Ze lieder learns to delegate...

"God and other artists are always a little obscure." 

-- Oscar Wilde

I'm feeling this is particularly true about me lately.  Thornfield was so busy with monthly gigs last year, including a pretty intimidating one in December, so I felt it was necessary to take a little winter hiatus.  Well, winter's been mild and short in Chicago, and I'm aching to get back into the swing of music and all that jazz.  Literally.

But here's the thing: I'm not administrative.  At all.  And unfortunately, success in the business of music -- as is true with success in any other business -- requires good management.  But as Jenna & Eric have dubbed me "ze band lieder" and as I've heard that one of the best qualities in a leader is the ability and willingness to delegate, well, here I am before you.  Delegating.  To you.  Yes.  You.

Here's what we need you to do, if you're able: 

- Listen to some of our live recordings here and watch our videos here.

- Like them.

- Never mind point above ~ Please like them only if you're inclined to like them.

- Share them with your friends.

- Donate to the "tip top" (on site's sidebar) to help us raise funds for recording a marketable album, if you're able to.  We've been wanting to do this for nearly a year now, and we feel it's imperative that this happens very soon so that we can have something to give back to all our wonderful fans.

- Suggest any venues in Chicagoland (or, if you think you can round up enough friends to attend, elsewhere).

- Like us on facebook (here) and share our page with your friends.

- If you have administrative or artistic gifts that could contribute to Thornfield's well-being, please don't hesitate to offer them.  We welcome all help we can procure!  If you enjoy designing posters, if you like calling venues to book gigs, if you live for organizing events that bring artists and art-lovers together, if you would love take a few pictures or record a few videos... These are all things that we need and, frankly, things that I'm just no good at.  I would love to be able to focus on creating and perfecting good music, and distractions like business keep that from happening, I'm sorry to say.

- Above all, we cherish your support, and I don't mean simply financially.  To see some of the same faces at gig after gig has been such a truly heartening and encouraging thing.  Thank you, so very much!  I'm in process of working on a press kit to secure some more gigs very soon, so please continue your support by bringing your classy selves to them!  :)

taken by our most devoted fan & roadie (who happens to be Jenna's hubby), Adam Plaiss

So there it is.  Now I'm finally a true lieder.  

On behalf of Thornfield, je t'aime!

Carrie

Frozen Heart

For the first time this year (and the first significant time this whole winter long), snow rages through the air and settles deep on the ground.  And as I sit here, coffee betwixt my fingers and thumb, warm to the bones and full to the brim with everything I need and many of the things I want, I remember...

I remember Walter, the man with the cardboard sign who only asked for help to keep his 6-year-old son off the streets.  I remember the many veterans, men and women, who have fought long and hard with body and mind, now frail in both, who sit on the side of the highway exits, judged for being physically and emotionally and mentally scarred by the battles they've seen.  I remember the man under the overpass, his bed of old, smelly sleeping bags made with care, practicing his kirate -- or dancing; I couldn't quite tell.  And the snow flew anyway.  And as the ground beneath them froze, so did my heart.  And I realize I don't know the meaning of these words as well as I often think I do:

Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.

Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.

No, that I do not remember.  But they do.

But it's not too late for them, for their frozen bodies.  Nor me, for my frozen heart.

This I recall to my mind, 

Therefore I have hope.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

His lovingkindness and compassion are extended to my heart each and every day, and I have the choice each day to extend it beyond myself, to those in need.  

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

I was raised in a culture that said, "God helps those who help themselves" and "You reap what you sow" and "I'll help you if you prove to me you're worth it."  Nowhere in any of those statements is the gospel present.  The gospel is about God helping people who cannot help themselves, and reaping something that someone else sowed, and understanding that we're all unworthy of help and that's why it's so awesome that God's love and care is not based on worth!  The gospel is God helping the poor, namely me and you.  And those who've heard and understood and accepted this gospel are called to be extenders of the same grace we were given. 

That means helping people who can't -- maybe even won't -- help themselves. 

That means giving people things that they didn't work for. 

That means extending care and grace and provision to people whether we deem them "worthy" or not.  Because neither are we.  Yet, God lavished all of his fullness on us anyway.

