Baseball and life lessons...

So, I'm watching the Cubs game with my six year old son a few nights ago and they were losing bad. At one point I turned to my son and said "Why don't we turn this off and go do something else, together." Before turning off the TV, I noticed a sad look on his face. I sat the remote down, and asked him. "Do you really want to watch this? Isn't it frustrating how badly they are playing?" His response was so simple but yet so profound. "Dad, I don't care if they win or lose, I just love watching them play."

That statement resonated inside my head as we continued to watch the game. I thought about how much joy I might be stealing from his experience with my own frustration. I thought about how much better my own life would be, if I could be more like my son. I can get so caught up in what has to get done, when it's got to get done and how well I execute the task, that I sometimes miss the bigger picture. I often miss the opportunities to just enjoy life, God and those on this journey with me. I spend far too much time so frustrated with how short I fall. And, that frustration so often steals from my ability to just enjoy the journey.

I watched my son, fully engaged in the game, enjoying every moment. He would high five me when a player made a good play or got a hit. He didn't care that they were losing by eleven runs. The score just didn't matter, as far as he was concerned. He was just enjoying the game. After I tucked him into bed, I prayed as I left his room. I asked God to help me be more like that. Sure, we have to do our best and work hard to accomplish the things God has for each of us to do. But, I have to remember to also enjoy life along the way. To find balance and to occasionally relax, take a deep breath and just enjoy the game.

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director. www.newlifemedia.org

But, do I really know Him?

If you and I were to sit down and talk about the Bible, it probably wouldn't surprise you that I'm pretty familiar with a majority of the popular stories. As I hear sermons, I often recognize the basis of the teaching. I've read or listened to the first five books of the Bible at least a dozen times throughout my life. I've even had chapters of certain books memorized at different times. That accomplishment, I owe to the encouragement and motivation of my wife, Tara. I can pull dozens of key verses out of thin air in a moment's thought. I know where each book is in the Bible, I know the order and which ones are old or new testament. I have a pretty good handle on who wrote which book and the circumstances in which each were written. And although I don't know it all by a long shot and there is plenty I don't have a clue about, my knowledge of the Bible has come a long way.

I used to always think that knowledge was the key. The more I knew the better. And, to a point that can be correct. But, God has been at work in me this past year. I've been challenged to have more than just head knowledge. Don't get me wrong, it is extremely important, but I found myself way out of balance. It seemed the more I filled my head with what I knew about Him the less I was getting to know Him.

Over the past year, I've found myself missing that zeal I once had to run after Him. The way I used to want to be with Him at any cost. I could spend time with Him doing nothing but praising and listening. There was a time in which I literally couldn't make it through a day without Him. But, something had happened along the way. Instead of not being able to make it through the day, I began to only know I couldn't get through the day. And, although I knew it, the knowledge didn't keep me from trying. As my life seemingly got more comfortable, I slowly forgot the practice of surrendering it to Him on a daily basis. I continued to learn about Him, but there was a major disconnect. I no longer put a priority on the relationship and I spent less and less time listening.

I'm ashamed to say that this went on for several years. I would have moments of closeness, but for the most part He was there when I needed Him or to celebrate with, but not in the details of my everyday life. But, He waited patiently. He is so faithful.

One morning I woke up and realized how bad I missed Him. I'm so grateful that He cut through the busyness of my life and spoke loud enough for me to hear. I'm not sure what was so different about that day, but, for me, it was life changing. He had been there the whole time but I had allowed too much noise in my life to hear. As I, once again, began to listen, He gently started to draw me back to Him. Some days are still a struggle for balance. But, again, He is faithful and I'm getting to know Him, and there's no better place to be.

Have you ever heard a song and thought that song is for me? That's exactly what happened when I heard the song "What Do I Know Of Holy?" by Addison Road. I couldn't help but think that song was written for me. Have you heard it? It's on the radio and you can hear it on Family Friendly Radio. I hope when you do hear it, God also uses it to impact your life and bring you encouragement as He has for me. If you want to find out more about Addison Road or this phenomenal song, please click here; http://addisonroad.com/blog/ or here; http://www.myspace.com/addisonroad

If I can be praying for you as you walk through the journey of life, please don't hesitate to let me know. joeb@newlifemedia.org

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director. www.newlifemedia.org

You're Beautiful...

