It's 12:45am on Tuesday morning and I am well aware of the fact that I should have been asleep hours ago. I justify the fact that I'm not partly to the fact that Jonathan and Whitney just left about thirty minutes ago. I love being around them. They remind me of what happiness looks like. They remind me like Matt and Joni and Brian and Julie, My mom and dad. I remember what happiness looked like and I wonder if I'll ever see as pure of a form of happiness as that again. I know that I'm jaded a bit and I'm stubborn and I'm hard headed but I know that the past year of my life has been God trying to teach me a lesson that He is enough. I don't need anyone else in the whole world in order to be fully satisfied and happy, no one but Him.
You know that weird feeling that you get when you are about to leave on a trip that lasts over a week and you have the gut wrenching feeling that you forgot everything that is essential to life itself? You ask yourself if you remembered to get your underwear and did you pack enough? You wonder if you remembered your toothpaste so you will actually be able to engage in conversation with real people and not just books, they don't care if your breath is bad. Or you could be like me and toil over whether or not you remembered your phone charger so you'll be able to keep in touch with the rest of the world.
That's how I feel right now. I feel like God is about to send me on some wild ride that is going to be totally amazing and he's going to blow my mind. However, I feel like I'm forgetting something. I feel like that little voice in the back of my head is more than just my paranoia this time. I feel like it's God telling me, "Hey, I am trying to give you something don't leave it behind." It's crazy I know, but how I feel nonetheless.
I have the tendency to think too much and to over analyze things and to figure out every possible angle that could be produced, my dad said it would have made me a good lawyer, mcdonald says I just worry too much. I know I'm not at the point yet that I know that he's enough. I don't think that we can ever really reach the point of really "knowing" that he's enough until he is all that we have. Maybe he's still trying to teach me, I don't know. Maybe I just need to shut up and pick up my feet and let him carry me wherever he wants to go and to whoever he wants to take me to. It's strange how I (and I'm sure you as well) try to out think God and try to weigh out all the options of doing things. He's already taken care of all the details of our journey and he's paved the rest for us to enjoy, learn, endure, and grow from.
I think the best thing that I and all of us can do is simply trust, you know have faith, and just hold on for the ride and we should probably let God pack for us too. He doesn't forget things.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
LIFE
I got on facebook yesterday and I noticed that I had event invitations just like I do everyday and I must honestly admit that I looked over it and discarded it just like I do most of them. I noticed that it was some sort of abortion awareness deal that was going to be taking place at West Monroe High School today. I thought to myself, "I don't go to high school and so I'll have nothing to contribute or to do with it so I'll just delete it."
In working at the church and with students, one of the perks of my job is that I get to go and hang out with them during lunch at least one day out of the week. When Matt and I got there, we went and had a minor altercation with the scary lady that works in the office who never remembers who we are, and we signed in as visitors. As we walked down the breezeway to the cafeteria, I noticed several students with red tape on their clothes or on their mouths like the guy in the picture. I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when we got in the cafeteria there were several more of our students and others who had the LIFE tape on their person. One of our students, had the tape on his jacket but he remained silent. He got my attention and I asked if he had to be quiet and he nodded, "yes". He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me to read. I'm thinking that it's for class or something. As I read the paper, I was astonished. They had committed to not speak all day in protest for the lives of countless children that die everyday, every second by abortion. It blew me away. There was still a dull roar in the lunch room but it was still much quieter than normal. It was so amazing to me that these students were stepping up and making a statement that they believed these children should not be killed. How bold and brave is that? How amazing is it that these 14-18 year old students are standing up for justice when we, their leaders and parents, will not. I'm so proud of them for their stand.
They compelled me to want to know more. When I got back to my office, I checked out the website for the LIFE movement, www.bound4life.com. The statistics of the abortions and the truth as to how they are performed broke my heart. I know we say that all the time, but really it did. It was all I could do not to weep, for these children. I thought of my friends' little baby that is about to be born and it made me fearful for her peers that face these dangers. It made me glad that she has loving parents that value her and her life and her soul and their commitment to God. As I searched more, I found that there are many chapters of this movement and that you can support it by buying LIFE bracelets and making donations and most of all by speaking out for those American citizens who have had their rights taken away by those "parents" who were entrusted to protect, nurture, and care for them. All American citizens are entitled to by our Declaration of Independence. By killing these children, which is violation of another law of our land and of Scripture, we deny these American citizens their rights. We all know how precious that babies are and how dependent on us they are. Why do we take that responsibility that our Maker has entrusted us with so lightly? It is our duty and honor to stand up for these who are defenseless and strive for justice in their stead.
