Heavy Is the Heart…

Heavy Is the Heart

This is the second song from my new EP titled “Wedding Coat” – a project I put together and am selling to raise funds for marriage counseling, for some couple or couples I may never meet.  🙂  You can read about it here:

Wedding Coat Campaign

Know the Truth Ministries

So this song, “Heavy Is the Heart”, I came up with the title some time ago.  I never heard that saying, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown”.  Kinda cool.  I thought, “Well, heavy is the HEART that wears the crown – the heart of Christ”.  More fitting, in my mind, as His heart breaks for those who are lost, who reject Him.

The song itself, I wrote for and about a dear friend of mine, who through the process of his marriage crumbling, came to know Jesus Christ.  Funny, how God uses the worst things in life to draw us to Him…

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Psalm 34:18

My wife says this sounds like a Rick Springfield song.  I don’t know about that – maybe a b-side or a demo of his?  I think Mr. Springfield is, or was (probably still is, I don’t know), quite talented, able to write very cool catchy songs.

So the theme of the song is more somber than the music.  But when you consider that knowing the love of Christ, which is eternal, causes all other pain to fade to the distance, maybe this shouldn’t be so somber?  I don’t know.  My point doesn’t take away the pain he is in now, the pain we still feel while in the flesh.  God, our great comforter, knows this more than we do.  He is so faithful, and I see Him working in my friend’s life, even though something so sucky, icky and painful…

As I mentioned in the other post, I am selling it to raise money for marriage counseling.  Please prayerfully consider giving to this cause, to save maybe just ONE marriage.  You can buy my music here:

Wedding Coat EP

My Praise

Or, if you like, you can donate directly to the ministry here:

https://northlandcounseling.us/Donate.html

I have a goal to raise $1000, and I will match that dollar for dollar.  As of today, we are at $524, counting my match.  Almost a quarter the way!  Will you help me obtain this goal?

I love you!

T.

Heavy Is the Heart

Smoky truck stop, cold and stale
My eyes are weary, my heart is impaled
What can I do? I’ve nowhere to stand
She found her comfort in the arms of another man

You promise me that your burden is light
Your yoke is easy, I need that tonight
My heart is broken, the weight is immense
Can’t let it go, just take it, just take it…

But heavy is the heart that wears the crown
His kindness calls, “Lay your burdens down”
Steady is the hand that guides me home
His name is love

That’s well and good, my heart is yours
That don’t bring her back to me, that don’t change her course
Though my life seems beyond repair
You promise “paradise” – take me there…

Heavy is the heart that wears the crown
His kindness calls, “Lay your burdens down”
Steady is the hand that guides me home
His name is love

It ain’t supposed to be, it ain’t supposed to be this way…

Heavy is the heart that wears the crown
His kindness calls, “Lay your burdens down”
Steady is the hand that guides me home
His name is love

“Wedding Coat”

Wedding Coat

Last week, I released two new records, and talked about a campaign I launched to raise money for marriage counseling through Know the Truth Ministries and Northland Counseling Services.  I will get into some stories this week, and talk a bit about Hal Baumchen and his ministry, in other posts.  For now, you can read up on these topics here:

My last blog post

Know the Truth Ministries

For today, let’s talk about the first song on the “Wedding Coat” EP.  It’s called “Wedding Coat”.  How clever!

The song and record title were inspired by a line in Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” – “… And for my 18th birthday, I got a union card and a wedding coat…”  I love Bruce’s music, but it seems, at least back then, that he had a pretty negative view on marriage.  Maybe it was his songwriting reflecting the times?  I don’t know.  But I remember clearly an old boss of mine singing with so much gusto, “Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack.  I went out for a ride, and I Never went back…“.  There was so much hope in the way he sang those words…  And you know what – he did just that…

And so did I…

So this song, “Wedding Coat” has three parts to it.  Part one is about my attitude in my first marriage.  I’m not proud of it.  I was a jerk.  But it’s the start of a record that is all about this issue.  We have done our best to redefine marriage, in that we can just END it if we don’t feel like it anymore.  Sad…