When is the last time you were told you're beautiful? I wonder how many of us truly feel beautiful. I mean really beautiful. I think if we were totally honest, we all struggle with wanting to look and feel beautiful, but believe we fall so short of being truly beautiful. But, what if, no matter what we believe, the truth was that we were amazingly beautiful? That no matter what we think or feel about ourselves and no matter what we've been told, we possess a beauty beyond words? Breathtaking, really. And, it's not something we can buy, produce or maintain. We are beautiful, because He says so. Period. And, His opinion is the only one that really matters. Besides, He's the only one that really knows what beauty is really all about. He knew what He was doing when He created us. No matter what you do or think, there could not be a more beautiful you. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, we're taught that other people's opinion is the one that matters. And, throughout our lives we learn to measure ourselves to the standards of this world to determine our beauty. We end up spending so much time and energy chasing after things we think will make us beautiful. We try to keep age from stealing what beauty we believe we have. It becomes an endless and exhausting effort just to hold on to it, even if for a moment. For so many of us, because of what's been done to us, how we were raised, or how others feel about us, we've bought the lie that we'll never measure up to true beauty.

But, what is true beauty? For most of us the definition of "True Beauty" consists of something very fleeting and temporary. We forget or are just never taught about the beauty that lies beneath the surface of our physical bodies. God says it's what's in the heart that matters and that what's on the outside is a lot less significant than what's in the heart. I know it's easier said than done. We want to feel beautiful and this world is very clear about your physical appearance holding the majority of your "Beauty" stock. As a result, we believe our interpretation of what the mirror says - that we're just not beautiful. This is a dangerous line of thinking, because it hurts our ability to accomplish the purpose God created us for. It destroys our confidence in Him and in ourselves to follow His leading in our lives. We hold back in so many areas of our lives and we begin to believe that we have nothing to offer. Over time, this thinking can begin to erode any close relationships we have, both with people and God.

Whatever happened to beauty being in the eye of the beholder? And, when it comes to beholders there's none with a more accurate opinion than God. I love what the Psalmist said in Psalms 139:14: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” You are fearfully and wonderfully made and make no mistake about it, there could not be a more beautiful you. Jonny Diaz sums this up so well in his new song, "More Beautiful You". If you would like to find out more, please click here; http://www.jonnydiaz.com/

Because of Him and what He has done, you are truly beautiful!


Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director. www.newlifemedia.org

Forgiven and Loved

You are forgiven and loved! If you're like me, those five words can bring such relief. I spend so much of my time trying to be perfect. Trying to convince people that I'm worthy of being loved. Trying to convince God that I'm worthy of His love. And, to hear those words remind me that it is less about me and more about Him. That there is nothing I can do to earn that. It rests alone in what Christ willingly did for each and every one of us. My only requirement is to repent and then accept it. I have the whole repentance thing down so many times, but where I stumble is with the whole idea that it can't be that easy. There has to be something I'm missing. Some way for me to make it right. But, I can't. There is nothing I can do to make it right. Only He can do that. And, He has chosen to do it at no cost to you and me. It's a free gift. There are times when my mind really gets itself wrapped around that and I feel like the weight of the world has lifted off my shoulders. My hope is that the older I get the more I can live there.

I'll never forget the very first time I felt loved by God. I was 20 years old. I had just started dating my wife, Tara, and was driving to her house. On the way, I was praying, thanking God for Tara. God started to remind me of how valuable Tara was to Him. He reminded me of how she would walk to school instead of riding the bus, so she could spend more time with Him. He reminded me of how she had whole chapters of the Bible memorized. He reminded me of how she was so innocent and loved by everyone at church. I was beginning to get defensive. Because, I was convinced that God was going to tell me "If you ever hurt her, you'll have to deal with me..." So as I was listening I began to pray, "God please help me to not hurt your precious child..." But, before I could finish, God spoke this to my heart; "You know how I feel about her, right?" I prayed "Yes, I do." Then, God spoke something to my heart I will never forget as long as I live. He simply said "That's how I feel about you, Joe." Needless to say, I had to pull the car over. I had never cried that hard in my entire life. For the first time in my life, I felt loved. And, it was God! That moment changed my life forever.