And you know what?  You and every other person on this planet may not be worthy of another's unconditional love and provision, but we all have eternal, immeasurable value -- God's image imprinted on every eye and every fingerprint and every soul.  And with that value comes responsibility for making that choice, for extending that grace, for loving God by loving our neighbors.

Yes, my heart is often distracted -- or even intentionally turned away -- from the needs of others.  But I pray God above and within will help me turn my eyes and spirit to those in need, and help me extend to them my arms and my love, cold though it may be, that His love working through me might warm and thaw this frozen heart.

Heavenly Peace

For those wondering what I do with all the time I'm not blogging (which, as you know, is quite a lot of time, indeed), the last few weeks have involved two primary things: a few more-important-than-usual gigs to prepare for, and a really annoying cold that has gotten in the way of much of the necessary prep time.  I'm finally feeling myself again, which is good since this coming weekend will involve 2+ hours of wedding and dance music for the marriage of some good friends from Holy Trinity Church.  Between crooning some jazzy slow songs and belting out classics like the Hokey Pokey, my weekend is certainly going to be one for the books.  (Which books are yet to be determined, but I'm guessing either a sappy romance or a love-gone-wrong horror novel.)  It's sure to be a fun time, either way.  

In addition to that, given it's Christmastime and all that, there are of course Christmas concerts.  Last Friday our church hosted our annual holiday event, Christmas on the Town.  Though I was still somewhat in the throes of a sinus infection, I still somehow managed to do this:

The song, composed by our friend and church music colleague Ben Lynerd (who is also at the piano in this video), is called "Heavenly Peace: A Blues Ballad," and it's based off of poet William Cullen Bryant's piece, "A Rain-Dream."  Here are the words straight from the poem:

These strifes, these tumults of the noisy world, 

Where Fraud, the coward, tracks his prey by stealth, 

And Strength, the ruffian, glories in his guilt, 

Oppress the heart with sadness. Oh, my friend, 

In what serener mood we look upon 

The gloomiest aspects of the elements 

Among the woods and fields! Let us awhile, 

As the slow wind is rolling up the storm, 

In fancy leave this maze of dusty streets, 

Forever shaken by the importunate jar 

Of commerce, and upon the darkening air 

Look from the shelter of our rural home.

You might notice that some of the words were changed a bit to fit the song, and particularly Ben's arrangement of it with "Silent Night."  For instance, in the song the excerpt ends with, "Upon the darkening air, let us gaze from the mountain on a silent night."  While these words always have something to say to a busy city-dweller like myself, forever ready to hear, "Let us in fancy leave this maze of dusty streets" (a truer image of the city ne'er was uttered), the poem was particularly meaningful last week.  My cold kept me up most nights with wearying congestion and perpetual coughing, and oh -- how often I thought to myself, "oh, to have a moment's peace... oh, to sleep again!!," I could not possibly recount.

Sick or not, this concept of peace is tonic for the weary soul.  This city, not to mention the world in general, is full of strife, fraud, abuse and oppression, and its inhabitants are not only shaken but imprisoned by "that importunate jar of commerce."  And while here in Chicago I often believe a rural home to be the far-off image of peace, even that is not the source or epitome of it.  No, true peace is only found in this: a wee baby, a paradoxically tiny God in flesh, come to bring peace with God to all mankind the only way it was possible, by becoming like us.  With us.  


God with us.  


Finally, not just a moment's peace, but an eternity's.  

And not simply "peace on earth" but heavenly peace on earth.


Thank you, Father, and oh, how we long for peace on earth as it is in heaven, through your Son...

*****

Special shout-outs to my dearest friends: Jenna who captured this video, and Graham Nelson, who plays that mouth harp like nobody's business!  Also much thanks to Roy Patterson from Moody Radio, who graciously stepped in to lead the congregation in "Silent Night."

*****

EDIT:  I can't believe I forgot to mention this, but one of Eric's beautiful compositions was also a highlight of the evening!!  Click here to hear it on his own blog!

C'est la vie d'artiste

Hello my friends!

