Weekly Blog

(To listen to the podcast as you read, and to hear the song, His Story, at the conclusion, click here.)

In 2008, the Lord spoke to my heart and helped me understand that I needed to move out of youth ministry.  Unsure of where this journey would take me, I found myself in a place of learning to trust God once again with everything.  It wasn’t clear or evident that God was calling me to leave my current place of ministry, but I knew that obedience required laying down the position in which I was so comfortable.

It was the summer of 2003 and I had an incredibly busy season investing in youth at camps and missions adventures.  I was teaching our high school students a lot about how Jesus accepted those who weren’t accepted by others.  After teaching about two women who Jesus encountered, I started writing a song describing what Jesus would say about them.  I imagined Jesus describing them the same way, as having a beauty that was captivating.   

In February 2009, I was already several songs into recording a project when I decided that it needed a few more songs to make it complete.  At that time, I was working with college students and having lots of conversations about our identity as Christians, and who God says we are.   

One day as I sat at the piano experimenting with some chord progressions, I ended up playing the first few lines of what would become the title track on this project, "Proof in the Mirror".

I grew up in the 1970’s and 1980’s during Contemporary Christian Music’s early days.  Before I was 13, I got my first vinyl records of Petra and the satirical Steve Taylor.  It wasn’t long before I had cassette tapes of Michael W. Smith wearing argyle socks and Amy Grant singing a Michael Card song called El Shaddai.  I enjoyed singing along with the harmonies of the group “Glad,” and was inspired by the sounds of The Imperials, DeGarmo & Key, and Wayne Watson.    

The founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth said,

 “The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender.”

Our culture would say that the concept of surrender is a sign of weakness, defeat and dependence. Many would raise their fist in defiance, saying, “NEVER SURRENDER!”  We see this in some political candidates who refuse to “concede” defeat. A posture of surrender isn’t about powering up, but humbly bowing low. Not many in our culture aspire to be the best at “giving up and waving the white flag,” and certainly not many songs are written extolling the virtues of surrender.

On a recent adventure in the Republic of Ireland, my parents and I stumbled upon one of the greatest spiritual discoveries in all my travels.   Let me tell you a story that will end with the most famous saint in all the world.

Spending time in the Kilkenny region is very special to my family because one of our forefathers built the original castle that stood at Kilkenny and his bride Isabella was the driving force behind building the first church there to glorify God. The earl and his wife were not perfect people, but they were God fearing leaders who left an honorable legacy for centuries.

It’s often said that “curiosity killed the cat,” but without a healthy curiosity, we stop growing as people.  

Some of my favorite books from childhood were “Curious George” adventures. This series of children’s books was about a monkey who belonged to “the man in the yellow hat.” George couldn’t help but wander away to explore and discover all sorts of wonderful things. At times his inquisitive nature would land our monkey friend in a precarious position, but the man in the yellow hat generally showed up just at the right time to keep George safe.

One of the most beautiful things to come out of the year 2020 was the song The Blessing released by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes. People all around the world seemed to hunger for the message in its lyrics. What many did not know is that it was based on holy scripture, some of the words taken directly from Numbers 6:23-26.

“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’”

One our family traditions as we gather around the Thanksgiving table is to take turns sharing what we are thankful for, and this year when it was my turn, I think my statement shocked those who heard it.

I could have talked about hundreds of things for which I’m very grateful, but as everyone else was sharing their thoughts, I pondered what was true about this past year that helped me to grow and become the person God has called me to be.

Overwhelmed? Wanna Get Away?

Southwest Airlines has a clever advertising campaign that capitalizes on our shared need for a vacation from all the worries, stress and troubles of life. This phrase has worked so well because the overwhelming answer to their question is ... YES… I do wanna get away!

Ever find yourself saying…

I just want to get in my car and drive away from all this.

If I was a kid, I’d pack my suitcase and run away from home.

I just want to turn my phone off and hide for a few days until things get better.