Going With God

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” – St. John Paul the Great.              For the past 50 days, some friends of mine and I have been trying to achieve true freedom with something called Exodus 90 , you can click on that to find out more. Exodus 90 is a program to help men overcome addictions, build a stronger bond of brotherhood, and grow closer to God. For 90 days, you are supposed to give up a list of about 15 things. One of the things on this list is hot showers. I have always hated cold showers. They make me uncomfortable. I almost didn’t even do that part of the program because of that, but I chose to give it a try. The first week I failed. I would have the water colder than normal but still, it wasn't cold. I didn't see the point. Finally, in week two, I decided that if I was going to do this I was going to do it 100%. So, I started slowly. I would change the temperature of the water every few seconds so by the

“Pain is just the place where the will is broken.” These are lyrics to another NeedToBreathe song called “Keep Your Eyes Open.” I think his song is ultimately about suicide and choosing not to, but I thought about these lyrics a lot when I was in Poland this summer at the concentration camp in Auschwitz.  As I was walking around the concentration camp, nothing really hit me. I read all the signs, I looked at all the pictures. I have seen or heard most of what was around me before. It was nothing new. Nothing really hit me till I looked down at my feet. As I was walking, I just kept looking down at the ground, watching as I made each step. As I walked I thought, I am walking here coming from a nice hotel with a hot shower knowing what is going happen to me the next few day, knowing where my next meal was coming from, having the ability to contact my family at any moment I wanted to. I realized that the people who put their feet in the same place I was stepping, lay their heads i

This summer I had the opportunity to go all over Europe for World Youth Day. It was an amazing experience and I think about it almost every day. I went with some awesome people and some close friends of mine. One person on the trip with me, Father Preston, was a newly ordained priest, so we got to have mass in some awesome places! It was cool because I got to serve at some of these masses. During one Mass , in particular, something happened that remained me of ways I need to work on trusting in the Lord.   One of the days we were there, we had the opportunity to have mass in the chapel of John the XXIII  In the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican.   As my friend, Garrett, Fr. Preston, and I were preparing for mass we realized we didn’t have a good count for the number of hosts we would need. Because there were more people than just our group, we couldn’t make a good guess either. When it came time for us to prepare the altar I looked at Father and told him we didn’t really

Something that I am working on is trust. I often find myself worrying about my relationships with people. I worry my friendships which I have tried so hard to maintain are going to die or fade out. I have realized that most of this is out of my control and that I need to just let God take care of it. This is true about everything. Sometimes I stress about little things in life, and because I have so much to get done I worry about it. Sometimes this makes me say things l don’t mean like my life sucks , or this is terrible . In the bible, trust in God is a huge theme. In both the new and old testament, God asks His people to trust in Him and they often fail.  We can see an example of this in the book of Exodus when God is asking Moses to free his people from Egypt. The Lord tells Moses what to do, but Moses doubts in himself and doesn't trust that the Lord will be able to do as He said.  “‘So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ 

Best for last! I don't really have words for this song. Testify is my favorite song of all time. Every time I listen to it, it gives me a sense of peace that I can't explain. The only thing I can relate it to is when I went to Assisi. It’s so peaceful that you don't want it to end. You just want to get lost inside. I've liked this song since I first heard it, but at first, I just thought it was about a man loving his wife as much as he could. But in thinking that, there was a line that didn't make any sense to me: “I will give myself to you as soon as you start to let go.” This didn't make any sense to me because it seems to be contradictory to love. Loving means giving your all to the person being loved and not asking for anything back. Love is a total self-gift. Love is willing the Good of someone. But this line didn’t seem to say that at all. I thought for weeks trying to finger out how this could work, or want it meant. Then one day, I was in the chapel pr

