Ok... so I'm a worship leader. That means that I love all the worship tunes that you would normally hear on the radio or that can be found in most churches on your average Sunday morning, right?
No, not really.
Its usually the case that given any one organization of song writers (Hillsong United, Maranatha Praise, Vineyard Praise, Sovereign Grace, Indelible Grace etc), that I find myself drawn to a small sub-grouping of individual writers. That is to say that while I can say "I like Hillsong United", what I really mean to say is that there are certain songwriters within the Hillsong United family that I enjoy.
Now, don't take me wrong... this is not to say that any of the writers that aren't on my preferred list are less Godly, less talented or not as worthwhile... I am simply stating that given my personal preferences, there are only a few that I really enjoy.
This brings me to Brooke Fraser. Six months ago or so, I was introduced to one of her songs: "Hosanna". It was on some Hillsong project that someone had loaned to me to learn for a worship set. I remember distinctly thinking how great a song it was (and is).
More recently, the other singer for my Sunday night services (Thanks Virginia!!) gave me some music to another one of Brooke's songs entitled "None but Jesus". I'll admit that just reading through the music didn't give me much of a feel for the song, but I thought it would be worth checking out... so I piled it away in my list of "songs I hope to do in the future".
When I finally got around to tracking down the song on iTunes and giving it a listen, I was pleasantly surprised... another great song by Brooke.
Move forward a few more weeks... while reading through one of my trade magazines, there was a mention of the release of Brooke's new CD, "Albertine". Within a day or so of reading that, I also came across a review that Bob Kauflin put on his blog suggesting that people check out this new CD. (While some of you may not know who Bob is, he is well respected in my circle of worship-leading friends.)
I told Virginia about the CD being out and Bob's review and we both talked about how we needed to buy the CD.
Fast-forward to the service last night. While I'm finishing packing up, Virginia comes up to me and says "I got the CD and you're going to borrow it." Its true. She got the CD and I borrowed it. *grin*
I had to take a trip across town today, so I took it with me and popped it into the CD player... and was very surprised with what I heard.
Typically, I jump around CDs. I either get drawn into certain songs or pushed away from certain songs within the first 30 seconds or so. This was not the case with the Albertine CD.
Of the first 10 songs (that's all I had a chance to listen to), there was only one song that almost got the "next" from me. It wasn't necessarily because it was bad, but it was just not as good as the others.
Track for track, I was impressed with the writing and production of the CD.
I will say that many of the songs are similar... in fact, there were a couple vocal lines that were "re-used" from one song to the next... but the production and styling of the CD were impressive enough that it didn't matter.
If you don't know who Brooke is, but like Coldplay, Neil Finn, Sara Groves and a good message - do yourself a favor and check out the CD.
If you don't know who any of the people are I mentioned, STILL do yourself a favor and check out the CD.
I'm not sure Virginia is going to get her CD back. *grin*
In Him,
Jim
Monday, August 4, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Stop Or Go
Recently, God's been teaching me a lesson on perspective. His perspective versus ours. I'll admit it... I'm often one to focus on the rip in the silver lining (*grin*), so this is an interesting, painful and tedious lesson to unravel.
I would be curious to know your thoughts on this. How do we differentiate God teaching us through adversity (while working toward a goal) versus God presenting adversity to steer us away to another path?
Let me present a hypothetical example: You work at Wal-Mart. You enjoy working at Wal-Mart and have peace in feeling like you are meant to be there. You might even say that you feel called to work for Wal-Mart and believe that you are well suited for work at the customer service counter (though you currently work in the warehouse). Of the 5 or 6 people you began your employment with, 4 of them have since moved on to be customer service workers... seemingly with little effort... while you remain in the warehouse having been passed over 4 or 5 times.
Would you say that A) God is protecting you from being in customer service, even though you believe that's where you should be, B) God is refining something in you to better prepare you for your customer service roll, C) God has nothing to do with it... try harder or D) some other answer?
Obviously, this is NOT my situation, nor are the answers I presented the only way of looking at things... I just thought it would be interesting to hear how you all would reconcile the situation.
Let me know your thoughts!
In Him,
Jim
I would be curious to know your thoughts on this. How do we differentiate God teaching us through adversity (while working toward a goal) versus God presenting adversity to steer us away to another path?
Let me present a hypothetical example: You work at Wal-Mart. You enjoy working at Wal-Mart and have peace in feeling like you are meant to be there. You might even say that you feel called to work for Wal-Mart and believe that you are well suited for work at the customer service counter (though you currently work in the warehouse). Of the 5 or 6 people you began your employment with, 4 of them have since moved on to be customer service workers... seemingly with little effort... while you remain in the warehouse having been passed over 4 or 5 times.
Would you say that A) God is protecting you from being in customer service, even though you believe that's where you should be, B) God is refining something in you to better prepare you for your customer service roll, C) God has nothing to do with it... try harder or D) some other answer?
Obviously, this is NOT my situation, nor are the answers I presented the only way of looking at things... I just thought it would be interesting to hear how you all would reconcile the situation.
Let me know your thoughts!
In Him,
Jim
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
You Didn't Let Go - Julie's Song
In yesterday's post, I mentioned a song that my friend Joel had recently written for a friend's funeral.
With Joel's permission, I've posted the song for you to listen to:
In Him,
Jim
With Joel's permission, I've posted the song for you to listen to:
You Didn't Let Go - Julie's Song
In Him,
Jim
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Mortality
This afternoon I emailed my friend Joel about some songs he and I are considering working on together. The response I received was not one that I expected.
