My art

Ok, I was right, I'm not very good at keeping this updated. But I promise I'm going to try - I just have to work around the business of school, which is really getting laid on thick right now.

I had a really great conversation today in my Bible study about people's art and how we can use God in it. I was really inspired by it, because my art and passion with music has never been something I've closely related to my relationship with Christ. But the more I think about it, the more I truly believe that I have a passion and gift for music for a reason; God intended for me to use it, and use it to the full. But I don' t just have to use it for Christian purposes - just because I'm a Christian and a musician doesn't mean I have to be a Christian musician. Rather, I should use it to make something that is simply beautiful, something that reflects the beauty of God's creation. I should make music and love music solely for the purpose that it can be appreciated. God created it so that it can be appreciated.

For all of you music lovers, think about all of those times that a song truly made you emotional. Whatever that emotion was, be it joy, sadness, or whatever, why do you think you felt that emotion? It's no coincidence that some of us can establish such deep connections with music. God created it to be so. It's just like how we can recognize something like the Grand Canyon to be beautiful; it's no accident, God allows us to see that beauty. So we should revel in it.

Maybe I'm just rambling, but there is something perfect about music. What I mean by that is that every song is exactly how it should be. Have you ever thought about how certain songs would sound if even just one chord or one beat were changed? It would be a different song. So every song that has ever been created has been created exactly as it should have been, or else it wouldn't be that song. I often imagine what certain bands or songs would sound like if I were doing the drumming. I can imagine how I would sound and what I would play, what I would change. When I think about that, I think, "that would ruin the song, it would not be the same song." There is something very perfect about each and every song that should not be changed (even if the song is complete crap.)

This perfection to be recognized in music, I believe, is a clear sign of God's tremendous beauty and love for His creation. He has given us such an amazing gift, the gift of music, and allowed us to see beauty in it, to distinguish its uniqueness and perfection in that uniqueness. Think about the vast world of music, all of the different artists and genres. There is music to describe every single human emotion. God has graced us with this as a gift for us to enjoy and appreciate to the full.

When I think about all this, I praise God for giving me such a passion for music. Music has truly rescued me; even in my darkest moments, music is there to pull me through. While God remains a constant, it's easy for us to lose sight of Him in our struggles. But God shows Himself to me in music - the beauty and emotion that music creates is a sign that God not only exists, but that He loves us deeply and cares for us and wants us to be happy. Music makes me happy, God has seen to it.

From here on out I plan to pursue this art of mine to its full and not ever take it for granted. I want to revel in the music I listen to, to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of it all. And I want to use this gift I have of music as well.

Lately I've been taking a break from playing the drums for my church's worship team. The reason I did this is that I felt disconnected from God in the music, that I didn't feel as if I could worship through it. But now I think I might be wrong, that it was all a selfish ambition; now I think that maybe God is just trying to tell me that I need to connect to him outside of music. At the same time, I feel like this gift of drumming I have should be used because God gave it to me to use. So I am now more hopeful that when I go back to drumming on the worship team, I can simply take joy in the fact that I am taking advantage of this God-given gift, and that He is working through me and my gift.

Praise God for His wondrous creation.