It's been a while since I gave an update on the musical endeavors of my life.  Since they pretty much rule me right now, it seems an appropriate time to let everyone else in on the craziness that is being a working (which does not always -- and in fact most often does not -- mean paid, by the way, but I digress) musician.  Truth be told, sometimes it doesn't look like being a musician at all.  For instance, last night I picked up my guitar for the first time in almost two weeks and realized that -- although these two weeks have consisted almost entirely of planning and organizing some very musical events in which I play a large musical role -- often the administrative side of being a musician takes over much of the time and energy I would otherwise put into actually playing and creating music.  And I have to admit, it's frustrating.  I also find it ironic that being a "productive" artist usually consists of such overwhelmingly unartistic endeavors.

C'est la vie d'artiste, I suppose.  But must it be?

Well, that was about to become an entirely other post.  But the intent of this one is to tell yous guys what's up in our music world.  So here it is:

Saturday, October 1st: For One Chicago

     I'll be leading the worship times of this event with a lovely, lovely group of friends and musicians.  The event itself is for a fantastic cause -- serving with our hands and feet the beautiful people of this magnificent city.  It's not just going to consist of coming to a big auditorium and praising God with our lips and asking Him to make us better servants at some undefined time of our lives.  It's going to involve both worship and response.  Now, I know worship is a response... to God.  We're also going to worship Him, though, by responding to Chicago, by serving the way Jesus served.  Check out the link above if you're interested in getting in on this very exciting city-wide project.  

Friday, October 14th: Acoustic Blend

     Now, this little fella has been a long time in the making.  It's the folk arm of the Fusion Concert Series that my body-of-Jesus home -- Holy Trinity Church -- puts on annually, including concerts of jazz, blues, classical and other awesome genres of music.  I coordinated the first Acoustic Blend in the Spring of 2010, and -- as it's already Fall (today!) of 2011, we thought it was about time to get around to it again.  This concert will be held at The Tapestry, a great little venue for these sorts of concerts in Chicago, and coffee will be provided gratis by CityGrounds coffee bar of Lincoln Park.  Thornfield (including yours truly) will be playing, as well as some other fantastically folksy folks.  So, if you're at all interested in folk music, great coffee, or just like to hang out with people who are, this is the place for you.  There is a "Suggested Donation" of $5 to help cover costs, but don't let that stop you from coming if you really can't afford it!

Friday - Sunday, October 28-30th: Women's Weekend Away

     This is specifically for the women of Holy Trinity (though if you don't attend HTC, you're still more than welcome... er... if you're a woman).  I'm organizing the music and worship for this weekend, which has been super easy thanks to my friend Shandra and some other awesome organized women.  (What would we creative types do without organized people?!?)  

So.  October. Is. Crazy.  But as all of these projects seem to be coming together -- not effortlessly or seamlessly, but together nonetheless -- it's sure to be an exciting month for us.  And the craziness has definitely taught me a lesson or twenty on depending not on my own strength but on the Spirit's.  What He gives us to do, He will enable us to do.  ::sigh of relief::  Thornfield will not be doing our monthly gig at CityGrounds for obvious reasons, but we'll be back there on Saturday, November 12th.  Please check out our website (www.thornfieldmusic.com) for more up-to-date events, interviews, recordings and more.  

Aaaaaaand... Since I'm writing about music, I think there should be some inspiring picture to go with it all in your mind.  So here it is:

Have a great weekend!

Thornfield

Yes, City Songbird has been m.i.a. lately... at least in the blogosphere.  I've been pretty active elsewhere, believe it or not.  For one thing, I've got this band, see... and we've been writing some music, see... and performing regularly in Chicago, see... so much so that (yes, I'm going to say it again) we've finally gone and made a name for ourselves, see...  No really, see.  Right here: 

Oops!  Wrong picture!  er... sorry! ... er, where did I put that file...?  Oh yes, here we go:

Much better.  Or at least more informative.  

That's right, folks, we're officially a band!  With a real, cool band website, to boot!  (Please check it out and let us know what you think!)  We've each and all been working on some new material (rather faithfully, if I may say so, for working-class people with day jobs) and have been able to debut, on average, about three new songs every month.  June is no exception, so we'll be bringing some fresh tunes to CityGrounds coffee bar in Lincoln Park this Saturday (June 11), from 7 to 9pm.  So, if you like folk, jazz, singer/songwriter, or blues, please do come out and hear our fusion of all these styles and more.