He told me that he hasn't been able to listen to the songs yet, because a close friend of his died tragically this past week.
She was apparently trying to rescue a young girl from a river when she was overtaken by the current herself and drown.
My friend wrote a song for the funeral.
I took a listen to it tonight and was struck by the beauty of the words that he had to say about his friend.
It makes me wonder what people would say about me? It makes me wonder what I would say about the people I know? How well do I know them and how well do they know me?
It also makes me realize that your health today doesn't always equate to your life tomorrow. Sometimes God defies all earthly reasoning and keeps people like my friend Jody alive... while taking people like Joel's friend.
It puts into perspective the days that I'm too wrapped up in myself to care for others. Or the times that I bark at the kids because they aren't behaving as I expect.
How well did we use today? How much faith do we put in tomorrow?
Maybe I'll ask Joel if I can post a link to the song here. It truly is a beautiful tribute to his friend.
In Him,
Jim
He told me that he hasn't been able to listen to the songs yet, because a close friend of his died tragically this past week.
She was apparently trying to rescue a young girl from a river when she was overtaken by the current herself and drown.
My friend wrote a song for the funeral.
I took a listen to it tonight and was struck by the beauty of the words that he had to say about his friend.
It makes me wonder what people would say about me? It makes me wonder what I would say about the people I know? How well do I know them and how well do they know me?
It also makes me realize that your health today doesn't always equate to your life tomorrow. Sometimes God defies all earthly reasoning and keeps people like my friend Jody alive... while taking people like Joel's friend.
It puts into perspective the days that I'm too wrapped up in myself to care for others. Or the times that I bark at the kids because they aren't behaving as I expect.
How well did we use today? How much faith do we put in tomorrow?
Maybe I'll ask Joel if I can post a link to the song here. It truly is a beautiful tribute to his friend.
In Him,
Jim
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Flood And The Call
So, if you watch the news at all, you probably know that Iowa has been dealing with some serious flooding. Cedar Rapids (the town I live in) has been experiencing a 500-year flood, which essentially means we've never seen anything like it before.
Life, as we know it, has changed.
In Iowa City, the church I serve at was completely overtaken by water - requiring us to hold our services in a local school auditorium.
This weekend, I left Cedar Rapids at 5:00 am to head for Iowa City. What would have normally been a 40 minute drive on major interstates turned into an hour and 15 minute drive across small highways and gravel back roads. In my 30 some odd years of living in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas, I drove through parts that I never even knew existed... hoping and praying that my old Honda with her 202,000 earned miles would safely make the journey.
As I made the trek early yesterday morning, there were hardly any cars out and about. As the sun lazily poked its head up from the east, I was amazed by the landscape that was being revealed. There were ponds of water and swollen rivers all over the countryside, clearly showing why the other routes between the two cities were closed.
As I sit here today contemplating a pretty big mental struggle in my life, I can't help but reflect on how God's call is like my drive through the flood: I often assume God will show up in ways that make sense to me... much like I've always assumed that the interstate would be open for me to travel upon... but sometimes its when God has us on those uncharted back roads, filled with uncertainty, that His light most clearly reveals the dangers He is helping us avoid. Much like the watery landscape that I could see from my back road adventure.
When I arrived in Iowa City yesterday morning I was early, so I turned the engine off , rolled down the window and sat listening to the birds chirping and the cool wind blowing. Amazed at the tranquility at the end of my journey. Not because I was clear of any additional storms, but more so because for that brief moment I could enjoy God's beauty in spite of the storms after a journey of doubt.
The time I spent worshiping with the church that morning was precious.
I guess my prayer in all of this is to be willing to "get in the car and drive". Its easy in a situation such as a flood to hole up and ignore your surroundings. Its easy to say "if I can't get there my way, I won't go at all". I want to allow God to take me on those back roads and reveal to me the dangers that He has helped me avoid. I want God to show me that willingness is stronger than fear. And I want to take the time between the storms to roll down the windows and reflect on the journey.
In Him,
Jim
Life, as we know it, has changed.
In Iowa City, the church I serve at was completely overtaken by water - requiring us to hold our services in a local school auditorium.
This weekend, I left Cedar Rapids at 5:00 am to head for Iowa City. What would have normally been a 40 minute drive on major interstates turned into an hour and 15 minute drive across small highways and gravel back roads. In my 30 some odd years of living in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas, I drove through parts that I never even knew existed... hoping and praying that my old Honda with her 202,000 earned miles would safely make the journey.
As I made the trek early yesterday morning, there were hardly any cars out and about. As the sun lazily poked its head up from the east, I was amazed by the landscape that was being revealed. There were ponds of water and swollen rivers all over the countryside, clearly showing why the other routes between the two cities were closed.
As I sit here today contemplating a pretty big mental struggle in my life, I can't help but reflect on how God's call is like my drive through the flood: I often assume God will show up in ways that make sense to me... much like I've always assumed that the interstate would be open for me to travel upon... but sometimes its when God has us on those uncharted back roads, filled with uncertainty, that His light most clearly reveals the dangers He is helping us avoid. Much like the watery landscape that I could see from my back road adventure.
When I arrived in Iowa City yesterday morning I was early, so I turned the engine off , rolled down the window and sat listening to the birds chirping and the cool wind blowing. Amazed at the tranquility at the end of my journey. Not because I was clear of any additional storms, but more so because for that brief moment I could enjoy God's beauty in spite of the storms after a journey of doubt.
The time I spent worshiping with the church that morning was precious.
