I could use some prayer

I'm in a quandry today because of something that happened last night that left me feeling rather "stung" or "in shock". I'm not sure how to feel or what to do about it but I know I need to spend some serious time in prayer. I'd really like to have some other people praying for me as well, so if you are one of the few readers of my blog and you feel like remembering me in your quiet time with God today, please do. I would appreciate it greatly. Sorry I can't give any details about the issue. I just don't know what to say right now. Thanks for praying though.

Sick but thankful

Well, it's Saturday, November 25th - two days after Thanksgiving - and I'm finally catching up on some blog reading and posting a new one of my own. Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday for me... and I say that in all seriousness despite the fact that my wife, my oldest daughter, and I were all sick with a stomach bug for the actual holiday day while visiting my wife's family (which is where we still are until Sunday afternoon when we'll leave after church). My in-laws came down with the same bug last night so we're just sharing the holiday joy. Ha ha! LOL Anyway, we were all thankful for the opportunity to visit with family and the safety God gave us on the road as we traveled up here.

In catching up on my favorite blogs I noticed that my blog got mentioned on Glenn Lavender's blog (bass player for Downhere) on Wednesday the 23rd as being one of the top referrers to his blog. That's cool and thanks to everyone who has clicked through my link to his site! I'm glad I could help build your readership, Glenn! Thanks for returning the favor by mentioning mine!

One other thing I'm thankful for today... last night someone whose musical opinion I really respect gave me his honest opinion of my band SoulFlight. No, we didn't get a review of flying colors, but he did give his honest opinion and I respect that and am thankful. Ultimately it only matters what God thinks of our music and what we do for Him with it, but it helps to know what others think as well so we know if/when/how we need to improve in order to be more effective and be better deliverers of God's message to people who come to our concerts.

I hope everyone else had a Happy Thanksgiving!

A little feedback please?

Hey, all you happy readers out there in blog-land! I just thought I'd take a minute or two to say that my band (SoulFlight) has a new MP3 clip posted on our Indieheaven artist page. It's a rough recording of one of our new songs titled "8:38". Please check it out and give us some feedback/constructive criticism - good, bad, or whatever. Thanks!

Hey, Third Day fans!

Head on over to ThirdDay.com or your local Christian bookstore and get your copy of "Wherever You Are", the new album which they released to stores today! Be sure and catch the live radio broadcast of Third Day's concert tonight at 8:00pm EST on these stations. At 9:00pm EST you can log back in to ThirdDay.com and check out the new web site design and features. Also, be sure to stop by Mark Lee's blog from time to time and see his latest posts.

Banner added on Nov. 2nd

November is coming!

Here it is October 31st already and I am realizing yet again how unfaithful I have been at posting to my blog. (Not that many people read it anyway - and I have only one person who regularly leaves comments - but it's a nice place to creatively release thoughts and vent emotions at times.) Since my wife and I don't celebrate Halloween, my thoughts today are more on the month ahead. I can't believe November is already here again! Is it just me or did God speed up time?

OK, so I guess I should preface this by saying that I'm not a big fan of winter... or at least I'm not anymore. I used to love winter and snow as a kid but the older I get the more I think I could just skip it if I had the choice. (However, I will choose the snow and ice storms up here in the good old northeastern part of the U.S. any day over the hurricanes, tornados, forest fires, mud slides, and earthquakes that so many other people suffer annually across this country. My heart goes out to them as do my prayers.)

That being said, my real love for this time of year are the holidays and the gathering of family and friends. As a kid, I always looked forward to Thanksgiving, smelling the delicious aromas of the holiday dishes wafting their way through the house, having fun watching the parades, floats, marching bands, and the board games with family following the big meal. These days I have grown fonder of reuniting with old friends at holiday parties and driving the long distance to my wife's parents' house to hear the happy laughter and see the twinkle of joy in my kids' eyes when we pull in to "grammie and grampie's" driveway.

November also marks the beginning of the annual run of holiday programming on TV. Everyone awaits their favorite show(s) and looks forward to the new additions, whether it's an old cartoon or a new movie. One of my favorite activities between November to February is to grab a cup of hot cocoa, a warm comforter or quilt, a seat in my favorite chair or on the couch with my wife and kids, and a good movie in the VCR or DVD player. Any good movie will do, but holiday flicks are the best because they're usually sentimental and good for the heart.

Most importantly for me, however, is that the holiday times also bring back a renewed focus on our Savior and Lord. Yes, we should have our minds fixed on Christ all year through, but it is always good to have special times of the year when we gather together to remember and contemplate publically. At Thanksgiving we thank Him for all He has done for us, whether in His providence throughout the year or in His death on the cross. At Christmas, we remember His birth and entrance into the world He came to die to save. At New Year's we thank Him for taking us through another year of life, the lessons He has taught us, and we ask for His blessings in the coming year.

