Month: July 2012

New Post @ CigarBoxGuitar.Com

I just wrote my 2nd blog piece for http://www.cigarboxguitar.com on
building a simple guitar for slide playing.

It’s a very basic blog post trying to encourage and coax folks into
building their own slide guitar… and hopefully give them a sense of
hope for learning slide playing. This can be an amazing, do-able start
for general guitar playing and music-making!

I purposely left a few details out. So… hope to make someone’s
summer a little cooler!

Enjoy! -Glenn

Advertisement

Joy? Yes and yet…

Sometimes joy isn’t present… but I’m content to live with peace when
joy isn’t in the immediate due to difficult work or circumstances.
Peace in one’s conscience before God is ultimately more essential than
a present pleasure of joy.

I think sometimes we exchange our peace with God for the quick fix. In
other words, sin.

So as I say, joy is fleeting, but if our peace with God flies off due
to our own foolish choices, what sort of “joy” from our sin remains?
Really?!

“…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14.17

Jesus was completely sinless and absolutely and fully righteous! It’s
quite safe to assume He had at least some sense of soul-peace, a deep
sense of doing the will of the Father while nailed to that cross, no?!
And “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross” (Hebrews)… and

“weeping may tarry through the night, but joy comes in the morning” writes

the psalmist. I think that joy came to Him but does not seem fully present
while He suffered on that broken tree.

It seems to me that due to certain particular tasks, or because of
illness and suffering, etc., there are moments we find little sense of
joy in the Spirit. I conclude righteousness and peace are, in that
order, the two roads we must take to eventually reach the third.

Something to consider perhaps? -Glenn

Wilson Abbey in Chicago!

So people want to know what I’m excited about?

This is one of the most important things we’ve done in years- and if
you happen to read through the site you’ll understand we are soon to
engage in opportunities of interaction and service with our neighbors
(and far beyond our immediate area) via stewardship of Wilson Abbey.

http://wilsonabbey.com/wp/

Thanks for stopping by!

Thankful,
-Glenn

GKB Blues/Rock in British Columbia & Oregon

AUG. 4th B.C., and AUG. 19th Shows:

If you know anything about me you’re aware of my great fondness for Canada.

Like B.C., Oregon is lush, green and holds a lot of great friends and
memories for myself and GKB.

So after several year’s time we’ve been able to get back up to British
Columbia and the cool Back2Blues Festival.

To top that, friend and guitar-virtuoso Phil Keaggy will be there and
we get to jam at the end of the Sat. night set.

Baby! Nice.

Next up will be GKB in Oregon at Harvest Moon Blues Fest- other
cookin’ bands appear there as well.

We’re looking forward to both of these shows!

Details of these, as always, are at Grrr Records in the Shows section:
http://grrrrecords.com/shows.cfm

Thanks for stopping by 🙂 -Glenn

Live Blues on a Cigarbox Guitar

So I spent a couple sessions at this year’s Cstone Festival jamming on
one of my 3 string Cigar Box slide guitars through my old Pignose amp.

ErgoKing caught one of these up by our Grrr Records booth. The
audio definition isn’t pristine… but then neither is my sound or
playing 🙂 And thanks EK… much appreciated!

So Crow Richardson- this is for you as a large part of the design inspiration
came from your core ideas.

Boogie Chillun’ 🙂

Meeting the Needs of Homeless Veterans

Many of you have heard my heart for the struggle and pain of returning
war vets- Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, from where ever. Please, please
have a read of my friend Jeremy’s excellent post on what he and other
staff at our CCO Chicago shelter do daily to facilitate healing for
these wounded warriors.

There IS hope… and I thank God, more than talk with regard to
meeting genuine needs of these men and women.

http://freeingprisoners.blogspot.com/2012/07/hope-for-our-homeless-veterans.html

Thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

Are We Singing Yet?

Gkocala2012

In the end your life is the most important song you’ll ever sing. Sing
it well. It’s likely some will remember your life long after they’ve
forgotten (or moved on from) your song.

I’m certain this is the way God thinks about it.

You are more important than your artistic offerings. You. Not what you
bring to the table, but who you truly are.

