This week an Israeli prisoner of war was released in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Outside of the way-too-early presidential campaigning, and continuing reports of the dismal economy, the news of the exchange almost eclipsed the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, but not quite. Shouldn’t this news rule the airwaves?

I am so utterly floored by the fact that a country would deem a person so valuable, they would send over 1,000 enemy combatants back to their homeland in trade for the life of this one man. As an American, I have to ask: “Am I that valuable to my country?” I don’t think so. All I know is that, to God, I am that valuable.

The Bible says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). God gave his only Son (one solitary person) to free us (the whole of humanity) from death, to spend eternal life in His presence. God exchanged his Son so that I would go back to the place I came from, not to re-arm and become a soldier fighting against His kingdom, but rather to tell others about His love and this wonderful gift of freedom.

I know its obvious but, in today’s news cycle, the comparison probably won’t be made. I’m thankful that today I can benefit, too, in a greater exchange. Our value, according to God, was well worth the trade for His Son’s life. I am blown away by that generosity!

I saw this photo last night and immediately posted it on my Facebook wall. According to the “likes” and the comments, it was a big hit. As I looked at it again this morning, it reminded me of the value of a good friend.

You know when you do something unaware, like leave the house without zipping up your pants, or you still have evidence of breakfast on your face when you get to work?  Hours later you realize you’ve been the office idiot. Well, its so true: humor is usually found in someone else’s misfortune…until we’re the brunt of the joke.

A good friend will always rush to our rescue, albeit after a few chuckles. Brenda is my best friend and has saved me from countless embarrassing moments, most recently, by telling me I shouldn’t write a certain something in my blog. My daughter is my friend, too, because she is quick to say, “Daddy, are you really gonna wear that?”

Sometimes I am quick to  point out what I think is wrong, when its not the best time or thing to do. Thank God for my wife, she will jump in front of a bullet for me like a Secret Service agent shielding the President of the United States. Again, she has saved me numerous times.

Back to the photo…Poor Ray Charles was stuck out there in an embarrassing situation for who knows how long. Probably, the photo was altered. But in any event, everyone needs a friend to get us out of awkward situations. I’m sure Mr. Charles had stagehands to make the fix in a nano-second!

My goal this week is to be a true friend and run to the rescue when a pal needs me the most. It could be mustard on the chin, toilet paper hanging out the back of their pants, or any number of humiliating situations. I can’t guarantee my friend’s loyalty, but I can certainly be there to help steer them out of social danger during a clueless moment. As the Sicilian proverb says: “Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.”

Magazines have been an important part of my my life ever since I was small. My dad always had a shelf filled with National Geographic magazines that came in handy for school projects. I don’t know if he ever found out that we would cut and paste the pictures into school reports. Highlights and Boy’s Life magazines filled my life as a child. I remember collecting Reader’s Digest magazines one Christmas because my scout troop were folding them into little Christmas trees and giving the painted and glittered beauties away as gifts. (I still get Reader’s Digest, albeit the Kindle version).

The thing about magazines for me is that they smell so good when you open them. My magazines of choice today are usually music oriented. So when I crack one open, the ink whiff starts it all, and then the thought of very cool music gear inside, waiting to be perused, is exciting (I know, I need to get out more)! Mix Magazine, Vintage Guitar, and Premier Guitar are the magazines I will stand at the curb and wait for. I instinctively know when one of those choice mags are coming my way: something in the wind tells me and, lo and behold, a few days later, one of them will appear!

I have a secret magazine subscription. No, it’s not the illicit types you’re thinking of. I love Reminiscence Magazine. It contains writings from regular people who share their memories of the good ol’ days. It is an old people’s magazine, supposedly, but I have seen articles by folks around my age in there. So, technically, I am of the appropriate age to read it. My dad had some of his writings published in Reminiscence, so he usually had stacks waiting for me to devour when we’d visit him in North Carolina before he moved in with us. Now his subscription comes to my door and I love it!

People magazine is another fave. Everyone in my family devours it, except for Brenda. She has her own set of magazines that she reads, mostly of the knitting, spinning and book review variety. Needless to say, we are sufficiently magazine-d at the Harvill house. I bet if you come over, and when you feel at home, before you excuse yourself to use the restroom, you’ll look around the room and ask with a hushed voice, “Where’s the new issue of People?”

