Songwriters are my favorite

One of my musical heroes is Steven Curtis Chapman. His song writing style is perfect for my brain/heart to absorb. He uses so many original analogies that I just love.

In reference to accepting God's grace:

I'm playing Gameboy standing in the middle of the Grand Canyon
I'm eating candy sittin' at a gourmet feast
I'm wading in a puddle when I could be swimming in the ocean

His debut album came out in 1987 and I discovered him sometime in the neighborhood of 1993. I can't for the life of me remember how I found him or what originally pulled me to his music, but I do know that again and again his music has show up at just the right time in my life.

I clearly remember being 18 and so excited for the Speechless album. I locked myself away from the chaos that was my home (brothers are just loud) and borrowed my brothers big ol' headphone and listening to it from start to finish. I felt like every song was piercing my heart. Later that year I was able to see the associated tour and I remember standing in the back of Carpenters Home church and bawling my eyes out as God spoke to my heart through the lyrics.

Along the way I went back and bought the early albums I had missed. They hold so much much good basic solid truth.

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on
Raised in His power, the weak become strong
His strength is perfect

If you were to ask me who my favorite devotional writer was, I'd answer SCC. His songs have done more to encourage and challenge me than any devotional book I've read. Even the slightly odd lyrics like Dancing with the Dinosaur ;-)

His new album Re:creation comes out tomorrow and iTunes has already given me my pre-order. I'm looking forward to putting it in the car tomorrow and soaking it in during my commute. It's only 1/3 new stuff and the rest re-recordings of older stuff. Since a recent theme in my life is renewing lessons I've learned in the past, I know God is going to shake me up with something as I listen. 

In a week and a half I'm finally going to get to meet SCC. I can already tell you that he'll think I'm a nut because I have no control of the stupid things that come out of my mouth in these situations. But I'm hoping I can in some way let him know how grateful I am for his ministry. 

(and don't forget to LIKE Show Hope, the ministry started started by his own family's foray into adoption.)