As of May 24, 2009, these are my ten favorite songs. 1. Battlefield (2) Jordin Sparks Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. 2. Hosanna (9) Selah Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript...

Your Majesty Shines makes its debut this week at Victory Fort Bonifacio, a church in the Philippines that has a dynamic original songwriting program, and at Victory Greenhills, my favorite Greenhills church. Worship leaders Teri Sambajon and Joanne Gonzalez will sing Your Majesty Shines at the Fort; I’ll be leading the worship team over at Greenhills. (It may be my last time for a while; I would like to focus on songwriting. Maybe I can...

This season on American Idol, early on in the competition, I latched onto a quiet, unassuming young man named Kris Allen. There was something about the way he delivered a lyric, the rawness with which he sang a melody, and the gentle twists he gave a song, that resonated with me. With his victory the other day, Kris becomes the first-ever American Idol contestant that I’ve ever supported from start to finish. As you can see, I’m a...

I had lunch yesterday with Sarah, a colleague at the church in the Philippines that I work for, at Kape Isla at Echo Store. (She had the malunggay pesto and I the longganisa pocket sandwich; both were delicious.) She was helping me make the transition for one of the websites I manage, and it was a well-deserved treat for both of us, because the transition was driving us CRAZY. While there, as usual, I browsed through the great selection of...

I’ve been listening to Selah’s Hosanna a lot this week. Todd Smith’s soaring baritone really comes alive in this stunning revival of the original worship track from Hillsong United. Alan Hall and Amy Perry’s crystal-clear vocals – Nicol Sponberg is missed but Amy fills in her shoes capably and admirbaly – provide for a distinct sound, elevating Hosanna to heights the song itself deserves to soar. Hosanna...