My 3 Sons

A few thoughts for Christmas that hopefully kickstart me to record series 2 sooner rather than later! I know the Christmases we have made for you 3 boys and hope that some of the hope of Christmas carries on in your lives. It isn't about family, or gifts, or road trips even though these things were present in the first Christmas. But what do we actually think it should be? What do we hope you have learned from us and the Christmases we've had as a family? It is hard to pick a favorite Christmas carol to play in this episode, but I do love It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and this arrangement by MercyMe is superb. https://play.google.com/music/m/Tlx6nhi2bl5ftwyzh4l65hnoc5u?t=It_Came_Upon_a_Midnight_Clear_-_MercyMe

Do you ever imagine what your life might be? Turns out to get what we want we might need to live a different way! Jesus imagined a different world in the beattitudes and it is revolutionary, counter-intuitive, and totally not how most people live their lives. Read them in Matthew 5:3-12 (CEV translation) then listen to Imagine by John Lennon.  This week George Benson plays Breezin in the background. Full playlist of songs is on Google Play Music, My 3 Sons. 

Whether deliberately or incidentally we will serve someone or something. I was terrible at deliberately choosing who or what I would serve but as I've gotten older and understand a little more of the gospels I think it is a lot simpler. Of course I've sifted through plenty of terrible and great advice to get to this point. I'm still not where I need to be but increasingly feel like I'm heading in the right direction. My hope for you 3 boys is that you will be able to sift through the good and bad advice and make great decisions about who and what you serve.  Matthew 22:37-39 is the verse I quote from The Passion Translation this week. Tender Surrender by Steve Vai is the background track and the Bob Dylan song, You Gotta Serve Someone is the featured song. The full My 3 Sons playlist is available on Google Play Music.  

Be generous because we're living in paradise. I reflect on how I reject religion and look for my faith to inform every aspect of my life. We have so much and so many people telling us how we should be living. How do we respond to all this input? This week I use verses from all over the bible that help me attempt to be less religious and more of a genuine follower.  I lean into James 1:27 as James is a really influential book in my faith. But I start back in the Old Testament with Deuteronomy 6:5 then bounce in Micah 6:8 on my way to the New Testament and Matthew 6:2-4, Matthew 23:23, and Mark 12:30-31. I remain amazed at how consistently certain messages run through the bible and think that when they're repeated so consistently there must be something to it.   The backing track is Spooky as performed by the Atlanta Rhythm Section. I deliberately choose this because of the name of the track and will let you determine why I thought it was apt. It is also a pretty cool tune that one of the bands I was in played.  The song this week is Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins. He has already featured in this podcast and in many of his songs he asks really good questions. It is well worth listening to his solo albums and also those of Genesis the band that launched his career.  The full My 3 Sons playlist is on Google Play music. 

I didn't want to be me for years! Why do we pursue the life others project onto us? Actually, I think I just took this on myself when it wasn't there at all. However, don't spend your life living according to popular thinking and doing what others are. Rather be you and make your own decisions about what to wear, what to do, where to go, and what to believe.  Song in this episode is Beverly Hills by Weezer. Backing track is The Messiah Melody by Neil Zaza (sorry that I could only find a YouTube link for this track). Full playlist of My 3 Sons available on Google Play.

This week I talk about getting what you put in. I remember being at school, in bands, riding races and getting what I deserved. Other times I don't get what was deserved both good and bad! But mostly Mum and I think life is about what you put in.  In some ways this episode follows on from the Easter Episode as the verse I use is from Luke 23:30.  New Radicals, You Get What You Give is the song this week and the backing track is from the US Army Blues band and called Precious Lord. I don't have a link for that as it came from a CD or download and they don't seem to be on Google Play Music.  Full playlist for all the songs from My 3 Sons podcast is on Google Play Music.

Everybody is unlikable at times but Jesus said we're supposed to love others! Are we really any good if all we do is love those who are lovable? Sticking with the theme of love and the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, this week I talk about how difficult I find it to love others. And if I can't, can I claim to follow Jesus? Other references are from Matthew 5:46 (Message), and John 13:35 (Amplified).  The song is Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz and the backing track is Chameleon, a Herbie Hancock tune performed by Maynard Ferguson. Full playlist of all the songs of this podcast available on Google Play Music, My 3 Sons.

The history of humanity is littered with people being saved by love. In this episode I recount some of those stories from my life. We all need to be rescued at times and the bold, heroic love that leads to dying for each other is the best kind. The bible describes this kind of love, the kind was pursue and hope you boys will too, in 1 Corinthians 13. The Message version really captures what love looks like. The U2 song, Love Rescue Me seems to talk about how we all need rescuing and love so that is the track for the week. The backing track is from a guitaris called Bary Moore and titled The Loner (I couldn't resist the juxtaposition of love and loneliness sorry)! The full My 3 Sons play list is on Google Play Music.  This entire podcast is actually all about Mum and my love for you 3 boys, My 3 Sons.

This episode I reflect on the journey and challenge of representing Jesus. I remember in my teens not noticing any difference between those at church and those not at church. I explore this idea this week and the idea that we're all always representing someone or something. While I'm not great at it I connect Mark 12:30-31 and the idea that if I'm not loving others am I really loving God? It feels impossible to talk about this without thinking about being light and the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:16. For the 2nd consecutive episode I quote Gandhi, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ” (find it here) and I start mentioning books that have been influential in my thinking (unChristian and The Way Back). In fact, I think the next season of this podcast will be books that influenced me!  The song this episode is, Jesus He Knows Me by Genesis. The full playlist for the My 3 Sons podcast is here on Google Play Music. Backing music this week is On Your Way Sweet Soul by Andy Timmons.

