Wednesday, July 16, 2014

"Oceans" and the Grand Canyon

As a songwriter I am always fascinated with why certain songs resonate with listeners more than others.  One of the biggest Christian songs out right now is “Oceans” by Hillsong United.  Why is this song so popular?  Apart from the incredible musicality and dynamics in the song, the lyrics are a big part of why I believe this song moves people.  In particular the bridge of the song is what always gets me:

            Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
            Let me walk upon the waters
            Wherever You would call me
            Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
            And my faith will be made stronger
            In the presence of my Savior

This song is about going all out for Christ.  In a society that says “buy more stuff and make your life more comfortable,” this song says take me farther and challenge me more than I’ve ever imagined.  It’s the opposite of what we are used to hearing and desiring in our culture.

I believe that this is why the song resonates so deep down in our souls.  The biggest problem Christians have in America is that we are too comfortable.  We easily become apathetic and fall into a daily routine of living, but we are not really living.  We pray for safety, comfort, and blessing, when what we really need is perspective, challenge, and adventure.  We’ve become content to be content.

What if instead of praying for blessings and comfort, we prayed the bridge of “Oceans” everyday?  What would happen?  How could God use us if we gave ourselves wholly and completely to Him?
      
This week, I would challenge you to pray the lyrics to the song “Oceans.”  Make time for a daily prayer like, “Lord, take me deeper in my trust of You.  Let me not hold back any part of my life for myself, but give You everything.  Increase my faith today in a very real way, and let me trust You without borders.”  This is the only way that we can truly find out what God has planned for us.  Until we open up our view of who God is, we limit the ways He can use us to a much smaller reality.  It’s like standing one foot away from the Grand Canyon wall and looking straight ahead, instead of standing above the giant precipice and looking all around.  We are missing out on seeing the whole story… and we don’t want to miss out on that amazing view.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Frank Lloyd Wright and Walt Disney

Two of my heroes are Frank Lloyd Wright and Walt Disney.  I majored in Art at James Madison University and I have always been fascinated with how Wright blends his buildings into the natural landscape surrounding them.  Walt Disney fascinates me with his ability to somehow turn magic into reality.  Both of these men are similar in that they are remembered as extremely successful men who many people aspire to be like.  And there are things about both men that I love. But there is also a very different aspect about these two men that some may not know.

They had very different philosophies regarding children.  Wright believed that children were the biggest hindrance to productivity that could ever exist.  And let's be honest, they kind of are.  If I ever sit down to accomplish something and one of my kids are around, it is inevitable that they will come over and vie for my attention.  At the very least they will distract me, potentially so much so that I will quit what I set out to originally do altogether.  Frank Lloyd Wright had many kids to many different women, and he was not very involved in their lives.  His work was of upmost importance, and nothing else would take it's place.


On the other hand, Walt Disney loved kids.  His heart for kids went deeper than just how he marketed his brand... his priorities were different.  Disney is quoted as saying "a man should never neglect his family for business."  And here is the beautiful thing... even with a philosophy like that, he was still successful.  He's proof that you can put your family before your business and still be very successful.  This brings me great peace knowing that it's possible to invest the necessary amount of time with my kids/family and yet still also work hard and become a successful entrepreneur.  


So here's the bottom line:  as a parent, which philosophy are you adopting?  When you look at how your time is spent, which philosophy does your life mirror more closely... Disney or Wright?


At the end of the day, when I breathe my final breath on this earth, I would rather be remembered as a man who was successful as a father but a failure as a musician.  What a tragic loss it would be for me to be remembered the other way around:  successful in the music industry but absent from my children's lives.  What truly is more important?


Disney got it right... and who knows, with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work maybe I'll be successful at both. He proved it's possible...