I guess my prayer in all of this is to be willing to "get in the car and drive". Its easy in a situation such as a flood to hole up and ignore your surroundings. Its easy to say "if I can't get there my way, I won't go at all". I want to allow God to take me on those back roads and reveal to me the dangers that He has helped me avoid. I want God to show me that willingness is stronger than fear. And I want to take the time between the storms to roll down the windows and reflect on the journey.
In Him,
Jim
Monday, May 19, 2008
Conviction, The Holy Spirit And Hot Dogs
This past Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of lunch with a friend and coworker of mine. Granted, I normally get to eat lunch on Fridays with my coworkers, but this particular Friday it was just me and Jeff... and when its just me and Jeff, we tend to eat less healthy foods than usual. Friday's choice was a favorite of mine - the Flying Wienie in Cedar Rapids.
For those 10 or 20 of you that actually own a Just William CD, we actually featured a cup with the Flying Wienie logo in one of the pictures on the inside of the CD cover.
The food was of course excellent, but the conversation was nice too.
Jeff is a very intelligent man... far smarter than I am. His office is immaculate - mine usually looks like a series of small tornadoes attacked some cross of a music store, a Mt. Dew factory and a home office. His lawn is nicely manicured - mine doesn't need mowing, because the dandelions have such pretty flowers and it would be a shame to cut them all to pieces.
All additional Felix Ungar/Oscar Madison comparisons aside, Jeff and I share a love for the arts and I believe both of us have hearts for being obedient toward God's will.
I appreciated the time of being able to bounce my scattered rants past Jeff and see where that directed the conversation.
To say that life has been crazy lately, would be an understatement. To claim that my heart isn't being torn in two over many situations, would be less than honest. To state that I desire clarity of direction from God, would be far too mild... but in the midst of it all, I praise God for conversations such as the one this past Friday. Conversations where smarter men than I reassure me that my convictions aren't crazy.
I've had several of those lately... this past week with Jeff, a few weeks back when Ashley and I met John and Sharon in Dubuque, a phone call here and there from my friend Paul and several late night talks with my wife, Ashley.
So... why on earth the title of this particular post? Well, its simple: Godly conviction, the work of the Holy Spirit and Flying Wienie hot dogs have all shared a special place in my heart this past week... I also can't seem to get my fill of any of them.. and they all seem better when shared with a friend.
Grab a friend and go down to the Flying Wienie. Order up a "double play" (two dogs Chicago style) and sit back and ask each other what it is God wants to communicate in and through our lives. Trust me, it makes for an enjoyable and thought provoking afternoon.
In Him,
Jim
For those 10 or 20 of you that actually own a Just William CD, we actually featured a cup with the Flying Wienie logo in one of the pictures on the inside of the CD cover.
The food was of course excellent, but the conversation was nice too.
Jeff is a very intelligent man... far smarter than I am. His office is immaculate - mine usually looks like a series of small tornadoes attacked some cross of a music store, a Mt. Dew factory and a home office. His lawn is nicely manicured - mine doesn't need mowing, because the dandelions have such pretty flowers and it would be a shame to cut them all to pieces.
All additional Felix Ungar/Oscar Madison comparisons aside, Jeff and I share a love for the arts and I believe both of us have hearts for being obedient toward God's will.
I appreciated the time of being able to bounce my scattered rants past Jeff and see where that directed the conversation.
To say that life has been crazy lately, would be an understatement. To claim that my heart isn't being torn in two over many situations, would be less than honest. To state that I desire clarity of direction from God, would be far too mild... but in the midst of it all, I praise God for conversations such as the one this past Friday. Conversations where smarter men than I reassure me that my convictions aren't crazy.
I've had several of those lately... this past week with Jeff, a few weeks back when Ashley and I met John and Sharon in Dubuque, a phone call here and there from my friend Paul and several late night talks with my wife, Ashley.
So... why on earth the title of this particular post? Well, its simple: Godly conviction, the work of the Holy Spirit and Flying Wienie hot dogs have all shared a special place in my heart this past week... I also can't seem to get my fill of any of them.. and they all seem better when shared with a friend.
Grab a friend and go down to the Flying Wienie. Order up a "double play" (two dogs Chicago style) and sit back and ask each other what it is God wants to communicate in and through our lives. Trust me, it makes for an enjoyable and thought provoking afternoon.
In Him,
Jim
Friday, April 11, 2008
We Serve A God Of Wonder
Have you ever sat quietly and thought about how amazing God really is? Marveled at the wonder of His ways? Truly tried to be aware of His presence?
This past week has been filled with what we call around here "God winks". That's actually a term that my wife and a couple of dear friends have used for quite some time. I don't know if its original to them, but that's where I learned it from.
Let's start off with an update on a situation: My throat. As some of you may know (if you read a few posts back), I had an appointment to see an ENT physician about some stress and strain on my voice. I think my primary physician categorized it as "chronic laryngitis". I've had struggles with keeping my voice healthy for a while... it is usually fine when I really need it, but then I'd pay for it for a day or two after from the strain.
I had the chance to sing for a friend's wedding (Hey Katie and Eli!!) back a month and a half ago. I know God was protecting me, as I was sick but managed to make it through a day of rehearsals and the actual wedding. However, immediately after (the next week) I pretty much lost my voice completely, which is what prompted the ENT visit.
Well, in order to not drag this on - I was concerned that I had nodules on my vocal cords, which are actually like calluses and can cause all sorts of problems with your voice. After two visits to the ENT and having cameras pushed down my throat, I am pleased to say that they didn't find any.
