Finish What You Start

Today's a new day! Yesterday's worship services went well, but as a former pastor often said during our Monday planning meetings: "The problem with church is that it happens every week!" Without fail, Monday comes and a new set of challenges face us, even though we want to take a bit of a rest. Frankly, I like these type of challenges because I am motivated to complete a task.

Completing something--running over the finish line--is satisfying. Now just because I finish something, it doesn't mean I came in first place. It does mean, though, that I chose to do something, planned, prepared and pursued it to completion. There is a satisfaction in finishing something, and it can be rejuvenating, too.

When I decided to pursue the instrumental project I've been writing about recently, it was in the midst of a personal trial. I made some necessary life changes last spring and was faced with several uncertainties--one of which was financial in nature. Leaving a position that brought provision to my family for 8 years was a tough call, but necessary. I needed, among several other things, to sow into something that stirred my creative imagination. There were several things that I could not control at the time, so I put energies into something I could control.

 I love to walk in my neighborhood, listen to music on my headphones and write new melodies for new songs. After several days of walking around the block last summer (not concurrently!), I started hearing melodies without words--melodies that brought up certain emotions. I heard my guitar playing those melodies and soon hatched a plan to record a new project with my guitar as the centerpiece. I also had songs--instrumentals--on the workbench for years, and this was the opportunity to bring them to light.

Yesterday I lined up the finished recordings and created a master disc, ready for replication. It is satisfying to have that dream realized and to hold it in my hand as a completed project. I am ready to move on to another adventure, but first I want to soak in the bliss of finishing what I started!

 ______________________________________________

Here's one more sample of the instrumental record. This song is called "River Road," written for a highway that rolls out of Columbus, Ohio called Olentangy River Road, Hwy 315--a beautiful drive that has stayed in my memory since I first drove it over 30 years ago. The song is one of the mellow tunes from the record, in the style of one of my heroes--Earl Klugh--and in the spirit of  one of his greatest records ever: "Heartstring."

I hope you enjoy it

   River Road by jamieharvill