I have been blessed for the past 20 years to make a living as a songwriter. I always felt I should be paying to write songs because its such a blast. Don’t get me wrong, its hard work; its a skill. I’ve always said, and I’ll say it again: “A great song isn’t written, its re-written.” Great songs with killer lyrics are not spit out in 15 minutes. Yes, the first draft may have taken a few minutes. But by the time you have shaped and re-shaped it, its kinda like making pasta the old fashioned way: you roll it out, fold it, run it through a “truth press”, fold it again, run it through a “cut-the-fat press”, fold it again, run it through a “just an acoustic guitar press”, then cut it into the sumptuous strips that are the beginnings of a tasty Italian dish! Great songwriters don’t settle!

I have been asked by many a first-time writer for some guidance in what to do if their song is chosen for a recording. Here are a few suggestions:

1) Jump for joy! You are about a fraction of a percentage of the population of the world who will ever have that opportunity. Treat the “first time” wisely and you will have a better chance at making songwriting your career. That leads me to…

2) There is no such thing as a “standard” publishing deal. The deal will be as good as you are valuable to the artist, producer, record company, etc. The “standard” spiel is given so you’ll give up valuable income to others in the food chain. My feeling is that the writer should own as much of the publishing as possible and, of course, the full percentage of the writer’s share, according to the number of writers on the song. There are times, however, when sharing is wise…

3) Sometimes giving up a percentage of publishing is wise when: a) its your fist cut and your willingness to share gives your song a fighting chance to stay on the song list; b) you are a new writer and have been invited by a producer or artist to write songs for a specific project; c) you’re new and have a better chance of your song making more income with a major label and great distribution. (my first cut and my subsequent 8-years as a staff writer with Integrity Music meant I gave-up 100% of my publishing, but they sold a bunch of records…I still make a great living on those songs I signed 20 years ago. Since 2000, I’ve been independent and rarely split publishing).

4) Not all cuts are the same. In other words, just because your song gets on a record doesn’t mean you’ll make any money. In Christian music, from which I hail, a single CD may have the shelf-life of a year, maybe two. If a record doesn’t fly, you may only get a few bucks out of it, if you are fortunate. Seasonal projects, like Christmas records, are only alive for a few months at a time. Choral music, or what the industry calls “print”, doesn’t always bring a windfall. If your song was previously recorded for another project and you get a “print” cut, then that’s better. You have to be smart and know where the original song placement will be because, after you sign the publishing away, its next to impossible to adjust it, outside of a skilled lawyer and a bunch of legal fees So, decide the fate of your song and its future by the quality of the cut.

Everyone in the music business knows that everything rises and falls with the song. The song is what’s valuable, not necessarily the artist or band. Remember, a song can be recorded an infinite amount of times, and the subsequent income streams can feed you and your loved-ones for years. This is all part of the wisdom a songwriter must apply in order to succeed.

Next time, I will discuss income streams and the many ways a song can potentially generate revenue. Remember: Not everybody can write songs–its a God-given skill; songs aren’t written, they’re re-written and you gotta know the business to make a living in it. Be wise, always be a learner, and stay humble!

There are very few things that get my blood pumping in an instant; one of them was when I found out from my credit card company recently that I was a victim of identity fraud. This news sent me into a frenzy to put a stop on my account. On another occasion, when applying for a home loan, our credit report showed that Brenda and I owned a boat and a second home (I wish!). We cleared up the problem eventually, but that scare is something I’ll never forget, and we are duly suspicious when handing over our credit card to pay for a meal. Identity fraud is frightening, to say the least!

In a sermon yesterday at our church, I heard something that I want to pass on to you today. The pastor preached about our identity in Christ, as Children of God, from 1 John. I never before saw it so clearly: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1, NIV)

When someone steals our identity through obtaining our Social Security number or other private information, they can take on full authority in our behalf to make purchases. I read recently of a person who stole the identity of the former bass player with the Eagles, Randy Meisner. The impersonator was booking gigs and getting free drinks from bars all across the country. Meisner himself was even thought to be his own impersonator at one point!

In Christ, though, we have taken on the gift of God’s identity. Our sin is forgiven and we are covered by His righteousness. The Bible says: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17, NIV) That means as children of God we share all of the benefits as “first-born sons” in his household. We are fully covered by His identity in regard to health, wealth, physical and spiritual protection and future hope. Through our new identity in God we are also saved from an eternal hell.

So instead of an identity theft, I can celebrate an identity gift today. Its something that can turn a gray sky into blue. I am a child of the King! I need to live like it.