Light And Shadow

The shadows of demons appear on the wall.
Spectres all screaming at the Siren's call.
Ascending the castle in the darkest night.
My reflection glows in the dim firelight.

The Spectres are here and the light recedes.
I tremble in fear while my conscience bleeds.
The light has faded. It's gone, gone, gone.
The light has faded. It's gone.

Flashes of color in the cool autumn breeze.
Make me remember, fall down to my knees.
The demons all leave. They tremble in fear.
The light they perceive has become quite clear.

The Spectres have gone; consumed by the light.
The curtain is drawn. The beast is out of sight.
The curse has faded. It's gone, gone, gone.
The curse has faded. It's gone.

And so light and shadow are always at war.
Even though they don't know what they're fighting for.
Circles of light spinning out of control.
The demons will fight for your very soul.

Light and shadow in a constant duel.
Wherever they go, the world becomes cruel.
I look in the mirror. It's gone, gone, gone.
I look in the mirror. It's gone.

West Texas Cowboys

Yes, I received your letter yesterday.
About the stolen gold we stashed in Santa Fe.
And I know you just won't realize,

'Till you've seen the treasure with your greedy eyes.
That I wasn't there, when they robbed the canyon mine.

Yes, I received your letter back in June.
About an old guitar that's always out of tune.
And I know you love Hank Williams songs, 

The open road is where your heart belongs.
But I wasn't there, the day the music died.

West Texas cowboys all understand.
When you get this far from the Rio Grande.
It ain't too hard to be found by the law.
They'll send you running down to Arkansas.
West Texas cowboys are rough outlaws.
Bad boy rebels with a damn good cause.
They're riding hard in Tulsa time.
It's a real good living this life of crime.

But these two letters share a common theme.
They both relate a lonesome cowboy's dream.
So make your peace with God, drink your whiskey down.

Because the last of the outlaws has just left town.
But I wasn't there, to see the cowboys ride.

So when you're down in Texas then you'll hear a tale.
From back when horses delivered the mail.
Adventure stories of the wild, wild west, 

Bandits, lawmen and all the rest.
But I wasn't there, to see the Lone Star fly.

West Texas cowboys all understand.
When you get this far from the Rio Grande.
It ain't too hard to be found by the law.
They'll send you running down to Arkansas.
West Texas cowboys are rough outlaws.
Bad boy rebels with a damn good cause.
They're riding hard in Tulsa time.
It's a real good living this life of crime.

Hijos e hijas de Dios, un reflexión en Gálatas 4:6

Un tema central que es necesario para entender el evangelio es nuestra adopción como hijos e hijas de Dios. Nosotros, que estábamos lejos, hemos acercado a Dios y somos parte de Su familia eterna. Es tan fácil olvidar cuán amados somos por Dios en Cristo. Es tan fácil buscar el amor y la aceptación en otro lugar, cuando Dios ya ha demostrado que nos ama tanto a gran precio para sí mismo.

Gálatas 4: 6 dice: “y debido a que somos sus hijos, Dios envió al Espíritu de su Hijo a nuestro corazón, el cual nos impulsa a exclamar ‘Abba, Padre’” "Abba Padre" resume maravillosamente la relación del creyente con su Padre. Padre es un título de respeto y reverencia, y "Abba" es un título de cariño e intimidad como "papi". Dios ha prometido esta relación a todos los que creen en Su Hijo Jesús. Sin embargo, nuestra adopción tenía un gran precio. Jesús, mientras estaba en la cruz, experimentó la separación de su Padre, mientras estaba pagando por nuestros pecados. Sólo en el sacrificio de Cristo podemos llamar a Dios "Abba Padre".

Nuestra adopción en Cristo cambia nuestro estado ante Dios: antes éramos vistos como esclavos del pecado, afuera de la familia de Dios, ahora tenemos todos los privilegios de ser hijos. Dios nos dio la mejor túnica, puso zapatos en nuestros pies y su anillo de sello en nuestros dedos. También declara una gran fiesta para celebrar. No sólo somos perdonados, sino que se nos da una posición en la familia de Dios. En la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, Dios nos ha mostrado Su favor y Su gracia mucho más de lo que podemos imaginar.