There's so much more our lives can become, more we can accomplish for Him, if we only knew we were truly loved. He has such amazing plans for our lives! He is not ashamed of us. He loves us! He loves you. Please be encouraged today and the next time you hear "Forgiven and Loved" from Jimmy Needham, I hope it reminds you of how valuable you truly are.

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

He's Not Done...

One of my favorite Bible verses when I was in my late teens, early twenties was Philippians 1:6. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." That verse brought me such peace through a time in my life filled with such turmoil. I wonder if Paul knew when he wrote those words that it would have had such an impact thousands of years later. I kept hearing teachings about how God had a plan for our lives. But, I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how in the world God could use me. And, when I would become really discouraged, wondering what value my life had, if any, I would hear that verse. It would be used in sermons, notes from friends, songs, it was popping up everywhere. Could this be true? First, did God really begin a good work in me? Second, am I worth it to Him to complete that work? I just knew that I wasn't.

And I am so glad that God didn't take my word for it. It took me a long time to understand that my value has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Him. Even now, almost 20 years later, it can still be a struggle some days. But, it's true. Our value has nothing to do with us. We're extremely valuable because of Him and what He did for each and every one of us. God does love us, more than any amount of descriptive words I could ever come up with. And He does have an amazing plan for our lives. Sometimes, I think I'm so hindered by looking back where I've fallen instead of keeping my eyes on where He is leading. And, I fall so much. But there is still hope for me, yet! He's up to something, make no mistake about it!

Maybe you can relate. Please don't be hard on yourself. My prayer for you is that you will let Him help you stay focused on Him. He does have some pretty amazing things planned for you and he's not finished with you yet! Brandon Heath has a new song, you've started hearing on Family Friendly Radio, called "Wait and See." It's a great reminder that God is not done with us, yet. I love these lines from the song;

There is hope for me yet because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet. He’s not finished with me yet

I hope this encourages you. God is not ashamed of you and you don't have to hide from Him. If you need to repent, please do so. Then, trust Him with all your heart! He truly does have something amazing planned for you! If I can be praying for you, please don't hesitate to drop me a line at joeb@newlifemedia.org

Joe Buchanan serves New Life Media as Network Music Director. www.newlifemedia.org

Is that the sun I see?

Before Tara and I were even married, we made a commitment to not let the sun go down on our anger. We decided that no matter how tired we were the following day, we were going to stay up and work out whatever issues we had and not sleep until we reached some kind of resolution. That may sound like an unreachable goal, but I can honestly tell you that after almost 12 years of marriage, we have managed to hold true to that commitment. I could count on one hand the number of times we've "let it slide" and slept on an unresolved issue. If I were completely truthful with you though, I would tell you that I can't take any credit for this. God blessed our desire to honor Him with our relationship. I strongly believe that single decision, to work out issues as they come, was a huge ingredient to our success. Marriages don't fall apart overnight. It's a slow process that happens over time. It can seem quite sudden, but the signs are there long before the decay starts to show. Looking back, I'm so grateful that our Sunday School class hosted a Gary Smalley video series, when Tara and I were first married. God used him in such an amazing way to set our marriage on the right path. Another huge ingredient was the "uahh!" factor. In his video teaching, Gary passed around an old violin that was all beat up. People passed it around the room, not giving a second thought about it. Then, Gary said "Oh, by the way, that's a Stradivarius. (One recently sold for over $3 million) Everyone in the room collectively let out an "uahh!" Gary then said "Exactly! That's how you need to treat your spouse every time you see them. But, most of us after being married a while start treating our spouse like an old beat up violin, instead of the value they truly hold." That resonated with me. To this day, Tara and I try to greet each other, every time, with the "Uahh!" factor. It doesn't matter if we've just seen each other, or haven't seen each other in days. And, again, I would love to take credit here, but I just can't. God honored our efforts and blessed us. Plus, I married an incredibly wonderful woman of God who's willing to look past my very many short comings!

