What the heck is a Christian?

I am having a hard time with something... as a Christian, I feel like the label of being a Christian is SO scattered across a spectrum of lifestyles, mindsets, and world-views.

There are some who call themselves Christians who spend every waking moment warning people about a coming destruction and damnation for those who don't give their lives to Jesus (and then what does it mean to give your life to Jesus?!?!). There are some who call themselves Christian who feel that Jesus is simply ONE way of religious belief... and not THE way and each person will find God on their own. There are some who call themselves Christian who think that the whole Jesus thing is more of a cultural game... you know, you mention God when you want things... you say elegant things at your wedding that involve God's love... you go to the 1-hour service every so often on a Sunday morning and sort of mumble the hymns... God and Jesus are just things that may or may not be there when you die... until they are a joke....

I have a hard time calling myself a christian when there are those who call themselves the same and behave or believe SO differently than me! I found myself asking this question when listening to sports radio today... I ask myself how does God feel about Collin Cowherd. He seems like your average guy, but doesn't seem to care much for conservative Christians or Christianity.... What does God think about him? When it's all over, what will God say about Collin? I mean, on one hand, the first group of people may tell me that I have to stop what I'm doing and send a thousand chain-letters with three or four bible snippets telling them to repent or die! The second group may quietly pray for him but really feel that he may have found his own way to God. The third wouldn't even think about this because Collin is an average Joe and is just doing what normal people do (not those crazy evangelical radicals!).

So which is it? Is it one of them? Is it all of them? Which should I believe? I suppose I can't really know... all I can do is look at Jesus and try to be like him. That may or may not mean joining the pro-life movement... that may or may not mean voting strict republican... that may or may not mean only letting my children watch Veggietales... All I can do is look at Jesus and see what he did... how he lived... what he believed. Good luck to you all (or am I supposed to say "blessings"). I hope you find out what it means to call yourself a Christian...

Back in the Studio

Today I am in the studio working on my full length album. While it is cool to say that I wrote all these songs, played them, sang them, recorded them, and mixed them myself.... it is also very lonely. I am beginning to miss collaboration. Spending an 8-hour day in the studio is not as fun as you would think! Sam Webber and Darek Cobbs laid down the drum and bass tracks LAST August (2009) and have probably forgotten all about this! It is fun to listen to the studio goofiness that was had by listening to the pre-roll and post-roll of each track. Those guys were fine studio fun! (not to mention some of the best musicians around!)
So anyways, back to work. Today is all about the electric guitar. All the acoustic guitar tracks are laid down so today is the electric. Since I am alone I am WAY over-tracking all my tunes. For my clean electric sound I am using an SM57 on my amp run through an Avalon 737 and then taking a direct feed from my Boss GT-10. For the distorted, I am losing the direct feed and doubling with a 2ft away micing with a Sen 421 (also through a 737). So 2-tracks per record... and about 5 separate records.... so the tracks are starting to add up. Anyways, wish me some studio luck. I think I have about 5 tunes to go!

Trust

I find it easy to be afraid. I find it easy NOT to trust. It is a cop-out to imagine that nobody is going to help you or that you are in this all by yourself. When we say these things, it really shows how we feel about people. It shows that we DON'T trust people and we are looking for excuses to fail. I do this all the time. Starting this business seems silly to me because I don't think I can really do it. I am starting it because I WANT to do it, but I don't honestly believe I can... That is different though, that is self-confidence. Trust is something else. Do I trust in others to come alongside me and assist? Do I believe that people WANT me to succeed? Are my friends just waiting for me to fail so they can see themselves as more successful than me?

The bigger question is whether I can trust that there is a higher power that wants what is best for me. Do I believe that God truly does want what is best? That my success is His success. Is he the kind of father that is proud when his kid succeeds? These are things that are easy to say, but rather difficult to believe... well at least for me.

To all those out there who are attempting to do something great in their life, I wish you well and blessings in your endeavors. Do not let your mind convince you that the world is out to get you. There is always someone you can trust to be there for you. And when you do feel alone, I would encourage you to try and trust God. Maybe you don't believe in God, but try and asking God to come alongside you. You may find something great can happen that you never even expected.