open. We will leave it to the world to blog about it as we always do. I know how laid back we are when it comes to taking action and facing stuff head-on – even when we are seeing how badly the world is seeing these nasty holes within the Church and the marriage institution itself (which is actually the pillar of the Church.) I don’t blame us. I don’t. But I am not going to keep quiet on this one this time round.

You see, when I heard about Gloria Muliro’s divorce yesterday on KTN's Tukuza Show before leaving for church, I was like, “Oh my God!! Is this it? Really?” And the question I have been asking myself is since that time is: what is actually very wrong with Christian marriages today?

Well, you may say, “Aaahhh Morris, you’re still a boy, unmarried, and you lack experience to talk about such issues… Wait until you get married and the going is tough then you’ll blabber all you want…!!” But I’ll answer back and say, “Oh, so you are experienced? Why don’t you then share with us your awesome experiences? Why wait until I am talking then you sway your criticism my way, huh?

Pastor Eric Omba and Gospel artist Gloria Muliro in a previous photo. Photo courtesy of Standard Media.

Marriage is complicated (that is what I hear from most of my numerous number of married friends) but are you not to help the unmarried (like myself) learn from your mistakes so that to build a church that is full of stable families? What is wrong with married people blogging and openly talking about their experiences in marriage? Why do they want us to keep falling in the same holes they fell in… (This excludes my youth patron and a few other awesome elderly people I know who make effort to ensure we don’t fall in the same traps they fell in in their days…)

A few weeks ago, late in 2014, I had this question haunting me: how come married people do not all-of-a-sudden wish to share with us - their previous friends in singlehood and some of us who are already in relationships - about the do’s and don’ts as far as marriage is concerned? Do they all-of-a-sudden meet demons that mute their views on various issues on relationships and marriage? Why don’t they then call us to action to cast out these devious demons?

The story of Gloria Muliro together with that of Betty Bayo which hit our TV screen late last year just fueled my need to get answers to the above questions. The exposure of saved people’s dirty laundry to the public (divorces et al) in a nation like our own where careless/irresponsible/ruthless blogging has become a profession to many idle youngsters is not a fair hit to the marriage institution which plays a big role to church doctrine and Christian values.

With such a revelation of two marriages with hurting women – and who are icons and mentors of many within the Christian community in this nation – it is good to say we (youth leaders/pastors) need to be very keen on who is getting married to who in the church. It may also be an indication that most saved people are masquerades, right? Although it is not right to dictate or choose “who” marries “who” within the church, premarital counseling should never be undermined. Let us not give the devil a loop hole to attack the church and then we later are heard complaining and casting him out yet it was our own carelessness and lack of concern for this institution that build him a home right in our midst!!

This story also reveals that it is possible that we have so many hurting people in Christian marriages who are not able to come out in the open and confess to the entire world (at least to the Christian world) that they need help like our esteemed mothers Gloria and Betty have done. (Issues of infidelity, dishonesty and violence in marriage are almost intolerable, right? And the Bible supports that one can opt for a divorce in such cases...) Is it not true that all we see out here are skeletons of the reality within the marriage institution? That the truth is so blunt that it would kill us with heart/mind-tetanus? Is it possible that a lot of marriages are suffering and that we are all pretending everything is well and are doing nothing about it? Is it also possible that many of we youth are only pretending to have been redeemed by Christ yet we are lions in sheepfolds seeking to prowl, kill and destroy God’s own flock?

Who will answer my questions? Because as far as marriage is concerned, and with all this going on, all the young people around us will need to get answers. Real answers. Solid and real answers. They may pretend they don’t know what is happening and that all-is-well, but deep within their trust and confidence in the marriage institution will slowly be fading away. Someone needs to stand up and tell us, “Heeeeey!! Guys, this is how it rolls... We are all pretenders. (at least.) Our marriages need your fasting and prayers. They need the LORD… When you see us do all the stuff you see us doing, don’t think we have it all figured out out and stuff… we need you too…”

Can’t somebody come up with a solution to these many questions that are now making people in the world go like, “Morris I told you… don’t marry in/from the church!! Don’t. Those guys are all a heck of beautiful pretenders…” (And I’ll want to defend the church as I always do…)

But is this true? Is it true that we are all a crowd of people who are in the church in order to get to snatch the best of what is there yet we don’t even know the LORD whom we are confessing? Is it true that we don’t sincerely love our girlfriends/boyfriends, fiancés/fiancées? Is it true that we are only seeking to use and misuse them? Is it also true that we don’t care so much about the pain we cause them? Is it true that we don’t care about what the LORD says concerning our character, growth and development as Christians? As His children? I don’t absolutely think so. I don’t.

We are not all pretenders. Some of us sincerely love the LORD: both ladies and we guys. Some of us are in church truly seeking God and not women/men, money or fame. Some of us sincerely love our girlfriends/boyfriends. Some of us are remorseful and apologetic when we wrong. Some of us care about how we make our partners and others feel. Some of us care about what ails our character and are ready to become better in the eyes of God. The church is not a mass of callous pretenders. I think there are a few here, in the church, that are spoiling the name of the church but it is not entirely true that we are all messed up and are lacking direction. It is not also entirely true that Christian marriages are not working. No. My parents’ marriage is working. Yours’ too. And many many others…

What do/did they do right that others don’t? That’s the question… and I/we deserve answers.

I am not married, but I will get married one of these fine days. Yes, I will. And this does not mean that I am predicting a faultless marriage on my side. No. We have our own challenges now, and we will have others once we are in the next step. We need guidance… and we will keep praying with the victims... And as far as I am not into marriage yet, I still deserve answers as to why the Church is both successful and also failing in marriage. I wish someone will write me an email on this… Is this too much to ask for?

Bonface Morris.

2015, I Promise

I don’t make New Year resolutions. I don’t. I just get into the New Year and continue from where I left off the previous year. I don't make New Year resolutions but I DO set goals for myself to guide my path into the next season. I may do that in the middle of the year, at the beginning or whenever. I'm just not into that New Year hysteria that grasps most of us...