As we draw nearer to the opening of this holiday season, take time to really focus again on Christ and what He means to you personally. Let's not just celebrate the holiday season out of habit but really let them be "holy days" in our hearts.

How many apples did you pick?

Homemade applesauce, yum! My grandmother had the best recipe for homemade applesauce that I have ever tasted.....plenty of cinnamon and sugar for that sweet tooth my grandfather and I have always had. I can remember many years watching and often helping my grandparents wash, cut up, and grind apples by hand in the old food mill (that crazy looking metal pot with the screen-like bottom and the handle you manually spun around until it felt like your arm would fall off). By the time I got married it had long been the only applesauce I would eat (unless there was an absolute emergency and I had to settle for store bought). I insisted my wife learn how to make it, and thankfully God kept my grandmother alive long enough for my wife to copy down many of her recipes (the applesauce being just one of many) and learn the art of "creating" each one with the special touch and taste that only grandma had mastered. (To this day my wife is the only one in my family who can cook anything like my grandmother. God really blessed me with this woman.)

Well, what started out as a treasured recipe to make my grandmother's applesauce for me turned into God's careful plan to prepare my wife and I for a needed food stock for our middle daughter. You see our second oldest, Shannon, was born with Cystic Fibrosis and has to take enzymes with every meal she eats, whether a small snack or full feast. The only thing these enzymes can be placed in (for a child as young as she to agreeably swallow) is some type of fruit because any other food will cause the enzymes to begin breaking down the food before they are ingested and reach the stomach. Yes, I said fruit. And of all the things the doctors could have suggested we use for a "carrier" of her enzymes, the first food item they mentioned almost every time was applesauce. See how God planned that all out? Tell me anyone can suggest that was a coincidence.

To make a long story short, we began to make large quantities of applesauce annually. It's a tradition you might say, and one we have passed on to several of our friends. Much of it gets used each year by us (mostly Shannon) but we also have extra that we pass out to friends and family. (There almost isn't a dinner we go to, be it at church, family holidays, parties at friends' houses, etc that my wife's applesauce isn't asked for.) This year, however, my wife decided we should begin adding a new step to our "family tradition". She decided we should pick the apples ourselves instead of purchasing them from a local produce seller who has them trucked in each year. She spent some time looking for the right orchard (it had to be one that grew the right apples - northern spies - or the applesauce just wouldn't be correct), but eventually she found one we could drive to. I then took off a vacation day from work this past Tuesday, packed my three giggling children and expectant wife (due in January with our fourth) into the mini-van, and headed out on our short journey.

Arriving at our destination, the weather looked as though it was going to cooperate. It wasn't too cool and the rain, which had been drizzling on and off for several days, lifted to just a faint mist. We exited the van, and after being picked up in a John Deere gator by the owner and whisked out to the section of spies in his orchard (a ride which all my girls enjoyed), we set about picking three bushels in the bags provided. It was an adventure I'll not soon forget. More giggling ensued, little hands reaching at every round object in site (ripe or not) on the branches they could get to, and shouts of "I've got another one!" echoed so that I thought everyone living close by would soon be coming to see what all the commotion was. After instructing our oldest two, Breanna and Shannon, to only pick the larger fruit and let the others stay to grow longer, it did not take long to fill our quota, load the bags back into the gator, and head back to the parking lot. I lifted the girls into the back, told my wife to sit in the front seat with the owner, and I enjoyed a liesurely stroll back on foot.

As I walked back I thought of my grandmother and what she would be saying that day. I'm sure she would have enjoyed seeing all the fun my family was having picking those apples to make her applesauce. I can imagine her laughing and asking each one "How many apples did you pick?" It's funny how the simple things in life become the most treasured. Thanks for the recipe, grandma. And thank you God for the apples of my eye - my wife and kids.

Giving it all to Him

I am on such a spiritual high right now that I just had to take the time to put down some thoughts. My band SoulFlight had another concert tonite at a local theater (Elmira Heights Theater) that is owned and operated by a wonderful Christian man, Craig Spencer, whose vision is to maintain a family friendly place of entertainment. His business is mostly in showing family friendly movies but he also opens up his facility to put on free or cheap concerts featuring everything from local ministries, bands, church praise teams, etc all the way up to nationally known CCM major label artists. (For instance, on October 14th Greg Long from Avalon will be singing along with his label mates Across The Sky. *NOTE - I found out after posting this that Across The Sky just broke up.*) Tonight's concert was a benefit concert put on by a local promoter to support Craig's ministry TFS Promotions and help raise funds for some improvements in his theater.

