Nightmare

So my normally serendipitous relationship with my Mac was less than pleasant this past weekend. I upgraded to Leopard and it was not a fun time.

In Leopard’s defense, it was my fault.

I inserted the disk and said upgrade. The first thing it does is verifies that the DVD is good and it started scanning the disk. It became apparent that that step was going to take 20-30 minutes and since it was a new disk I selected skip.

Well it started upgrading and hung.. as it turns out, there was smudge on my DVD, and my laptop is going on 4 years old, so I’m sure the DVD drive aint what it used to be.

Unfortunately, by the time it hung it had wiped my previous operating system and rendered my laptop inoperable.

Well, to make a long story short, I cleaned the disk and managed to upgrade my OS, but not able to “upgrade” as far as my existing system, files, and apps, and I’ve had to reload almost every app and email file... etc. Not a fun experience.

I AssUme-d the disk was good (and clean).. what can I say.

Now that its installed, however.. its great. I love SPACES to Pieces.

Tim

Amazing or Crazy? Selfless or Self-Serving?

I think as humans we loose perspective very quickly. We take an amazing message and it becomes rote memory, sometimes losing its deep impact and becoming something we just memorize and mindlessly repeat.

For instance, we are certainly thankful for a Father who was willing to give up his only Child to save us, and yet, what would we feel towards someone we know who would do the same?

Would we doubt the purity of his motives.. would we pity him.. would we just say, ‘how tragic’. Would we question whether there was another way? Would we feel just how undeserving we are of such an action.

What if we were in the position to make such a choice for the sake of others? How would we choose? How would we live with the choice?

What an unlikely thing to do. Who could make up this story?

I think we often forget just how radical God's action was! How amazing it is.

I wrote a bluegrass lyric this spring while pondering this thought. I cowrote the music this summer, and Joel Lane helped me bring this one to life. Its actually going through a rewrite, but but I'd love to get your opinions. Hope you enjoy it.

Tryin’ To Get Them Clean

Silent? Who me?

So, I’ve been kind of quiet lately. Not much to say. Not much to write. I go through this once in awhile. I used to get concerned. Not anymore.... Its a cycle for me.

I just got done paying fall tuition bills, and of late, I’m dwelling more on the ‘make-a-living’ part of my life, and during those times, creative juices get pinched off.

I’m working on mastering my catalog. I’ve heard from many people that they would like to purchase some of my songs, and while I’m not sure if there will be many who actually will.. lol... I’ve used the request to motivate me to do something about it.

Now let me be honest. I don’t consider myself a performer. As an instrumentalist, I envy the talent of others, as I’m pretty simple in my skills.

Vocally, I can carry a tune, but most of my songs would sound better with someone else singing... I’m not trying to put myself down, mind you, but there are much better voices out there.

I recognize, more and more though, that I need to perform more to float these songs I write over a live audience. Its the live reaction to a song that is the best gage of its ability to connect. When I write a song and record it.. all without ever playing it out for an audience, the odds of a song’s final version connecting with the listener fall drastically.

I’m working to change that. The first step is performing more. Another step in the journey is finishing the past songs for sale, and that’s where mastering my catalog comes in.

In the next coming weeks I’ll be releasing an EP of my latest tunes, and in the near future, I will be releasing some of my old songs. Many of you may have copies or access to these songs. I have them posted on various sites.

The new versions however, will be re-mastered, giving the songs much higher clarity and definition. As many of the older songs were recorded on old-school recording gear, this will be a challenge.. but I’m looking forward to rebirthing the old versions.

Look for “Nothing Special”, my new EP in the coming weeks.

Thanks all for your overwhelming support.

Tim

They're all home

Woke up early this morning and realized all 3 kids are home and asleep upstairs. By midnight, tonight, one will be gone again.

My oldest is home again after graduating college, until next spring when she gets married. My second oldest, an area director at Spring Hill Camps and she came home for a wedding. She’ll be gone for that by 1:00PM and will drive back to camp either late tonight or first thing in the morning. My son, the youngest, a senior in high school, has been gone on a Teen Service Team working at a summer camp for the last 2 weeks.

But right now, at this very moment, they are upstairs sleeping in their beds, just like they always used to, early on a Saturday morning.

In a year, two of them will be graduated from college, the third getting ready to go off to college. A year.

Now. Right now, I’m sitting downstairs, realizing how precious it is to have them all here at one time.

Truly Missed

I met Jimmy Lee Smith 2 years ago at a Songramp gathering three years ago in Nashville. Well, I met him in person that is. Long before that he was an online encourager of many writer’s music, as well as a gifted lyricist himself.

His love for Jesus Christ and for his wife of 60 years hung on every word of his lyrical love songs. I had no idea he was sick last week when I sat down to write. I had thought of a hook while flying to Nashville, and actually tried to write the hook in a couple of cowrite sessions. (I ended up writing other ideas)

When I finally got the inspiration to use the hook (Between the Light and Her Shadow) I drew on my own relationship with Cyndi, and reflected on the nurtured love of those I’ve known and loved. Jimmy Lee was one of those influences. His love for Martha Sue was entrancing, and seemed to float him through life. His graceful and kind spirit preceded and followed him out of every conversation.

Last year, Jimmy Lee lost the love of his life, and all of us who knew him grieved. Some of the group on Songramp knew her personally. I didn’t, but I really felt like I did. When I saw him again this spring, everytime she came up in the conversation you could feel his love for her.

Jimmy passed away two nights ago and he leaves behind a large group of friends and cowriters who will truly miss him. I cannot perform this song without thinking of his fervent love for Martha Sue. Hope you enjoy it.

