SRB is proud to welcome Marcia Escobosa to the band on keyboards. Marcia brings her blues and hard rock background to the band with of course a feminine touch that audiences will enjoy.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
States of Heart and Mind
I continue to be amazed at how powerful our minds are. It is amazing to see how our perceptions and beliefs determine who we are, who we want to be and who we will become. Life being in the continual state of flux that it is, we can find ourselves in interesting and unexpected situations, and often with little clear direction as to where to go and what to do. There are no road maps, signposts up ahead, or beacons of light in the distance. We are left with little more than our hearts and minds to lead the way.
The heart of course is a mixed bag. While we are to seek the desires of our heart we are always wary of the fact that our hearts are deceitful above all things. That is of course unless it has been changed. Once the heart of a man (or woman) has been changed it is a very dangerous thing indeed. Like a Salmon swimming upstream we are thrust against the tide of life. To follow our heart we must fight for our heart's true desires. This is not always easy. The tendency is always there for us to turn around and flow with all the others in the river. It means less struggle. Less resistance. Everyone around us will be so much happier that we have "finally gotten on with things" and are starting to fit what they want us to be. However a journey where we "go with the flow" is not a very interesting journey at all.
Sometimes I think the more resistance you encounter, the more it indicates that you are on your path. People seldom fight things they understand, but they do fight things they cannot control or comprehend. They seek to put those things (and folks) into neat little boxes that they can categorize. But the Lord may sometimes have other plans for us.
"A man's heart deviseth his way...but the Lord directs his steps." - this scripture has always fascinated me. Our hearts do indeed determine where we end up. That being driven either by a reprobate heart or one that is fully surrendered. It is our choice. Each time that I successfully surrender my heart more to God's will for my life it is a little more frightening. You feel a little more naked. But the good part is that over time you learn to trust, maybe even revel in the fear of not having control.
Why does scripture say that He directs our "steps"? Why not say our "path"? Or our "journey"? I think there is a purposeful use of an image of a step. A regular, steady, trodding. Repetitive. Unexciting and unglamorous. I think we all can look back on events in our lives that we maybe never imagined, but in looking back there was a clear succession of steps that led us there. Our steps are not steps on a sunny day with our destination in the distance.... they are steps in the dark, onto stepping stones that God shines a flashlight on one by one. They gradually appear and we step. They are not in a straight line. Like any stony path they wind and jog here and there. We cannot make sense of where we are headed. Yet each time we step forward in faith we find that another step is revealed. This encourages us that we are on the right path and to press forward.
"Be ye changed by the renewing of your mind". The mind leads the heart to change. Interesting. So many times we are told the opposite of that. But following a hungry heart only leads us to the first thing that we think will satisfy and it often doesn't. The mind knows better. The mind searches for what will not only satisfy but also sustain us. The latter may not seem so good from the outset. Or it may be more difficult to attain, but nonetheless it is what is required for us to be fulfilled. So how is our mind renewed? Only by increasing in wisdom. And there is really only one source of that which is God's Word. Scripture tells us that "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom". So it all starts with conversion. Belief. And then the diligent seeking of His truth. For once we believe we are then prepared and willing to receive.
And the beauty of this is that we never really attain. We just prayerfully learn to live with the way the game is designed. We play out our part of the story. And we daily remind ourselves that it is after all HIStory that we are telling.
The heart of course is a mixed bag. While we are to seek the desires of our heart we are always wary of the fact that our hearts are deceitful above all things. That is of course unless it has been changed. Once the heart of a man (or woman) has been changed it is a very dangerous thing indeed. Like a Salmon swimming upstream we are thrust against the tide of life. To follow our heart we must fight for our heart's true desires. This is not always easy. The tendency is always there for us to turn around and flow with all the others in the river. It means less struggle. Less resistance. Everyone around us will be so much happier that we have "finally gotten on with things" and are starting to fit what they want us to be. However a journey where we "go with the flow" is not a very interesting journey at all.
Sometimes I think the more resistance you encounter, the more it indicates that you are on your path. People seldom fight things they understand, but they do fight things they cannot control or comprehend. They seek to put those things (and folks) into neat little boxes that they can categorize. But the Lord may sometimes have other plans for us.
"A man's heart deviseth his way...but the Lord directs his steps." - this scripture has always fascinated me. Our hearts do indeed determine where we end up. That being driven either by a reprobate heart or one that is fully surrendered. It is our choice. Each time that I successfully surrender my heart more to God's will for my life it is a little more frightening. You feel a little more naked. But the good part is that over time you learn to trust, maybe even revel in the fear of not having control.
Why does scripture say that He directs our "steps"? Why not say our "path"? Or our "journey"? I think there is a purposeful use of an image of a step. A regular, steady, trodding. Repetitive. Unexciting and unglamorous. I think we all can look back on events in our lives that we maybe never imagined, but in looking back there was a clear succession of steps that led us there. Our steps are not steps on a sunny day with our destination in the distance.... they are steps in the dark, onto stepping stones that God shines a flashlight on one by one. They gradually appear and we step. They are not in a straight line. Like any stony path they wind and jog here and there. We cannot make sense of where we are headed. Yet each time we step forward in faith we find that another step is revealed. This encourages us that we are on the right path and to press forward.
"Be ye changed by the renewing of your mind". The mind leads the heart to change. Interesting. So many times we are told the opposite of that. But following a hungry heart only leads us to the first thing that we think will satisfy and it often doesn't. The mind knows better. The mind searches for what will not only satisfy but also sustain us. The latter may not seem so good from the outset. Or it may be more difficult to attain, but nonetheless it is what is required for us to be fulfilled. So how is our mind renewed? Only by increasing in wisdom. And there is really only one source of that which is God's Word. Scripture tells us that "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom". So it all starts with conversion. Belief. And then the diligent seeking of His truth. For once we believe we are then prepared and willing to receive.
And the beauty of this is that we never really attain. We just prayerfully learn to live with the way the game is designed. We play out our part of the story. And we daily remind ourselves that it is after all HIStory that we are telling.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
SRB Nominated For A Music Award!
The Steve Riddle Band is proud to be nominated for the category "Best Blues Band/Group of the Year" at the upcoming South Bay Music Awards in Southern California. They will be held Monday April 27th at the World Famous Improv at the Irvine Spectrum. We need your votes! Please take a quick second to go online to their website and click a quick vote for us. The link is http://www.southbaymusicawards.com/Nominees.php
Monday, April 6, 2009
Think Californians are Angry?
Are Californians done with the Terminator and our state government? When fast food places start posting signs like this I think the answer is clear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)