Worship | Prayer | Music | More
Fun to stretch a bit on this tune…I need a little combo! Freedom…joy…overjoyed :).
Overjoyed
Overwhelmed and overtaken
Overruled not shaken
Feel that change running through my veins
I’m not afraid
I’m not ashamedCHORUS
Overjoyed
In this hour, strongest tower
Fear devoured, so much power
Releasing me free
My prison destroyed
OverjoyedFill me up until I overflow
Pouring out on everyone I know
Empty spaces don’t stay that way
Not for long
So I’ll sing this songCHORUS
So one night I got into this rabbit hole on YouTube (don’t you love them??) watching old James Taylor shows. I SO wanted to write some great songs like that (and still do!). So I just started…I was also in that crazy sleepy place where you’re a little freer and I just let the song become what it wanted. I really like how it turned out. Don’t know if it’s JT quality, but I keep working!
So excited to have Stephanie White and Jessica Logan singing harmonies. We’ve got a cool cover coming up you won’t want to miss!
Download the MP3 here. Listen here.
I’ve spent most of my life running from this place
I’ve spent most of my time trying to put on a happy face
I can’t ever figure out just where to begin
When I finally do I don’t know where to end
That’s when you walk in
Pretty as can be
Make me stop my doubting
Convince me to believe (that)CHORUS
The sky won’t fall if it’s a little gray
And we won’t lose it all if we’re a little late
And everybody’s known to get the blues
But I got you and you got me
And that’s everything we’ll ever needGuy on the TV screen’s got the latest thing
What he’s selling me’s not what I need
I don’t live my life on bread alone
‘Cause in the blink of an eye it’s almost gone
That’s when you walk in
Pretty as can be
Make me stop daydreaming
And see what’s right in front of meCHORUS
We think we’ve have to have so much
But I could live for years on your sweet love
It’s always enoughCHORUS
Here’s another one I wrote with Anje Dowler and a great singer/songwriter I went to Berklee with, Mike Willis.
Staying put. Seeing love through. Walking it out. Hard, but so worth it. Enjoy!!
Download the MP3 here. Listen here.
Don’t Want to Run
I’ve always played the game
Holding back,
not giving all of me
so quick place the blame
A broken man
With an answer for everythingCan’t keep living live in overdrive
Always trying to catch my breath
My soul is tired now
I think I’m losing ground
I can’t help myselfCHORUS
I don’t want to run anymore
I’d rather stay with you and take it slow
With this love I can’t ignore
I’m finally coming undone
I don’t wanna runA collection of memories
A fading dream
Are all I’ve had to hold
A beaten up photograph
From a moment that
I cannot seem to let goOur love has been a battleground
Leaving us the casualties
I’ll raise my hand and call a truce
But I just can’t retreatCHORUS
Am I too late?
Has the moment gone?
Is there a part of me alive in you?
Something I can hold on to?CHORUS
Time for a new song! This one I wrote with my dear friend Anje Dowler…bunch of new ones coming up here and on the YouTube channel!
Finally Free
Anje Dowler/Ben WardIt seemed so permanent
Felt like forever
They all said “learn from it”
It’ll get better
But walking around in chains ain’t good enough you see
So I cut those ties, the one’s that bind
And it almost killed me
But I’m still standingFinally free
All my reasoning
Seemed so perfect
Subtle seasoning
Far from working
With no one else to blame walking right into that place
Just let it go, nothing left to know
No more excusing
Done with waitingFinally Free
Launched my wife Olivia and her sister Hannah’s new push on their YouTube channel yesterday. I’ve been going over to the YouTube Next Lab in NYC and learning all about the platform. Before the first workshop I thought I knew the basics but after I realized how much time I have to learn. The combination of trackable links (we’re using goo.gl) with annotations in the video is particularly strong.
Our schedule we’re starting with is a new 10-15 minute episode on Mondays. We spread out social media postings (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram for both) over the day and night. The Twitter postings that tagged the other sister and YouTube worked great as the people responded to all.
On Tuesday having Olivia respond to five comments on YouTube and five comments on the blog. We’ll post to all social media and that will give us another push.
Wednesday we’ll replicate the strategy from Monday with a 3-6 minute episode.
Thursday Hannah will respond to comments with social media push.
Friday we will assemble a curated themed playlist that hits subscribers’ feeds at the end of the week.
Yesterday, the first day, we gained a little over 100 new subscribers. Had close to 700 visitors to blog (only link was directly below YouTube video saying that was where to find the recipe. My goal right now is to gain 250 new subscribers per week: 100 each new episode day and then 50 over the course of the others.
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Episode Day Postings:
10:00: YouTube and Blog go live
11:30: Olivia Twitter
12:30: Olivia Instagram
13:00: Hannah Twitter
13:30: Hannah Instagram
15:00: Olivia Facebook
19:30: Hannah Facebook
I had the great privelage of producing and directing three ads that ran on the Long Island 24 hour news channel “News 12.” It was great fun to hear so many great stories of restoration (that was our theme). I hope you like them…the first features my lovely wife Olivia :).