“This song ain't nothing if this song can't set you free.” This line is from a song called, “Happiness.” This might be the most inspiring song on the album. There are two versions of this song one is acoustic, and it is worth your time. This song is clearly about pursuing happiness to the fullest, and not stopping until you do.      “I got a homesick heart, but long ways left to go. I've been doing my part, but I ain't got much to show. So, I'm asking you to show me some forgiveness. It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness.” Like all of their songs, this can be applied to love for people, I think that because I think NeedToBreathe understands what love really is and that it relates to love of Christ and our faith life as well . “I got a homesick heart but long ways left to go.” I have always thought that if the goal is heaven then I just want to get there. Our true home is heaven, and our souls long to be there in unity with Christ. Whether

“But hearts are stronger after broken.” These are lyrics from a NeedToBreathe song called “Slumber.” I thought of them after a friend and I were talking about our similar situations with relationships. We both had experienced relationships where everything seemed perfect. The other person made us feel like we could do anything when we were with them. They gave us confidence, passion, desire. They made us want to be the best people we could be. It seemed perfect! It didn't work out for either of us for different reasons. If you have ever had a relationship like this, you know how it feels when things end. It doesn’t make sense and you cannot stop thinking about it because it was so “perfect”. My friend kept saying that “it happened for a reason” and “God put those people in and out of our lives for a purpose.” I’m not sure I agree that God wanted it to happen like that because we all have free will. So I had the free will to choose to act or not act. However, I do know that God

“No Excuses” is probably the most beautiful song on the album. The way music goes with his voice and progresses is chilling, and almost breathtaking. Go listen to it! Then, do it 20 more times! The author of the song says he wrote it about himself. If you listen, a lot of his songs are like this. You could also look at this from God’s perspective. I'll add that in for each part. Let us see what we can find. “I've got this feeling in my bones that you find a solace in shadows. I don't want to find out you're going 'round my back. Why you want to bring me these sorrows?” If you can feel something in your bones, you can feel it deep down inside you. You can feel it at your core. This new part is interesting, “ That you find a solace in shadows.” I think this is saying that they will find comfort in a dark time. It could also be talking about finding comfort in hurting someone else. This is hard for me to understand, but there have been times when I have been

“Money and fame bring a man to shame, ain't doubt about it.” To me, this song is more straight forward. It is about not letting the goal of money and fame consume our lives. It is about how people often forget what really matters in life. This is something most of us worry about. I stress about money all the time, and I want glory. Sometimes I really struggle with doing things because of what people will think of me. That isn't always bad, but the glory needs to turn to God. God is the only reason I am who I am and you are who you are. Every good thing about you is because of him. Ultimately, most artists write about personal experience, but in that is something that we can all relate to. Let us look at this song. “I was sleeping with a loaded gun. I was scared of all things I'd done. Yeah, I know I'm not the only one. It's alright, it’s alright, it's alright, it's alright, now. I was chasing down a high again. Trying to take whatever I could get, b

“It’s not enough to just feel the flame, you've got to burn your old self away”          The Hard love album is a completely different sound and style than the rest of NeedToBreathe’s music. Yet, just like the rest of their work, it is insightful, inspiring, and powerful. It speaks from the heart of the artists to the heart of the listener. Every song is fun yet speaks about love in a way everyone does, or should, think about.     The second song on this album is called Hard Love, which is where the album’s name comes from. To me, this song is about becoming the best version of you and accepting God’s love for you. When I first heard this song, I just thought it was a cool song. It took me a few listens to truly appreciate and understand what was going on. If you are looking for it, it is hard to miss.     “ Trading punches with the heart of darkness, going to blows with your fear incarnate. Never know it till it’s stripped away, a part of you has to die to change”  

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”      To me, music is one of life's greatest art forms. Music can carry so much power. It has the power to unite people, it has the power to build people up, it also has the power to motivate people. The right kind of music can also have the opposite effect on people. Music is one of life's true beauties. When people listen to music they shouldn't just hear it. Instead, they should really listen to it. This has become one of my favorite things to do, listing to music and trying to interpret what the artist is trying to say. Many artists say some truly great things. It has been said that music is the highest form of worship, and the angels in heaven just sing forever.     “In the Mass, music that blends both spiritual and artistic excellence is liturgical – it is sacred. Such music has the ability to cultivate, strengthen, and deepen the spiritual experience of those gathered f