Does that make me any different? Eh, and does it make me a proud person? Maybe. Am I proud of it? Yes. Why? I don't know.  

As you have already realized, I have decided to do things differently this year: I chose not to impulsively post in the first week of the year giving you hints on how I/you will run your life this year. I am not God. I have promised myself not to play God anywhere in your life or mine. Playing God is tough. I gat no skin for that... God is the only one that knows where we are headed to, how to go there, when and why... I can't do that... but all I can do is give direction. I can point you/us in a certain direction using God's words of Wisdom.

So what does that make me? A wise person? No. Wisdom is overrated. Mostly actually... It just makes me a messenger though: a servant who also depends on the same instructions I am sent to deliver.  

Okay, again, just to remind you; inasmuch as we say God is in control and we ain't trying to play Him, it does not entirely mean that we have to just sit around and wait for things/life to happen to us. No. People who do that end up more frustrated with life than you and I who choose to make a few steps or changes in/with our lives. Such people run around (or hang around) desiring change they cannot achieve. They expect too much of people and God without proving that they are worthy of the outcome. They wait for life to be born, fed and clothed as they watch. That takes forever; and the sad thing about it is that when it happens - when life/God happens after that forever - they can’t celebrate it that much... Because it won’t be that sweet for their celebration.

                             A victory after a war you have not fought in is not as sweet as that attained 

                                                            after the struggle of engaging in battle…

Now, considering that it is a New Year, and that learning is one of the best things that can happen to an individual (especially one that seeks to put in practice whatever they have learned), I will share with you in this month lessons learned from 2014 and tips that will not only put us in perspective with seeing life as “the big picture” it is, but that will also enhance our personal and spiritual growth. Maybe I'll convince you to be an all-round person who seeks growth in and out of season. Maybe.

So, to begin with, have you made any New Year  resolutions (yet)? Have you promised yourself to do a few things (God willing) for yourself, for those around you and for God? Do you have a list (either in your heart/mind or in writing/print) tucked away somewhere? Well, I am here to congratulate you. You are doing well (at least for now...) and are better than me.

..................................................................

WordWeb Dictionary defines a resolution as “a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner”.

With this definition in mind, it means that we make resolutions all the time (or that we ought to make resolutions all the time). This also makes me wonder why people go in a frency over a New Year. A New Year is just a continuation of days from the previous days of a now ending year – but with different dates. We go into a New Year as the same people we were in the previous year. Nothing changes overnight. Really.

The truth about life is that there are things/resolutions that you made last year (probably 80% or more) that still stand unresolved or untouched, or that you tried, reached halfway and lost momentum to pursue. Also, if you are fond of making deep reflections on how your life is fairing on, it is likely that you are disappointed with yourself, with God or with the people around you that were to be part of the success or completion of those resolutions. You also are aware that after attending an overnight prayer meeting (kesha) on New Year's eve, nothing actually changed. It only helped in changing your attitude for this year, but your life still needs lots of your input.

You see, I'm just aligning you with reality: debts haven't disappeared (yet), your health still stinks as it was before Christmas, your pockets and financial life may even be in a worse state than before Christmas, you probably still own only a pair of shoes (one danging pair!!), your relationships life is still in a mess, you still have temper/anger issues, trust issues, food issues, friends issues, church issues, pride issues, boredom issues, lust issues... and so forth and so on.

That's the reality of things.

But let's twist it a little... What if you really desired change? What if you chose to pray to the LORD God to help you sort out your wretched life one piece at a time? What if you forgot about those empty, hysterical and impulsive New Year urges to make "New Year resolutions" and sought to do something different? What if you decided to work on your life diligently and steadily one moment and step at a time? What if you saw your life with the big picture in mind and not just as an enclosure or a portrait or a painting within a year? Maybe things would change, right?

That's how I'm convincing you to look at new years. Maybe you'll have something to celebrate at the end of this one. (For, by the way, there is always something to celebrate.)

Below, I'm listing things you can promise yourself to do (which are not hard to follow in any way) for your own daily personal growth as you look BEYOND 2015:-

1.      Allow the Lord to deal with you as He pleases 

• As He pleases? Yeah, as He pleases. Or you can try playing God in your life and see how that ends. 
• Where is your level of submission as far as God and Christian ministry are concerned? Are you promising yourself to consciously serve more? You should do so.  
•  Is the LORD alone enough for you regardless of what happens in/to your life in this year or anytime or do you think you need more than Him? If the LORD is not what you only need to move on, then your focus is blurry and you are standing or sinking sand. 
• There are things that will happen to your life this year and thereafter that you have no explanation for. Leave it in the Hands of God. He knows better. He does. 
•  Promise yourself to understand that God does not move and work out things in our lives because of how much we know, speak or declare but according to our faith; that's why righteousness is not the substance of knowledge and deeds but of faith in what God says concerning us and Himself. We can't impress God by how much we know but by how much we believe in what He says. So standing up on the first week of the year to declare things we don't believe can happen is as futile as flying to Heaven on an aeroplane. It's like chasing after the wind: useless.

2.      Expect more from God and less from man 

• To get satisfaction, promise yourself to seek to satisfy others more than you seek to be satisfied by them. 
• Learn that if you sacrifice and give more more to God and fellow man, you find yourself. You find God too. And when you find Him, he teaches you to fully put your hope and trust in Him. 
•  Leaning on people will suck the spiritual strength out of you. Know that the closer a person becomes to you, the more a threat they are to your relationship with God if they're not helping you move closer to Him. 

                           If the LORD is not the only one you need for life to move on, then your focus is blurry 

      and you are standing on sinking sand.

3.      Work around being contended with the little you have as you learn patience 

• Mostly, God wants to teach us three basic things as His children: love, patience and faith. Our Christian lives move along these lines. If we keep on failing in perfecting ourselves concerning these three, our spiritual lives will keep moving in circles and we may not experience radical growth in anything we do. 
• Promise yourself to write down every new gift or blessing you receive from people and the LORD on your calendar. Give them a unique color.  Review them at the end of the year and see how faithful God has been to you in the year. Then your contentment would have grown to a whole new level.