I have to tell you, and I'm sure there are those of you out there who know what I'm talking about and will agree, there is nothing like serving someone else in Christian love. SoulFlight has had the opportunity to play several times at this theater and we are already scheduled to play there two more times this year. To be asked to come play at this event for this man was an honor for us, not only to serve Christ but to serve a fellow servant of Christ who has blessed us. But God has a way of turning our blessing around and blessing those who choose to serve with a pure heart. Not only did people comment that SoulFlight sounded better tonight than we ever have before but the Holy Spirit poured down upon everyone in that place and we shared an awesome time of power praise and rocking worship with those in attendance. I can still hear their voices singing with us as we honored the King of kings and Lord of lords together. It sends shivers down my spine!

If there is anything I can pass on to you as words of advice tonight it would be to serve Christ with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul. Give it all to Him and choose to serve and minister to others in Christ's name out of His love for people everywhere. Let His love fill your hearts and overflow to those you come in contact with on your journey through life. I can assure you He will honor that and bless you in the process.

How small is this world?

It's a small world. That's such a relevant statement anymore. I sit here tonite thinking of all the countries I can not only see images of on the web but also all of the people from places I've never been to (and probably never will be) that I have been able to chat with. Blogs are just one small facet of that whole picture. Wow! You know it wasn't all that long ago that, as a teen, I used to sit and dream of visiting places in the world and meeting other people. Now here I am well into the age of the internet, and while I still haven't been physically to many of the places I have seen online, I have been able to reach out and touch at least some small virtual piece of my dream. It's amazing. I enjoy surfing, especially sites that have nature scenery and city scapes or those sites that tell stories about and/or describe life in other countries. Since I've been blogging (which hasn't been long) I have also been able to communicate with people I may never meet in person or read their thoughts and opinions on various topics.

Since the age of the internet began, I have often wondered if Christ was thinking ahead to our time when He said "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel". Think about it. Many of us may never travel physically beyond our own familiar borders, whether that be our neighborhood, our state or province, or even country. But we can travel online and be a light in a dark world. Thanks to technology, however, we even have the ability to go where it is difficult to travel even by foot. Even our words on a web site, such as a blog, can witness to someone on the opposite side of the earth while we sleep. While we stop and remember that our backyards, families, communities, etc are our own mission fields let us not forget to reach out to all our "communities". I think God truly expects us to use any means possible to further His kingdom. And when you stop to think about it.... the world really is a small place these days. Why can't we reach everyone with the Gospel? It just takes a little commitment and effort.

OK, so that was my two cents for this evening. I know it wasn't much but that was what I had on my mind. What about you? How do you feel about the world wide web?

Why is progress so painful?

Why is it that progress is always a painful process? Why do we fight against things that may improve our lives and/or situations? I'll never understand it but it seems like every effort for progress always encounters roadblocks, differences of opinion, fear of change.... That's really it, I think. Fear of change. We fear the unknown therefore we fear what has yet to be experienced. We fear the uncomfortable, and since we do not know if the new (fill in the blank) will be comfortable, we fear the new. We fear change because we grow used to the known and the comfortable (or what has become comfortable). I think we become lazy and don't want to put in the effort that change requires up front. We fear change because it may mean (and usually does) that we have to give up some control and/or we have to walk in faith.

Faith. Isn't that what we Christians should be striving to walk more in? Isn't that what is supposed to be growing in our lives as we walk with Christ? Why then is progress fought against the most within the walls of the church? Isn't that contradictory to what we are to be doing? I find it most interesting and indeed most saddening that progress is often looked on as "wrong" or "worldly" or causes divisions in the body of Christ. I am a member of the leadership in my home church and we are currently in the middle of some decisions we believe God is leading us to. These decisions are considered to be somehwhat of a "progress" from the church's past, yet they are so far causing quite a stir among some of the congregation. I'm praying very hard that things will turn out for the best but progress can be so painful.

Isn't it a good thing that Jesus didn't turn away from pain when He made His progress towards the cross?

Are all bass players the same?

OK, I know we aren't all the same but it appears that Glenn Lavender (of Downhere) and I have a few things in common. I was recently reading his blog and his post today (as well as one he referenced from earlier) could have easily been written word for word by me.

Here's his earlier one entitled "Risking Stupid"...

And here's today's post entitled "We Should Sing"...

God is in it...

Wow! I haven't been very faithful at writing here have I? Sorry everyone. I will try and make a better effort to post my thoughts and events on more occasions.

