To Dread Or Embrace

It's here again, seems like it just left
But Halloween came and went and now there's Thanksgiving and Christmas
As we've gotten older, it seems as though time has spun out of control
The loop keeps getting smaller and smaller and the year is just a whisper, or a memory

It seems to be a time of Dread, no longer filled with the joy and the sparkle
Where the holiday songs and movies seem to annoy instead of heal
It can be seen in the eyes of so many as it creeps into their hearts
A time where that special warmth has turned cold as ice

There comes a time with each of us, to make our own choice
Whether Christmas is just another day or it's celebrated and Embraced
To find that joy we had as children, the excitement of the lights, the packages, the tree
That seems to have been lost in the clutter of life and the world around us

So we must make our own decision, To Dread or Embrace
To make this time special, or just let it pass us by
If we tend to Dread, we just grumble until it's over
But if we learn to Embrace it, we reconnect with that special magic of our childhood

When we look at the world through carnal eyes we see hype and sales and stuff
But when we remember the Reason For The Season we can once again celebrate the Glory of the Highest
So it becomes our decision to see as a child or an adult
To see the world for what it is, or experience this time with the Holy Child and His Spirit inside

To Dread Or Embrace, to let the world bring us down
Or let His Spirit move us and allow this time of year to be what it's meant to be
To be like children who see the child, the shepherds, the wise men
And be compassionate adults who see more than the shopping and Santa Clause and parties

Can we Embrace the spirit of Love and Joy, can we let the music fill our hearts again
Can we take every moment and turn it into the Gift of Life that it was meant to be
To Dread or Embrace, as one who has felt the loss
This year I choose to Embrace and enjoy every aspect  the season unfolds

"So let us all be like children
Whether we're one or ninety five
and at Christmas time Lord help us all
To laugh like children, love like children....this year...."

10,000 Views

I'm in amazement as I get close to 10,000 views of this blog. The thought of so many, from all over the world, taking the time to stop and read about my Journey of Life, is mind blowing.

This page has given me an opportunity to work through the pain of some difficult times in life and to find answers to those struggles. It has let me share my desires for a better world, filled with more hope and love and less division and hate. Hopefully it's allowed some to see that we are not alone in our struggles and that we can work together to find some answers and encouragement.

I've been fairly transparent in my writing, revealing some of the deeper parts of my soul. So many times in life, I've been put me on a pedestal because of what I do or who I am. But by revealing my ups and downs, my strengths and my weaknesses, I hope we can see that no matter where we are or what walk of life we come from and experience, we are all equal. We may have different lives and different circumstances but none of them make us any worse or any better than anyone else. The only thing in life that defines us is our character. A character that is developed my our decisions, our shortcomings and our achievements and how we worked through each experience. We may have failed or we may have succeeded but as long as we learned and grew, do we find our true self.

I know all to well how hard life can be and at times, incredible as well. I know that no one can really know a persons heart without living every moment in their shoes. I know that it doesn't really matter what I say or do unless it comes from my heart. I know that I have a long way to go in this life to come close to getting it right. But as long as I'm learning from my choices and my mistakes I can change and make a difference.

So as I come to 10,000 views from so many blog entries, I hope I can continue to share and enlighten, to encourage and to be real, and to learn and maybe inspire. And from these life lessons learned, I hope we can all get closer to becoming

What We Wish The World Would Be.


and the Journey Continues......

If I Could

If I could remove all the hate in the world
I'd replace it with love
If I could remove the sadness
I'd replace it with joy

If I could take away all illness
I'd give everyone a clean bill of health
If I could take away all loneliness
I'd greet everyone with true friendship

If I could take away bias and bigotry
I'd replace it with brotherhood
If I could remove politics
I would replace it with One Nation Under God

If I could prevent all killings
I'd give new hope to the world
If I could take away addictions
I would replace it with purpose

If I could remove just existing
I would fill the void with passion
If I could take away all grief
I'd replace it with strength

If I could make this world a better place

But wait, I can

I may not be able to change it all
But I can make a difference

I can make each breath a perfect example
One act of kindness, one word of encouragement
One smile, one hug, one gesture of hope
If I start, others will follow


and the Journey Continues.......

Insecurities

I'm probably the most insecure person I know. Yep...it's true. But then again, unless I really take the time to look deeper at those around me, I'll never know.

I've always been shy, never wanting to make a scene or say something stupid. In a crowded room you will find me in the corner, not speaking unless spoken to. I catch myself not going to certain events simply because they take me out of my comfort zone. Yep....insecure....

When I am performing or talking before a crowded room, I'm just the opposite. I'm at ease and comfortable in my surroundings. I usually don't have the nervous jitters that some do when being put in the spotlight. When I'm put in a situation of needing to be in control, I'm in control. My business side takes over and I make sure things get done. But when I'm not in the spotlight, I'm as shy as they come.