This week I wonder why the world won't change. I should probably wonder more about why I don't change and just expect others to do exactly what I won't. The John Mayer song, waiting on the world to change (listen here), had me consider what faith should look like when we live such sanitised lives with little obvious need and hurt around us.  Background track is Fuzz Universe by Paul Gilbert (listen here).  All tracks from the podcast are available on the Google Play Music playlist, My 3 Sons.

Finally I get season 2 underway with secular songs that influenced me and my faith. This week I briefly reflect on our little OE from last Christmas and play the Joan Osborne song, What if God was one of us? This question is still one I ask as I think it not only impacts people who believe and follow but also demands an answer from those who don't.  Either way the historical evidence is clear that Jesus did live so we must pause and consider whether that demands a response from us. If God was sitting beside us on the bus what would we do? Believing does mean change! Verses this week are taken from The Passion Translation. Find and listen to the music on Google Play: Joan Osborne, What if God was one of us? Background track 1, Joyful Joyful by Funtwo Background track 2, Joyful Joyful by the Derek Trucks band  My 3 Sons, Google Playlist (all of the music)   

Right now you're traveling the world! You're seeing and experiencing things that are different to what you consider normal. Everything is different while people still do pretty much what we do (eat, live, sleep). Our lives are a constant struggle for balance. Study and play, nutrition and glutton, work and living, physical and spiritual. What if they were all connected and we weren't supposed to live a compartmentalised existence? Van Halen wrote a song that was actually two different songs written by two different people at different times that ended up being one fantastic tune. What if things we thought weren't spiritual could actually inform our faith and make our lives better?

This week I conclude this first season of the podcast. The song this week is called Greater than we Understand and I acknowledge that all things in life are much bigger than we understand. What I know now is much more than what I knew back then. But it is still a mere fraction of what there is to know! Taking the easy way isn't always best and this is something Mum and I talk about in relation to you 3 boys and our parenting. We understand more now than when we started, but we still have to learn because we care about you 3 having great lives. Your faith will grow as mine has, but only if you're deliberate about it. Typically people who are deliberate about things succeed! So enjoy the song and prepare for a new season, new songs, and new stories about how my life has been influenced by others.

We all need a cheerleader in life, someone who is always on our side, willing us to be better. I've had lots of people like this in my life and you'll hear some of those stories. But really this episode is all about beginning to make your own decisions and live your own life. When I was just a teenager I had a weekend in Wellington without my Mum & Dad. Could I make sensible decisions about what I'd eat, where I'd be, and what I'd do? Know boys that Mum & I want nothing but the best for you. Remember that others want the same, for you to have a great life. For you and your uniqueness to find your place in this world. More than that, God wants this, wants you to experience a rich, fulfilling, and exciting life. Listen to the Newboys and their song, Entertaining Angels and think about us cheering you on.

So many times in life we accept 2nd best. We follow the world and copy what already exists. Too often we listen to what others tell us to do without testing it for ourselves. We take on what others say and take that as gospel. Don't let others words or actions be what you end up believing. Figure out a filter so you can learn from others but be true to your faith. This week there is another Michael W. Smith song, Live the Life. He was an artist I listened to repeatedly and had all of his albums. The lyrics and message in his music spoke to me and helped me mature.

It would be easy to reject Jesus based on the lives of others. Most of this podcast has been about others shortcomings and how I've responded to that. You might even determine with a bunch of evidence that I'm not the best follower of Jesus and my actions don't consistently reflect what I say I believe. That is part of everybody's story and we will always make mistakes. If we can learn from others mistakes then we won't have to make them which can only be a good thing! Why don't we consider Jesus first instead of those who claim to represent him? Why don't we discuss him, his actions, his words, his life as a starting point? Why don't we look to Jesus? Larry Norman captured this thought in his song, why don't you look unto Jesus?

We're all wandering along through life trying to find meaning, purpose, and direction. What is it that can be a light on your path? The bible can seem archaic, barbaric, and like utter nonsense. But what if we didn't understand it in context? People influence and guide me either through conversations, books, talks, or actions but underneath it all I try to understand the story of the bible. It is meant to make us better people, make better communities, push us forward to an incredible future. It informs my life and I want it to do the same for you so your lives are full, meaningful, and incredible! My eclectic musical collection brings a song from Amy Grant, Thy Word. The lyrics are lifted from a verse in Psalms and paint a fantastic picture of the path we're walking being illuminated by God's word. Don't mistake what is written because you don't understand who it was for or what was happening at that moment.

I've been telling you all about not following others but we do need people in our lives. We need people we can follow, who will lead us, people we trust. We don't follow blindly but we let them guide us while still paying attention to the detail, purpose, and direction of our lives. Listen to the story of Joshua and Jericho and how the doing the same thing might feel pointless and tiring but can lead to incredible things happening. The Imperials have a song that tells the story of Joshua and Jericho called, Jericho. Listen and let others lead into an incredible life.

Giving up is easy, coasting along fitting in with what those around you are doing is simple but it won't get you a fulfilling, meaningful, incredible life. You have to live with intent and purpose. You have to live in a way that doesn't conform to the worlds values. I did these things in my life and regret them. I had a good life but it wasn't the best life. That only happened when I began rejecting the worlds values and following Jesus in all areas of my life. This week you will hear another Stryper song, Keep the Fire Burning. It is a rocking guitar track that I hadn't heard for at least 15 years but talks about deliberately pursuing life. Don't give up easily, live deliberately and with purpose!

Following is easy, but what happens if you follow the wrong person? Others can help guide and direct us in life and that is great, but who are we actually following? Listen to the story of someone who had a great influence on me and my faith. In many ways I aspired to be like them and live a life like theirs. Then it all changed and I had to again decide what the foundation of my life was.