Ruthless, Raw and Broken... Love and Easter lillies @ 3:16

"Love can be, such a non-word... sometimes, it loses its meaning, its potency, like, I really love cheeseburger... like, I really love, a sunny day, like, I really love my family... and all of those are different things.  The love that I am singin about in this song is not a pretty, clean, Hollywood Hot pink sorta love.  Its the kind of love that is willing to love things that are messy, and even the difficult, and, sorta, kinda gross, kinda things... "  -John Mark McMillan (commenting on the meaning behind the song "How He Loves")

That's just it.  Love can be used casually, love can be used intensely, love can be unrequited and Love can change the face of the world.  Such a word, such an action has so much meaning that even God himself has taken the word to say that HE is it.  I strongly feel that, through all of loves meaning, through all of life's defining love, that the sacrifice of a man, for all of his people, for His beloved, is the most brutal and real essence of Love their will ever be.  Love is not just Roses or Easter Lillie's for that matter, but love is also answering a friends phone call at 1am, stopping to make sure that car that went off the road is ok, or meeting a friend for coffee even though they have blown you off the last seven times.  Love is staring somebody in the eye and saying, "I forgive you".  Love is leaving your heart on your sleeve, not looking for a response, or a reward, but because that's all you've got, and you would rather have the courage to put that forward than stifle your truest self into the skin and bones of your being.  Love is not always pretty.  It is hardly perfect.  It may be messy and even gross, but Love, in all its forms, is the choice, is the action that we have to be willing to take, because maybe, just maybe, we experience a little bit of God's own heart when do.  Maybe it is in the "pouring out" of oneself, in blood, sweat and tears, that we find what we so desperately seek.
Happy Easter

"We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home." -ToWriteLoveOnHerArms


Video:
JMM- "How he Loves: a story"

a stereotype, a generation, and a young man

Dear young man,

Young man with the beer in your hand, the beer that comes in a collectable set, the kind of set that comes in thirty (what comes in sets of thirty)?

Dear young man, I am sorry, but I just don't understand.  I cannot see the point of so many drinks at once, you could come by this store again, then again, I've never quite understood, perhaps I should have asked you?

Dear young man, why is it you caught my attention?  Why is it my heart has sunk?  Do you even care what I think?

Dear young man, do I have the right to guess what you are doing with your purchase?  Should I even care?

Dear young man, are you a student or statistic?  Pretty content with life or reeling from the tension?  Somewhat found or barely understanding?  Where would you go tonight?

Is there a reason to drink alcohol at all?

Am I really Irish?

What color are your eyes?

Do you see me, right behind?

Or is there something you are trying to hide?

Are you escaping or looking to find yourself (or something else)?

What's the point?  What isn't the point?

Will you you follow your dream tonight?

Will you forgive me?

Can we grab a cup of coffee sometime?

Listen:
Moving Mountains (cover)- "can't afford this color"

the kingdom belongs to these...

"and I become a child when she moves my world"- Damien Rice
 
Yesterday was one of those days.  I have recently been reminded (it is hard when you no longer work with them) that child-like elements are some of the best parts of living and we should always allow for these feelings and care free elements to be in our lives.  Experiencing a beloved summer place with an amazing brother and allowing for all the memories and flood of emotion and change to arise made me feel as though I was simultaneously eleven again while also being well beyond my years.  Its kind of like making a movie of the clouds passing by and then fast forwarding it.  Life moves, yet what happens lingers. 
  Sebago lake Maine is and will continue to be one of my favorite places in all of new England.  Point Sebago campground, Frye Island, and Jordan Bay, all painting a beautiful portrait of so many youthful lessons and experiences.  I grew and learned so much there and when I sit down next week for thanksgiving dinner with my family I will share the same abundant excitement and bubbling enthusiasm as I shared with my friend who accompanied me and the girl at Subway who just wanted me to stop talking and order my sandwich.
  I am twenty-three years old.  I have graduated college and am slowly entering the "real world" and becoming an independent adult.  Life is moving.  Yet it is the places, like Sebago lake, that remind me what is important and what is worthwhile to spend my time on.  I encourage anyone to make it a point to visit a place of your childhood, maybe even with a friend or lover.  who knows, it might be just what you need, it may even change the current course of your life altogether.  Maybe the goal of growing older is not to move beyond our childhood, but to move "in" it.  To allow for the experiences, for better or worse, to move and mold us into the individuals we Hope to be and that we already are.




song:
Damien Rice- "dogs"

Taking stock, counting blessings

"Hope for a better, November"- Jimmy Eat World

Dear friends, its time to stop and smell the, ugh, dying leaves and dried grass of another summer come and gone and a fall into the new year that is coming.  Autumn.  Fall.  Here we are, we are here.
How is your life?
Where is your heart?
What new dreams have you dreamt?
Where in the world are you?
Do you believe?
WHat can you do to get there?
What do you need to let go of?
Have you given your best?