Again, I am so proud of the students at West Monroe High School for taking this stand. It is so amazing to see them speaking out for what they believe in. I also encourage anyone who may read this to check out the website and tell others about it so we can get the word out and pray that God will guide our leaders in the best way to protect these children.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Remedy...
So the greatly anticipated David Crowder Band's new album was released yesterday and like most of the drooling fans, I bought it yesterday. There are only ten tracks on Remedy as opposed to the twenty-one of A Collision. It is much simpler in structure but the lyrics and the music are nonetheless great and inspiring to both musician and "joe the music listener". It's much more digital than previous albums, but it adds to the sound and doesn't overkill with the digital sound like one might think. It's a great album with the majority of lyrics that are simple.
This leads me to the point that I really want to hit on. Most of the lyrics that we see and sing with David Crowder, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Tim Hughes, Delirious?, and the list could go on, are nothing new really. When we look through scripture we see these same ideas of God being great and beautiful, merciful and loving, compassionate and caring, powerful and majestic. We've done nothing that the Psalmist or Isaiah did not do. Which brings me to this question, does God get tired of being told the same thing over and over? Some would say that we repeat these things because we can't come up with something creative of our own to express our gratitude and love to our Creator. It would seem as though there are a set of "church words" that describe our God and those are the ones that we are expected and understood to use as worship leaders and "Christian" artists. To a certain extent, I'll agree that majestic and omniscient aren't exactly words that I normally use to describe God. I do use merciful and compassionate and loving and just. I think though that in our "puny" human language and thoughts that we have our words that are as huge and powerful as we can possibly get. We have no choice but to use the biggest and greatest words of expressing our King. He is worthy of the biggest and the best that we have. We wants all that we have. It's important that we pour out our hearts to him with all that we have. It is our call, honor, and responsibility to paint the most beautiful picture of the Creator of the universe that we can. The words that we see the Psalmist using are words of grandeur and power and majesty. Those were the biggest and greatest words that he could imagine to use. There are words that God described himself as, such as righteous, just, merciful, loving, good, powerful. Should we not use the very attributes that our Lord gave to himself?
I would say that our Lord never grows tired of hearing the same words over and over again. As long as we are truly offering it to him for his pleasure and for his glory, I seriously doubt that he cares if we simply cry out, "you are good, you are good, you are good!". He desires that his glory be lifted and and shown to the entire creation. When we praise, we do that, no matter what our words are or how many times they have been used.
"Holy, holy is the Lord" ...Isaiah, David, Paul, Peter, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Tim Hughes, Martin Smith
This leads me to the point that I really want to hit on. Most of the lyrics that we see and sing with David Crowder, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Tim Hughes, Delirious?, and the list could go on, are nothing new really. When we look through scripture we see these same ideas of God being great and beautiful, merciful and loving, compassionate and caring, powerful and majestic. We've done nothing that the Psalmist or Isaiah did not do. Which brings me to this question, does God get tired of being told the same thing over and over? Some would say that we repeat these things because we can't come up with something creative of our own to express our gratitude and love to our Creator. It would seem as though there are a set of "church words" that describe our God and those are the ones that we are expected and understood to use as worship leaders and "Christian" artists. To a certain extent, I'll agree that majestic and omniscient aren't exactly words that I normally use to describe God. I do use merciful and compassionate and loving and just. I think though that in our "puny" human language and thoughts that we have our words that are as huge and powerful as we can possibly get. We have no choice but to use the biggest and greatest words of expressing our King. He is worthy of the biggest and the best that we have. We wants all that we have. It's important that we pour out our hearts to him with all that we have. It is our call, honor, and responsibility to paint the most beautiful picture of the Creator of the universe that we can. The words that we see the Psalmist using are words of grandeur and power and majesty. Those were the biggest and greatest words that he could imagine to use. There are words that God described himself as, such as righteous, just, merciful, loving, good, powerful. Should we not use the very attributes that our Lord gave to himself?
