When the Music Stops

When the Music Stops - Day 3

My typical morning routine includes taking a shower, grabbing some cloths, eating some cereal and then walking down the parking deck. The Volvo takes a solid 5-10 minutes to warm up in this cold weather. Therefore I take a the time to read through a chapter out of the Bible. This is always a great way to start my day as I remember the things in life that have the most value! This old engine is pushing me to sit with the Lord everyday and wrestle through his words.

Typically my head unit is playing some music while car warms up. But this morning as my music was silent the Lord opened my eyes to an image that has never caught my eye.

I have never noticed this simply spray painted statement of "LOVE WINS". It perfectly meshed with the passage out of Romans this morning talking about being dead to sin and alive in Christ. Are we to keep on sinning so that grace may abound? By no means should we take this love that has flooded over us and count it for nothing! The blood of Christ proves to all of humanity that Love does in fact Win over death!

I am learning through these days without music that my eye is being more perceptive of the things around. My thoughts are becoming clearer as the drive to work and back in done in silence. The time spent at my desk is less scattered and more focused on the tasks at hand. But I do really miss times when I usually close to the door, turn on some soft worship, and rest with the Lord!

This experiment will continue as I wait in the silence of a season without music to listen to the booming voice of the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth!

All is Great in the House of my Lord,

Paul Shackelford

Rise Again - Needtobreathe

I have been reading a book about the arts and Christians role in creating culture. Steve Turner, the author, asserts a major critique that modern Christian art does not speak about real life. The art created does not sound genuine or have any ties to real life that people outside the faith can connect with. While reading the book I listened through this album and I think that this song does a great job of breaking the mold. The members of Needtobreathe are all outspoken followers of Jesus but very little of the art that they produce mentions Jesus or Christianity at all. Instead they craft creative music, written from places of pain and joy. "Rise Again" steps through pain that occurs in life as we see relationships stretched and torn. The bitterness of broken hearts and friendships is then contrasted with the truth that we will get up from this pain and rise again. "I can see us moving on, I can feel that coming on strong", the joy that comes after the

Twenty-Four - Jess Ray

Lately I have been listening to lots of music and podcasts while working and biking to work. I was feeling a need for some new music so I turned to NoiseTrade to check out some new artists. My favorite thus far is Jess Ray because of the honest lyrics, tastefully simple musicality and overall enjoyable listening environment. While on my flight back to Atlanta I was struck by this song at first because of the drums that propel this song behind the walking guitar. If I were to add drums to a track like this it would have been done in a very similar manner. Once I got past the drums I was awe struck by the simple power of these lyrics, take a read below and follow the link to her blog to listen. To me it was not written for an outward expression of hope or encouragement but rather as a inward proclamation to the soul. As the psalmist often choose to sing, this song speaks inward in a call to stand up and be reminded of truth all to often forgotten. As I gear up for the star

Alleluia - Jesus Culture with Martin Smith

Once again worship last night was Glorious! Had a great day just chilling with my SDP folks from last summer, went up the river and just talked about the past season of life and where the Lord is leading us into. Exciting and scary stuff but it was great to be back with some awesome people who speak some potent truth. Last night during worship was one of many firsts... For the first time in a long time I actually stood while I sang, for the first time in a long time I was singing from a place of Joy, for the first time in a long time I did not care how I worshiped my Lord I just worshiped. Well its not like these things have not happened ever in my life, but I just felt so much peace during worship. So I decided to throw the song that we just repeated for a long while up here, mainly cause I did not know the name so I was looking it up and now I am pumped, gotta buy this album! All the angels cry out, Holy is the Lord God All the earth replies, Holy are You Thi

Letters from Lilongwe

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