"Not all who wander are lost"- JRR Tolkien
listen:
jimmy eat world- "futures"

Between the Trees- EmoPopSmilingPurpose- Do rock out!!!

So every now and (actually everyday) a band hits me and is a big part of my day.  Bands (and signers) make music and therefore carry the melodies and messages of beauty and truth to our ears.  Between the Trees is one of those bands.  They are very near and dear to my heart and although they are officially coming to an end as a complete band, their story and their place in mine and others lives has been firmly planted.

  I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands over the winter break from college.  This band was anberlin and the concert was during a very confusing and vulnerable time in my life.  Yet it was not anberlin, or even the great shared experience with my best Friend Evan (and his first modern rock concert), but the opening band that really stood out that evening.  This was where i first met Between the Trees. 

(Wes, courtesy of Flicker)

  After buying there album and heading home with Evan, I quickly found the song I had been dying to hear again ever since the performance.  After dropping off Evan and carrying the post concert high (you know what I mean) complete with buzzing ears, I proceeded to rock out to BTT in the car and  fight off sleep with their poppy guitar riffs and deep words.  Once again, Between the Trees and I met at the right time.  I was so stoaked, i decided to swing off the highway to our local Morning Star Christian book and music store (please support this small chain!!!) and say some late night prayers in the parking lot. 
  After hearing about BTT discontinuing their musical pursuits, I didn't feel a bit of remorse.  I know they are awesome guys and will be off to do many cool things, music related or not.  I think the reason I was not so bummed was because of their lasting impact, and their involvement in my favorite charity, To Write Love on Her Arms.  As a matter of fact, two of their first albums songs are dedicated/inspired by Renee Yohe- video:
Between the Trees and Renee Yohe talk--
  The more I go on in this adventure of life and love, I learn about the importance of story.  BTT's first album, "A story and the song" is all about that.  Renee's story was a big part of that album.  But they also played a big part in my story and I'm sure many of the other fans they touched over the last few years.  This was a band that always wanted to leave an impression of Hope and purpose with everything they did, in a genre of music often known for songs of bad break-ups and utter loneliness.  BTT is a band that will forever live on, and the Love and Hope that drives them is going to propel them into beautiful things for a long time to come.  THANK YOU! 
and
GOD BLESS!

song from first album, "The story and the song" "its not the intimacy that brings me closer to you..."
"Red lines and white lights"
song from second album, "Spain" "i know, things aren't quite like what they used to be, yeah..."
"We can try"

stay close: Light IS a place

As many of you know I have a favorite band.  That favorite band just put out an album.  It has thirteen songs and is their fifth full length album.  It is their first on a Major record label and many would expect the "best yet".  Well, I have not stopped listening since it was released and have delved into the meaning and lyrics of each song.  Yet, this album is not my favorite and is maybe the most different from all the previous records that have culminated into the sound, whether acoustic or full fledged rock, that fans have come to expect from anberlin. 
  That's not to say that I don't love the new album, I do.  Yet it is definately different.  Personally, I really love the sound, but i think the lyrics could be a little more complex, a little more meaningful.  Then again, sometimes simple words make the most impact (see: "I have a dream" or "come home").  Truth be told, anberlin is my favorite band.  And even though this new album may not be my favorite of theirs, if I truly love the band I have to really give this record a chance.  I think giving things a chance this day and age, hearing them out so to speak, even our favorite things, can be seen as a burden or even uneccessary all together.  Now this notion is not limited to music.
  So many people are quick to write off a new record, or a new song for that matter.  Sometimes people hate the change, other times they go with the simple, "well, I just liked the old stuff better."  Our relationships can be like that too.  Not just romantic, but friends and family too.  With the rate at which life changes, with the way people's status's change so quickly, it is easy to write them off or forget them altogether.  But that is not the right choice.
  Granted, people change; tastes in music change; life leads us down different roads, some for better, some for worse.  But we have to give it a try.  Our lives and the people in them are so important, so significant.  We can't just give it the ghost because we feel a bit different, we can't let our friend (or out favorite band) go because they are suddenly too popular, we can't let Love pass us by because we're scared of what "could happen"-
  Real commitment and pursuit of true connection is really lacking in our culture, even in our world at large.  It is up to the next generation to bring it back.  To look beyond the latest and greatest and seek truth and consistency; to be dedicated.  There is something to be said about a loyal fan.  There is even more to be said of a true friend; about a steadfast lover.
  We would be well served and even better pursued by such hearts.
That's the kind of fan i'd want to have,
That's the kind of community I am blessed to be in,
That's the kind of place that is Light many times over.