In addition to playing at our favorite coffee spot, we're on the prowl for some new venues to visit this Summer.  If you have any suggestions, please do let me know.  I'll do my best to update you on our schedule, but of course the best way to keep track of all-things-Thornfield is to check regularly thornfieldmusic.com, where you'll find all you need to know about us, and a few extra things thrown in for good measure.  And if you're all about the social media connections out there, you can also find and become fans of Thornfield on facebook, follow us on twitter, and listen to us on ReverbNation or myspace.

Well, time for me to be about practicing... or convincing Jenna to get that awesome tattoo...

Reader's Poll: Should we encourage Eric to let that facial hair grow?  I'm kinda drawn to it, myself...

Music Poureth Forth!

Hello my friends,

I've been doing some extra work lately on my music site (including some new videos!) , so I'd be thrilled if you'd stop by carriepaz.com.

In other musical news, my lovely musical companions Eric and Jenna will be joining me once more at CityGrounds Coffee Bar in Lincoln Park (507 W. Dickens, to be precise) this Saturday (yes, tomorrow!) night at 7pm.  We're adding three new songs to the mix in addition to the three new songs we brought last time, so if you haven't been to see us in a while ... or ever, for that matter ... I think you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised. 

Lastly, I'm so happy to announce that after months and months of soul- and word-searching, we've finally chosen a band name!  Let there be much rejoicing!!!  However, before we make the big announcement, we really need to get our new website up to a reasonable standard of beauty and maneuverability.  So... while I pine away in Wordpress for Dummies, I hope you'll listen to one of our newest additions to the setlist, a beautiful lullaby composed by the lovely Jenna Satterthwaite (who is also singing that beautiful harmony!), which we debuted at CityGrounds in April and got this live recording of:

The Same Grace We Were Given

I've been gone for a long time.  Over a month, I see...  

Don't know what kept me away, except the realization that I didn't have to do this.  I didn't have to have a steady flow of blog posts to have friends who think I'm pretty fun.  I didn't have to write cleverly or poetically or even thoughtfully about trivial or important things in order to be understood and loved.  I just needed to step away for a while to see that.  Now that I'm back, I find I'm the recipient of a bloggerrific honor (Much to my surprise! Thanks, Jenna!), and that -- while I may not have a storehouse of interesting things to converse about with my world wide websters -- I do have a few things stored up in my heart that are longing for an out.  And I do have friends out there who might be interested to hear about them.  And as long as I don't base my self esteem on the inflow of positive comments, I can actually enjoy this outlet.

And so I return, fresh blog post in hand and my heart not quite so on my sleeve, but certainly available to those who ask for it kindly.  Or those who rip it from my chest.  Well, I'm getting ahead of myself...

*****

One thing I've been thinking a lot about in the last several days is urban poverty and homelessness.  Last week Hope For Chicago (who's Executive Director I work for) and Holy Trinity Church (our home away from home), along with several other gospel-centered social justice groups, sponsored/attended a one-day conference (directly following the three-day Gospel Coalition Conference) entitled Christ+City, which was headlined by Manhattan church-planter Tim Keller (who has a most excellent theology of the gospel lived out as both justification by faith and social justice in our communities... but that's a parenthetical statement for another day!).  I can't believe I just sputtered that out all in one sentence, but there you have it.

Between that conference and BSF's recent study of Isaiah 58, I've been done in with thoughts and prayers for the urban poor.  Especially on days like today -- cold, windy, rainy, pretty much the epitome of miserable days -- I am quick to think of my own misfortunes (Sheesh!  I can't take a leisurely walk to my favorite new coffee bar and drink in Spring's glory!) and not the misfortunes of others, which may very likely exclude the cozy chair and warm cup of one's own home-brewed coffee with a roof over one's head and dry clothes on one's back.  

It's taken a long, long time to see poverty through the eyes of Jesus.  I was raised in a culture that said, "God helps those who help themselves" and "You reap what you sow" and "I'll help you if you prove to me you're worth it."  Nowhere in any of those statements is the gospel present.  The gospel is about God helping people who cannot help themselves, and reaping something that someone else sowed, and understanding that we're all unworthy of help and that's why it's so awesome that God's love and care is not based on worth!  The gospel is God helping the poor, namely me and you.  And those who've heard and understood and accepted this gospel are called to be extenders of the same grace we were given.  

