More lyrics by me...

This one feels more upbeat. Now I just have to set these 2 to music and see what happens. Um, anybody know how to make music match lyrics? :-o

Written by Mike Taggart

 

I'm trapped within the walls

of all the things i desire

Things I should not have

lest I face eternal fires

 

The power is overtaking me

with every passing breathe

I need a strength outside myself

to save me from this death

 

There's only One

Only One that

One that can

that can save me

 

Jesus the sword that divides - severs me from my sin

Jesus the torch that reveals - a God that makes me free

Jesus the shield - that guards my heart from my heart

Jesus the One - that saves me from me

 

The freedom has its price

the path is so narrow

The struggle seems futile

on the road that I should go.

 

A strength comes out from within

a hand lifts my falling face

From my fall I find my feet

I am not alone in this lifelong race.

 

There's only One

Only One has

One has saved

The One has saved me

 

Jesus the sword that divides - severs me from my sin

Jesus the torch that reveals - a God that makes me free

Jesus the sheild - that guards my heart from my heart

Jesus the One - that saves me from me

 

There's only One

Only One has

One has saved

The One has saved me

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Trying to have some fun!!

I am working on writing my first real song. So, I wrote down some words....see below. Now I need to find a melody that goes with it..do you think it's an upbeat or slow sort of song?  I wrote it kind of quickly and I didn't have a real idea of a theme..so, it just fell this way. As I read it, it almost sounds like a country song. But, those that know me know that it WILL NOT be a country song. Any thoughts?

 

Written by Mike Taggart

 

rigid on the outside

standing firm and tall

got it all together

nothing bothers me at all

 

immune to the problems

that all the others get

I haven't seen an issue

that i can't deal with yet

 

That's the outside

no it's not me

That's the outside

what the world tells me to be

 

I want to lose this world it looks out for itself

the hidden pain I have can't be kept to myself

The real me has got to be free but I am bound and at war

I didn't know I didn't have, I couldn't see and fell way short

Little did I know that's where I had to be -

looking up to heaven from down here on my knees

Jesus is everything

Jesus is my freedom

Jesus is my all

Jesus is.

 

a slave to my savior

on my knees I submit my will

finally tasting freedom

I am quiet and I'm still

 

confessing all the problems

that consumed my unknown heart

all my issues seem so small

thanks to You and my brand new start

 

This is the inside

yes it is me

what's on the inside

has truly made me free

 

I want to quit this world it looks out for itself

the pain I have can't be kept to myself

The real me has got to be free right now I am bound and at war

I didn't know I didn't have, I couldn't see and fell way short

Little did I know that's where I had to be -

looking up to heaven from  down here on my knees

Jesus is everything

Jesus is my freedom

Jesus is my all

Jesus is.

 

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Oh Happiness!

Emotional rollercoaster..I am on one. I was just sitting here feeling depressed about how my career has been steadily moving backwards. Then, overwhelmed with the goodness of my current situation. God is good. When I remember that, things get put in perspective. Here are some things that I am thankful for:

 

1. God's amazing mercy and grace...

2. My beautiful, smart, sexy, God fearing, sweet, productive wife.

3. Awesome kids. Flat out the best kids in the world...

4. A job that is paying the bills. God's provision.

5. A pretty sweet house.

6. Less responsibility at work than I used to have so I can focus on things at home.

7. Great work schedule.

8. This is the last week of soccer.

9. Silly things like...a cool painted floor garage, a stand up shower in my bathroom, a music room, this huge spider that's been living by the boys bedroom window (outside!!), a great guitar, drums, my sweet camera...man, I have a lot of cool toys.

10. Health

 

 

What are you happy for?

 

Oh Happiness - David Crowder Band

Oh, happiness
There's grace enough for us
And the whole human race

Friend or foe
Stranger or kin
All who come
Begin again

Hard or frail
Rich or poor
All in need
Need fear no more

Such a thing to give away

All regrets
Let go, forget
There's something that
Mends all of it

Such a thing to give away

Sound the church bells
Let them ring
Let them ring
For everything can be redeemed
We can be redeemed
Oh,all of us

 

Oh, happiness
There's grace enough for us
And the whole human race

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here's what I am thinking....