I would say that our Lord never grows tired of hearing the same words over and over again. As long as we are truly offering it to him for his pleasure and for his glory, I seriously doubt that he cares if we simply cry out, "you are good, you are good, you are good!". He desires that his glory be lifted and and shown to the entire creation. When we praise, we do that, no matter what our words are or how many times they have been used.
"Holy, holy is the Lord" ...Isaiah, David, Paul, Peter, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Tim Hughes, Martin Smith
Monday, July 09, 2007
As the deer pants...
What does it mean to long for you like the deer pants for the water? That deer needs that water simply to sustain its life. For every living creature here on earth, water is necessary for survival. Each of us has to have water to carry out our metabolic functions. It provides the base for our blood and the fluidity in our digestive tracts and it keeps all living creatures from over heating. It is so crucial to our existence and we know it. What would it be like to live for God in the same manner? What would it be like to long for him and need him just like that? I wonder.
There have been songs written and sermons preached and lessons taught from the passage in Psalms 42:1-2.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul
thirsts for God, for the living God.
That’s powerful when you really think about the implications there. My soul pants for God. That’s a bold statement. And when you think about it, it was and is sort of a strange picture and comparison of how we are to think of him. I wonder if some of the religious leaders may have told king David that he couldn’t talk about God and panting because that was disrespectful. It gives this incredible insight to how the heart was created to long for its creator. I don’t know what that is like. I don’t think that I have truly allowed myself to let go of all of my trinkets and wants and desires in this life to truly realize how much I need my King. I need my computer, my guitar, my playstation, my books, my music, my truck, my ipod, my job, my church, my family. But do I long for and need and yearn for my God in a greater way than all of those things. Do I need him like my physical body needs water?
I feel like I’ve become so blinded and distracted by those things that I listed before that I’ve in some way allowed myself to believe that I don’t need God that much. I feel like I don’t realize how important of a role that he plays. I don’t allow myself to see how much his hand is on each and everything that I take part in and participate in. For those who are married or deeply in love with a significant other, how do you feel when you haven’t spoken to them all day or several days at a time? It can make you feel empty and weak. Without that communion you feel incomplete. That is the closest comparison that I can make as to what it is like to need that fellowship with him. Having recently developed a true love of scripture, I can testify to the fact that if I go the majority of the day without reading at least some, I feel “not right”. I feel as though there is a part of me that is doing without, similar to feeling hungry. I need that fellowship, that word, that conversation with my King.
David called out to his God because he realized that was truly all that he had to hold on to. I wonder what it would be like to realize that. I wonder what would happen to us if we truly realized that he was all that we needed to sustain our lives. We say that sort of thing and sing the “as the deer pants for the water” songs but with our lives, we fail to live that. I feel like God is probably saying, “Let me show you how much you need me. It will bring you more joy than you can even begin to imagine.” What would that be like? What would that look like? To need him so much that our hearts, souls, and bodies would acknowledge that he is necessary to sustain our very lives, “life changing” would belittle the effect I’m sure. It’s my prayer for each of us that he would show us how much we need him. I want my soul to long for and yearn for my King like the deer longs for and needs the water that brings it life.
There have been songs written and sermons preached and lessons taught from the passage in Psalms 42:1-2.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul
thirsts for God, for the living God.
That’s powerful when you really think about the implications there. My soul pants for God. That’s a bold statement. And when you think about it, it was and is sort of a strange picture and comparison of how we are to think of him. I wonder if some of the religious leaders may have told king David that he couldn’t talk about God and panting because that was disrespectful. It gives this incredible insight to how the heart was created to long for its creator. I don’t know what that is like. I don’t think that I have truly allowed myself to let go of all of my trinkets and wants and desires in this life to truly realize how much I need my King. I need my computer, my guitar, my playstation, my books, my music, my truck, my ipod, my job, my church, my family. But do I long for and need and yearn for my God in a greater way than all of those things. Do I need him like my physical body needs water?