Too many artists hide behind their art. Far too many are clueless and
selfish regarding relationships- and of course that’s where the real
crosses and pain lie. Caring for others above yourself is a task often
avoided. Now… how would I know anything about any of this?? Indeed,
I’m convicted about it often.

Some of the most brilliant artists are sadly, some of the most
insecure/arrogant (yep, all in the same person) people. Trust me, I
have a mirror.

What ARE we doing and for whom?

Do we produce killer and influential art… or might we actually have
a life beyond-above-core underneath all those cool bits of art we pour
out into the world?

Again and again I’m reminded of my own failings and absolute need for
God and His grace in this regard.

Thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

Power Trips to Where?

When you’re secure in who you are- and I must say right from the start
I mean secure in God’s love and acceptance… not of your sin… but
YOU… then you don’t have to scratch, claw, fight and demand a place
at any table. You will be called and invited.

It is GOD Who ordains, who calls, confirms, gifts and causes people to
notice all in HIS good time.

When we scream and get nasty- or conversely when we shrivel up in
self-pity… either way it’s still “self” trying to establish it’s own
space, place… maybe even personal kingdom where self is king.

No good. Nada. Not a biblical ethic.

To demand, to hang on for dear life means you’ve made a position, a
place of power and control what it can never be: life.

When you work overtime for the respect and acclaim of others you’re
not seeing yourself as God truly sees you… neither are you accepting
yourself and His plan as He desires you to seek it. In truth, it’s
seeking HIM not what He gives that brings real success, not power,
position, prestige or the praise of human beings who one minute love
you and the next trash-talk about you.

Jesus spoke about those who seek the praise of humankind rather than
the praise of God. He knew our hearts “are deceitfully wicked” without
His Master plan- and the most essential part of that plan is
relationship and position with Him- NOT position in this world or our
“place” with others.

Our TRUE identity is in Him, not in our work or position of power.

This is in part why leaders often grasp and do all they can to shore
up and maintain power rather than share it. This is where all too many
in the Christan church judge and politicize for obtaining “a place of
higher office”… they’re not looking for nor finding the life-giving
love, acceptance and security in their relationship to their heavenly
Father through Jesus. It’s not about loving others in service, rather,
they seek “stripes” on their sleeve, a front office, a paycheck with
more zeros than the next person. It’s a carnal, worldly ambition and
idea of self-worth according to pecking order.

These are traps that are so easy to fall into. The BIG gig rather than
the right, real and perhaps humble show. My time rather than HIS…
rather than the right time. And sometimes the right time is never. God
has answered, sometimes His answer in love for us is “No”!

One of the things I’ve learned is that I don’t have to perform circus
tricks for my heavenly Father to love me. Jesus on the cross proves
I’m worth everything to Him!

You too. YES. Your no less valued by God than I or any other Christ-follower.

So if you need to turn some things over to God, perhaps even as a
leader or someone desiring a “ship that never seems to come in”… let
those things go!

Grasp God Almighty and experience what real satisfaction is like -in
His arms. It was NEVER about our own efforts trying to obtain
position, prestige or power.

What was it He told Israel? When i have given you fields you did not
plant, wells you did not dig (etc., etc.)… don’t forget ME… the
Lord Who gave it all to you.

What have we been given that isn’t a gift?

Further, we are stewards of what does not belong to us- and will one
day give account. Let’s take care how we interact with our Lord in the
process.

Things to consider!

Thanks for stopping by 🙂 -Glenn

Michel Poulin Pic

We have always had an amazing team of photographers and other artists
at each Cornerstone Festival.

Hope you like my new header photo- it was taken by Michel Poulin at
Cornerstone 2012 playing a cigarbox guitar tune during my set with Joe
Filisko at the Chelsea Cafe/Gallery Stage. Michel has a lot more
photos online if you look in Facebook and here:
http://poulinphoto.com/

And I quote: “The event was a blast. I am working through the 1000+
photos and will post them as they are ready. I have already started
posting samples on my Facebook page. (
http://www.facebook.com/michelppoulin )”

Thanks for your fine work Michel, and to my readers, thanks for stopping by!

-Glenn