Listen:
Corey Asbury- "everything you do"

You're here with me (take me as you found me)

A good friend and wise man stopped by the nightwatchman post today.  Besides marveling at the view, the trail mix debris, the extravagant artwork (Andy and Lauren), and the beautifully decorated note card envelopes, he told me a little story from his life.  I would like to share a bit of it:
We were musing over love and relationships with young people (these days) and after grinning and chuckling he shared that when he was a young man, he was interested in deep and profound conversation with his (now wife) girlfriend at the time, and how during this one dining occasion they were not really talking,
and he took notice,
and instead of panicking,
or pushing conversation,
he loved it, every second.
Maybe it was in the simple presence that he really saw her, maybe he was overanxious.  Either way, she was there, and he was also there, and that in and of itself was a beautiful thing, a love confirming correspondence.

See Love, romantic love in its purest form, is found and formed in all the feelings and butterflies, late night phone calls, and long drives in the pouring rain.  However, it is confirmed in the jokes, in the down time, in the mundane, in the seemingly insignificant.  Not only that, but love is what we are all striving for.  It is the answer.  "It is the final fight"(John Perkins) 
Obviously we should not be so infatuated with everyone as we are to be with our spouse or even boyfriend/girlfriend, but this is a great place to learn the ins and outs of love and turn them externally, sharing them with the world.  We should not be so infatuated with everyone, yet somehow God is.  And he left us with this simple command.  Love me; and love one another.  He even gave us an analogy:  When He comes back, we shall be like a bride, and HE, the bridegroom. 

Is not romance in every bit of our lives?  Is it not the answer to how we should think of our neighbor, how we should dream of our futures?

Want to fall in Love?
That is not the question: love is present, has been since the start.
Rather the question is:

Want to see the world change?

Fall in Love

the details of this life are breathtaking
and
The lights and sounds call us closer
and
the Hope of the universe rests on us seeing it so 

Fall in Love



listen: (out Tuesday)
Anberlin album preview

sister(s)

I said Sister, here is what I know now
Here is what I know now
Goes like this..
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, in your love, in your love"
-ALEXI MURDOCH
 
There are certain points in our lives where we feel old, or just older, as if our biological age was not a reality and all the people around us would stay the same age forever.  There are certain milestones, regarding age, where you just go, "whew" and wonder where you had been for all the time leading up to this said milestone.  One of those is for your little sister to go off to college. 
  Even though I just graduated college, I still haven't felt like my sister is getting much older.  I must be careful here, that is, not to say that she hasn't matured and showed signs of moving into a new phase of life, but sometimes you spend so much time watching the snowflakes, you end up confused by the new foot of fresh powder under your foot.  There have been two main experiences that have really allowed me to realize my sister's age, and also get excited knowing she is ready for the new challenge of college.  The first was her singing in a musical with her school (i had never even heard her sing, no joke) and the second was her going out to Kansas City for the Skills USA competition (yeah bronze medal!).  These experiences, along with many others, are aligning her up with a beautiful end to the chapter that is high school and I Hope she is as thrilled for WSC, as she has come so far,  and with so much good and beauty to come!
  I also want to share about two other special sisters attempting to move mountains in their new adventures...
First off, my friend and sister for over three quarters of my life is heading off on a world wide missions trip called "World Race" no, not the amazing race.  I will let you read about it here and support her too:
Ash WORLD RACE
I Have known Ashley for a long time, and she is a beautiful image of Hope and truth.  She believes, she works hard and she is SO thrilled to take all of her gifts straight to the peoples around the world who need it most, I cannot wait to hear about and pray for her journey- and the journey of all those helped and helping!
  Finally I have this other sister.  Now she also has a brother, just like Ash and just like my sister and I, but he's a good guy, so I think he'd be OK if I was in the fam.  This girl is also venturing forth into a new land, this time, not in a world race, but to study and learn.  She is going to do great, and Love well, but I can understand why she is nervous.  It just occurred to me how we have such similar hearts!  But fear is not the heart of love, and just as this girl inspires and surprises me every time we get to talk, she will triumph and take in every detail of this beautiful trip.  Remember Jeanne Clark, perfect Love drowns out fear; may it find you well.
  I always wish I had a brother.  I always wished time would stop and we could start it up again when we were ready.  Well, neither of these are an option.  Yet I am one of the happiest and most blessed people in the world, and it is in a large part due to the hearts and Hopes of my sisters, biological or otherwise.

