"Where words fail, music speaks." - Hans Christian Andersen.
I have that quote on my signature on the email that I use for all of my music business stuff. To be honest, when I was creating that email, I google'd for quotes, and found that one and pondered on it for awhile. After a few minutes of reflecting on it, I agreed with Mr. Hans, and thought it would also sound poetic in my dealings with "cool" music people, especially when you say the quote out loud, with a slight tilt of the head, eyebrows raised ever so slightly, and a faint whisper in your voice. (you just tried it right!) And while Hans was correct, in that music can stir certain emotions and thoughts, words are so very powerful, even in the simplest use, and therefore never fail, but have lasting impact good or bad, in everything we do.
A great book that helped our marriage out early on, and still today does, is "The 5 Love languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman. As the book points out, one love language is "Words of affirmation" and is how some express and need to feel loved. So as much as a great Boys to men song can express love, it will never fully articulate the words coming from one person to another, just ask my wife and she will tell you, that no matter how many times I try and woo her with the infectious beats and me singing Motown Philly to her, it will never go as far as an "I Love you," and "you mean a lot to me" will.
In keeping with this thought on how much words really do mean, I was reminded ever so greatly how the words we choose have weight and can impact someones life. Or how words you may have heard many times before, when told to you in a new way can reshape your life. Especially when the words you hear come from our creator.
I have a great friend of mine who recently experienced this awesome truth, that when Christ speaks into the heart of the hurt and broken, His words not only speak to us, but have the power to heal. I am thankful for my great friend, but more so thankful, that Christ has allowed me to see His action in my friends life, and for Christ speaking through me. A hard and convicting scripture that Pat Hood, spoke on this past week at church was on this very same thing. Romans 10:14 "...And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" Christ is calling us here in this scripture to be his words here on earth. Not saying that we all are called to be preachers, but to share THE word. As I learned from this in many ways this weekend His words will NEVER fail! and have the power to Speak.
So to my friend, keep seeking Christs words, as they are all you need to overcome anything. And to Mr. Hans Christian Andersen, I beg to differ, even though an occasional early 90's slow jam can be the right medicine for almost anything, I say "where my words fail, Christ Speaks." - Ryan "wannabe soul singer" Durham.
And to our "POINT"(s) for this blog:
www.5lovelanguages.com
www.lifepointchurch.org/sundays#
Heroes Wanted
http://theafters.com/light-up-the-sky-preview-say-it-now/
Monday, September 20, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Today, tomorrow....forever!
Today, tomorrow....forever!
I was sitting here today and that is the thought that hit me upside the head. Today, I am loved and forgiven, tomorrow has already been planned and will take care if itself, and forever... This is where the smack to the face, like a boxer caught with his guard down, hit me! What will forever look like? What will I be doing in that time? and will anything I do now have any lasting impact on it? My answer to those questions was saddening and at the same time motivating! Hence this new "change in thinking" and the reason to start this thing, that is way cooler than me, "blogging."
I remember a couple of years ago sitting and listening to my pastor preaching on the life of a christian. How, "as a freshman at the University of North Alabama... =)," He became a christian, and how God had rocked his world into living sold out for him. In this sermon that I had probably heard 4 or 5 times since the church started, he always would finish by stating this principle, by William James, "the greatest use of a life, is to spend it for something that outlasts it" I heard and watched as my friend, mentor and Pastor, Vance Pitman lived this truth out, and thought, that is a good word, and I agree!
Fast forward to today, when I felt like I now know what a red "everlast" boxing glove tastes like when this truth came barreling at my face in slow motion, pushing my left cheek into my teeth, thus making it look like I just had a botched botox surgery gone wrong with my lips! What will outlast my life...nothing. That is a hard pill to swallow, and if you know me then you know I hate swallowing any type of pill! =) Now here is where I should tell you some awesome and radical epiphany, or new direction that I have come to right? Well sadly I again am faced with the pill of nothing....YET!
I feel that the first step has now been taken though. A step into spending the rest of my life, and the life of the wandering nomad family that is the Durhams, and pointing ourselves and whoever, if anyone that reads this, to a way of living for something(more like someone) that will outlast it!
The goal and purpose of this blog will be to point out, as we are lead through life by Christ, where we see his activity! We want this blog to be a pointing tool to help us, and others, see ways of living for something that outlasts us. So here is to going another round with that "everlast" and being able to answer the hits better! And as Vance will say "The joy is in the journey!"
Our first "point" is this:
Saving Baby Girls From Infanticide in India
I was sitting here today and that is the thought that hit me upside the head. Today, I am loved and forgiven, tomorrow has already been planned and will take care if itself, and forever... This is where the smack to the face, like a boxer caught with his guard down, hit me! What will forever look like? What will I be doing in that time? and will anything I do now have any lasting impact on it? My answer to those questions was saddening and at the same time motivating! Hence this new "change in thinking" and the reason to start this thing, that is way cooler than me, "blogging."
I remember a couple of years ago sitting and listening to my pastor preaching on the life of a christian. How, "as a freshman at the University of North Alabama... =)," He became a christian, and how God had rocked his world into living sold out for him. In this sermon that I had probably heard 4 or 5 times since the church started, he always would finish by stating this principle, by William James, "the greatest use of a life, is to spend it for something that outlasts it" I heard and watched as my friend, mentor and Pastor, Vance Pitman lived this truth out, and thought, that is a good word, and I agree!
Fast forward to today, when I felt like I now know what a red "everlast" boxing glove tastes like when this truth came barreling at my face in slow motion, pushing my left cheek into my teeth, thus making it look like I just had a botched botox surgery gone wrong with my lips! What will outlast my life...nothing. That is a hard pill to swallow, and if you know me then you know I hate swallowing any type of pill! =) Now here is where I should tell you some awesome and radical epiphany, or new direction that I have come to right? Well sadly I again am faced with the pill of nothing....YET!
I feel that the first step has now been taken though. A step into spending the rest of my life, and the life of the wandering nomad family that is the Durhams, and pointing ourselves and whoever, if anyone that reads this, to a way of living for something(more like someone) that will outlast it!
The goal and purpose of this blog will be to point out, as we are lead through life by Christ, where we see his activity! We want this blog to be a pointing tool to help us, and others, see ways of living for something that outlasts us. So here is to going another round with that "everlast" and being able to answer the hits better! And as Vance will say "The joy is in the journey!"
Our first "point" is this:
Saving Baby Girls From Infanticide in India
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