There are certain things that people try to express in words but fail to clearly articulate the emotion and passion in what they are trying to convey. When hitting that roadblock in our journey to express ourselves, we have a format that has such an effective portal to translate our feelings and thoughts. This format of communication is encompassed in the musical arts. Whether is be through singing words to a tune or just playing an instrument with soul and passion, we have a method of speaking to the hearts and souls of those who will listen. Amazing love can be shown through the music we play and the music we listen to. Words of commitment and of power and of devotion can be expressed and shown more deeply though music than with just a spoken word. But not only can love be shown, but also many other opposite emotions. Anger, hurt, and remorse are many times weaved into the flow of a song. The emotion in the dramatization of tonal and emphasis changes in the music cause a myriad of swinging sensations throughout our being. The differences between major and minor scales carry with them varying feelings.

Music is a gift from God, and as with any gift from Him, we should give back a portion in a way that is pleasing in his sight. God has designed worship to be that avenue in which we offer appreciation back to him. From the time that I started playing the guitar, I sensed an overwhelming desire to worship God in music. I know that the reason I learned guitar was for the purpose of worshipping Him, and if it hadn't been for that purpose, I don't think that I would have learned it so quickly.

When I was about 10 years old my father tried to teach me to play the guitar on his 1979 limited edition Alvarez acoustic guitar (it's beautiful). I tried to learn, but it seemed impossible. Then a couple of years later, in May of 1997, some of the seniors at my high school were playing the guitar a lot and I asked one of them, Darren, to teach me a song. Being that I was just a freshman, I suppose I was just trying to fit in. Darren decided that "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" would be a good and easy song to teach me. He did, but I didn't play it very well. Since I wanted to play it better and to be able to switch chords faster, I spent the entire in my upstairs living room with none other than my father's 1979 limited edition Alvarez acoustic guitar. With my father's help and patience, I learned a variety of chords to use in just about every song in the chorus book that I had brought home from church. By the end of the summer, I had become proficient enough to being playing in church. I just knew there was a reason that God lead me to learn. Within the next couple months, my skills solidified to the point where I could sight read most new songs.

Since I learned the guitar in that summer, I've been blessed with the opportunity to leading the praise and worship team at my high school's chapel, my father's church my father's church for 4 years, and now that I've moved to NY, help with the music program at my new church, Living Water Baptist.

It's amazing to see the development God has done in my life through the gift of music he's given me. I will always be blessed by His allowance for me to worship Him. He desires our heart through worship, and the least we can as His children is to love Him back for how much He loves us.