Barrett Myers :: blog

Local Thunder Podcast Episode 67

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:03:54 -0400

Local Thunder Podcast Episode 67:

My song “Stars” was featured recently on The Local Thunder, and also made an appearance back in March.

Johnny Cash reads Mark 15

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:59:11 -0400

Johnny Cash reads Mark 15:

A little something for Good Friday…

trav is: Jesus' Healing (testimony)

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:06:43 -0400

trav is: Jesus' Healing (testimony):

traviswithabeard:

Let me start this off by saying that I am in fact a Christian. I think that it is reasonable to believe in Jesus. If you are a non-Christian and you’re reading this, I appreciate you taking the time to read. If you don’t agree with anything I say that’s fine, I at least hope you’ll see my honesty…

"By allowing something to die when its time is due, we create the conditions under which new life can..."

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:14:31 -0400

“By allowing something to die when its time is due, we create the conditions under which new life can emerge.”

- Parker Palmer - Let Your Life Speak

One Story Alone | Donald Miller's Blog

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:19:20 -0500

One Story Alone | Donald Miller's Blog

Beautiful Outlaw

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:39:00 -0400

The personality of Jesus is rarely discussed in churches today. He’s good and loving, definitely religous. He came to show us how to live, right? What would Jesus do and all that.

But what if the person you thought was Jesus was fake?Or half-real? What if we haven’t really seen Jesus’ true personality?

Thus begins John Eldredge’s Beautiful Outlaw (here’s a sweet video trailer), an engaging and breathtaking exploration of Jesus’ character as presented in scripture. Eldredge begins on a quest to uncover Christ’s true image, his personality. And as I read I felt myself loving this Jesus who was so passionate, playful, fierce, crafty, and human.

I have never laughed out loud so much reading about Jesus. And I felt like I got to know him better, as you would a friend over a fireside chat. I came away loving, admiring, desiring to know this man even more. I was desperate to know him more, without realizing it.

After unpacking Jesus’ personality and revealing (among other things) his playfulness, honesty and cunning, Eldredge then invites the reader to experience Jesus firsthand. He contends that an intimate encounter with Jesus is the most transforming experience of human existence, and I wholeheartedly agree.

This book will change the way you see Jesus, and it is an open door to an intimate encounter with him. Definitely worth the read.

"Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing..."

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:19:46 -0400

“Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.”

- Julius Erving (via CrossFit)

"I just try to quiet those [negative] thoughts when I have them - ‘Gee this hurts,’ or ‘Gee..."

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:09:58 -0400

“I just try to quiet those [negative] thoughts when I have them - ‘Gee this hurts,’ or ‘Gee this isn’t much fun,’ or ‘I have a blister on my foot,’ or ‘This wind is really driving me nuts,’ I try to recognize that I’m having a negative thought and I actually say the word ‘Stop.’ I change my focus to something else like counting my pedal strokes and before you know it you’re focused.”

- Lindsey Corbin via Triathlon Taking a Shot: What every triathlete needs to know | Universal Sports

(via Quotes « Bits Of Wisdom)

Wed, 04 May 2011 22:30:37 -0400

(via Quotes « Bits Of Wisdom)

The Final Summit

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:19:25 -0400

What does humanity need to do, individually and collectively, to restore itself to the pathway toward successful civilization?

The two word answer to this question is revealed in Andy Andrews’ latest book, The Final Summit, which is a sequel to The Traveler’s Gift.

On the surface this book seems to be more of the same from Andy Andrews; many of the messages, illustrations and principles in The Final Summit also appear in Andrews’ earlier works. His book The Butterfly Effect communicates a similar message but in fewer pages.

What sets The Final Summit apart though is the setting, and the principles and ideas that are whispered through the story. Much of the book takes place in heaven, with the archangel Gabriel playing a prominent role in gently guiding the characters toward the answer that will rescue humanity from the brink of disaster.

Anne Frank, Winston Churchill, King David, Albert Einstein, and many other ‘travelers’ offer their counsel on the question posed by Gabriel. And as their stories are revealed, many of the seven decisions for success from the Traveler’s Gift are revisited.

Most intriguing was the introduction of Eric Erickson, who is credited in the book as single-handedly defeating the Nazi war machine in World War II. In the end though, I wish more attention had been paid to the idea of God’s hand in our story (this theme is whispered through the pages). The book ends with the travelers drafting a declaration for humanity that is very inspirational and worth the read.

I received this book through the BookSneeze program. It’s free to join and you get free books in exchange for honest reviews — not a bad deal!

"If you are wondering why there are no more C.S. Lewis’ in the world, no more stories as good as..."

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 08:58:51 -0500

“If you are wondering why there are no more C.S. Lewis’ in the world, no more stories as good as Tolkien’s, no cathedrals as great as the gothic’s, no music as moving as Pachelbel’s, it may be because the writers of these books, the tellers of these stories, the architects of these buildings and the composers of these symphonies are sitting on their couches watching television.”

- The Garden of Your Mind | Donald Miller’s Blog

Outlive Your Life

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:12:00 -0500

One passage from Max Lucado’s Outlive Your Life that continues to stick with me:

A few years back, three questions rocked my world. They came from different people in the span of a month. Question 1: Had you been a German Christian during World War II, would you have taken a stand against Hitler? Question 2: Had you lived in the South during the civil rights conflict, would you have taken a stand against racism? Question 3: When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in which 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response?

This quote is from page 7, and the rest of the book is just as challenging. Below is my summary of the rest of the book — thanks to BookSneeze for the complimentary copy in exchange for this review…

This journey through the book of Acts is entertaining, relevant and challenging, and is better than other Lucado books I’ve read. It’s a book an individual can kick back with and read in a few sittings, but it’s also a book that a small group could discuss over the course of a month or so (I think this would work really well).

