FREE DOWLOADS NOW AVAILABLE

Hit up these links for free downloads of our top songs including our single "Brightside" and our remix of "Forever Young".

"Brightside - Single"

http://www.limelinx.com/files/a128eb07a1bf9dfb67f04c206f68b7ab

"Forever Young (REMIX ft.Ryno)"

http://www.limelinx.com/files/2f063ccd945807209477cb11acd53f0d

"The Depths In Your Eyes"

http://www.limelinx.com/files/f666a48e2105a2e0a8d1f24e00b525e1

"Sweet Holy Spirit"

http://www.limelinx.com/files/9dc19bf34803355d7820aad4a9335bee

"One Love"

http://www.limelinx.com/files/d4d80435b6af9cbe8c324e9e47512f8e

I hope you enjoy these tracks as much as we enjoyed putting them together.

In best hopes for the future,

- TCRA1G

this blog was provided in part by TCRA1G.wordpress.com

Glory Fades, Truth Rises (a farewell to all)

"Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:21-24

We have a lot to be thankful for. But there is a time and place, not determined by us, when things need to change. Whether that is an end to an era, or the end of a journey. As I read the above verse, I think about the past few months, and if I really did "put off my old self", or did I surround myself with people who encouraged me to promote MYself. People who judge without giving anything or anyone a second chance. People who only think about themselves, and only involve themselves in things that benefit their glory and what others think of them. By far, I myself fit into ALL of these above categories, and unfortunately most of our friends and family do as well. But is it too late to change? Is it too late to chase after what is really true and just?

I praise God for the influence that our album has had on the many people that have come up to me saying how much they felt the hope of Christ shining through the words I wrote and the music I composed. I'm so thankful for having the connections I had that made it possible for us to even record. I thank God for providing a comrade in voice to help and attempt to contribute towards the completion of the album. Many more blessings were bestowed upon us than we ever could have realized, and that can be attributed to what I have described in the first paragraph. My only wish is that my old ways would be changed not by my might, or by my "will-power", or writing ability, but by the One who can break me down, and build me right back up to be the person He created me to be. Someone that loves everyone, a servant of all, and one who CHASES after the TRUTH and accepts nothing but the truth. The night is always dark, before the dawn of day. Yesterday has retired; today is the day of new beginnings.

Farewell to all,

May God Bless you in every aspect of your lives,

And may He lead you to Dive Deep into His ever-perfect will.

Brothers IN Christ,
Tony Craig
Ryan Lonis
[on stormy banks]


[what new beginning? stay tuned for a new blog & myspace coming your way soon!]

Lost . . . . and Found.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? . . . Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. - Romans 8:31-37

Have you ever felt completely lost? Where you simply don't know where to go next, what's happening, or even which foot to take the next step? A few days ago I wrote a song entitled, "Lost". It truly reflects the desperation of being lost, but at the same time displays the awesome, redemptive power of Christ.

Here's a short excerpt from the song that will eventually be on our new album coming by the end of the summer. I've also included a few helpful thoughts along with the lyrics, that will hopefully help anyone who is looking for a spiritual "compass", or "guiding light".

"Lost"

As I walk this lonely shore,

I feel like I’ve been abandoned.

‘Cause without you, I am hopelessly

Tossed away, left waiting for your sunrise.

Suffering this loneliness,

Fighting off all hopes to quit,

‘Cause without you I am nothing,

Without you, I am lost.

[Chorus]

So take me in your arms, Lord!

Take me in your arms tonight!

Where I can be, safely, Alive.

You and I together, never torn apart,

I once was lost, I once was blind;

But I’ve been found, been turned around, and I’m alive!

Confusion results when we can't connect our perception with reality, when we are spiritually lost in our walk with Chrsit. It hits us physically, emotionally, and mentally. Worst of course is spiritual confusion—when we can't connect what is happening with our sense of who we know God to be: the God that I know would never let this happen. It's an awful thing to let this kind of confusion go on for a long time.