I feel like I’ve become so blinded and distracted by those things that I listed before that I’ve in some way allowed myself to believe that I don’t need God that much. I feel like I don’t realize how important of a role that he plays. I don’t allow myself to see how much his hand is on each and everything that I take part in and participate in. For those who are married or deeply in love with a significant other, how do you feel when you haven’t spoken to them all day or several days at a time? It can make you feel empty and weak. Without that communion you feel incomplete. That is the closest comparison that I can make as to what it is like to need that fellowship with him. Having recently developed a true love of scripture, I can testify to the fact that if I go the majority of the day without reading at least some, I feel “not right”. I feel as though there is a part of me that is doing without, similar to feeling hungry. I need that fellowship, that word, that conversation with my King.
David called out to his God because he realized that was truly all that he had to hold on to. I wonder what it would be like to realize that. I wonder what would happen to us if we truly realized that he was all that we needed to sustain our lives. We say that sort of thing and sing the “as the deer pants for the water” songs but with our lives, we fail to live that. I feel like God is probably saying, “Let me show you how much you need me. It will bring you more joy than you can even begin to imagine.” What would that be like? What would that look like? To need him so much that our hearts, souls, and bodies would acknowledge that he is necessary to sustain our very lives, “life changing” would belittle the effect I’m sure. It’s my prayer for each of us that he would show us how much we need him. I want my soul to long for and yearn for my King like the deer longs for and needs the water that brings it life.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
What have we become?
What have we become?
A self indulgent people
What have we become?
Tell me where are the righteous ones
What have we become?
In a world degenerating
What have we become?
-dc talk
It's so crazy to me that we have strayed so far from what the picture of Jesus and the first church looks like. Jesus called us to reach out to others and to embrace them with a love and respect that people of his generation and generations before had never seen or even heard of. He loved them for who they were. He healed them and bound up their broken hearts just like Isaiah said he would. He brought them physical and emotional healing first and then brought them the true healing. I feel like at times we might scew what this actually means and looks like. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I know exactly what it looks like, all I can do just like you, is to look in the word of God and see what it says about how to live like Christ.
I know that sometimes we have issues with reaching out to others because we don't know how. We say, "How can we help these people? They won't even help themselves. How can we talk to those people? What if someone sees us?" It is really sad but that is just a sample of what the church is coming to these days. We have ceased to believe in the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in us; or at least it seems as though we have in some and especially the Baptist denomination in which I was raised. We look at the Holy Spirit as the crazy uncle that no one really talks about. We've made up so many rules that aren't scripture. We think that we know who God is and what his preferences are simply because we love Jesus and those are our preferences so they must be his. (paraphrase from Matt Mc) We dont' tell people about the good news anymore. In fact, I believe that sometimes we as Christians wonder what is so good about it. It seems that we have to have "events" to bring our lost friends to church or give away $1000 in order to get some "christians" to church. We have to have all kinds of incentives for us to invite people to come to church and hear the gospel. Apparently, the gospel of Jesus isn't enough to attract the ears of a lost and dying generation. At times, our lives reflect the idea, "is it even enough for us who call ourselves followers?"
Please don't take this as a, "holier than thou" speech. It's more of a battlecry. There are several others that I know who have dived into the word of God head first to see exactly what it says about our salvation and being followers of Christ. What we have found is that there is so much more than what we have thought was there. There is a great mystery and a story that is to be told of which we have a part. Although, the story is not about us, we still have a role to play. We are at war and people need to be rescued! Do we leave them among the enemy to be devoured? For years, we the church, have been somewhat content with that. We don't practice the love that Christ showed while in his ministry here on earth. We dont practice the love, faith, and power of a Living God that the new testament church lived out. We dont' read our bible and use it as the sword that it was meant to be.
Read Acts. Read Collosians. Read Hebrews. Read the gospels. See how they lived and breathed and worshiped with everything in their lives. This is who we are called to be. It seems that we have strayed so far from what was originally intended for our lives that we are totally missing the mark. Let's pray that God would do something so amazing in our midst that the only explanation for it, would be that He did it.
A self indulgent people
What have we become?
Tell me where are the righteous ones
What have we become?
In a world degenerating
What have we become?
-dc talk
It's so crazy to me that we have strayed so far from what the picture of Jesus and the first church looks like. Jesus called us to reach out to others and to embrace them with a love and respect that people of his generation and generations before had never seen or even heard of. He loved them for who they were. He healed them and bound up their broken hearts just like Isaiah said he would. He brought them physical and emotional healing first and then brought them the true healing. I feel like at times we might scew what this actually means and looks like. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I know exactly what it looks like, all I can do just like you, is to look in the word of God and see what it says about how to live like Christ.