4.      Make less promises to people, except to yourself. 

• You’ll be disappointed less in yourself and you'll let no-one down. You'll feel less guilty and become less depressed. 
• At least you won't be playing God, so you'll become humble as the days go by.

5.      A change of attitude at any time of the year is far greater than 20 untouched New Year resolutions  

• The proud and arrogant person always thinks that the only way to see the world clearly is through their own eyes. Yet the more we learn to see the world around us differently, the better we become at serving it and wanting to change it. 
• A change in attitude changes everything. It changes how we love people, how we respond to situations, how we relate with God, how we live in our new environments. It changes everything around us. Everything. 
• Change yourself first. After that, the world will take care of itself. 

6.      Nothing will change unless we take/make a step to change it first. 

• You only win a race you compete in. Cheerleaders are part of the team yeah, but cheerleaders never receive the award; so stop being a spectator expecting stuff to change and benefit you when you haven't worked or participated in it. 
• Life needs a makeover from time to time; it's sad that we get lost in the obvious until we miss what we should get in our seasons of change. It's only when we learn to adapt to and celebrate change that we bring change. 
• Practically, if you’re a fan of romance and fantasy books and novels or movies and TV series, you should promise yourself to read more of Christian literature and watch more of faith-oriented movies not just this year but throughout your life. This is change. I also want us to understand that some goals go beyond a year. Growth is not a one year thing. Growth is eternal. Change too, is eternal. 

                                                         Growth is eternal. Change too, is eternal.  

7.      Keep the list of your goals simple, doable and measurable. 

• Unrealistic goals will make you think you're a failure, while in true sense you may not be. This is why I prefer calling what most people call "resolutions", goals. Calling them "goals" (and I may only have one goal per season) makes it easier to spot them and run towards accomplishing them. 
• You may write down your resolutions/goals in bullet format on your phone/tablet/computer calender app. I always feed them into the 1st January slot, and once accomplished, I come back and check them by indicating the date the goal was fulfilled. You can always scroll back and see your progress as the days go by. A goal set last year may as well be achieved this year. In such a case, enter in both slots of 1st January, 2014 and 1st January, 2015 to show you how long it has taken to work it out.

 8.      All the goals we set are beyond our natural abilities to enact or achieve, so consult the LORD 

• You wanna get married this year yet you don't have a boy/girlfriend? Don't you think that requires God? Yes? 
• You want to buy land and build a home? Involve God. 
• You want to further your education and pay your own fees? Involve God. 
• You want to finish school, get employed and enjoy life? Involve God. 

No goal we set (even that which we think we can accomplish on our own like taking our better halves for a date night) can be fruitful without involving God. He knows the way, so why not let Him lead?

This ain't the end.

I'll be back.

Bonface Morris. 

Reviews 2014: Music

In this second part of #Reviews2014, let's talk Gospel music as it was or has been in my world and yours this year.

2014 was a unique year that came with it's own number of surprises, awesomeness and sorrow as far as music is concerned. We happened to see artists improve in their creativity and artistry, some fall back into their comfort zones, and we lost some who went to be with the Lord. This, in summary, made it a year full of mixed feelings and expectations.

Here's a review of the few music albums I listened to this year as listed per genre:-

Folk/Pop
1. Francesca Battistelli - If We're Honest She had promised us something fresh in her interview on NRT; and she did deliver. Her pop sound improved from the days of that grand single Beautiful Beautiful. Yes, Francesca's sound on this album is way above average.
2. Brooke Fraser - Brutal Romantic
Brooke Fraser never disappoints. She somehow adopted a more electronic sound on this one though.
3. Trembling Hearts - Trembling Hearts
A new band with a fresh sound. Great and unique music.
4. Young Oceans - Advent
I stumbled upon these guys a few months ago. Well, the I hear they have a new album out. They're worthy checking out.

Hip Hop & Rap
1. Lecrae - Anomaly
If you don't know Lecrae released an album this year, I think you're dead. Yes, you should be dead. It is well spoken off, it topped Bill Board charts for several consecutive days, and it has received various nominations. This album has blown us away. It is the present-time anomaly in Christian rap and Gospel music at large.
2. Tedashii - Below Paradise
I was introduced to this album by an early release of that song Dark Days, Darker Nights featuring Britt Nicole. I love Britt, so I got hooked. Tedashii's sound on this one isn't disappointing at all.
3. Da' T.R.U.T.H. - Heartbeat
This was like a debut for Mixed Bag Records - T.R.U.T.H.'s own new record label. That song Mixed Bag has more plays on my GMMP than any other...
4. FLAME - Jesus Or Nothing
FLAME reminds me of someone I don't want to mention here because it would be irrelevant if I did so... Moreso, he has improved both musically and lyrically. This album is worthy checking out.
5. Andy Mineo - Neverland
After successful previous projects, Andy now has a solid place in the hearts of Christian/Gospel rap lovers... And the 116 flag is flying higher. The version I got of this album was an EP. It is worthy a listening.
6. Trip Lee - Rise
Trip Lee is that guy who still amazes me considering that he has health challenges. His story makes you think, "You mean he can do all this in his condition? Why can't I?" This means Lee is uncommonly dedicated to his Christian calling; thus the result is such a wonderful album.
7. Natalie Lauren - Redeyes And Blueskies EP
8. Derek Minor - Minorville (released last year but worthy noting.) Oh, he was formerly known as PRo..
9. KB - 100 EP

Praise & Worship
1. Donnie McClurkin - Duets
2. Paul Baloche - Live
3. Paul Wilbur - The Ultimate Collection
The Messianic sound is still there and rising.
4. William Murphy III - God Chaser (released last year but worthy noting). By the way, you should check him out if you love William McDowell and/or VaShawn Mitchell. He's a great worshiper.

