Words...

Have you heard the brand new song, "Words" by Hawk Nelson? It's a great song we just started playing across New Life Media Network. But, before this song was added to our playlist, I did some research to find out what the Bible had to say about the power of our words. I was aware of the ultimate Word in John 1.  I also knew the usual verses, Proverbs 8:21, Matthew 15:8 & Psalm 19:14, and so on.  But, I wanted to know how much more God had to say about words.

I was surprised at just how much the Bible spoke into this subject.  I stopped researching it after reading through 145 verses. This process helped me realize just how careless I've been with the use of my words.  How so many times I've missed opportunities to speak life into situations.  Or, worse yet.  I'm so grateful that we serve a God who is so quick and willing to forgive.

If you want to hear the incredible song, "Words" by Hawk Nelson, click here to see their official music video; http://vimeo.com/56953022


To find out more about Hawk Nelson and their newest project, "Made" please click here; http://hawknelson.com/presale/#.UUzWML_-DFI

If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know; joeb@newlifemedia.org

For your convenience, here are many of the verses; 
Acts 1:8, Luke 11:28, John 10:10, Luke 8:21,  Romans 10:17, John 8:47, Matthew 4:4, Proverbs 18:21, Isaiah 48:1-22,  Matthew 15:18, Psalm 119:105, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 4:17, Proverbs 12:18, Leviticus 19:16-17, Exodus 20:16, Proverbs 25:25, Matthew 12:36, Matthew 12:37, Proverbs 16:24, Acts 13:46, Psalm 141:3, Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Ezekiel 13:8, Colossians 3:8, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 21:23, Proverbs 12:19, Matthew 15:6, 1 King 3:12, 1 John 1:8, James 1:26, Psalm 19:14, Proverbs 29:20, James 3:1-12, Hebrews 3:1, 1 Corinthians 4:20, Matthew 11:22-24, Acts 18:11, John 3:34, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 17:28, Proverbs 25:11, Romans 12:14, Proverbs 15:2, Luke 6:45, John 1:1, Proverbs 17:27, Proverbs 16:23-24, Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 17:9, Proverbs 27:2, Colossians 4:6, Matthew 22:1-46, Proverbs 18:13, John 8:31-32, Matthew 12:34, Proverbs 11:12, 1 Peter 1:23, Matthew 7:12, Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, John 8:31, Isaiah 54:17, Proverbs 18:20, James 3:6, Hebrews 11:1-40, Romans 10:8, Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 44:1-28, James 1:22-27, John 3:34, Isaiah 55:10-11, Acts 20:32, James 3:8, Proverbs 27:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, John 4:1-15, Genesis 1:3, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17, Proverbs 6:2, Psalm 118:7, Proverbs 14:1, Acts 6:7, 2 John 1:1-13, John 1:14, John 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:1-27, Proverbs 18:8, Proverbs 15:23, 2 Corinthians 2:17, Exodus 20:1-26, Genesis 15:1-21, Ephesians 5:3-4, John 3:16, Acts 4:31, Matthew 5:1-48, Philippians 4:6-7, Genesis 11:6, Psalm 109,1-31, 2 Timothy 1:7, Ecclesiastes 7:20-22, Psalm 23:1-6, Leviticus 5:4, Romans 8:3-4, Proverbs 12:25, Deuteronomy 6:1-25, Ephesians 5:25-26

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.www.newlifemedia.org (WBGL,WIBI & WCIC) We work very hard to honor God through serving you. Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions you have. To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today. Click on your station for a direct link. Thanks!
Music Advisory Panel: WBGL WCIC 

How Quickly We Forget...

I was reading in Exodus this morning about how the Israelites had made the golden calf while Moses was away with God.  As I was reading through this, I was thinking, "How in the world can these people, knowing all that God has brought them through, do this?"

I was thinking so critically of Aaron and the people.  I mean after all, didn't God bring them out of slavery?  Wasn't it God who gave them favor with the Egyptian people, allowing His people to completely and totally plunder the Egyptians of all of their valuables? Did He not part the Red Sea, letting them miraculously walk across on dry land? And, then only after they were safe, didn't they witness God letting the waters go and absolutely annihilate their enemy?  I could go on and on.

So, why after such a short time did they forget?  Why when Moses was gone, did they lose hope in his return?  Why in the world would they have Aaron build false gods?  And, why in the world would Aaron do such a thing?

