Music For The People

For awhile now I've known I should hit the streets with my guitar and take what I do outside. While in Redding, CA I was feeling the urge to sing songs on the streets and in the shopping centers of Newport News. In many cities around the world it's not uncommon to see a "busker" (or street performer) out making a little money playing in front of people with an open case. In the city of Newport News it's not common at all.

For the past couple of months I've been doing this and my experiences have been many. I have had the opportunity to pray with folks, encourage the passerby and entertain those who have walked by me since I've "gone public". I've sang impromptu duets with folks that want to get in on the fun and share their song. I've been asked "why didn't you ever go professional?". I've been told how I remind someone of a son or brother who is a musician. I've been told I was panhandling by the police and asked to leave. I've been encouraged to sing/play through amplifiers so that "everybody can hear you". I've been given $20 bills and penny's. I've had folks in wheelchairs give me money. Little children have often walked up to me with awe in their eyes that someone is actually playing guitar and singing OUTSIDE often with single dollars in their hands to throw in my guitar case. I've worshiped God in front of retail stores. I've entertained mini-vans who parked in front of my spot so that someone can roll down the window and listen. Goth kids, elderly folks, white and black people, store managers, professionals, vagabonds, mothers & fathers have all told me that they like what I'm doing. At once I've been affirmed as a performer and made some money to buy pizza for the night. How fun.

These days are the kind that many feel are full of fear. Folks are grasping for something that just seems to be out of reach. They see a better life for their families but just can't get there through all the dangers, toils and snares of the times. Strummed melodies and heart songs connect strangers. They have the potential to put us in a better mood. They rally us together when a noble theme is present. Joy and dreams come alive as we join in and soon the storm has been calmed long enough for us to see what's ahead. A favorite of mine during this time has been to sing Johnny Cash's version of U2's song "One" and I've been struck with the shared journey we all are on. We are all on a journey and we need each other to get there. In "One" Bono sings, "We're one but we're not the same. We've got to carry each other, carry each other. One."

photo by Tomascastelazo

Up, up and upstate!

Back home after a great trip to upstate New York. Charissa and I packed up a Honda Civic full with 3 kids, guitar gear and enough clothes to make it through the weekend. This was our first foray onto "the road" where we would be sharing what is on our hearts and leading others into a personal encounter with the Father. We were asked to come to New Hope Christian Community Church, where my father-in-law serves as pastor, minister to the church and spend extra time with family. On Saturday night I led worship and spoke about what it means to worship in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23). Charissa had invited a team of dancers from another local church to come and join with us as we were wanting to facilitate a place where people could let loose and be encouraged in the arts/talents. Sunday morning I led the band for the song service and gave a message called "Live like Jesus in 3 Easy Steps".

(L to R - Ezra sleeping, NY hills, faithful old guitar amp, SpiderMan on the road)

It was great to come to a place where we could be free to be ourselves, have ample time to do what we wanted and have someone watch the kids! Not often have Charissa and I both been able to be in the meetings together and minister together. She gave an intro for me at both services and had some great times praying for folks where encouraging and prophetic words were given. I know that during worship the first night Charissa's shoulder was healed without anyone praying for her. She had been having muscle cramps and limited movement and realized after the worship set that she was pain-free.

The trip was a blast. The folks there gave testimony to being touched by the Lord while we were there and fresh perspective of God's creativity and Jesus' redemptive side we're seen by many. For us, we had fun. There's always a trial or two (sibling rivalry in the backseat or general disgust from the baby in the backseat that just wants the driving to come to an end) and there's always reason to be thankful. I have reason to believe that God is more interested in working with us than through us. His desires have drawn us into this quest to see people's identities awakened. We push forward and look forward to the next trip.

You are Resplendent and Majestic...