I know that sometimes we have issues with reaching out to others because we don't know how. We say, "How can we help these people? They won't even help themselves. How can we talk to those people? What if someone sees us?" It is really sad but that is just a sample of what the church is coming to these days. We have ceased to believe in the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in us; or at least it seems as though we have in some and especially the Baptist denomination in which I was raised. We look at the Holy Spirit as the crazy uncle that no one really talks about. We've made up so many rules that aren't scripture. We think that we know who God is and what his preferences are simply because we love Jesus and those are our preferences so they must be his. (paraphrase from Matt Mc) We dont' tell people about the good news anymore. In fact, I believe that sometimes we as Christians wonder what is so good about it. It seems that we have to have "events" to bring our lost friends to church or give away $1000 in order to get some "christians" to church. We have to have all kinds of incentives for us to invite people to come to church and hear the gospel. Apparently, the gospel of Jesus isn't enough to attract the ears of a lost and dying generation. At times, our lives reflect the idea, "is it even enough for us who call ourselves followers?"
Please don't take this as a, "holier than thou" speech. It's more of a battlecry. There are several others that I know who have dived into the word of God head first to see exactly what it says about our salvation and being followers of Christ. What we have found is that there is so much more than what we have thought was there. There is a great mystery and a story that is to be told of which we have a part. Although, the story is not about us, we still have a role to play. We are at war and people need to be rescued! Do we leave them among the enemy to be devoured? For years, we the church, have been somewhat content with that. We don't practice the love that Christ showed while in his ministry here on earth. We dont practice the love, faith, and power of a Living God that the new testament church lived out. We dont' read our bible and use it as the sword that it was meant to be.
Read Acts. Read Collosians. Read Hebrews. Read the gospels. See how they lived and breathed and worshiped with everything in their lives. This is who we are called to be. It seems that we have strayed so far from what was originally intended for our lives that we are totally missing the mark. Let's pray that God would do something so amazing in our midst that the only explanation for it, would be that He did it.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Waking the dead...
Me: Good movie, yeah?
Tim: Yeah it was pretty good. Not as scary as I thought it would be.
Me: No, but it was suspensful, kinda like Red Eye.
Tim: Yeah.
Me: Did you see that?
Tim: Yeah, it was good. Dude, why is there pee on the floor of the stall?
Me: It's a bathroom.
Tim: But why pee on the floor?
Me: I don't know. (I was thinking of something crafty to say but nothing happened.)
I think it's time to start writing again.
Tim: Like songs?
Me: Yes, but that's not what I meant.
Tim: What'd you mean?
Me: Stories, stuff...just write.
So here I am writing again. It's been so long. I've asked myself the question, "What do I have to write?" When in fact, the better question would be, "Where do I start?" I have so many thoughts and ideas flooding my mind that I really don't know where to begin. I know how cliche' it sounds to say that, and that emotions are clouding even the simplest of thought processes. I'm rambling, I know. I would apologize but there has to be some starting point at which, hopefully something more than nonsense comes out of my brain.
I've really been struggling with being single and dealing with the decision that God called me (and Molly) to make several weeks ago. Through her, God showed me some amazing things about myself but most of all about him. He showed me, by allowing me to love her, what His loving the church is like. It was incredible. Through her, he showed me the compassionate and caring side of his love; while stirring in me the love of strength and honor. He instilled in my soul the longing to be brave and strong.
Recently of come to grips with the fact that I still long for those things. I long for that love that I felt from her and how it reminded of my God's love for me. I think more so however, I have longed to have someone to fight for and to protect. I felt as though God had intrusted me with this amazing gift to look after and protect. I miss that. Every man wants to be found courageous and brave, strong and noble, heroic. I know that it sounds cheesy to some but deep within our souls, God made us that way. He made every woman beautiful and they all have a desire to know and be told that they are beautiful. Each beautiful woman of God longs to be pursued the way that Christ pursues the church. I have wanted someone to be strong for. I wanted to know that my strength and my courage was needed. I wanted to know that someone needed me to rescue her and to protect her. I finally admitted that to God today, as if He didn't already know.
