I am really digging this!

Starting to hear a record flow take shape! As I continue tracking and arranging, I am feeling really good about this project. I have been having some cool conversations with close friends about what artistic integrity means. I feel that through all of my previous experiences with recording, there was more energy spent, at least in my head, on managing politics of bandhood and co-creation than enjoyment of the process. I am really digging this.

Silent Night | You Have Rescued

It was a silent night
When you came to earth
To shine a holy light
Through a child’s birth
In a humble place
Beneath a star so bright
In the air so still
On a silent night

It was a silent night
When you made a way
So the silent might
Have a voice to say
Come and rescue us
Come and make us right
Start a brand new day
On a silent night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

It was a silent night
When redemption came
Rescued from our plight
By only Jesus’ name
Now the human race
Has been given sight
So we can see his face
Oh! That silent night.

You have rescued
you have rescued
you have rescued us

I Am A Hypocrite

Galatians 2:11-13
But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Peter is altering his actions because of his predisposition to justify his faith through his actions. He feels that with whom he associates, how he dresses, what he consumes – circumcision, inform or influence his salvation.
Why does Paul “…oppose him to his face”? Paul understands that Peter’s hypocrisy needs to be sharply denounced because it is, in fact, contrary to the very core of the gospel message. If we can justify, save or even just improve ourselves by changing the way we act then Christ’s death was a waste. The whole idea is that Jesus came for us while we were still sinners, so then when we think that he loves us more when we act better, we basically say, “No thanks, no need” to Jesus.

Philippians 1:10-11
10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return.11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christs—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

If the “Fruit of our salvation” is Christ’s work within us, does that mean that our choices don’t matter? Of course not. But our actions are to be in response to his work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. I act in accordance with scripture because Jesus has impacted my desires - I respond to his grace. Conversely, I will never change my own heart by acting in accordance with scripture. I can’t. I, when I try to act holy to be more sanctified, actually become MORE of a hypocrite. But when my perspective is one of humility and contriteness of heart, “I will change for Jesus because he changed me”, I am accepting the reality that without him I am a hypocrite. Hypocrisy is not a series of actions that can be lessened with effort, it is a state to be saved from. In order to not be a hypocrite I have to admit that I am one.

Treasure

Your love is the perfect measure by which I judge the things that I desire in my heart.

I was thinking, just the other day, about how I might go about marketing the album on which I am currently working. As my mind went through it's paces, as it has thousands of times before with recording projects even less developed, I began to imagine the possibilities for my music. As usual I started to get excited at the thought of the endless success that I hoped to meet with. It happens every time I think about my musical future. Money, fame and satisfaction are all somehow included in the imaginary equation - "I will have enough time to create enough new and interesting music to garner enough fame to make enough money to provide a happy enough environment where I will spend enough time with my family". This is my habitual psychosis. Then after a few minutes of my mental cover of "Further Down The Spiral", a new thought popped into my head. What if God doesn't want me to be famous?

Class System

As we see an ever-widening gap between the upper and lower class, and the gradual disappearance of the middle class in our society, let's be sure not to encourage class thinking in our faith. Jesus died for all of us. He doesn't love the well-to-do any more or less than those who go without. Just a thought.

Rules for #theoldmangame

Here it is. Basically, when one plays the Old Man Game, one's objective is to use as many words that are no longer popular vernacular but would be found in an old man's vocabulary. This is not to be confused with the Dirty old man game. That's something completely different. The persons present when statements are entered into competition are responsible to judge if the word or phrase counts. You can keep score or not, it's up to your group of friends. This is an open source guideline. Any improvement to rules of play are welcome. Good luck and have fun.

The Quest For Validation And Legitimacy

As we look into our individual and collective futures, each one of us finds a need to validate himself through reassurance of the legitimacy of our endeavors. Whether we find validation in the things we accomplish or we accomplish from a sense of self validation is all-important. If we truly have found our validation in Christ than anything we try to achieve for the purpose of His glory has legitimacy because of Him. But if we think that doing what Christ commands is in order to find validation as a result, we will feel illegitimate. We are to be identified not by what we can or even want to do for Him but through what he has already done for us. That is all. Nothing more (even though, in this case, "more" is actually less). TMF