The doctor said that I have acid reflux and allergies... both of which cause vocal fatigue and "crud in your throat". Both treatable by medication.
Sorry for that long update... that's not really the purpose of this post, but I wanted to let everyone know how it was progressing. I still have two more doctors appointments to test for allergies and check treatment options.
Now... what I wanted to talk about is how God stirs us. How He communicates in ways and through things we don't expect. How if we really pay attention to Him, He shows up in some unusual places.
A while back a friend from the church I lead worship at came across a familiar name on my blog. Turns out the person named was ALSO a friend of his!! Mr. Smith (I'll call him that since it really is his name) got in touch with Caesar (That's not his name, but it is easier to type than his real name!) and mentioned my blog. Caesar checked it out and decided to get in touch with me... after we hadn't really communicated for several years.
Anyhow Caesar (his last name is Czerwinski... get the connection?) has since been in contact with me several times. Its been great reconnecting with my friend... he was the director of the very first praise team I ever served on many, many moons ago. He was a great encourager then and an even better one now.
Rumor has it that he even had his worship team at his current church read my blog... maybe he was trying to get his 15 seconds of fame!! I'm joking of course... Caesar is one of the nicest, most servant-hearted people I know.
I won't go into details, but God seems to have brought him back into my life at this time to stir some possible answers to some very recent, but very real prayers. Answers that are so far outside the box from what I was expecting.
Maybe those answers will turn out to just be more questions, but none the less my friend reminded me of the wonder of the God we serve. How unpredictable His path is by human reasoning, but how sweetly and perfectly predictable His faithfulness to us and grace and love for us are.
Now... here's more fuel for the fire. 24 hours prior to Caesar calling me, I had sent a prayer list to another friend in Texas (Hey Emily!!) and had a conversation with my wife about a particular prayer request.
I tried very hard on the list I sent Emily to be honest about my family's prayer needs. I wanted to ask for prayer in areas that would only be answered by God's hand. It just so happens that one of the things Caesar felt like he needed to talk with me about was one of those prayer requests. He had no knowledge of me sending them to Emily.
Also on that SAME day, I got emails from two other long, lost friends... basically all checking in to say they were "thinking about me".
It has truly been a strange, strange week. I'm not sure how it will all resolve and that may not even be the point... I think the point for me today is just to be in awe of the God we serve and how amazing it is that He interacts with us the way that He does. This isn't a spectator sport and we aren't simply pawns in a game.
I told my friend Jim from PA about the prayer email and how it didn't even take 24 hours for some of it to be addressed... Jim's comment back to me was along the lines of "What?! You don't think God can read emails!?"
So... I'm not sure where you are all at with your personal walks. Not sure where your desires and convictions are... but I pray that you would look for God around every corner and behind every situation that exists in your life. I promise you He is there and that once we quiet our own voice to hear His, we might just be surprised by His presence, blessed by His love and kept in awe of His wonder.
In Him,
Jim
This past week has been filled with what we call around here "God winks". That's actually a term that my wife and a couple of dear friends have used for quite some time. I don't know if its original to them, but that's where I learned it from.
Let's start off with an update on a situation: My throat. As some of you may know (if you read a few posts back), I had an appointment to see an ENT physician about some stress and strain on my voice. I think my primary physician categorized it as "chronic laryngitis". I've had struggles with keeping my voice healthy for a while... it is usually fine when I really need it, but then I'd pay for it for a day or two after from the strain.
I had the chance to sing for a friend's wedding (Hey Katie and Eli!!) back a month and a half ago. I know God was protecting me, as I was sick but managed to make it through a day of rehearsals and the actual wedding. However, immediately after (the next week) I pretty much lost my voice completely, which is what prompted the ENT visit.
Well, in order to not drag this on - I was concerned that I had nodules on my vocal cords, which are actually like calluses and can cause all sorts of problems with your voice. After two visits to the ENT and having cameras pushed down my throat, I am pleased to say that they didn't find any.
The doctor said that I have acid reflux and allergies... both of which cause vocal fatigue and "crud in your throat". Both treatable by medication.
Sorry for that long update... that's not really the purpose of this post, but I wanted to let everyone know how it was progressing. I still have two more doctors appointments to test for allergies and check treatment options.
Now... what I wanted to talk about is how God stirs us. How He communicates in ways and through things we don't expect. How if we really pay attention to Him, He shows up in some unusual places.
A while back a friend from the church I lead worship at came across a familiar name on my blog. Turns out the person named was ALSO a friend of his!! Mr. Smith (I'll call him that since it really is his name) got in touch with Caesar (That's not his name, but it is easier to type than his real name!) and mentioned my blog. Caesar checked it out and decided to get in touch with me... after we hadn't really communicated for several years.
Anyhow Caesar (his last name is Czerwinski... get the connection?) has since been in contact with me several times. Its been great reconnecting with my friend... he was the director of the very first praise team I ever served on many, many moons ago. He was a great encourager then and an even better one now.
Rumor has it that he even had his worship team at his current church read my blog... maybe he was trying to get his 15 seconds of fame!! I'm joking of course... Caesar is one of the nicest, most servant-hearted people I know.
I won't go into details, but God seems to have brought him back into my life at this time to stir some possible answers to some very recent, but very real prayers. Answers that are so far outside the box from what I was expecting.
Maybe those answers will turn out to just be more questions, but none the less my friend reminded me of the wonder of the God we serve. How unpredictable His path is by human reasoning, but how sweetly and perfectly predictable His faithfulness to us and grace and love for us are.