So, I asked God.  I prayed and meditated on it.  And, this is the revelation I believe He gave me.

I'm no different.  God has come through for me hundreds, if not thousands of times.  Many of which I'm not even aware of.  I could list here, pages and pages of amazing things He has done for me.  The countless times He has demonstrated His undying and incomprehensible love for me.  And, yet, when uncertainty arises, especially when it doesn't resolve quickly, I tend to become anxious, worried and stressed.  The only explanation I have, is that, for whatever reasons, I still don't fully trust God.  In those moments, I forget all that He's done for me.  Then, I find myself inadvertently putting my trust in other things that will ultimately fail me.  Now, the good news is that He eventually brings me to a place where I find peace in Him.  But, oh, how I wish it was my initial reaction.  I've heard it said that a person will tell you what they really believe in their reactions.  I have so far to go.

You too?

There is good news!  In Philippians 1:6, we are told that He who started a good work in us is faithful to complete it!  He will never give up on us!  If we can trust Him to the best of our ability.  If we can surrender our lives to Him to the best of our ability.  He will make up the difference.  We can't always see the growth that's happening, sometimes it's quite slow, but if we are really surrendered to Him, then make no mistake about it, growth is happening.  We are not the same as we were yesterday, last week, last year.  We are continually being made new by the power of the Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 5:17 / Titus 3:5-6

Want to be encouraged?  Here's a brand new band, All Things New, and their debut song we just started playing at New Life Media, called "New Man"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0jZc8_eTwE









Live, acoustic version; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO2QBRqsHRY&list=UUxaLgVTXrqmKUvH7nW_sbrw&index=26

If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know; joeb@newlifemedia.org

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.  www.newlifemedia.org   We work very hard to honor God thorugh serving you.  Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions of our listeners.  To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today.  Click on the link to your station for direct link.  Thanks!
Music Advisory Panel:  WBGL   WCIC 

Can I Really Forgive Them?

"But, if you only knew what they did to me!"  That was my excuse for a long time.  But, I truly believe that forgiveness is a key ingredient to healing.  And, without forgiveness, we simply can't complete the healing process.

When I was 18, God moved on my heart to forgive those that had hurt me while I was growing up.  I didn't want to.  In fact, I fought God over it for the better part of a year!  I couldn't believe that God was even asking this of me.  He knew what they did.  I didn't want to let them off the hook.  I wanted them to pay for what they had done to me.  But God continued to work gently and eventually brought me to a place where I was willing to be obedient.  

So, yes, one by one, I went and forgave those people who had brought such pain into my life.  And, the most extraordinary thing happened.  I thought I was letting them off the hook.  But, really, it was me that I was setting free.  Through that process God was able to bring amazing healing into my life.  And I honestly believe that I wouldn't be healthy today, if not for that decision to follow HIS leading.  

As you read this blog post, is God is gently tugging, or not so gently ;), at your heart?  If so,  Trust HIM.  He'll guide you each step of the way.  Forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean you have to have contact with the person or people who hurt you.  Simply, forgiveness is to release your right to demand compensation.  Webster says it this way;

            1a.  to give up resentment of or claim to requital for
                          b.  to grant relief from payment of
                 2.  to cease to feel resentment against (an offender)

Matthew West has this stunning new song called "Forgiveness."  It was written about a remarkable mother of a daughter who was killed by a drunk driver.  Her story is unbelievable and so inspiring.

If you think you could never forgive, check this out;

 http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WL66DGNX


If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know; joeb@newlifemedia.org

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.  www.newlifemedia.org   We work very hard to honor God thorugh serving you.  Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions of our listeners.  To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today.  Click on the link to your station for direct link.  Thanks!
Music Advisory Panel:  WBGL   WCIC   WIBI

In Pursuit...

It's amazing how unbelievably huge our universe is.  For instance, it would take 180,000 years to travel from one side of our galaxy to the other, if we were moving at the speed of light.  And, that's just our galaxy.  Scientists now believe our universe is made up of trillions of galaxies.  Not to mention the vast space between each galaxy.  And, that space is increasing at an ever increasing pace.  It's mind blowing, actually.

And, light.  Let's talk about light for a second.

Light moves at 186,000 miles a second.  To put that in perspective, light could circle Earth seven times in one second.  That's about 6 Trillion miles in one year.  To the sun and back more than 30,000 times.  That's fast!

