Music has always been important to me. To me, music is often philosophical, reflecting the heart and soul of a person; expressing the essence and embodiment of our emotional alchemy, and as one philosopher once said, “music it the recreation of reality, hopes, fears, and dreams of person or culture through sounds.” Music can model the human consciousness, especially those filled with emotions, like passion, love, hate, fear, sadness, happiness, hope, love, and praise.
Every culture known to man has used music to, often times uniquely, express its existence and humanity of that culture. The Bible is full of passages about music, even with David (King of Israel). When David placed the ark in the tabernacle in Jerusalem, he instructed the people to “sing to Him, sing psalms to the Lord”. He even danced before the Lord and banged his symbols. 1 Chronicles (13:8) reads “And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.” And how can we forget Psalms, that Book is full of songs, with headliners to chapters that sometimes dictates whether it was harp or flute music. In Colossians (3:16), we are instructed to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing on another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (NIV).
I could go on and on about music in the Bible, but you are likely tiring of reading this. The point is that music is and always has been an important part of the worship of God (and, unfortunately, the worship of man-made gods); what Christian can help but still feel the Spirit when Amazing Grace is played. It’s also unfortunate that even in worship, we use music to divide us; is it too contemporary, is it “edifying” enough, is it too old (old hymns), etc. There are people that I know who think that Christian Rock is wrong and is “of the devil”); I say, why let any form of expression for worship be exclusive to Satan. I have also included many songs that are of romance and love, which is one of the most powerful emotions that God instilled in us. Did not God Himself use classic love stories in the Bible? Read the Book of Ruth, a classic love story; or the Book of Solomon, where many scholars believe that God used the love between a man and woman to represent His love to us.
I don’t know about you, but for me music has always been there. It is constantly in my head. I often think and feel through the music in my head. Even in my memories, when I think of major events in my life, it is as if a MTV video is playing in my head. Without the gift of music, much of life would be missing.
That is why I have included a play list on my blog; of which most of the 75 to 80 songs on the list represents certain times and events in my life, while many of the other songs represents my current mood or inspiration. Often times, I use these songs to uplift me when I am feeling down; especially the praise songs. Those help to “realign” my current state of mind and focus on the things that are really important in life.
Throughout this blog, which will be a Journey onto itself, I will use many of the songs to express a particular place that I am at or have been along this Journey called “life”. I will include a "song of day" each time that I post and give a little back ground on why it is or was important to me.
I hope you enjoy my selections and that they will in some ways effect you or bring back memories of events in your life, or be a worshipful experience for you. As always, feedback is always welcomed.
In ending, I would like for you to listen to the song "We will Dance" by Steven Curtis Chapman.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
First Journey
This post marks the first of what I hope will be many posts. After reading a number of blogs over the last couple of years, I often thought it would be great to create my own blog. However, I resisted, until now, because I didn't think that I would have much to write about that would be tangible or even helpful to others who may be dealing with the same issues that many of us struggle through in this "life" that we live. But, now I believe that even thought this may not be helpful to others, at least it will have some therapeutic value for me, and may even lead to open doors and friendships elsewhere.
So, with that being said, let me introduce myself. I am a married (happily) middle-aged male with two wonderful children; a teenage boy and a soon-to-be (yikes) teenage girl. I can say that God truly blessed me with the family that I have; I can't imagine where I'd be without them.
I live in small city in NW Georgia, that in many respects, is a great town to raise a family, but still not too far from the Big City.
I am a Christian, raised in a fundamental Baptist Church, but now I am a member of another denomination. I think God for Grace, because I often struggle spiritually and seem to often fall way-off the mark.
The title of my blog is Journeyman, which is to imply that I have felt that my whole life has been a journey of which I often do not know where I am going or where God is leading me. To me, life is a journey, with lots of hills and valleys and side roads that often times leads to dead-ends.
I really enjoy just getting in a car and just driving; not caring where the road that I am on is leading to, or where it will stop, forcing me to take an alternate route. I just enjoy the "journey" of a road trip; always wondering what's over the next hill or what's on the otherside of that curve. And if I get lost, as a male, I'm not asking for directions (LOL). And that is how life is, and has been, for me; never knowing what's on the other side of that hill or around the next curve.
That to me is where Trust comes-in. Often times, I want to guide my own way without asking for directions. And then I wonder why I have to wander through the desert sometimes.
So, as I begin this blog, I hope that it will help someone out there in blog land; maybe encourage you, or bring a ray of sunshine or a smile your way. I will try to be honest in posts, though like many others, I am a private person, often wearing various masks to hide my emotions, my sins, my failures and hearbreaks. If you do read this, and subsequent posts, please say a prayer for me, that God will guide me in this Journey called life.
So, with that being said, let me introduce myself. I am a married (happily) middle-aged male with two wonderful children; a teenage boy and a soon-to-be (yikes) teenage girl. I can say that God truly blessed me with the family that I have; I can't imagine where I'd be without them.
I live in small city in NW Georgia, that in many respects, is a great town to raise a family, but still not too far from the Big City.
I am a Christian, raised in a fundamental Baptist Church, but now I am a member of another denomination. I think God for Grace, because I often struggle spiritually and seem to often fall way-off the mark.
The title of my blog is Journeyman, which is to imply that I have felt that my whole life has been a journey of which I often do not know where I am going or where God is leading me. To me, life is a journey, with lots of hills and valleys and side roads that often times leads to dead-ends.
I really enjoy just getting in a car and just driving; not caring where the road that I am on is leading to, or where it will stop, forcing me to take an alternate route. I just enjoy the "journey" of a road trip; always wondering what's over the next hill or what's on the otherside of that curve. And if I get lost, as a male, I'm not asking for directions (LOL). And that is how life is, and has been, for me; never knowing what's on the other side of that hill or around the next curve.
That to me is where Trust comes-in. Often times, I want to guide my own way without asking for directions. And then I wonder why I have to wander through the desert sometimes.
So, as I begin this blog, I hope that it will help someone out there in blog land; maybe encourage you, or bring a ray of sunshine or a smile your way. I will try to be honest in posts, though like many others, I am a private person, often wearing various masks to hide my emotions, my sins, my failures and hearbreaks. If you do read this, and subsequent posts, please say a prayer for me, that God will guide me in this Journey called life.
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