Well done, Larry Norman - Welcome Home

This past Sunday (2/24/2008), Christian rock music pioneer Larry Norman left his earthly body, and went to join his savior in Heaven. After many years of his body failing him, he finally got his reward.


I was first introduced to Larry's music around 1982 or so. A friend of mine had the "Something New Under The Son" release, and I got a kick out of Larry's sense of humor. The bluesy rock music was also well done. I began checking out other releases from Larry, and discovered his involvement with Randy Stonehill (another favorite of mine, and the first "Christian rock" record I ever bought was from Randy). Larry had originally "signed" Randy to a record deal, and helped Randy get started in Christian music. Over the following years, I found Larry had many great songs addressing social issues as well as Christianity. During this time, I never did get a chance to see Larry perform.

Fast forward to 1998, when I was attending Cornerstone Festival with my wife. Larry made a previously unannounced solo acoustic performance at the HM tent. It was during this performance that Larry made some very motivating comments about suffering children around the world, and how we were called to reach out to them (if possible). After this, my wife and I sponsored a child through Compassion International.

Over the next couple years, reports began to come out about Larry having heart trouble. There were some times when the problems became quite serious, and there was question how long Larry would be with us.

The next time I got see Larry perform was at Cornerstone Festival 2001. Randy Stonehill was also at the festival, performing during a "legends of Christian Rock" special package of artists. Larry Norman was also scheduled to perform during that weekend. The relationship between Larry and Randy had suffered some problems during the 80s/90s, but they had rebuilt the friendship and Larry joined Randy on stage at the end of Randy's set. This was a reunion that many hoped to see. After this performance, I noticed Larry and Randy were watching another band from the side of the tent. I approached them, and asked if I could get a picture with them. They were both kind and accommodating. I had my wife take the photo you see here (Larry is the one on the far left)








The next day Larry gave a full band rock performance on the "main stage". I heard many say it was one of Larry's better performances, and was more energetic than many expected. The first half of the set was kind of a "retro-Larry" type bluesy rock show. For the second half of the set, Larry brought out a different backing band, and performed new modern arrangements of some of his tunes. Overall, a great show, and can be heard on the "Live At Cornerstone" release. Randy was supposed to join Larry, but Randy ended up having to leave the festival earlier than expected. I do specifically remember Larry making many comments about loving Christ, and how we need to be more loving to all.

I didn't get to ever see Larry perform again, but still enjoyed his music and ministry. Over the past year, I have been watching some Larry Norman videos a friend has shared with me. One thing is consistent with all the material - Larry loved Jesus and wanted nothing more than to share that with others. Larry wasn't without his problems or controversy, but he never said we should be following Larry. He was simply doing his best to point the way to Christ.

Anyone who has read of Larry's past health issues should not be surprised at his passing. However, it still is a loss for those of us still here, and we have to now step up and fill the gap left by Larry's passing. Larry Norman now gets to enjoy the rewards that he often would speak/sing about. Thankfully, we can still enjoy the music that Larry left for us, via his CDs and DVDs.

Thanks to God for allowing me to be around during the same period when Larry Norman was here, and having an opportunity to not only experience his live performance but also meet the man. Praise God, and thanks to Larry for the faith he shared.

For more info on Larry, you can check www.larrynorman.com They seem to have taken some pages off line for now, but may be back soon.

To purchase some of Larry's CDs, you can find many at www.christiandiscs.com

Tim

Have Americans stoppped thinking?

Maybe some of you can help me out here.

I am hearing frequent reports of people throwing their presidential support behind Barack OBama. This definitely has me questioning whether anyone is actually giving any serious consideration to the requirements of the job. Many state that Obama has said he will bring change and hope back to the office. There are numerous reasons why he is a bad choice, and I will cover a few here. Maybe some of you can help me understand why nobody seems to care about these issues.

Why are we even seriously considering a first term senator for the top office in the country? I know many like to say that there is no job that provides experience for the presidency, however there are some that come close. Many governors have become decent presidents, yet rarely is a senator ever elected into the position. We are talking about needing a person who understands how to build a solid team of advisers, who has some understanding of economics, and also has the courage to stand up for what is right (rather than always going with popular). I'm confident Barack is NOT that man. Sure, Barack can give a good speech, but that doesn't make him qualified to be chief executive of the country!!

I have yet to speak to anyone who can give me a single example of anything Barack has accomplished while in the senate. People simply like the way Obama speaks, and they like his personality. That's enough for them the elect him president of the USA, and that's a tad scary to me. Do you have any specific examples of Barack's accomplishments?

Barack wants us out of Iraq and believes we can reason with the terrorists taking refuge in Iraq. Any logical person can look at a sampling of terrorist actions and come to the conclusion that these are not reasonable people. The cowardly terrorist hides behind anonymous identities, claims no allegiance to any specific country, and sees their destruction of "infidels" as sanctified. I'm not sure exactly how Barack plans on reasoning with these individuals, but I'm 100% certain the terrorists simply want us dead. I am specifically not saying that all Muslims or Islamic people are terrorists, as I do not believe they all are. I also believe there are Iraqis who desire a country without terrorists, and are working towards that. However, the country has long been a safe-haven for terrorists, and Iraq continues wrestling with changing that. Unless we want another 9/11/01 incident, we need to continue taking the battles off our own soil. Barack doesn't seem to get that, and the USA cannot afford that ignorant leadership.



There are frequent reports of Barack not properly honoring the flag during the national anthem. He is pictured without his hand placed over his heart. It isn't a 100% of the time, but often enough to raise serious concern about him being our national leader. If he isn't 100% for the USA, what is the point of giving him the highest office? I'm not making this up. Look it up for yourself.


From Barack's own website:
If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law. No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness.”
My first question would be: Who gets to pay for this? My guess is that he would say it will be covered by the government. Spoiler Alert: The government does not make any money - it only takes it from us via taxes. So, a program like this has no option except to increase our already high tax burden.
The other problem I have is: When was the last time you've seen a government agency run something efficiently AND as planned? Even the simplest of tasks ("department of motor vehicles" or "secretary of state") are commonly known for their long lines and huge amounts of "red tape".
Simply put, the government is only good at raising taxes and building up the military. Everything else should be left up to the private sector. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's "free"!!

Barack likes to tell us how he's going to change things in Washington D.C, but any aware person knows that won't be allowed. D.C. is full of too many special interest groups and lobbyists, who are working daily to keep politicians busy. If Barack truly believes he can change the massive bureaucratic leviathan of D.C., then he is too naive for the job already.

Now granted, I have not decided on any presidential candidate yet, but there is no way I can see myself voting for Barack. Maybe 10 years from now, once he's had a chance to get more understanding of how things work in Washington D.C.

One thing is for sure: Any clearly thinking American cannot conclude that Barack is the right choice for this election.

Tim

Another chapter ends...

As many of you know, I was part of the band Sojourn. As of August 2006, the band went on indefinite hiatus. The primary reason had to do with our lead singer (Adam) moving towards missionary work. Due to the time needed for him and his family to prepare, he needed to make more time in his schedule. The remaining members of the band could not see Sojourn continuing without both founding members.

After about 18 months, the www.sojournband.com band website (along with all affiliated email address) has now expired. This is not surprising to anyone, and only means the ending of another chapter in the saga that was Sojourn.

I'll take this moment to thank Adam, Dean, John, and all the past members who have come and gone over the years. It was a fun ride, and there are many great stories. Thanks for letting me be a part of the experience.

Onward towards the future...

Tim