You still with me?

As fast and mind blowing as light is, an even more amazing fact is that it is always traveling at the same speed regardless of the motion of objects.  In other words, it's always pursuing objects at the same rate of speed, no matter how fast those particular objects are going.  If you're traveling at 1,000 miles a second, away from light, it is still pursuing you at 186,000 miles per second.  The motion of the observer is irrelevant.

Amazing, right?

Well, I see God's pursuit of His children similarly.  His pursuit of us is non dependent on our motion of movement from or to Him.  I think so many of us equate time with distance.  We feel that if it's been some time since we've connected with God, then He must be far away.  Or, we feel His distance is in direct correlation with things we've done.  The worse the act, the further away He is.  And worse yet, what if we've done something really bad and allowed a lot of time to pass?  Then, God must be too far away, right?

No.  His pursuit of us is greater than that of light.  No matter how fast we move from HIM, it is impossible to outrun Him.  He's right there.  All we have to do is simply turn around.  Repent.  And, God says if we confess the things we've done to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness.  He takes our wrong doing, sin, and separates it from us as far as the east sky is from the west.  Notice how He didn't say north from south.  That's because if you head north and you pass the north pole you'll begin heading south.  The same is true if you head south and pass the south pole you'll begin heading north.  However, if you head east and keep going all the way around the planet, you'll always be heading east, you'll never head west.  The same is true if you head west.  East to west is an infinite line that goes on forever.  And, once we confess and repent, God says He separates our sin that far.   He goes on to say that He drops it in the sea of forgetfulness and remembers it no more!  Pretty awesome, right?

So, why do we not take full advantage of it?  I believe the most common reason is that we just don't know how loved we actually are.  I believe that if we truly knew how much God really does love us, there would be almost nothing we couldn't accomplish with His help.  The creator of light itself and everything else has actually numbered the hairs on your head.  He loves you so much, my friend.

I remember one night many years ago, I was praying while driving.  I had an open sunroof in my car that night and I kept looking up toward the stars while I was praying.   As if God was way up there.  I'll never forget God's voice.  It wasn't audible, but still pretty loud.  He spoke this to my heart.  "Why are you looking out there?  I'm right here, next to you."

But, Joe, if you had any idea what I've done or how long it's been?

 I wish I could somehow convince you that it just doesn't matter.  He's right there, next to you.  All you have to do is turn around!

One of my favorite CDs this year is the new one from Matt Maher, "The Love In Between"  On that CD is a great song, "Turn Around" that drives home this point.

Well I won't say, that you will never fail again
But there is graceTo wash away your every sin 
If you're scared that you don't matter
If you're lost and need to be found
If you're looking for a Savior All you gotta do is turn around




To find out more about Matt Maher and his newest project, please click here;  http://mattmahermusic.com/

If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know; joeb@newlifemedia.org

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.www.newlifemedia.org (WBGL,WIBI & WCIC) We work very hard to honor God through serving you. Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions you have. To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today. Click on your station for a direct link. Thanks!
Music Advisory Panel: WBGL WCIC WIBI

Healing

 So many times looking back over my life, I so wanted the healing process to just speed up.  Even totally skip it, if it at all possible.  On so many occasions I grew so impatient with God, just wanting Him to heal me already.  I didn't like or want to deal with the pain of the process. I had slowly convinced myself that the pain wasn't worth the perceived little growth it yielded.  That's why I was blown away the other day listening to Luminate's new song, "Healing In Your Arms." God is so unbelievably good to us.

This whole time I've been so hard on God and myself, believing that healing would never fully come.  Then, right out of the blue, comes this unprecedented evidence that healing had been taking place all along.  Sure, I know that God is a God of restoration and that He was healing me.  And I could show you countless pieces of evidence of that very healing in my own life.  But, I live with my own shortcomings, and they are undeniable evidence that healing still hasn't completely run its course.  I lived with the belief that I may take my last breath and still not be fully recovered from the painful experiences of my past.  And, that still may be true.

However, God used a circumstance a couple of weeks back to completely bless me with an amazing gift.  I had not seen my biological mother in nearly sixteen years.  In fact, I had only spent a handful of hours with her over the past thirty years.  When I saw her sixteen years ago, it became evident pretty quickly that I was not ready for that reunion.  It brought back way too much pain.  Pain I had long buried. I couldn't see it at the time, but it was all part of HIS plan.  You can't deal with something that's buried.  It had to be dug up to be dealt with.