Contemporary Praise & Worship
1. Kari Jobe - Majestic
Kari Jobe now has a permanent place in the hearts of contemporary worship lovers. This album is mind-blowing. By the way, she features her fiance on that song Holy Spirit.
2. Bethel Music - You Make Me Brave Have you listened to the vocals, arrangement and the message in that theme song You Make Me Brave? Oh well, it speaks for itself.
3. Michael W Smith - Sovereign
He's getting old but his music ain't. That's what you should know.
4. Chris Tomlin - Waterfall (single)
5. Passion - Take It All
6. Hillsong Worship - No Other Name
I reviewed and shared this album on this blog. You should check it out.
7. Hillsong United - The White Album
This is a remixes album.
8. Phil Wickham - The Ascension
9. Jesus Culture - Unstoppable Love
As beautiful as usual.
10. All Sons And Daughters - All Sons And Daughters
11. BJ Putnam - More And More (released last year but worthy noting). Also, the guy has an Israel Houghton-like sound.
12. Matt Redman - Your Grace Finds Me (released last year but worthy taking note of. )

K-Love Kind-of Music/Rock
1. Casting Crowns - Thrive
I shared a song from this album sometimes back on this blog. It is an average album anyway.
2. Plus One hit us back with the surprise single My All .
3. David Crowder - Neon Steeple
This is a solo project by Crowder himself.
4. Thousand Foot Krutch - Oxygen Inhale
Hah, no wonder I'm calling this genre "K-Love". Most people are ranting that most artists have gone "K-Lovey" and are lacking originality. Oh well, these guys are some of them... anyway, what's wrong with that?
5. Anthem Lights - One Direction Mash-up & You Have My Heart
2 albums from a boys band in one year!! Yo ladies, you know what to do... :-)
6. Kutless - Glory
I had somehow ignored Kutless for sometime but it seems they brought me back with this one.
7. Jars Of Clay - Reckless Forgiver (Remixes)
8. Kyle Cooke - Irrefutable Silence
9. Watch out for an album released this year by Tenth Avenue North too.

R&B and Urban
1. Erica Campbell - Help
She went solo. Mary Mary is still alive, but Erica just wanted to try it out on her own. This album proves that she has it in her.
2. J Moss - Grown Folks Gospel
He decided to do something different. It is still the same J but with a "grown folks" sound. Yeah.
3. Deitrick Haddon & LXW - League of Extraordinary Worshipers
Deitrick has had his own ups and downs with both personal life and ministry. This album is not bad if you're looking for Gospel music with an urban sound.
4. Isaac Carree - Reset (released last year but worthy noting)

A Capella
Westside Praise - God Is For Us

Country
Reverend Robert Wilkins - Prodigal Son

Dancehall
Papa San - One Blood
Various collaborations with other artists on this album make it worthy your ears.

Dance-pop
1. Jamie Grace - Ready To Fly
I love her. Oh well, it maybe because I could dream of dropping her an email or two sometime back. She has grown a lot from those debut days when she featured the great tobyMac in her album.
2. Beckah Shae - Champion
I bet Beckah now joins the league of the likes of Mandisa. (Oh, that's my judgment anyway.)

Jazz
I happened to get one really awesome Gospel jazz album: Evolve by Jackiem Joyner. This album is like a breeze: making me love jazz in such a special way...

Instrumentals
Jim Brickman - Blessings
No saxophones or strings on this one. Good but a little flat.

Various Mixes and Collections
1. WoW Gospel 2014 - a great collection of 39 songs...
2. Songs 4 Worship, Vol. 24 (Worship Classics)
3. All About Worship Collective, Vol. 8 & 9

Unique Events
1. Eunice Njeri launched her album "Nimekubali" at CITAM Valley Road. (It now seems that CITAM Valley Road is the place to launch great stuff... Oh well...)
2. Bahati launched his album "Barua Za Bahati".
3. Joyous Celebration were in town this December. Rumors going round is that it is impossible for the event to hit our hallowed River Road (street-wise and webosphere-wise) because they prohibited live recording. Okay. (No comments there.)
4. Kanjii launched his album "Rauka"

Note: Although some local Gospel artists are launching albums, it still seems hard for most Gospel artists to do so and they still are obsessed with launching singles. This is not so promising as far as mentoring new artists is concerned...

Extraordinary stuff and surprise local collaborations
1. Pitson did "Lingala Ya Yesu" and Allan Aaron came up with "System Ya Kigoolinga" as the remix. Not bad.
2. For the first time ever, both Kenyan female and male artists came together to do Christmas carols. That was extraordinary indeed.
3. Chuchu and Guardian Angel featured in Adonai
4. Jimmy Gait and DJ Mo featured in Huratiti Remix

New local artists that did amazing stuff this year
1. Bern - this guy has style and he has a voice. He's gonna go places.
2. Evelyn Wanjiru - I think she was what Mercylinah Wambugu was to our contemporary Swahili worship last year. Her music is cool, and her voice is enticing. She too is going places.
3. Guardian Angel - If I were to vote in who is the best male vocalist in this nation, I guess he'll battle for the first spot with Bern. I'm always wondering why he's not getting recognition in mainstream media while his work is both exemplary and exceptional... but I also think time will tell...
4. Elsie - she reminds you of Mercy Masika. Yes, although I haven't researched on who she truly is, she is really good.
5. Zoe - she collaborated with one Rebecca Soki Kalwenze (you should remember her from a song she did with one Lady Bee and Eunice Njeri) to bring us one great Zuk song: Salama. Great stuff.

Local Artists that made a grand comeback
1. Esther Wahome - she made a comeback this year doing Zuk songs. I think she has improved.
2. Chuchu - Yeeeas! She's beautiful and she gat a voice. She came back with a bang and ensured that every song she featured in was a hit. I'm looking forward to greater stuff from her.

2014 is a year to remember for...
1. Bahati - won the best male artist, Groove Awards. Songs like Mama and Barua have become anthems of some sort in most parts of this country.
2. Lecrae - topped Bill Board charts for days in a raw.
3. Pitson - the dude has literally soared. That Lingala Ya Yesu song killed it. But this dude didn't join this game yesterday, naah. He's been here for a while and I guess this was the year of his favor...

