Life’s Like a Jump Rope…

…Up Down, Up Down, Up Down, Up Down, Yeah…..because it will get hard, remember life’s like a jump rope!

I woke up humming this song in my head this morning and I’ve still not been able to stop humming it.  It’s on the new album that came out on Tuesday, Approaching Normal, by Blue October.  When I heard it the first time I thought, “my gosh this song should be the theme song for Retread and it should be playing in the back ground when you pull up our website.”   Check out some of the lyrics in this song.

Remember how you used to say
“you couldn’t wait till tomorrow for a brand new day”
no fuss when ya had to ride the bus
you could add a little blush
just to paralyze your school crush

now your older and the weight upon your shoulder
makes the world a little colder
no more hidin in the old days
be strong
don’t give up hope
it will get hard
cause life’s like a jump rope

…up down, up down, up down, up down….yeah….because it will get hard, remember life’s like a jump rope!

there’ll be a bump there will be a bruise
there’ll be alarms and there will be a snooze
there’ll be a path that you will get to choose
there’ll be a win and there will be a lose

you have to hold your head up high and
watch all the negative go by
don’t you ever be ashamed to cry
YOU                GO                  AHEAD…
cuz life’s like a jump rope!

I want to tell you that everything will be okay
That everything will eventually turn itself to gold
Keep pushin through it all
Don’t follow, lead the way
Don’t lose yourself or your hope

Remember life’s like a jump rope!

I’m giving some big huge props to the band Blue October today for the incredible lyrics of Jump Rope.  Amazing to see people who some would consider outside the “Christian” world, write and sing such beautiful and inspiring lyrics.  It makes you realize, even if just a little, that everything is spiritual and God has connected all of in a way we may not ever fully understand until His kingdom is fully restored.  Until then I’ll continue to support people like Blue October and realize there are myriad of ways to find God and see all he has created.

Music Soothes My Soul

I was thinking last night, as I laid my head down to rest, how music soothes my soul.  I need music in my life, because it’s another way for me to connect.  When I listen to music something happens within me that helps me to relax, to dream, and to think about the past and the future.

Have you ever been listening to a song and a flood of feelings and emotions flowed through you because that song was playing at the time of a specific experience you had?  Sometimes it can invoke sad or negative feelings and other times they are happy and positive, but they are still feelings and whether you’ve ever realized it or not, you are connecting.

Music is a gift and I love people who are musically gifted.  They have such a wonderful way of expressing who they are, their thoughts, and their lives with the world.

As I drifted off to sleep last night I had some music playing softly on my night stand, but I was specifically thinking about the music experiences I had this year and wanted to share a few of them with you.

My most moving experience would definitely be from the private concert we had at the Q conference in New York, with The Fray’s, Isaac Slade at the piano and Joe King playing the acoustic guitar.  They shared several new songs that hadn’t even been recorded on their new album yet.  It was definitely a special memory for me and my wife.

I also had an opportunity to see Jon Forman perform a few songs, with Keith Tut on the Cello, at the Catalyst conference.  Always a good show with the two of them together and very reminiscent of the private concert they did last year at the Tabernacle in Atlanta for the very first Q conference.

Purchasing several new albums this year has been a ton of fun and I’ve absolutely loved listening to them during all my trips.  Some were newly released this year and others are older but new to me.  Here they are in no particular order.

• Secondhand Serenade “A Twist in my Story.”
• Fall Out Boy “Infinity on High”
• Falling Up – “Captiva.”
• Coldplay – “Viva la Vida.”
• David Cook – “David Cook.”
• We the Kings -  “We the Kings.”
• Guns N’ Roses – “Chinese Democracy.”

There may be more, but these are the ones I’ve worn out.

If you enjoy music as much as I do and feel a special connection with the songs you listen to, then you already know about music soothing the soul and can understand why I was surprised and excited to find a $15 iTunes gift card in my Christmas stocking.  Now I’m on the hunt for even more new music and I’m hoping once again to find music to soothe my soul.

I’m certainly open for recommendations, so feel free to send them my way!

