Hey Friends

New blog link: http://thesesilentmelodies.wordpress.com/

Enjoy. :)

Moving On

I don't know if you really know me, although I hope you know me more than you did when I first started this blog.

But as time changes, so do people. And so do blogs. I'm going to start fresh. I'll delete this in a week or so, but I'll send you the link to my new blog before then.

Thanks for being awesome.

Sincerely,

C.C.C.

Just Say It

Wake up, 7:32 AM, can't believe it's time to do it over again. Yesterday, it took all that you had and you're wonderin' if you'll ever get it back. But the whole wide world is waiting for you to step out that door. So come on and let your life be heard today.

You got something to say...
If you're livin', if you're breathin', you got something to say.
And you know if your heart is beatin', you got something to say.
And no one else can say it like you do, God is love and love speaks through you.
You got it, you got something to say

Listen up, I got a question here, would anybody miss you if you disappeared? Your life is the song that you sing and the whole wide world is listening.

Well the answer to the question is:
You were created, your life is a gift and the lights are shining on you today, 'cause you got something to say.

So just say it.

7 Things Christians Need to Remember About Politics

From an article by Relevant Magazine... 

Political discourse is the Las Vegas of Christianity—the environment in which our sin is excused. Hate is winked at, fear is perpetuated and strife is applauded. Go wild, Christ-follower. Your words have no consequences here... Jesus doesn’t live in Vegas.

IT’S TIME WE TALK POLITICS IN A WAY THAT MODELS THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS RATHER THAN MOCKS THEM.

Not only are believers excused for their political indiscretions, but they are often applauded for committing them. Slander is explained away as righteous anger; winning arguments are esteemed higher than truthful ones (whether or not the “facts” align); and those who stir up dissension are given the pulpit. So I balk when pastors tell me the Church should engage in the political process. Why would we do that? The political process is dirty and broken and far from Jesus. Paranoia and vitriol are hardly attractive accessories for the bride of Christ.

Rather than engage in the political process, Christians have a duty to elevate it. Like any other sin, we are called to stand above the partisan dissension and demonstrate a better way. Should we have an opinion? Yes. Should we care about our country? Yes. Should we vote? Yes. But it’s time we talk politics in a way that models the teachings of Jesus rather than mocks them.

Here are seven things to remember about politics:

1. Both political parties go to church.
There’s a Christian Left and, perhaps even less well-known, there’s a secular Right. Edwina Rogers is a Republican lobbyist and head of the Secular Coalition for America. She’s a Republican, and her entire job is devoted to keeping religion out of the U.S. government. Party lines are drawn in chalk, and they're not hard to cross. The Church must be engaged in politics, but it must not be defined by the arbitrary lines in politics.

2. Political talk radio and cable “news” only want ratings.
When media personalities tell you they are on a moral crusade, they are lying to you. These personalities get rich by instilling fear and paranoia in their listeners. If we give our favorite political ideologues more time than we give Jesus, we are following the wrong master. There are unbiased, logical and accurate news sources out there. But it’s up to you to be a good steward of information—to fact-check for yourself, take ideology with a grain of salt and make decisions based on facts rather than gossip.

3. Those who argue over politics don’t love their country more than others.
They just love to argue more than others. Strife and quarreling are symptoms of weak faith (Proverbs 10:12; 2 Timothy 2:23-25; James 4:1) and are among the things the Lord “detests.” We need to rise above the vitriol and learn to love our neighbors the way God commanded us. We need to love our atheist neighbor who wants to keep creationism out of schools; our Democrat neighbor who wants to make gay marriage and abortion legal; our Republican neighbor who celebrates death penalty statistics; and yes, even the presidential candidate from the other side.

IF YOU’RE MOCKING YOUR GOVERNING LEADERS ON FACEBOOK, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GRIEVED.

4. Thinking your party’s platform is unflawed is a mistake.
The social policies of your party were constructed by imperfect politicians fueled by ambition. It’s nearsighted to canonize them—and it will make you obsolete in a few years. Every four years, the parties adopt a current, updated platform at their respective conventions. And while they stay on general tracks, every four years the platform evolves to meet the needs of a growing, modernized and changing party. The Republican party of today doesn’t look like it did 10 years ago. We need to know when to change our views to meet a changing culture—and when to stand by them.

