Slap the Face . . .

Recently listening to the lyrics of an older rock band that has been one of my favorites for many years, the 77’s. From the “Sticks and Stones” album, the song, “Days to Come has been particularly meaningful the last few days.

Something tells me that we’ll come out of this
With a healing compassion or a scarring bitterness
Don’t revive painful times, let them rest
Don’t drag a net through the sea of forgetfulness

 

The cut was deep, the blood was warm
I can’t deny what it’s done
But if we don’t release the past
We’ll slap the face of the days to come

 

There’s a hand at the door refusing to leave
Its pulse is throbbing, its heart on its sleeve
It’s a new tomorrow waiting to be received
By somebody ready and willing to believe

 

The cut was deep, the blood was warm
I can’t deny what it’s done
But if we don’t release the past
We’ll slap the face of the days to come

 

Remember this melody
Don’t ever let it go away
Sing it to your heart
Day after day after day

 

The cut was deep, the blood was warm
I can’t deny what it’s done
But if we don’t release the past
We’ll slap the face of the days to come

Next to you

I heard this song recently. It’s what I wish I had written for the love of my life.

Tim Easton
“Next To You”

Let me be next to you
I want to understand
Let me be next to you
Then we can watch the band
Let me be next to you
Under your ceiling fan
I can hear every song better
When I’m next to you

Please don’t pull
All of the stops out on me
And think you’ve been cheated
I’ve laid some bad things down before
I heard the sound of your voice
And you drowned out all the noise
I made ’til now

So let me be next to you
I want to understand
Let me be next to you
Then we can watch the band
Let me be next to you
Under your ceiling fan
I can hear every note better
When I’m next to you

I wanna wake up singing
Every word you said
Do you understand

Please don’t pull
All of the stops out on me
But when you think you’ve been cheated
I know i’ve laid some bad things down before
I heard the sound of your voice
And you drowned all the noise I made ’til now

So let me be next to you
I want to understand
Let me be next to you
Then we can watch the band
Let me be next to you
Under your ceiling fan
I can hear every song better
When I’m next to you
Under your ceiling fan
I can hear everything better
Next to you

Let me be next to you
Let me be next to you
Please let me be right next to you

The Blues

Of late this has been a song that I have enjoyed listening to. It seems sad, and somehow hopeful at the same time.

“It’ll be a day like this one
When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found”

“The Blues”

Is this the New Year or just another night?
Is this the new fear or just another fright?
Is this the new tear or just another desperation?

Is this the finger or just another fist?
Is this the kingdom or just a hit n’ miss?
A misdirection, most in all this desperation

Is this what they call freedom?
Is this what you call pain?
Is this what they call discontented fame?

It’ll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

I’m singing this one like a broken piece of glass
From broken arms an’ broken noses in the back
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?

You’re pushing till you’re shoving
You bend until you break
Till you stand on the broken fields where our fathers lay

It’ll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

There’s nothing here worth saving,
Is no one here at all?
Is there any net left that could break our fall?

It’ll be a day like this one
When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been throwing down this broken house of cards?

It’ll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

Is there nothing left now?
Nothing left to sing
Are there any left who hasn’t kiss the enemy?
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?

Does justice never find you? Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?

And nothing is okay
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in

by Switchfoot.

If my life was a map . . .

This song comes from my heart today. Would that I be made new.

The Altar

I’m at the end of myself, I just dropped out of the running
I don’t recall when I last pulled the shades and said “here comes the sun, here comes the new day”
Someone remind me again that joy might show up on ocassion
I’m sitting here with my hands on my head, and my eyes on the ground, wondering if I’ll be found by You

Will you make me new? Will you take what’s left of me?
I guarantee that it won’t be a fair trade.
Will you set me free from what’s keeping me afraid?
I know I’ve prayed it all before, but I’m back on the altar

I don’t believe what they say about one foot in front of the other
If my life was a map, you’d see every last step just circling around, still lost, never found by You

So will you make me new? Will you take what’s left of me?
I guarantee that it won’t be a fair trade.
Will you set me free from what’s keeping me afraid?
I know I’ve prayed it all before, but I’m back on the altar

Maybe last year I’d have made empty promises
Maybe last month I’d have tried to pull strings
But I don’t have one single chip left to bargain with
The only thing left is me needing You to make me new

Will you take what’s left of me?
I guarantee that it won’t be a fair trade
Will you set me free from what’s keeping me afraid?
I know I’ve prayed it all before
But I’m back
On the altar

by Nicole Nordeman, from her album, Brave [Special Edition]

Wild Horses

Just listening to this song today. I think the image of wild horses running is both beautiful and powerful. I think it reflects what we all long for in our spirit.

“Wild Horses”

I feel these 4 walls closing in
My face up against the glass
I’m looking out… hmm
Is this my life I’m wondering
It happened so fast
How do I turn this thing around
Is this the bed I chose to make
Its greener pastures I’m thinking about hmm
Wide open spaces far away

All I want is the wind in my hair
To face the fear but, not feel scared

Wild horses I wanna be like you
Throwing caution to the wind
I’ll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love, like I’m longing too
Run with the wild horses, run with the wild horses!