African songs that hit me hard this year
1. Tembalami (Bayete Remix) - a high tempo Zimbabwean song by one Zowie Mutangadura.
2. Yabo - although released two years ago, it really hit me hard this year.
3. Sing To You (New Song) - a song by one Tybe. A beautiful chiq with a great voice and a compelling message.

The following went to be with the Lord (R.I.P):-
1. Kaberere
2. Bishop Ben Bahati
3. Kefee (Nigerian)

4. John Nyika (audio producer)

That's all for today, guys. Have a musical 2015!! 〽

Bonface Morris.

Reviews 2014: The Movies and TV Shows I Watched In 2014

Reviews 2014: Movies And TV Shows

After a one month break from writing, the I'm doing my last two posts for this year, and it is all about #Reviews2014.

These two posts will seek to review - not comprehensively but slightly - how entertainment went down in my tiny world this year.

So much did happen this year, and this is what we're going to address in these two posts.

I'll first begin with the Movies and TV Shows that caught my eye and mind this year.

...........................................................

Well, if you're not a movie/TV show freak, then this is none of your business. I also know that there is a good number of you guys who know about this stuff more than I do; I don't mind that you do know that much, so feel free to drop me a few movies/TV shows you may feel I left out on this list.

Here are the movies and TV shows that made 2014 a year worthy remembering:-

Top 5 Thriller/Action/Science Fiction Movies
1. Brick Mansions
A movie about bringing justice and serenity to a city. You feel the deep furrow created by impunity and classes in this movie. Is justice served? Well, you should know if you watched it.

2. The Purge: Anarchy
A great movie on eugenics. Guys interested in studying anthropology, classes and ethics will find this one very interesting.

3. Lucy
You know this one. It is science fiction and it is action. Some sort of heart and brain teaser. Oh, but it's all fiction...

4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Nice plot. A good buildup on the conflict between man and apes after an apocalyptic virus attack. (Yeah, it seems everyone is in a frenzy over the end of the world nowadays. They forget the truth though.) You know Koba and the whole story...

5. Hercules
Oh yeah, Hercules. Yes, Hercules!! :-)

6. (Bonus) 300 - Rise of the Empire 

7. (Bonus) Transformers: Age of Extinction

Top 5 Comedy Movies
1. Moms Night Out
This one made me laugh. Also, I think it was because there is an oblivious Pastor's wife in the setup. And I know you identified with most parts of the movie...

2. A Million Ways to Die in the West
Man, if laughter kills, I'd be 3 months gone. #TrueStory. Of course it was a story of romance with a western touch. The cowboyish thingy thrilled me, and I laughed. Yes, I really really laughed.

3. Tammy
You remember Identity Thief? Yes, Melissa McCarthy was back!! And as always, her sense of humor equals her weight... (Aah, don't pick up stones to throw at me priss.)

4. Let's Be Cops
Two buddies are pretending to be police officers. The rest is lots of drama...

5. 22 Jump Street
After 21 Jump Street, I wasn't going to miss this one... Schmidt and Jenko go deep undercover at a local college, and they really really know their stuff... :-)

Top 5 Real Life/Drama Movies
1. Gone Girl
A movie about "finding Amy", infidelity and revenge. 2 and a half hours, but worthy it. Deep script. Heavy poetry. Blackmail. Yeah.

2. Open Windows
The name isn't promising, it fools you to think it's fake. Again, it may actually also be a thriller/science fiction movie, but who cares? It was an amazing movie... and it really did play with my mind...

3. Blended
What thrilled me were those scenes done in Africa. Yes, right here, next door... The dances and music were exaggerated though... It is all about romance comedy. Isn't that real life? Oh well...

4. Birdman
A washed-up actor who once played
an iconic superhero must overcome
his ego and family trouble as he
mounts a Broadway play in a bid to
reclaim his past glory. (Summary by IMDB)

5. If I Stay
Life changes in an instant for young
Mia Hall after a car accident puts her
in a coma. During an out-of-body
experience, she must decide whether
to wake up and live a life far different
than she had imagined. The choice is hers if she can go on. (Summary by IMDB).

Top 5 Christian Movies
1. Noah
Okay, there was a lot of controversy and heckling on this one but the point was delivered. That's what matters.

2. Son of God
The story is told by John the apostle. It retells the life of Jesus and is an adaptation of the ten-hour TV miniseries The Bible, broadcasted by History Channel.

3. Left Behind
Nicolas Cage is starring in this apocalyptic thriller. It has a great plot an flow in it.

4. Ragamuffin
It started well and I was excited that it was the story of one Rich Mullins, but I think they lost the plot somewhere... I think.

5. God's Not Dead
A Christian college student (Shane
Harper ) finds his faith challenged by a philosophy professor who believes that God does not exist...

Top 5 Overrated Movies
1. Edge of Tomorrow
I didn't see the need to repeat a dream or hallucination a halfway right through the movie. Yaiks!!

2. Exodus: Gods and Kings
I'm planning to watch it. People who know stuff say it's overrated, so it should be. But I'll leave that to my judgment after watching it.

3. Frozen
It is actually from 2013 but I have to mention it here. I thought I'd get burned with awesomeness after watching this. I dozed. And never finished watching it.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy
Oh well, it may have been interesting to you but it didn't knock me down. And if it didn't, then it didn't. 

TV Shows that got me/us excited
1. Gotham
We are saving a city. That's what we do. (Yeah, and those are my own lines :-))... There is also something weird about the likes of Penguin in this show...

2. The Flash
Superhero fiction. Closely resembles Arrow. Who doesn't like this? Really?

3. Sleepy Hollow
It came back this year. You know the story.

4. Faking It (2014)
Romantic Comedy. Full of teens, but who cares? As it goes, I'll make my girl like it... Eventually. (None of your business also.)