Entonces, ¿por qué vamos a buscar el amor en otro lugar: buscando el amor en todos los lugares equivocados? Muchos pensamos que encontraremos ese amor en una relación con gente pecadora como nosotros. Olvidamos cuán profundo es el amor del Padre por nosotros. Nuestro amoroso Padre está siempre buscando prodigar Su gracia sobre Sus amados hijos. Cuando te sientes ansioso, cuando te sientes inadecuado, cuando las tempestades de la vida son tan intensas, corre a los brazos de tu Padre amoroso.

Sons and Daughters of God: A Reflection on Galatians 4:6

A central theme in understanding the gospel is our adoption as sons and daughters of God. We, who were once far away, have been brought near to God and made part of His eternal family. It's so easy to forget how loved we are by God in Christ. It's so easy to look for love and acceptance elsewhere, even when God has already demonstrated that He loves us at great cost to Himself.

Galatians 4:6 says, "And because you are sons (and daughters), God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" "Abba Father" beautifully sums up the believer's relationship with Christ. Father is the term of respect and reverence, while "Abba" is the term of endearment and intimacy like "daddy." God has promised this relationship to all who believe in His Son Jesus.  Our adoption came at a great cost however. Jesus, while He was on the cross, experienced separation from His Father, as He was paying for our sins. Only because of Christ's sacrifice can we call God "Abba Father."

Our adoption in Christ changes our status before God: once we were seen as slaves to sin, alienated from the family of God, now we have all the privileges of sonship. God gave us the best robe, put shoes on our feet and His signet ring on our fingers. Then He threw a grand party to celebrate. Not only are we forgiven, but we are granted a place in God's family. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has shown His kindness and His grace to us so much more than we can imagine.

So why do we go seeking after love elsewhere: looking for love in all the wrong places? Many of us think we'll find that love in a relationship with sinful people like ourselves. We forget how deep the Father's love is for us. Our loving Father is always looking to lavish His kindness upon His beloved children. When you feel stressed, when you feel inadequate, when the storms of life threaten to overwhelm you, run into the arms of your loving Father.

Angel of Light

When the seas all burn in the darkest night,
And I see your reflection in the firelight.
Don't think that I won't care; I will always find you there.
When your storms arise, you will be alright.

When the forest echoes with happiness,
And the whole world sees your loveliness.
I'll celebrate with you, only if you want me to.
You know, I could never love you any less.

I can’t get these visions out of my head.
So I’ll pick up my guitar and play awhile instead.
The strings they tell the tale, leaving out no detail.
It seems we’ve said all that needs to be said.

Pretty fire bolts of love are flowing.
While the loneliness inside me is slowly growing.
With a love unrequited, and feeling uninvited.
Goodbye, it's time for me to be going.

Up the winding stairs the lady walks in white.
I watch her for a time, until she's out of sight.
As she is ascending, she finds her happy ending.
But it's not for me to share in this glorious delight.

The Lonely River

Time begins its unending course at the source of the river winding.
The universe, an unstoppable force and, of course, it's eternally binding.

I search to find the eternal spring, the thing that eludes me still.
While time keeps flowing, onward going, I guess it always will.

Long have I looked through the forest of life, but the strife was holding me back.
Searching madly for the stream, in a dream, and everything I did lack.

Finally the end of my journey is here, I fear it too soon has ended.
Time has run out for my life on this earth, and now my time is suspended.

The Unfortunate Ones

I remember exactly how I felt when the boss at my internship told me that he had no full-time job for me. I'd been interning downtown for this think-tank for 4 months, and my boss finally delivered the verdict on my further employment there. Working there had been very enjoyable and it was devastating for me to receive this news.

At lunchtime, I took a walk around the loop and spent an hour talking to a woman on the street corner. I had just heard a message at church about the book When Helping Hurts and I decided to put its teachings into practice. I sat down on the sidewalk with her and asked her to tell me her story. She had been forced into selling drugs to provide for her family and was left on the streets alone and destitute, but she always had a smile on her face. She told me not to refer to people on the street as "homeless people." Instead she said to call them "unfortunate people." Her attitude and demeanor put me to shame. I have complained about so many less significant problems in my life, while she was smiling despite the circumstance.

As we talked, she was beading cross necklaces. She was a very resourceful and thrifty homeless person, so I decided to offer her a deal. I would give her a harmonica in exchange for a necklace. She accepted and I went home and gathered a bunch of things from my room and put them in my backpack, intending to give them to her.

