Contemplations…

I heard someone say something last night that really really impressed upon me. It reminded me of something that I struggle with a lot.

Here is my confession: I am a fixer.

When a friend comes to me with a problem, I want to fix what is wrong with them. I want to have some nugget of wisdom to give to them. I want to be able to encourage them.

The thing is that most of my friends aren’t looking for that, they just want a friend. They just want someone to listen. Listening might be the greatest dying art.

I had a friend who was talking about a really pivotal time in their life. A time when they were able to really have some breakthrough and allow some healing to begin. As he tells the story, he talks about his friend being there and being next to him and allowing him to just let it all out. Not quoting scripture to him, not trying to explain or figure him out, just letting him get it all out.

I had a moment the other night with a friend who has a bunch of junk in their life. It is one of the greatest challenges for me, to just sit there. I want to fix them, I want to heal them, I want to make things better.

It is important for me to GET that it is not my job. I have been called to be a friend. A good deal of the time it requires listening, and listening alone.

My encouragement to you is become a better listener, and if you are like me… fight the insticts to fix people… and just BE there… It will do more than you can imagine.

Tags: Listening, Friend, Fixer, Fix, Encouragement, God, Christian, Advice

Why is it so hard to focus?

A few years ago I went in and had my eyes checked. I don’t know that I had them checked since I was in school. I noticed that doing some random home-testing that I was really weak in my left eye.

I got a prescription for glasses that help. Thankfully I only need to wear them when I am reading or at my computer. Which that latter seems to be a lot lately.

If you read my previous post, I have been really consumed with my work lately. I noticed that I end up having little catch phrases in my life. Probably due to the influence that sitcoms have played in my life. Ha!

I just catch myself answering the “how are you? what have you been up to?” questions with the same answers… Lately, people will ask me one of these greeting questions… and I have been responding with “oh, I am just trying to sell records.”

I caught myself saying this today, and my inner monologue started to interrogate myself. (BTW, I am not crazy…) I started to question what I was saying to people. “Is this really what I am trying to do?”

Don’t get me wrong. At some level, I am trying to sell records… but, that is not my goal… that is not ultimately what I am trying to do.

I might be nit-picking at myself, but, I think we need to be careful with what we say. I think we need to be able to stand behind what we say. I need a better answer to that question.

More than that I needed an adjustment on my focus. I have been drowned in details about selling records, and that is in no way what I want my focus to be.

Where is your focus? What are your catch phrases? Do they match?

Tags: Focus, Job, Glasses, Records, Catch Phrase, Meaning

I am so sorry that it has been such a long time since I have updated this blog…

Life can sometimes have a way of just getting in the way of itself. Don’t know if that makes sense to you, but I think it does….

I have been on a whirlwind of activities, mostly work related. I manage an artist, Nate Huss , who had his debut album release at the beginning of May. It was the week after the Gospel Music Association’s “Music Week” here in Nashville.

GMA week is kind of like summer camp for me. I have been involved in the industry in different capacities and so I know a lot of people who come into town for the week, and it is great to see everyone. This year with Nate’s album about to release, it was a press frenzy. We had some really great visibility, which is good but draining.

We left right after GMA week to head to Phoenix, where Nate is originally from to promote the release of his record. We had a lot of promotional events at Christian Schools and really got to connect with kids, it was great.

In all of this, I kept praying that God would show up in the details. I was so married to making these events happen that it was easy to make it, just business. I am trying to keep myself guarded from this attitude. Nate and I have had extensive conversations about keeping focused on the eternal value of his ministry.

It is a really tough time to be involved in the music industry, Christian or otherwise. The measuring rods by which it seems everyone else is looking at you are somewhat outdated, somewhat irrelevant… and most importantly don’t measure ministry impact. I don’t know that there is a way to measure ministry impact.

I think the ultimate challenge for Nate, and also for me, is to keep on pressing hard to what God has called us to do. We both feel called to impact culture, and God has allowed us the opportunity to do this. The challenge lies in not really knowing this side of heaven what impact we have… (amazing, seems like I keep coming back to this issue of letting go and giving up control)

I am encouraged to know that God is in the details. I know because I made it through. There were times that I was so overwhelmed by what was ahead… and I know that God was going on before us and paving the way.

There are so many great people that God put in our way to make the last two weeks amazing… And I truly Praise God for those people… And for those of you who have been involved and prayed for us… I am forever grateful…

Tags: Trust, Nate Huss, Nate, Huss, Details, God, Faith, Life, Control, Ministry