5. Scripture tells us to pray for our governing leaders (2 Timothy 2:1-4) and to respect those in authority (Romans 13:1-7).
Translation: if you’re mocking your governing leaders on Facebook, the Holy Spirit is grieved. We should spend more time honoring our leaders and less time vilifying them. This doesn't mean praying the President will be impeached; it doesn’t mean praying your candidate will win. God commands us to pray for our leaders—for their wisdom, for their hearts and for them to be led by Him.

6. Don’t be paranoid.
The country is not going to be destroyed if your candidate loses. As 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Stand up and demonstrate what God has given you. America has functioned—albeit, at varying levels of success—for years under the direction of alternating Democrat and Republican control, and at every flip, the other side thought it was the end of the world. It’s not. And if we’re a Church that believes God is in control, we have to believe that He is the one in control of the end times—not Barack Obama, not Mitt Romney and not whoever succeeds them.

7. Stop saying, “This is the most important election in the history of our nation.”
It’s not. The most important election in the history of our nation was when Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Before that, we thought it was okay to own people. Every generation thinks it’s living in the most important moment in history. We’re not, our parents were not and our children probably won’t be. And that’s OK.

Source: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/politics/7-things-christians-need-remember-about-politics

Lie To Me

I heard this song once a long time ago. And for no reason I could think of, it popped into my head the moment I woke up. Maybe one of you guys are supposed to hear it or something.

5 Ways to Bless Your Pastor

From Clayton King's blog:

You may or may not know that October is more than the most beautiful month of the year.  It's also Pastor Appreciation Month.  For many congregations it carries the same weight as Arbor Day.  It means very little, if anything, to most churches.

Many people bristle at the idea of showing anyone extra appreciation or honor if they're being paid for doing their job.  I once asked a Deacon if they were doing anything special for their pastor in October and he replied, "Yep, we're giving him a paycheck!"  And he wasn't being cute.  He was being serious.  That attitude is completely opposite of what we are commanded to do in scripture.

How can we honor and respect those God has called and equipped to lead us?  How can we avoid worshiping a personality while simultaneously loving and blessing our pastors and setting them up to win and succeed in serving us?  Here are 5 practical places to start...

1.  Obey The Bible
The pastors (elders) who lead the affairs of the church well are worthy of DOUBLE HONOR, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.  I Timothy 5:17
This is a hard verse to argue with.  I can choose to pick that verse apart by finding examples of bad pastors that I don't think deserve it, or I can submit myself to God's authority and begin to give double (generous, gracious) honor to my leaders.  Don't refuse to honor your pastor because you're afraid it will go to his head and cause him to be arrogant.  How foolish!  Honor and encouragement foster humility, not pride.

2.  Verbally Affirm Them 
Dear brothers, honor those who lead you.  They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.  Show them great respect and wholehearted love.   I Thessalonians 5:12
Not only should I use my mouth to encourage pastors, I should also use my hands.  I can write a card, send a gift certificate, compose an encouraging email, or post on Facebook and Twitter how much I love and appreciate those who lead the church.  I can brag on them in public and pray for them in private. 

3.  Consistently Defend Them
Do not listen to an accusation against a pastor (elder) unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.   I Timothy 5:19
At some point, people won't like something our leaders say or do, and they will talk about it.  When we hear these comments, we should quote this verse and explain to the gossiper and anyone else who is listening that we won't put up with that kind of harmful slander against our pastor.  I did this once in a restaurant when someone was berating a good friend of mine.  I warned him twice to stop.  He refused.  And I caused a scene when I rebuked him for his cowardice (anyone can talk smack about a leader when the leader isn't there).  You wouldn't let someone talk about your kids or spouse in front of you.  Get your pastor's back!

4.  Love Their Family
Being the spouse or the child of a minister is akin to being married to soldier who is perpetually deployed.  They are on a mission and family can get overlooked.  Everyone else wants and needs something from the pastor, and their families often get the leftovers.  Try to understand the fishbowl that they live in and reach out to them with gifts, cards, words of encouragement and offers to help with small tasks.  Invite the pastor and his wife out for coffee or lunch.  Have them in your home.  Have their kids over on a Saturday to play so he can rest and prepare for Sunday.  Babysit so they can go on a date.  Trust me...if you want to appreciate your pastor, love on his wife and kids.

