Steve Lowndes

Broadcast on Eternal Life Social Network

2012-01-17T22:06:00.002Z

I pleased to announce that Eternal Life Social Network will once more be featuring me on the PowerHouse show on Eternal Radio. This time I'm sharing a message called "The Puzzle of Life" which features "A Sacrifice of Praise" throughout the message.

I hope you get chance to join me by listening at Eternal Radio to find out more. The broadcast is 9pm GMT Thursday 19th January 2012.

Jack's poetry

2011-12-12T22:22:00.003Z

Jack recently brought home his "Big Write" book from last year at school. I felt so proud when I read it to see how creative our little man is. but when I came to one of his poems I was more than proud, I was impressed. So impressed that I asked Jack if he'd let me post this poem on my website. So here it is...

Listen!

by Jack Covill-Lowndes (aged 8)

Listen!
(What can you hear?)
The crashing waves
of a distant sea
A faraway bird
calling to me...

Listen!
(What can you hear?)
The slow slither of a
slimey snail.
The wind whirling through the
turbine sails...

Listen!
(what can you hear?)

Teacher's Strike!!!!

2011-11-24T23:16:00.001Z

So I'm a teacher. Comparatively I understand that teaching is one of the lowest paid professions. However, most teachers I know teach because they love teaching. Love sharing the future with their students. Love seeing the personalities grow from childhood into responsible adults. I don't know many teachers that teach because they're in it just for the money (although I expect that these people exist). Teachers live extremely busy lives. Often at the expense of their family life or personal pursuits. Again I'm sure there are plenty of other professions that work more than they rest. Contrary to popular belief a teachers day is rarely over at 3:45pm. I know many of my colleagues spend precious moments with their families and then set to work shortly after they've tucked them in bed. I suppose sometimes I do this too. So why this rant.

Well, simply put my colleagues may be going on strike on Wednesday. Because as a result of the nations austerity measures the government have decided to make savings by affecting public sector workers pensions. Effectively charging us more with a lower return. One fact has me gobsmacked! They expect me to be able to keep inspiring teenagers with current and relavant knowledge until I'm 68 years old. I can't imagine being able to entertain and inspire children when I'm that old. And why do they have the right to to take away my hard earned twilight years to spend them with my beloved wife Tamara and Jack with his future family. It just seems so incredulous that an arbitary number is thrown into the mix without considering the impact on people's lives.

I remember vividly the teacher's strike back in the 80's. I remember it because I was one of the students who was massively hit by the strike action (as many of my generation were too). I'm not even sure if the teachers realised what a long term effect it had on students like me. I deal with students who seem disaffected daily and as a team we find ways to inspire them and help them to develop self-confidence by building their self-esteem. At 15 years old I was expected to be a straight "A" student. In the same year all of the teachers who inspired me and made me feel like I could achieve good things went on strike. To begin with we thought it was a bit of a lark. But slowly things got progressively worse. Our relationships with these trusted souls broke down. Why weren't they their to teach us. What had we done that made them so angry. Teenagers don't often understand politics. My response was to switch off! I figured if they don't care about me then why should I care about them. My grades dropped, my attitude changed, I became disinterested and disillusioned by education as a whole and swore to never become a teacher even though my mum spent her whole life working towards that one goal. I truly only did "A" levels and went to college to stop my family pestering me.

What scares me is what effect is this going to have on our children. The young lives I encounter daily. If I stand with my union colleagues to shout at the government that we won't tolerate being mistreated then my students will suffer. They too may become disillusioned and angry. However, if I choose to protect the students I teach by offering them stability, then my family could suffer. It makes me so angry that a small number of politicians get to play God like this so often and seldom think of the consequencies. Or if they do then finance outweighs compassion. We live in a democracy yet it often feels like a dictatorship.

I think it would be wrong for me to state whether I'm striking or not on this blog for many reasons. Whatever the outcome I want my students to know that they are important to me and want them to also be aware how important my families future is too. Those who know me closest know what I will be doing on Wednesday. What would you do in my circumstances? "To strike or not to strike" that is the question.

Family Day Out

2011-11-19T20:33:00.001Z

Baby seal chillin' at Donna Nook

I love spending time with my special people and today was one of those special days. Tamara has been poorly all week and I've had one of those insanely busy weeks. Loads to do at school and brass band rehearsals 4 nights this week. It's all taken its toll on both my poorly girl and Jack who's missed his bedtime stories from me. So this morning when we woke I expected a day at home giving Tamara chance to build some strength and Jack time to play with me. However, Tamara had other ideas. Not shopping! She gently but firmly encouraged me to take us to Donna Nook to go and see the annual spectacular that is the birth of hundreds of baby seals. None of us have ever been before and I was intrigued. So after my protestations about Tamara being out in the cold off we went, armed with a camera and a football.

On the way there we decided to stop at a fish and chip shop for some lunch, We saw Dolphin chippy in Sutton on Sea and enjoyed a lovely meal there. Then on to Donna Nook.
I really didn't expect what we saw when we got there. The first thing that struck me was just how many cars were there. When we finally found a space to park we ventured over the dunes. The strangest sound emanated over the dunes and I begun to realise just how many seals were there. We got to the fence that separated us from the stars of the moment and marvelled at the sight of hundreds of seals with their pups littered over the vast expanse of beach. I wondered how long it would take a seal to waddle the great distance from the sea to their nurturing place. And so many people came to watch with us. It did make me feel a bit strange and I wondered how the seals felt about us staring at them. My question was soon answered as we walked a little further down the pathway and we saw a young pup looking extremely content lying on his/her back. I think the little thing must have been dreaming as it jumped and jerked in its sleep. Jack was fascinated by the little creature and watched waiting to see it move. When it eventually opened its eyes it seem to look straight at us then shuffled around and promptly broke wind, which sent chuckles down the line of onlookers. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed this amazing spectacular and I'm sure we'll go back next year.

Now it was Jack's request to play football on the beach, so we jumped into the car after negotiating the dunes once more, and off to Mablethorpe beach. I love to see Jack running around and laughing and jumping with joy. It's such a delight to see him smile. I remember a line from one of Michael Cards songs that reads, "I would wander weary miles, would welcome ridicule my child, to simply see the sunrise of your smile..." How true those words are. Both Tamara and I feel so lucky to be able to share our lives with this fabulous gift of love that we see in Jack.

My day ended with a performance at New Day Christian Centre in Skegness. I had to leave my poorly girl and sleepy boy behind which left me feeling a little sad, but I had a fabulous time with the good folk at New Day who were busy raising money for The Storehouse a new home for the New Day fellowship. I hope they enjoyed the music I shared with them and wish them success in their vision to be a centre for revival in Skegness.

When I got home I was expecting to see my wonderful family watching the X-factor, instead Jack was fast asleep in bed and Tamara was dozing, watching the X-factor in our bedroom. I am such a lucky man to have these two special people in my life. They give me joy daily and I can't imagine being without them. I loved our family day out. I long for our next special day like today.

R.I.P. Jerry

2011-11-05T21:23:00.004Z

Got home from our shopping trip today and after getting our tea and settling Jack down for the night I went to give our pet guinea pig Jerry some attention. I've recently bought him an inside run so he can "watch the telly" with us. It's funny how pets become such a big part of the family. So as is my habit I went across to talk to him. The usual response is a couple of squeaks and a look at the edge of the cage with expectant eyes for either some fuss or some nice green treats. Unusally he didn't reply. On closer inspection he didn't seem to be moving. But heart broke when I realised he had died. Next January he would have been 5. He's been an excellent pet and we will miss him dearly. As I write Jack doesn't know, so I'm not looking forward to telling him. So goodbye Jerry Berry, it's been a pleasure having you in our family - you will be sadly missed.

20 Years :)

2011-10-29T21:21:00.000+01:00

This week saw one of those momentous days. On Wednseday 26th October 1991 Tamara made me the happiest man in the world. This week we got to celebrate our China (20th) wedding anniversary. We went to Blackpool for a few days to celebrate and the three of us had a fabulous time doing all that holiday maker stuff. On Wednesday (our anniversary) we went to Toast in Blackpool and had a delicious meal. We went up the refurbished tower and visited the Tower Circus which was truly amazing. Jack loves Mooky the Clown. We went to Sealife - another place that has improved greatly. All this topped off by stayng at the Kensington Hotel which had some the most side-splitting entertainment I've seen in a while.

All in all a great way to remember one of the most special and important days of my life. Thank you Tamara for continuing to make me the happiset man in the world. I love you more each day.

Time To Reflect

2011-05-21T03:00:00.000+01:00

This last couple of weeks have been difficult in ways I wasn't really prepared for. Anyone who knows me well will know that my mum has been ill for quite a long time. She was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease when she was about 40 years old. This year she celebrates her 70th birthday. Like many people mum has been a constant support and strength to me for as long as I have been a musician. She believed in me when no else did. I now find that she has reached yet another major crossroads in her life. On top of this two days ago her beloved brother David died after a battle with cancer.

At times like this it's difficult not to reflect on your own life and how it should be approached. I find it so easy to become preoccupied with the latest project, often at the expense of the most important people in my life. My family. If I said they always came first it would be a lie. Instead the opposite is often the case. There's almost an unwritten expectation that they will wait for me until I've finished. But the stark truth is after each project finishes, another begins. Garth Brooks said right when he penned, "If tomorrow never comes, would she know how much I loved her?"

How we use our time, how we fill our time will make an impact on all those around us. I can spend every minute of every day chasing the dream, but at times like these I find it helpful to remember the words from Ecclesiastes 3 verse 14 "I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it." God knows our waking and our sleeping. He knows our hearts desire. But more importantly ho knows what he made us for. Chasing the dream may lead to a fantastic future - for very few people. Seeking Gods plan for our lives will lead us to fulfilment. I know that God gave me a family before he gave me music and maybe these times a reminder to get my priorities right. Maybe someone reading this is feeling this too. I pray that you will find peace in your journey through life. I pray you will allow God to guide you in this journey. I wish you joy.

The Puzzle of Life

2011-02-16T21:45:00.000Z

Reading: Luke 11:33-44

Aim: To encourage the congregation to face life’s problems by becoming open-minded, ready to give as well asreceive, in order to help others, whoever they are.

Resources: A complex puzzle, e.g. Rubik’s Cube

What do we have to do to solve a complicated puzzle?

A very good way to tackle a puzzle is to do it in reverse. Then we can understand how it works. The trouble with that is we might get distracted along the way and forget where we got to. So now we’ve not only got the original puzzle, but, also, lots of new problemsthat we’ve created by getting lost.

What we need to do is fragment the puzzle into ‘bite-sized’ solutions which give us time to reflect on what we have achieved and how to continue to make progress. So with perseverance, we will solve the puzzle . . . . . . . we hope!!!

Many problems in life can be like a puzzle with no obvious solution; we can try as hard as we like to make things better, but we only end up getting in a bigger mess. Does that sound familiar?

How many of us have been fed with so many half truths that we become confused with who we are and we feel as though we have no identity? People claim how wonderful we are, then, in the next breath they condemn us.

How many of us feel as though we are on an emotional rollercoaster: one moment ecstatically happy; the next plunged into the depths of despair? Then nobody wants to know us because we are so inconsistent.

How many of us have risen to face a busy day and rushed around from morning to night only to become so worn out that there is no energy left for family and friends? Perhaps you’re suffering, or have suffered from some kind of illness. Whether it’s a cold or cancer, we still feel as though no one understands our pain.

How many of us feel an aching in our hearts. Maybe we feel as though we’ve let God down; or, even, God haslet us down!!!!

What a tangled confused mess we must be!

The problems and tangles of our lives are an outward sign of what the bible calls sin. And as we struggle to sort out our own little mess, we very often forget that everyone else is in the same boat.

Jesus’ main concern was people: whoever they were or whatever their circumstance. Rich or poor, good or bad; Jesus loved them. He loved the Pharisees as much as he loved his disciples. He loved Judas Iscariot as much as he loved his own mother. But most importantly he loved those alienated from God by sin, as much as he loves his chosen servants. Where ever Jesus spoke he gave people hope. He didn’t preach atthem as though they were objects. He understood their hopes and fears.

Luke quotes Jesus saying, “When your eyes are good, your whole body is also full of light, but when they are bad, your body is also full of darkness.” It seems our eyes are like the windows in our houses. At night the light from our room spreads into the darkness, illuminating a small area outside. Yet in the daytime we don’t need our puny light bulbs because the greater light from the sun floods through our windows, filling our room with a greater light. However, if we chose to close our curtains, none of our light can reach out into the darkness at night, nor can the sun penetrate the shutters into our private little world. If we try to see the whole picture, instead of being blinkered by appearances or social status, maybe we’ll see past the mask of protection that protects us from being hurt.Prejudice is a crime we all suffer from. Offering a listening ear to some one who we are afraid to talk to or don’t want to associate with may help us realise that they are just as confused as we are, just with different priorities. Then by opening our eyes, we may be able to shine a little goodness to a world that certainly needs it. Who know, we may even smooth off a few of the rough edges of our own puzzle of life. But if we shut our eyes from what we see, we’ll soon be back to square one; but this time the selfish ‘I don’t’ want to know’ attitude will add a new set of even more complicated problems. Soon they will snowball out of control and start to roll in the wrong direction.

If we think of people as being like the bowl described in the reading from Luke, we begin to understand how important it is to not only receive God’s grace, but, also, to give grace to others. When Jesus hung on the cross, he was sentenced to a villain’s death and would have looked as vile and wretched as the thieves either side of him. Though Jesus made his message graphically clear in the manner which he livedand died, he never chose to glorify himself. Even as the most monumentally important person to have ever walked this earth, he had the humility to wash his followers’ feet. He recognised our need and knew what the solution was. To discover God for ourselves!

All of us are the dish that Luke recalls. We cover our innermost feelings and put on a brave face, when deep inside we want to cry out, “It’s me! I’m here! I have needs too!” If we are to begin to tackle our own problems we’ve got to see Jesus for who he really is and what he stands for. We need to see past the hardened exterior of people to discover their hidden needs. Let’s remember that everyone is a fellowhuman being regardless of race, colour, creed or political persuasion. It’s our job to treat them the same we as we would like to be treated. We should reach out to those around us; not only within our families and friends, but also within the church and the greater community in which we live. The church is hungry for this kind of fellowship. The church as a body of people should aim to become the heartbeat and conscience of our community. How else can we perpetuate this great commission?