So – on a better note…  Part two, is about my attitude in my marriage now.  I have learned so much, by the grace of God, watching so many who’s desire is to love and cherish their wives – as it should be.  In fact – the line in the song, “Gonna give my woman my wedding coat”, was inspired by my son-in-law.  At their wedding, an outdoor wedding on a snowy cold October day, he stopped the ceremony to take his coat off and put it on his shivering bride.  A gesture that inspired all the groomsmen to do the same to their bridesmaids – and moved me to tears…  I want to be that kind of husband all the time…  Lord help me…

So part three, this is Jesus talking to His bride, the church.  HE adores us!  And scripture tells us he washes us clean by the word, by His blood…  How can we know this, and not respond?

Dear friends, if you are in a hopeless marriage, know there IS hope.  If God has blessed you with a wonderful marriage – REJOICE IN IT!  If you know of others in a struggle – PRAY for them…

I have heard many stories – some I will share with you soon – since the release of this record.  I would love to hear more.  And I will be praying for all of you through this campaign.

So this is the first song on this record.  As I mentioned in the other post, I am selling it to raise money for marriage counseling.  Please prayerfully consider giving to this cause, to save maybe just ONE marriage.  You can buy my music here:

Wedding Coat EP

My Praise

Or, if you like, you can donate directly to the ministry here:

https://northlandcounseling.us/Donate.html

I have a goal to raise $1000, and I will match that dollar for dollar.  As of today, we are at $404 dollars, counting my match.  Almost a quarter the way!  Will you help me obtain this goal?

I love you!

T.

Wedding Coat

I’m gonna buy myself a wedding coat
My life is over now, that’s all she wrote
I am no longer free, she killed my joy
Sucked the life from me, gave her a girl and a boy

Toil and heartache, that’s all you gain
A lifetimes wages, such a waste
Why am I so selfish, so self-absorbed?
There must be something better, Lord…

I’m gonna give my woman my wedding coat
To keep her safe and warm, this world is cold…
But she belongs to me, I’d die for her
And a family we soon will birth

Joy and goodness, you give to us
What can I do, Lord, to measure up?
Why am I so blessed, so favored, Lord?
There must be someone else, someone else…

I’m gonna wave my banner over you
You are my bride, I made you new
By my blood you gain my holiness
And my wedding coat shall be your dress
And my wedding coat shall be your dress
And my righteousness shall be your dress…

I Just Don’t Get It….

Meant with the utmost respect, towards my brothers and sisters in Christ…

I certainly get why the world changes their mind, as with the shifting winds, finding a new enemy to mentally crucify seemingly every other week.  It’s become such a norm, for GENERATIONS.  What else is there?  There is a sense of comfort in this, as human beings.

But I do NOT get why Christians seems to cling to such shifting sand.

Why do we get caught up in all the drama?

Where is our hope?  Not our “I hope” – our HOPE?

Mine is not in a Christian actor, who spoke up against the grain.  Great for him.  But he’s not suddenly our voice.  Christ is our voice, and Christ only.

And I don’t know if the actor meant his comments to be divisive?  But what I’ve seen by persons who cling to his comments, as if they are that proverbial, “Aha!  I got ya now, person who does not agree with me!!!” bomb they can toss over at the perceived enemy, is disturbing…

From Christ followers.

Don’t get distracted.  Don’t let the devil take your eye off the ball.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Where are we fixing our eyes?  What consumes us?  Is winning an argument more important than the Great Commission?

This doesn’t mean we don’t speak up.  We are not to be silent.  But we ARE to be vocal about what matters.  Cheap shots at those whose worldview is different than us, gains us, and THEM, nothing.

STOP IT, brothers and sisters!  Just STOP.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Let’s get this right, and forget all the inconsequential crap.  At least in social media situations – and certainly in our hearts.  God will show us what hills we are supposed to “die” on – we don’t need to make them up on our own…

I love you…

T.