That means helping people who can't -- maybe even won't -- help themselves.  

That means giving people things that they didn't work for.  

That means extending care and grace and provision to people whether we deem them "worthy" or not.  Because neither are we.  Yet, God lavished all of his fullness on us anyway.

The gospel -- justification by grace alone -- demands that we extend it in just the same way we received it.  It demands that we care more about the person on the corner with the cardboard sign than we care about what that dollar or two that we painstakingly give him might be spent on.  (Really?  You care more about a practically worthless piece of paper than a human soul?)  Please forgive me if this sounds like a frustrated rant.  I promise you it's as much -- and even more -- directed to my own heart than it is to anyone else's.  I suppose part most of my frustration comes from the realization that I've been walking with the Lord, meditating on his word, sitting under the teaching of good theology for years, and am only just now starting to have these sore, oozing eyes parted, slowly and painfully and resistantly opened to the reality of my place among the poor and my calling to their welfare.  Consider these words, spoken from God's lips to our hearts:

  Is this not the fast which I choose,
         To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
         To undo the bands of the yoke,
         And to let the oppressed go free
         And break every yoke?
   Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
         And bring the homeless poor into the house;
         When you see the naked, to cover him;
         And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

That is our calling, my friend.  That is our fast, our prayer, our demonstration of our faith to our God and our fellow earth-dwellers.  To bring freedom through the gospel to people.  Freedom not only for the poor, enslaved to their poverty, but freedom also for the rich, enslaved to their wealth; freedom that breaks every yoke.  And freedom involves sacrifice.  For Jesus that involved death.  Can I, then, not spare some food, money, shelter, clothing, etc., for the freedom of others?  For me, that's what it will sometimes involve.  It most definitely always involves giving respect: Is the fast which I choose not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  To me that says, don't turn away.  Don't look in the other direction when you see someone in need.  Don't ignore them.  Respect their personhood by looking them in the eyes.  Respect them by not only acknowledging them but speaking to them, and not with pity but with compassion.  Showing pity is not the same thing as showing compassion.  Pity says, "I'm sorry," and then may spare some loose change for the alleviation of one's own guilt over being richer than someone else.  Compassion builds a relationship with someone, and then says, "What do you need?  How can I help?"

I've shared a song, "Winter's Ashes" on here before.  Eric and I recently worked on a video/montage for it (for the above conference), so I hope you won't mind me sharing it again.  Look and listen and pray let the spirit stir in your heart and mine a grace for others more like God's... more like the grace we were given...

Giggity Gig

If you're in Chicago or within reasonable driving distance, I hope you'll maybe stop by... pleeeease?  :) 

P.S. Excellent lattes will be had. 

Finding the Spiritual in the Musical: White Winter Hymnal

As I was sipping the good stuff and puttering about the blogosphere this morning, generally minding my own business, my quiet thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of an echo-like stutter, an "I was followin' the I was followin' the I was followin' the...", and my heart leapt.  I'm not typically enraptured when I come upon blogs with music playlists.  Not that I'm annoyed by it by any means; it's a great way to get to know someone, really, hearing what they like to listen to.  But most times I just politely turn down my laptop's volume and keep reading.  It's not a music elitist thing, truly (though I have been known to keep U2 up for reasons unknown to myself); more like an I-only-have-so-much-ability-to-concentrate-and-music-always-demands-more-than-background-status-so-I-have-to-keep-it-to-one-thing-at-a-time thing.  When I heard the above words, the same principle stood, but I couldn't turn it down.  Instead, I listened and forgot to read the blog (till after the song was over, at which point I turned down the volume and thoroughly enjoyed the reading)!  The song I was listening to was the Fleet Foxes' enigmatic "White Winter Hymnal," which I'd heard many times before, every time proving as wonderful (in the word's truest sense) and mysterious as the first.  Listen and watch, and see what I mean...