Here are four truths that can act like a spiritual compass, to help you find your way back to God when you feel lost:

First of all, God always has a plan for you. He is not surprised about anything. He has never paced the floor. He is in complete control.

Second, God's timing is always perfect in your life. He has never been late—or early; He is always right on time. It's difficult to see God's perfect timing when you are in the midst of a trial, but think about your life. Rehearse a situation when God's timing was right and let that memory encourage you in the situation you face today.

Third, you have nothing to fear. That doesn't mean you automatically avoid all that's painful in life. But I guarantee you that every person in heaven reflects on his or her life and agrees that even the tragic events turned out for God's glory.

Fourth, you've got a lot to learn. Too often I want to handle situations myself; I think I know better. But if you humble yourself in the midst of painful circumstances, you will realize that God uses everything to accomplish His good in your life.

So if you feel like you are lost, it is not too late to turn the car around. Just follow God's directions, and I promise you will find Him. I pray this will encourage someone, but even more so I hope that our next album will bring true hope to those in need. Take care, and God Bless;

Hope: Strength in Weakness

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

This verse has been instrumental in my life lately. As I ponder on what all this 'strength in weakness' means to me, I feel as if it is God calling me to come to the point of admitting my weakness, and focusing on leading a humble life and getting reconnected with Him. As I near the end of my freshman year here at Mississippi College, a lot has changed. I've gone through some rough times, times that I can now delight in because they have only made me stronger. I believe that it is these times that Christ gives us to only benefit us in the long run. It may not seem that way while we are being plagued by a certain hardship, or even months after an awful event or stressful time has passed. But this verse truly displays what I think is some of the most powerful and encouraging statements in Paul's epistles.

When we think about how anything good could possibly come out of a certain circumstance or event in our lives where we are at the brink of exhaustion and despair, we need not forget the very essence of this verse and what it means to us personally. Only God's children - those who have turned from their sin and embraced Christ by faith, those who are increasingly learning how to love God more and more - understand the great promise of this verse. Only those who have tested the promises of God and proven once again His faithful love can know this. That is why we must hold on to this precious truth, that God's grace is sufficient for us. What an awesome truth!

Over the last week Ryan and I have had the chance to get on the same page concerning all the new music I've come up with, and really focus on how we want to go about recording and hopefully releasing our first album. I really have been blessed with God's wisdom and the gift He has given me to display what He has been teaching me through the music I've composed. One of the songs that is probably one of our favorites that I wrote is called "In Christ I Stand On Stormy Banks". It truly reveals the very essence of what our band is about - bringing hope to all who will simply believe.....accept their weakness.....and be strengthened through their adversity. That is essentially why we have entitled our album as "Hope for All". To remind those in distress, those who are right there on the stormy shores of depression and anger, to give those a light, and helping hand to see the glorious grace of God, the everlasting love, and the strength that is made perfect in our weakness.

Here are the lyrics to our newest song called "Brightside". We hope that it will embody the essence of our album, along with all other 10 songs we have selected. Thanks for visiting our blog and feel free to listen to songs from our EP on our myspace page, become a fan on facebook, and visit our twitter page. Take care, and dive deep in Christ's unending love, and His amazing grace.

"Brightside"

You know the times that we all have,

Those times of despair;

Those times that we won’t admit,

We say we’re too tough to cry, too tough to care.

But soon after that we break,

We don’t know what to do;

Well I offer this one truth

God is still there and He cares about you.

[Chorus]

And when all hope seems lost

Remember God turns bad to good and He paid the cost

Even when you’ve been struck blind;

Just look on the Brightside

Look on the Brightside,

And you’ll see

Just the other day I was talkin to,

A friend who was feeling blue.

He kept askin me why why why?

Why did Lord take her, Why did she die?

I told him I didn’t know why,
But I told Him this simple truth:

If you keep your eyes on Jesus,

He’ll turn the bad around for you.