Do we talk to God? Do we share our innermost thoughts, needs and actions with him? Regular communication with our creator will help us to know his desire for us. By daily reading and studying his word and constant prayer we will draw closer to God. When was the last time you rejoiced with God when sharing good news. When was the last time you cried before him because your heart was broken at the loss of a loved one? By having a humble heart we too can become transmitters of life as well as receivers. Only then can we start to nourish others with all the good inside us.

The overwhelming puzzle of life may seem impossible to solve, but as long as we keep chipping away at it and learn from our mistakes, we will be able to draw closer to God.

Are we prepared to share ourselves with others?

If we revealed the contents of our lives through our eyes, would we like what we saw?

Do we harbour love or bitterness in our hearts?

Do we get so wrapped up in our own problems that we shut out people who need our special talents?

When life gets tough and the problem seems to have no solution, why not consider this statement:

Has God forgotten me, or have I forgotten God?

Whose Side Are You On?

2011-02-11T21:52:00.000Z

Readings: Joshua 5:13-6:5
Romans 8:28-39

Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s it all for?”?

“Why does everything I hope for never happen?”

“Why do I have to make so many compromises to my dreams, always experiencing second best?”

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I bother?”?

Why bother being kind when the overwhelming response is contempt and hatred? Nobody likes a busy body…….. do they???

People who show a complete disregard for others lives and toss them aside like a used sweet wrapper. How angry does that make you feel?

Pictures in the media show an emancipated child with xylophone ribs holding out an empty bowl, while our world leaders are literally throwing away grain for economic reasons. Does that distress you?

Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s it all for?”?

Have you ever questioned the reality of an immortal invisible God?

I have!!!

In the face of life’s misfortunes and calamities do call out in anguish and despair, “Whose side are you on?”

Do you long to see an end to heartache, injustice, poverty, hatred, war. . . . .

I do!

So what is God’s reply?

How does he answer our plea?

Does he hear or ignore; act or do nothing?

Or are we expecting God to mop up our mess because we don’t know how to deal with it?

We have all either had, are going through, or know we will face, unfaceable problems for which there seems no painless solution. Still we sometimes blame God and say, “He has turned his face against us!” when the truth is, IT IS US WHO HAVE TURNED AGAINST GOD!

Whose side are WE on?

As a teacher I sometimes get problems brought to me. Some may be trivial, others quite serious, but all are important because to that student it’s a matter of life and death!! Hearing the problem is the easy part. It soon becomes complicated when it’s obvious the student wants me to take sides against another student, or even a fellow teacher. Now what should I do?

Let’s briefly consider this story of Joshua on the verge of attacking Jericho. So far everything was going well. They’d won many battles, crossed the River Jordan and had tasted the land of ‘milk and honey’ for the first time; but ahead loomed the mighty walls of Jericho. How could Joshua defeat such a stronghold?

One day Joshua was probably reviewing the situation when he saw a warrior. So he asked them the famous question, “Friend or Foe?” and the curious answer was, “Neither!”

How is it possible to be on neither side? Why does the commander of God’s army choose to take neither side? Is God really impartial when his people need him?

This brings me back to my pupil . . . . .
Whose side should I take; the victim or the accused?
Who is right? Who is wrong?
The answer in Joshua’s case was that God favoured neither side because both sides are his creation, as we too are God’s creation and he loved both sides, just as he loves us all. BUT HE HAS EXPECTATIONS!

We must love him above all else and love each other equally.

Jericho’s problem was they didn’t love God, they worshipped idols, so the walls of doubt and apostasy must come tumbling down so that God’s true nature could be seen.

The warrior was on God’s side. He didn’t place one principality over another. He served no kingdom gained by human endeavour. He served the living God.
As the story of Joshua unfolds we see how when Joshua sought to be on God’s side he defeated many stumbling blocks that stood in the way of God’s kingdom on earth. But when he turned away from God the wall began to raise once more.

We too have to break down or push aside the stumbling blocks in our lives. We have to defeat the stumbling blocks of doubt, hat, deceit, falsehood, greed, selfishness, envy and any such vices that would block out God’s will for us. How are we expected to see God’s promised land, if there is a mountain of confusion obscuring our view?

Let me give you an illustration of what I mean . . . .

Some years ago Tamara and I bought a house. It was a new house. We watched it being built. Decorated it, furnished it and everything looked good until you ventured into the back garden. Or should I say jungle! So I hacked it down, raked it over, sowed the grass seed, watered it and waited . . . .
Then at last some green shoots emerged. They grew strong and vibrant and before you knew it . . . . I was hacking the jungle down again. Not a blade of grass in sight!

Was it the seed that was bad or was it the soil?

The seed was guaranteed, it said so on the packet, and surely if weeds could grow with such vigour then the soil must be fertile. All things considered the seed should have grown.

So what had I done wrong?

You’ve got it! The reason the weeds came back is because I never dug them up in the first place. So when the shoots of good seed sprung up the were starved and choked by the well established weeds.

I hadn’t prepared the soil properly!

How true this is of our lives. We don’t prepare the fabric of our lives properly. We don’t always dig out the weeds that would choke us. We often cling on to the very things that drag us down and cause us to cry out to God, “Whose side are you on?”

So let’s concentrate on preparing the soil of our lives thoroughly. We need to dig out the weeds that cause us to stumble and obscure our view so that we can achieve our full potential as servants of God’s kingdom. Don’t be deterred.

Talk to God; share your life with Him. Don’t just request things when they are needed. Tell Him about everything. When you’re happy or sad, excited or dejected. Be grateful for all He is and has done and will do. Choose to be on God’s side and things will gradually fall into perspective.

Read about God in the Bible. Learn about how others discovered the nature of our Creator and share in the life He gives today. Rediscover Jesus again and cherish Him in your heart. How can we even begin to know the reality of God if we only peer through the letter box? Open the door of life and experience the tangible God. Reach out and touch Him. Let His love enfold you and know the truth of the words of Paul that . . .
Neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons
Neither present nor future, nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth,
Nor anything else in all creation
Shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Though the complexities of our life may seem unfathomable, hold on to those words, “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.

Make ready the soil of your lives and it will allow the seed of God’s unfathomable love to bear fruit the like of which you have never seen or dreamt of.
“What’s it all about?”
“Why do I bother?”

We can defeat such sayings when we are on God’s side. If we act in the will of God we are more than conquerors because any problem will seem as nothing when compared to the joy of knowing that God will never leave us nor will anything ever take God’s love for us away.

Choose to follow God with all your strength
And he will make sense of this crazy world.

Choose to follow Jesus to become more like Him
And the person you become will draw people to you.

Choose to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through life
And you will never be alone.

Let’s make a difference in this hurting world by sharing Jesus in al we are. Offer life to everyone.

Snow Days

2010-12-05T22:30:00.000Z

This week I had Four Snow Days!!!! From November into the beginning of December we had enough snow and ice to close over 150 schools in sunny Lincolnshire. Our school was one of them, which had many implications for the music life of our school. Sadly I had to postpone, possibly cancel, our Christmas Praise event . Anither project that was threatened was the William Lovell Project recording its second project - The Skeggi Stomp. Fortunately I managed to rescue all the main recording gear from the schools studio just before the chaos hit.

So as well as getting some real quality snowballing time with Jack, I also got to spend some time in the Pots n Pans recording studio once more (my kitchen). Its been a while since I recorded in this prestigious studio - the last was the recording of Design for Life (available on iTunes - hint hint). This time I had an iMac with Logic Pro 9 on it and some un-interupted time. So I set about finishing the project. After a few hours the finishing touches were made and The Skeggi Stomp will receive its public debut next week, weather permitting, on Wednesday 8 December 2010 at the Embassy Theatre Skegness.

Skeggi done and dusted the recording equipment was looking at me and longing to be explored some more. By now I'd gained a lot of knowledge a little bit of experience and an amazing desire to record one of my songs that has never had the attention. I spent approximately thirty seconds deciding which song, It took longer deciding that I needed to choose a song than actually deciding the song. A Cradle For The King is a song that I wrote back in 1999 whilst I was teaching at Spilsby High School (King Edward VI Humanities College). It was written in response to my musings on an interesting concept which I'm sure has crossed the thoughts of many people through the years. If the first Christmas happened this year where would Jesus be born. Would he be born in a squat or maybe he'd be born in private healthcare. That's a whole other debate. So I began recording.

The main guitar lick was the acoustic riff I figured out when I performed the songs a few Christmases ago and I decide to stick with it. The rest just fell into place. The only thing missing was a bridge. Originally I had two choruses to the song so I used the lyrics for the alternative chorus and edited them slightly. I figured the main purpose of the song was faith, belief and trust and the concept of a humble shepherd leaving behind his or her livelihood to see a baby boy who was the creator of the universe was a pretty mighty thought. So I stuck with that.

The song took about 8 hours record in total with a further 3 hours fine tuning and mastering. I'm really pleased with the end result and invite you to come and listen. Here's the link - A Cradle For The King Enjoy! Don't forget to let me know what you think.

J. Brian Hill - UK 2010

2010-10-17T18:30:00.000+01:00

J Brian Hill and I met on myspace back in 2005. At that time who would have thought that Brian would become one of my closest friends even though he lives 1000s of miles away. It's become an almost annual occasion over the past 4 years of either me going to Chicago (2006) or, more often, Brian coming to the UK. His visit is much anticipated by our whole family each time he arrives. So this year brings both excitement and joy in his return.

This year he will be once again working with my BTEC students at William Lovell CE School, Stickney. The project is really quite fascinating. The suggestion came from over the pond that we should look at giving the students a real project raising money for a charity close to our students hearts. What better charity than Children in Need. Little did I know that it would turn rapidly into a monster project.

We had a song-writing contest to write a song to raise awareness and money for Children in Need. Four excellent songs were entered and the winning song "Let the world know" by Hayleigh Garrett was chosen. The next step was to frantically create a backing track for the song. Brian will be working with Hayleigh to help edit the lyrics and work on vocal arrangement. Ashley and Phil Wilson will be helping to record the song and the whole BTEC group will be recording the vocals. It is hoped that the song will be performed at the Embassy Skegness on Children in Need night 17 November. It's public debut will take place in Brian's worship concert at Holy Trinity 24 October. Shortly after the CD will be produced.

Not only is Brian leading this workshop, but also, he will be performing at Holy Trinity, Boston on Sunday 24 October at 6:30pm. The evening will include a collection of Brian's songs including his US Christian Radio hit "Blessed by love". His sensitivity and passion for God is evident whenever he performs. I heartily recommend this concert to everyone and anyone what ever your walk of life.

Having a clear out!

2010-08-25T18:30:00.000+01:00

Sometimes a little job can become mammoth. Yes admit it - you've experienced that feeling too. I decided to sort out my home work space today. School starts again next week and it's time I buckled down to some serious preparation. I tried working on the sofa in a chilled kinda way, but Jack playing with his toys sounded to me like a steam train belting through the room. I sought solace at the kitchen table, but the sun was so bright I thought my screen might melt. So there was only one thing left. Return to my office!!!!

It's been called many things but the office seems to be the name that sticks. It's my music room, my office space, my library. The place where I go to work. The only problem is it's also the box room. Have you ever tried focusing on paperwork when all around you is clutter. I find that I can't even begin to concentrate if my mind is cluttered. It's funny how we allow stuff through the day to block our thoughts and cloud our judgments. This is how the room makes me feel. So today I began the declutter.

What a bad idea. Step 1; take all the boxes out. I didn't think that would take long, but where do you put them? I know the bedroom on our bed. So the bed is now covered with boxes. Step 2; tidy up the room. I'm sure I had a bin in there the last time I looked. It seems that I'd been using the carpet as a make shift refuse collection zone. So now I've got a bed covered in boxes and a floor that looks like the aftermath of a hurricane. So much for an easy job. I finally found the carpet which led me to step 3. Sort out the boxes. I figured that if I outed most of the stuff in the boxes then I could reduce how many boxes there were in the room. Good logic - less boxes, less clutter, more concentration. 6 hours later I'd only managed to dispose of 1 box.

By now I'm getting a little tired and incredibly irritable. The end didn't seem anywhere in sight. This is where simple words cut through the chaos. "Can you clear the bed I need a lie down" Tamara was also getting tired and it was getting late, so woefully I set about rebuilding my cluttered box room. However, strangely everything seemed to begin to piece together. It was as if all the extra time I'd spent attending to the little details which seemed to go nowhere suddenly saved time in buckets. The one less box made all the difference in the world. I'd managed to empty the biggest box which meant that all the other boxes pieced together like a jigsaw and took up half the space. A nice throw over them and all of a sudden I had an office again.

I learnt a lot from my very frustrating day today. Working hard and being patient with the little things led to great reward. Very much like all the little things in life that make us who we are may be as nothing to us, but who knows how each little thing may impact on a loved one or someone you meet.

Time for a change

2010-08-21T10:30:00.000+01:00

I've been listening to John Mayer a lot lately. Noticeably the John Mayer Trio and have been more than inspired. I was taken by many things. Obviously his outstanding gift as a musician with ann unbelievable mastery of the guitar. But also little things. Riffs. Melodies. Confidence. And I was surprised that his vocal range was "ordinary", I mean that in a nice way. So many singers sing so high and to emulate them is virtually impossible without tight trousers! It got me thinking.

I've always loved the blues and always wanted to play bass in a blues band. Somehow I never quite made it into one. I played in 60's - 90's band and touched on the blues, but never played get down and dirty blues. I love the sound of the crunch guitar; clean and yet edgy. So I thought I wonder if any of my songs would benefit from a remake in a blues style. The prime choice has been Jesus Calls You because I reworked it a couple of years ago to make it more funky. The chorus and prechorus were the biggest changes along with a funky riff. I even performed the version at a couple of my acoustic gigs, but it didn't sound quite right. So with help of Ash Wilson I had another look at it.

Well I spent about 2 hours practicing the revised version then set about recording it. The only problem I ended up with a monster blister so the guitar playing is a bit ropey. However, I decided to post the song on the website only in DEMO form just to gauge peoples reaction to the concept even though the guitar needs re-recording. Click here to go to the page and if you feel inspired please post a comment here.