5. Crisis
Everyone knows this one. If you don't, then you really don't know great and amazing stuff. The thing was discontinued. Poor America.

6. Reckless (US)
It came, swept us off our feet, then got canceled. Poor America. Utterly poor America.

7. The Strain
Three things: vampires, horror and drama. Endpoint? You still don't have to like it. You don't.

8. The Lottery
A post-apocalyptic and conspiracy thriller. Drama. Interesting.

And many more...

Note: By the way, all Android faithfuls are (partially) mourning (yeah,  we gat other options anyway) because TVTag aka GetGlue is shutting down. They had become mean, and it seems their meanness is taking them to the grave. RIP tvtag. I won't miss you that much.

Bonface Morris.

The Angst

Prologue 

Of all things known to mankind, freedom is the cheapest and yet the most expensive.
 

…………………………………..

She feels empty. She doesn't know why. Her whole body aches. She thought that after sneaking out to go the club and after having sex it would all calm down – that after she is done doing all the evils that had been running down her gut, she would be okay.

Well, it worked. For five minutes. And as predictable as it is, five minutes of happiness cannot fill an eternity of emptiness. She has felt empty for as long as she can’t remember. And she had promised herself to try out something worth an adrenaline rush, but it seems that she has been lying to herself all this time. Even her friends – her newly acquired adventurous friends – were all pathetic liars. Nothing has changed. Oh, well, everything has changed: her record of never stepping into a night club until she is married has been broken and she became someone’s one night stand – and that is really really really cheap – and sex with a stranger wasn’t an adventure at all. There was no fun in all of that as she had been promised. She regrets it. (Oh again she refrains from such a thought and convinces herself that she liked it.) She was a fool to believe them, no? She had been told, “Fake it until you make it…” but the faking it part took 98% of her making it, and she doesn’t see the “making it” happen soon. Why do people keep doing this to themselves? Why do people keep doing things that are this useless? What do they gain from all these? Or are they now slaves of consequence – trying to console themselves with deliberate overindulgence?

Her desires are now growing and are louder within her than ever before. Louder. Sleeker. Slyer. More tormenting. And it is making her feel like she wants to roll over a cliff. It makes her feel like she wanna walk from their home to “she-dain’t-know-where.”

Today, she is picking up her stuff again. She needs a break. This is intolerable. So she calls her boyfriend and tells him, "Honey I'm sorry, I just can't go on with this..." Then she hangs up. He’ll figure it out. What she means. He’ll figure it out somehow. Maybe he will call her back. Maybe he won’t. Maybe he will be so clueless that she has to tell him everything for him to understand what is going on with her life.

Why does she feel this way anyway? Why is life this unfair to her? She has a great boyfriend. A caring and responsible guy. He hasn’t done anything to her to make her think he’s a jerk. No. He’s a cool guy. Not a wimp, but cool. She has a beautiful family. They are always there for her. The other group of her real friends is full of great people. They can understand if she tells them this – how she is feeling right now. But why is she feeling so empty? She goes to church, yeah, but she is still empty inside. Church has been so boring of late actually, so she has skipped a few Sundays just to “freshen up”. She picked up this new trend from her newly acquired friends: “if it is not working, take a break…” they had told her. They don’t go to church, but she does. Okay, that should be like driving a car right in the showroom…

........................ 
He has been staring at that girl for a very long time now. And all along, he has wanted her to be his girl. He has a girlfriend, yeah, but he just can’t stop thinking about his other girl. What would his girlfriend she think of him if she were to read his thoughts? Why in the whole world does he feel this way about her anyway? Why? Why can't he just EVER be calmed down? Why? Why does he always live on the edge, wanting the next big thing in his life? Why is his life like the life of a teenager - expecting too much for and from so little? Why does he always have to keep fighting, running, desiring ad lusting? Why is lust haunting him like a ghost? Why does his blood rush so fast to get into “the next big thing”? Why can’t he just settle down and be contented with what he already has?

He thought – and he has been thinking for a while now - that after he disobeyed his parents and stopped attending church, stuff will change. He had thought that he'd be happier after he started drinking. Some fake ninjas had told him to try the bottle, just a little. He thought that his world will be transformed into a fairy tale. Kinda. But they were just his thoughts, and they were just fake ninjas for real. Reality has it that things have actually become worse. And although he pretends before everyone that all-is-well, he desires to go back. Back to the days when life was “boring”. At least then he knew what was happening. At least it was lighter then. It was boring but bearable. Church was boring but at least it added a little meaning to his pathetic life. But can he? Can he go back after all this? 

Maybe he'll talk to his friend Adrian. Maybe Adrian will understand. Maybe he'll talk to his drinking buddy James... oh no, James is never sober. (Sigh.)

He decides to step out and ponder this out. 

He then spots her. Another girl. "Isn't that Jane?" he asks himself. I have seen that chiq somewhere. So he takes a step and decides to say hi. 
"Hi, Jane?" 
"Hi!" she replies without looking at him at all. 
"Come on, you remember me right? From the party at James's place, huh?" 
"Oh, eeh, yeah. You are that guy - the all talkative and hyperactive guy... eeeeh Sam, right?" 
"Yeah. How are you doing? Would you mind some coffee?" 
"I gat an hour or two. That'll be okay" she replies.

With Jane, she is all like, "Hey, maybe this guy can sort my life out..." and Sam is all the same... "I actually needed someone to talk to..." "Maybe she can become my silent drug sent by the good Lord I forsook to heal my anxieties in life" "Maybe he is my savior... sent by the good gracious Lord to rescue my hopeless soul…"

They walk happily to the next café with indescribable monologues in their heads. They order drinks. They talk. They seem to like each other. They decide to meet up at his place the same night. 8pm. No one will see her come in, and no one will notice the time she’ll go out. She can sneak out at 4 in the morning. All-is-well. All-is-well.

During the night of adventures when the two hopeless souls meet without a good reason but with thoughts of lust and orgies to try to steady their already ailing consciences, all there is is more illicit sex, drinks and pulling facades… and as always, lots of fake happiness and tons of the same old emptiness. 

