Co-writing

I have been writing worship music and random songs for about two years. Many times, I will sit down, brainstorm some ideas and maybe figure out some lyrics and chords, and then leave it to sit for a while, mostly because I get distracted, or because the kids will come into my room. I am notorious for not finishing my songs. I have journals and notebooks and paper pieces with lyrics and chord progressions and titles laying around my room. When I am by myself with no deadline...I lack motivation. I feel like this is the case with a lot of things, not just songwriting.

The polar opposite of this is co-writing. It's crazy what adding a person or two will do to my motivation. Co-writing gives me purpose to write. Neither person wants to take up the others time and they both/all want a good song or two as the outcome of that allotted time. I love co-writing. The songs are better, they come faster, they affect twice the amount of people, and they are way more fun.

I have two co-writes this week with people from Texas, and needless to say I am super excited to write with these individuals that I met while in Texas last month. I pray that God uses these writing sessions and that the product of them is used to bring Him glory.

I also plan on posting some videos this fall of some of my songs, so look for them on YouTube or my Facebook page before Thanksgiving.

Thanks Guys!
Ben

What Dictates Your Bow?

What does the phrase "dictate your bow" mean?

I heard this term for the first time at the Emerging Sound and it struck me pretty hard.
It is basically asking "what is it that makes you tick?" "what is determining your current outlook on life?"

It could be anything:
Bad relationship, money/debt, loss, temptation, sickness...you name it...

It can also come from good things:
Better paying job, good marriage/relationship, well-mannered children, perfect life...

What dictates your bow, is anything that makes you see God as irrelevant and not needed, or something that causes you to bow to fear and sorrow and eventually depression.

We all have had trials in life.
We all will go through some form of depression, whether prolonged or just a brief feeling of doubt.
We all have days that we feel useless and worthless and without purpose.
We all have situations that shake us to the core and make us question certain things.

But, if we let these current situations control us, we are bowing to fear, which is the equivalent of bowing to Satan. He wants us to see the situations of life as unbearable and irrecoverable. THAT'S HIS WHOLE GOAL IN LIFE! He is constantly trying to use things of this life to change your perspective of God and life.

Are You Bowing To Your Situation? Is it controlling the way you view life?

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE!

God uses every hard time and every good time for His glory.
Our eternal perspective is the only thing that truly matters in the end.

The only thing that we should let dictate our bow is Jesus. If we view everything from a bow to Christ then the trials and depressions and losses and sicknesses and temptations look petty and irrelevant in light of eternity with Christ.

I'm not saying ignore the losses and trials. What I am saying, is don't let Satan convince you to bow to fear just because it is the easier way out.

Stay strong and let eternity dictate your bow.

Behind the Title, "Notebook of Blank Pages"

So over the past three or four years I have accumulated 12-15 notebooks, journals, and paper pads - (give or take).  For some reason I am always attracted to a fresh notebook full of...nothing.  There's a sense of new, unused thrill in a new book of blank paper. It's weird, I know, but whenever I'm walking through WalMart or Meijer, and see the office and school supplies section, I check and see if there are any cool notebooks or journals that I don't already own.  

I am constantly writing in my random notebooks and never really write in just one specific journal. Whenever I write something dumb or doodle in a notebook it becomes unused and I cycle onto the next one. It's dumb, I know, but it's my life, and I have no answers to why I do this...it's purely psychological.

The name "Notebook of Blank Pages"  came from some decisions and reality shifts I've had recently.

At this stage in my life, I am trying to figure out what I am supposed to do next, where I need to be, what I'm supposed to be doing. I only have this one life here on earth, what will God have me do to further His kingdom? I feel very unsure at this moment, but for some reason I feel like God has told me to not enroll in college this fall. I don't know why I feel this way, it just feels like if I get tied into college I will miss something that He wants me to do.

You all can try and convince me otherwise, but, my life is a blank notebook that God is writing my story in and this will be part of my story.

 

One of the things that separates God from me - one of the smallest things mind you, there is so, so, so much that separates me and God - is that whenever I mess up and "ruin" a page of my life, God just keeps writing. He doesn't throw me away, or find a new book to write my story in, He forgives my doodle or typo and keeps writing in my once blank notebook.

I have no clue what God is going to use me to do, or how I'll be used, but I know He is writing in my life and has a plan far better than my own and He is just waiting for the right page in my life to write that story. I want to be ready when I hear His plan and keep my part of the story blank so that He has space to write it for me.

There are many holes in this analogy, but I think it makes sense. It does to me...but I wrote it.

I am not saying I am going to do nothing and make no plans until I understand God's plan, but I am saying I don't want to ignore it or have anything get in the way of that plan. I will be working full time come this fall and perhaps taking an online class or two to keep my brain fresh. Hopefully, I will be made aware of where God has me and then be 100% ready and willing to do whatever that may be.

My life is His... I am a Notebook of Blank Pages that He is writing in.

Emerging Sound 2014 - My trip to Texas!

Emerging Sound 2014

Many of you have been asking me how my trip to Texas was. My fallback answer is, "Awesome! It was a lot of driving, but well worth it." I have answered this particular question with the same answer about a dozen times now. The reason I answer it this way, is because I am physically and emotionally exhausted. This past week was so jam packed with writing, worship, fellowship with other teens, and little to-no-sleep. But, even though I am ridiculously tired, this was the best week of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  For those who have no idea what I'm talking about I'll explain it from the beginning...

Last week I got in a navy blue Pontiac minivan with two other guys (Luke Cyrus and Micah DeMass) and drove to Nashville and from Nashville to Waxahachie, Texas.  The reason for our trip was to attend the Emerging Sound Worship Intensive for Creative Teens camp.

I went to this camp with the thought that I would be learning how to write songs properly. I had no expectations whatsoever. I was glad I didn't have any expectations because this camp would have blown them out of the water.

Never in my 17 years on this earth have I experienced the presence of God so drastically. I was in total awe of Him as we sang and worshipped during the general sessions. I took so many notes and wrote so many random things I heard down. I am on information overload. I need a few weeks to read through it all and rest my head, but I can't wait to start sharing some of the knowledge I learned with my friends and family and church and youth group.

I also had the privilege to write a song with Luke Cyrus, Melanie Tierce, Steve Musso, Jordan, Sarah, Dylan, Chloe, Shakira...not the one you think, Caleb, Analee, Josh, Stephanie, and Nicole. It is titled "Touched By A Fire" and I am really glad we wrote it. We had a bit of trouble with the lyrics coming together but thanks to the help of Randall Bane and Benji Cowart the song came together into something the church needs to hear.

It is being recorded and put on the Emerging Sound album that will come out in a few months. Can't wait for everyone to hear it.

I am in post camp deprivation and I can't wait to go back next year. I will post more about actual things I learned at Emerging Sound in the upcoming posts.

Thanks for reading

Ben Calhoun