Summer update

2010-08-10T23:33:00.002+01:00

I hadn't realised just how much I'd been neglecting my website until today. I guess life has been busy. Well that's an excuse we all use, but in actual fact it has been. It seems that most of my life is consumed with work these days, which is in many ways a good thing, but, equally, it's worrying to think that I'm racing through life often missing the important bits. I find it difficult to have the energy to spend with Tamara and Jack, I know I can be irritable, I often feel weary. It's at limes like this that I should be slowing down and looking for a break. Instead I'm always planning the next step.

One of the most amazing things that Tamara does is to read me like a book. She knows when I've pushed myself too far and when she spots a burnout stage she "tells me off". Well to be fair she tries many other more subtle ways of dropping hints before the full blown - STOP! Summer holidays is one of those times when she insists on at least one week of NO WORK. I'm not even allowed to think about it. So this year we went to Haven's Thorpe Park in Humberston. What a fantastic break. We played at holiday makers every day and night and had a thoroughly excellent time. I admit I was a bit sick of seeing Bradley BEar and Rory the Tiger by the end of it, but to see the delight on Jacks face made up for any negative thoughts.

So holiday over and it's back to reality - or is it. This holiday seems to be gently stretching before us and is still very relaxed, and most enjoyable. I built a gate for the fence I recently made - and it works!!!! We've been to the cinema twice in a week. Been shopping, spent time with family, helped out at a Christening and it's still only half way through. Coming up soon is a visit to my mum, which will be another welcome break. Along the way the way there will be other trips too.

Very soon it will be all over, but for now I'm enjoying the ride. I guess I'll do some planning pretty soon too. We have some big things coming up, not least a visit from my good friend J. Brian Hill, but that's another story. So for now I'll sign off. TTFN

Happy New Year

2010-01-07T19:24:00.000Z

I hope the new year finds you happy with what God has placed before you and eager to face the challenges that lie ahead. My year has started with a few unexpected surprises, not least the snow and family seasonal illness that comes with it.

2009 brought with it many challenges both with my ministry and my job. I have many wonderful memories of a year that the press considers a bad year. Highlights for me have been the opportunities I've had to work with some fabulous musicians in my ministry performances at Lincoln Trinity URC, Boston Trinity CE and my school William Lovell CE. I would like to thank everyone who attended and I truly hope that you were blessed and inspired as much as I have been.

Something of note that I have very much kept under my hat as well. Over the last year I have been in communication with a ministry development agency called IncubatorOnline. In November 2009 I decided to put myself through the audition process. I'm still not really sure what my motivation was and I can tell you I was more than impressed with Incubator, however after much thought and prayer I withdrew from the process just as I entered stage 5.

I firmly believe that God has a purpose for the music I write and perform and I can honestly say that Incubator have equipped me with more confidence in that purpose and for that I am grateful. In addition I was overjoyed to be able to welcome Lisa Coe into my music performances last year I hope that we can continue to develop the partnership with more appearances through 2010. Lisa is a graduate from the same music college I attended and is a fine pianist with a real heart for serving God.
I think that's about all for now. Thank you for showing an interest in my music ministry.

Abundant blessings
Steve

Christmas Cheer Event

2009-11-11T20:05:00.000Z

Come and join Steve in this community event of Christmas songs and seasonal refreshments (mulled wine & apple juice and mince pies etc. and Starbucks kindly provided coffee and hot chocolate). There will be an opportunity to mingle, sing carols and buy some home-made Christmas gifts.

Saturday 28th November 2009, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
All welcome. Steve is singing at 5:00pm

No place like home

2009-10-30T20:44:00.000Z

I used to love going away for a trip. To visit relatives or just to get a break from the norm. Strangely, these days I love to be at home. If I get a minute spare I want to be at home. If I had the choice to visit the place of my dreams .... I'd choose home. I sound like a right old soppy pants I know. So what's made the difference...... simple. Not only my wonderful wife, but also our fantastic little man, Jack. I often sit and think about his mum and how very proud she would be of what a marvellous boy he's become. Every night he says goodnight to her and he gets so excited when he sees a star blinking back down at him. I secretly think he enjoys the autumn and winter because he gets to see the stars more often.

Monday was a special day. 18 years since Tamara and I tied the knot. I haven't regretted a day. I remember how much I loved her on the day we were married and I never would have guessed that I could continue to love her more and more. She is so much part of me I can't even function without her. I only hope she understands just how much I love her.

So getting back to no place like home. It's obvious why I prefer to be home because home is where my two wonderful people are. Home is our haven. Everytime I think of Steph my heart cries but it also is so very grateful that she gave me and Tamar the opportunity to care for and love her son.

I could travel the world but I only want to be here with my two special people. Here at home.

On the road again

2009-08-13T23:26:00.002+01:00

Great songs, life stories and hope for the future. What more could you ask for in an evenings entertainment. Don’t miss Steve performing in his home church. Featuring music from Design for Life amongst some new songs.

Songs from my heart

2009-04-14T22:13:00.002+01:00

Enjoy a relaxing evening of song and anecodotes with Steve Lowndes, Christian singer songwriter. Steve will be joined by Lyndsey Evans and, hopefully, Nigel Halliday for this rare opportunity to share in Steve's songs, featuring the Design For Life album amongst the latest songs that he has penned.

Be sure not to miss this fantastic opportunity.

Admission FREE - no tickets required
Doors open at 7:00pm

Worship Concert at William Lovell CE School

2009-01-11T21:56:00.000Z

An exciting opportunity to see Steve perform at his own school. Steve will perform his blend of acoustic music on guitar and piano in this enchanting rural setting. All welcome. Admission FREE

New Song - You Are There

2009-01-06T22:52:00.002Z

I'm excited to annouce the unveiling of my latest recording. The song is called You Are There and has been described as a worship song by others. It represents quite a change in more than one area of my life.

First, it represents a new journey on my knowledge of recording techniques. Without going into boring detail I managed to utilize specialist features of a programme called Magix to create what I think is the best quality recording I've done to date.

Second, it has helped me to realise that sometimes it's good to wait instead of being so impatient. The song was birthed back in September/October and I've been picking at since then. Fotunatel I have a wonderful and patient wife who allowed me the space and time to complete the recording during the Christmas Holidays.

Finally, it marks a change in attitude, once again, regarding my faith and how I share it. I'm still not going to drum my beliefs into everybodys ears, but I'm not going to shy away from the fact that I am overjoyed to proclaim that I believe Jesus has rescued me from the sting of death. Every part of my life has been mapped out for me and I sometimes can't quite believe how every step is so wonderfully choreographed through thick and thin. Even to the point where the rough times have prepared me for each next step. It's easy to say this as I walk in a time of bounty, but right now I see a purpose for my life as a servant of God.

I hope you enjoy the song as much as I've enjoyed making it.

Many blessings
Steve

Music Specialist Status at William Lovell CofE School

2008-06-26T22:22:00.003+01:00

Since beginning my new job at William Lovell Church of England School Stickney Lincolnshire I haven't the opportunity to stand still. Shortly after beginning the job I discovered that we were seeking specialist status in music. As the head of music this clearly meant an awful lot to me both as a challenge and an opportunity for the school. I can now confirm that we have been successful in our bid, praise God. As a church school there was a huge amount of prayer went into this project and now we seek to find Gods will through it all, especially with the need to appoint a new member to the department. I pray that God will bring us a candidate who is not only a skilled music teacher, but also has a heart for worship and a desire to share Gods world with our students, many of whom are unbelievers.

God is so good.

New website

2008-05-23T00:42:00.002+01:00

Having successfully moved my webhost to twoedgemedia I am pleased to announce that I'm pretty close to a total revamp on my website. Some of you may have seen the red version for a short which I struggled with to set up the template. Finally I decided enough is enough and decided to adopt a template from free css templates. My thanks go to Robin and Helen of Living Hope to drawing my attention to these templates. Check out their website too locustmusic
I truly hope you enjoy the new website and welcome any suggestions you may have.

Anyone near Hull, UK?

2008-03-29T22:02:00.002Z

Shameless plug I know, but you don't get anything if you don't try

After a long period of no activity I seem to have been thrust into the frontline again much to my delight. Saturday 19th April 2008 is my next 'gig' at Manna Coffee, in Hull. Manna Coffee is a chiristian coffee house that has recently set up n outreach 'church' that is based around the Alpha model and is aiming to break down the preconceptions tha many people have about what church is about. The series of Saturday night concerts is one the attempts draw people from the in to experience the love of Jesus in action. I feel quite honoured to be the first artist in the series. In the gig I will performing acoustic versions of a selection of the songs I have written. It seems the last few gigs have been just me and the guitar with some help form my good friend Nigel Halliday playing the Bodhran and guitar and singing backing vocals.

So if you're nearby why not drop in and support MannaLife in their new venture. The evening will begin with an open mic if you're interested.

19 Apr 2008, 19:30
Manna Coffee
76 & 80 King Street, Cottingham
Kingston Upon Hull, HULL
United Kingdom

A live acoustic gig which will feature music from the album Design for Life by Steve along with some newer material. Relaxing folk/pop music with challenging anecdotes. There will also be a period of open mic before Steve performs.

I WIll Praise You, Lord, Live at Willoughby

2008-03-09T22:45:00.003Z

Here's one of the live recordings I managed to salvage from the evening. The song is called I Will Praise You, Lord from the Design For Life CD. I hope it works ok. Just click on the arrow.

Willoughby acoustic gig report

2008-03-01T23:21:00.002Z

It's great to be back.

I've been gigging again. I was invited by Nigel to perform for a small villiage parish church in Willoughby, nr Alford, Lincs. That gig was last night and really gave me confidence to perform again. Once more Nigel joined me in singing some of my favourites of the songs I've written. A modest audience of 20 turned up the first in this series of concerts for outreach in Willoughby hosted by Rev Daffyd Thomas for what turned out to be, as billed, a relaxing evening of song in an intimate setting. I had some fabulous feedback including the words every performer needs to hear. "That was exactly what I'd been needing to hear." It always reminds of a song by Paul Field called Reader to Writer, "If a song can touch just one heart then I know that it's alll been worthwhile." What made the evening even more special for me was to see five good friends there, three of which I haven't seen in a long time. The Lord truly is good.

Today I received a call for another booking and in addition I've been invited to share with Spilsby Pentecostal church (lincs). So I am happy to confirm that I'll be performing in the Manna Coffee House, Cottingham , Hull 7:30pm 19th April 2008.

That's it in brief. Please drop me a line if only to say hi. BTW I'll be seeing what the live recording came out like and may add a song to the playlist here. Pictures to follow

I Will Dance

2008-01-26T23:29:00.000Z

This hasn't happened to me for quite a while, but God gave me a new song on Tuesday. Unusually, it came almost complete in ajust a few minutes. That was always the way I composed in the past but mre recently my songs have come with considerably more birth pains and a long labour.

I will dance began Tuesday morning as I played the piano before my class arrived for registration. After school I once more sat down at the piano and played this nice musical pattern and then the words flowed. I took them home determined to edit them and work hard on perfecting them. However they were already written minus one line and a bridge. So today the song was finished. My worship group at school learnt the song with me and the bridge was written. The recording you hear is a one take after the kids had gone. I can't wait to record it properly.

I Will Dance
by Steve Lowndes

Verse 1:
You hold my heart
You hold my dreams
You catch me when I fall

When days are dark
You are my light
My shelter from the storm

Chorus:
And I will run to you
Into your open arms
And I will sing to you
With all the love in my heart
And I will give to you
My dreams my every desire
And I will dance, I will dance
. . . with you.

Verse 2:
You give me hope
You give me joy
When all I see is pain

You are my strength
When I am weak
You make me new again

Chorus:

Bridge:
And I will thank you
And I will praise you
‘Cause you’re my Lord, Jesus

Chorus:

Copyright Steve Lowndes 2008

New year - New site

2008-01-11T20:41:00.000Z

I felt like a change so I decided to revisit the website I created back in 2005. I'd had a few comments that some of the features weren't working on the last site, noticeably the journal and guestbook. I also felt that the forum was getting any traffic and was too centered on me and that was never why I originally created my website. So I've gone back to blue. I think it looks calming yet bright. What do you think?
Some of the old pages are currently missing and some new ones are replacing them. One difference you may notice immediately, is that the videos page has changed completely. Instead of posting a set of videos mini players that take ages to initiate, I chose to simply use my home page from youtube. You can access any of te videos that were on the last videos page from there. I also forgot to add a photos gallery, so I'm working on that one right away.
About the forum! The Prayer and Praise forum was an idea way back in 2005. The idea behind it was to create a place where people could share thoughts, ideas, stories, news, but most importantly, prayers. If it only helps one person then it has been worth the time taken to create it. If you feel you want to join the forum please don't hesitate.
So, finally, I welcome you to the new site. I invite you to explore it's pages. I encourage you to make suggestions about how to make it better. I truly hope you enjoy the site.

Blessings
Steve

Going Live Again

2007-11-21T23:32:00.000Z

It's been quite a while since I last did a live gig. May 2006 to be exact. That was when I went to Chicago to sing at Sanctuary AG church Batavia, IL. It was a difficult time with the knowledge that my sister-in-law was in the final stages of her cancer, also the first time I'd been away from home on my own since I got married 16 years ago. Also whilst I loved the church and especially being with my host I really got a shock when it came to my perception of ME as a performer. You see I always believed that wa what I was called to do. Since I was 14 to exact. The rude awaking was that having achieved my first international performance it felt completely wrong.

So the step to get out and perform again has been a difficult decision both personally and spiritually. However the timing seemed right so I decided to go for it. I still find myself asking why did I take the gig over and over again especially considering the huge volume of work I'm currently experiencing. But I will remain positive and faithful to my role as a performer this time and see what happens. I will learn from lessons gained in America and prepare for the performance in a different way.

So about the music. A number of years ago I was comissioned to write a set of contemporary Christmas songs and so was born the project "Incarnate God". It's basically my exploration of the most amazing gift that God ever gave us and the reason why we celebrate Christmas. With only 43 days left til Christmas I thought I'd post the following link to my Soundclick where you can listen to the entire set plus one extra. The recording was used on Christmas day a few years ago on Radio Linconshire with the Washingborough Singers led by Greg Wright and me singing the lead and playing double bass.

http://members.soundclick.com/station/603940

I hope you get chance to have a listen and maybe even feed back on the music.