Regardless of how it’s read and processed, Outlive Your Life is not written to make a person more comfortable in their faith — it’s quite the opposite, prompting the reader to ask questions like “who have I shut out or discounted?”, and “how have I insulated myself from the hurt of the hurting?”

These questions are woven with simple, clear stories and illustrations that shine a light on the needs in our world and our ability to meet those needs. One such illustration reframes the mind-numbing statistic that 20% of the world’s population controls 80% of the wealth. ”Ten dairy farmers occupy the same valley…two of the farmers own eight cows, and the other eight farmers share two cows. Does that seem fair?”

Outlive Your Life is as challenging as it is engaging, and highly recommended for those who are willing to experience some discomfort in exchange for making a difference in this world. We only get one life.

“May you live in such a way that your death is just the beginning of your life.”

"When we think too much about the opinions of others, we are letting them edit a book God has..."

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:21:38 -0500

“When we think too much about the opinions of others, we are letting them edit a book God has written.”

- The Great Stumbling Block of the Creative Mind | Donald Miller’s Blog

"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less..."

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:42:13 -0500

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”

- Frederick Buechner (Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation)

The Butterfly Effect

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:50:00 -0400

Many are familiar with the concept of the butterfly effect — that a small, seemingly insignificant act can ripple through time and space and give birth to monumental change. This familiarity, however, doesn’t necessarily change the way we live; and Andy Andrews aims to change that with his book The Butterfly Effect.

This book is short and sweet, just over 100 colorful pages, readable in about 15 minutes. Andy uses two illustrations to drive home his point that every action matters to all of us, for all time. I’d heard both illustrations before, and Andy has been using them in his live events for years. Nonetheless, the ideas are timeless and the presentation was well done.

There are generations yet unborn whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take today

This video provides a good summary of the book, and here’s a talk by Andy Andrews himself where he uses most of the same illustrations to make the point that everything matters.

I received this book through the BookSneeze program. It’s free to join and you get free books in exchange for honest reviews — not a bad deal!

My ticket to living a better story

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:56:00 -0400

This post is for the Donald Miller living a better story contest. If I write real good I can win a trip to the Living a Better Story seminar. Here’s hoping :)

I had this dream once that I was in a massive city, two hundred years in the future. I was at this championship football game with a sea of humanity. I knew it was the future because I asked somebody in my dream what year it was, and they told me that it was the year 2199. That and I saw crazy futuristic things like Wendy’s vending machines that were dispensing hamburgers.

In my dream I left my body to get a bird’s eye view of the stadium and the attached shopping complex. And my heart was flooded with love for these people I would never meet. I wept that no one today was loving these people who were yet to be, and how rare it is that one will lay down their life for another.

Somehow I feel that my story is about reaching these people with a Love that crosses cultures and spans generations, a Love that I feel but often can’t explain. Sometimes when I’m sleepy or sentimental I think music can capture the essence of Love. I think music can capture the essence of love like glimmers of light refracted through a diamond. I become afraid when I think things like this though, and my dream seems impossible.

I begin to think of sharing my dreams with others, of sharing my music with others, and the fear is crippling. Fears of not being understood, of missing the mark. I think the Living a Better Story Seminar will help me face my fears and begin putting words on a page, and that’s why I don’t want to go. I think it would be easier to sit at home and watch Oprah reruns.

But I do want to make music, music that softens hearts and brings people to a new place of surrender to Jesus, who is Love. And I want to foster a vision for the next generation, but not just the next generation — a vision for all of humanity, that everyone would encounter and radiate perfect Love.

More details on the seminar and this contest are in this video, which unfortunately I couldn’t embed here.

Love & War :: an honest look inside a marriage

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:36:05 -0400

Book reviews are somewhat rare here, but I received a review copy of John & Stasi Eldredge’s new book on marriage, Love & War.

Disarmingly real, John and Stasi venture into the deepest parts of their hearts to prove that marriage doesn’t have to be two guarded people managing their disappointment.

There are over 8,000 books on marriage listed on Amazon, with titles like Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work and Ten Lessons to Transform Your Marriage. Many of these books have great reviews, but I would venture a guess that very few of them come close to the authenticity and touching honesty that John and Stasi Eldredge display in their book Love & War.

Love & War is a book about marriage, about the greatest love story set in the midst of a fierce battle for our hearts. They write together in a way that lets their readers behind the veil of a real marriage – they are disarmingly real. As I read I found myself thinking, “Wow, they really thought that?” or “He actually said that?”, and then recognizing some of their same feelings in my own heart.

John and Stasi describe marriage as two deeply broken people living as close to the heart as people can get. It is normal for marriage to be hard, but their gift to their readers is the perspective that our marriages can be about a larger story that God is writing – one about healing our brokenness and uncovering the vows we’ve made that shape our way of relating to the world.

Brave couples that read this book might find themselves asking one another, “What’s it like to live with me?” or “What is the effect of my style of relating?” or when hard times come, “Where is the brokenness?”

I’ll venture a guess that I’m in the minority, reading and reviewing a book on marriage without ever having been married. But I’ll also venture a guess that those who read this book with an open heart will be moved and transformed, their hearts more tender toward their spouses and toward Jesus.

More info on John and Stasi Eldredge

"Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find..."

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:58:49 -0400

“Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.”

- John Henry Newman (via CrossFit)

Kind of odd seeing my own name in a friend’s iTunes…...

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:55:01 -0400

Kind of odd seeing my own name in a friend’s iTunes… Right between the Backstreet Boys and Bay City Rollers. I think that’s about right :)

First draft of a song from Psalm 48

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:57:07 -0400

First draft of a song from Psalm 48