Check out this interview of the group Mates of State from BYU TV. It’s refreshing to see this husband and wife duo’s approach to life and their music career.
http://www.byutv.org/watch/b1542dd8-eda4-4648-b581-be0ddc95d19a
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Tag: Life
Consumer with a desire to create
I’m a consumer with a desire to create.
I can tell you what I think about your product and what would make it better but when it comes to creation I am less than inspired. And I wish it weren’t that way.
In all honesty, I figure I have very few original ideas. I like to stand on the shoulders of others and take the next step (adaptation of a line from Jurassic Park).
I have tried to be creative in the past in many different arenas. Something that had come quite naturally to me is my appreciation for music. And since any fool can pick up a guitar and play… I thought it would be an easy transition to creation.
The problem is I lack the discipline and concentration to progress enough to ever play the guitar confidently. For 15 years I have been a mediocre beginner. I’m not sure that will ever change.
And as a mediocre beginner I have tried to write music and poetry, but I have never been as happy as I am when I hear the latest release from (insert musician here).
I guess I am writing this in an attempt to validate this existence. Is it ok to be a consumer?
Is it a creative art in and of itself?
I’m not sure.
All I know is that I have a desire to create… and have yet to find an outlet for that.
Love & War
So, a few months ago a friend passed along a link for a free book on marriage.
The book was called Love & War by John and Stasi Elderege. And, the only catch was that you had to agree to write a review of the book on your blog.
Since I like to read, and write, I signed up.
It wasn’t too long before the book arrived in the mail. Upon opening the package I was surprised that it was, in fact, an actual hard-cover copy of the book. It wasn’t a cheap paperback edition, or a photocopied pamphlet. It was an actual book.
A couple days later I started reading.
The book was a team effort written by a husband and wife who obviously have a few years of marriage and ministry under their belt.
It began pretty much like any marriage book, and it wasn’t until page 24 that something jumped out at me. Here’s what they wrote.
The bible begins and ends with marriage.
Simple.
And yet profound.
Maybe I’m the dumbest guy to ever get a degree in religion from a Christian, liberal arts college but I had never really thought about the Bible beginning and ending with the image of marriage.
Interesting stuff.
And, upon further reflection, and reading, I came to the realization that the entire Bible is filled with the imagery of marriage.
Quite interesting when you consider how messed up marriages are in today’s society, especially in Christian circles. You’d think that with all of the time the Bible devotes to the concept of marriage Christians would have it down.
Not so.
Throughout the rest of the book the couple goes on to discuss what that means for our marriages and our relationships with God. I won’t go in to any more details because this is already getting long but I will say if you’re married, and a Christian, you should pick a copy of this book up.
Prior to getting married I read a lot of books regarding the subject and I thought I was pretty well prepared. But, I have to say that I definitely didn’t really understand everything I read then. And, I’m sure I’ve forgotten a lot of it. Today, more than 5 years into my marriage, I had new insight and life experiences to bring in as I read Love & War. I’m sure you will to.
Amazing Tools for Communication
Remember Last Week? Things Have Changed
Remember that post I wrote last week?
The one about having too much going on?
Oh my, how things have changed.
And, the thing that scares me most is that, in a way, I may have asked for this.
I ended that post saying I was going to try to work through everything and avoid the desire to retreat when faced with tough times. Well, times have only become tougher. And, I want to retreat more than ever now.
However, with that said, I’m still trying.
I’m exhausted physically and emotionally. And, I’m still fighting the urge to retreat.
It’s not easy, but through all of this I’m reminded of the passage in the Bible that says God will not give you more than you can handle. I know that’s a loose translation of 1st Corinthians 10:13, but I really think it’s true. The trick is that with God we are able to handle a lot more than we think.
It’s kind of funny how that works.
God’s going to let us go through tough times. He never promises that he wont. He simply tells us that if we lean on him we will get through it, because he’s never going to give us more than we can handle.
It’s a pretty amazing relationship we have, if you really think about it.
So, here I go again. I’m going recommit myself to facing these trials. And as I said last week, hopefully I’ll be better for having lived through it.