Rock and Pop Academy

2007-11-21T23:05:00.000Z

Ever had an idea that exceeded your expectations. In the search for funding of various types to upgrade my new music department I stumbled upon Musical Futures and some fantastic ideas for personalised learning in relation to the extended curriculum. So I decided to persue the idea in my new school having had moderate success with it in my former post. Basically students get the opportunity to develop group performance skills and the potential of performing to a large audience at a county based event. During the eight week programme students will gain basic knowledge of a new instrument to them and meet industry professionals from time to time to assist in their development.

So having broadcast the information to students who I thought would benefit from the experience the first week was a disaster. Two students attended and I ended up leading them in a workshop about playing the blues, they were both capable guitarists. As a result I decided to advertise the program to the whole school on two seperate occassions and to my astonishment the second session happened and I had 24 students attending whch created a whole new problem. That equates to 6-7% of the school population.

I now had a new set of opportunities to play with and have unwittingly created sustainabilit to the course by making two maybe three cohorts rather than one cohort of two bands that would eventually potentially lose interest. It just goes to show that we never fully appreciate the enthusiasm of our students until you stick your neck out and run an activity like this. As a foot note the program successfully won a bid of £2000 for tuition fees, instruments and transport costs to the events.

End of week one

2007-09-08T21:30:00.000+01:00

Even though it's officially only been a three day week I'm exhausted. It's been a great start. I'm beginning to find my way around. William Lovell has such a feeling of peace about it. The year 7 students were great fun yesterday when we learnt two classic worship songs for assembly (How Wonderful and I want to serve the purpose of God). They sang their little hearts out.

Today I met the percussion teacher, Barry Kerr, who was inspirational with some excellent suggestions that will benefit a lrage group of students. There may be a Samba group starting soon.

I still seem to spend most of my time sorting out old files and filing new stuff, but I'm sure it will all end (by the time I retire )

I'm looking forward to next week now for two reasons. Mostly because it's Jack's first day at school (that feels weird). He's so excited. He said he more excited about his first day at school than he was for his birthday on 15th Sept. He's such an adorable little man.

The second reason because I'll finally get to meet all of the students of William Lovell.

New Demo - Out Of My Dreams

2007-08-26T22:58:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I've written a song even though I've been working on two or three songs for some time now. (Hopefully they'll get recorded soon). It was while I sat at the piano wainting for Pro Tools to wake up in preparation to record one of these said songs when Out of my dreams dropped into my life. Strangely enough that's how I used to always write my songs. Await inspiration then go with the flow allowing the song to write itself. Aftr some useful and constructive comments on some of those songs I've recently spent more time 'perfecting' lyrics and honing melodic ideas. So this trip back to this old style took me by surprise, BUT .... I didn't allow the song to direct in the same way and spent some time on the lyrics after the initial melody appeared. I even collaborated on the lyrics with my good friend J. Brian Hill.

The result is this demo which needs virtually every track recording again, but I'm so excited about the song I wanted to share it with you all. I intend to record the piano, voice and bass again and add strings and possibly acoustic guitar. Some slight modifications to the arrangement as well nd if I feel inspired maybe a guitar solo So watch this space and expect an update in the next decade. I hope you enjoy this love song which I dedicate to my beautiful wife Tamara.

Listen to it by clicking here.

stevelowndes.com Site Upgrade

2007-07-29T23:11:00.000+01:00

I've been planning a shift in focus to my site so you may see some changes happening over the next few weeks. I've made a decision that this site should reflect what I do more than what I'd like to do. I still have the heart of a performer but recent events have nailed home the fact that my current role is a teacher of music. There are so many exciting opportunities at William Lovell CE school and I intend to embrace them with all my energy.

So what's going to be new.

First you will notice that my school website sccmusic.com will be integrated into this website . Two reasons really: one I can't get rid of the domain name sccmusic until December and I no longer work at St Clement's College anymore. The other remains that I wish to make my role as a teacher a more prominent aspect of my ministry. Something that has taken me a a long time to realise.

Secondly, my own music will take a lower profile on the website as the focus becomes my role as an educator who serves the Lord.
I intend to make the site as interactive as possible and will encourage feedback from my readers and pupils alike.

So that's what to expect so - watch this space!

Pastures New

2007-05-06T22:47:00.000+01:00

I've been sitting on this news for a couple of weeks now and I couldn't keep quiet any longer. From September 2007 I will no longer be the leader of music at St. Clement's College, instead I will become leader of music at the William Lovell Church of England School, Stickney also in Linconshire. Naturally I'm very excited at the prospect of starting afresh after a period of five and a half years at Earl of Scarbrough/St. Clement's College. It's been a privilege to work with so many dedicated and hard-working colleagues, I feel now is the time for a change. I prayed and petitioned God over this application lie never before and I firmly believe this move is not only a positive answer to prayer, but also, it is where God wants me to be at this time, for me, for my new students and, who knows, in a new capacity for my present students.

William Lovell is a school that is run with a firm grounding in the christian faith and September 2007 marks the beginning of a new era for the school as well as me. There will be a new head and a new deputy head who have great aspirations for a school with an outstanding reputation. I'll be trading in a brand new state of the art music suite for a porta cabin, but I relish this new challenge more than I can begin to put into words. There is so much potential to continue to explore. Part of my new job will be to organise quarterly Praise Evenings at the school. There is a fine school orchestra and potential for a school choir. William is a small school which means I'll be able to get to know every student there, something that is virtually impossible at St. Clement's.

There's much to do until September so I will probably producing very little music for a few months, but who knows which direction God will lead my new music. So farewell St. Clement's, hello William Lovell.

From the mouths of babes

2007-04-18T21:29:00.000+01:00

I've been busy sorting out my office following a flying shelf that emptied my books all over the room and part of that sorting involved temporarily boxing some stuff. Old photos naturally surfaced and Jack wandered whilst I was looking at some pictures of my late friend Pete Barker. I told Jack that Pete was my best friend and that he was now a star in the sky like mummy. He said to me don't worry you'll see him again. I found myself choked at this simple but true statement.

Later I was reading him his bedtime story when he asked if he could sleep on my knee. I sit on a bean bag while I read him his story so I didn't want to encourage him falling asleep on me because I'd struggle putting him into bed without waking him, but Jack being Jack pestered me, and me being me, relented and he curled up on my knee. I was soon to find out why he made this unusual request.

He started asking questions about his mummy. We began to talk about why mummy died. He asked why do people die when they go into hospital (we took Jack this week after he fell off his bike). I said not everybody dies in hospital. He said but mummy died in that hospital. Then with a quivering lip he told me he missed his mummy. He told me how seeing Peggy (my mum who has Parkinson's and is wheelchair bound) reminded him of mummy. He asked when she would die. He also said that he knew I wanted to see my mum but that he didn't because of how she reminded him of his mummy. He then told me he was looking forward to seeing his mummy again. He has such a clear concept of death and the separation that results from losing a loved one. He also seems to be aware that we will meet again in the sky when we go to meet Jesus. My heart bleeds for our little man who so clearly told me that he would always be with me. I pray God will give him peace and allow him to grieve in the best way he knows how.

Wanna see my forum?

2007-04-16T21:57:00.000+01:00

I'm fascinated to see that when I look at site stats that this post published origiannly on 16 April 2007 continues to get many hits, so I've decided to edit it and introduce the forum that I've started with Silver Poet. This forum came about as a response to the Michael Card forum being removed from his site. Silver Poet and I were both moderators there and we felt it would be good to have a non-threatening forum that allowed people to share their experiences with God or maybe share an opinion. So here's the link Closer with God we hope you enjoy it.

Teaching or Preaching

2007-04-11T22:23:00.000+01:00

I was sat in the local Anglican church on Easter Sunday watching the proceedings with interest when a thought struck me. I probably aren't the first to think this and more than likely won't be the last, but as a teacher I found myself analysing the service for it's content and structure, paying particular interest to the rituals and religious practices. I found a few things out.

Firstly I realised why the pomp and circumstance with various features of the service were being used. I could see the history in them. For example when the Gospel reading was read the whole congregation stood and the Vicar had three attendants. One holding a very large bible and two others holding candles either side of the vicar. It was obvious that this was designed to draw special attention to the Gospel reading, which I suppose hails back to when the scriptures were read in Latin, so that the 'peasants' would know that the Holy Scriptures were being read.

Secondly I became more aware of the responses and chants used throughout the service. Then came the revelation - it suddenly dawned on me that this was an attempt at interactive learning. But looking at the faces in the congregation it struck me that this very attempt to involve the congregation had somehow turned into a ritual of it's own and appeared to be so ingrained that the congregation merely repeated at just the right times. I remembered how I memorised parts of the Methodist Service book as a child. When I read those words I imagine the thought processes behind them as I'm sure many of the congregation too. But this idea of interactive learning stuck with me.

I wondered if the ideas in education have been explored or not in church worship. I wondered how many times a congregation has been offered to help plan a service that would help them to understand a scripture or issue of christian life. Then I wondered how could this tye of service be implemented. At school I am currently exploring personalised learning skills where students are encouraged to take ownership of their education to help teachers facilitate their learning in a manner that aids learning rather than provides mental blocks. But not only for individuals but personalised learning for a whole class. There certainly is a lot to think about and I'll be exploring this idea over the coming weeks. Watch this space!!!

Developing Song

2007-03-08T23:34:00.000Z

The song 'Written on my heart' is one of the few songs that I have grafted on. Maybe too many of my songs have lacked that extra attention to detail and clarity in the past. Voice of Calm is the first of this new breed of songs amidst much consultation and soul searching it bears very little resemblance to the original song. Even the melody and feel is completely different.

So now to Written on my Heart. The song was conceived as a response to a need for a special item in a morning service, but received criticsm for the lack of lyrical melody and expressionate feel. And rightly so. The words were ok but needed tweaking. On review I chose to do a hefty edit of the lyrics and attempt a totally different feel to the song. The first verse is virtually written and the chorus is in a fairly complete state too. I'm not planning on posting the recording until the lyrics are complete, but I will divulge the creative process including the various versions of the lyrics as the evolve.

Here's the third edit: I decided to make the focus much clearer going through a process of Admission of need -> Grief/guilt -> Acceptance

Verse 1
Step inside and feel my mind,
No more secrets left to find,
Nothing hidden see the scars

Verse 2
Why dyou think I bow my head?
Weeping at the words you said,
Weeping 'cause of all I've done

Pre chorus
My tears aren't enough
And sorry's just a word to hide my shame

Chorus
You lead me on and I follow
You show me things I've never seen,
Melt my heart to feel compassion
Calm the fears that haunt my dreams
You lead me on my special journey
Written on this heart of stone.

(c)2007 Steve Lowndes

As you can see I've opted for the song title Heart of Stone as a new working title.

Please feel free to comment on these lyrics as you feel called. I am incredibly open to suggestions.

New Song - Written on my heart

2007-01-21T23:31:00.000Z

Having recently joined a different church due to various family committments I had decided to lay low for a while. The minister supported the idea. Then came the shock! Thursday I received an email from him asking if I'd like to sing a song and talk about my work at this Sunday's meeting. A flood of thoughts and emotions came all at once. Aren't I supposed to be laying low? Wow I feel honoured. Are things on the move again? Am I ready for this? What should I sing? Should I sing?

Eventually I decided after everything Ian (my minister) had said I ought to try it and trust his judgement. Then came the readings and theme of the service. Now I realised I had a new problem. I neither had any of my own songs, or knew any other songs that complimented the theme. So as usual God intervened. It took about an hour this time but the original idea came in seconds. I applied a little song-craft and wrote every note down to make sure it stuck in my head. So here's the finished result.

Written on my heart

Steve Lowndes 20th July 2007

Here I stand with arms held wide
Nothing left for me to hide
Nothing hidden in my heart
You know my name
Here I stand and bow my head
Weeping at the words you’ve said
Weeping ‘cause of all I’ve done
You know my pain.
And you called me by name
To be a shining light in the dark

Lead me on and I will follow
Show me things I’ve never seen
Melt my heart to feel compassion
For a world of broken dreams
Lead me on and I will follow
By your Spirit make me shine
Showing Jesus’ love is written on my heart.

Prophets said the time would come
God would send a chosen one
Born to heal the broken hearts
And set them free.
Here You stand with arms held wide
Nail pierced hands and bleeding side
Washing all my sin away
Renewing me
And you called me by name
To be a shining light in the dark

Lead me on and I will follow
Show me things I’ve never seen
Melt my heart to feel compassion
For a world of broken dreams
Lead me on and I will follow
By your Spirit make me shine
Showing Jesus’ love is written on my heart.

Lead me on and I will follow
To a world of broken dreams

Who need Jesus’ love is written on their hearts.

Inspired by Nehemiah 8:1-12

and Luke 4:14-21

This mornings service was a blessing in so many ways. Apart from feeling useful, I felt God was able to use everyone in the service ina very real way. The reader read so well I thought he was an actor. The pianist was annointed. The minister spoke with authority guiding the congregation to Jesus. The congregation were receptive and open to hear God speak. I'm not saying it was a perfect service but it certainly was a blessing to everyone. I thank God for his grace in providing us mere mortals with the words that draw people to Himself.

New Year - New Hopes and Aspirations

2007-01-15T22:36:00.000Z

If I were to say good riddance to 2006 it would be a bit harsh, but the truth is there are so many painful memories to leave behind from last year. Equally there were some real high points. Radio exposure on local radio and Rimmerama leading upto my visit to Chicago amongst the highs. The loss of our dear sister Stephanie to cancer leaving her little boy Jack without a mother and my wife without her dearest friend her little sister was definitely the lowest point.

Jack now lives with us which is a true blessing and 2007 brings hope that we can continue to forge an already strong relationship with him and help him to remember his mummy in a positive and edifying manner. We will always miss her dearly but know she is now with Jesus and no longer suffering. We long for the day when we shall meet again.

Professionally 2007 holds much hope for me personally too. December 2006 marked the end of a particularly difficult period of my career as a teacher of music. That now left behind I have so much to strive towards. New buildings, renewed vigour in delivering my subject and a new supportive head.

