Freedom

John 8: 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Needed to be reminded of this today!

Grateful.

Great Night!

Well, we met last night to do the song writing thing and can up with a really good song idea. No name yet as I need more lyrics to support the over all theme but the feel is nice. I started a simple chord progression and the guys jumped right in. The song even has a time change from 4/4 to 4/3

I'm calling it the Law and Order jam right now cause when I play the riff I can't help but see a night shot of a city street, you know the kind where everything is wet so all the reflections of light give a cool feel, I can't help but see the flash out red and blue lights when I close my eyes.

Can't wait to see what comes of it!

Here's to transparency

I’m starting a new thing. Meeting with some people on a weekly basis to have discussions/studies/jam sessions all in hope of writing some relevant music. I am very excited. I believe some great discoveries are on the horizon. I’m a little nervous too. Never sure what you'll find when you go digging and as most of you music lovers know, the songs that really move, I’m talking about the ones you deliberately put on to sing at the end (or beginning if your in real bad shape) of a day that will remain gray no matter how bright the sun shines. Songs you keep in your back pocket when you want to cry out and feel the tears roll down your cheeks. Songs that, when you need that extra push will throw you over the edge and break you…Awww that’s the good stuff people! Let’s face it, Life ain’t all pancakes and bacon……mmmmmmmmmm!

Well, all those songs came (for the author) at a cost we may never understand. Because lets face it, real song writers, real poets, we don’t know how to fake it. And if we ever heard that there was a short cut, we are far to proud to take it. We write joy and pain because it has to get out, because our hearts and minds react a little differently than others. Because if we don’t let the suffering escape onto the page or out into the air then its stuck in our heads and when you let things stay in your head that’s when your asking for trouble.
Someone has to be the voice for those who feel it but don’t know how to express it.

The opposite is also true. I don’t know a much better way to celebrate a person, place, thing, breath then to put on a tune from my other pocket, one that you can’t sing without smiling, without wanting to share the love!
So here’s to the adventure, and to new additions to life sound tracks!!!!!!

Fear

Things are very difficult for me right now.

I am in the place between my own strength and God’s restoration.

Sounds like a great place but it teeters me on the verge of trying to take things back in my hands and acknowledging that I have let this go, that I recognized…

I can not take this on by myself.

That thought is a lie I have already bought and now must dismiss,

but I still reach.

Then notice and pull back. Trust and then almost subconsciously reach again.

I am terrified which makes me ask,

“What do I fear?”

Do I believe that God can give me victory? Yes.
Then where does the fear come from?
The fear is my lack of faith in myself.

Same as Peter walking on waves.

When the voice comes, the one that says, “you won’t make it.”
Then my eyes move off of Christ.
Away from the One who makes the impossible, possible.

Then what?

Then I sink.

Lord, help me keep my eyes on you. To receive Your strength, to move in You.

Let me remember who it is that is calling me out onto the water.

Onto the water.
I am here.

Puppy Power!

We have a dog. Sam is about 6 months old now. She was a stray that was given to us and she looks a lot like Scrappy-Doo (Scooby-doo's little cousin). She is very hyper and very happy and always wants to play. I can't emphasize enough the word ALWAYS!

On Saturday evening we set our clocks back an hour for the fall time change. Samantha doesn't know or care about this commonly celebrated time where us west coasters get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep. This is most cherished on the following Monday morning before work.

My little dog played out her usual morning ritual of getting an inch from my face until her "presence" causes me to open my eyes. Then comes the morning kisses rapid fire until I scratch her body as she stretches out or I grab the toy she has placed at my side for a game of tug-o-war.

I must say, she loves the morning. She loves getting up, shaking off her sleep and attacking the day full speed. I think we can all use a reminder like Sam that each day is a gift. A new opportunity to live and love. I look forward to seeing what God has for me today.

Thank you Lord for this day that you have made. Thank you for friends like Sam that remind me of such things!

So what gets your head right for the day ahead?

Hindsight is 20/20

I'm a married Christian man who has been divorced. An accurate description that, whenever admitted no matter how nice the conversation is, always leaves my mouth feeling, well...






Have you ever been enjoying sunflower seeds and bite into a bad seed? It's the closest thing I can imagine to eating charcoal and I don't wish it on anyone...and talking about my divorce,
yeah, it's like that.


It reminds me of a time of my life when God didn't just take a backseat in my life, He was chasing after the car. However, I do share this with people in the same place I was in or in an environment when God is glorified through it.


That being said, I had an awkward moment happen this morning at work. A friend who also went through a divorce a couple of years ago (also a Christian) stopped in the office. Once she left someone asked me if she was still married. When I replied "no" this person irritatingly re-enacted a past exchange in which he warned my friend to live with her ex prior to marriage in order to see if they we're compatible. He smirked as he recalled her reply that his suggestion would be "living in sin" and proudly concluded,

"Living in sin sure sounds better then a divorce!".


My heart broke as I witnessed this display of joy over someone's painful experience all in the mighty name of -I told you so. But, as he left and I took some time to just pray and chew on what was said I was stuck. Stuck on the fact that if you take his tone and disturbing enjoyment away, if you strip the conversation down to the words. I had no immediate retort. Not because I agreed with what he said. Because when your trying to defend a topic where someone has compromised to sin, in a "hindsight is 20/20 situation", it's a
lesser of the two evils equation.


I believe that the bible paints a clear picture on what marriage is supposed to be. I also believe that whether you are in one that is not reflecting this picture or in a non-married relationship that is trying too hard to trace it, adjustments need to be made. Now. For your own good. I believe there is a way to find out if you have found the one you are to marry and that way is laid out in the teachings of Christ Jesus and if you think you have found a short cut somewhere outside of God's word you are in for a rude awakening.


I also believe that you can get back on track at any time but the longer you wait, the more baggage you accumulate. What are your thoughts?