What a weekend this has been! For the most part, it was all a blur. There were so many good things that happened, and some crazy ones, too. Through all of that, God did some very cool stuff. First things first, story:song:life was amazing and I can’t thank my friends enough for helping and being a part of making it something special for everyone involved. It was fun being on stage with such amazing musicians, and having Bry Hampton share her art brought another element to the night. Hopefully there will be some music and video clips in the near future…

Also this week, my wife and I were able to get away and really look at our lives and where God is trying to lead us in this church search. We essentially visited 3 different churches in an entire weekend while still going to our own. This process has been really trying, but God has really been guiding us in some real amazing ways. But the big thing for me this weekend was the encouragement. There have been so many people in our lives this week that have given us very specific encouragement when we really needed it. One that really stood out was last night. As we sat in Springfield, MO in ‘Grandma’s’ house, we were filling her in on our lives while we sat at a table with homemade Chicken Cordon Bleu among other things…anyway got distracted for a bit… Grandma was really just sharing how God has guided her life once she decided that God was in control and she was going to follow him. Her encouragement was real and it was timely. She spoke the Word of God, which is where true encouragement comes from. She shared with love, compassion and confidence, knowing that God is real and that He still works today. You can’t find that type of love anywhere. You can only find that kind of love in the community of believers. I TOTALLY appreciated it and it gave me more than enough energy to drive home after an ignorantly long day…

This whole worship180 concept comes from a desire in my mind to help people reevaluate the way we look at worship. This whole thing oozes the idea of enriching your community. Grandma is family and she shared her heart like only family can. She was enriching her community. I was glad that I was able to experience first hand the one thing I’ve been trying to promote and share with others. I was also glad I was able to experience strawberry cake…

In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God. In the secret of your presence I know there I am restored…

There is no one else for me, none but Jesus. Crucified to set me free, now I live to bring Him praise… -Brooke Fraser

Have you ever thought about what it means to really just be quiet and still before God? How much time do you actually spend in the stillness? I am the first to admit that I don’t spend much time in quiet. My life is crazy busy most of the time and I really miss those opportunities.  What is the verse of this song saying? It says that in the presence of God when you take the time to settle down and spend some time with him you get that restoration that your heart so desperately needs. How does that time look for you? Are you struggling to figure out when that time is right now? How important is it for you to have time where you let God restore your heart? Important enough to let some things go?

Right now, I am in the process of talking to 4 different churches about my future as a worship pastor. I never thought I’d be in this situation, but here I am. Let me tell you…if this process is anything like today has been, this is going to be a busy season in my life. However, I know that if I don’t take the time to be still before God and let Him restore my heart and mind, I’m not going to be my best as I let Him lead me in my decision making. I could very easily do something that He’s not calling me to do. As I write this, I realize that blogging is one of those quiet times for me. My life flows through my fingers during these times and it’s therapeutic for me. God speaks to me during these times and I’m able to just be…

You should try it sometime. You will be surprised at what He might tell you. I know I was…

I was talking to my wife this morning about life and all of the decisions that we have to make in the upcoming weeks. I visited an area church yesterday that we are interested in and I was filling her in on the details. As I talked to her, I realized that my brain is quite interesting. I’m sure that I’m not the only person that thinks this way, but when it comes to the people I spend the most time with, I know that my brain is quite different. Anyway, I was sharing with my wife all the details and the things that run through my mind over the course of a worship gathering. And we came to the point that I have worship leader A.D.D. What does that mean? That is a made up phrase that just says that I’m thinking of so many different things and sometimes it is hard to conentrate. Here are some of the pros and cons to this ‘condition’…

I consider it to be a blessing and a curse that I have this ‘condition’. It’s a blessing because I truly believe that there needs to be people in the church setting who consider all the inner workings of the time. It’s sort of like being a creative director as well. However, I’ll be the first to say that I’m not really good at the visual creative things. With that being said, I’m so glad that God has wired me this way because I notice the things and people around me while I’m a part of a gathering. I take in sights and sounds and people’s reactions and incorporate them into my own worship experience. The flip side of this, or the curse, is when I let it distract from what’s going on. Sometimes I get SOOOO wrapped up in the details that I completely overlook what God is doing or saying at any particular time. It gets so easy to start thinking about the external aspect of the Sunday morning time, and I can start to overlook what God is doing internally; not only in me but what could be happening within the hearts of others.