Faith issues include a move to Skegness Methodist church. I feel drawn to concentrate on a more low key approach to ministry at the moment, considering our emotional state it's probably a good thing. My main ministry right now is that of helping my family to grieve and heal. I shall of course continue to write and record whenever I feel called, but there is no urgency to release any further projects. I can wait God's time.

So farewell 2006 and welcome 2007 and all you have to offer. I await the new challenges you bring.

Lapland Trip For Jack

2006-12-17T22:12:00.000Z

My Nephew Jack was nominated through Radio Lincolnshire Station to go on there trip to Lapland. He has just turned 4 & his mummy died in June so he really deserved this treat.

We departed from East Midlands at roughly 7am on Saturday Morning.
We were entertained on the flight by the fabulous Jeremy Spake. He really was perfect celebrity & all the Children loved him. His rendition of Jingle Bells made the Children laugh. He had us all singing & some Children were brave enough to do a Solo.

After arrival at Rovaniemi Airport we were taken by Coach to the Magical Forest. There was still a fair bit of snow there.
We had the opportunity to experience activities such as- Skidoos, Snow mobiles, reindeer rides, Husky ride, Toasting Marshmallows, Rudolph Baptism ceremony.
It was fantastic. I was asked by Veronica to speak live to Radio Lincolnshire whilst there after i had sent a text saying what a Fab time we were having.
Jack was filmed singing Rudolph Red Nosed Reindeer.

We then went to a Restuarant for Lunch & tried Reindeer meat & a selection of other gorgeous food. Santa & Rudolph arrived to a Chorus of Rudolph red nose Reindeer from the excited Children where they all received a gift of a Husky Dog.
When it was Jacks turn to see Santa his face was just beaming & after receiving his gift he sang rudolph to Santa. I was so proud of him.

We then went to Arctic Circle & had oppurtunity to browse the Shops for unique gifts. I was disappointed because the Post Office was closed which a lot of the Children were looking forward to.
The Snow had almost gone there & it was very icy.
Then it was back on the coach to the Airport, Homeward bound.

As we were sat waiting for take off, Jack was looking at the Stars & he said - I knew you was with me Mummy. i had a tear in my eye.
On the flight home all the Children were given a £10 gift Voucher, a Reindeer licence & a bag of oodies courtesy of Radio Lincolnshire.
We had quite a lot of turbulence on the way home & i felt unwell so was pleased when we landed at East Midlands.

A very special day but a very long one & there were lots of Happy but very tired children.
Everyone of them was a local hero & it was a truly magical day for them.
Its a day Jack & I will never forget. I know my Sister would have been really proud of her little Boy.

There are so many people to Thank - all the Presenters & crew at Radio Lincolnshire, the BBC, the Tour Guide on coaches, the Airline Stewardesses & Crew, all the listeners who donated to the Gold appeal, of whom made it possible for these Heroes to go, my friend Georgina Fox who nominated Jack, Jeremy Spake & all the special Children who went.
Last person to thank is my Nephew Jack for being such a good boy despite being really tired.
Its certainly a day Jack & I will never ever forget.
Thank you Radio Lincolnshire.

Written by Tamara

The Little Frog

2006-12-07T00:01:00.000Z

Hubert was a frog. Just a little frog, but a big dreamer. One day Hubert was sat on his lily pad, watching the flies buzz past, wondering what life had in store for him. Then he remembered the fairy story of how a frog was kissed by a beautiful princess, and 'KAPOW!!!' he became the most handsome prince ever seen. The princess fell madly in love with him and they got married. He eventually became a king and was soon the richest man in the land.

"I wish I was that prince." he thought.

That night Hubert curled up on his lily pad and dreamt of becoming a prince. Sure enough he soon saw a beautiful young lady walking up to his pond. As she bent down to look at her reflection, Hubert said hello in his own special froggy way, "Ribbet". He startled the princess so much that she screamed, "Aaaaaaaargh!!!" and ran off as quickly as she could. He woke at the sound of the scream (well you would too at a scream like that). "That dream didn't turn out too well!" he thought.

Next morning Hubert woke thinking about the dream and said to himself, "Well, I quite like who I am really, but I maybe it would be good if I could find something more interesting to eat than flies." They tickle as you swallow them you know. He imagined all sorts of dishes all day long; fly soup, deep fried flies, fly cake and, his favourite, ice-cream fly surprise.

"I wish I was a famous chef." He thought.

Curled up on his lily pad that night he begun to dream. You've guessed it, he found himself in an amazing kitchen filled with gleaming pots and pans. All around
him he saw the most fabulous feasts and marvellous morsels. The finest food you could ever dream of . Then he saw loads of chefs all looking at him with interest. Rather too much interest he thought. Then he remembered HE WAS A FROG!!!! He woke suddenly from his dream - HE WAS THE NEXT ITEM ON THE MENU!!!!

It was a moonlit night as Hubert lay there thinking about why he couldn't even dream dreams with a happy ending. He noticed a large tree on a hill. How I wish I was that tree he thought. How much it must have seen through the years. How much change, how many seasons been and gone.

As he wondered a strange thing happened. He found himself in a stable looking at a manger filled with straw. Nearby a young woman had just given birth and a man carefully laid the baby in the manger.

"I wish I was that manger," Hubert thought, "so I could cradle that baby."

Next, he was in a room staring at a big table. Friends sat around it with worried expressions, all looking towards one man. He was passing some bread and a cup of wine around the table.

"I wish I was that table," he thought "then I could hear what they were talking about."

Finally, he saw the tree once more, but this time a man was hanging from it, beaten and stripped. Yet through his agony the man's eyes seemed to burrow deep into Hubert's soul, He felt loved.

Before he realised it, it was morning and as he opened his eyes he saw the tree, empty, on the hill. And he realised that the baby in the manger, the man at the table and the dying man were all the same man. Then he wondered if the baby knew his future or had his own dreams. He wondered, if the man sharing a meal with his friends know what was going to happen to him. The he remembered him hanging on the tree and how he knew everything about him. He knew Hubert's dreams and frustrations, hopes and disappointments. And for all his faults the man chose to love him for who he was.

"I wish I knew I knew that man," Hubert thought "then I would know why he loved me."

At Christmas time with all the glitz and glamour of Santa and Christmas trees, lights and decorations, it's all too easy to forget about Jesus. We remember the baby in a manger and feel holding that image in our minds. It's easy to love a baby. We often forget about his time on earth and how he sought to heal the spiritually and physically sick people he encountered. His teachings have hugely influenced generation after generation and still do today. But consider Jesus dying a cruel, agonising death nailed to a cross is all to much for us to bear during a carol service. The stark reality is - that's what Christmas is all about. God became a man to live with us, to die for us, to take away the sin that separates us from knowing God. In Jesus we can find forgiveness, not just at Christmas but at any other time of the year.

Hubert thought, "I wish I knew this man."

What about you?

Is Jesus still in the manger?

2006-12-02T23:00:00.000Z

If I could be granted one miracle, it would be that the expectancy of Christmas would fill the air every day:

• the excitement of children eagerly waiting for Santa to come
• the renewed friendships fuelled by seasonal love
• glistening lights and delicate decorations perfectly positioned in each house, shop or street
• so much food that your belly aches at just the thought of it
• special gifts for everyone, poshly wrapped in pretty paper
• guessing which Bond film would send dad to sleep, contented after a mountain of food.

So much excitement and so many memories.

My childhood memories of Christmas with my family are still special to me. I remember each one with joy. It's funny how you grow used to things and create your own family traditions. I grew so used to doing things in a certain way that I expected to see or hear things from my past at Christmas time. But the day dad left home Christmas was never the same again. I suddenly realised that I couldn't rely on just family traditions for Christmas anymore, because my family wasn't complete. By now my brother, David, had a girlfriend and often did a vanishing trick for hours on end. Mum soldiered on, but I could feel her anguish and guilt, even though her only crime was loving that great big confused dad of mine.

Meanwhile, in my search for a hiding place, I began to notice how other people behaved at Christmas. I discovered the joy of buying gifts for other people. I delighted in the smiles of complete strangers wishing me happy Christmas. The shopkeepers were more helpful and even arch-enemies at school took the time to scrawl merry Christmas on a jolly card.

Was it me or had the whole world changed overnight? And why were they so happy?

I remember walking to town from our house. Everyday I would pass the cemetery; at the bottom, near the gate, stood an empty wooden cross. On it was a mottled brass plate with the inscription, "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" I thought back then, "Shouldn't that have been taken down at Easter? . . . Why is it here at Christmas?" But gradually it helped me to rediscover the babe in a manger. It was easy to keep him there. I felt more in control that way. Every now and then I'd let Him out of the manger and rediscover His childhood stories, like when He got told off by His mum and dad for hiding in the temple; or I'd relive the story my RE teacher told me, about how He healed little sparrows. When I felt more adventurous, I'd let Him perform a few miracles, like making alcoholic water or spitting in people's eyes. I used to think what strange habits this man Jesus had.

Still the words were calling to me. "Is it nothing to you?" Did I really know the baby that would become Jesus? John tells us that 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us'.

Whether we are Jew, Greek, Gentile or Yellow Belly the WORD is the reason we exist. The word is God. And, as I get older, Jesus continues to get bigger than me and I can't fit Him into the manger anymore. I think about the stable and I remember the scriptures describing a great king with terrible armies, living in a palace. The King was born in a stable, homeless. His only attendants a loving mother exhausted from the birth and a bewildered Joseph, knowing this child was not his own, but God's. I think about these things and the blunt reality of the Christmas story hits me right between the eyes. If Jesus was born today, would His stable be the cardboard cities or would we make room for the King? Would we believe the shepherds heard His angels or would we lock them up in the loony bin and pretend they'd seen a UFO?

How many people cherish the air of expectancy of Christmas time and don't know the person who it's all about? We all teach kids about Santa and baby Jesus, but are we really going to leave Jesus in the manger at Christmas and pack Him away with the decorations in the new year. Or, are we prepared to unwrap the greatest gift that God has given us and recognise that Jesus IS real?

He felt joy, pain, sadness, anger, love, worry, temptation, betrayal and loneliness. He ate and drank, slept and worked, bled and died, just like us. But Jesus is alive today and that is what we should be celebrating this Christmas. He is interested in us. He wants to share everything with us and wants us to learn to know and trust Him. Isn't it time we put Christ back into Christmas?

I love Christmas with all its trimmings and joy. But I will never forget that empty cross and hope I will never pass by saying it means nothing to me. I know the baby is a man and the man is, was and always will be Emmanuel, God with us. In Jesus God has given us a truly astounding gift this and every Christmas.

If you could be granted one miracle this Christmas, what would it be?

In the name of the father

2006-11-05T20:58:00.000Z

Ever wondered about how we see God as a father? I can imagine that for some people this is a very strange request. The school where I teach has an enormous amount of dis-functional families, many with one-parent, but equally as many whose parents are remarried or seperated. I wonder how those children see the image of God the father. I know of fathers who have rejected their children, ignored their children, insulted their children, openly declared hate for their children and, even, abused their children. But equally I know of fathers who love their children, cherish their children, who would give their lives for their children, even though the law says they can't see their children. I wonder how those children feel. I wonder what they think when they're told about father God.

My own experience of an earthly father is a mixed one, but not as tragic as some of the children I teach. My father left us when I was too young to remember him. I never knew him and never will. Do I feel angry about that? Not really. Do I feel rejected? Of course - I would be lying if I said otherwise. Am I sad that I never met him? A little. He died last year and my brother and I were asked if we wanted to go to the funeral. Do you know what question crossed both of our minds? What did he die from? We were more interested in our potential medical history. Doctors always ask that question. Is their any history of 'such and such' in the family. Sometimes I get tired of saying I don't know sometimes I just say no. What difference does it really make anyway. So my 'real' dad was never on the scene. One day I found out that I was adopted by the man I called dad. I carry his name not the name of my paternal father. I wonder how it sounds sometimes - Steve Poole. I wonder if he ever loved me. I wonder if he loved his new family. I wonder how my mum felt when he left her and two young children.

Mum eventually remarried to a man called Gerald. I worshipped him. He was strong, confident, popular, everything I wanted to be. He worked hard for us, provided a home for us, discilplined us and taught us right from wrong. We moved from Stoke to his home town of Cheadle and I felt isolated. I had so many friends in Abbey Hulton. But children are children and we adapted. They created a home for us. Sometimes it felt like the home was more important than us, but it ended up being a beautiful home, until it was finished. About ten years it took to renovate, bit by bit and when it was nearly done the man I worshipped walked out on us for a younger woman. A younger woman who he had a child with. Can a man only be a father to a child that shares his genes? He seemed to be doing a pretty good job with us for a while.

So I have personally ever had a problem with the image of God as a father? I can honestly say never. I suppose I had enough experience of a father. So when I call on father God I call on all the best things I know about a father. I know what a good father should be and do. I know my father God loves me first and foremost. I know he loves me enough to discipline me when I step out of line, which I often do, even if it hurts. I know he will protect me when the going gets too tough. I know he will never leave me. I know he will always give me good things, but not things that I think are good for me, things that actually ARE good for me.

So what about the view that the image of father God doesn't belong in todays world? I would say that it does. Because this world needs a father who loves, cherishes, cares for, disciplines and never lets his children down. Every man dreams of being the ideal father. God is that ideal father. He's even bought us a house. Ok that's a bit flippant, but it's true. He loves us so much that he has prepared a place for us to share with him. If I sound like I'm preaching I don't appologise. I want to share my father God with everyone who may read this. I want to tell you that if your experience of a father has been nothing but bad, then God can teach what a father should really be. The best part of it is, that father God is always waiting for us to come home no matter what we've done. He's always ready to forgive our mistakes. Sounds too good to be tue doesn't it? So why not try it and see for yourself.

15 years and still growing

2006-10-27T00:01:00.000+01:00

If anyone had ever told me that I'd meet my perfect wife and continue to grow in love for her sixteen years ago, I wouldn't have believed them. But I have and I did. God blessed me with a beautiful and loving wife who has stood by me throughout many trials and tests over the last fifteen years. It's no cliche that it's not been an easy ride, because it hasn't. Neither is a cliche that our love for each other continues to grow stronger and deeper. Priorities change but love remains.