The next day I went back to work and turned in my badge and my PC. That evening there was a big party and I had the chance to say goodbye to my friends and network with business-people in hopes of finding a new job. I had a few hours to kill, so I went searching for my friend from the previous day. She was nowhere to be found, so I set off with my backpack and wandered the streets of the city.

First, I talked to a couple from Iowa who had both lost their jobs within the same week. I told them I was able to empathize with them because I'd just lost my job. I gave them a pair of old sunglasses and I name-tag holder so they could better introduce themselves to people. Then, I bought lunch at the Corner Bakery for a homeless veteran who was afraid to tell his girlfriend he was out of a job. I gave him a packet of chapsticks and a cross made out of wood. He said that it meant a lot to him because his last name was Woodhouse and he'd been looking for a wooden cross for quite sometime.

As I continued onward, I met a man selling books of poetry. I told him I couldn't buy his poetry, but instead I gave him a blank journal to write poetry in. I met a guitarist playing on the corner and I gave him a guitar pick that said "Pick Jesus." Finally, I saw a high school student on another corner with his head in his hands. He told me he'd been stranded in the city for 2 days and just needed a train ticket to get home. I just happened to have two Ventra cards for some reason and one had $5.15 on it: the exact amount that he needed. I told him it was a gift from Jesus, and he thanked me through the tears.

That evening, I went to the party and gave out and received many business cards. It was a good end to a bittersweet day. As I reflected upon my day on the train ride home, I noticed several things. The fact that I told everyone I had lost my job made me relatable to everyone. It broke down the walls created by my nice clothes and rich appearance. Everyone I talked to got something that they needed from my backpack, but nobody received any money.

The people that I talked to all got something they needed even more: friendship. I sat down at their level and asked to hear their stories and shared mine with them. And this is what the homeless need more than money and a place to sleep. They are materially poor, but many are also relationally poor. They are the unfortunate ones: the people of the street. Next time you see them, sit down at their level and listen to their stories. They could use a friend.

About My Influences

"Inspiration comes to the poet through the mundane everyday things."

"The words of the prophets were written on the studio walls, concert halls." Thus says Neil Peart's paraphrase of Paul Simon's lyric in "Limelight." The original line from "The Sound of Silence" says "subway walls." I like this better, because inspiration comes to the poet through the mundane everyday things. On the subway. At the gym. In the library. The poet can see visions of angels and demons here. Here good and evil do battle. Here the lonesome country cowboy rides. The poet then chooses words, crafts sentences, and constructs rhymes that are pleasing to the ear. Sometimes he can't interpret them yet, but the interpretation will come, maybe not to him, but to others, his readers.

The poet and philosopher John Lennon (and he was a damn good one) once said that all songs are what you make of them after they're composed, they're given meaning by the interpreters that follow. I think he's on to something. In the case of Wordsworth and the daffodils, unless we can resurrect Wordsworth from the grave and ask him about the meaning of the daffodils, it's possible that Wordsworth was simply sitting in a lovely field, describing the scenery. Maybe the daffodils have no meaning, only what later interpreters have ascribed to it.

When I wrote Spectre At The Castle, I simply sought to find words that sounded pleasing to the ear. I even wrote the line "Castles in the sand and water in a half an hour," by inputting the word "Castles" in to my phone and using the auto-suggest feature. It means nothing. It's a random string of words. Now, I rhymed it with, "It sit in fear, with demons near, I tremble and I cower," it took on meaning in context, but it's nothing more than randomly generated words. This is poetry. Now my poem has evolved and since taken on meaning, but it started out with a 14 syllable pattern which I copied from a Yes song and a bunch of nonsense lyrics about demons and castles.

When I started writing it was 2010, I had no idea what I was doing. I have 3 notebooks full of absolute crap. But I continued writing, and I continued learning from the masters. Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen. The prophets. The wordsmiths. The Shakespeares of their day. And one day I wrote something good. And then the words just came pouring forth and the music too. My songs are constantly evolving, never finished. I've spent many a line trying to emulate the verbose, character-laden style of Bob Dylan who, to me, was the greatest master of his craft. I take songs that I enjoy, write new lyrics to them, and then write a new tune based on those lyrics, and thus I have a totally original song in the style of the master.

Cómo llegué a la Iglesia del Pueblo

"El mensaje de esperanza de Dios trascendió al idioma."

