Friday, September 26, 2014

Why You Were Born

I have a confession to make.  When I was in high school, I did not like reading.  In fact, when we were given the assignment to read a book, I would usually just skim it to get the overview and then close it up with the intention to never open it again.  I know, what a terrible thing to do.  Kids, stay in school and read all of the books your teacher asks you to read. 

The main reason I didn't like reading was because it felt like a chore.  If someone told me you have to read, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I did everything I could to do read as little as possible.



It wasn't until I grew up a little that I discovered the benefits of reading.  I learned that even in fiction, the author would often use the story as an illustration that led to a deeper meaning.  For instance, In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain used the lives of a couple of kids to dive deep into the issues of racism and slavery.  As I look back, I wished I had paid more attention in English class.  Sure, I might have received a better grade, but would have learned a lot more about myself and the world too.

A few months ago I read a quote from Mark Twain that has stuck with me ever since.  He said, "The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you understand why." 

Isn't that great?  And so true.  We spend so much of our lives working hard to get better grades. Then, we can get into a great school, get a high paying job, buy a nice house, a nice car, and save for an early retirement.  As we read through that list, it all looks great.  But where is the, "why" in your life?

What is it that God really wants you to do?  I heard a sermon by Steven Furtick.  He is the lead pastor at Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He said something that caught my attention, and I am paraphrasing, but this is the basic idea.   We all want to find our purpose in life.  But most of the time we think it is a bigger, better job.  Or maybe we have to move far away to Africa as a missionary or wait for a huge opportunity to drop in our lap.  But in reality, we just need to be ready when opportunities do come.  And those opportunities are all around us all the time.  Look for opportunities to meet a need in your family, neighborhood, job, or church.  Get involved and watch God do something amazing.  Those are the moments when your, "why" will become clear.

  

Friday, September 19, 2014

Danny Gokey

There are only a few tv shows that my wife and I look forward to each year.  American Idol is one of them.  As a guy who works in Christian radio, I am amazed at how much talent has been discovered for "us" because of American Idol (Mandisa, Jeremy Rosado, Kris Allen, Jason Castro, Chris Sligh, Jordin Sparks, Chris Daughtry).  

Danny Gokey left Idol to pursue a career in mainstream country.  He tried it for a couple of years, but in June of this year he changed directions and released an album to Christian radio.  Like so many of the artists we play, Danny started singing in church and later became the music director.  Obviously music was always his passion.  

Here are a couple of things you probably didn't know about Danny:

  • He was a church music director while also driving a semi truck (18 wheeler) for a local logistics company for two years.
  • He was known for his many pairs of eyeglasses that he often wore on the show.  Danny always said he might start an eyewear line to help raise funds for his foundation (http://www.sophiasheart.org/) and Match Eyewear teamed with him for the Danny Gokey Eyewear collection.  Launched in March 2012, the collection has exceeded sales projections with over 1.7 million in net retail sales.
  • Gokey married his high school sweetheart, Sophia Martinez, on May 15, 2004.  The two had been together since 1997.  On July 9, 2008, four weeks before he auditioned for American Idol, Gokey's wife died from complications of a routine surgery for congenital heart disease.

The last point makes this song even more special.  If you have experienced some sort of tragedy in your life, now you know that this is more than a song for Danny too.






Friday, September 12, 2014

Whoah....Francesca

I remember listening to Katy Perry before she was Katy Perry.  I remember when she was played on Christian radio as Katy Hudson.  Later on in life she changed her music is is now one of the biggest pop stars in the world.  I honestly don't pay attention to her career that much but because she is such a big deal I often hear/see her songs on tv, videos, and in stores.

One Katy Perry song in particular caught my attention the other day, Roar.  Not because of anything she did,but because of a line in a Francesca Battistelli song, He Knows My Name.  

I'll roar beyond a song
With every moment that I've got
True to who You are
You saw my heart
and made
Something out of nothing

Wait a second...did Francesca just call out Katy Perry (I'll roar beyond a song)?  One day I would like to ask Francesca about the line...and maybe Katy too.  Roar, by Katy has a great message.  But it is like Francesca, as a Christian, is challenging her to do more than just sing a motivational song.  Maybe she is challenging her to take it a little bit deeper.