This year is also a first for us. It's the first time we've celebrated our anniversary as a family. So our anniversary treat was a visit to the Embassy Centre, Skegness to watch Tractor Tom with Jack. It was a brilliant show and Jack was enthralled from beginning to end. It's such a joy to watch his smile. Then our usual anniversary meal was at The Sun Castle so we could watch Jack play in an amazing play area. He got stuck once - honest!- so I had to go in and rescue him and promptly got lost myself.

So now it's the end of another lovely day and I pray Tamara and I will share many more years together with Jack as a family and continue to be blessed.

New Priorities

2006-08-19T22:28:00.000+01:00

It seems an eternity since I posted any news on here, and yet so much has happened. July 11th was a monumentous day for Tamara and I and has completely changed my outlook on my life and responsibilities.
We are now very proud guardians of Jack. In the midst of our grief it is a joy to welcome this new member to our family. He is a joy. We both feel so privileged to be able to share our lives with him until he is 18 and hopefully from then on. Steph has left us a fantastic legacy and we will never let him forget his mummy or how much she loved him.

As a result after much thought and prayer and advice I have decided that my main ministry for the forseeable future has to be dealing with the grief of losing Steph tied in with the massive change we face welcoming Jack completely into our lives. So my music ministry is officially 'on-hold' until I feel it is time to return. The new CD will wait.

Abundant blessings
Steve

Stephanie

2006-06-10T07:49:00.000+01:00

Thursday was a very sad day. These words are so hard to write. After three and a half years my 'sis' (Tamara's sister) died from the cancer that she had battled so valiantly. She was so much more than I ever knew. Even in her darkest hours she was caring for others in need without complaint for herself or moaning about the excrutiating pain she suffered.

She leaves behind a miracle child who she never got chance to run and play with, but loved so dearly. Little Jack was 10 weeks old when she was first diagnosed. He tells us mummy has gone to the stars and says goodnight to her at night. My heart breaks each time he says it.

Sleep well Steph. You are no longer in pain and I know we'll meet again in heaven. Goodbye my special 'sis'

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

2006-05-27T23:48:00.000+01:00

US Tour 2006

2006-05-26T23:21:00.000+01:00

A bit of a grand title I know, but it's exactly what it was for me. My first trip to the States was ushered in by the grace of God against all the odds. It has long been a dream of mine to visit America, but I would have never guessed it would be visiting a new group of friends and playing songs that I have composed about our awesome God. So whether it was four days or forty, to me it was a tour and a priviledge to be invited.

The trip consisted of three appearances organised by my good friend J. Brian Hill, intermingled with a taste of American culture, all sandwiched between a journey through the time zones. Brian and his family are excellent hosts and have a beautiful home. They made me more than welcome and carried me through one of those 'firsts' in my life.

Friday began early with an airport experience I would rather forget. I got off at the wrong terminal and had to rush from one side of the airport to the other. A smooth flight led to a smooth passage through passport and a welcome greeting by Brian and Beau. Then the eating began!!! Chinese take away at Panda Express was my first experience of just how very different our two worlds are. I will never see a large coke in the same light again. That evening I saw the Kane County Cougars with Brian and his family along with Kurt Hermes and his family. An excellent way to keep me awake and fascinating entertainment.

Saturday was a big day for Bailey, Brian's eldest son, who had been selected to go to the state meet of Illinois Young Authors after writing an excellent story. We travelled through towns that looked like film sets to me on the straightest roads I've ever seen. Whilst Bailey was busy I was treated to Cracker Barrel cuisine, a fabulous breakfast and an introduction to biscuits and gravy. After that we spent an hour or so in the University grounds writing a song about the Garden of Gethsemane. The afternoon began with the most unpleasant experience I had whilst in America. I ended up with a very poorly tummy and had to watch others eat a delicious looking Barbeque shared by the Hermes Clan. This made the first performance at Ragamuffins all the more interesting for me. I remember thinking that two sets of 45 minutes seemed incredibly long, but it turned out that I could easily have done more. God blessed me so much even though I didn't really deserve it. The coffee house was packed for the most part and members from other churches joined the good folk from Sanctuary.

Sunday was to be a hectic day. An early start and preparation for worship at Sanctuary A/G, Batavia, my host church, with the opportunity for performance during the morning worship. In addition I was allowed to join the worship team playing guitar. It was an excellent experience. So many people were so gracious in sharing with me. Afterwards was Sunday school. This was unusual fro me since only our children attend Sunday School. At Sanctuary, Sunday School is for everyone in the church. Lunchtime was Portillos and an exquisite burger (if there could possibly be such a thing). Concert on the Hill loomed. The big event!!! We did an extensive sound check to eliminate any gliches and prepared for an enjoyable evening. Brian had the St. Georges flag flying and we were ready. Mr. G Juggler opened the proceedings with a daring display of juggling. The I was able to perform for a rather chilly group of people and despite some technical problems all went well. It was both an honour and a joy to share my songs and a time of worship with an wonderfully receptive audience. The evening was rounded of at Steak 'n' Shake and some fond farewells to the Hermes family.

Monday, the final day, began with Brian's daily routine and I got to visit Bailey's school the week before they broke for the summer vacation. The read of the morning was spent shopping and relaxing chez Hill. All in all the weekend will forever remain in my memory for so many good reasons. I learnt so much about myself and how I currently fit into the life of the church. I have invitations to return in the future both as friends and performers. But most of all I have been able to serve my God in a tangible way whilst developing strong friendship bonds. When asked what were the highlights I had to answer, "All of it" because that's the truth. to single out one moment would be virtually impossible. The only thing I didn't enjoy (apart from the poorly tummy) was missing my wife, Tamara so much.

I thank God for making the way for me to share in in America to have met so many wonderful people. I long for the day when I may return (with Tamara of course).

Getting close

2006-05-08T21:13:00.000+01:00

Less than two weeks left before I get on that jet to the States. Backing tracks and guitar are ready, I'm not sure I am yet!!! It's a weird feeling because it's a cross between sheer excitement and absolute apprehension. I'm really looking forward to seeing Brian and Kurt and their families and pray I won't become Mr. Shy like I sometimes do. I'm absolutely petrified of a long haul flight on my own, but I know that God will be with me. I feel truely honoured to be asked to play at Sanctuary church and Ragamuffins Coffee House and aim to share the music God has given me with them. I'm praying that many will be blessed by my visit and that I will remain a humble servant of God throughout. As I write I am facing a minor problem with transport to and frm the airport since my lift has managed to find a job and therefore can't take me anymore. So prayer into this would be a great help. Now ... I must go and practise.

Prayer for Steph

2006-05-08T20:01:00.000+01:00

My sister-in-law, Steph has been in remission from cancer for a few years now. Steph is Jack's mum. Having felt unwell for some time now, she saw her specialist and received some bad news. She has been told that her cancer has returned, this time in her pelvis. She is very weak at the moment and having difficulties transfering from her chair to bed or bathroom. This has naturally caused much anxiety for her and the whole family with yet another period of uncertainty. She will undergo a course of chemotherapy sson following a follow-up scan to investigate a shadow on her lung. We are all feeling hopeful since she responded well to chemotheraphy the first time around. Having being given 3-6 weeks she is still fighting 3 years on. So please pray with me for Steph and the family. Noticeably Tamara and their mum, Betty who are her main carers. Also for Jack her little boy who lives with us. God knows our needs and every desire of our heart. I truely hope that I can praise Him through this storm and that we will see light at the end of dark spell.

Cross Rhythms - Rimmerama

2006-04-21T08:21:00.000+01:00

Last night was a great experience on Rimmerama with Mike Rimmer. It was fantasic to see the inside of a radio station and I felt priviledged to have been invited to share with the Cross Rhythms audience. It was funny talking about gardens and cats, but brilliant to be able to share my testimony with so many people. I even got to sing three of my songs live. I performed Design For Life, Why? and I Believe in Love. I was accompanied by my good friend Nigel Halliday on Bodhran. Nigel was a brick all day and a real encouragement throughout the interview. Of course, I am so grateful to God for providing me with this marvellous opportunity. God is so good.

i-tunes digital delivery

2006-04-21T08:05:00.000+01:00

Wow! All this still seems bizarre. First I get airplay on internet radio with Windy City Radio, then local radio with BBC Radio Lincolnshire..... and now..... i-tunes. You can now get Design For Life on i-tunes store. So if you're into downloading albums, follow the link in title of this blog entry.

Preparing for The States

2006-04-09T18:27:00.000+01:00

Last week was an amazing week with the visit of J. Brian Hill and Kurt (the bouncer) Hermes to my home town Skegness. We had a fantastic time with gigs, family get togethers, songwriting, recording, workshops and generally getting to know each other, whilst sharing the Lord together. God has truly blessed us with this blossoming friendship. Now we are left quiet and missing our new friends, but I'm eagerly awaiting the return visit in May.Preparation begins in earnest now for the trip to Chicago. I've been busy preparing an official merchandise shop http://www.cafepress.com/stevelowndes so please check out the products, and let me know if you have any suggestions (I like the cuddly teddy bear) and I'm practicing like mad on new material and old. Dates to look out for in May if you live near the Chicago area are:Saturday, May 20th, 2006Ragamuffin Coffee House - http://www.ragamuffincoffee.com/Acoustic Session - 8:00pm1 W. Illinois St.,St. Charles, IL 60174US(630)377-7174A chance to see Steve live and acoustic. View mapandSunday, May 21st, 2006Sanctuary AoG Church - http://sanctuaryag.comConcert on the Hill - 18:001S430 Wenmoth Rd.Batavia, IL 60510United States630-879-0785Outdoor celebration. in the beautiful grounds of Sanctuary Church, Batavia, Illinois. USAI can't wait to visit Brain and Kurt in their home church.

Race For Life

2006-04-09T18:24:00.000+01:00

Tamara (my wife) & Steph (her sister) are doing Race for Life to help raise awareness for Cancer Research UK. In 2003 Steph was given 6 months max after being diagnosed with Skin Cancer. By the grace of God she is still with us. She is now wheelchair bound. She not only had herself to fight for but her 3 year old son Jack. They are both aware of the traumas this disease can cause. So please pray for them & if you are able to, please contribute to help them raise awareness, awareness not just for people like them but for the thousands of other sufferers. The link to their fundraising site is http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/pages/?pid=306766

J. Brian Hill in the UK update

2006-03-28T19:32:00.000+01:00

J. Brian Hill arrived in the UK Saturday and there's been a whirlwind of activity since. Still jet lagged, he joined me, Geoff Howlitt and Living Hope at the Good Fellowship Inn for my debut performance. The night went very well, despite the expected nerves and general chaos of getting four performers to have a sound they're happy with. Geoff Howlitt opened the proceedings with a blend of his own songs in a variety of styles, including country and rock 'n' roll. Then came my set in which I played some of my older songs in addition to songs form Design For Life. Brian then treated us to a few songs and stories. The evening was completed with an enchanting set from Living Hope. It was an enjoyable evening all round.

Since then we had a fabulous meeting at my church, Holy Trinity, Boston. Simon Dowson the vicar invited Brian to share at an informal evening service which was not only well attended but a blessing to all who participated. I am grateful to Simon for trusting my word and taking a chance.

Brian is currently in Hull having spent the day at UCB and appeared on UCB Europe. I am eager to welcome him back to Skegness on Thursday.

Getting close

2006-03-18T19:55:00.000Z

Preparations are becoming frantic for J. Brian Hill and Kurt Hermes forthcoming visit. That coupled with an inspection at school has left me very pressed for time. To say I'm excited is and understatement. Saturday 25th also sees my debut gig with Living Hope along with Geoff Howlitt and a guest appearance of J. Brian. Then follows a whirlwind of a week including recording and performances and concert organising (and maybe even an interview for a new job).

The concert schedule for J. Brian Hill's UK tour is:

Sunday 26th March6:30 pm Holy Trinity Church, Spilsby Road, Boston, Lincs - Evening Service

Tuesday 28th March8:00 pm St Leonard's Church, Molescroft, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire - Prayer Concert

Wednesday 29th March12:30 pm University of Hull Chapel, Cottingham Road, Hull - Communion Service and Worship Concert

7:30 pm Clowes Methodist Church, Greenwod Avenue, Hull - Worship Concert

Thursday 30th March3:20 pm St Clement's College Hall, Skegness, Lincolnshire - School Assembly/Mini Concert*7:30 pm To Be Announced

Friday 31st March3:20 pm St Clement's College Hall, Skegness, Lincolnshire - School Assembly/Mini Concert*

7:30 pm St Clement's College Hall, Skegness, Lincolnshire - Worship Concert (with live band)

Entrance to all events is FREE of charge. A freewill offering will be taken to support the music ministry of J. Brian Hill

For more info visit http://www.jbrianhill.com/ or http://www.locustmusic.co.uk/

Busy days

2006-03-09T21:50:00.000Z

It's been a while since I've posted on here so I thought I ought to make the time. Much has been happening most of which is centred around the fast approaching visit of J. Brian Hill. I have been visiting many different churches to promote Brian and have met with a varied response. Some have been open and willing to participate, others paid lip service. I suppose I shouldn't worry about getting enough support, but I do. If you're reading this and you've got nothing planned on Friday 31st March 2006 then come along to my school, St. Clement's College, Burgh Road, Skegness, Lincs. to see Brian perform with a live band backing him. It promising to be an event that will bless many people, including me! Brian is staying with us, so that'll be cosy.

In addition to all that I'm still attempting to lay down the basis of the background tracks for Brian's new album, I'll be preparing two songs for the album. I've recently made an extremely useful purchase. Digidesign Mbox2 complete with Protools LE. It's already made an outstanding difference. I'm still exploring the programme at the moment so you'll have to wait for the goodies.

That's enough for now....

American Dates

2006-01-19T22:59:00.000Z

If I told you would you believe me?