5.  Faithfully Bless Them
For the scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while he is treading out the grain" and "The worker deserves his wages."  I Timothy 5:18
Generosity is a biblical principle.  So is blessing and taking care of those who lead us spiritually.  Find out what your leaders enjoy and pray about giving it to them as a gift.  This is above and beyond their salary.  Here are some ideas...
*a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant or shop
*an iTunes gift card
*an overnight trip to their favorite getaway
*a surprise party on their wedding anniversary or the pastor's anniversary at the church
*tickets to see their favorite team, musical, play or concert
*an invitation to use your beach house or mountain house as a getaway when they need time alone

All my best friends are pastors.  I am a pastor.  I love pastors.  And I know that the more we honor and care for our leaders, the better they will love and shepherd and serve us.  They win and we win, and ultimately God is glorified and His church is advanced.  Let's follow God's instruction by loving on our leaders.  Pastor Appreciation month is a great place to start.

Source: http://claytonking.com/blog/5-ways-to-bless-your-pastor/?

Dentures

I have a confession to make.

I was quite angry today. I don't like it when I get angry.

See, my great grandmother lost her dentures... If you are the average person, you're reading this and thinking, "What's the big deal? Just go down to her room and look for them."

You don't understand. The only way you could be sharing my misery is that you also have a great grandma or grandpa living with you, and you also have to find dentures. And if I do not find the dentures, my grandmother will not be able to eat normal 'tough' food.

Dentures do not get lost every once in a while. Dentures get lost every other day. The fact that my grandma has dementia does not help. At all.

To make it even better, my dad had just gotten home from the hospital. He had surgery done and after four days, they let him come home. Obviously he was not feeling his greatest, but he went downstairs to look for the dentures away. I went down to help. Long story short, we spent about an hour going through trash and clothes, and letters, and who knows what else to find these dentures. But they've truly disappeared.

Now the me-getting-angry-part.

I was so fed up with looking for dentures that I started to get really, really mad. My dad was right there, and I could tell he was stressed out too, so I didn't say anything. I just continued to get angrier. About thirty minutes into the search, a voice popped into my head, "Would you have the same attitude looking for a different elder person's dentures in... Say... Guatemala?"

Ouch. Like, big time ouch.

I was a complete idiot! How could I have the guts to serve at church, or at a women shelter, or in Guatemala... If I can't even do it in my own home?

Doing big things starts small. You have to have a training ground. You have to have a starting point. It's the little things that make the greatest change. And if you don't get that, then your chances of changing the world are slim to none. I have to swallow my own pride and learn that -- even relearn it -- every single day.

Do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:14

I Feel So Underrated

I feel so underrated. Have you ever felt this underrated? And are you sick of it?

I know the last will be first in that line but I'm a little bit crazy right now.

And I'm just sick of all things underrated. All I want, all I need is a chance.

See the cuts on my hands? They hurt from working.
Will I ever be deserving? Oh, help my eyes to see and not feel so underrated.
I don't want to be one of those that stares at all the questions while the open doors shut close.
I just want to get out there.
So with a humble heart, teach me some lessons. Show me to do my part in the place you have me standing.
As I meet with humility, is it the injustices or pride that’s killing me?

I've been here all day, and just one denarius.
If I must boast, let it be that of my weaknesses.
Humility, you have my attention.

You know, you're better off to be underrated.
All I want, all I need is a chance.
Underrated. I don't want to be more than me. I'm just sick of things underrated.
All I want, all I need is a chance.

Underrated.

THE ROCKET SUMMER

That Will Leave a Mark

These videos were made a couple of years ago at our church. They're so funny!


That Will Leave a Mark 1 from Biltmore Baptist Church on Vimeo.

That Will Leave A Mark 3 from Biltmore Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Liberated

I'd like to share with you a blog by one of the sweetest people I know... Her name is Josey, and she's on a long-term mission trip in Uganda. I hope you get the same chills that are compelling one to go and spread the gospel as I do. Whether it's in your local area, somewhere in your country, or to the ends of the earth.

She's such an inspiration.

http://josey-liberated.blogspot.com/

One Does Not Simply...

...Not have a peculiar fascination with these.

Bet you didn't notice at first!!

Such a powerful truth... 

Simply Me

Music allows me to be something important but it’s not who I am, it’s what I do. I am not famous, or rather, I don’t really want to be famous in the way American media defines a “celebrity” as someone so untouchable that you can’t even “earn” his or her attention—as if that would be moral by anyone’s standards. I just want to make music. I just want to be myself.

Unsure

I thought I breezed through it. It hit me a few days later. You do get tired. Will it get worse after three or four months? I don't know.