Day 25 - "If I sing at the top of my lungs it won't say a thing if I haven't love."

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

I knew coming into this project it would bring a new perspective on things I had never before imagined. I have been through times of solidarity, I have been times of speechlessness, and I'm still trying to find "my story" among a sea of what seems uncertain sometimes.

Today I realized two very big things:

1) I have something to say

2) I don't love people nearly enough.

There's got to be a reason why anything Seth Roberts (Watashi Wa, Lakes) does immediately hits home for me. I'm not sure what it is, but every word of this song relates to me in some way.

I find that there are times in my life where I have to go at it alone. May it be for a day or a year, aloneness has been very much a part of my life. Likewise, I have spent months going to bed thinking that there was no way I would make it through my life. But the best parts of my life are the moments where I know God has me so close there is nobody around but Him. He is close, I am so empty and I couldn't be happier.

Through all of this I have a story to tell. But without love, it means nothing. To do "nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit..." or to "value others above yourselves" is difficult. I said this morning to a room full of teenagers that this world makes it really easy to see others' selfishness and avoid our own. Philippians suggests that sharing in the Holy Spirit of God, bringing joy to other believers and sharing in one love entails holding others' needs over your own (Phil 2:4). Can we honestly say we do that?

Can we honestly say that in the story we have to share, that above everything else, we have love? Because otherwise, it doesn't matter. And you will know it when everything comes crumbling to the ground.

"The plans that I make... they fail miserably."

Day 21 - "I'd freeze the frames, if I had the choice. I'd take you back for just a day"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

There isn't anything too special about this post. God has been blowing my mind, and I've been thinking about my childhood a lot. How it has affected my life for better and for worse. This is my favorite band, and often they can pierce a lot of shells and cut to the heart of emotions.

This song makes me think of a great day. A friend and I could take bikes, ride down the hill by my house and go downtown... go towards the classy parts of Lynchburg, Rivermont and Boonsboro. Warm sun, cool breeze. Man I can't wait for summer.

Day 18 - "I will live to love You! I will live to bring You praise! I will live a child in awe of You!"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

I have been serving with, in my incredibly bias opinion, what I believe to be the most highly concentrated group of people yearning after the most intimate places of God's heart I have ever experienced. It's not a doubt of mine that it is chalked up 100% to the Holy Spirit and sovereignty of God that could bring about such an amazing desire for change and life in the hearts of people that walk through our building.

This was the first song I ever sang there, and one of the most emotion filled times of worship I have ever encountered. It's been on my heart the past couple of days, and true to this experiment, something that should be shared.

The greatest love that anyone could ever know
That overcame the cross and grave to find my soul
And 'til I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in You

With all I am I'll live to see Your kingdom come
And in my heart I pray You'd let Your will be done
And 'til I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in You

I will live to love You
I will live to bring You praise
I will live a child in awe of You

You are the voice that calls the universe to be
You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me
And 'til I see You face to face and grace amazing takes me home
I'll trust in you

You alone are God of all
You alone are worthy Lord
And with all I am my soul will bless Your name

Joel Houston:

An amazing female version as well:

Day 15 - "How great Your love for us! How great our love for You!"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

Sometimes we feel like scripture needs some cultural adjustment. I have felt like nobody understands (and even recently almost told a couple people to their face that they don't). I have felt like this journey is mine to do alone. God never runs, though. No matter how insistent you may be that "Everything is alright" or "I'm fine" or "It's really no big deal" in feign insecurity, God is always there. He knows exactly when to pursue you even when you don't. He is strong, He is merciful, He is above all things... great. And great needs no cultural adjustment.

Oh, thank God—he's so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas.

Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat. - Psalm 107:1-9 (The Message)

Day 14 - "My heart is set on a pilgrimage to heaven's own bright King"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

Yes, I needed a 2 day break. :)

I don't know how to explain the large amount of things God is teaching me right now. I will say, however, that God is good, He is holy, and sometimes to get to God we have to wade through a lot of junk. It's funny, because many of the same scriptures that spoke to me early in my encounter with Christ still hit me between the eyes now, just in a different way. The same way with music.