This has been a facinating 6 months. Way back a friend reintroduced me to Michael Card's music (thanks Nigel) and so God hauled me back into the fold after wandering for a while. I joined the Michael Card forum and immediately got friendly with TJ Draper amongst others. It's funny how you are more likely to trust people you have contact with than strangers. On the MC board I was introduced to Jadon Lavik, who had a myspace. Then another artist who also had a myspace. So upon further investigation I created my own myspace and stuck some rough recordings on. Soon four people were to enter my life and turn it around like I had never imagined. Living Hope, an acoustic duo from Hull (Robin & Squil) and J. Brian Hill soon became my confidents and mentors and best of all friends. Mikael Nordin introduced me to the joys of my guitar again. And all of them helped me to complete 'Design For Life'.

So what's happened since?

Well coming up I'm in Hull assisting in worship leading with Living Hope and again in March for a joint gig. J. Brian is coming to the UK for a solo tour and is doing dates in Hull and Skegness as part of his itinery. But to top it all off, as if that wasn't enough, Brian's invited us all over to Chicago to perform at his church. I'll be going in May 19th-22nd and will be participating in worship as well as the Concert on the Hill at Sanctuary Church Batavia, Chicago. To say I'm excited is the understatement of the decade. I only wish Tamara were coming with me. God has blessed me greatly and I am in awe of His wonderful presence in my life. He has brought me from the depths of despair into His marvellous light.

Design For Life - Steve's debut album release

2006-01-19T19:39:00.000Z

It's finally happened after much soul searching and many hours of advice and sitting in front of recording equipment. I have mixed, re-mixed and re-mixed again until I was persuaded to leave them alone. So now you can hear it and if you so desire, buy it. CD Baby is truly a fantastic site who offer great advice and an excellent service for clients. When I bought J. Brian's CD from them their emails throughout the delivery process had me in fits of laughter.

I am so grateful to my God for giving me the songs and opportunities to share them. Our God is an awesome God. I am also indebted to J. Brian Hill, Robin & Helen Thompson (Living Hope), Mikael Nordin and of course Tamara my beautiful wife, for their advice and support throughout the recording process. Pots&Pans is born and I can't wait to begin the next project.

More of You and less of me

2006-01-15T14:36:00.000Z

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
—Romans 12:2

One of the most difficult steps of faith is summed in these few words. It's like walking on water to us. Yet in reality it is similar to the faith we put in ou rcars everytime we venture onto a busy road. We trust that if we need to stop our car has the ability to stop us. The problems arise when we don't take time to know our car and it's limitations. Or we decide we know the road better than we actually do. That's when it all goes pear-shaped.

Our trust in God has to be like the simple faith a child exhibits when he jumps into our arms from the fifth step of the stairs. There is no doubt in the mind of that child that we will allow him to be hurt. It may seem scary, but he jumps regardless. Are we allowing our decisions to be guided by the doubts and questions or do we trust God to guide us and keep us safe.

We don't have blind faith in our cars. Equally God wants us to be informed in our faith. He has given us the Bible to outline His mighty works. His attributes are there for us to discover daily. Our faith will grow as our understanding of God grows. We will never know all there is to know about God whilst we walk this earth. But there's nothing stopping us trying to find out more. When our minds are receptive to God's word speaking to us through scripture and daily life, then and only then are we allowing God to transform us. To make us into what he desired us to be from the beginning of creation.

A Busy New Year Ahead

2006-01-10T21:17:00.000Z

Happy New Year everyone. I know it's a bit late, but better late than never. It's been an eventful end to last year. I've met some great friends through the latter part of last year and am looking ahead to working with them in sharing the gospel this year. Future gigs include:

29th Jan - Victoria Dock Church - Hull - 10:30am
5th Feb - Victoria Dock Church - Hull - 10:30am
25th Mar - The Goodfellowship Inn - Hull 7:30pm
31st Mar - St. Clement's College Hall - Skegness - 7:30pm

There are recording plans for Easter and Pots&Pans is branching out. Started as a silly production label name for the Design For Life album, it may have it's first experience at producing a professional recording. I've gone into partnership with Mark Humphries of Faithful Sounds in Skegness (my sound maestro). So that may be something to look for in the future. I intend to release simple beginnings properly, which will be entirely an acoustic album. The original recordings were done with poor quality equipment in far from suitable conditions. So it'll be great to re-record them.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-24T22:35:00.000Z

Happy Christmas to anyone who happens upon this little blog. I pray you will find peace and love at this rather hectic festive season. I hope you enjoy the sharing of family and friends quality time. But most of all, I hope you find Jesus in the heart of all the tradition and celebration.

Abundant Blessings

What a fortnight!

2005-12-15T12:17:00.000Z

What a fortnight!

Panto! Carol Service! Radio Interview! Inspection! Wow! It's been a whirlwind of highs and lows.

The schools panto that I helped to organise went well despite some SCARY rehearsals. The kids did themselves proud and produced another successful show.

In the midst of the preparation for the panto I did the interview for Sue Edwards' "Sounds Like Faith" on BBC Radio Lincolnshire. I felt so much at peace during the interview that when it went to air last Sunday I didn't recognise myself. I thank God for giving me the words to say and pray that someone out there received hope or that someone will come to recognise Jesus as their Saviour.

If anyone reads this before tonight - I'll finish off the blog later.

And there's more........

Snow Yay!

2005-11-25T18:04:00.000Z

Our first snow of the winter. Jack was really excited and wanted to build a snowman. A bit difficult in a bare covering. I do think Tamara was more excited though. She kept on gazing out of the window last night and looking disappointed when there was no snow. She took the picture shortly after the snow started to fall.

I love snow. How pure and clean it looks. It really warms my heart. It reminds of the promise God gave us and fulfilled in his Son Jesus.

Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Isaiah 1:18

Even though it didn't stay long, it was lovely to see it. I can't wait for the next snow.

Forum move - back to original site.

2005-11-19T21:46:00.000Z

Please note the Prayer and Praise Forum for stevelowndes.co.uk has closed. This is because I no longer have my own forum. Instead I've begun one with Silver Poet who like me missed the fellowship that existed on the Michael Card forum (that's closed as well!). Registration is easy and relatively quick.

The url is http://closerwithgod.createaforum.com/

I do hope you find time to post or support prayer requests, as and when you are able. We have left open the other sections of the forum for general posts. In fact we've reviewed the whole structure. So take a look and make suggestions.

Have you spotted the new links?

2005-11-06T22:18:00.000Z

I thought it pertinent to add links to the sites of some folks who are assisting me at this present time as a sign of my gratitude. So I'll list them in oder of my 'meeting' (in the cyber sense) them. I discovered them or they me on myspace a place I can not cease to be grateful for. Thank you Lord for leading me there.

Mikael is a Swedish singer songwriter who's music captured my attention on the first playback. It's rare for me to say that, since I'm a poor listener. (What a confession for a music teacher) I'm too fidgetty and always want to play rather than sit and receive. Word of Life is a song of his I could listen to over and over again. This man has hidden depths. Take time to discover his music.

Living Hope are a husband and wife duo currently leading and partaking in worship at Beverley Minister. Robin and Squil blend to make beautifully lilting music that is easy on the ear. I hope to be doing a gig swap with them in the new year so watch this space. Meantime check out their music on myspace.

Brian is an accomplished (nay award winning) worship leader who writes great praise and worship songs. He has two current CDs with a third 'Living Hope' due for release this month. He is currently working along side All God's Children International, an adoption and relief organisation. The new CD has some awesome songs on, I've had a preview! Brian has been more than helpful in improving my current work and is responsible for my music playing on Windy City Radio.

There are others, namely Andi from Lurgin N.I. but I'll save him for later.

I'm on Windy City Radio

2005-11-03T09:33:00.000Z

Hey fabulous news

I'm on Windy City radio.

It's great to have a vehicle to give more people access to my songs. I hope and pray they will bless whoever listens to them.

I must offer my utmost gratitude to J. Brian Hill and Kurt (AKA micboy) for promoting and playing (respectively) my music. May God add a bountious blessing to you and your families.

14 Years and still in love

2005-10-26T09:20:00.000+01:00

Today is my 14th Wedding anniversary and I am so proud to say I still love my beautiful wife Tamara today. It's true what folk say - love does grow. It's easy to fall into habits over the years and take each other for granted. I'm not going to pretend it's all been easy - anyone who does is either deluded or very fortunate - but I think our relationship is the strongest it's ever been.

What's the secret?

Honesty and trust. Two words difficult to stick to because there is no place to hide from the truth. We share everything and have only spent a few days apart since our wedding day.

Here's to many more years.

Moving time

2005-10-16T22:43:00.000+01:00

Not not a bid to draw you into an emotional debate, even though it has been an emotional day - no, literally a moving day. Mum moved across the other side of the country today. I know, if you're in america that's a plane journey, but I think a four hour drive across archaic roads is far enough away from my mum. She's moved to a nursing home (that seems very professional) just five minutes away from my brother and some of her closest friends. She's been living just ten minutes away from me for a year and a half, but has really only had me as a visitor and so has become lonely and therefore unhappy. My hopes are she will now feel more settled with her friends and my big bro near her.

I really must keep this blog up to date.

Mikael Nordin

2005-10-08T22:46:00.000+01:00

Have a listen to this guys music.

It's awesome. A fantastic blend of guitar and vocal. I am so inspired by the sound he creates. It typifies the sound I would love to have for my solo stuff. Full of passion, hunger, the right sort of raw. And a voice to complement so very well with thought provoking lyrics.

Check it out Mikael Nordin's myspace by clicking on the title of the blog entry.

Watch myspace

2005-10-02T20:26:00.000+01:00

I've spent all of my free time in the past couple of weeks re-recording some of my favourite songs. I'm in the process of finishing a new acoustic version of Design for Life. The current version on myspace was recorded as a quick demo with a bad throat and bad sound card. The new ones will have live bass and guitars on. I'll be interested to see how they come out.

The reason for the renewed effort is two-fold really. First, I've been itching to do the recordings all summer, but was stopped by the pneumonia. Secondly, I want to send a copy of a better quality recording to Cross Rhythms, a Christian Radio Station from my home land, so that they can review it. I'm full of excitement and trepidation at the result of this mini project. Maybe I will be able to let a wider audience have a greater access to the gifts God has given me.

There's a couple of new ones as well: Arms of Love, I Will Praise You, Lord and Tomorrows. I've been asked to choose six of what I think are my best songs. It's so difficult because they all feel part of me. I know that God will guide in the choice. If you got any suggestions please let me know. You may possibly confirm my prayers.

How did I miss this before!

2005-09-25T09:36:00.000+01:00

I don't know how I missed this before. I can't get over how many artists there are in the world and how ordinary my music is compared to them. I feel humbled and in awe, inspired and hungry to explore new ideas. MYspace is an awesome tool. I discovered it through Jadon Lavik website and decided to have a go. If you visit myspace you must join, there's so much to look at. Myspace url is http://www.myspace.com/stevelowndes

I just visited Ben Folds myspace, who is an artist I was introduced to recently and promptly bought both his albums. If you haven't heard him yet, YOU MUST!

I'm also grateful to anyone who has taken the time to listen to my amateurish recordings, particularly those who've added me to their friends list. I was amazed at the guitar technique of Jon Gomm. Another must to listen to if you're into outstanding acoustic guitar playing. Be sure to view the video as well.

I think I could merrily spend all day in myspace listening to the immense talent out there.

Doing my thing!!!

2005-09-24T08:36:00.000+01:00

So how are you?

Feeling good I hope. Uplifted, inspired and ready for action.

What are you doing today?

I'm just about to get ready for one of my annual double bass gigs. It's a cabaret at the Drill Hall in Lincoln and has been one of my favourites for a long time. A fabulous amateur choir, 'The Hungate Singers' with a jazz trio, piano/bass/drums who work as session players. One rehearsal and then gig - that's how I like it. I'm getting to play some popular hits along with some bebop jazz and even jazz rock tonight, so it should be fun.

What ever you're doing I hope you had as good a time as I know I'm going to have.

TTFN

Is he really three!!!!

2005-09-15T22:44:00.000+01:00

Jack had his third birthday today. He looked a bit shocked when he saw all the balloons. I thought it was Christmas with how many presents he had. Tamara put a balloon on one of his presents and put it by his bed. He woke us up at 6:30 in typical bubbly fashion with the present in his hand. I love to see him so excited. Then he was treated to two present opening sessions. One wih us hen one with his mum. When I got home from work it was time for party hats all round. Jack insisted!
It was a lovely day for all of us. So Happy Birtday Jack.

And I thought it was just a bad cough!

2005-09-09T21:25:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of the summer vacation I picked up my usual summer cold. I always get some form of annoying minor illness after a big show, but this seemed a little different. It came on as a bad cough on the weekend we went to Centerparcs. As a result I didn't feel strong enough to go swimming because I was getting short of breath quite easily. By mid-week it was getting quite bad. The weekend we got back I took mum to Congleton for a weeks respite care (but that's another story) so it was the following Tuesday that I finally got to the doctors. Anti-biotic - come and see me in a week. By now the cough was painful and was making me sick. Second lot of anti-biotics and still no better. So then it was an x-ray. Any way, 12 days later I'd heard nothing so I rang the doctors and asked them to confirm my suspisions that the x-ray was clear. I was told that I had to come into the doctors - then told to hold the line. The secretary had spoken to the doctor who said I'd had pnuemonia in my left lung. To say I was shocked was an understatement. It's no wonder I've been so negative and down recently. I've still got a croaky throat, so my plans to re-record some of my songs over the holidays have been totally scuppered. The good news is I don't have it anymore and I'll soon be able to sing again - because it's easier to sing when you can breathe. LOL

Back to School

2005-09-08T00:18:00.000+01:00

I really must post here more often. I been a bit wrapped up in myself recently and as a result haven't really felt like posting here. It comes back to ambitions and dreams and the frustration invovled when they are apparently unobtainable. Yes, I've always wamted to be a singer songwriter who is recognised and respected in the business. I've always known it doesn't work like that, so I just keep plugging on. Every door that seemingly opened was rapidly slammed shut in my face in all walks of music making for various reasons. And taht includes in Christians circles as well. I guess I'm not knocking on the right door. But one things for sure, I'll never stop knocking.

The most recent let down has been turning down a job as a professional bass player for a years work. It was mine for the taking, but it wasn't to be. Every circumstance pointed to the fact that, as much as I wanted it and was wanted to do the job, it would have caused more problems than it was worth. Don't get me wrong, I love playing. I never feel more alive than when I'm performing for a big audience. The biggest so far, as a bass player, is 14,000 at the Killerton Festival (Will Young was there the next day). So to turn it down made me feel like I had been bereaved.

