My Human Size

Under the surface

where I never thought to dig before

God revealed

This arrogant assumption

Built in me before I even had the language to describe

This feeling

That somehow the weight of saving the world

Was on my back

(For best results, read out loud. From another in-process tune).

We had people in our little apartment...

Yes, it happened. Was fun, sort of a hushed art museum type vibe without the high ceilings or guards in burgundy uniforms... and outside are the mountains!

29 Years Part II

My first songwriting adventures consisted of putting new lyrics to hymns and Beach Boys tunes. That was grade school. I still do it on occasion. For instance...

On Tuesday the unflappable Mr. Oliver texted me "I want to hear all about the song 39 years (29 years pt 2). He may of been joking but I went ahead and blew 30 minutes on this... (Therefore DO NOT watch it if sloppy in-process work bothers you -- this is very ROUGH, live, first take after writing...)

P.s. I wrote a song called "29 Years" a little over a decade ago -- this is approximately the same tune.

Riddled through with Glory

The first decade I wrote songs they were pretty much geared towards a Christian audience -- encouraging them to delve into their faith, get closer to God, be honest about their journey, pay the price to really give following Jesus an honest shot. Then for a while I wrote songs that were mostly vertical in orientation, prayers, spiritual songs, etc. Then I started JRL and explored writing songs that could (hopefully) connect with anyone, whatever their spiritual state or religious inclination.

Well, that's mainly the songs I released. I was still writing songs to God too -- it's part of how I survive emotionally and stay alive spiritually. It's sometimes a wrestling mat, a threshing floor, and an open field.

I collected seven of these songs (five from previous albums, 2 unreleased demos including a hymn my sister and I wrote an extra verse for) on an EP we decided to call "Riddled Through with Glory: Songs of Worship and Waiting." If you'd like a copy, mosey out across hyperspace to the little Sonchild station and pick yourself up one!

Please note: It is NOT a new full-length studio album (that's why it's so cheap), and it's NOT available for download, but it IS pretty mellow and meditative and it DOES have a pretty sweet photograph on the cover, slightly abstract and liquidy but not photoshopped even a smidgeon, compliments of the close-up queen herself, Kimberly Glick.

Playing in Texas

I'm playing in Texas later this month. 04.28, 4-4:30pm at the N.9th Arts and Music Festival. Also as Surge on Smith at 530. The inimitable Joel T on bass. First post sabbatical band gig. Can't wait. What a gift.

A Christa Drawing

The axe is at the root of the trees and Seconds to Sunrise is the first to go

My 2005 release Seconds to Sunrise has been out of print now for a couple years. It was one of the most fun recordings I've ever done, and it struck a chord with a lot of the people who have followed my music over the years.

I have one unopened copy of S2S left. I've been paying $50/year to make it available for download on itunes and amazon, and people (39 to be exact) have downloaded it, although less recently. Small price to pay to keep it available, but...

I'm streamlining the business side of my music endeavors (I usually focus on the creative side) and cutting costs. Unfortunately Seconds to Sunrise is being cut . . . in 6 days. So you have from now until April 9 to go to itunes or amazon and download it (unless enough people download it to pay for another year).

Many of you who read this blog already have the record. Two people told me they wore out the cd -- I gave a burned copy to one of them but I can't remember who the other one was, so I hope you're reading this. :)

A couple of Seconds to Sunrise songs are included on the Best of JRL album which lives on in the cloud on Amazon and Itunes and which is not, at this point, slated to be "cut off, thrown into the fire and burned." But the axe is at the root of the trees, friends...