Second Wind, an album

Each year I try to release a new recording project of original songs. Not that I have delusions of rock and roll grandeur or anything; I do it mostly as an outlet for my creativity, as a way to grow as a musician, hone my skills as a writer, and learn a bit each day about music production. In the nearly two decades since I released my very first album—recorded in a day with some muscians from my old church in Two Hills, for a total budget of $1000.00—I would say the discipline of writing and recording an album each year has checked all those boxes, making me a better muscian, writer, and producer, all while giving me the great joy that comes from doing things creative.

This year's effort harkens back to those early days, in that a handful of the songs on the album are new recordings of some of the old tunes that appeared on that very first album (it was called Sunlight and Water, and I still have a few copies of it sitting in a box at the back of my closet, if anyone still listens to CDs anymore, and wants a copy). The rest of the songs are tunes I hammered out between the cracks of a momentous year of change last year. Between going into transition as a pastor, becoming an empty nester as a parent, starting a new degree to become a counselor, and starting a new ministry in a new church, I found a bit of time, here and there, to scratch out a few new songs.

This project is called Second Wind, a title which alludes to the fact that some of the songs on the album are getting a "second wind" by being re-recorded and re-released from the old days. The title also gestures to the fact that I'm at a stage of my life where I feel like I'm getting my second wind, as a father, a pastor, and a follower of Jesus. As as a final layer to the title, there's a bit of play on the wind/breath/spirit word group in the Scriptures (see John 3:1-16 for more....). The songs on this album all deal with different aspects of discipleship, and as such they are about renewing ourselves spiritually—getting a "second wind"—in our life with God.

Like I say, I'm not holding my breath for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to call any time soon, but if one or two songs on this endeavor spoke to a heart or two out there, I'd feel it was worth the effort. Over the next month or two, I plan to post each song individually, and tell some of the stories that inspired them. For today, however, if you're curious, here's the whole thing, posted for your listening enjoyment.