So on with life. I have realised something through this experience. Whilst I've been complaining and wallowing in self-pity about teaching at school, I have not been honouring my God, my wife or my family. I have been causing hurt by people worrying about me and the decisions I might make and have not demonstrated respect to my management. So this term I have decided to put that right. I still intend to write my songs. I'm in the process of re-recording some of them and recording a song that isn't listed.

So there it is ..... back to school. Who knows the future, or what this life will bring.

Can you believe it ......

2005-08-18T22:35:00.000+01:00

... someone just posted a "SPAM" comment on my blog. How low can you get. If it isn't bad enough getting spam mail in your inbox and through your letter box. Unwanted tele-sales calls while you're trying to settle the baby and door to door sales men pestering your personal haven - YOUR HOME.

When will companies realise that we don't want to hear it, see it or 'experience' it unless we pick up the phone ourselves or walk through a shop door. That's when we expect to be pestered. I object to my personal privacy constantly being invaded by un-invited guests. If I'd have known that opportunistic parasites post such comments on blogs, I wouldn't have bothered. The purpose of this blog is to record my thoughts as they happen, mostly for me so I can look back and see what a wally I was, and maybe for anyone who might find my rantings of use to them, for whatever bizarre reason.

So there you have it. If you're trying to sell something advertise where people have given you permission, however wonderful your product is, not on my blog. I have asked permission to use every link on my blog. To any potential unwanted posters -
BLOG OFF!!!!

Hooray! Hooray! It's a holi-holi-day

2005-07-31T11:37:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow we go to Centerparcs at Thetford. I can't wait. Tamara is really excited. I'm writing this while I'm having a break from packing. Jacks coming too which is going to make it even more special. We got him a swim vest and other floaty stuff and he's telling everyone where we are going, too. So it's ta ta for a week, cos' holidays here we come. If you want to know more about centerparcs, click on the title. This picture is the view from our room last year.

Bible.org

2005-07-25T23:10:00.000+01:00

I recently came across this website. Thanks once more to the good folk on the Michael Card forum. I downloaded the E-sword bible along with three versions I don't have. It allows me to compare the different translations which is very useful in songwriting and really helps in attempting to develop an understanding for the text in general. I often compare more than one translation. This tool makes it much easier to see the versions side by side.

Problems Are For Solving

2005-07-25T22:25:00.000+01:00

Problems Are For Solving

I just stumbled across this blog. It is thoughtful and very well constructed - unlike my haphazard thoughts. I am most impressed. The blog belongs to James3v1.

The Sunday Lunch mystery tour

2005-07-24T21:38:00.000+01:00

What a fascinating day!

So we decided to go out to lunch. Tamara, her sis Stef, Jack and me. Got dressed up. Fuelled up the car. Strapped in Jack and off we went. The plan was to go to a pub with a kids play area so Stef could spend some quality time with Jack instead of being stuck at home. Forty minutes later we arrived at our destination. Waited for a table. Then just as we were about to order we realised the pub had changed management. NO PLAY AREA. Plus the menu was pathetic compared to the previous owners. So...... back in the car.

Next stop another pub that had a good menu and play area. It was only ten minutes away so we thought it was worth a try. The place looked nice, clean, polite waitresses etc.. so even though the play area didn't have a ball pool we thought we'd stay. Ordered starters and waited...... and waited...... and waited........

.... then we gave up and left.

Next stop. Praise God for KFC. The good old Colonel came up trumps. Southern fried chicken drive thru all round.

The moral of the story is..... don't bother with the tour .... go straight to KFC.

So much change...

2005-07-17T22:11:00.000+01:00

... so very often. How can I explain? Let's start Sept 2002.

15th Sept 2002 Jack was born to Stephanie and Tony (Tamara's sister and husband). 10 weeks later, Steph is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jack came to live with us. Over time after surgery and chemotherapy Steph was declared to be in remission, but not cured. She can no longer walk and has limited use of her hands and therefore requires constant care. After a year her husband decided to give up work to care for her and Jack went home.

To cut a long story short, it has all gotten too much for him and he has chosen to instigate separation. So Steph has temporarily chosen to live with her mum and Jack is once more living with us, in order to allow Steph maximum access to her son. We've spent all day moving stuff, but now they are settling in and starting the healing process.

There are no words to describe the situation really, so I just kept to the facts. Naturally we love having Jack, but a child's place is with his mother and I live in hope that she will recover sufficiently to be able to care for her son independently in the future.

Wimbledon 2005

2005-07-03T16:18:00.000+01:00

Wow!

I've just watched the mens final at Wimbledon. I never thought I'd see another player quite as good as Bjorn Borg, but I think Federer got pretty close to it today. Andy Roddick played out of his skin, but Federer was just unbelievable. He seems to float around the court, sometimes running from one side to the other and still in time to prepare for a winner. Commiserations Andy, but know this... you were playing a genius.

Live8

2005-07-02T23:49:00.000+01:00

Just been watching some of the live8 concert in London. U2 were phenomenal. Robbie was... well.... Robbie (nuff said). Joss Stone... what a band! Peter Kaye was out of his head. Sting was great. Pink Floyd... wow... what guitar playing. I loved The Who... I thought Pete Townsend was going to destroy his guitar! Paul McCartney finished the day off with some great Rock 'n' Roll. I'd love to perform in front of an audience that big.

On a more serious note, I believe the whole purpose of the event was to raise awareness. I hadn't realised the reason it was called G8 before. Isn't it ludicrous that 8 world leaders can command the global economy. I signed the petition on line. Did you notice the banner in the corner? If you want to sign the petition click on the banner. Or alternatively you could go to the live8 website www.live8live.com. I'm not sure of the details and I don't intend on becoming a spokesperson for them but I thought the banner was a suitable gesture. I'm not into wearing wristbands!

Dark times ...

2005-06-23T23:52:00.000+01:00

It's difficult to even post anything at the moment, but I'll try. I promised myself that I would keep this blog a bit like a diary online, but circumstances have made me have to stand back and think for a considerable time about how to discuss exactly what's going on without revealing personnel details.

I find myself experiencing an emotion I appear to have been shielded from, even though I believed I experienced it before. Hate! The burning desire for justice, retribution and, yes, revenge. These have got to be the most powerful emotions I've ever felt. I've found myself questioning God and where He was. I felt that I could never play an instrument again and considered quitting teaching as a result (good job I need money to buy food otherwise I would be jobless and in prison now). I have ceased writing songs for the present, even though one is in progress. I'm not really sure what I believe at the moment. I find myself plotting revenge in my weaker hours. I pray that this hatred will subside. But part of me won't let it rest. Really I shouldn't be writing this stuff, but it feels better get it out into the open.

This is not written to provoke a response from whoever may read it. It is an outpouring of my personnel feelings for the benefit of my blog should I or anyone else need to draw consolation from at a future date. If you do feel you would like to respond I would prefer it if you email me.

For now I will write no more, but the story continues ...

My Tanglewood

2005-06-09T21:07:00.000+01:00

My Guitar. One of the bessie buys I've ever made. It's a Tanglewood TW55N - DLX handcrafted guitar with a Shadow P7 in-bridge pick-up. As a jumbo guitar it's quite large, which suits me, cos I'm not small. It has a really rich tone acoustically, I've yet to master the amplified tone, although the graphic on the pick-up is quite good. How's that for techno stuff. Simply put - I love it. It plays soooo well.
If you want to hear it the best recording I've done with it is Sacrifice of praise. (not very quick for dial-up sorry)

Ready for a holiday

2005-05-30T22:38:00.000+01:00

Last week was mental!

Monday - meeting about a community concert I've got our scholl choir and band involved in. Followed by a prolonged chat concerning teaching Steel pans at Butlins.

Tuesday - Big Band rehearsal in Louth til late. Very enjoyable. I've asked to play bass next week. I think I'll take my double bass, it should suit the band more.

Wednesday - open Jazz session in Alford. A little fraught with chaos, but some nice guitar playing from a few guitarists. I broke a string on my double bass. That's the first time that's happened in twenty years. John Le Voi's guitar sounds glorious. I know I shouldn't lust after belongings, but I WANT ONE ..... NOW!!!! He makes them himself. Only £1460. A snip for the quality of guitar. Ah well, in my dreams.

Thursday - Jazz night at the 1874 bar in Boston. I was a bit worried about this before hand, but soon felt relaxed and I think I played well. Not much left of my fingers though.

Friday - Neil's stag night. A gentle low-key affair. A lovely meal at the Golden Dragon in Boston follwed by a bit of a pub crawl (I was drinking coke - how I love driving on nights out :( )

Saturday - Wedding rehearsal for Neil and Tanya. I'm an usher. THen Jack's nursery's birthday party, celebrating the first year of opening. Jack calls it 'Sarah's School'. Crashed out in the evening.

Sunday - fairly normal. Seeing Jack in the morning followed by some quality time with Tamara. Then a barbeque at our neighbours house.

Today - Took mum to a garden centre with us. Lovely day out. Nice and relaxed. Then a bit of gardening and finally assembling Jack's new Bob the Builder trike.

And the holiday's only just started. I'm doing the big band rehearsal tmorrow night. So much for a relaxing holiday.

Butterwick Family Service with Graham Wright

2005-05-25T19:20:00.000+01:00

Here's a picture from my Butterwick performance at a family service. It's a bit grainy because it's taken on a mobile phone. The joys of modern technology. It was a lovely service with a baptism as well. The theme was Jesus, the truth life and way. I sung Wingfold by my friend Nigel Halliday and God so loved the world by me.

Pottys 'r' us

2005-05-22T23:39:00.000+01:00

We've had the joy of looking after Jack again for a few days (Wednesday - Sunday) and as usual he's kept both busy and very amused. 2 1/2 years old going on 50. You know what they're like at that age. I always wondered what folk meant about the 'terrible twos'. Now I've got some idea. Willful, petulant, demanding, but incredibly loving and dependent upon your presence. Jack is truly a joy to have around and he brings out the best in Tamara and I.

So what about pottys! Jack isn't potty trained yet, so we thought we'd help out. He got his first pants yesterday (that's underwear to anyone from the states). Thomas and friends. Jack loves Thomas the Tank Engine. So his first time wearing them left us a nice present in his car seat. I'm still drying the cover out! This morning, however was one of those first moments we've had the priviledge of seeing. He sat on his potty through three episodes of Fireman Sam and emerged triumphant with a potty full of pee pee. We were so proud of him. I hope his mum and dad continue to be successful over the next few weeks.

Those of you who know me will know what a massive part of our lives Jack is and why. I won't go into the details now. Maybe some other day.

Hooray for pottys

My Tamara

2005-05-20T23:24:00.000+01:00

Say hello to my wife Tamara. As you can see she's a mad Boston United fan. Hardly ever misses a match.

Jack

2005-05-20T23:22:00.000+01:00

This is my nephew Jack. Do you think he looks cool in his shades?

Inspection Report

2005-05-20T22:50:00.000+01:00

Apparently our school was lucky to escape special measures! That's a joke. 10 out 32 lessons observed were deemed unsatisfactory. Not surprising since nearly 30% of our staff are rookie teachers, of which some of those don't have English as a first language. Please understand, I am not racist. Far from it. It's just that some of our students have enough difficulty reading english without having to assimilate to strong accents. Lincolnshire is very backward on the cultural intergration happening in the rest of the country. So, we have demonstrated the capacity for improvement, but have achieved only a limited amount. There will be another inspection before Christmas. Joy of joys. I would guess that'll be a full inspection with teacher working themselves up into a nervous breakdown. What a fabulous education system we have. Never teaching children - the important job is keeping the government happy.

Watchful

2005-05-19T23:51:00.000+01:00

Watchful
Until I find time to create a blog list I'll post a few here then move them later.
This one is TJ Drapers blog. It's thanks to him that I'm writing this now.

These blogs are a little addictive. LOL

Inspection/Review update

2005-05-19T22:54:00.000+01:00

Well it's over now! The music department wasn't visited at all, which wasn't really a suprise. On reflection, the extra wroting out of lesson plans realy proved to be ineffectual for me personally, because I didn't look at them once whilst I was teaching. I wonder about the merits of such a time wasting exercise. Does it really benefit teaching and learning? Or does it hinder teachers from exploring new ideas and responding to situations as they arise. Afterall, you can't plan for students individual moods and baggage. Or, for that matter, the teachers'! End of gripe. It'll be interesting to see what the findings were. Maybe I'll post the main findings here.

School inspection/review

2005-05-19T00:30:00.000+01:00

Our school is experiencing a short notice ofsted review. The school was the first of it's kind in September when it became Englands first Collaborative Restart School. It is therefore constantly under scrutiny. It's quite amusing to watch the management jump through hoops to satisfy the inspectors. I'm afraid my attitude is rather cavalier. I firmly believe that I would rather them see me as I am and make suggestions of how or what to improve based on their findings, rather than do back flips trying to cover all the bases, just in case. So far I have not been observed. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

2005-05-14T00:12:00.000+01:00

Just me

Sorry, I couldn't figure out any other way to get an image on my profile!

No new job for me

2005-05-13T01:18:00.000+01:00

The title says it all. I could write loads, but don't feel like it.

Job interview

2005-05-12T00:34:00.000+01:00

Last Friday (6th May) I went for an interview at Branston Community College near Lincoln. Many friends gave much prayer support for which I am very grateful. Throughout the whole interview process I felt calm and relaxed. They couldn't decide there and then and I have been patiently waiting for a decision since then. They were supposed to let us know Wednesday, but I received a phonecall at 7:15 saying that they hadn't arrived at a decision and would let us know tomorrow. The suspense is getting to me now, but I know that God is in control.

The Blog Begins

2005-05-10T10:29:00.000+01:00

This is all very new to me. A visiting preacher once said to me, 'Keep a journal of all your experiences. You never know when you will be able to help someone else from your own personal trials and successes.'

It's all too easy to remember the good time and all too difficult to forget the bad times, Maybe it was good advice. There have certainly been many things that I could celebrate or cry over. But I'll save them for another time.

So, here it is! I will try to use this blog as a journal of my experiences - good or bad. So if you're reading this hello and welcome to my world.