Something that I’ve realized is that this is who I am. That is not going to change because that’s the way God made me. The only thing I can do is learn what this means and make the most of it for the kingdom. As I’ve said before, it’s easy to see how this could be distracting in a worship setting. If I spend all my time (and I have) wondering why the lights are the way they are and why that person is singing the wrong note, I’m not concentrating on the beauty of who God is and why He deserves this praise. But when I am able to focus on the task at hand, then this is a lethal weapon as a worship leader. If I can give all my attention and brain power to who God is and what he wants to accomplish, the attention to detail becomes crucial in the overall outcome of what happens when we come together in worship to our heavenly Father. So pray that I can curb my WLADD, because when I do it’s a great thing. But when I don’t….

So, I was thinking earlier today that I have had a lot going on lately and hadn’t really told you everything. I think I can get through it all now. This has been a tough week for me, but God is still good. So here we go…

First things first, Eva and I have come to the conclusion that it is time for us to move forward from our current church. Gateway to Grace has been an amazing church. They have shown nothing but love for my family and I for the past 3 years. It has been a tough decision, but God has led us through to this point. Keep praying for us as we make decisions…

Secondly, I’m so excited about what’s coming up next Friday! Story::Song::Life is going to be amazing! God is really pulling some things together and we are completely excited about it this thing. Quick breakdown: This is about songwriters and how we tell our stories through words and songs. This one is going to be so cool because I’m going to be sharing the stage with 3 amazing writers, Eric Bausell, Christy Kelly and Brittany Howard. The goal is for this to be an opportunity for writers to get together, and share this art and their stories. If you’re free February 20th at 7pm, find your way to West Hills Community Church in Town and Country. If you want more information, you can email me at harry.walls4@gmail.com or you can catch up with us at storysonglife@gmail.com. We are in the process of creating a blog for the group as well. I will keep you posted.

Speaking of great things in the works…

I am in the beginning stages of starting to write songs with my aforementioned friend Eric. We have talked about it for awhile and now, we are getting ready to start putting our brains together and see what happens.

Oh, before I forget, Friday night will be videotaped AND we are having an audio recording. This could be an awesome, groundbreaking night and you could be a part of it. Think of it that way…

See? I told you I had a lot of stuff. I’m sure that I’m forgetting something, but that’s all I can think of right now. Thanks to all of you who take the time to actually read what I have to say. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks for making me feel somewhat important by keeping up with my life. Be blessed!

So, this has been the weirdest day for me in a long while! It started out pretty well, but somewhere along the line I got really overcome with my life and everything that’s going on in it right now. I thought I was going to get over it, but then I started talking to a close friend of mine. This person holds a VERY special place in my heart and we are going through some things together that neither of us like. For whatever reason, everything hit me at once and I couldn’t help crying in class like a girl that just got dumped on facebook! It was kinda ridiculous, I know. But this is one of my dearest friends and I would die and kill for her in a second.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that even men cry if they are driven hard enough. And a real man will admit it and go on with life. And if you say something about it, he’ll beat you repeatedly…

So, I just got blown away! I was looking through a hymnal just now trying to prepare for Sunday and ran across a song I’d never heard of before. It’s called “Have You Any Room for Jesus?”. It’s number 478 in the Celebration Hymnal. Anyway, I decided to read through it just because I’m sitting here in my office. Check these words out…

Verse 1

Have you any room for Jesus, He who bore you load of sin? As He knocks and asks admission, Sinner, will you let him in?

Verse 2

Room for pleasure, room for business, But for Christ the Crucified, Not a place that He can enter In the heart for which He died?

Verse 3

Room and time now give to Jesus; Soon will pass God’s day of grace. Soon your heart left cold and silent And your Savior’s pleading cease

MAN!!! Now, I know that may not hit everyone like it just hit me, but it hit me pretty hard. I’ve got so much stuff going on, and it’s easy for me to get sidetracked with all the things that this world puts in front of me. However, I think this is a good question to ask. Are we leaving room for Jesus in all of our busyness and daily lives? Do I spend too much time doing schoolwork instead of spending time with Jesus? Am I spending too much time doing ‘churchwork’ instead of spending time with Jesus?

Just something to think about today…