Este blog es sobre la música. La historia que estás a punto de leer es sobre la influencia de la música en mi vida. Se trata de encontrar esperanza en medio del sufrimiento. Se trata de un Dios de gracia que siempre provee a su pueblo. Espero que lo disfruten.

Había una vez, estaba en una cita en una café bonita en el norte de Wheaton. Mi amiga me invitó a sentarme con ella y sus amigas en el servicio de bautismos esa noche. Así que fui allí con la esperanza de verla, pero en su lugar, algo muy diferente sucedió.

Nunca la vi a ella o a sus amigos esa noche, pero lo que vi fue una hermosa celebración de creyentes de muchos países diferentes que se unieron para declarar su fe en Jesús. Algunos creyentes de habla árabe de Irak y Siria arriesgaron sus vidas y la seguridad de sus familias a hacer audazmente esta declaración pública como los creyentes de los tiempos antepasados y aquellos en tantos países alrededor del mundo de hoy. Cada uno de los creyentes salvados del Islam había tenido una visión o un sueño de Jesús de algún tipo. Mientras observaba esta extraña y hermosa exhibición de la unidad de la iglesia, sentí el llamado de Dios a ir a la Iglesia del Pueblo, la congregación que habla hispana de la Iglesia Bíblica de Wheaton, a la mañana siguiente, así que fui.

El sermón estaba de Santiago 2 sobre el pecado de parcialismo. Aníbal Rodríguez, el pastor líder, concluyó el mensaje desafiándonos a "encontrar a alguien que no es como tú, y hacer comunidad con ellos". Miré a los mexicanos, colombianos, bolivianos, cubanos y gente de otros países en la capilla. Yo estaba rodeado de gente que no era como yo. Sabía que Dios seguía hablando conmigo. Los sermones de Aníbal eran como nada de lo que había escuchado antes; sólida teología, estructura clara y articulada, profundidad de emoción que no encontré en inglés, y un increíble ingenio sentido del humor.

A medida que continuaba asistiendo, era cada vez más capaz de entender los sermones cada vez más y cantar en español. Asistí a la clase de Comienzos, una clase para ayudar a nuevas personas a conocer la iglesia, su historia y su doctrina. Empecé a conocer a las familias. Me cambié botellas de salsa caliente con un amigo de Comienzos. ¡Eso es amistad!

Cuanto más asistía a la Iglesia del Pueblo, más tenía esta visión de una mayor unidad entre la Iglesia Bíblica de Wheaton y la Iglesia del Pueblo, a pesar de la barrera del idioma. Así que, al igual que Peter, me puse de pie y empecé a invitar a mis amigos de la Mesa, el grupo de adultos jóvenes de la Iglesia Bíblica de Wheaton a la Iglesia del Pueblo. Pero así como Pedro necesitaba moldear  en el carácter de Jesús antes de convertirse en el líder que Jesús quería que fuera, yo también necesitaba el consejo y la dirección para asegurarse de que mis pasiones estaban basadas en la verdad. Así que empecé a hablar con Sergio Villanueva, el pastor de culto y el Pastor Rodríguez sobre qué unidad se parecían en este contexto. Explicaron que la cultura y el estilo de culto también diferenciaban a las dos congregaciones, no sólo el idioma, y ​​que tener un servicio en inglés, cantando canciones en español en el la Iglesia Bíblica de Wheaton y otras medidas ya estaban en marcha para promover la unidad.

Comencé a aprender a tocar la música que el Pastor Sergio había escrito. Tenía tal teología en las letras y la música era creativa y fácil de cantar. Comencé a asistir a un grupo comunitario, reuniéndome con más familias, y probando diferentes variedades de salsa picante, pero las cosas se estaban poniendo difíciles en el trabajo. Yo estaba perdiendo el sueño, y un domingo en particular, yo estaba luchando para prestar atención con 3 horas de sueño. Recuerdo el coro de una canción, "Gloria a Dios, Gloria a Dios por siempre." Cantaba esas palabras mientras llorando mucho, feliz de estar en la casa de Dios en una comunidad de creyentes. Al día siguiente perdí mi trabajo.

