Yesterday as Josh Groban walked toward me I smiled and thought to myself, I wonder if he’ll pause look around the room and ask, “Whose writing all those mysilentscream posts about my songs?”

If you missed those posts, here they are:
Hidden Away
Our Hiding
Secrets & Hiding
Secrets: As If.

Josh Groban and TreeHouse
False Alarms by Josh Groban
Brave by Josh Groban
War At Home by Josh Groban
If I Walk Away by Josh Groban

Human Trafficking and The Prayer by Josh Groban
Believe by Josh Groban
You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban
You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) by Josh Groban

Reader JenniferMacLeod[~= @JenMacAtlGA82 recommended that Josh Groban’s “You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)” be included in this series.

I had forgotten about the song, and when I watched the video I fought back tears.

Watch You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) here. (Lyrics below)

I cannot begin to tell you how accurately this song describes what I have experienced at TreeHouse since 1989.
– Teens lost, lonely, and screaming-longingly to feel heard.
– Parents seeking, searching, and silently-longing to be encouraged.
– Friends hoping, hurting, and helping their friends limp along.
– Youth ministers, teachers, counselors, politicians and police officers looking for solutions.
Every week I see the looks on people’s faces when they feel heard and find hope.

Recently I stated in a staff meeting that we had never, ever required a piece of information as part of our paperwork, and that it would be an unnecessary bit of micro-managing paperwork.

It took about forty-eight hours before I needed to apologize as someone graciously pointed out the error of my ignorance.

I was certain what i believed was right, but I was truthfully wrong.

Note: I’ll be apologizing at the next meeting, tomorrow.

When I heard the song Believe by Josh Groban I loved the melody, but I didn’t know how to move past my thoughts of every time I, or someone else I know of wholeheartedly believed misguided “truths”.

The other night my wife, my daughter and I watched the movie “The Help.” As the movie ended the tears continued. My heart was breaking for men, women and children entrenched in overt and covert human trafficking.

I remembered why I pray: Because I am desperate for a power greater than my own to do that which I cannot.

Josh Groban’s song The Prayer is one such prayer. He begins: 1

I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know

Be a part of the transformation and make a difference in the lives of area teens at the annual TreeHouse Gala!

Musical Performance by Singer, Songwriter and Actor
Josh Groban

Thursday, May 2, 2013  – SORRY it’s SOLD OUT
Reception, Raffle & Silent Auction will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Doors open for dinner at 6:00 p.m.
The Depot, Minneapolis

A year ago I only knew a few of Josh Groban’s songs other than his Christmas album called Noel. My early take was great voice, beautiful melodies, and, well, a handsome guy. That was several months ago.

Today’s insightful guest post comes from our friend Angi of peepsarecool fame. Angi and her husband Aaron have a beautiful daughter Anika. I’m her proud godfather.

Hey – Angi’s work friends – pass this around. She shares my thoughts with you, please share her insights with others!

Here’s Angi:

Today I put in an “old school” CD, and brought Anika to child care. It was Michael W. Smith’s Go West Young Man.

The song that I was blessed with was “Seed to Sow.” 1

I sang to Anika and then sang to myself on the way to the bus stop.

I wrote my first Spoken Word poem today.

Some would say, “I wish he would crush me.
I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me…
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me…my cry to him reached his ears…

He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock…

“More Than a Bucket List will challenge you to go for that hole-in-one at Pebble Beach, to become an amateur chef, to scale K2. But it will also encourage you to view these accomplishments from God’s point of view and to make your bucket list matter eternally along the way. With each page, the dream inside you will be drawn out—the higher dream of what God has purposed for you.”

The author challenges her readers to choose positive values:
Pursue laughter.
Live your dreams.
Honor the strength of others.
Fight for love.
Be a Good Samaritan.
Become a more positive person.

I’m turning 50 this week.

I’m not yet fifty — it’s just four days away — but I thought I’d lead you through my journey, and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two that will help you on your journey.

Guitar Hero 

I always wanted to be a guitar player.

I own more than one.
I play (listenably) none.

None!

I cannot play with Carlos Santana‘s cool.
I cannot play with John Butler‘s artistry.

I cannot play with Michael Hedges‘ complexity.
I cannot play with Phil Keaggy‘s passion.

I can’t shake how captivated I am by this song.

It’s a call to remember how important it is to be mindful how needy we as: as individuals and as a society.

This visualization of Pray Where You Are uploaded to YouTube by Bill Peterson really captures the song’s themes well.

As our country prepares for our election I feel it’s even more important to pray for our nation than I do most days.

Pray Where You Are by Lost Dogs