His answer stopped me dead in my tracks. My head bowed for I felt humbled, shamed, honored, loved, and needed all at the same time. My God, my true love, replied..."Be strong for me. Fight for me. Be brave for me. Love me."
Tim: Yeah it was pretty good. Not as scary as I thought it would be.
Me: No, but it was suspensful, kinda like Red Eye.
Tim: Yeah.
Me: Did you see that?
Tim: Yeah, it was good. Dude, why is there pee on the floor of the stall?
Me: It's a bathroom.
Tim: But why pee on the floor?
Me: I don't know. (I was thinking of something crafty to say but nothing happened.)
I think it's time to start writing again.
Tim: Like songs?
Me: Yes, but that's not what I meant.
Tim: What'd you mean?
Me: Stories, stuff...just write.
So here I am writing again. It's been so long. I've asked myself the question, "What do I have to write?" When in fact, the better question would be, "Where do I start?" I have so many thoughts and ideas flooding my mind that I really don't know where to begin. I know how cliche' it sounds to say that, and that emotions are clouding even the simplest of thought processes. I'm rambling, I know. I would apologize but there has to be some starting point at which, hopefully something more than nonsense comes out of my brain.
I've really been struggling with being single and dealing with the decision that God called me (and Molly) to make several weeks ago. Through her, God showed me some amazing things about myself but most of all about him. He showed me, by allowing me to love her, what His loving the church is like. It was incredible. Through her, he showed me the compassionate and caring side of his love; while stirring in me the love of strength and honor. He instilled in my soul the longing to be brave and strong.
Recently of come to grips with the fact that I still long for those things. I long for that love that I felt from her and how it reminded of my God's love for me. I think more so however, I have longed to have someone to fight for and to protect. I felt as though God had intrusted me with this amazing gift to look after and protect. I miss that. Every man wants to be found courageous and brave, strong and noble, heroic. I know that it sounds cheesy to some but deep within our souls, God made us that way. He made every woman beautiful and they all have a desire to know and be told that they are beautiful. Each beautiful woman of God longs to be pursued the way that Christ pursues the church. I have wanted someone to be strong for. I wanted to know that my strength and my courage was needed. I wanted to know that someone needed me to rescue her and to protect her. I finally admitted that to God today, as if He didn't already know.
His answer stopped me dead in my tracks. My head bowed for I felt humbled, shamed, honored, loved, and needed all at the same time. My God, my true love, replied..."Be strong for me. Fight for me. Be brave for me. Love me."
Monday, February 19, 2007
new album (EP)...
So, oneway is wrapping up all the sticky little details of making an album or any sort of recorded piece of art. First comes the craziness of recording the songs and the insanity of making sure that they all sound good and that no one is stepping on someone else's chords or whatever. After the initial battle is over, the real task comes. The mixing and mastering are the more extensive parts of recording. Neill will mix and we will listen and say, "Yeah, that's awesome!" or "No, that's not so awesome." We are almost through with that portion of it. It will be finished within this week I hope.
Now comes the strenuous responsibility of naming it, deciding on the track order, and deciding on artwork. This is something that very literally took us months on our last album A Closer Silence. We have a cover and back that we feel fairly positive about; but the issue came from the actual title of the album. This is really a very big deal when you think about it. Granted, many people don't pay much attention to the name of the album. However, some people do notice it and that the title of the album in a sense brings all of the songs together. It's like a thesis statement for a paper or the one ultimate one liner in a movie. It's the glue.
I rode home from Conway with Matt Mc yesterday and we discussed many things of how the world turns including this topic. The one title that we came up with really seemed to fit with the things that we were facing in our lives at the time and how we feel the songs reflect that. We are thinking about the title Whisper Louder. I know that is an oxymoron but it really does seem to fit the makeup of the album.