While trying to break out of this mold, so to speak, I've done a lot of soul searching as to why. Looking back to my early years in Junior High and High School, I think those insecurities began to manifest. I was not one of the In Crowd so to speak, just a bit of a nerd and class clown. Talking with people who knew me back then, they say I was always smiling and energetic. Outwardly, maybe so, but inwardly it seemed like everything I said was not heard or not taken seriously. So my insecurity began.

College life seemed to be easier. It was a new beginning where we all had a fresh start with people, places and experiences and where my confidence grew. Returning home after graduation, I found a comfortable place because of my music, always performing in one way or another, always working toward a goal.

Moving on to the bigger city and becoming part of a Christian Rock Group also added to my confidence. But things were changing at home, with family. Every time I returned home, those dreaded feelings took hold again. It became easier to sit quietly and let others do the talking. Family problems seemed to take precedents over my circumstances, my cares and concerns. I found myself living more and more inside my head instead of living in the real world.

Moving to an even bigger city brought more experiences and yep....more insecurities. Working for large music companies was extremely rewarding as well as challenging. Being around artist and record and publishing executives was a chance of a lifetime, but at times brought back those feelings of doubt. Those old High School memories came back, not wanting to make a scene, not wanting to say something stupid.

There have been times since then that I've had to take control and make the decisions concerning the outcome of a lot of people. When life throws it's punches, especially where family is concerned, we seem to find our true character. But as my business side kicked in, more walls came up around my inner self.

So where am I today....still insecure and shy. I've been lucky enough to find outlets in my music as well as my writing. I've taken the courageous steps to start a new company, to start living my dreams, but I still find myself sitting quietly in a room full of people or not taking in certain events.......simply because of those insecurities.

Maybe I'll break out of that mold someday. Then again, maybe I've been in this way too long. The moral of this story.....learning that no matter how we outwardly appear to the people around us, we never know what lies beneath the skin until we take a deeper look, or take the time to ask. To make the effort to Really See........


and the Journey Continues.......

Freedom

We are a nation of Freedom, but what is Freedom...

Our founding fathers wanted us to have the right of freedom of religion, separation from Church and State. They had the vision of making sure that the government would not dictate what religion we choose.
That's it, plain and simple. They wanted us to have the freedom to choose our own religion and to be able to express it freely.

They gave us freedom of religion and freedom of speech so that we could express our religious views freely and worship the way we wanted. If we want to pray at a ballgame for protection of our team or pray publicly for our government, we were given that right.

It saddens me that a few have chosen to misinterpret the meaning of  separation of church and state. Our founding fathers were a Godly group of men who knew that the only way our country could survive was to have a strong faith in God, as well as give each of us the freedom to express that belief.

When a group of people come together to pray, that's their right, their freedom. If someone does not want to be a part of that prayer, that's their right, their freedom. But when they try to stop them from praying, they are blocking their rights, their freedom.

Our country has a habit of letting people that supposedly are politically correct, distort and tarnish our freedom. If a group choose to have a prayer before a ballgame on school grounds, it's not going against separation of church and state, it's allowing them to express their faith. The few who don't want to pray have the freedom to not participate but they don't have the right to stop others from expressing their beliefs.

I think we've let this travesty go on too long. We've let big money groups dictate how and when we can worship and express our faith. We've let the few who misinterpret the original meaning of separation crush the backbone of our country.

When will we get it right. When will we realize that by prohibiting our freedom of religion, we've sent our country into a downward spiral. When will we realize that allowing a Jewish menorah on capital grounds is no different that putting a Nativity Scene. When will we realize that talking about Islam in school rooms is no different than talking about Christianity. When will we stop letting the few prevent the freedom of the multitudes.

The more I see this travesty, the more my heart breaks. We were founded on freedom of religion but we allow that freedom to be stripped away day after day. When will we take a stand. When will we get it right.

If You Really Knew Me

If you really knew me, would you like me
If you could see inside my heart and soul
If you could see the arrogance, the anger, the darkness


So many feel the solitude
We see our world from our point of view
We see the things we do and feel

We do what we wish we wouldn't
We don't do what we know we should
We can't seem to get it right most of the time

We feel the loneliness when in a crowd
The complacency in tragedy
We forget how to feel

We focus so much on us
We forget to turn our eyes upward
We forget there is hope in Jesus

We spiral down to the bottom
Seeing only the sides of the barrel
Forgetting to look up to the light

We look so much at the darkness
It becomes our way of life
We give in to the struggle


If you really knew me, would you like me
Do I like me
Do I feel like a failure

Let me see my life
Let me see my world
As though I were looking through Your eyes Lord


If we would look at the world through His eyes
Realize that we are more than what we think
That we are a child of God

If we could let go of the defeat
Let go of the darkness and look into the light
Would we like what we see

Can we change and find our way
Maybe not, but God can
For He is the God of possibilities

Surrendering to His Love
It seems so hard
Until we just let go

"Songs of the Heart"

"Songs of the Heart"
The first songbook
Finally completed

With the encouragement and support of so many
I give a big Thank You to you all

I hope the songs will inspire and bless
As it gives me an excitement and anticipation of more to come

Wynn


order info:  http://wynnsongpublishing.com/Order_Info.html