What do you think?  Do you have any idea what it could mean?  Who was the pack, and why was he following them?  Why were they wearing "scarves of red tied 'round their throats to keep their little heads from falling in the snow"?  What does that mean, anyway?  Who's Michael and how did he fall?  Did the snow turn "red as strawberries" because his fall caused him to bleed?  If that's the case, do the red scarves represent blood as well?

Is this just a sweet memory of boyhood pleasures, simple as the words used to describe it, or is there something deeper in these lyrics?  How does the video relate to the song, or does it at all?

Some friends and I did an analysis of this song for a class last year, and listening to it again this morning brought back all the memories and all the emotions this song stirred within me when I first heard its beautiful harmonies and enchanting lyrics.  It hauntingly evokes in my mind the passage of time, the loss of innocence, and the coming of death.  Maybe that's not what it means at all.  Robin Pecknold, Fleet Foxes' lead singer and songwriter, doesn't believe that giving away an absolute meaning behind the song is imperative, but rather understands that a certain enigmatic element is desirable.  It's a perspective I admire in a songwriter, even if I don't - and sometimes can't - adhere to it myself.

When doing research on the Fleet Foxes, I found this review, (from the UK's newsreel, The Independent) which is very telling of the band's style and history.  As a believer in the sacred, I'm always interested in the spiritual side of things, so my interest was piqued with these words:

There's a churchy quality to the rich, rousing vocal-round that begins "White Winter Hymnal", and some critics have picked up on the devotional sound that informs parts of Fleet Foxes' debut. It's easy to imagine the group bringing in the sheaves, but Pecknold is not a believer. 

"My dad was quite critical of organised religion, so we kids were never scuttled out to church. I don't know if there is a Judeo-Christian God, but if there is, I wouldn't blame Him for everything that's wrong in the world. I suppose music is a devotional vocation for me, and even if you're not religious that thing of aspiring to some kind of greatness can be a very useful tool. When you hear pure devotion, though – like Brian Wilson aiming to honour God on Pet Sounds – it's a lot more powerful than the average love song."

Rather than honouring God, Pecknold's songs seem designed to honour those closest to him. He describes his compositions as "happy accidents" and says that he is not particularly attached to them, something that surprises me, given their quality and intensely personal nature. 

Although he is not a Christian, Pecknold's perspective on God is so fresh, so humble.  And his words on the "devotional vocation" of music truly inspire me to be a better songwriter, both for those who simply hear the power in music directed to honor God, and for those who with me desire to honor God.  Despite his calling them "happy accidents," I'm a great believer in absolute meaning in music, whether or not the composer intends it.  I'm quite compelled by a lot of what the Fleet Foxes have said in their music so far, looking forward to what they will say in the future, even if I don't always ever understand it...

What have you been listening to lately?  Do you think all/much of music ultimately has something spiritual to say, or can it sometimes just be enjoyed at face value?

Oh, how I need...

Last Friday night, backed by four of Chicago's finest jazz musicians, I had the privilege of performing a classic at HTC's annual "Jazz and Java" concert.  Thanks, fellas, for making me sound like I actually knew what I was doing.  And thank you, Gershwin brothers, for being both untouchable and totally accessible at the same time.  
Jazz love abounds.

Piano: Ben Lynerd, Bass: Jonathan Gilley, Drums: Erik Montzka, Vibes: Stephen Lynerd
Man Behind the Camera: Someone to Watch Over Me (a.k.a. Eric)

Recurring "Dream"

For those who were unable to hear us at Uncommon Ground a few Sunday's ago, here's a video of "Dream," graciously captured by my father-in-law.  Thanks, Patrick!

You may recognize this song, if you've been following this blog for a while.  Another friend got it on video previously, which I then posted here, but I've made a few slight changes to the song since then and am happy to share our newest version.  Can you spot the difference?  ;)

As always, my heartiest thanks and love go to Eric (on piano), Jenna (on harmony vocals) and Petras (on percussion).  These folks make me so proud and giddy over what we're able to produce together.  Also, I must highlight our venue - Uncommon Ground (on Clark).  The food is excellent and the cozy atmosphere is perfect for acoustic music.  Check it out if ever on Chicago's north side!  I hope we'll get to play there again soon.

(If you have any trouble viewing it here, check out the original on Youtube.)

Something to do Sunday night in Chicago...

