Is comfort worth the expense?

No Safety

Lyrics
I know I’m getting older
Cus my dark hair fades to gray
And the things that are so simple
Age tends to complicate

And the world is getting smaller
It’s changing everyday
With change comes obligation
There is no time to be afraid

I know it is not safe
Be brave
There is no safety here
Why are we so scared?
When there are greater things to fear!

I need a reason to feel better
Your excuse for my defense
We say it is our culture
But is comfort worth the expense?
Is this comfort worth the expense?

I know it is not safe
Be brave
There is no safety here
Why are we so scared?
When there are greater things to fear!

When I was younger
I’d do anything knew everything
And believed
God would do something
To right this wrong
Because God did something
To save us all
Even the hurting
Even the poor
Even the poverty we choose to ignore
When will we heed this call
Just embrace
The purpose for which we were made
The purpose for which we were made
When will this rich man…
When will this rich man…
When will this rich man…
Choose to obey?

I know it is not safe
Be brave
There is no safety here
Why are we so scared?
When there are greater things to fear!

This is a song I wrote a while ago, when I re-read the last board post I was reminded me of it.  When I was younger I guinuinely wanted to make a difference, but from my little worldview it was more attainable when I got older. Now that I am older I say to myself… “man if I was younger”   Kinda like the “If I knew then what I know now” complex…
I do not think the desire to make a difference goes away but maybe we marginalize it as we grow older. Why? My encouragement to you is to dream big!
Thanks for listening and reading!

30 Days To Live

When I heard that “30 Days To Live” will be an upcoming sermon series, I jumped for joy.  For some reason, I have been fascinated with life and death.  In fact the older I get it seems I place more value on time. (I can’t even remember the last time I played a video game)  I think the age/time value ratio rings true for all of us. Taking things for granted is too easy in our society.  I read a book recently that asked this question…

Look at what you’re currently doing and ask yourself, “What will I sacrifice if I continue on this track for 5, 10, or 20 years?”

MY JOURNALED ANSWER:  If I continue on the track I am on.  I may either be promoted to Worship Leader or relocate to another Church serving as their Worship Leader.  Continuing in the ministry will be a constant tug on my relationship with my parents, Jenn’s parents, and we will miss the final days of our grandparents lives.  I love my job.  I love what I am doing.  Not being involved in ministry is not an option, but it takes it’s toll.   Because it takes the weekends and holidays. When I do have time off and assuming Jenn is off,  it is a conflict of spending time with the each other or traveling to see family.  Thinking about possibly missing the last years of our parents or grandparents life is unsettling.  In our society/culture “church” happens on the weekends and holidays.  As newly weds figuring out the holidays is difficult enough, then adding on a job that takes away weekends and holidays, leads to complex planning.

I guess much of this stems from spending the last few days with my sister,  recently skyping with Jenn’s parents online, spending some time with the grandparents, and trying to plan for the upcoming holidays/anniversary!  Jenn and I are super lucky to have family that loves us and want to spend time with us.  We are blessed on many accounts. Please do not take this as me complaining about my job, I am very blessed and love what I am doing.  But sometimes saying things out loud is healthy.  A counseling of sorts!

The truth is we all have situations and stories in each of our lives. And this brings me to the point of this blog entry…

It all comes down to Things we want to do .VS. Things we ought to do

What is on your proverbial bucket list?  What keeps you from from fulfilling those dreams?

As I have experienced life I find more and more things I would like to do…

Take a surfing lesson, ride a motorcycle down highway one, learn to fly a small plane, scuba dive in the eastern hemisphere, visit Europe/Asia (Catacombs, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China), adopt, start an online business, learn to sail, run a half-marathon, hangglide, ride a bike a 100 miles in one day, learn a foreign language, get a song cut, swim with a shark, I could go on and on…

But I want to hear about your bucket list…

Let me ask again…What is on your bucket list?  What keeps you from from fulfilling those dreams?

You can email me at MyBucketList2009@gmail.com or you can leave a comment below.

Just As I Am (In Your Presence) Demo

JUST AS I AM (In Your Presence)

“In Your Presence my King who unselfishly gave
Here astounded and amazed by Your infinite grace
Ever-loving Ever-patient I am held in Your hands
And You take me, Just as I am “

Please, Please, Please let me know your thoughts… Good & Bad

Off to the Dominican Republic!

These pictures were taken in the Dominican Republic by Brandon Wood! He is a very talented photographer!

This Saturday I am off to a world unknown… at least by me! I am traveling to the Dominican Republic. Our Church has invested into a community called La Represa. I am stoked that God has chosen to use me… It is truly a blessing.

The following are random thoughts & feelings concerning my trip:

Hopeful (That we would find a place for (w)injustice to invest)
Anxious (First “real” trip out of the country)
Overwhelmed (I have yet to pack and am still sitting at writer’s night, we leave in the morning)
Sad ( I will miss my family = wife & dog)
Tired but most of all…
Excited!

What you can do…

Pray for safety of those traveling!
Pray for God’s presence to be known and that he would inhabit the hearts of those who do not know him!
Pray for that our labor would be fruitful!
Pray for progress for (w)injustice!

Your Great Hand

Just click the play arrow to begin the songs.

Your Great Hand
This song was written a year or so ago. Everytime I play it, I get great responses! It is encouraging.

Your Great Hand

You are the center
You are the source
You have given everything
we could want and more

We are the problem
we’ve made a blunder of it all
But our faults lend purpose
to the Glory of the cross

Your great hand
Is fixing it all again
fixing it all again
Your great hand
O how it covers us
O how it covers us

We are the fallen
sons & daughters of the king
We are the outcast
Your chosen & redeemed

In our weakness be our strength
In our famines be our feast
Take our hatred teach us love
A love that heals never destructs

When water takes our cities
When towers hit the ground
When countries beg for freedom
Let our love reach out

Too long we stand for nothing
But words we’ve written down
Let’s make those words our actions
Revival’s coming now

I hope you enjoy, Thanks for listening! Leave a comment…
Robbie