At the time all of these songs were coming together, many of us were in a transitional period in our lives. Matt Mc was getting ready to get married and starting a new chapter in his novel of life. He was trying to decide how this was all going to play together. How was his ministry going to fit in with his marriage and family and new job. I was nearing my college graduation which is in all actuality more of a scray thing than an awesome thing. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing and exciting day but the mystery of what's next can be horrifying. I was trying to figure out what was I to do with my life. I was trying to piece together my career path and how that may effect the rest of my life. I was trying to struggle with finding a way to stay in the ministry that God had called me to and still be able to pay my bills and take care of other things. Gwin was struggling with some decisions in his life with relationships and with school. He is also nearing the end of college and there are again some decisions that he will have to make. Justin and Tim were facing a really hard choice. They felt the Father telling them to leave the band they were in and come to us. That can be more than a frightening thing I am sure. Last March, Dusty Harris (our old guitar player) left the band and oneway went through a time of adaptation. We didn't know what we were going to do for a guitar player and then Justin and Tim came along. We weren't sure how things were going to work out with all of us playing and with Tim and I both singing lead, but it did.
We were all at points in our lives that things were changing for us and we were needing God to provide us with some direction. We knew that he was holy, and that he was God, and that he had placed this enormous passion in our heart for worship. However, we needed to know what he wanted us to do with it. Several of the songs reflect almost a sense of frustration and if that is what you feel then it's true. We were a bit frustrated because we needed to hear from God. His timing is perfect. In all of that frustration he was drawing us closer to him and helping us find ways of expressing our love and desire for what he had called us to do. Songs, like "Words" and "What if Your Hands are Full" reflect those feelings. Songs like "My" and "True Friend" seem to provide a resolution so to speak for that frustration.
The Lord worked everything out in his timing and with his perfect will. He is continuing to draw us together and to give us new music to tell of his greatness. I feel that our next album will be one of celebration of the greatness and glory of our God. Because he is just that, great and glorious.
Now comes the strenuous responsibility of naming it, deciding on the track order, and deciding on artwork. This is something that very literally took us months on our last album A Closer Silence. We have a cover and back that we feel fairly positive about; but the issue came from the actual title of the album. This is really a very big deal when you think about it. Granted, many people don't pay much attention to the name of the album. However, some people do notice it and that the title of the album in a sense brings all of the songs together. It's like a thesis statement for a paper or the one ultimate one liner in a movie. It's the glue.
I rode home from Conway with Matt Mc yesterday and we discussed many things of how the world turns including this topic. The one title that we came up with really seemed to fit with the things that we were facing in our lives at the time and how we feel the songs reflect that. We are thinking about the title Whisper Louder. I know that is an oxymoron but it really does seem to fit the makeup of the album.
At the time all of these songs were coming together, many of us were in a transitional period in our lives. Matt Mc was getting ready to get married and starting a new chapter in his novel of life. He was trying to decide how this was all going to play together. How was his ministry going to fit in with his marriage and family and new job. I was nearing my college graduation which is in all actuality more of a scray thing than an awesome thing. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing and exciting day but the mystery of what's next can be horrifying. I was trying to figure out what was I to do with my life. I was trying to piece together my career path and how that may effect the rest of my life. I was trying to struggle with finding a way to stay in the ministry that God had called me to and still be able to pay my bills and take care of other things. Gwin was struggling with some decisions in his life with relationships and with school. He is also nearing the end of college and there are again some decisions that he will have to make. Justin and Tim were facing a really hard choice. They felt the Father telling them to leave the band they were in and come to us. That can be more than a frightening thing I am sure. Last March, Dusty Harris (our old guitar player) left the band and oneway went through a time of adaptation. We didn't know what we were going to do for a guitar player and then Justin and Tim came along. We weren't sure how things were going to work out with all of us playing and with Tim and I both singing lead, but it did.
We were all at points in our lives that things were changing for us and we were needing God to provide us with some direction. We knew that he was holy, and that he was God, and that he had placed this enormous passion in our heart for worship. However, we needed to know what he wanted us to do with it. Several of the songs reflect almost a sense of frustration and if that is what you feel then it's true. We were a bit frustrated because we needed to hear from God. His timing is perfect. In all of that frustration he was drawing us closer to him and helping us find ways of expressing our love and desire for what he had called us to do. Songs, like "Words" and "What if Your Hands are Full" reflect those feelings. Songs like "My" and "True Friend" seem to provide a resolution so to speak for that frustration.
The Lord worked everything out in his timing and with his perfect will. He is continuing to draw us together and to give us new music to tell of his greatness. I feel that our next album will be one of celebration of the greatness and glory of our God. Because he is just that, great and glorious.
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