Odd, the way the less the Bible is read the more it is translated. - CS Lewis
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Finding Grace
Grace.
We can find it in so many places, people, situations, struggles. You name it, and most likely you can find it there. Grace is a hard thing to understand. If I were to just say “grace” to you, what would be the first thing to pop up in your mind? For some, it may be a sunrise or a song. For others, a pretty name for a girl. Hopefully, some would think of Jesus….right?
No matter what you think you know about grace, I think it would be fair of me to say that grace isn’t exactly the easiest thing to comprehend. I mean, it’s a gift that’s completely undeserved. It’s all your sins washed away. It’s one who knew no sin to be condemned on our behalf, so that you may become the righteousness of God.
I don’t know about y’all, but that just flies right over my head when I think about it.
I have found recently that evil allows me to see grace in a way that I almost understand it.
I’ll explain…
Recently, one of the women I minister to where I work disclosed of some horrible abuse by a parent. Abuse that consistently lasted for over five years. I have to be honest. The first thing that I feel when I hear stuff like this is extreme anger. But here’s the thing: God loves that person just as much as he does me. That’s a love that I just can’t comprehend.
A colleague of mine and I were talking about this, and he said that he sees the love and grace of God when he’s with his daughter.
What about you? Where do you find grace?
image: sam
Mondays are [sometimes] for music
I’ve been listening to Ray Lamontagne for a while now.
I have a man crush on his voice.
Did I just say that?
His latest record, God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise is impressive to say the least. It was recorded in two weeks in Ray’s home, and is chocked full of pedal steel guitars, which I love.
Here’s the track, “Beg, Steal or Borrow,” which is nominated for Song of the Year at the 2010 Grammy’s. I’m hoping it wins.
I can’t stop listening to this record. Love everything about it.
What are you listening to lately that you can’t get enough of?
Give Me Faithfulness
Do you ever get discouraged?
I was asked this question recently when discussing the trial (and error) of releasing music independently with little-to-no anticipation. Without thinking, I immediately answered with a resounding yes. It’s hard to release music that you’re proud of, knowing that you’re basically throwing a pebble into the ocean and hoping someone sees the ripples. A return on your investment and energy is not guaranteed. Success, whatever our definition of that is, seems almost like winning the lottery.
We live in a world that sees success as something very different than what we’re taught in the Scriptures.
Our world defines success in terms of gain:
- How many copies did you sell in iTunes?
- How many CDs have been ordered?
- How many shows are you scheduled to be playing?
- How much money have you acquired?
Now, don’t get me wrong…I do have specific goals that Stand[by] will hopefully help me accomplish. To have no goals would be a mistake, I believe. I’ve classified mine this way:
- AIM – to record another project in 2011
- REACH – a broader audience and establish myself more as an artist
- GIVE – to give 25% of all proceeds to One Day’s Wages
[which I'm about to do my first donation...more to come with that]
Jesus defines success by means of loss:
- What did you give?
- Who did you serve?
- Who did you love without expectation?
In Luke 9, Jesus tells us, “whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
It seems to me that a successful life is a free life. A life given away to others. Talents used instead of being hidden. Resources expended instead of hoarded.
ht: hidemitadajp
In 1980, Mother Teresa was asked, “Do you ever get discouraged?” The question came at a time where many people were without food, far more than when she first began to help feeding them. She replied:
I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.
What a lesson to learn from her! For my music, your job, your ministry, your life.
Faithfulness is more important than the “Big Outcome.”
We all like to focus on the big, grandiose idea. Mother Teresa didn’t. She focused on faithfulness in the smallest of things. We all want to love the world and end all the hunger in it. Mother Teresa would encourage us to love our neighbor well. Faithfulness in the small things will ultimately be the way any of us end up with anything “big”, whatever that means in your life.
Give yourself away.
This woman gave all of herself to the needs of others, and she became a world changer. The needs of the poor and downcast were more important to her than her own comfort. She knew that what was comfortable wasn’t always best. But again, don’t forget the small things. Mother Teresa went on to accomplish much for the poor in her time, but she did it by serving and touching one life at a time.
In all honesty, I want lots of people to hear my music. I want to continue to make music as long as God gives me the songs to sing. I want it to be respected and appreciated. I want to travel some and play outside of Arizona. I want to use it to give back to the least of these. I want it to be used to raise awareness for eating and anxiety disorders. I want to have to order more discs because I’ve sold out. That all may happen. It also may not.
Whatever the outcome, I ask for faithfulness.
And I trust that his faithfulness will be what makes the difference.
Lose Yourself
Humility.
This is something that God’s been driving home to me this year.
To be honest, it’s been a bit painful…guess there’s a good bit of pride in me.
I stumbled on this quote over a year ago, and it’s helped to confirm over and over the need for me to lose my ways in His.
It is only in the possession of God that I lose myself. As it is in the height and breadth and glory of the sunshine that the littleness of a speck of dust playing in the sunlight is seen, so humility is our being, in God’s presence, nothing but a speck dwelling in the sunlight of His love….how great is God! How small am I! Lost, swallowed up in love’s immensity! God only there, not I.
-Andrew Murray
What’s one thing that has been driven home in your life this year?