Now... here's more fuel for the fire. 24 hours prior to Caesar calling me, I had sent a prayer list to another friend in Texas (Hey Emily!!) and had a conversation with my wife about a particular prayer request.
I tried very hard on the list I sent Emily to be honest about my family's prayer needs. I wanted to ask for prayer in areas that would only be answered by God's hand. It just so happens that one of the things Caesar felt like he needed to talk with me about was one of those prayer requests. He had no knowledge of me sending them to Emily.
Also on that SAME day, I got emails from two other long, lost friends... basically all checking in to say they were "thinking about me".
It has truly been a strange, strange week. I'm not sure how it will all resolve and that may not even be the point... I think the point for me today is just to be in awe of the God we serve and how amazing it is that He interacts with us the way that He does. This isn't a spectator sport and we aren't simply pawns in a game.
I told my friend Jim from PA about the prayer email and how it didn't even take 24 hours for some of it to be addressed... Jim's comment back to me was along the lines of "What?! You don't think God can read emails!?"
So... I'm not sure where you are all at with your personal walks. Not sure where your desires and convictions are... but I pray that you would look for God around every corner and behind every situation that exists in your life. I promise you He is there and that once we quiet our own voice to hear His, we might just be surprised by His presence, blessed by His love and kept in awe of His wonder.
In Him,
Jim
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Are We Too Apathetic?
Today I was getting ready for the day and had the Weather Channel on. They were discussing the weather for tonight's space shuttle landing. I had no idea that the shuttle was landing tonight... I barely even remembered that it had been launched.
I started thinking about how "routine" it has become for our space program to take a large chunk of metal, propelled by controlled explosions and send it hurdling past the earth's atmosphere to rendezvous with other chunks of metal held in a somewhat continuous orbit in space.
I remember in Jr. High going to the school library to watch the shuttle launches and landings live... because they were such a big deal. I was even there watching live when the Challenger catastrophe happened.
My point being, the amazing feats involved with such shuttle launches and landings are no less astonishing today... we've simply become accustomed to them.
Parallel this with our walk as a Christian. Have we become so accustomed to the miracle of salvation that we treat it as common place? Are we still amazed daily at the grace provided to us by a loving God and how that has forever changed our eternity?
I might just have to have the kids sit down tonight and watch the shuttle landing.
Jim
I started thinking about how "routine" it has become for our space program to take a large chunk of metal, propelled by controlled explosions and send it hurdling past the earth's atmosphere to rendezvous with other chunks of metal held in a somewhat continuous orbit in space.
I remember in Jr. High going to the school library to watch the shuttle launches and landings live... because they were such a big deal. I was even there watching live when the Challenger catastrophe happened.
My point being, the amazing feats involved with such shuttle launches and landings are no less astonishing today... we've simply become accustomed to them.
Parallel this with our walk as a Christian. Have we become so accustomed to the miracle of salvation that we treat it as common place? Are we still amazed daily at the grace provided to us by a loving God and how that has forever changed our eternity?
I might just have to have the kids sit down tonight and watch the shuttle landing.
Jim
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
In Sickness And In Health...
Hey all. Sorry it has been such a long time since I last wrote something here. Life has just been... well... busy, like life tends to do from time to time.
How have you all been? Seriously... I'd love to know. I never know who reads my little rants and raves in my small corner of the internet. I don't claim to have any wonderful insights that people would line up to read and I certainly break the rule of "sharing too much" to the point that people probably shy away. Still, it always amazes me the little notes or comments I get from people... many of which I had no idea ever visit here.
So what's new with me? I've been sick... really sick. I'm on my third week of various "cruds". At first I had the flu. Followed immediately by a cold.
The amazing thing is that I had a wedding to sing at right in the middle of those two. I worried that I wouldn't have a voice, but God somehow saw it fit for me to be able to sing for literally about a 72 hour period.
Its usually the case that I push the limits of what my body wants to do when I am sick. I usually try to downplay being sick and stay active in events. Even this past weekend, I was to play a coffee shop gig with my friend Paul and I was certain that I'd pull through for that one as well. My body had different plans. I played the show, but I had no voice to sing with... so I simply played "guitar monkey" while Paul did all the singing.
What was my body's answer to me pushing it so hard these past several weeks? A throat and sinus infection. Barely any voice, fevers, chills, shakes, night sweats, headaches, joint pains... Its been a miserable last week. So much so that I finally caved in and asked my wife to schedule an appointment with the doctor (I dislike going to doctor's offices).
He put me on some horse pills to fight the infection. Coupled with that is a nice concoction of cold and sinus medicine, pain killers and sleep aids... this of course leaves me in a medicated state. I know what you're thinking and yes, the doctor DID tell me to take these things.
I feel better today than I did two days ago, but I'm certainly not back to 100%... not even 80% yet...
Since I rarely go to doctors, I took the opportunity to talk with my doctor (who by the way is the same age as me... its really kind of strange) about an ongoing complication I've had. For the past several years, my voice has tended to give out with little to no warning. It doesn't go away completely, it just loses some of its range and makes it difficult to sing. It will usually be the case that I can make it through a rehearsal for a service, but by the time the service starts my voice is so warn out that I can't sing what I was just able to 30 minutes before. I also often find my voice scratchy or cracking while I'm talking. I've worried about this for some time, but just haven't done anything about it.