So, when I saw a facebook friend request from my biological mother late last year, my heart leaped into my throat.  Sure I missed her and wanted to know how she was doing, but didn't know if I was ready to deal with all the other stuff.  Plus, I wasn't sure how much I could trust her.  After praying about it, I accepted her friend request.  We slowly became re acquainted with each other and although she was very respectful of my wishes, I was still very distant and pushed back any attempt by her to get close.  I was content to leave our relationship in the world of facebook, until a photo changed my life.

It was an old, worn out black and white picture of my mom, dad and me.  I was about five months old and my mother was pregnant with my brother.  When I looked at the photo for the very first time, I wept.  Something about that photo hit me so hard.  I always knew my mom was young when I was born, but seeing it, well that was different.  You see, I have a daughter who is 10 and she's not much younger than my mother in the photograph.  God immediately moved on my heart and allowed my eyes to be open.  How can I hold my mother responsible, for the rest of her life, for things she did as a teenager?  After all, I had forgiven her already anyhow.  My heart broke for her in that moment and I knew I would have to go and see her.  I wanted her to know that I had, indeed, forgiven her.

Tara and I set in motion a plan that would bring my mom back into my life.  We packed up the family and took a trip south.   I tried not to think about the ramifications the visit would have on me.  The last time I saw mom, it literally took me years to fully get past what had been stirred up emotionally.  Plus, I thought this whole time I was doing this for her.  What I also didn't realize is that God was about to show me the work He had been doing in me over the past sixteen years.  He was about to present me with an incredible gift.

Seeing my mom so happy brought such joy to my heart.  She told us she hadn't slept at all nights before our arrival, because she was so excited and nervous.   Tara felt blessed to spend some time with the woman who brought her husband into this world and couldn't believe how much our kids, especially our boys, look so much like her.  At the end of our first day, I asked my mom how she was doing.  She said it had been the best day she had ever had.  She called it "Perfect."

It wasn't until after we had said goodbye and headed home, that I began to notice this gift that God had so nonchalantly left for me.  Normally, after a visit like this, or anything to do with my past really, I have to fight off deep depression and other hard to explain feelings.  When I finally realized I wasn't fighting any this time, it scared me.  I knew I should be experiencing something negative.  I always had.  But as I sought God and talked it out with Tara, God began to show me the reason I wasn't experiencing the, so typical, painful feelings.

Healing.

Leading up to this trip, I really believed that God was orchestrating this whole plan totally for my mom.  I never gave a second thought about this being about anything else.  But God being so good to me used it as an opportunity to show me just how much ground had been gained.  How much work He had done.  And although I'm not totally sure where this relationship with mom will end up and I still need to proceed with caution, I'm so grateful for the ground God has already won back.  Sometimes, we're just way too close to see the growth.  When you're in the trenches, it's so hard to see the ground you're winning.  And no matter how it feels or where you think you are, God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  And HE won't.  We just need to trust trust HIM to the best of our ability and He'll carry us the distance we can't walk.  He's always at work.  We just have to be obedient to what He's asking of us.

If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know; joeb@newlifemedia.org

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.www.newlifemedia.org (WBGL,WIBI & WCIC) We work very hard to honor God through serving you. Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions you have. To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today. Click on your station for a direct link. Thanks!
Music Advisory Panel: WBGL WCIC WIBI

At the Speed of Life...

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time seems to slip by at an increasing pace. With each passing year, time appears to move faster than the year before. If only someone had warned me when I was younger.

I spent so much time living just beyond the moment I was in. Biding my time, just existing, until the next great moment arrived. You know, that moment, event, or happening that would, of course, be the best thing ever! That's how I would build it up in my mind. And the closer I would get to the event, the bigger and better it would become in my head.

This would lead to such depression, because no matter what it was, that I was waiting for, it always went by much too fast and never quite lived up to my grand expectations. In fact, on many occasions, the "looking forward" was more enjoyable than the event itself. More and more I found myself increasingly disappointed.

That was until Tara and I had our very first date, 19 years ago today. A day that I had been looking forward to and anticipating about for the better part of the prior month. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. It's hard to imagine there was a time when I was nervous about being with Tara. The awkward first days together. I had been to her house many times over the previous several months. I had had conversations with her parents on several occasions. I had been out with Tara with others from the youth group.