Of course Jane will regret it. Again. And Sam will regret it too.  Again. But this cycle may never be broken…

Epilogue

Walk. Talk. Pull facades.
But you can never fool happiness.
It knows when it is your friend, and when it is not.
And especially when it is not, that is when you want everyone to believe that it always begs to stay with you wherever you are.

Sleep. Sneak. Pull masquerades.
But you can never fool yourself.
You always know it when you are your own friend and when you are not.
And especially when you are not, when you are not your own friend, you struggle to make everyone think you are.

I have seen the angst in a teenager’s eyes while longing for freedom.
And the anxiety in the bird’s eyes while longing for the air.
But still such an angst cannot be compared to that which haunts the souls of men.
For amongst men, there are those who know where they are going, those who think they know where they are going… and yet still, those who long to know where they are going and where they should be going.

There is a certain fooling we may use fool people, but it is this fooling that haunts the reality we hide within.
This fooling of ourselves may never end.
It may never end until you and I say to ourselves, “How many of my Father’s hired men have food/happiness/favor/satisfaction/contentment/calmness/peace to spare and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my Father and say to Him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called Your son, make me like one of your hired men…’” (Luke 15:17-19) 

This is the only place where the angst disappears – at the Father’s feet.

  

Bonface Morris.

Of Commitment-phobes And the Proverbs 31 Woman

“All men fear commitment!”

“Oh really? Men? What men?”

“All men”

“Uh! Men are not fish. Fish is ‘all fish’, but men are one individual acting and making decisions on his own…”

“Men are all the same… just the dressing code, the shoes, the voice, the skin and the grooming tho… but they are all the same…!!”

“I said men are not fish or chicken – every man is independent in character and choices…”

“Wacha kujitetea… undhani wee ndo uko fiti?”

“Uh!”

Adrian is listening carefully to his lady friend Annabelle as she rants on and on about how men can’t just be committed to anything (at least as far as she is concerned).

He is used to it. She calls him, he answers back. She asks him the usual, “Do you have some time...?” And he responds with his usual, “Kinda…” Then she begins ranting about how men and women are so different on their outlook on life… which eventually runs down to relationships and stuff… At this moment, he is exhausted enough to only respond with grins and shins, with the rubbing of his forehead from time to time and the wiggling of his tongue in the cheeks of his mouth down to his teeth. It is this time that he is so much trying to concentrate on what she is saying. Later, after about 10 minutes or so, she thanks him and hangs up.

That girl with her postpaid thingy! Yes, whoever pays her phone bills is in eternal trouble. But she is a good friend: open-minded, assertive and easy to be around with. Throw anything at her and she’ll hold it in and know just how to throw it back or throw it away.

The above conversation is a stub from their latest chat via a phone call. She initiated the call. He rarely does. Calling people makes him uncomfortable. He’d rather just text…

They never actually agree whenever they talk. They just rant, rant, rant, laugh and disagree then after one of them has failed to justify their point of view, they disappear before boredom creeps in. In their book of relations and communication, that is how it has always flown: you don’t have to agree, but you need to make your voice heard. Talk about it. They are good friends and that is all that matters, right?

But Adrian has been doing some homework on their ongoing chat on the lack of commitment amongst both sexes in relationships. It can’t be possible that men are incessant commitment-phobes. It can’t be. It is not genetic (sex-linked or something…) It is not even related to that. You can’t say “all men are commitment-phobes” without the evidence that ALL men have fallen short of commitment as far as anything is concerned… What about women? How many can say that they are truly committed to anything? At all? Commitment is not gender-inclined. It is in both sexes! He needs to make her see this. He therefore has coined a series of things to kick off his next conversation with Annabelle: Men are not afraid of commitment, they just lack the right person (or thing or cause) to commit to... and a woman of worth should strive to convince a man that he really needs her in his life in order to stir his commitment to the next level in the relationship. A man does not see the need to commit to a woman (or anything in that case) who cannot behave her age…

…………………………………..

I agree that Adrian has a point, don’t you? Someone - whether a man or a woman - is perceived in a manner worthy of his/her countenance. If all women around a man are behaving in a childish manner, why should he commit to these ‘xaxa’ lasses? Why in the whole beautiful world should he do that? In the same way, why would a woman commit to a ‘xaxa’ lad? Why should a woman worthy her salt do so?

So, in this view of things, let us address the commitment issue in relationships in two phases: phase one (where we are looking at the non-committal man) and phase two (where we address the non-committal woman) because there is a problem on both ends.

Phase 1 – The Non-committal man

There are a few reasons to why a man won’t commit.

There are the good ones;

• All females around him are ‘xaxa’ lasses 
• All females around him are not ready to settle down (party animals, always absent minded, spendthrifts and braggarts…)
• He is not yet of age (although this is never a reason enough because having a sense of commitment begins as early as when one is 15 years old.)

Then there are the stupid ones;

• He is a mommy’s boy and he therefore fears another woman taking charge over his life
• He is still fully dependent upon his parents – head to limb to toe to air (sic)
• His woman is not pushing them enough (oh, so he wanna be pushed?)
• He still wants to flirt around and play ground (stupid, huh?)

Commitment to a man is taught of him by fellow men. He learns it from the SOLID men around him. He smells it, sees it, feels it, adapts himself to it and starts speaking it as a language. (That is why it is recommended that a boy gets his mentorship from a SOLID man so that he may learn the art of manhood in his teen age…) 

If a man cannot realize that he is the leader within any given structure (a relationship in this case) and that he should therefore stop being passive, hold the mantle and show the way to go, he is not yet worthy to be called a man. (Oh, ninjas are pulling their bows and arrows on me already, I guess.) Men who fear commitment are absconding the very rule and purpose for which God created them: leadership and purpose. 

A man was created to lead. God said in the Garden of Eden, remember? The man should be the head of the activities he involves himself in (unless they involve other stipulated rules which thus require a different order of doing things). Just as Christ is the head of the Church, so the man should be the head of his relationship(s). If he doesn’t feel like he needs to lead or to get committed to a cause which drives his life and show others that he has a sense of direction, let him then not expect to be treated as a man but as a ‘xaxa’ lad.