GNR | Chinese Democracy

iTunes Download…Sync to iPhone…push play…a rush of memories…

The new Guns N’ Roses album, Chinese Democracy, rocks!

While listening to the new album today I felt like running along a sandy beach where waves would crash in on my feet as I ran along.  Eventually I’d collapse to the sand with exhaustion.  Landing on my knees and placing my hands palm down on the wet sand while I tried to catch my breath.

Emotions, flooded through my brain and I didn’t know if I wanted to throw my hands into the air in triumph or cry in defeat.  There were feelings welling up within that rocked me to my gut, from past memories that flashed through my head like scratches on a movie reel.

Is this album as good as the theme of my Sr. Prom ”Paradise City” probably not.  But, there’s enough of the old Axl in this music to give you flashbacks to the glory days.  It’s not perfect.  It shows age.  It’s different.  And it’s really good.

Music is as powerful to me as the memories from my past and I don’t really give a rip if you like the new album or not.  I know I got my money’s worth and I’m going to wear this one out.

Peace!

Random Thoughts from a Hospital Room

This was written earlier today, but my wife and I are having a little dinner break right now at Cafe Brazil, where they have free Wi-Fi and we don’t have to feel guilty eating our food in front of Wakeland, since he’s eating his through his nose right now!!!

 

As I sit here alone in my son’s hospital room, I’m sipping on my Starbucks coffee my wife purchased down stairs in the snack shop, and I’m listening to “We the Kings” whose sweet melodies and harmonies make me want to praise and worship God, in spite of the lyrics not being about him.  Wakeland is feeling well enough to drive us nuts and his persistent pleading, to do something, drove his mom into taking him to Child Life where he’ll have a great time playing.

 

It’s Wednesday and exactly one week after our son’s surgery.  It would be very easy for me to get discouraged right about now with questions of “why?”  I could easily start complaining and get frustrated, but I choose to remain positive and give God praise for his grace and peace for us today while we go through this.

 

Wakeland completed his swallow study around 9:00 this morning and did very poorly.  We were disappointed!  We had hoped over the past few days the muscles in his throat had miraculously started working again, but they haven’t.  As far as we know the Botox injections have weakened the muscles so much he can’t even swallow mashed potatoes without gagging, choking, then throwing it up.  We saw on the x-ray machine that he’s even struggling with the thick liquids like chocolate milk.  And for those who are just now reading about this, the Botox injections were injected into his salivary glands, to help with his drooling.

 

Wendy the diatician came in and informed us that the NG tube was going back in so he could continue to get nourishment, since he won’t be allowed to eat anything for at least another week.  She was encouraging to us when she said he’d get to go home as soon as we were comfortable with feeding him through the NG tube.  We pray we get comfortable with it quickly!

 

So, while I wait here for the doctor I felt like I needed to pour out some of my feelings…

 

I’m certainly sad and disappointed he is going through this.  I’m happy that it’s not anything more serious and he’s healthy, other than the swallowing problem.  I praise God that it’s not another surgery like his friend Antonio will have tomorrow.  Pray for Antonio!  He’s really in a lot of pain and the next few weeks don’t sound good, but if we pray, maybe the surgery will be much easier then the doctors are anticipating, like just replacing a screw to hold the rod in place that is in his back. (Update on Antonio since writing this morning.  He will have the rod removed, but he won’t have to have the halo installed.  Huge praise!)

 

Wendy just came in again and was going over the potential feeding schedule with me.  It sounds like he’ll be on the feeding pump for around four hours a day, which is much better than sitting in this hospital room for another week.  I think we can handle it!

 

You know, life can be a challenge sometimes, but choosing to remain positive and trust in God is so much better than worrying.  My guess is I’d be much more stressed if this was a complicated surgery, or if his condition were more severe.  I would hope my faith would still be in God to provide the same grace and peace, but I can’t honestly answer that right now and I hope I don’t have to any time soon.

 

Today I just choose to rest in the comfort of God’s love.  I choose to wait on him, even impatiently at times, but I know he’ll bring us through.  I choose to make this experience another opportunity to grow with God as we move through this journey we call life.

 

Everyone must really be praying for us right now, because I can really feel God’s presence.  Thanks!