Vote For Your Favorite Unending Love Story!

The finalists in the ‘Unending Love Story Contest’ have been chosen and the final selection is up to YOU! We have posted the stories on a special webpage and voting will be open until 11:59 pm on Friday, October 9. So, follow the link below, read the stories and VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE!!!! We will post the winner next week!

http://www.christopherames.com/contest.html

Reading vs. Living

Before our kids went back to school a couple of weeks ago, my wife told me, “We need a theme for our family this year.” A theme? Immediately I was imagining colors, a theme song, a catch phrase, a logo, maybe some team shirts we could all wear… My wife stood there patiently waiting until I was finished chasing shiny things in my mind and explained.

“I want us to be more than we are settling for,” she said. She pulled out Joshua 1:9 and we read, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” And then she said the thing that has been ringing in my ears ever since… “I want us to stop reading about adventures and start living them.”

Now, my sons and I are avid readers of fantasy stories… if it has a quest or a dragon, a knight, a journey, an adventure… we love it! And to be dared to not just read about such things but to actually step out and do them? That thought is both invigorating and terrifying.

Invigorating because I ask myself “where do we find these adventures?” I am learning they are everywhere… in bike rides, shooting off model rockets, teaching my kids skills, exploring our hometown, our state, listening to the dreams of my family, trying something new, starting a tradition, not saying “we’ll do it later”, asking my kids what their opinions are, trying to do things for my wife before she has to ask, not being reluctant to be a Christ-follower in plain view, turning off the computer, turning off the TV,  ignoring what is “important” and focusing on who is important.

And terrifying because if I don’t seek out these adventures, I will miss them. If I don’t seek out my family, I will miss them. If I don’t seek out Christ, I will miss Him. There is only so much time and only so many days.

Now, adventures in the real world may not involve dragons and giants, may not involve life or death situations, may not be world changing events… but then again, maybe they do! But, the good news here is that no matter what the adventure, no matter what the situation or how long we have waited to face it – God is there already. Joshua says it clearly, God is with us wherever we go. In bike rides, model rockets, hospitals, around Christmas trees, in everything we face ‘from womb to tomb’ (to quote Westside Story).

So, no more excuses… time to stop just reading about adventures and time to start living them!

Oh… and we did get a theme song… remember that old MWS tune “Strong and Corageous”?

The Parable of the Reading Glasses

I recently got reading glasses. Not real glasses where you go and they match frames with lenses and your prescription… no, the kind they sell at pharmacies and Wal-Mart… you know, basically magnifying glasses in ugly frames prebuilt on a spinning display. Yep, those ones. The very ones I have often made fun of through the years, “You have got to be kidding me! Who actually buys these things?” Umm, I guess the answer would be… me.

For about the last year I have started to notice it, how reading books and magazines has become increasingly difficult. Not that I couldn’t see, but in lower light, or if the font was small or against a distracting background, I found that I was not able to easily focus. And then once focused, I could not easily un-focus when I was done. Then the ‘trying different distances’ started… first I put books closer, no good. Then I tried arm’s length, that was better… but never once did I think I needed reading glasses.

I am not sure what triggered it, maybe I saw myself in a reflection as I tried moving a magazine out and back in front of my face, or maybe someone commented that this was normal for “my age”… but somewhere along the line I realized I just couldn’t see clearly enough to read. Once I admitted that, one quick trip to the pharmacy took care of the issue. Now I can read again because now I have reading glasses.

It seems to me that my whole adventure is much like our fallen human condition. We are a messed up people, a sinful people. And I do mean all of us… (Romans 3:23 anyone?) But like me going through all the motions of trying to read, we try all sorts of things to cure ourselves. And we never admit that we have a problem.

Maybe that is the sticking point. Maybe that is the place we need to start… just to admit that we have a problem. Admitting we can’t read, leads us to reading glasses; admitting we are sick, leads us to the doctor; admitting we have a need, leads to filling the need; and admitting that we are fallen, leads us to the Cross of Christ.

Tell Us Your Unending Love Story!

Remnant Music Group is sponsoring a contest in an attempt to find the best unending love story! For the last year and a half Remnant Music Group and Christopher Ames have been promoting the CD titled EVERYDAY WITH YOU. As Christopher travels the country he continues to hear stories not only of how his CD project resonates with couples, but also stories of hope, inspiration, joy and encouragement in keeping the commitment of love alive in a relationship.