It's been a little over a year since I participated in an event that changed not only Hampton Roads but possibly the nation. The Blaze Manifesto took place last July and was a release of sound from the womb of the nation, in the Historic Triangle (Jamestown - Yorktown - Williamsburg). This public declaration of intentions to revisit the infancy of the nation and call forth her true destiny in this hour of spiritual vapidness and despair was birthed out of a vision given to my friends Josiah & Ashley VanFleet. For the three days of July 3rd, 4th & 5th worshipers from all over the USA converged on these three cities in Virginia, where the United States had it's foundation built, and cried out for the land, declared their love for Jesus and beat drums, guitars, pianos and anything else that makes a noise in adoration to God.
There were no food tents, funnel cakes or merry go rounds to attract a crowd here. There were professional musicians who came and gave their talents with no billboard or lights for their names. There were dozens of volunteers who gave freely of themselves in the heat of July. All that gathered were there for the One Thing, Jesus Christ - and to lift up His name in the fields and cities which our nation's history hinged upon.
The sites had been strategically chosen and each musician/band was asked to pray about which day they should play. My family came to Jamestown in 1619, just 12 years after the first ships came down the James River. I was definitely feeling a pull to my roots as I had an opportunity to worship at the site where my forefathers had arrived some 400 years earlier. A decision was made to play all new material as I felt Father God leading me to break forth into songs of joy. I had a handful of songs that I felt could work but had no plan and no band.
I had been playing this summer at some Burn 24/7 prayer furnace events and had come across a drummer and a guitar player (Jeremiah Queen - drums; Sean Crewe - guitar) that I felt would be good guys to worship with that day. I asked my good friend, Bruce Raiford, to play acoustic guitar and sing backup vox as he has a true worshipers heart and has a knack for picking out great harmonies in a written or spontaneous song. Next I needed a bass player and I asked Josiah who was ok with it. In the few days before the event Josiah gave me a ring and suggested a backing singer that was a friend of his who was female and had a great heart and voice (Jessica McGee Lake) and a bass player who was coming down for Detroit that would allow Josiah switch to keyboards named Terrel Pierce. Josiah had heard great things from Burn 24/7 director, Sean Feucht about Terrel and thought he could jump on stage and pull it off. I went along and thought that God would put together the band he wanted as we pushed forward with the event.

Fast forward to the day of the Blaze Manifesto and I can't hold my pen to write my set list. I was feeling an overwhelming amount of stress and couldn't settle myself as it was starting to feel like a panic was on me. I asked Sean Crewe to write out a second copy of a song for me so I could sit for a minute and news was that neither Jessica or Terrel was to be accounted for with only 15 minutes to play. Now I had played music with Bruce for years and twice with Jeremiah and Sean but I hadn't even met Jessica or Terrel yet and we were about to worship together as a group. Moments before I had been given the lyrics to a verse and a chorus for a brand new song I felt God was leading us to play called "We Say Your Name" but I had yet to play these. In the next 5 minutes I met Terrel and Jessica, we prayed as a group and set up our gear in the tent area where the bands would play from. I felt a connection with the Lord to not get swamped down in all the heaviness of what our nation was in desperate need for but a desire to bask in His presence and what Father God thinks of me/us.

Our set together was the first and last time I have played with all these people. The sound that we created pulled down Heaven that day as identity in Christ was revealed and a delight for the King of Kings resonated in that field for all to see and experience. In the past year I have mixed the set of songs that we committed to God that day and have called them "Resplendent & Majestic", which is from Psalm 76 speaking of the Lord. I've spoken with a local pastor from Williamsburg who says that the Blaze Manifesto shifted the atmosphere in those cities - "you can feel it in the air". For those who took place in this event you know what occurred and we burn every day to represent the King.

Below are two recordings from sets at the Blaze Manifesto. These are available for download. As you listen, join with the Father's heart for our nation and pray.




I was also a part of my friend Josiah's band on the final day in Yorktown. The band is called Jehu Riders. Check this out for loud and unhinged worship.

Three Easy Steps to Blogdom.

Step 1. Watch a movie about a girl who starts a blog and ends up writing a book that gets turned into a movie. (“Julie and Julia”, a great movie, I thought.)

Up until this point I’ve never even read a blog. My only experience with them is judging bloggers as slightly arrogant and a little bit too self invested. But now I’m thinking “Hey, I could do that. I’m pretty funny and surely others think so too!”. I mean, how hard can it be to talk about yourself? I didn’t really mean that bloggers are arrogant, more like- reflective. And I don’t think they’re self invested, but rather generous to share themselves with others. Yeah, that’s much closer to what I meant. So before Scott went off to California I told him that we should start a blog when he returns.

Step 2 (in two parts). Part One. Think about how fabulous your blog will be. Come up with lots of ideas.

Scott was gone for 3 weeks, the final week of which the kids and I spent in upstate New York at my parents’ house. Then, from there we picked up Scott at the airport and went camping in Vermont with my family. Of the 16 of us, 7 were under 7 yrs old, so that was…well another story. Needless to say, I didn’t start writing right away. I did, however, see every event and conversation as potential blog material. Recipes, quotes, invention ideas, life lessons…boy this will be easy! I have so much to tell the world and they will gobble it up like bon-bons. How very excited I was!

Step 2. Part Two. Begin to panic, overanalyze, and doubt your general appeal to the masses.