[Chorus]

When life takes our sun-shine away,

And all we have has gone astray.

When you feel alone and betrayed,

When your walls fall down, and you feel so ashamed;

You think you can’t make it on through

You say “it’s too hard” you make an excuse.

Remember this one saying:

The night is dark before the dawn of day.

Red Letters

After looking back through my old collection of Christian CD’s, I found a song by DC Talk that jumped out at me instantly. It’s a powerful song called “The Red Letters,” which talks about the words of Jesus in the Bible. The chorus especially speaks to me. It says “There is love in the red letters. There is truth in the red letters. There is hope for the hopeless, peace and forgiveness. There is life in the red letters.” In John 15:13, Jesus said “Greater LOVE has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus showed this magnificent LOVE for us as he died on the cross to save us from our sins. In John 8:32, Jesus said “Then you will know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall set you free.” Throughout the 4 Gospels (esp. the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus repeatedly said “I tell you the TRUTH.” before he would speak.

To me, the best example of this is found in Luke 23:43 when Jesus says to the repentant thief on the cross “I tell you the TRUTH, today you will be with me in paradise.” Also, Jesus brings the only true HOPE that exists to all people. In Matthew 12:21, a passage in Isaiah is referenced which says “In HIS name the nations will put their HOPE.” People who do not know Jesus do not know the joyous hope that He brings. Isaiah also prophesies about the coming of Jesus and says “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE.” Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He says in John 14:27, “PEACE I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” There are numerous times in the New Testament where Jesus forgave people of their sins. In Matthew 9, Jesus healed the paralytic and said “Your sins are forgiven.” In Luke 7, the woman who was sinful washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and he said “her many sins have been FORGIVEN-for she loved much.”

Finally, Jesus repeatedly reminds us in the New Testament that He is the giver of life. In John 6:35, Jesus says “I am the bread of LIFE.” In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha “I am the resurrection and the LIFE.” The most well-known verse where Jesus reminds us that he brings life is John 14:6. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is my prayer that this Easter season will remind us how amazing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is and that we will draw ever closer to him each day.

God Bless,

Ryan

[on stormy banks]

Ryan Lonis

Tony Craig

It's Been Awhile - An Update

Hey guys -

It's Tony and I apologize for going so long without a post. I've been super busy lately, plus I'm waiting on Ryan to put the finishing touches on his blog entry that should be posted within the next week or so. As far as the music goes, we have our next album pretty much planned out, including around 5 or 6 "original" songs I've written, and about 5 other songs we've selected to play. More information will be coming soon, as we finish up the semester and head into the many opportunities the summer holds. We've been offered a recording opportunity with a local individual so we hope we will be able to utilize every tool we have to bring you the best sound and music quality we can possibly get since we are mere amateurs. haha.

As far as our latest developments, fortunately we were able to get together over spring break to introduce the new music I wrote, and while we were doing so we fooled around and ended up recording an improv track which shortly there after became what we call "Ghetto Street Beats". With a little sound effects and improvements to the overall sound, we were able to release it on March 25th and it's avaliable on our Myspace page (www.myspace.com/onstormybanks). Speaking of our Myspace page, - there has been a new update to that as well, just a new look and poster pic. Hopefully we'll have some new pictures up come the summer. We appreciate any support you may be willing to offer and please help spread the word!!