In Between

Tim

Great Week

Had a great week in Tennessee. Cyndi and I drove out to Chattanooga, stayed at the Chattanoogan and Went up to Lookout Mountain, and enjoyed the sites. Ruby Falls was awesome, some 1200 feet under the mountain, a half mile walk through the cavern and wow. What a spectacular thing.

The latter part of the week I spent writing in Nashville. I’ve got a couple of great tunes that will be demo’d in a short time. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you. Great to be back in town. I’m actually heading north in Michigan for a few days, but will be back to the grind soon enough.

Can You Name That Song?

I was online and someone was playing guess that lyric. You know, someone puts up a partial lyric and everyone tries to guess it.

When it was my turn, I put up this one:

There he sits with a pen and a yellow pad
What a handsome lad
That's my boy
BRLFQ spells mom and dad
But that ain't too bad
That's my boy
You can have your TV and you nightclubs
And you can have your drive in picture show
I'll stay here with my little man near
We'll listen to the radio
Biding my time and
Watching Scotty grow

Anyone remember that? Mac Davis wrote it, Bobby Goldburo sang it.

I was 10 years old and home from school for some reason. It was raining.. a cool Michigan fall rain. I had heard the song before, but this particular day, I did something for the first time. My grandparents lived down the road from us, and each afternoon, they would walk down and sit a spell. (This day I suppose they drove down because of the rain.)

Anyways, my grandfather was in the living room and we were playing chess. He preferred checkers, but played chess to humor me. I snuck into the kitchen and did something for the first time. I called a radio station and requested a song to be dedicated to my Grandfather.. Watching Scotty Grow. I remember waiting around for an hour before they played it... and I don’t remember my grandfathers’ reaction. At 10 years old, I guess I was more concerned with mine.

Not long after that, it was my first single purchase.. (wish I still had it.) It was the first lyric I learned.. or remembered learning. It was a song that moved me. It spoke to me. It was my musical awakening. At 9 years old, Mac Davis had awakened my emotions.

I had forgotten it.. and it all came back with a lyric challenge. So much I had forgotten. I could still quote a good portion of the lyric.

Anyways, a shout out to Mac Davis! Bobby too..

I’m sure you have a song that awakened your emotions. It might be hard to remember, but think about it. What was the song? Where were you when you heard it? What were your doing?

Nashville Trip

I’m heading to Nashville again at the end of the month. I’ve got some writing appointments, and Cyndi and I are going to spend some time vacationing for our anniversary.

We’re flying into Nashville and driving out to Chattanooga for a day or two. Then we’ll head back to Nashville and Cyndi will enjoy the hotel pool in the mornings while I write and we’ll do the show thing in the evenings.

I’m writing with a couple of great writers, and have a few slots open that I hope to fill before then. I love the challenge of preparing for a write session. I“m pretty much a solo writer, and although I’ve done cowrites in the past, most have been long distance.

No matter how many times I do it, though, I’m always a little nervous going in. I’m meeting with some new writers this time, though, and I’m excited about the prospects. Nervous, but excited.

A Lifetime of Temporary Relief!

I was watching the highlights of the greatest catch this year in major league baseball when I saw a Craftmatic III Adjustable Bed advertisement.

It advertised, “Call now to find out how you can get A Lifetime of Temporary Relief with the new Craftmatic III Adjustable Bed.

It struck me that a lifetime is certainly temporary..

What struck me funnier was that I was watching ESPN.. and apparently its a pretty geriatric crowd demographic who watches with me.

Maybe they should offer a cable box and plasma to go along with the Craftmatic III? Plasma .. I crack myself up.

Write hard. Write often

T

Accountable? Who Me?

I have this habit of hanging out on theology boards and acting like the cantankerous kid in the back who shoots spit-wads at unsuspecting souls. I’m sure its a sign of my destitute old-self lurking in the dark places of my heart, waiting to show his head when I least expect it... like my spit-wads.

I like to play the underdog position whenever I smell a wolf-pack. I’m not always right in doing so, and many times I should just let the herd feed. But sometime I get sucked in and volley a chunk of impala back and forth.

I make it a practice to always sign into these boards with my real name. It tends to keep me honest and upright, and cautiously reserved. But it doesn’t always work. Beyond my integrity, I find that I naturally prefer to be right at all costs, and make a total fool of myself in doing so.

A couple of days ago, in my haste I mis-read part of a post and completely skipped the rest as I couldn’t hit ‘reply’ fast enough. As a result I managed to insult the poster, and generally come off as an idiot.. and was accused, rightly of being one by means of a synonym. I reacted with my usual grace and shot back... only to realize, after re-reading the post and conversing with the writer, that I am, in fact, an idiot. Guilty as charged.

Humble pie is nasty stuff. I can only pray it puts hair on the chest.

Tim

I Need You

Time Flies

So, I was in Amherst, New York this weekend for what will be my son’s last soccer tournament. He’s a senior in high school next year, and will probably not play club soccer when the next opportunity for soccer tournaments comes around.

Its been at least 10 years since I and my wife and son, (and sometimes my daughters when they were younger) hadn’t spent our memorial days in one of a half dozen states, in one soccer tournament or another. This weekend will most likely be the last. Another season in life comes to an end.

I was in a period of partial dread at the beginning of this week. I always have a great time, but with it comes being away from home, the expense of 3 nights in a nice hotel and lots of restaurant bills, and the inability to do anything around the house on the holiday weekend.

Then it occurred to me that this will be the last one. Wow. Seasons pass, some more graciously than others, but this one passed so quickly, and seemingly without a warning. As I look back on all the soccer photos, kids grow up so fast, and my son is no longer a boy. He’s also my youngest, which makes it all the more poignant. I guess my parents were right again. Time goes by before you know it.

I know I’m not alone in my feelings, although I sufficiently pig-headed enough to think I’m discovering an all-new emotion.

Can anyone relate?