Throughout my life, there have been many times I've wanted to help someone, but didn't have the first clue as to how. After I met Jesus, I began to realize one huge thing I can do is pray. I take that very seriously. If you've ever caught me on-air, you have probably heard this. I get many prayer requests every day and, after praying, I'm always on the lookout for resources that will help with the circumstances addressed in these requests. Of all the requests I get, the majority of them have to do with issues within a marriage. When you're in a great marriage, you can sometimes forget that it isn't that way for everyone. And, then my heart breaks, because I so desperately want others to experience how great it truly can be. So, I pray harder. Although the Bible is extraordinarily helpful, every now and then an additional great resource will come along that can be applied to lives and help. The movie Fireproof comes to mind. If you haven't seen it, please plan to watch it sometime. Through the success of this movie, there is a fantastic website full of incredible resources. Please click here if you want more info; www.fireproofmymarriage.com Another phenomenal resource is music. Over the past few years, you've undoubtedly heard several songs that deal with these issues. Sanctus Real "Don't Give Up", Warren Barfield "Love Is Not A Fight" and several others. Now, we can add another to the list. It's the brand new song from The Afters, called "Ocean Wide" If you want to know more about this song, you can hear the lead singer's (Josh Havens) own words by clicking here; http://media.buzzplant.com/content/ino/theafters/NewLifeMedia.wm
This song is now playing on Family Friendly Radio.

As always, if I can be praying for you, about anything, please don't hesitate to let me know; joeb@newlifemedia.org

What do we really have to lose?

It's funny how lessons tend to repeat themselves throughout our lives. I'm often reminded of when I was dating my wife, Tara. We dated for five years and even though we knew right away we wanted to get married, we also knew it was going to take several years. First, we were quite young. Second, Tara's parents wanted her to finish school, first. Plus, before I was ready to be the husband I wanted to be, I needed time for God's healing to take place in my life. Very early on, Tara and I knew roughly the time we would be married and also knew it was going to be five years or so. During that five year stretch, there were so many times that I would loose focus of our wedding day and get caught up in the moment I was in. The wedding day seemed so far away and I would convince myself I had plenty of time to get things in order. So, I would spend my money and time on very temporal things instead of saving and investing in our future. I'm so grateful that God would gently remind me of what I was working toward and then help me get back on track. Our wedding day did finally come and it was everything we dreamed it would be. I'm so glad we worked hard and trusted God to help us accomplish the things He asked as He prepared that day for us. And, looking back, those five years really did pass by very quickly. It's so hard to believe that it's now been twelve years since our wedding day.

I'm often reminded of that experience and how it parallels with my Christian walk. There is a day coming and that day is going to be more than we could ever imagine or dream. It may seem like a long way off, but, in all reality, it will be here before we know it! I just need to make sure that my focus is on that day instead of getting caught up in making my life comfortable now. That way I can accomplish the things God has asked of me between now and then. A big part of what God has asked me to do resides in holding on loosely to the things I have. A willing heart to let go of anything He asks me to. To allow His blessing to flow through my hands, instead of holding on tightly to them. I am a work in progress and I'm so glad that He who started a good work in me is faithful to complete it!

It's in loosening the grip that real blessing begins to flow. I have found throughout my life, the tighter I hold the more restricted the blessing. However, when I loosen my grip the blessing begins to flow again. For me, it's realizing that I don't own anything. It all belongs to Him. And, if I can put my trust completely and fully in Him, then it's going to be alright. What do I really have to lose?

That's what the new Rush Of Fools song is all about. Losing it all for Him. Holding on loosely to the things of this world and holding tightly to Him. This new song is found on their latest CD, "Wonder Of The World" and it can be heard on Family Friendly Radio. If you would like more information about Rush Of Fools or this song, please click here; http://www.rushoffools.com/index.php

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