IMPORTANT OFFER: If you would like a copy of our "Redeemed" promo EP, simply leave a comment/send a message to us here or on myspace, (or my email is: tctiger911@yahoo.com) with your name, mailing address, and phone number (optional) and we'll send you a free CD!!! (Donations are always appreciated)

Thanks for visiting our blog and please check out our Myspace page by clicking the banner at the bottom of the page, any of the pictures to the left, and check back for the next blog entry coming within a the next week. If you like what you hear on our Myspace page, please let us know if you would like a CD. Thanks,


A Brother IN Christ

Tony

[on stormy banks]
Ryan Lonis
Tony Craig

Meaning Behind the Music [part 1]

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything . . . that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "In him we live and move and have our being." - Acts 17:24-28

For it's in Christ that we live, move, breathe, cry, sing, shout, dance, and worship. And it is because of His almighty power and grace that we are able to worship Him for all that He has done in our lives. That is what I want for our music to convey. The truth behind the worship. Why we worship. Over the past few weeks I've been attempting to write a few original songs that have been influenced some by old hymns, and others by what God is teaching me from day to day. Most of them have been songs that I've taken the music and put words to, and others I've composed both the music and the lyrics. For example, here's the first verse of one of my original songs entitled "He Paid It All":

He paid it all.

My sins He bore

Upon that cross,

Forever more.

He paid it all.

When I was lost

Undeserving,

He suffered the cost.

It's because of what Christ did for us 2000 years ago that still baffles me to stand in wonder and awe of how me, an unclean, unworthy sinner, could be washed clean by His sacrifice . It is because He lives inside us, that we can live for Him. Most of us take advantage and disregard this simple yet vital truth. We go about our lives not having the slightest conviction of our sin. We think good works will prove worthy in the end, but in reality, it's our steadfast faith and dedication to Christ that will count when the time comes. This is what I struggle with the most. How can we simply push to the side the simple truth of our salvation? How can we go about just living life in a dormant state, thinking that we are living as "good" Christians? Spread the light. Get uncomfortable. Engage in the battle with evil, don't fall into it's infinite traps. Stand strong through the fight. Stand strong, knowing that it is through Christ that we find our strength, not of our own might, but by His sacrifice. The redeeming grace of Jesus Christ. And that's where I intend to pick up in the next part of this post, describing the true meaning behind the music we sing.

I guess you'll have to wait awhile to actually hear the chorus and music to "He Paid It All", but I won't give it away till then. Just wanted to give you a little "preview", if you can call it that, of some of the upcoming songs and a look behind why we sing what we sing. I'll try to include something like that into every blog I put up on here. Thanks again for taking the time to read this new endeavor. Feel free to comment here and on our myspace page. We appreciate any suggestions or encouragement. Thanks, & God Bless.

IN Christ,

Tony Craig

[on stormy banks]
Ryan Lonis
Tony Craig

Beginnings

Hey this is Tony, and first off, I just wanted to give thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His grace and goodness to all of us. For it was Christ, above all things, that inspired me to start recording and writing music in the first place. He just happened to bring peace into my life when I needed it the most, and it is Him alone who should continue to be our true influence. I chose the name "On Stormy Banks" because I feel like it illustrates the many times in our lives where everything simply falls down around our feet and we have no idea what to do next. I believe our music is meant to aid in the rescue of those who are there, and remind them how great our God is, and that with a little faith, devotion, and perseverance, we can see the sky again, and be renewed in Christ. I hope our music helps to encourage people to not only rise out of the ashes, but commit to placing their trust fully in Christ. I pray that you will be influenced in the same way I have, and that this music will attest to that very truth. Christ is Lord, and to Him be all the Glory!
Your Brother IN Christ,
Tony

Hey, it's Ryan, and back when I heard about this musical side project that my friend Tony was starting up, I thought to myself "Man, why couldn't I be a part of something like that?" And after a few months, Tony came to me and asked if I would be able to play piano and sing background vocals for his new project and I said, "No doubt bro. I definitely want to be a part of that." After playing piano for 12 years, this band allows me to play music that encourages me, and allows me to reach others instead of just playing for personal enjoyment. I would have to say that currently my favorite song we play is either "In the Secret" or "From the Inside Out" because both songs remind me how glorious God is and how much I yearn to feel his presence each and every day. My personal prayer is that this band will glorify God, encourage fellow believers, and help me personally to grow closer to God.
Your bro in Christ,
Ryan