so last week before i headed of for the first ever middle school ministry campference i left a copy of the new matt redman cd entitled 10,000 reasons for my bride. i love redman’s heart for the Kingdom. 
I didn’t listen to it until after returning home. melinda had heard matt on chris fabry’s show on moody radio and said it sounded great. great is probably an understatement. it could be just the season i’m in or it could be that matt has touched something deep. here’s a video with matt sharing the “why” behind what this new work means. 11 songs…that all totally rock.
matt says…
this album is about celebrating the many, many, many reasons there are to glory in God…if you ever find yourself a little weary of sleepy or running out of something to say to God that there is something going wrong with your spiritual outlook…there is always something to say to God.
this is a must have album. the words of each song are solid and the tunes are incredibly catchy and engaging. the live aspect of this work adds that much more. personally, tracks 1 – We are the Free, 5: Fires, and 8: We Could Change the World are my favorites.
the high school in joplin has a new name
the words from track 5- Fires has settled deep in to my mind as a song that i think speaks of those we met in joplin on the Present:Hope tour. sitting in the classroom at St Paul’s UMC and hearing of what folks pushed through on that sunday nite in may. and to hear of how, with the resolve of a deeper faith in a God who provides and is in control-Christ followers are rebuilding their lives one day at a time. or even how the high school in joplin has been renamed to center everyone’s mind in a practical way. really encouraging stuff. check out these lyrics to Fires:
We’re standing in the desert of dry bones
But still we see Your life
Walking through the valley of shadows
But holding onto light
And we’re waiting, waiting on You God
And our hearts will trust, trust in who You are
God who keeps our fires burning
Burning through the darkest night
See the hope in our hearts
The faith in our eyes
You can move the highest mountain
You can keep our dreams alive
You’re the joy of our hearts
You’re the fire in our eyes
Light up our lives with holy flame
All for the honor of Your name
Give us the strength to face the day, Jesus
Light up our lives with holy flame
All for the honor of Your name
Give us the strength to face the day
You’re the fire in our eyes
so get yourself a copy…you’ll be blessed you did.