Et tu Bethany Dillon?

Ever heard of her? She's the 19 year old singer/songwriter who can bowl you over with her insights into the human heart and them put them into a stunning song. You can check her out here. My wife is a huge fan, let's put it this way, if it was between me and her, I would just barely win. I kid of course (I hope), but she is a very talented young woman who has ministered greatly to my wife.

So, all week long we'd been tossing around the idea of going to Mt. Bethel to see BD, that's what Jennie calls her.  We finally make the decision to spend the $400 in gas to make the trip and we get there.


BD comes out on stage and I keep thinking that she's no older than some of my youth. She's very young looking. I can't get past that, especially as she's saying very adult things about God. She's talking about her pride and jealousy, while referencing scripture. Eloquently she makes us laugh at the crappiness of our hearts and long for God to restore our relationship with Him.

Then she starts to talk about a story that I love. It's the story of a king who goes bat crap crazy. How can you not love a story about a man running around in the woods eating grass? Of course that's pretty much where I stop with that story and chalk it up to God showing people he can make them go nuts. Not Bethany, nope, she reads on and see that this is a story about the power God has to humble. Yet again God finds a way to make humility a focus in my life.

I thank God that he can humble me and that He is humbling me. I thank God that He isn't making me a wild jungleman who eats grass. Continue to pray for me as I am tested each day it seems with new ways to express humility.   Pray with me that I will not be one who walks in pride.  Also, below is the link to the story.

The story of King Nebucharaaazzy.

A refreshed view of humility:

I have new responsibilities. I'm going to be part of the music ministry at my church in the absence of a music minister. I won't be playing drums or doing anything I've done before. I'll be leading the congregational singing. I'll be standing in front of my church family singing songs I don't know very well, feeling very naked.

My last post touched on the humility that God seemed to be crafting, forcefully, in me. I think in no small part it's because I am going to be in a front and center position and my church is compliment happy. There are no two ways about it, at least at first, I'm going to be told I'm doing a good job. That can pretty easily get to a guys head and make it swell up.

What's the secret to avoiding this? It's found right in the book of Romans.

"For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one." (Rom. 12:3)

God's humbling of a person is essentially this, taking the preconceptions you have about yourself and smashing them. It's a lot like the fun houses I went in at the fair. Tons of mirrored walls reflecting your image oddly. God's humbling process is like shattering those mirrors, because they made you think you were something that you aren't. Except the Fun House mirrors made you "uglier", the mirrors that God shatters make you look better, at least to yourself.

Humility is God removing the things that made you count anything other than the grace you've been given as merit. It's my prayer that God continues to shatter the mirrors that show me distorted versions of myself and that I remain joyous every time he uses someone to do it.

There is no jump for this one. And here is the rest of it.

I get it, I get it. . .

Lately it seems like things have been flooding me that attack my ego and pride. Which is a good thing, but a painful thing, none the less. I'm trying to handle things graciously and not turn to myself out of pity. MY prayer right now is that I draw near to God for my worth and that I follow His purpose in all of this. I could easily, read very very easily, get defensive and puffed up. Pray with me that I'll embrace the humbling that is occurring and that I use it to be a better minister, husband and child of God.

I am lazy, prideful and selfish. God is changing that. I am repentant. It feels good to ride the wave and not get beaten by it. He'll break me down and I'm on board, just pray that I don't become weary or defensive. Gracias.And here is the rest of it.

Inviting Christ and the Groove into your heart.

Before my wedding I splurged on what has turned out to be a good purchase. In my last gasp of bachelor spending I bought a double disk of David Crowder at Lifeway for like ten bucks. Great songs, all in all a really good pick up, especially for the price. The "Lime" disk was in my car this morning on the way to work and I was listening to a little of each song, till "Sing like the saved" came on. That song reminded me a college and leading worship. So I stopped and basked in the warm limey glow of Mr. Crowder and is Rock and Roll band.

Traveling down the country roads where I live and work allows a certain level of concentration to be given to other tasks that would normally be involved because of other cars or braking. This trip I got to focus on that song. You know what I heard. I head the bass line for "Dee Lites" - Groove is in the heart. If you grew up in the 90's this song was on your "School's Out, Let's Party" mixtape.

To help you out I've included a video of both Mr. Crowder and Dee Lite performing the songs in question. After the jump, listen to the Dee-lite one first, you'll hear the bass line easy. Then one minute in to the David Crowder video you can really hear it.

Crass plagiarism or secretive hero worship? Which one is it Mr. Crowder?

Bonus Points if you know the name of the well dressed bassist in the Dee-Lite video.