The doctor told me that it could be one of three things: acid reflux, allergies or nodules on my vocal cords. Acid reflux and allergies can be treated with medication. Nodules often require vocal rest at the least and surgery (with weeks to months of vocal rest) at the worst. If surgery is needed, there is the possibility of not being able to sing or having a completely different sound to your voice.
He referred me to an ENT specialist. The scheduler called them right then and there to set up an appointment (which I was expecting to be weeks out, knowing how medical schedules are)... my appointment is TOMORROW.
I don't want to be a hypochondriac, but I'm certainly nervous about what they will tell me.
I'd appreciate prayers over this matter.
Something else I should mention... I'll be participating in this year's Worship Summit here in Cedar Rapids. I'll be playing guitar for a couple of the groups through the weekend and teaching break out sessions during the day on Saturday. The biggest news for me in regards to the Summit, is that I will be the keynote speaker for Friday night!! I was involved in working with a few national artists for the keynote spot on Friday, but it seems that God had other plans. I kept having this thought of a particular topic going through my head. I asked my friend Paul what he thought and before I knew what I had done, I was the speaker. *grin* Seriously though, I'm looking forward to it!!
I strongly recommend you looking into the conference if you are in the Cedar Rapids area. Its going to be a good one this year!!
Thanks for letting me bend your ear... I'll try to be more "up to date" here as I learn more about my throat and my head climbs out from beneath the fog of medication.
In Him,
Jim
How have you all been? Seriously... I'd love to know. I never know who reads my little rants and raves in my small corner of the internet. I don't claim to have any wonderful insights that people would line up to read and I certainly break the rule of "sharing too much" to the point that people probably shy away. Still, it always amazes me the little notes or comments I get from people... many of which I had no idea ever visit here.
So what's new with me? I've been sick... really sick. I'm on my third week of various "cruds". At first I had the flu. Followed immediately by a cold.
The amazing thing is that I had a wedding to sing at right in the middle of those two. I worried that I wouldn't have a voice, but God somehow saw it fit for me to be able to sing for literally about a 72 hour period.
Its usually the case that I push the limits of what my body wants to do when I am sick. I usually try to downplay being sick and stay active in events. Even this past weekend, I was to play a coffee shop gig with my friend Paul and I was certain that I'd pull through for that one as well. My body had different plans. I played the show, but I had no voice to sing with... so I simply played "guitar monkey" while Paul did all the singing.
What was my body's answer to me pushing it so hard these past several weeks? A throat and sinus infection. Barely any voice, fevers, chills, shakes, night sweats, headaches, joint pains... Its been a miserable last week. So much so that I finally caved in and asked my wife to schedule an appointment with the doctor (I dislike going to doctor's offices).
He put me on some horse pills to fight the infection. Coupled with that is a nice concoction of cold and sinus medicine, pain killers and sleep aids... this of course leaves me in a medicated state. I know what you're thinking and yes, the doctor DID tell me to take these things.
I feel better today than I did two days ago, but I'm certainly not back to 100%... not even 80% yet...
Since I rarely go to doctors, I took the opportunity to talk with my doctor (who by the way is the same age as me... its really kind of strange) about an ongoing complication I've had. For the past several years, my voice has tended to give out with little to no warning. It doesn't go away completely, it just loses some of its range and makes it difficult to sing. It will usually be the case that I can make it through a rehearsal for a service, but by the time the service starts my voice is so warn out that I can't sing what I was just able to 30 minutes before. I also often find my voice scratchy or cracking while I'm talking. I've worried about this for some time, but just haven't done anything about it.
The doctor told me that it could be one of three things: acid reflux, allergies or nodules on my vocal cords. Acid reflux and allergies can be treated with medication. Nodules often require vocal rest at the least and surgery (with weeks to months of vocal rest) at the worst. If surgery is needed, there is the possibility of not being able to sing or having a completely different sound to your voice.
He referred me to an ENT specialist. The scheduler called them right then and there to set up an appointment (which I was expecting to be weeks out, knowing how medical schedules are)... my appointment is TOMORROW.
I don't want to be a hypochondriac, but I'm certainly nervous about what they will tell me.
I'd appreciate prayers over this matter.
Something else I should mention... I'll be participating in this year's Worship Summit here in Cedar Rapids. I'll be playing guitar for a couple of the groups through the weekend and teaching break out sessions during the day on Saturday. The biggest news for me in regards to the Summit, is that I will be the keynote speaker for Friday night!! I was involved in working with a few national artists for the keynote spot on Friday, but it seems that God had other plans. I kept having this thought of a particular topic going through my head. I asked my friend Paul what he thought and before I knew what I had done, I was the speaker. *grin* Seriously though, I'm looking forward to it!!
I strongly recommend you looking into the conference if you are in the Cedar Rapids area. Its going to be a good one this year!!
Thanks for letting me bend your ear... I'll try to be more "up to date" here as I learn more about my throat and my head climbs out from beneath the fog of medication.
In Him,
Jim
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Roby Duke
It may be a little known fact to many, but singer-songwriter/folk/fingerstyle guitar music has been a favorite of mine for many years, though I tend to steer clear of the names that most people know (James Taylor, etc.)
Instead I have a handful of lesser known artists that I've grown to appreciate over the years: Tuck and Patti, David Wilcox, Neil Finn, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, EmmyLou Harris, John Hiatt, etc.
One such artist that I have been influenced by over the years was a man named Roby Duke.
I was introduced to Roby (musically) by my friend, John Czerwinski, back in 1990 or 1991. I had never heard of him before, but John insisted that I take a listen to this person.
One listen was all it really took.