Today is just one such occasion....

This past Sunday was another one of those moments in life that God really reveals Himself to you. You know those times? Well, my band SoulFlight played at my church during the morning worship service. It was the first time we've ever been there for a morning service and everyone was present (the band, wives, some friends/supporters, etc). Wouldn't you know but God had the whole thing planned. This week's message was on several topics that we as a whole group (band members and all) have been dealing with lately and it became blatantly clear why we were all there together. We weren't there just to play and lead worship for the congregation (although that was a side benefit we enjoyed) but we were there for God to speak to us, clear our minds, and get us all back on the same page so we can keep doing this ministry we call SoulFlight. It was indeed an eye opener from God showing us just how much He cares about us and wants us to focus on serving Him. It was also a confirmation that He is in what we are doing and wants us to keep doing it.

I'm sure it won't come as a shock when I say that I drove home Sunday afternoon on a spiritual high, singing a new song God started giving me within minutes out of the church parking lot! I'm finishing it up so I can take it to a future practice and begin laying down the music with my band mates and I'm looking forward to seeing what else is in store for this Fall. If this past Sunday was any indication, I will have quite a bit to post here before the first snow flies....

God bless! I'll catch you all next time!

Science... I'm a little kid again.

When my oldest daughter reached school age (kindergarten), my wife and I made the choice to homeschool our children rather than send them to public schools for their education. It was a personal decision for us that we felt a conviction towards. No, we aren't one of those extremist couples who removes their children from all contact with the outside world. We make sure they have plenty of interaction with other kids and do activities outside our home setting. We just felt that our children could receive a better education at home away from all the garbage that permeates our public school systems these days until they were old enough and grounded enough spiritually to make a decision with us on whether or not they would graduate as homeschoolers.

That being said, my oldest daughter (Breanna) is now starting in third grade studies as of a couple weeks ago. My wife teaches most of the lessons while I'm at work because she is a stay-at-home mom. However, I get the privilege of helping teach at times in certain areas of study that fascinate me because I am considered by my wife to be the "better teacher" for those subjects. One of those subjects is science.

Breanna's current topic of study in science is the planets in our solar system. She has already learned and memorized the nine planets that orbit around our sun. One recent project she had for this section was to make a "model" solar system that will help keep things in perspective as the chapters go through various aspects of the world of outer space. The book suggested a small setup that would hang in a corner of her bedroom, but being the "we gotta do better" type of dad, I decided that we would make some nice circular cutouts from construction paper (cut to a better size so she could get an idea of scale) and tape them to the wall in our stairway with the bottom doorway being the sun and Pluto taped way up the stairwell. She was so excited and pleased with the outcome that we decided to do more. We made a moon for earth and plan to add moons for Jupiter and others as we go through her lessons. She made stars and scattered them across the wall to give it more of an "outer space" look, and we have plans to add comets, meteors, asteroids, etc. as we cover each topic in her book along the way. Can you tell dad is getting into this?

So, that being said, I'm feeling a bit like a kid again this week. Is that acceptable for a 36 year old male who just recently gave in to owning a minivan? (OK, so I really needed it with three kids and a fourth on the way. What's your point? At least I got a sport model with a wing and a kickin' CD player!)

I'm up late again

So here I sit, up late again as usual. Why is my body like this? Why can't I just convince myself that I need to go to bed at the normal time that other people do? I don't know. I'm just different I guess. I'm used to staying up (often to the wee hours) and can't seem to break the habit very easily, despite the fact that I'm not as young as I used to be (and I'm beginning to feel it more frequently).

OK, so what am I doing? Well, I'm sitting here typing my random thoughts into my blog, noodling on my generic brand acoustic/electric bass (one of three basses I own and play), and winding down from a night at the local asphalt race track. Tonight was the first night this year (I use to go every week) that I've been to the track and it turned out to be an exciting evening for me. A young kid (only 17) that I do a web site for won his first career feature race in the class he's currently in (which happens to be the top weekly class at the track). I was rather pleased that this had been the night I finally went.

Well, now that I've shared that I guess I'll go get ready for bed. My band has an outdoor concert tomorrow at a local church's summer block party. I'll catch everyone later!

Worthy or Unworthy? Remember Pauline.

I'd like to ask everyone to remember a lady named Pauline in your prayers this week.

While we (my SoulFlight bandmates and I) were out playing in Erie, PA this past weekend we had a lady (Pauline) rededicate her life to Christ during our concert. One of our sound crew was able to take her aside and pray with her while we finished our set and later I was able to speak with her and pray with her again.

