still worlds apart

1995.  its been 15 years since this album came out.  i was 14.  their song flood was on the radio, i remember being in the weight room for football practice, flood came on the radio and i looked around at my teammates singing along, laughing to myself...

they don't even know this is a christian band...snicker snicker snicker...

its was one of the final songs on the album though that grabbed my gut and still hasn't let me go. i remember going to my first jars concert in college, a solid 8 years later and when they walked off the stage with out singing worlds apart, i about flipped!  HOW DARE YOU?!  then the whole fake encore thing happened, they came back out, with caedmons call and threw it down. 
this song continues to wreck me, in so many ways.  different verses at different times...this morning it was the very first...

I am the only one to blame for this Somehow it all ends up the same Soaring on the wings of selfish pride I flew too high and like Icarus I collide With a world I try so hard to leave behind To rid myself of all but love to give and die

oh the pride of Icarus, the belief that i can soar, that I can fly...and then the long fall back to earth, colliding with all those things i thought i had overcome

anyway, watch this video, enjoy the song, has been and continues to be one of, if not my favorite song ever...

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practicin the presence...

i've been reading practicin the presence of God by brother lawrence...this is an extremely short book, only 95 pages, yet, i've spent about 3-4 weeks in it, reading the same sections over and over again...if you haven't read it, or heard of it...go get it...cost me $6 at the used book store...

...basically brother lawrence talks about how he rests in the presence of God throughout his day, prayin throughout his day as he performs his duties at the monastery, attends prayers...the whole deal...i've found myself challenged and rejuvenated in m

y closeness to God.  its as if something has been pulled away from my eyes and ears and the presence of God has become more of a reality to me throughout my day than i think i have ever experienced...this isn't some magic book that showed me how to see God, but by putting some of the things brother lawrence did, into practice, with the right intentions, has resulted in peace that i haven't felt in a while...don't get me wrong, the heartbreaks are still coming, the frustrations are mounting...yet there is peace because i am not alone...how blessed to be in the presence...

at the end of the book one of his friends begins to describe brother lawrence and his life, attitude, actions...the whole deal.  and there is a section that i read this mornin that has brought me to a point of confession...

"Though he was indeed a humble man, he never sought the glory of humility, but only its reality.  He wanted no one by God to witness what he did, just as the only reward he expected was God Himself." pg. 84

i'm not sure i could say the same thing for myself...curious about your thoughts, comments on that quote or the book if you have read it...

on another note, i'm curious about your top-5 artists that you can't go without, lookin for some 

new music to listen to, so hook me up...anything but country, ya'll can keep that...

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