It was hard to find Roby's recordings (and still is to some extent), but I remember purchasing "Bridge Divine" and just getting lost listening to it as I drove around Iowa City (a habit I developed to escape for a little while).
That particular CD told much of Roby's life story. From his upbringing in Mississippi, to his struggle with friends and family, to his ultimate desire to surrender to God.
If you read Roby's story on his web site, there were some definite times of struggle. There were some definite times of doubt. Sounds like a familiar theme to the things you read here on my blog, eh? But in the end, I think Roby found himself where he longed most to be... at the feet of his heavenly father.
If you wonder why I speak of Roby in past tense... let me explain it to you: December 26th, 2007, Roby died of a heart attack in his home.
I kick myself because just a few months earlier, I met Roby at the CMS conference in Seattle. We greeted as we passed each other... he as leaving one class (which he taught) and I was attending one starting in the same room, moments later.
I had fully intended to go to some of Roby's sessions that weekend, but there were only so many times certain other classes were offered, including ones I was assisting my friend, John Carlson, in teaching.
It is hard to explain Roby's presence... he seemed to me a rugged, but gentle man who wanted nothing more than to be used by God in spite of everything. He definitely didn't fit the mold of the stereotypical worship leader/Christian musician... which I found very cool.
I remember some years back emailing Roby to ask him about the tuning on a song (Bridge Divine). To my surprise, he emailed me back and we had a nice conversation about the song. It impressed me that he was willing to do so.
Anyhow, I want to share with you three video clips of Roby from YouTube, to give you an idea of the man and his music. Maybe some of you will be influenced by what he has to say and how he says it.
The first clip is from the 2006 CMS conference in Seattle.
This second clip is a version of "Amazing Grace" that Roby performed at another CMS related conference in mid 2007. This song in particular struck a chord with me.
I've read that Roby enjoyed his last show on the 24th of December with his son. Everyone said he was smiling and couldn't be more proud sharing the stage with his own son.
Lastly, 3 days before his death, Roby shared this song with a congregation at a church. Listen to the song and enjoy the heart of the man and remember that just 3 days later, the lyrics of the song came true.
Roby - thanks for the music and thanks for the ministry... I smile at the idea of you getting your chance to touch God's very face.
In Him,
Jim
Instead I have a handful of lesser known artists that I've grown to appreciate over the years: Tuck and Patti, David Wilcox, Neil Finn, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, EmmyLou Harris, John Hiatt, etc.
One such artist that I have been influenced by over the years was a man named Roby Duke.
I was introduced to Roby (musically) by my friend, John Czerwinski, back in 1990 or 1991. I had never heard of him before, but John insisted that I take a listen to this person.
One listen was all it really took.
It was hard to find Roby's recordings (and still is to some extent), but I remember purchasing "Bridge Divine" and just getting lost listening to it as I drove around Iowa City (a habit I developed to escape for a little while).
That particular CD told much of Roby's life story. From his upbringing in Mississippi, to his struggle with friends and family, to his ultimate desire to surrender to God.
If you read Roby's story on his web site, there were some definite times of struggle. There were some definite times of doubt. Sounds like a familiar theme to the things you read here on my blog, eh? But in the end, I think Roby found himself where he longed most to be... at the feet of his heavenly father.
If you wonder why I speak of Roby in past tense... let me explain it to you: December 26th, 2007, Roby died of a heart attack in his home.
I kick myself because just a few months earlier, I met Roby at the CMS conference in Seattle. We greeted as we passed each other... he as leaving one class (which he taught) and I was attending one starting in the same room, moments later.
I had fully intended to go to some of Roby's sessions that weekend, but there were only so many times certain other classes were offered, including ones I was assisting my friend, John Carlson, in teaching.
It is hard to explain Roby's presence... he seemed to me a rugged, but gentle man who wanted nothing more than to be used by God in spite of everything. He definitely didn't fit the mold of the stereotypical worship leader/Christian musician... which I found very cool.
I remember some years back emailing Roby to ask him about the tuning on a song (Bridge Divine). To my surprise, he emailed me back and we had a nice conversation about the song. It impressed me that he was willing to do so.
Anyhow, I want to share with you three video clips of Roby from YouTube, to give you an idea of the man and his music. Maybe some of you will be influenced by what he has to say and how he says it.
The first clip is from the 2006 CMS conference in Seattle.
This second clip is a version of "Amazing Grace" that Roby performed at another CMS related conference in mid 2007. This song in particular struck a chord with me.
I've read that Roby enjoyed his last show on the 24th of December with his son. Everyone said he was smiling and couldn't be more proud sharing the stage with his own son.
Lastly, 3 days before his death, Roby shared this song with a congregation at a church. Listen to the song and enjoy the heart of the man and remember that just 3 days later, the lyrics of the song came true.
Roby - thanks for the music and thanks for the ministry... I smile at the idea of you getting your chance to touch God's very face.
In Him,
Jim
Friday, January 18, 2008
Life: Carnival ride or perfectly orchestrated plan?
Hey everyone. I know it has been a while since I last sat down to share with you all that has been going on. I apologize for that.
With that out of the way, let me talk to you a little bit about "life". I find it funny how God seems to take people through similar paths in life. I've been dealing with a lot of things that are weighing heavy on my heart and mind lately (more on that later) and dwelling on the distance that I seem to create between me and God when I am "in the valley" (as my good friend, Mango would say).
Its a feeling of complete loneliness.