I am feeling a powerful urge again ( I have felt this in the past at different times and at different degrees). I really feel like renting or asking permission to use a parking lot...set up a tent (the kind with the open sides). Setup benches...get a generator for amplification...get a little pulpit, and start a gathering for Jesus. A place where we can be seen and heard worshipping the Lord, teaching, and loving each other.  Have a sign out front, "Worshipping Jesus, Everyone welcome!".  Maybe have a website that would reflect where we are...so that we could be all around town delivering the message all year to different places and different people. It's going to be cold, hot, dry and wet! Big DEAL...

 

I feel like we should kill the idea of a church as a building...and encourage it as - a gathering of His people for His worship and to prepare workmen approved for ministry and discipleship. To make the message available all over town - taking it to where they are.

 

I am sure there will be much opposition to such a thing from non believers as well as believers. That sounds exactly like something Jesus would encourage.

 

Of course, we'd need a person to do that teaching that was also sent by God to do such a thing. I am sure if it is to be, God will equip it as needed. I just need to keep an eyeball out for where he's working and be ready to join in.

 

Weird, huh?

 

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Will you have wasted it?

I was listening to a book on the way to a Buffalo River campground Saturday morning. I had purchased the book prior to our move from Colorado. I had forgotten that I even had it until my ipod started skipping and I restored the OS in hopes to recover it. I was putting stuff back on it and noticed it. It's a book written by John Piper called "Don't Waste Your Life".

 

There's a story in the book that John Piper referred to that had a huge impact on his life. Apparently, there was an old man in the town where he was living and the whole church had been praying for him. The Lord had done His work and the man came to the church...accepted that Jesus was his savior...after the service was over, little John Piper walked up to his father (the pastor) and the old burly man was in tears repeating "I've wasted it, I've wasted it"

 

He poses a question in the book that struck me, "What is a life that's not wasted?" As if I ever defined what it would be to lead a successful "not wasted" life. If it's not defined, how hard would it be to accidentally hit that target? What a tragedy to miss it.

 

John Piper gives a lot of good illustrations and samples from his own life. He lists some of the influential men in his life and how they impacted him.

 

Could that be my job in life in regards to parenthood, teach my children what a rich, full life looks like? In order to do that, I need to know what, how, when, where, etc.  I'll need to understand it myself. Time is short, I had better get busy!

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Kids...

I will be praying for you a lot throughout the day. I love each of you. Tell your younger siblings about it. Ok?

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time doesn't stand still

Today is JDs 7th birthday...He is the only baby that we've had that could put his arms over his head and touch his elbows right out of the womb. Typically, I am not sure there is scientific consistency in this but, when a baby puts its arms up...it's fists align with the top of the head or very close to that. Not Jess...he had long arms and legs and looked like he just got done with a boxing match. The bridge of his nose was hung on the pubic bone and delayed things a bit...he came out facing the wrong direction and freaked the doctor out. It was as exciting a birth as I want to have. However, he was healthy, strong and sweet...and thank the Lord, he still is.

 

I simply can't believe that was 7 years ago today.

 

Time can get away from us in every facet of life. It seems that I have experienced being so excited about what will happen when such and such reaches such and such an age...that all the time that led to that was a blur and seemingly not important...what a tremendous oversight on my part. Every moment is and should be treated as precious and something that, once spent, is gone forever. I don't know about you but my memory is not trustworthy enough to rely on those spread out special moments...trying to make every moment special should help me have plenty to draw from as the years go by. And, Lord willing, my wife and children will have those fond memories too. Leaving a legacy isn't doing one single thing that was remembered...but a way that you lived your life...every day, every moment.

 

There are many songs that touch on this topic...I have referenced one in the past by Matthew West called "The Motions" but, a couple of others:

Group: Decyfer Down

 

Like shooting stars
How brief we are
I wish this moment could last forever
Here with you
I am made new
I want to live like every breath matters
You're not so far away
Just hear me when I say
I wanna love what you love
I want to see what you see
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me
I want your light in my life
I want my heart renewed
Here I am
Forever with you
The falling rain
Can bring a change
I never knew how far that I could fall
I can hardly wait
'Til I see you face to face
I can't believe your love remains the same
You're not so far away
Just hear me when I say
I wanna love what you love
I want to see what you see
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me
I want your light in my life
I want my heart renewed
Here I am
Forever with you
Now that I am here with you
After all that I've been through
I just can't live without
The grace you gave to me
Now I see what you see
Your beautiful life forever in me
I wanna love what you love
I want to see what you see
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me
I want your light in my life
I want my heart renewed
Here I am
Here I am
Here I am
Forever with you

 

 

Group: NeedtoBreathe

 

Why don't we smile anymore

I'm not okay with that

Why don't we dance slowly

I'm not okay with that

'Cause the years go by like stones under rushing water

We only know, we only know when it's gone

 

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What would you think?