Parece que Dios me llevó a la Iglesia del Pueblo en el mejor momento. Si alguna vez hubo un tiempo en que necesitaba esa comunidad cercana, latinoamericana, era ahora. Nunca había experimentado una comunidad así; nunca había hecho una iglesia así. No podría haber llegado en un mejor momento. Me apoyé en Dios y en su iglesia y poco a poco se hizo menos deprimido. Fue en ese momento que mi papá me animó a escribir una canción.

Había estado escribiendo música durante un poco más de un año, pero no todavía escribí una canción de adoración con la que estaba feliz hasta ese día. Mi papá me explicó el significado de Proverbios 3: 5-6. En lugar de "mantener sus senderos derechos", dice el original hebreo, "Él construirá sus caminos". Como alguien que no tenía idea de lo que quería hacer en la vida, este versículo me habló mucho de aliento. Yo toqué algunos acordes en el ukulele y en media hora tuve una canción. Fui a mi viejo amigo Google Translate y busqué el español para "construir". Entre muchos verbos, encontré "trazar", que significa construir un camino. El mensaje de esperanza de Dios trascendió al idioma.

Más tarde fui invitado a ayudar a dirigir la adoración en la reunión de los hombres. Tocaba el piano y los tres cantamos en español. Fue una hermosa experiencia adorar al Señor juntos, y el mensaje y la discusión en grupo fueron poderosos y convincentes. Vi hombres en esa sala que podrían convertirse en mucho más los interlocutores para practicar mi español. Eran hombres de fe, hombres como mi papá sólo adoraban al Señor en un idioma diferente. Comencé a orar acerca de a quién el Señor me estaba llevando a una relación de tutoría / responsabilidad.

Me encantan muchas cosas sobre la Iglesia del Pueblo. Hay Valentina en todos lugares y reuniones de la iglesia. La gente se reúne y habla antes y después del servicio y hace la vida juntos. La oración es un esfuerzo comunitario responsivo. Aplaudir siempre se anima. Me encanta la teología, la predicación, el lenguaje, la emoción, pero lo que más me gusta de la Iglesia del Pueblo es la comunidad.

How I Came to Iglesia Del Pueblo

"God's message of hope transcended language."

This blog is about music. The story you are about to read is about the influence of music on my life. It is about finding hope in the midst of suffering. It is about a gracious God who always provides for his people. I hope you enjoy it.

Once upon a time, I was on a coffee date. My friend invited me to come and sit with her and her friends at the baptism service that evening. So I went there hoping to see her, but instead, something very different happened.

I never saw her or her friends that night, but what I saw was a beautiful celebration of believers from many different countries coming together to declare their faith in Jesus. Some Arabic speaking believers from Iraq and Syria risked their lives and the safety of their families to boldly make this public declaration like the believers of old and those in so many countries around the world today. Each one of the believers saved out of Islam had had a vision or a dream of Jesus of some kind. As I watched this strangely beautiful display of church unity, I felt God's call to go to Iglesia del Pueblo, the Spanish speaking congregation of Wheaton Bible Church, the next morning, so I went.

The sermon was from James 2 on the sin of partiality. Hannibal Rodriguez, the Senior Pastor, concluded the message by challenging us to "find someone that's not like you, and do community with them." I looked around at the Mexicans, Colombians, Bolivians, Cubans and people from other countries in the chapel. I was surrounded by people not like myself. I knew God was continuing to speak to me. Hannibal's sermons were like nothing I'd ever heard before; solid theology, clear and articulate structure, depth of emotion I didn't find in English, and an incredibly witty sense of humor.

As I continued to attend, I was better able to understand the sermons more and more and to sing in Spanish. I attended Comienzos class, a class designed to help new people get to know the church, its history and its doctrine. I began to meet families. I exchanged bottles of hot sauce with a friend from Comienzos. Now that's friendship!

The more I attended Iglesia del Pueblo, the more I had this vision of increased unity between Wheaton Bible Church and Iglesia del Pueblo, despite the language barrier. So, like Peter, I jumped right in and started invited my friends from the Table, the young adult group at Wheaton Bible Church to Iglesia Del Pueblo. But just as Peter needed some molding and shaping of character from Jesus before he became the leader Jesus wanted him to be, I too needed the council and direction in order to make sure my passions were based in truth. So I began talking to Sergio Villanueva, the worship pastor and Pastor Rodriguez about what unity looked like in this context. They explained that culture and worship style also differentiated the two congregations, not only language, and that having a worship service in English, singing songs in Spanish at Wheaton Bible Church and other measures were already in place to promote unity.