May God guide you on the straight and narrow,
and may the light each one of you share and carry so, so well,
guide you into and over whatever this new season brings.

Love, in Hope and in gratitude,

Bud, B2, Brandon

Listen:
Switchfoot- Hello Hurricane (you CAN'T silence my Love)

2nd wind

There is no other sporting event I enjoy more then the Tour de France.  The race is epic and challenging to say the least; it is torture at best.  Through picturesque countryside, riders traverse an entire country in 21 days of racing all by the power of their own two legs.  Wow cannot begin to describe it!

For such a race, there are great stories.  Each day is filled with triumphs, overcoming, Hope and heartbreak.  Similar to the recent soccer world cup, there are rrepresentatives from all over the world.  It is beyond category!
My favorite stories are the ones of courage and passion, or, as the Italians call it, panache!  The days where a rider breaks away from the pack all day and wins the day in front of his compatriots or when a rider finishes the race despite a crash that would put most in the hospital for a month.  The stories of true grit, and never giving up.  Of setting your sights on a goal and reaching it no matter what.
This years tour has been full of such stories.  Even today, Lance Armstrong attempted to win the day by riding over four mountains solo to the finish over one hundred miles.  He did not make it.  However, his effort was valiant and had all the fans reminiscing about his wins just a few years back. 
But it was truly the attempt that took the most courage and gave everyone, especially Lance, a reason to Hope.  This is every bit a parallel to real life.  We are more then halfway through summer.  For many their have been great struggles, beautiful and equally gut wrenching stories, reasons to Hope and reasons to doubt.  Yet it is in the attempt, in the saying "yes", in the moving on, even if that movement is at a crawl; it is in these things that our stories are truly made complete. 
In endurance sports, after the rush and speed of the opening of a race, or a long mountain climb, an athlete is said to get their "second wind".  A rush of adrenaline and strength that leads them to get back in the hunt or otherwise continue on towards the goal. 
My Hope is that,
wherever you are,
 in reality and passion,
in spirit and in truth,
that you are on your second wind, or quickly approaching this renewal, while keeping an iron focus on the goals of Life and Love.
This is not just my Hope, but it is also my belief.  I know that you will find that strength, from deep within, and when you do, know that you are courageous and lovely, a bright spot in a universe that would sometimes seem against all that is good and true.

It may not start with moving all the mountains in your life,
but it may just begin with YOU.

Listen:
josh moore- "too good to be true"

Dedicated to Vino'- for second wind, and second chances...
(photo courtesy of Graham Watson)

BEGINNINGS- Sanctuary in a Lions mouth

REVERSE!
Why the blog and what's it all about? And how come correspondence is such a long word?

Well, I want to write, as the sub title mentions about everyday miracles and important lessons I learn in my life adn maybe, just maybe they are helpful to others, if even one other person. Believe it or not, lessons learned in New Hampshire are actually applicable to life outside of living free and looking at mountains. Ok, so Correpondence comes from a phrase that has meant a lot to me the last few years. Your could also write heart, or spark, or feeling. The correspondence is that moment where your heart feels alive, it could be a spring rain shower, a smile of an old friend, the voice of God, a sunrise, a song- whatever. Point is it moves you, and it sustains you. This is the movement of the heart that we all so desperately desire, and, need.
The word Daring simply comes from the fact that so few actually take the chance at letting this feeling move them and help them live and discover that a heart alive, is a heart right. SO what does this feel like?
You'll know when you get there. Trust me. There is nothing else like it. In the words of Jon Foreman, "there ain't no durg, no drug to make me well"-Maybe the drug is the heart, and maybe it takes feeding, nurturing, affection, creativity, and even words to move- Maybe its been ransomed, but yet still feels trapped.

Anyway, this is about our hearts. recapturing them, feeling them, making them move. Its not easy; its actually petrifying. Yet it is worth it. And somehow your body, your soul want to head towards this correspondence, this light.
I believe it is found in all things, but especially in simple conversations where tow people share whats going on and encourage one another. It starts at the ground level. It starts with you, and me. It's a courageous heart, its a bold proposition, its a true feeling, it is a Daring Correspondence and its there for the taking. Are you willing to Move? Chances are I am just as scared as you, but, I am Hoping beyond Hope this is true-

We are ALL alive, but how many of us are really living?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-QThgztMUw