Intro
It seemed
fitting to use a segment of the last song, My Savior
and Me as an intro to this musical journey. I’ll wait
and tell the story at the end.
“We are
confident, yes well pleased rather to be absent from the
body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
We will
Return
This song
comes primarily from Isaiah chapter 6 & 14 and Jeremiah
chapter 29.
It’s a
prophecy, I believe for both then and now. The number of
tourist and native Jews that are returning to Israel is
remarkable and exciting! I believe it will usher in the
greatest return of all! Jesus! And the New Jerusalem! If
you’ve never been, why not take a trip!
"Nations will
take them and bring them to their own place. And the house
of Israel will possess the Nations" (Isaiah 14:2)
Bread on
the Water
This is
another one of Solomon’s lines! It comes from Ecclesiastes.
I've never
understood it completely but this is my interpretation until
further revelation. Generosity is a valuable virtue to
possess, while greed and envy will top the list of the most
unattractive. Don’t be afraid to let go of stuff! It’s all
His anyway, and He’s given you permission to give.
“Cast your
bread on the waters, for you will find it after many Days”
(Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Solomon’s
Song
Without
question God is the greatest composer of music in all
eternity! Sometimes I wonder why I write or sing anything
other than what he has already composed! This song is an
attempt to string together a series of proverbs without
interjecting any “original” ideas. I heard someone say that
with God, everything we create, of worth, is plagiarism at
best!
“For the
wisdom of the world is foolishness before God.” (1
Corinthians 3:19)
Real Life
I wrote this
song with Adam Dorsey who was a staff writer on music row at
the time but has since, begun studying to be a minister!
It’s a story inspired by a combination of real people and a
phrase taken from Christian philosopher CS Lewis. “Real life
hasn’t begun yet”
“Jesus said to
her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in
Me though he may die, he shall live. (John 11:25)
I’m Free
The idea for
this song came in an E-mail that I received from my friend
Marsha Forsyth. I asked her if those lines were from a song.
I was surprised to learn that she is an avid writer and the
e-mail was just intended to express her thoughts and
encourage anyone who read it. That sparked our first
collaboration and the birth of this song! It’s one of my
favorites on the CD! We had a wonderful time writing and
celebrating our true Freedom in Christ!
“Therefore if
the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed’’. (John
8:36)
Where I
Come From
This song is
so true and personal that I didn’t really plan to record it;
thinking no one would really get it but me. After some
encouraging comments I decided to include it here in hopes
that maybe you can relate to it in some way. I thank God
that I have such wholesome memories of home!
“Train up a
child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will
not depart it” (Proverbs 22:6)
Broken for
You
For me, this
is the most worshipful song on the CD. There’s a totally
different dynamic that takes place in a Christian's Spirit
when he worships God! It’s not about the singer, musicians
or performance! It’s some thing more! To experience music
alone is like seeing a picture of the ocean but never going
there. God wants us to go there, and worship Him!
“But He was
pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities, the punishment, that brought us peace was upon
Him, and by his wounds we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5)
Strong Arm
of Love
How often I
forget just how strong my God is! He alone “stretches out
the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea”. (Job 9:8)
“Is his arm to short to save us” (Isaiah 59:1). Is there
anything too big for him to handle? Do you fear him? “I
create disaster and bring prosperity” (Isaiah 45:7)
“…the Lord
disciplines those he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts
as a son” (Hebrews 12:6)
Belly of
the Earth
This song
always gets an interesting response when I’m playing out. I
mean, how are you suppose to respond to a song about Hell? Do
you clap? Say, Amen or what? I hesitated to put it on the
record until I realized that Jesus never avoided the topic
or apologized for speaking about it. He was a radical, and
they crucified Him for it. To deny the truth of hell is to
drive another nail into the body of Jesus and say, “you are
a liar”. It’s a difficult message to receive. Even harder
for me though, is to believe that Heaven is so easily
attained!
“But as many
as received Him, to them he gave the right to become
children of God, those who believe in His name” (John
1:12)
Wayfaring
Stranger
When I was in
Armenia I discovered that the people really enjoyed songs in
a minor key and this song became a favorite! I’d always try
and translate the songs’ meaning because it related so well,
with me, being a foreigner. I recorded it there with me on
guitar and my friend Carin playing the Duduk and Aoude. We
added the bass and vocals when I returned to the States.
“… And they
admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth”
(Hebrews 11:13)
Don’t Give
Up
If I were God
I would have given up on me a long time ago. But he hasn’t!
God loves you. He has promised to see you through! Whatever
difficult circumstances life brings, it’s no match for Him!
If Satan has you feeling defeated, worried, frustrated,
overcome with guilt or hopelessness then he has accomplished
his desire. Anyone can feel great when life is going well!
God’s specialty is giving us a victorious attitude when life
is difficult! He said to consider it pure joy whenever
we face trials. I would have never thought of that one
on my own!
“Being
confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 1:6)
My Savior
and Me
A few years
ago while I was walking through a cemetery in east Tennessee
I saw written on a tombstone the words, “Nothing between my
Savior and me”. I knew that some day I’d write a song with
that phrase, and here it is
“And after my
skin is destroyed this I know, that in my flesh I shall see
God” (Job 19:26)