What is it that you think inspires an unending love story? We’re looking for your thoughts and ideas. It may be one line or a brief essay. Nonetheless, we are looking for inspirational stories of love and commitment. Christopher Ames and Remnant Music Group will review the submissions and select the top 3 entries. These entries will then be posted on Christopher’s website, and fans will be asked to select their favorite of the three. The top submission will receive a $100 American Express Gift Card (perfect for dining, shopping or travel), a $50 Gift Card for Barnes and Noble (inspired by the lyric in the song Love To Chance found on the CD), and an autographed copy of EVERYDAY WITH YOU by Christopher Ames. Runners up will also receive copies of Everyday With You. The winning submission will be featured in Christopher’s newsletter and will also be featured in his blog on his website.

So, what’s on YOUR heart? What do you think inspires an unending love story? Is it YOUR story? We want to know. Send your submissions to ca@christopherames.com. Be sure to include your full name, contact telephone number, your city, state and a return email address. You will be contacted if your submission is selected as one of the final three. Please note all submissions become the property of Remnant Music Group, but only the final three entries will be posted for public viewing.

(Deadline for submission is September 22, 2009 )

Slide Shows, Moving Boxes, and Time Travel

The older I get, the more often I have wished I could re-visit my past. Not so much in the sense that I have regrets or things I wish I could change (although I have a few), but more in the sense that I would like to re-experience moments, seasons, episodes of my life and really soak in them.

Recently, my family visited my parents and I showed my sons slides of me when I was their age. We especially enjoyed the pictures of Christmas seeing what toys I was playing with compared to what they are playing with now. Now, there is a time I would love to re-experience… the lead up to Christmas, the anxious waiting, the never ending night before and the long luxurious week of visiting relatives afterward…

While at my parents, they mentioned that there were two moving boxes with my name on them. This was stuff that had been moved around a couple of times and never unpacked, and basically forgotten. Before we left, I grabbed the boxes and brought them home. Imagine my surprise when I opened them and discovered a time machine…

The year I graduated from college, I spent about a month at home before moving to Dallas to start a 3 year stint with the band Watermark (no, the other Watermark). My folks moved not long after that, so these two boxes contained the contents of my room from that specific moment in time.

As I spent time looking through letters, notes, lyrics, books I had at the time… seeing some pictures, little odds and ends, trinkets that meant something at that point… I was transported back to those moments. It was like putting on my 22 year old self, with all of its emotions and dreams, with all of the fears and struggles… and for a few minutes, I was really there.

The best part, though, was discovering that I am no longer that 22 year old. These days the emotions and dreams are different, the fears and struggles have changed, but I am happy to be who I am, to be where I am, to be Whose I am. It was a gas to re-visit a pecific moment in my life, to actually feel I was in it again… but the best part of any vacation (whether traveling through time or across the country) is coming home again.

The Most Important Concert Ever!

I don’t know if you are aware of this, but I can hold conversations with myself while doing most anything. While mowing the lawn, watching TV, talking to other people, pretty much any time. Typical of most males, I can’t multi-task very effectively, but I can converse with myself… go figure.

Recently, I was having a conversation with myself while I was playing a gig. It was a new town, a small mainstream book store/coffee shop type of place and the conversation went something like this…

“This is a nice place, small town, but a cool coffee place. I hope the coffee is good… gotta make sure I get a cup after the set.”

“I wonder how I got here… I know they called me, but where did they find me? I don’t know anybody here, I have never played this town before…”

“Do they know I am a Christian artist? I noticed I was the only ‘Christian’ artist on their calendar… Ooops, well they know now… I just sang about Jesus…”

“How many people are here? 1,2,3… hmmm, about 20… What are they thinking? Do they like me? Are they wondering what they have gotten themselves into?  Does this gig matter at all? Why am I here?”

Believe it or not, that whole conversation happened within the first song and a half!

As soon as I ask myself whether or not a gig matters, I start to think about what constitutes a “good” gig… big audiences, big sales, sweet solos, big money, screams and adoration, oh yeah – lots of ministry too… Funny thing though, even if I got to play that idea of a “good” gig, once it’s over, it’s over. Moments in time are funny that way. No matter how good a moment is, it is a moment only for a moment and then a memory forever. And while memories are precious, they aren’t sustaining by themselves.

Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34) I can’t feed forever on memories, I can’t survive on the unknowns of the future… I can only do this moment. I can only effect this point in time. I can only choose good in the present task. I can only serve, act and worship in the now.