I was getting dressed for work this morning and my wife was sitting up in bed reading her Bible. I was thinking to myself, "should I ask her to read it out loud?" For whatever reason, I didn't...2 minutes later she says, "listen to this, isn't it sad." Then proceeded to read from scripture...2 Chronicles 25 1-2 "Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem 29 years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly."

 

What would this mean to you?

 

There's a funny thing that people say that I used to agree with. It goes something like "the Bible can mean whatever you want it to mean. You can find something in there that will help you prove your point." As my relationship with the Lord has grown and shrunk...as I have forged ahead and back slid...one thing has remained steadfast. HIS love for me. Not the other way around. As I think about the saying that I mentioned, if you read things out of context or without the Love of the Almighty, His Holy Spirit...they are just words. Words can be manipulated any way you want them to be, especially without understanding. But, add God...add His desire to communicate to the ones He loves. Then, the words mean something. They become personal. They become words from His mouth directly to me that apply to my circumstances. As I type this I am becoming overwhelmed with the thought/realization of this all over again. Even as I type, the shuffle of my songs playing through my headphones remind me: "This is my daily bread, Your very word spoken to me. And I'm desperate for You. And I'm lost without You." "This is the air I breathe, Your Holy presence living in me."

 

NO, IT'S NOT COINCEDENCE...It's the love of the Father, my Jesus, the Holy Spirit burning inside me for fellowship and I love it.  I need it more than anything else. It's all I need...but, I forget sometimes. And my gracious Father reminds me...through a prompting in my head and the voice of my precious sweet wife..."do it wholeheartedly".

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read a great devotional this morning

Well, I guess I should say timely...not great. This weekend was full of blunders. Starting with frustration with our soccer organization. Everyone except me is a big stinking goofball!! Wow...those are actually my thoughts. I struggle with how things are done every single game. Sunday was a repeat except we were at church. I can easily identify so many flaws in others. I even made a joke in the car how I wish I could get paid to do that, I'd be rich!!

 

But, isn't that true for anyone? It's easy to find the flaws of others. It's easy to not trust, it's easy to see fault.  I had spent a whole weekend seething about what had been happening. More self inflicted time wasting.

 

This is the content of the  page dated today's date...I had already had this on my mind. You may say it's coincidence...but, I serve a mighty God that loves me. He speaks to me all the time. It's not coincidence. It's a Father in heaven wanting to tell His grafted in kid about a flaw that needs correction. That's what Someone that loves you does...

 

All Things Are Pure

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. (Titus 1:15)

Your heart’s condition will be expressed through your life. It will be evident by your attitudes, your words, and your behavior. Jesus said that you can clearly see others only when your own eyes are unobstructed (Luke 6:42). If your vision is hindered by sin, you will not look at others properly.

If your heart is pure, you will approach life without malice. You will not question the motives of everyone around you; you will not doubt the truth of everything others tell you; you will not look for fault in others. Instead, you will look for the good in others, finding what is praiseworthy. You will not be naive or gullible, but you will seek what is good rather than what is evil. If your heart is pure, you will see others the way God sees them (Matt. 6:22).

If your heart is defiled, everything with which you are involved will seem corrupt as well. You will assume evil motives in others because you know what you would do given the same circumstances. You will be cynical about what you hear because your own words are deceitful. You will be drawn to evil people and evil things. How do you look at the words and actions of others? Are you critical of them? Are you judgmental? If so, ask God to purify your heart. Once He has, you will be free to see yourself and others as God does.

 

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A reality that set in

I have a daughter that will be 18 in 4 months. I remember holding her in my arms trying to sing her to sleep past her colicky crying. I remember the miconium poopy diapers. I remember her dancing in time with a disney VHS tape that we had. I remember showing her off to my friends...

 

Time is no friend of mine. It continues on...it's relentless. Moments that I miss will never avail themselves again but neither will moments that I didn't miss.  Now, she's almost 18. Wow.

 

I must say that I remember very clearly being that age. I recall my thoughts, actions, and worst of all, my ways. I thank our Lord above that she is so much more mature. So, wonderfully sweet...so opposite of me at that age. I am so proud of her and the woman that she's become.

 

Thank you Jesus.

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