7 More Days

As I am at my parents home in Normangee it is almost like a dream that in just a weeks time I will be walking into another airport to fly to the home of my heart, Haiti. There is something about that land, that is intoxicating, addictive even. Most people I have talked to have only heard of riots, disease, and corruption; never mentioning the poverty, which as Americans we will never fully understand. Though it is a dangerous island, when one visits the country most experience a surreal feeling, as if it was all a fantasy. When you hear about a place of corruption and where you are not allowed to be out at night one would not expect to find hope and love amongst its inhabitants, but this is the case. Haitian's have experienced so much heart ache in their country that regardless of a 7.0 earthquake, "the bad thing" as many refer to it as, or complete civil war they will never sacrifice their hope for better days for their country. Traveling to the island of Hispaniola and being around the Haitian people is an adventure, awakening the deepest parts of every man who ventures there. It is a enormous blessing that I have been gifted with the opportunity to be there again.

This visit the team and I will be participating in the typical Haitian and Christian holidays; Christmas and New Years. Our main project of the week is cleaning and repainting a nearby school. This is an area that Hope of the Hungry has just recently been ministering to, in that it is a remote village in the mountains where some of the people there have never seen a white person before. We will also be seeing the boys in Guibert again too. This is what I am most excited about, I have missed them to an extent that I have never felt before. Imagining the day that I am able to go be with them is still a day that I have to remain dreaming about, until I board that final plane to Port au Prince in 7 more days.

7in7: Day 6

I'm a little behind on updating my blog with this whole 7in7 thing. I'm finding the frustration of songwriting isn't really actually writing the song, but gathering the time to actually sit down and do it. As a full time student with a job, and other things I'm incredibly busy. Thus the hardest part of this excercise. Day 6 song is called 40 Days and 40 Nights.

Verse 1
It's a slow waltz
And you dont always get
What you wish for
But I'll be damned if I don't

I'd rather just wander
Into a desert
Than to settle for
Anything less than you

Chorus
Where are you?
Are you looking for me?
I've been looking for you
Where are you?

Verse 2
For 40 days and 40 nights
I've been dream'n up dreams about you
Your so close I can almost feel you
But still so far away

It feels like I'm going crazy
Feels like I'm losing control
But theres peace in knowing
that one day I will see you face to face

Chorus
Where are you?
Are you looking for me?
I've been looking for you
Where are you?

Instrumental diddly doos

Chorus 2
I've found you
Were you looking for me?
I've been looking for you
I've found you

Verse 3
So where do we go from here?
Where can't we go from here?

7in7: Day 5

Threw this together in the midst of studying hebrew. It's not my favorite, but it'll do pig, it'll do... Day 5's song is called: Promises

Verse 1
You don't worry about a thing
don't have a care in this world
i'm jsut your ball and chain
but someones got to way you down

Chorus
Cause you don't keep your promises to me
you just keep on running
don't tell me that you love me
cause your just gunna leave me when the morning comes

Verse 2
they way you move your hips around
everybody can see
you want back on the prowl
but you can't if you have me

Chorus
Cause you don't keepy your promises to me
you just keep on running
don't tell me that you love me
cause your just gunna leave me when the morning comes

Bridge
my father's fall, i hear its call, its wanting me to stay
your looks your charm is lock and key, around your finger you have me
the shine is gone, the new is old, and soon you will go

7in7: Day 4

They the hardest part of breaking a habit is getting over the 3 day hump. Hopefully the habit of writing bad songs is what I am getting farther away from. Here's my song from Day 4: Something of New.