I began learning to play the music Pastor Sergio had written. It had such theology in the lyrics and the music was creative yet singable. I began attending a small group, meeting more families, and trying different varieties of hot sauce, but things were getting difficult at work. I was losing sleep, and one particular Sunday, I was struggling to pay attention on 3 hours of sleep. I remember the refrain of one song, "Gloria a Dios, Gloria a Dios por siempre." I sang those words through the tears, happy to be in the house of God in a community of believers. The next day I lost my job.

It seems as though God led me to Iglesia del Pueblo at the right time. If there was ever a time when I needed that close, Latin American community, it was now. I had never experienced community like this; I had never done church like this. It could not have come at a better time. I leaned on God and on his church and gradually became less depressed. It was at that time that my dad challenged me to write a song.

I'd been writing music for a little over a year, but I had yet to write a worship song I was happy with until that day. My dad explained to me the meaning of Proverbs 3:5-6. Instead of "keep your paths straight," the original Hebrew says, "He will build your roads." As someone who had no idea what I wanted to do in life, this verse spoke volumes of encouragement to me. I strummed a few chords on the ukulele and in half an hour I had a song. I went to my old friend Google Translate and looked up the Spanish for "to build." Among the many verbs, I found "trazar" which means to build a road or a path. God's message of hope transcended language.

Later I was invited to help lead worship at the men's gathering. I played piano and the three of us s
ang in Spanish. It was a beautiful experience to worship the Lord together, and the message and group discussion were powerful and convicting. I saw men in that room who could become much more the conversation partners to practice my Spanish with. They were men of faith, men like my dad only they worshiped the Lord in a different language. I began praying about who the Lord was leading me to for a mentoring / accountability relationship.

I love many things about Iglesia del Pueblo. There is Valentina everywhere. People gather and talk before and after the service and do life together. Prayer is a responsive community effort. Clapping is always encouraged. I love the theology, the preaching, the language, the emotion, but what I most love about Iglesia del Pueblo is the community.

El Camino

Este camino en frente de mí.
Con tus ojos yo puedo ver.
Vas a trazar donde yo no vi.
Y mis caminos establecer.

El camino de toda la vida.
Sin Jesus es siempre escondida.
Su plan supremo, lleno de amor.
Dios, aquí en medio del dolor.

Va a hacer todo derecho.
Eres señor de mi futura.
Cuando no puedo ver el camino.
Cuando toda está oscura.

El camino de toda la vida.
Sin Jesus es siempre escondida.
Su plan supremo, lleno de amor.
Dios, aquí en medio del dolor.

Y cuando a la costa caminas.
Y veas majestad eternal.
Veré con oración de gracias.
El camino llega al final.

El camino de toda la vida.
Sin Jesus es siempre escondida.
Su plan supremo, lleno de amor.
Dios, aquí en medio del dolor.

Al final del caminando.
Y puedo ver Jesus mi rey.
Te alabaré a Dios brillando.
De su gloria cantaré.

Tales of the White Chocolate Witch: Part 1

I see her there in the corner of the coffee shop.
The green goddess hanging in the window above.
The Queen of Coffee looks down upon her, smiling as always.
Another sad victim of her steaming, wicked ways.
The goddess laughs as she counts her money.
$130 for a golden piece of plastic which she can use to spend more.

The Journey Home

Proverbs 3:5-6 says in the Hebrew, "God will build your roads." In Spanish, the word for 'to build a road' is "trazar." When we can't even see the road, God is building the road in front us and showing us where we should go.

God build this road in front of me.
I can't see where it's going now.
With your power you can help me see.
And I know that I'm getting there somehow.

The road is long and filled with pain,
But God is here in the midst of falling rain.
The path is hidden from my earthly eyes,
But not from God, eternal, just and wise.

You said you would keep my paths straight.
If I trust and lean on you.
You're the master of my fate.
And I know with you I'll make it through.

The road is long and filled with pain,
But God is here in the midst of falling rain.
The path is hidden from my earthly eyes,
But not from God, eternal, just and wise.

And when I finally reach that shore.
And see eternal glories there.
I will praise forevermore.
And look back in thankful prayer.

The road is long and filled with pain,
But God is here in the midst of falling rain.
The path is hidden from my earthly eyes,
But not from God, eternal, just and wise.