For some reason this afternoon, I decided to look at my band's (I should say ex-band's) MySpace page and noticed that my friend, Jason, added a blog post to his MySpace about prayer. More specifically he posted about dealing with his lack of prayer and disappointment of prayers of the past. The entire post is on a site he is involved with called "The Rabbit Room" and can be found here.
I'll be honest with you... reading the post brought me to a point of helplessness (because I'm not coming out of my valley like Jason is), fear (because I'm reminded of the troubles in life right now) and jealousy (because Jason speaks so eloquently into the lives of others via cool things like "The Rabbit Room" and I'm just... well... me).
How sick is that?
So what's going on that brings this heaviness? Let me give a quick list:
1) Job anxiety: I'll leave it at this, but know that there are significant changes that leave me anything but comfortable and confident.
2) Church anxiety: I started a new service with three friends at a church here in town almost 1 year ago. Two of the friends have removed themselves from any sort of active involvement, which leads the brunt of the work for the other two.
3) Basement anxiety: We've lived in this house for nearly 5 years now. We finally decided to move on finishing the basement (we have a two year old living in our closet because the rooms for the children aren't done in the basement). As we've worked on the basement we've run into multiple issues: leaky, condensating windows, cracks in the foundation, budget issues (see reason #1), time issues (see reason #1 and #2), etc.
4) Health anxiety: My family has been sick this fall/winter. Don't know why, but it seems like as soon as one is healthy, the next one falls. Once it gets around to all six of us, it just seems to start over.
5) Personal disappointment: Over the past year, my convictions in certain areas related to our purpose and pursuits have strengthened considerably. The problem is, the more I strive after purpose, the more disappointed in my abilities I become.
What all does this amount to? Well, honestly not really much. There's nothing in the above list that really matters from an eternal perspective. Yet these very things have driven walls between me and God. I know that God didn't put the walls up, which means that I must have... so... here we go back to reason #5.
People always suggest taking a step back and gaining perspective on things. Or perhaps reading a book about particular matters. The big problem is that when I feel so strapped for time and energy that I can't even read THE book or talk to THE Man about what's going on, how could ever make time for some other reading material?
Now don't get me wrong... God's still done some amazing things lately. The problem is, I just simply don't understand "why?"... or better yet "why me?". This holds equally true for both the good and the bad situations.
Do you ever pray for God to show up in an amazingly unmistakable way? Do something so outrageous that there is no way to doubt? Did He do it or was it a case (as Jason describes) where you were just talking to yourself?
It is times like this that I wonder "is this a perfect plan or just a carnival ride?"
My heart knows what the answer is, but my mind seems to want to disagree.
Jim
With that out of the way, let me talk to you a little bit about "life". I find it funny how God seems to take people through similar paths in life. I've been dealing with a lot of things that are weighing heavy on my heart and mind lately (more on that later) and dwelling on the distance that I seem to create between me and God when I am "in the valley" (as my good friend, Mango would say).
Its a feeling of complete loneliness.
For some reason this afternoon, I decided to look at my band's (I should say ex-band's) MySpace page and noticed that my friend, Jason, added a blog post to his MySpace about prayer. More specifically he posted about dealing with his lack of prayer and disappointment of prayers of the past. The entire post is on a site he is involved with called "The Rabbit Room" and can be found here.
I'll be honest with you... reading the post brought me to a point of helplessness (because I'm not coming out of my valley like Jason is), fear (because I'm reminded of the troubles in life right now) and jealousy (because Jason speaks so eloquently into the lives of others via cool things like "The Rabbit Room" and I'm just... well... me).
How sick is that?
So what's going on that brings this heaviness? Let me give a quick list:
1) Job anxiety: I'll leave it at this, but know that there are significant changes that leave me anything but comfortable and confident.
2) Church anxiety: I started a new service with three friends at a church here in town almost 1 year ago. Two of the friends have removed themselves from any sort of active involvement, which leads the brunt of the work for the other two.
3) Basement anxiety: We've lived in this house for nearly 5 years now. We finally decided to move on finishing the basement (we have a two year old living in our closet because the rooms for the children aren't done in the basement). As we've worked on the basement we've run into multiple issues: leaky, condensating windows, cracks in the foundation, budget issues (see reason #1), time issues (see reason #1 and #2), etc.
4) Health anxiety: My family has been sick this fall/winter. Don't know why, but it seems like as soon as one is healthy, the next one falls. Once it gets around to all six of us, it just seems to start over.
5) Personal disappointment: Over the past year, my convictions in certain areas related to our purpose and pursuits have strengthened considerably. The problem is, the more I strive after purpose, the more disappointed in my abilities I become.
What all does this amount to? Well, honestly not really much. There's nothing in the above list that really matters from an eternal perspective. Yet these very things have driven walls between me and God. I know that God didn't put the walls up, which means that I must have... so... here we go back to reason #5.
People always suggest taking a step back and gaining perspective on things. Or perhaps reading a book about particular matters. The big problem is that when I feel so strapped for time and energy that I can't even read THE book or talk to THE Man about what's going on, how could ever make time for some other reading material?
Now don't get me wrong... God's still done some amazing things lately. The problem is, I just simply don't understand "why?"... or better yet "why me?". This holds equally true for both the good and the bad situations.
Do you ever pray for God to show up in an amazingly unmistakable way? Do something so outrageous that there is no way to doubt? Did He do it or was it a case (as Jason describes) where you were just talking to yourself?
It is times like this that I wonder "is this a perfect plan or just a carnival ride?"
My heart knows what the answer is, but my mind seems to want to disagree.
Jim
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