Which leads me to the conclusion that good gig or not, this is the most important concert I will ever play, because it is the only one I can play at this moment.

So, as the third song began that night in that small town, I had a completely new attitude… and I believe it showed!

Elvis Impersonators and Jesus Imitators

At a recent festival, I went on to do my set after an Elvis impersonator. He was a pretty good one, too… blue jumpsuit, mutton chop sideburns, full head of black hair (his own too!), the arm movements, tossing teddy bears and scarves to the crowd… and he had the voice.

A couple of years ago I was in Branson and caught a show in one of the theaters featuring the Liverpool Legends, a Beatles tribute band. Just like the Elvis impersonator, these guys had done their homework… the outfits, the guitars, the hair, the accents, the onstage behavior… a good show!

I started to really think about these folks who do the tribute shows – how they must read all the biographies, watch the videos, listen to the records, and practice practice practice to be able to impersonate Elvis or the Beatles. In other words, they eat, drink and breathe the character. It reminded me of what we as Christians do… we read the Bible, we gather in worship, we sing, we attempt to act like Jesus… ideally Christians eat, drink and breathe Jesus. But as I thought in that direction, I must confess that I was also bothered… if we are just like these folks, who are in reality actors of a type, do we end up being no more than Jesus impersonators? And let’s be honest… the phrase ‘Jesus impersonator‘ doesn’t sound good!

Ephesians 5:1,2 tells us to ‘Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ (NIV) Paul says to imitate God, so that would make us Jesus imitators, not impersonators… now, you might think that is just semantics but I think it is a big difference. An impersonator, by definition, is pretending to be someone. While an imitator, by definition, is using the subject as an example, something to model him or herself after.

An Elvis impersonator is only pretending to be Elvis for that time on stage… it is a character, a costume he puts on and takes off, if you will. It isn’t really who he is. When an Elvis impersonator faces a moral decision, I doubt very much that he asks himself “WWED?” In fact, to be a good impersonator you have to separate and remove yourself from the character. You have to look and act like Elvis, not like you being Elvis.

Christians, on the other hand, are not trying to be Jesus at all. We are trying to be like Him. Life in Christ should not be a costume we put on and take off in different situations. And we should definitely be asking ourselves what Jesus would do in any given situation. A fascinating difference between impersonator and imitator is that God calls us to be totally ourselves, we are all part of the Body, after all (1 Cor. 12:12). We are not supposed to remove ourselves from the equation, rather we are called to be totally ourselves infused in every way with the character of Jesus.

Obviously, the biggest difference is that Elvis doesn’t actually live inside of the impersonator,  no matter how accurate the impersonation. But as Christ followers, we are actually inhabited by the Holy Spirit, no matter how shallow the imitation. So, may we all go forth and be imitators of God!

Ditching Parents on the Way to School

I have two kids, one in Jr Hi and one in Elementary… and this year something interesting has happened. We live close to their schools and when the weather permits, we like to walk. And for various reasons, they have both ditched me on the way to school.

Now, I expect this from the Jr Hi kid, because he is at that age where everything I do embarrasses him. And to be fair, I do my best to embarrass him – it is so much fun… so, about a half block from the school, when we start to see other students, he slowly disengages and walks faster than me, heading at an angle to cross the street and enter school ‘alone’ while I veer the other direction and head home. We’ve been doing this for quite a while so I am used to it. But last week, my younger son asked me to hang back so his buddies wouldn’t see me and I will admit, this stung a little.

Now, I know that in the larger picture this doesn’t mean much. It doesn’t mean that my kids don’t love me. It doesn’t mean that they want to move out at the first opportunity… but I was surprised at my own reaction. It bugged me. It saddened me. It hurt.

I don’t recall ever doing this to my folks when I was a kid, mainly because we rode the bus. But as a ’spiritual kid’ I have often ditched my Father outside of school. Sometimes as literally as putting God aside before entering a room of people… sometimes ditching Him outside of a conversation… sometimes turning my eyes away when I had a decision to make… a person I should love… a stand I should take… sometimes I ditch Jesus in the areas of where I spend my money, how I spend my time… and based on my own experiences, I bet it bugs Him, I bet it hurts.

Beyond the obvious lesson of not ditching Christ in the everyday moments of life, I learned something deep about the character of God on that morning outside of the Elementary school… my gut reaction was to be mad all day, maybe a little snippy when my kids got home – let them know that they had hurt my feelings. But when has God ever treated me like that? When has He ever been snippy with me? Every time that I can recall ditching Him, He has loved me anyway. Even hurt by my decisions, my choices, He has loved me anyway. So on that day when both my kids ditched me on the way to school, I got to aim higher and love them anyway.