I see the road has reached its end.
And I finally see your face.
I have forever just to spend.
In the sunshine of your grace.

5 Most Overplayed Classic Rock Songs

These songs are excellent. I would prefer them any day to Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, but we need to stop playing the hits on the radio and start playing the deep tracks. Here are 5 of the best examples.

1. Don’t Stop Believing: She took the midnight train going anywhere, but she still ended up with Don’t Stop Believing. Perhaps the most overplayed song of all-time, anywhere; Journey’s anthem of perseverance has become an anthem of karaoke singers and drunken party-goers. I would prefer to hear Feeling That Way / Anytime. Featuring keyboardist Greg Rollie on lead vocals, this song means I have to hear less of Steve Perry which is always a good thing.

2: Bohemian Rhapsody: Everyone has sung along to this song in their car. Everyone has tried and failed to sing this song well. I would rather hear Bicycle Race. Just anything, any other Queen song besides Bohemian Rhapsody, anything else.

3. Smoke on the Water: Deep Purple’s well-known riff is a favorite of amateur guitarists everywhere, but while this song is a masterpiece, I would prefer instead to hear Lazy, also from the Machine Head album. The live version from Deep Purple’s In Concert at the BBC album features Ian Gillan on blues harmonica and a haunting organ introduction from Jon Lord.

4. Hotel California: The Eagles have other songs, guys. This country ballad, featuring the dueling guitars of Joe Walsh and Don Felder, is known for its memorable second half. But the Eagles used to be more of a country group before they went for a harder rock sound. I would prefer to hear Midnight Flier from this era. Featuring banjo, this country-rocker is vintage old-school Eagles.

5: Tom Sawyer: This song seems to be the only Rush song we ever hear on the radio and perhaps Limelight and YYZ if we’re lucky. I would much rather hear Vital Signs. If we’re sticking to Moving Pictures, Vital Signs is the way to go, especially the version on 1984’s Grace Under Pressure Live album. But otherwise give me Xanadu any day.

Honorable Mentions: Stairway to Heaven, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Carry On, My Wayward Son, The Joker, Who Are You

Top 15 Bands Still Not In The Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame

The 2017 list of inductees were recently announced, with Journey, Yes, and ELO among the inductees. While it's about time some of these groups got in, there are still many deserving groups that are still on the outside looking in. Here are 15 of them.

1.       The Cars: This new-wave pop group perfectly combined punk and rockabilly with hits such as Shake it Up, You Might Think, Magic, Let’s Go, Dangerous Type, and Bye Bye Love.  Certainly the most deserving artist on the list that didn’t get inducted in 2017.

2.       Supertramp: Old Christine’s favorite band. The Hall would be Bloody Well Right to induct them.

3.       Emerson, Lake & Palmer: 2/3 of this prog-rock supergroup died in 2016.

4.       Bad Company: Supergroup composed of ex-Free bandmates Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers.

5.       Three Dog Night: It would bring Joy to the World if this group with 3 lead vocalists made it in to the Hall.

6.       Grand Funk Railroad: Feel the funk.

7.       Steppenwolf: Nominated in 2017, but not inducted. Wherever Jon Kay is at the moment, he is certainly wearing sunglasses.

8.       Styx: Still going strong without Dennis DeYoung. Did anybody even miss him?

9.       Boston: They had one really good album that was good enough in itself to get them in the Hall. Didn’t do much of anything after that.

10.   REO Speedwagon: Roll with the Changes and Don’t Let Him Go are a couple of this 80s pop-rock groups hits.

11.   Foreigner: It’s Urgent that this group gets in.

12.   The Guess Who: Named after the Who, but more deserving than BTO, the other Randy Bachman group not in the Hall.

13.   The Doobie Brothers: Reinvented themselves as a soft rock group with Michael McDonald before Tom Johnston resumed lead vocalist duties.

14.   J. Geils Band: Also on the 2017 slate of nominees, they were a blues band in the 70s, before going pop with their hit song “Centerfold.”

15.   The Zombies: Rod Argent’s first group, known for “Time of the Season” and “She’s Not There.”

Honorable Mentions: Jethro Tull, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, T.Rex, Mott the Hoople, Mötley Crüe, King Crimson, The Monkees, Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, Blue Oyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, Scorpions