I normally say that people had rather say that a man is proud and has a sense of direction and knows where he is headed to, than that he is aimless and without focus.

If people cannot see that a man is self driven and that his life is headed somewhere (regardless of where he is in life right now), he should not expect a focused lady to see otherwise. A man should ask people around him to confirm whether he is moving into the next level or not. He should ask to know if they think he has a vision for his life or not. He should ask them indirectly in order to get genuine answers. It is this simple: if a man cannot figure out where he would love to be in the next five years, he is still ‘xaxa’ material. Period.

Solution?... To wake up a non-committal man, all women need to learn the art of running away. Don’t think he will change unless he realizes that he has lost you. And let him know that you ran away because he has refused to grow into a SOLID man. Don’t waste your time praying for him you saved ladies. Don’t. Prayer may help but the ‘xaxaness’ and the passiveness may not vanish that fast. Run away. The earlier the better.

But this is not to mean that there are no committed men out here. No. There are a whole lot of them. It is just that they too do not tolerate ‘xaxa’ lasses...There are many young men I know who do not fear getting a focused lady. They do not get intimidated by focused ladies. They are ready to lead them into a better world (only if these women would allow them.) These men are here. They are responsible. They admit that they have their weaknesses but they move beyond them and step out of their comfort zones. These men are here, ladies. I know several. Ladies, these men are here – on this planet.

Phase 2 – The Non-committal Woman

All along, it has been thought that women love commitment. I see it a lot in saved ladies who claim to be The Proverbs 31 Woman (I’ll address this below.) I want to prove us wrong – not entirely but to some extent. I have met at least two out of 10 women I have informally asked about the question of commitment (in anything from marriage to some other business) and I have discovered that a great percentage of the 21st Century woman prefers independence to being bound to an oath (either of marriage or any form of contract, mutuality or form of understanding.) 

These statistics are also being proven by this video which was a discussion on Citizen TV's #MondaySpecialKE a few weeks ago on Youth And Commitment. Two ladies in the discussion are seen denying the possibility of them getting married due to various reasons one of them being commitment (watch the video to get their reasons.)

This indicates that it is not only men today that have a commitment problem but women too. Our mothers were proud of getting into relationships, taking care of their future husbands and later getting married; in the contrary, most women you meet today are either dreaming of eternal independence or temporal cohabitation as far as relationships and marriage are concerned.

Reason?... (genuine ones);

• All men around them are ‘xaxa’ lads 
• All men around them are not ready to settle down (party animals, mommy’s boys, always absent minded, spendthrifts and braggarts…)
• They are not yet of age (although women actually mature faster as compared to men – so by age 14 they should already be knowing what is going on with their lives – they should not necessarily be mature but seeing the world I a different way altogether…)

The lame ones include;

• She is a daddy’s girl and she therefore fears another man taking charge over her life (which has proven to be a very big problem to men today.)
• She is still a ‘xaxa’ lass – texts and chats 24 hours a day, binge eats, and binge watches movies all day long, she is a party freak, and has not yet learned what I call The Lady Code (a manner in which a lady worthy her salt carries herself)
• Her man not pushing her enough (oh, so she should be pushed?)
• Relationships and marriages don’t work nowadays so it is safer to sit on the edge than commit (whatever that is supposed to mean.)

Some of the factors a man considers while gauging a woman’s maturity and level of commitment include;

• Independence of mind and deeds - ability to be her own personal brand, and not a replica of her friends’ decisions and behavior.
• Self-driven - ability to offer support to the man and people around her without being forced or asked. (No wonder Eve was so self-driven that she drove her husband Adam into sin, while Ruth did the same to Boaz until he noticed her...)
• Ability to peg her dependence on God rather than on the man or other people.
• A personality not only built on outer looks but also on gentleness of the heart (yeah, you may now quote and add a Bible verse)

If a woman scores so low on the above, why should a man even bother to commit?

There is another issue thoough: The Proverbs 31 Woman factor which has of late become the opium of both the single and married Christian woman. Most women think that they are this woman. What? Yeah, the say it all over the place. But in reality, they are commitment-phobes who only do 20% of what is mentioned in this Proverb.

There is a certain level of commitment the Proverbs 31 Woman has that very few 21 Century women possess. I have summarized below a few things women should note from this Proverb.

Note the following;

1. (v. 10b & 11) …she is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain – she builds up trust in her man through the manner of her commitment and provision.
2. (v. 12) She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life – the message in this verse is open and evident – she adds value to the man’s life.
3. Verses 13 through verse 17 portray her as a hardworking woman who is a good planner and manager of her possessions (she works with willing hands… she brings her food from afar… she rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household… she considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard… she dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.)
4. Verses 18 and 19 portray her as outgoing and engaging, not bossy and domineering
5. Verse 20 proves that she is generous to the poor and needy and is committed to taking care of them from her own resources.
6. Verse 21 reveals that her hands offer security and beauty to her family and that this causes her man to be envied by other men in their neighborhood (a thing all men cherish). Strength and dignity are her clothing (v. 25)
7. Verse 26 through 27 portrays her as woman of wisdom and one full of kindness, one who is not idle.
8. She is praised by both her husband (man) and her children. Her works praise her. And she fears the LORD. (v.28 – v.31)

If a Christian woman (single or married) thinks that she does not have a commitment problem, she should re-read the above passage and make it a mirror for her behavior and countenance (James 1:22-25). This passage (Proverbs 31:10-31) shows us a woman who is truly committed to what she is doing. Such a woman should be the one teaching our girls on how to be SOLID women – SOLID committed women.


Side note: I guess you already are getting used to me using these two names: *Adrian and *Annabelle. I know you are smelling something there… whatever you are smelling, keep it to yourself J… ahem! But they ain’t existing in real life…

Till next time,


Bonface Morris.