My Blog

Nashville on $50

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:28:44 -0400

I recently had the pleasure of spending a few wonderful days in Nashville, Tennessee for the summer NAMM show (National Association of Music Merchants) and I wanted to share a few things about the trip. I went down with a personal goal of seeing how cheaply it can be done, and I think I accomplished that and still had an amazing time. First, I rode down with three girls in a ’93 Corolla with 280,000 miles on it. My share of the gas down and back- $32. Next, I took along a loaf of bread and some of that strawberry Goober stuff that Smuckers makes so I could throw a few sandwiches in my bag each day- $6. I paid to eat fast food one time, and bought a couple beers while I was down there, still under $50. The key for me, was staying with friends, bringing a container for water which I filled from drinking fountains and water coolers, and being lucky enough to be invited to BBQ’s just about every night I was there. Nashville was a lot of fun, and it’s a great town. I can’t wait to go back. If you want to experience Nashville on the cheap, you just have to make some friends, (Nashville is consistently rated one of the friendliest cities in the country), and think ahead. I don’t really recommend riding with three college girls for ten hours straight, but it can be good for a lot of laughs...

Thirsty?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:51:24 -0400

Psalm 42 says: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

This sums up my heart this week, how about yours? I’m just so desperate for God’s presence and power and favor in my life that nothing else can satisfy me. I need the Lord like I need air, like I need water, like I need food to survive. Have you ever heard of the “Rule of Threes”? It states that a person can survive for three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. After that, they will surely die. Think about that for a moment; really let it soak in to your mind. Now let me ask you: “How long can you go without God?” “Can you survive without Him?” “Do you even want to survive without Him?” I know that I’m not going to experiment to find out. I tried it that way for years and it left me devastated, defeated, and dead to my family and to the world. I don’t want to waste a single minute of my precious time living my life that way and I pray that you won’t either. Get a hold of the desperation that David had for the presence of God in his life and don’t let go of it. Build up a thirst that can only be quenched by the true and living waters of the Most High God.

Take a minute today to really press into the presence and power of the Lord. You’ll be glad you did. Blessings!

Rainy Days and Fridays

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:44:04 -0400

Psalm 31:23-24 says: “Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
You know what? I was feeling pretty crummy this morning when I woke up. There’s something about rainy days that make me want to just pull the blanket over my head and check out. But I pulled myself up, sat down at the table and flipped to this psalm. Now, Psalm 31 is great in its entirety and I would highly recommend you reading it today, but this time, these two verses really jumped out at me. I think it’s exactly what I needed to hear and hopefully, it will do your heart some good as well. As I sit here and look out at overcast skies and rain, I can close my eyes and still feel the sun. The power and presence of God can cut through all of that to reach me right where I am. So just remember that even though the storm clouds in your life are closing in and it’s nearly impossible to see through the rain; if you continue to put your hope and trust in the Lord, He will preserve you and strengthen you and wrap you in the warmth and light of His perfect love.

Take a minute today to tell God how much you love Him. You’ll be glad you did. Blessings!

Let's Make A Deal!

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:36 -0400

Psalm 56:11-13 says: “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

Have you ever run into a situation where you were in so much trouble, or you wanted something so bad, that you tried to make a deal with God in return for His help? It’s usually like: “Ok God, if You can just get me out of this, then I promise I’ll never do that again.” Doesn’t it always feel kind of weird, like you’re trying to trick God or something? And these types of “Fleece” deals are almost always accompanied by a little hitch in your conscience that tells you that there’s no way you can keep your end of the bargain.
When I think about all of the desperate promises I’ve made to God when times were tough and then promptly forgot the minute the trouble passed, I have to admit I’m ashamed. As Christians, it’s very important that we be people of our words. If we say that we’ll do something, or that we’ll be somewhere, we need to be reliable. And the reason that it’s so important is that we are God’s representatives here on earth. We are to be living examples of the character of our creator. And it all starts with our relationship with Him. If you have given control of your life to Jesus and promised to serve His kingdom for the rest of your days, then He promises to forgive and forget your sin, and allow you to spend eternity in His presence. He promises to love you unconditionally, to give you fullness of life, and to never leave you or forsake you. He promises to prosper you, and to give you a hopeful future. He promises to prepare a special place for you in Heaven. And He always keeps His promises.

Take a minute today to thank God for his never-ending faithfulness, and His example for our lives. You’ll be glad you did. Blessings!

What Do You Need?

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 23:58:33 -0400

Psalm 73:25-26 says: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Every day since you were born, you have been trying to get four basic needs met. All of us, subconsciously, spend our time and energy in trying to meet these needs. They are Identity, Acceptance, Security and Purpose. Identity: I need to know who I really am. I need to feel like I’m somebody in this world. Acceptance: I need to know that someone loves me in spite of all my flaws and regardless of what I’m going to do. Security: I need to know that everything is going to be OK tomorrow, that I’m going to be safe. Purpose: I need to know that I matter, that I have a reason to wake up in the morning. You, me, and everyone around us are trying to get these four areas taken care of. We try to have them met from our friends and family, and later from our spouses. And eventually they all let us down. There is only one person who can meet these needs for us, and that’s Jesus Christ. You can spend your whole life and all of your money and resources, but only a personal relationship with Him will fill that void. Please don’t drag these needs into every human relationship you will ever have. Start a relationship with the one who created you and you will always be satisfied. He will be the strength of your heart and your portion forever.
Take a minute today to lift your needs up to the only one that can meet them. You’ll be glad you did. Blessings!