And isn’t that the Gospel in a nutshell? Jesus loves us anyway.

An African Blog, a Celtic Journal, and the Seeds of a new CD

A few months back, my wife sent me an email with a link to a blog. The blog was being written by a friend of ours who was spending some time in Africa. In a post entitled ‘The Cry Of My Heart’ she ends with this line:

“Without Christ I am nothing. Apart from Him there is nothing good that I can do. And yet in His great love and mercy He has chosen to use the foolish things of this world… He has called those that He has rescued to love the world as He loves it. These are the thoughts that I have been pondering the last few days… this is the cry of my heart—that I would draw so close to my Jesus that my heartbeat falls in rhythm with His and that through my life His love would be displayed vibrantly as a testimony to His greatness”

My management team has on occasion suggested to me the possibility of recording 1) a ‘praise and worship’ record (which I am not interested in) and 2) an edgier youth oriented record (which I am interested in). After hearing so much P&W music that is simplistic, overly repetitive, chronically ‘me’ centered and musically dumbed down – I wonder if an ‘artistic’ worship album is possible? Or is all music written unto the Creator, in actuality, worship music? Won’t I bring the most honor to Him by crafting the best music I can? By digging deep?

The phrase from our friend’s blog – the cry of my heart – struck a chord with both my wife and myself… maybe I can dig into this phrase, this desire, this call and make a record that is both the rockier, youth edged one as well as (through the back door) a worship-ful record?

Knowing that the first phase of any record is the writing, I went to Barnes and Noble and found a small journal with a Celtic design on the front and started jotting down notes, thoughts and ideas. This  journal will hold the chronicle of the journey from seed to CD, with all of the complete songs, incomplete songs, fragments, titles, versions, ruminations, and musings that go into the writing.

And when it is all over… there may be a new CD from the effort. Or as my wife pointed out, maybe a new depth of heart… indeed.

The Gift or the Giver?

This past Sunday was, of course, Mother’s Day. My two sons and I put together a little grab bag of gifts for my wife and I discovered the answer to an age old question… which is really the more important? the gift or the giver? The answer? It is totally the giver!

I know this because of a neon green t-shirt. Among the home made cards, coupons for good behavior, a candle, and other things… there was a neon green t-shirt. Now, for some back story – my wife is a beautiful woman and looks wonderful in anything she wears, but she has definite ideas about what she likes and what colors/styles she will wear. And while she does like the occasional t-shirt… well, let’s just say there is not a single neon green item in her closet. So, as she pulled this shirt out of the grab bag… she looked at me. No, I mean she LOOKED at me… husbands – you know the look. It was that “what were you thinking?” look. It was that “we have been married how many years and this is what you get me?” look. She didn’t say anything in front of the kids, she just looked. I must admit that I was a little befuddled by the look because I didn’t give her the shirt.

She went on through the bag and after she had finished it, our youngest son proclaimed loudly how many of the gifts were ones he had made or purchased (with his AWANA bucks at the AWANA store). When it became clear that he was the giver of the neon green t-shirt and not me, my wife’s entire demeanor changed. Suddenly the shirt was wonderful, the color was perfect, and the probability that she would wear the shirt went from “a snowball’s chance in Texas” to “this summer, for sure!” The gift, itself, was almost irrelevant -  the whole story was about the giver.

We are offered so many things in our lives. People will offer us ‘love’, governments will offer us ’security’, items will offer us ‘wholeness’… and we often look only at the gift being offered. I know I do. I focus on the thing and not the one offering it. And usually, the item offered doesn’t live up to the hype. The gift falls short. I wonder if I were more focused on the givers, would I accept those gifts so readily? Or if the giver was the important thing, would those gifts increase in their value and meaning?

I have been offered the gift of ‘a better life’ on several occasions… from people who wanted me to vacate myself to get it, from governmental systems on both sides of the aisle, from an industry that chews artists up, and finally from a God who sacrificed Himself instead of me. If I am focused on the gift only, then I might accept any of these several versions of ‘a better life’ without realizing that they do not all mean the same thing. In fact, it is the giver in each instance that defines what the gift really means. And in the end, it is the giver that is important, the gift becoming a side issue (even if it is a neon green t-shirt).

And the irony of the Christian faith, is that in Christ, the Giver is the Gift.