These next two — “Fully Alive” 🎶 “All Around Me” 🎶 — (acoustic versions)
are both from their debut self-titled album Flyleaf (2005)… and man… that record was something special. Made fans out of a whole lot of people… me included.
Somewhere along the way I drifted from Lacey Sturm for a bit… but about a year ago, I found my way back — right around the time I started my YouTube channel “bryanforchrist.”
All I do over there is make Christian music shorts — so if you’re ever bored one day… come check me out. I’ve got a few Flyleaf ones up there too 🎶
And quick tip — on all my shorts, you can get to the full song: tap the little thumbnail in the bottom right… then when it redirects, go up top left and tap the larger thumbnail — that’ll play the whole track. It can look a little tricky at first… but once you see it, you got it.
Now as much as I love Flyleaf… I’ve never actually performed any of their songs myself 🎤
That’s about to change.
I think this week… I’m gonna learn “Circle” 🎶 (from their second album Memento Mori — 2009)… it’s probably my favorite from them… hard to choose though
So again… thank y’all for listening… for reading… I appreciate you — and I’m always thinking of you 🙏
Have a blessed day…
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
I was in chorus all through grade school… into high school…
learned how to sight read sheet music for vocals early on…
I started playing the guitar when I was 14… as a way to let go of deep loss…
it was a life saver…
later.. I picked up the bass…
shortly after that.. the piano…
might as well throw the harmonica in the mix…
I decided music was the way for me…
As a solo artist I played nightclubs and bars… concerts and music festivals…
I was part of a group of worldwide musicians known as ThePond…
we did online performances and in-person music festivals…
Then later…
I stopped all the secular stuff… went full-on Christian music…
I was a worship leader in church… also at different men’s ministries…
I had a traveling music ministry…
where I would go minister at hospitals and nursing homes and drug rehabs… mental health facilities…
I was also in a Christian band… KingsGuard.
I stayed so busy with it…
I got overwhelmed…
I started losing the fire… the desire to play…
About 3 years ago…
I decided I was done with it…
I got rid of my guitars… gave them away…
I can’t fake it…
I was burned out…
About 6 months ago…
I started feeling a spark inside… that fire again…
I realized that it’s who I am…
it’s part of me…
always will be…
Guess I just had to do life without it.
Live for a while.
…
Last night…
I started searching Amazon for my next guitar…
narrowed it down to two choices…
was planning on buying one of them…
This morning.. my uncle called me…
he’s a great musician and singer…
he’s sick… many health problems…
two weeks ago.. they found out he has a rare cancer…
He has two guitars…
he’s giving me one…
The other is his baby…
he wants me to hold it for him…
if his health gets better… he will get it back…
If not… he wants me to have it…
So here I am…
that old fire starting to flicker again…
guitars coming back into my life…
not in a cardboard box from Amazon…
but out of the hands of my uncle…
a man who’s carried songs through his own pain…
It feels like God is putting a guitar back in my hands through him…
a reminder that this calling never really left…
and this time…
I don’t have to run it down…
I just have to receive it…
and honor it.
…
…
found this hidden gem of me playing back stage.. with my fellow musicians from ThePond… this was PONDFEST 2o08… at Chimney Rock.. North Carolina… Lake Lure area… same place the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed… the people in the video are from all over the world… we are just messing around here.. practicing… learning new songs.. I had been drinking vodka all day… ugg I don’t drink like that anymore 😁👇 that’s me on the left
Message Received Loud N’ Clear… played today for the first time In a fat minute.
🎸 Psalm 40:3 “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God…”
So I’ve been sick for two years… it’s been horrible… I’ve been gradually getting better over these last months…
A few weeks ago… I made huge progress… felt like I got healed…
And today… I feel it in every way…
I’m gaining weight again… I’ve been working out daily for almost two weeks now… and in a short time… I’m putting on muscle… I’m looking better than ever… I’m feeling strong… I feel like myself again…
And I can’t praise God enough… Oh thank You… Holy Father…
I’ve had people all over the world praying for me… pulling for me… and my girlfriend’s faithful prayers… Oh how grateful I am… thankful… humbled by the entire experience… Oh how happy I am… that it’s over…
because there were moments I truly wasn’t sure I’d ever get back here…
Honestly.. my faith wavered over these past few years… I was so sick… I lost nearly 60 pounds… I was told it was cancer… then told it wasn’t… and to this day… I still don’t know what it was…
I just know it was hard… a daily struggle to not give up…
But now…
Because of my God — I am back…
Not just back… but renewed… Stronger… Better… Alive in a way I hadn’t felt in years…
And today… I stand here in gratitude — the fear is gone…
All glory to God — the healer… the restorer… the One who carried me when I couldn’t carry myself…
Amen and Amen.
Forever and ever…
“Though He slay me.. yet will I trust in Him…” — Job 13:15 (NKJV)
“The Lord restored the health of Job…” — Job 42:10
Heart of Loia `'.,°~ 