I see the girl I wanna be
Riding bare back, care free along the shore
If only that someone was me
Jumping head first headlong without a thought
To act and damn the consequence
How I wish it could be that easy
But fear surrounds me like a fence
I wanna break free

All I want is the wind in my hair
To face the fear but, not feel scared

Wild horses I wanna be like you
Throwing caution to the wind
I’ll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love, like I’m longing too
I wanna run with the wild horses, run with the wild horses!

I wanna run too.

Breaklessly abandoning my self before you

I wanna open up my heart tell him how I feel

Wild horses I wanna be like you
Throwing caution to the wind
I’ll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love, like I’m longing too
I wanna run with the wild horses, run with the wild horses!

I wanna run with the wild horses

by Natasha Bedingfield from her album, Unwritten.

There You Go

There You Go!

Is this the strange feeling
Of you working all to good
‘Cause I am so confused
I don’t even ask for what I should

When I asked for and deserved a stone
You broke and gave your body as bread
And even the stone that dropped down and rolled away
Spoke of the one who bled

There you go working good from my bad
There you go making robes from my rags
There you go melting crowns from my calves
There you go working good of all I have
Till all I have’s not that bad

When I asked for and deserved a serpent
You gave a net full of fish
And even the serpent that told the lie
When lifted high foretold the gift

For you so loved the unlovable
That you gave the ineffable
That who so believes the unbelievable
Will gain the unattainable

Song by Caedmon’s Call, from their album, 40 Acres.

Modern Rarity

Modern Rarity

I’ve been hoping I…
I’ve been whispering
I’ve been praying for
a true friend to keep

yeah but I know it’s been a
while since two came
and wrapped it up with
will and reason
I agree,
it’s a modern rarity

thanks for being open
thanks for holding on
thanks to everybody
who’s opened up their arms

thanks for being my friend
don’t wanna let you down
but I’ll fade
away

yeah but I know it’s been a
while since two came
and wrapped it up with
will and reason
I agree,
it’s a modern rarity

thanks for being open
thanks for holding on
thanks to everybody
who’s opened up their arms

thanks for being able
when no one’s got a clue
as to what it feels like
to own my solitude

thanks for being my friend
I know you’re true
thanks to everybody I
value
you…I do….
I do
I do
yeah

thanks for being open
thanks for holding on
thanks to everybody
who’s opened up their arms

thanks for being able
when no one’s got a clue
as to what it feels like
to own my solitude
yeah…oh oh oh….

by Moses Mayfield, from their album The Inside

Time With My Son

Today I had to take a road trip. My son wanted to ride along. It was fun to get away, ride down the highway with the stereo blasting and sing with my son at the top of our voices . . .

My son is generally a concrete thinker. He doesn’t usually get subtleties or pick up on “suggestions.” You pretty much have to tell exactly what you want. He’s 11, so it’s ok, we both are still trying to figure things out. I’m trying to figure out how to really relate to my son as he is growing, but he’s trying figuring out how to be 11, going on 12.

So it was pure delight to me as he made the following comments. We were listening to a song by Relient K. My son loves their music, and while I probably wouldn’t choose it at my age, I still like their music and their lyrics give you plenty to think about. So as we were listening to “Let It All Out” there is the line :

“If the burden seems too much to bear
Remember, the end will justify the pain it took to get us there”

He says, “that makes me think of the Lord of the Rings.”

I thought I could see what he meant, so I asked him, “in what way?”

He said, “you know, the way Frodo carried the ring and how hard it was, but it was worth it in the end. He saved the world.”

It was a pleasing moment. He’s growing up, and I am proud of who he is becoming.

Put in me . . .

This has been a long time favorite of mine. It is currently the most relevant song for me these days and as such is my constant prayer!

Put in me . . .

Oh, Mercy, fall on me like a warm blanket…on my cold, cold heart
Clean me with Your blood that turns me white on the inside
I’m on my knees again ’cause I’m breaking Your heart

Put in me…what I cannot buy with gold
Put in me, oh God…come restore my broken soul
Put in me…what I cannot give myself
Put in me…a clean heart

I know all my broken places like the back of my hand
That slapped your face again
Wash me in your love and hold me tight like a baby
Till I have no memory of ever breaking Your heart

And in the joy when you restore me I will stand and walk again
I will run into this world I will call them to come in
But I will not point my finger or grow that wicked skin
That cannot remember what I will not forget
How I broke you, or how I’m broken

by Waterdeep and 100 Portraits from the album, Enter the Worship Circle

Awakening

Here’s a cool new video from Switchfoot’s, Oh, Gravity! album. Some pretty big things have happened recently in my life. I don’t know where God is taking me, but I feel more “awake” than I have in a long time. So this line from the song resonates:

“And in all my life I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so alive, alive”

Awakening

Face down with the LA curbside endings
With the ones and zeros.
Downtown was the perfect place to hide.
The first star that I saw last night was a headlight
Of a man-made sky, but man- made never made our dreams collide,
Collide.

Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We’re awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We’re awakening
Maybe it’s called ambition, you’ve been talking in your sleep
About a dream, we’re awakening

Last week found me living for nothing but deadlines,
With my dead beat sky but, this town doesn’t look the same tonight
These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere
And in all my life I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so alive,
Alive

I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want a heart that I know is beating,
It’s beating,
I’m bleeding
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to live like I know what I’m leaving
I want a heart that I know is beating,
It’s beating… it’s beating…
I’m bleeding
by Switchfoot, from Oh, Gravity!