One of the things that Pauline said she struggled with most is that she felt "unworthy" to be a Christian. She felt she didn't have everything all together like my band and I did. (I laughed inside at that one.) I grabbed my Bible and shared with her the following verses and message.

I told her that first of all none of us were "worthy" in and of ourselves (not even SoulFlight LOL ). Nobody is any more "worthy" to be a Christian that anyone else. God's word tells us, in John 3:3, that none of us will go to heaven unless we're born again because, as Romans 3:23 says, we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (That fact alone should make us all want to fall on our faces and cry "unclean" like the lepors of the Old Testament.) Thankfully, God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die in our place and take the penalty we all deserve. Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." When we repent of our sins, accept Christ as our Savior and put our faith in Him we take on His righteousness, His blamelessness, and His "worthiness". Romans 3:22 says "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Our faith in Him, His cleansing blood, and His promises are what makes us worthy. John 1:12 tells us that all who have received Him and believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God. Galatians 3:26-27 adds to that by saying "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." So our unworthiness is replaced by His worthiness through our faith in Him. And it is not something we can obtain on our own through our own efforts. It is a gift from God and all we have to do is accept it, receive it, and stand on it. Romans 6:23 tells us "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 2:8-9 says plainly "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

Have you felt unworthy in the past? Are you feeling unworthy now? Do you know someone who is feeling unworthy? Remember the message in God's word (and remember Pauline in your prayers). It is not our worthiness we need to worry about because our worthiness will never get any of us into heaven. It is only Christ's worthiness that He gives to us freely when we accept Him as our Savior. I will stand on that worthiness alone and claim to be a child of God. I am worthy because He is worthy. And if God considers us worthy because He sees His son's worthiness in us, then we ought to have a desire to live our lives as pleasing sacrifices to Him, worthy of His love and the price He paid to purchase us.

Why is it?

Can somebody explain to me why so many Christians compromise their faith and lives these days? Yeah, yeah, I know.... Peer pressure. A desensitized society that rubs off on desensitized Christians. A timidity to be bold for Christ. A lukewarm attitude or indifference about being different than the world. An ignorance of what it means to be truly Christian....followers of Christ. I could go on and on....

I recently got into a debate with some other Christians on a popular Christian band's web site message board. These individuals I had the privilege of chatting with were arguing that it was/is "OK" for Christians to curse (or "cuss" as they were calling it, which they say is different than cursing). All admitted that they "cuss" and find nothing wrong with it. It's "only" the condition of the heart when you use certain words, not the words themselves. Some said their pastor even cusses from the pulpit or even while praying to God Himself! One poor misguided soul even went as far as to say he "doesn't give a f***" what his pastor says while another jokingly posted that he "cusses responsibly". I sat and read these words (and many more) in utter shock and sadness at how much our secular, sinful society has affected some people who profess faith in our Lord and Savior. My brothers and sisters, this is not right! We should be different than the world around us! We should not be copying the world's bad habits and then trying to justify or "clean" them up by pretending they're ok! God's word tells us clearly that we should not let any unwholesome words out of our mouths. How can this be so misinterpretted or ignored?

Should Christians stand boldly for Christ and proclaim His word, denouncing the evil lies that are working their way through our congregations and stealing the souls of our fellow believers? I sure believe we should. I believe God's word also says that if we don't give warning that we will also be held accountable for keeping silent. I make no apologies for trying give warnings to my brothers and sisters out of honest concern for the Body and love for God's children. This recent occasion was no exception. "Legalist!" they cried. "Self-righteous!" others said. I was even called a "weaker brother" who had "less wisdom and understanding" by the very same young man who dropped the f-bomb. Now I don't claim to be the smartest guy in my neighborhood, and God has had to whack me with a two-by-four on more than one occasion, but when Romans chapter 14 is even thrown at me and others who dared to call sin a sin I have to question what translation of the Bible these people are reading. When I see this type of thing it's enough to make my heart break. I can't help but wonder how our Father in heaven feels when He hears the foul language of His children and then the attempts to demand innocence in His presence. How often do people choose to take a shower and then refuse to turn the water on and scrub? Like it or not, no amount of deodorant will cover the inevitable stench before God's nose.

Tonight I shed a tear. I shed a tear for the lost who should be found...the found who should be running home after the Shepherd but instead have become ensnared again in another patch of brambles just shy of the open, lush, green meadow. Dear Lord am I a dumb sheep too? Help me to always see my weaknesses through the work of your Holy Spirit, even if it means a whack from your staff. Help me to understand your ways and have a growing desire to cast off my old clothes for your new ones. Help me to see my mistakes and overcome my dumb sheep ways. Thank you for your Son, your mercy, and your grace.