But, this was different. This was a date. As I walked to her front door, I had to walk past the garage. This particular day, Tara's dad was working in the garage. Not because he had stuff to do, but that he was going to be the first line of defense between me and his daughter. I had never, on any occasion, felt intimidated by her dad, until this day. I remember the stern look he gave me as he firmly shook my hand and wouldn't let go as he said "There are three thing you'll know if you're going to take out my daughter.

"First, you'll treat her like a lady.
Two, you will have her in on time.
And, three, if your car leaks oil, get it off my drive!"  Although my car didn't leak oil, I wasn't taking any chances, I didn't park on the drive for a long time thereafter.

That first date was truly one of the first days in my entire life that lived up to the expectations I had created in my mind.  And, I can honestly tell you that with each passing year, it only gets better and better.  I'm more in love with her today than I've ever been and if given a thousand lifetimes, wouldn't have enough time to properly thank God for her.

Sure, Like many of us, I still find myself from time to time living outside the moment I'm in. But, during those times, God will use Tara or my kids to gently remind me to live "in the moment."

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.www.newlifemedia.org(WBGL,WIBI & WCIC)

We work very hard to honor God through serving you. Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions you have. To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today. Click on your station for a direct link. Thanks!

Music Advisory Panel: WBGL WCIC WIBI

It's mind blowing to think about how very fast time is slipping by.  It seems like just yesterday that I was battling these same feelings as we headed into Mother's Day, 2010.  One would think, with each year that passes, it would get easier.  And, in a way it does.  I can look back and see the slight growth that happened as I've pursued after HIM.  But, pain is pain.  And, when that pain runs deeper than surface wounds, it just takes time.  A whole lot of time.  And, you know what?  It's okay.  It took me a long time to realize that. 

I hope you have an amazing Mother's Day and if there is pain that gets in the way, please don't beat yourself up.  There's nothing wrong with you.  Just ask God to help you navigate through this.  He will.  You're not alone, my friend.  

Here's my blog post from last year.  As I reread it, I found it to be encouraging.  I hope you, too, are encouraged today.  Happy Mother's Day!

If I were completely honest with you, I would tell you that this past week has been extremely difficult. It shouldn't really surprise me. After all, it's each year at this time I deal with emotions I can barely keep below the surface. For as long as I can remember, it's been the most difficult time of year for me. And, it all pertains to what is happening on Sunday.

Now, for so many, Sunday will be a wonderful day full of family and joy with amazing moments of reminiscing through great memories. Sure, there will be stress, but for the most part, it will be a day some are really looking forward to. And, if that's you, I hope it's everything you hope it will be.

But, for others, this will be one of the most difficult weekends of the year. There are countless different reasons as to why this day will be so difficult for so many. For me, it's because of the abuse I experienced as a child. And, like clockwork, it hits me each year starting a few weeks before the big day.   I can't understand why I can't just get past it. I am so richly blessed. God has brought such incredible healing to my life. He's also brought so many "moms" who have stepped in and graciously filled that role in my life. Not to mention my incredible wife who is a fantastic mother to our four children. So, why can't I just man up and get over it?

I was having this very discussion with my wife, Tara, last night. And, right in the midst of our conversation, she said something so very profound. She said "If you didn't have this hurt from the way your mom treated you, then it would mean my job is pointless. That pain you continually battle, because of the abuse you experienced as a child, serves as a reminder of how important my job really is."

Wow. I guess I knew that. But, to hear those words framed in that way reminded me of how extremely important our job as parents really is. And, I do believe it is the most important job on the planet. So, even though this Mother's Day will carry with it some pain, I still appreciate the incredible job that God-honoring Moms everywhere are doing. I celebrate that. Thank you, moms.

If Mother's Day is also a very hard day for you, please don't beat yourself up about it. And, if I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to let me know - joeb@newlifemedia.org

Remember, God loves you so very much!

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director.www.newlifemedia.org(WBGL,WIBI & WCIC)

We work very hard to honor God through serving you. Your input is very important to us and decisions are made regularly, based on the opinions you have. To assure that your opinion is being heard, please join our Music Advisory Panel today. Click on your station for a direct link. Thanks!

Music Advisory Panel: WBGL WCIC WIBI