Verse 1
its been a long long time since
these eyes have seen anything worth while
i've been a collector of things
particularly of roses, but none as wild as you seem
i'm not easily surprised, i've been around this block
and i've seen a thing or two
but when it comes to you, its a different kind of story
cause i never know whats coming next

Chorus
i am head over heels
its something of old
but you something of new
i dont know what to say
dont know what to do
dont know how i feel about you
i am out on a limb
this is something of whim
but im curious, im curious for you

Verse 2
the days of old
have had their hold on me for far to long
i've made plenty of mistakes
too many to count, but that don't bother you
every second i get to be around you
is like a fresh new breath
cause these weary bones have finally found
somthing that makes them come alive

Chorus
i am head over heels
its something of old
but you something of new
i dont know what to say
dont know what to do
dont know how i feel about you
i am out on a limb
this is something of whim
but im curious, im curious for you

7in7: Day 3

I've been fighting to stay alive during this exercise. It's much more challenging than I previously had anticipated and even more so as I try play catch up because of my knack for laziness.

This song came out of this state of tiredness and desperation, and in turn came out a little different than I had planned. It's called Rapture Me.

Verse 1
Days like today I have nothing
to give, to bring, to lay at your feet
would your mercy pour out
desperate hearts seek you now

Chorus
wont you come and take us
hand in hand to a place
where pain and sorrow can never reach
and we can dance around your feet
wont you come and rapture me

Verse 2
Every rise and fall
are counting down the days left to walk
its not these deeds that'll get me there
but this heart I have left to share

Chorus
wont you come and take us
hand in hand to a place
where pain and sorrow can never reach
and we can dance around your feet
wont you come and rapture me

Bridge
Take me down to the river side may I drink the water as if it were wine
wash me as white as snow may your blood overflow
may these weary bones anew and your light shine through
like the sun your rescue is sure to come

7in7: Day 2

This sucks. It's one thing to produce one song in a day, then have another few moments to go over it and essentially edit it. But now having to to to this in one day, 7 days in a row. . . its like being drowned in your favorite soft drink. You love it, but so much of it and your dead.

I did a little bit of roadtrip'n this weekend and it's put'n me behind, but I still made sure to gather ideas and basic melodies each day. Here's my song from Day 2: A Ghost Like You

Verse 1
I've never seen a ghost that's looked as good as you
I've never known a heart as cold as yours
I've never loved another like I loved you before
you up and left my heart broke on the floor

Chorus
You will remember
What you could have had
Regrets and misjudgments
Will haunt you
Till the day I die

Verse2
I've opened my eyes to see the world around
I've noticed that there are better things than you
So heed this warning, like a train whistle blowing
That I'm moving on, and nothing's stop'n me

Chorus
You will remember
What you could have had
Regrets and misjudgments
Will haunt you
Till the day I die

7in7: Day 1

Like I had said in my previous posting I'm taking part of a songwriting exercise created by the one and only Aaron Ivey. If you haven't heard of this guy check him out at: http://aaronivey.com/. It's called 7in7 because in the next seven days I'll be writing a brand new COMPLETE song every day.

Today was my first day and though I was terrified to begin this process I found that the past few weeks of focusing on my upcoming show, I have actually, surprisingly been storing up inspiration and ideas to write some diddly doo's.

Last night I had the opportunity to attend Brooke Fraser's Flags Tour at The Parish in downtown Austin. As I was waiting in line I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the amount of people that were hustling and bustling around me. Being from a small town, and raised on a farm the city is almost like another world to me. I do enjoy the city, I enjoy the social atmosphere and community. But I grew up in a place where I knew everyone's name and they knew mine. Where I was able to get up, walk out of my front gate and be in the middle of the woods in mere seconds. These's are the things that inspired my first song HOME.

Verse 1.
What they say is true
This city never sleeps
Nights are wild, the streets are running thick
We only have one choice, but to get out of here quick

Chorus.
Home
I wanna go Home
Where a boy can run
In his fields of green
Home
I wanna go Home

Verse 2.
Easy come easy go
People come, seldom leave
I'll be damned if I get stuck here
Confined to these shades of gray

Chorus.
Home
I wanna go Home
Where a boy can run
In his fields of green
Home
I wanna go Home

Bridge.
Where the meadow larks sing
The stars are on top of you
The skies are wide and blue
The trees they talk to you

Chorus.
Home
I wanna go Home
Where a boy can run
In his fields of green
Home
I wanna go Home