Time and Motion: Part 11 of the Drummer's Almanac

It's that time again where I criticize my drumming and complain about my lack of time to hone my skills.

Phrasing is everything! I sat down on my kit the other day and just started playing. I was not warmed up, as you can imagine, so I couldn't groove.

Normally I have a beat in mind and I try to play it with some passion. This time, I tried to improvise some fills and couldn't keep the time. I was rushing and disrupted the feel too many to count. My fills were scripted too, which makes me feel like I'm not original. I always want to keep it fresh. (I just watched the Blue Man Group use plumbing as percussion in their live show)

If you have ever sat and watched a player on stage not sync up with the rest of the band? It sounds uncomfortable and awkward. That is what I was playing like. It's like when you hit a baseball and you can tell you've connected because it feels great when it flies out to the fence. That's what drumming feels like when you connect with the group and you are in the pocket or groove.

Im trying not to be too hard on myself because I know I need more time to just play. I have the ability, I just want to feel it all of the time. Kind of like feeling the Holy Spirit. You can't get enough!

Chasing The Wind of the Spirit

The way the Lord reveals himself to me is always fresh and exciting.

In my last blog i was lamenting my inability to hear(listen to) Him. i was getting frustrated and felt like i was in a dry spell. i wasn't reading His word or reading anything inspiring.

Not until Jen showed up bearing gifts from Detroit. She gave my wife and i three books based on prophetic teaching. One, in particular, has gripped me and now i am almost halfway through the book.

Cheryl left a comment on my last entry to just look for new ways to hear Him. i did just that and found Him.

The book i'm reading is "Growing in the Prophetic" by Mike Bickle. He talks about "the wind" of the spirit, "the fire" of the spirit, and "the wine" of the spirit. The wind part reminded me of my conversion. The wind is the coming of the Holy Spirit. Like on the Day of Pentacost when a rushing mighty wind shook the building and the disciples trembled. My conversion was no different. i had just committed my life to Jesus and asked the Lord to let me know he heard my cry. He answered with a stirring of the wind that swept me up and snuggled me in His loving embrace. i would have thought it to be coincidence if the night wasn't so calm.

So i wanted to write a song based on the wind of the spirit. i was meditating on these thoughts this morning in the shower when i kept hearing "Baptize My Heart" by Misty Edwards. She is talking about the baptism of the heart by the Holy Spirit. The next line is "with Your fire", "desire". This is the place i'm in now. i want the fiery passion of the Holy Spirit to course through me. i want to know God's heart.

Where do i go from here? i don't know. i am just going to wait.

My prayer is that i continue to be opened up to prophetic teachings and let myself be used by Him to use these teachings in ministry to others. More importantly, i want to be lead by Him to minister to others. i need safety and nurturing to help this grow. i ask the Holy Spirit to come and reveal it's fiery passion in my heart so i can know the heart of God.