I'm on at 9 with good old friends Jenna, Eric and Petras.  Might I see you among us?
In the meantime, here's a song - "Winter's Ashes" - from our last show to whet your appetite for this one...



Or if you'd like to hear about the world of woe and wonder that is gigging
from the perspective of my delightful harmonizing friend, Jenna, read it here.

A Work of Creation

I'm writing again.  Music, that is, and there ain't nothin' like it.  "Ain't" - in fact - keeps sneaking into my lyrics, which both excites and disturbs me, but somehow I really can't help it.  It's tricky like that.

I can't take credit for this.  Or this.  :)

I used to write a song every week.  Yes, four out of five were total flops, but at least that left me with one decent piece to add to my repertoire every five weeks or so.  Better one every five weeks than every five years, which is the way it's been going lately.  I wrote a few weeks ago about Edith Schaeffer's book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking, which I'm so glad to see many of you have read or are reading.  Honestly, I haven't taken the time to finish it yet (this time around), but simply revisiting and reflecting on the first few chapters has got me thinking meaningfully about art - and especially, my art - again, after a long hiatus.   

I've blamed my frustration over not having written much music lately on lack of inspiration, but the truth is that songs haven't been added to my repertoire because I have not sat down to write them, which happens to be a key ingredient.  I used to think of the arts so romantically, like any creation was an inspired gift which came quietly and easily to those who waited.  It's not.  In fact, it's work.  Even God did not merely think of what He wanted and - BAM! - it was there.  No.  Even He had to do something to create.  He spoke.  And not simply words.  He crafted beautiful poetry just to convey those words.  It was work.  We know it was work because His Word says that on the seventh day - after six long days of speaking things into creation - He rested from his work.  Creation is work.  

Which brings me to my creative endeavors this past week.  Thankfully, I've had six or seven hours this week to purposefully put into songwriting, and what has it gotten me?  Two songs.  Not platinum singles by any means, but something to work with.   If you want to be creative, don't wait for inspiration to strike you; rather, take whatever time you have, be it five minutes or five hours, and take action!  It won't come easily at first; in fact, it might be quite difficult.  But as you get your creative juices flowing, your artistic ball rolling, it'll come more naturally.  Whether you want to write a winsome song, paint a vibrant watercolor, cook a mouth-watering meal or take a vivid photograph, simply make the effort to do it.  Don't wait for that ever elusive inspiration.  Creation is work.  But it's worth it.

Fashion

I don't have much to say on this subject, actually.  I just take all my tips from these guys... 

Dream

Everybody wants peace.  Both personal peace and world peace are the longings of all human hearts.  Sadly, we often look in all the wrong places, within our own corrupt selves, for the answers to achieving them.  The problem is, we're working for something that simply cannot be worked for, or else it becomes something it is not... It becomes the very opposite of what it is.  It is grace, something that can only be given and received, not achieved.  This lullaby is my meager attempt to verbalize these longings and what I believe to be the answer to them...




Hush, my darling, for as the sun creeps down to its slumber,
So must you give your heart a rest till morning's light.
Now, my dear one, I know you mourn tonight, and you hunger...
If now sleep, maybe you will dream that all is right.

Dream of a world where the hungry are fed till they're full,
Dream of a land where the grieving have joy in their soul.
Dream of a place where all people can live peacefully,
Dream of a world where loves sets us free.

Peace, my darling, isn't so hard to reach if you want it,
Though you're tired of this weary world and long for rest.
Love, my lovely, is but a breath away if we give it,
But now sleep, maybe you will dream.  May your dreams be blessed...

Dream of a world where the hungry are fed till they're full,
Dream of a land where the grieving have joy in their soul.
Dream of a place where all people can live peacefully,
Dream of a world where loves sets us free.

We're all longing for peace...
We're all praying for love...
We're all looking for grace...
     but we're not looking above.

Grace, my darling, cannot be found within, if you seek it,
But there is One who can give us all the grace we need.
He alone knows all your dreams tonight, and He'll fulfill them,
So now sleep.  He will give you dreams...

Dream of a world where the hungry are fed till they're full,
Dream of a land where the grieving have joy in their soul.
Dream of a place where all people can live peacefully,
Dream of a world where loves sets us free.