Thoughts from a guy just trying to chase after God!

Just wanted to let everyone know that my new album entitled “Broken and Redeemed” will be out October 28th. I will also be revamping the website so check back soon @ www.mattblairmusic.com. I am really excited about everyone getting a chance to listen to this new CD and the songs that God has birthed within me during the last year and a half of my walk with Him. I believe this album will speak to the hearts of people right where they are, no matter what you are going through, I know there is something on the album for you.

I think the chorus of the title song “Broken and Redeemed” sums up my heart behind the album. It says,  “When hearts get shattered, dreams are gone. When we’re fighting for the will to hold on. Help remind us there’s hope in the unseen. You are the God of the Broken and Redeemed.” The key line is, “there is HOPE in the unseen”!  That is a huge component of Faith, trusting in what is unseen and knowing that we have this great hope in Christ even though there are times we cannot see what He is doing. God is our Hope of Glory. Another song on the album entitled “Forgive Me”  has a part we’re we can corporately declare that God is our Rock, our Redeemer, our Hope of Glory and our Everlasting God. That is what I want us all to cling to, that no matter what is going on in the world around us, we have this great hope that rest in Christ!

So be sure to go to iTunes, if you have it, and purchase the new album.  I hope it is on iTunes on the 28th but if it is not it should be up by the second Tuesday in November. I will also post a list of places the album will be available around Wilmington, NC. Of course you will be able to purchase the CD at any show as well. Thanks for all your support!! It means more than you know.

So last Friday we got the news that Erin’s grandfather Howard Conely had passed away. He had battled for 3 years, and we had plenty of times of “get the bags packed he could go tonight.” Every time he would pull through, but this time it was Howard’s time to go home to be with the one he could not wait to embrace, Jesus! 

We got to Somerset, KY on Monday and what you would expect to be tears and mourning instead was joy and laughter. I learned something right away, when the person who dies is a follower of Christ, yes you will miss them but you are pumped because they are exactly where they want to be. After hanging with the family for a little while Erin’s mom asked if I would sing at the funeral, which I was honored. 

So the day of the funeral was crazy, tons of people coming to pay respects during the viewing and then the funeral began. Everyone who shared, the two pastor’s, Erin’s mom, and her brother Josh all shared one thing, How much Howard loved Jesus and told everyone he met and talked to about him. They also spoke about his love for his family. Those were the only two things you heard, well and the fact he loved playing golf. I sat there before I went up to sing listening to these stories and I was just blown away. I am thinking to myself, “what would people say about me when I pass?” Things like, “He was such a nice guy” or “He sang so well” or even “He was a Christian”. Some might say, “He loved his wife and daughters” and you would definitely hear about my love for golf and music. But would anyone talk about my uncontainable love for Christ? If I am asking myself that question that means I am doubting they would, which means I am obviously not living my life the way I need to be.

Don’t get me wrong, people would talk about my faith because I have worked at churches and sing Christian music, but when people spoke of Howard it was about his love for God that he could not contain. Nurses from the nursing home spoke about how Howard had changed their hearts and lives with words he spoke. How in Howard’s last days when pain got bad they walked by his room and he was praying for God to bless his family and friends. WHAT! When pain is overwhelming you are praying for others! Who does that sound like? Oh yeah Jesus when he was in the garden and on the cross. I was DONE! As I sit here writing this I am thinking 90% of the time I am just cruising in my walk and then there are those times I am super pumped for like a week or two and then I am on cruise control again. 

One thing I heard Erin’s brother, cousin and one of the ministers say was, “I want to live my life just like Howard did.” No disrespect to them and I think Howard would agree with me but the statement should be, “I want to live my life completely sold out for Christ!”, because that is what Howard did. 

So what does this mean to me or anyone reading this. Nothing more than sometimes you need a reminder that life is short, even for Howard 86 years is not as long as you think. Since we only have a limited amount time we need to live in a way that reflects everything God is about. We should be those examples of Jesus for people to see. Romans 1:17 says, “The righteous live by faith”, to me that is exactly what Howard was all about. Just living by faith and trying to give God everything he had. A man of modesty, born into poverty and leaving the world with very little possessions or quote un-quote worldly goods, but he had a gave so much more, he gave everything he had to God and shared the love and salvation of Christ.

So I guess what I am saying is if an 86 year old man can tell everyone he meets about Christ what are we and more importantly what am I doing with my life?