Charlie Hall seems to be a musician that God uses consistently. As my friend Chris pointed out yesterday, I am a very emotional person and I seem to get crazy joy from some of the truths that are in Charlie Hall's lyrics. That sentence may not make sense considering the song below

And on the road to beautiful
My seasons always change
But my life is spent on loving You
To know You in Your power and pain

For most people, a somber song would pull them down. Now, for me, it does in some settings. However! Think about how true these lyrics ring out! They may be very Ecclesiastical, but there are times for weeping, for singing, for dancing, for mourning. There are different seasons, and with each one brings a very unique perspective to God!

They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing. He who goes forth bearing seed and weeping [at needing his precious supply of grain for sowing] shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. - Psalm 126:5-6 (AMP)

I'm not sure that I would say there can't be joy without tears, but there certainly can't be reaping without sowing. I just said to my friend Andy today that in my finite mind, good and evil have to exist to understand either. Regardless if that is true or not, I know that I know the joy of God from the pain I have experienced. The title of this post speaks of a focus on higher things. The subsequent line says "So in faltering or victory, I will always sing!"

I hope that while you're reaping or sowing, you're singing. And sing loudly.

Day 12 - "I don't know perfect conversation and I don't know the way to turn a head"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

Maybe it's the fact that February is in full swing and Valentine's day is about a week away.

Maybe I have been desiring to play more guitar.

Maybe Dave Barnes is just amazing (read: incredibly handsome).

Maybe it's the series that we are going into that I've been praying about.

But I'm feeling a little sappy. And sappy is okay. And it's what's been in my head all day, and that was the very point of this experiment.

"Loving You, Loving Me" by Dave Barnes

"Nothing Fancy" by Dave Barnes

"Grace's Amazing Hands" by Dave Barnes and Marc Broussard

Day 11 - Sure?

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

Just a break. Here, listen to some Jonny Lang. He loves Jesus now.

"Only a Man" by Jonny and Haylie Lang

"Thankful" by Jonny Lang with Michael McDonald

"Beautiful One" by Jonny Lang

Day 10 - "Holy is our God! Wonderful is He! Holy is the LORD Almighty!"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

For a couple days now God has had this idea of his holiness on my mind and I can't get a couple of songs out of my head, the below being one of them.

Psalm 99:3

Colossians 1:22

Isaiah 8:13

Leviticus 21:8 (with respect to 1 Peter 2:9)

Day 9 - "Let God arise! Our God reigns now and forever!"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

For those who have been reading, I never truly intended to expound as much as I have been. However, I can say without hesitation that Christ has been changing my motives, my expressions, my excitement, my reactions, my love towards other people, and especially the song that is constantly on my heart. The biggest theme these past couple of days is God's eternal nature. His power and His reign over creation. Nothing flashy, no fancy words. Majesty. Holy. Holy. Holy.

Day 8 - "Our God reigns!!! Forever Your kingdom reigns!!"

For those just joining us, read Day 1's caveat.

I have a bad memory, specifically short term. I forget about what God has done. Forgetting is a big part of why I write things down. God has used it in so many occasions though to bring Himself glory, though. I realized this when I was reviewing things I had written in this blog just two years ago (specifically the story of Norman, who you can read about here).

God brought the phrase "Your throne is immemorial" to mind today after the following song came on my Charlie Hall Pandora station. Granted, I did not know the spiritual tangent and subsequent high that I would find myself going through in the middle of Panera Bread hours later....

Psalm 93:2-4: "Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up the roaring of their waves. The Lord on high is mightier and more glorious than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty breakers and waves of the sea!"

(Warning: If you do not get chills down your spine by how beautiful, exciting, and worshipful this is, you and I have very different personalities)