I was still in Part one mode when we arrived home from our vacation. Scott set up a blog page, we came up with a name and he made the first post. Now it was my turn. Nooo problem. I’ll just wait a day or two. Ok, maybe a few more days, we wouldn’t want to bombard anyone. By now I’m starting to feel the pressure. Who’s going to care what I have to say? And having your words in print, albeit e-print, is scary. I consider myself competent with the English language but I’m no poet and certainly not as clever as I’d like. So now I’m completely frozen with fear. Oddly enough, I intend for the subject of my first post to be fear. I can imagine that after I make my post the followers start retracting their followerships. (Oooh, made up words. Another good post idea.) Fortunately my fear of being a chicken is greater than my fear of stinking and I make my first post.

Step 3. Read a young mom’s blog (making my grand total of blogs ever read, including my own, 2!) Find inspiration and encouragement again.

As I read her words I identified with her emotions and thought processes. As she shared her adventures I couldn’t help but notice that life’s gold nuggets are often found in the small things. I’m the kind of person that, although I like to talk about the small stuff in life, I am always drawn to deeper things. Emotions, fears, dreams. I probably over analyze everything, myself included. But it stems from a desire to help and connect with people. So maybe this is what it’s all about- connecting with people.
As I continue to add to this blog, I’ll do my best to not be too preachy and intense! I’ll try to be open and honest about life and all its twists and turns, and to share the little things with you. I’ll even try to be funny…if you promise to laugh. Turns out that the gap between running your mouth and typing out your thoughts is much more vast than I knew.

Lights out!

A couple weeks ago I was staying at my parents house in upstate New York with the kids while Scott was in California at the Supernatural School of Worship. Where we live in Virginia, there is always a light on, it’s a large suburban area. In contrast, New York can seem really dark at night. One night I was in my parents’ king size bed with Sylvia (5yrs old) and Ezra (3 yrs old). This was our sleeping arrangement while visiting. Around 11pm there was a storm going through the area and the power went out and along with it the night light. Suddenly the room was pitch black. Sylvia, my night owl, was awake and began to freak out. I held onto her and tried to comfort her but it didn’t help. For fifteen minutes she squirmed and fussed irrationally about not being able to see, begging me to turn on the flashlight. She was in a panic. It didn’t matter that I was right there or that we were just going to sleep. She wanted to be able to see!

After Sylvia fell asleep God showed me that I often act like she did when the lights went out. As soon as I can’t see the answers I begin to panic. I feel like I’m no longer on solid ground or that God is not there and certainly not aware of my needs. He reminded me of something I often tell my kids- nothing changes in the dark. When I lose sight of things, whether it’s control of the situation or inability to see the answer, it doesn’t mean the answer is not there or that He is not working for my benefit. When life gets dark He wants to hold us and assure us He’s still there, but like Sylvia did, we often demand more. We want immediate answers. We want instant results. But, God is more concerned with our hearts and where the roots of our faith lie. And it’s good that He is, because life does get dark at times and things won’t always go our way. In good times or bad, He is faithful to make everything work for our benefit.

So it's begun

The start of a new season is the end of another. For years I've struggled between the realities of what I can do and what I want to do. What is possible, what I dream about and just how large is the gap between? Can I manage to cross what could possibly be a great divide? Maybe the mystery leap is something totally possible with small, careful steps (??).

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)

It was a scripture that seemed more like Mom's chicken noodle soup than anything else. Sure it comforted me but I had no idea how this hot liquid food made me feel safe at home or what this meant until one day I was told that in biblical times the shepherd's would walk with a lamp at their feet for seeing where they stood, and a light on the end of a pole for seeing where they were walking towards. In between these lights - darkness. Uncertain steps unless you had seen where you are going and where you stand.

I find myself a recent graduate from the Bethel School of Supernatural Worship in Redding, CA after quitting my corporate, all-consuming job. Bethel has always been a place close to my heart. They have a community there that functions as a culture of honor where the expectation of God is that He is in a good mood and is looking to release mercy upon all creation. I took a month out of the normal rhythms of life to learn more about who I am and what worshiping God really means. In order for me to quit the j-o-b and to get me to California we needed an estimated 5 thousand dollars for bills, tuition, food, travel & lodging. After about $400 came in we made the decision to go and shortly after about half the total sum came in - enough to buy airline tickets, tuition and lodging. We made the travel arrangements and paid for them without our bills or food money in sight. Within the week everything came in for us to have all we needed. This uncertain step was made with a safe-landing on what we felt God had said - "go".

There are dreams in my heart that have come true as husband, father and son and others that have yet to be fulfilled. Charissa and I have agreed that the season was upon us to launch out into the desires of our hearts. No more time for uncertainty and leaning upon the wisdom of men. No more time gauging the proverbial darkness in between who I am and where I'm going. It's time to step out on the promises we've been given. I know I will be in the studio, in the church, outside the church and my call is singular - to prepare the way for the Lord. All the details haven't been sorted but the pursuit has never been more sure. If you like to read about ordinary folks stepping into the unknown to see them become who they are made to be, then this is a place for you.