Have you noticed the killer guitar tracks coming from TV shows like Pawn Stars, Storage Wars and many other similar reality shows? The soundtracks from these shows are more interesting than much of the music released by many groups these days.

For fellow guitar players, it is a veritable tone library of different amps, guitars, pedals and styles. I am so impressed with these 10-second ditties that are jam-packed into each show; there is a ton of creative guitar riffing going on. Since I’ve written and recorded my share of theme music and jingles in the past, I am very impressed with this work!

Thanks to Google, it only took a minute to run down one of the production houses from which many of these TV soundtracks are procured. The company, Jingle Punks, supplies the opening theme music for Pawn Stars. If you need theme music, and have a ton of money to pay for licensing, you, too, can work out a deal with a company like Punks.

A few months ago I caught a marathon showing of back-to-back episodes of Sons of Guns. The opening theme was so incredible, I did a Google-search on the song. I quickly found that Buddy Miller–the Nashville guitar picker, singer and artist–wrote this song, Shelter Me, for his Universal United House Of Prayer CD. When I heard Miller’s version online, it wasn’t the same one. But with some searching around, I found that the “Guns” theme song is covered by blues artist, Tab Benoit.

The state of the electric guitar is riding strong these days, and the soundtracks to so many TV shows prove it. Now, if these riffs, tones and this craftsmanship can be applied to some of the music released by artists nowadays, maybe the music industry will someday see an up-swing in sales. I’m just sayin’…

The University of Mobile turns 50 this year. In just a few weeks, the school will celebrate this landmark through what is called Project Serve–a university-wide day of service that celebrates the school’s culture of service. On Sept. 16 the entire student body, faculty and staff will volunteer throughout the Mobile, Alabama area. The event will build on the university’s ongoing commitment to Christian service as a visible reminder of the call upon each person’s life to be God’s hands and feet in a lost world.

Looking into my hazy future as a young man in the summer of 1985, coming off of a six-year road gig as a traveling musician, I knew it was time to face the “education” question. Actually, I was convinced of the necessity to finish my college degree, a journey that halfheartedly started in 1978. My road experience, albeit rich and rewarding, was a young man’s game, and I didn’t want to be living on a bus for the rest of my life! Although I loved playing music, I needed a sturdier foundation on which to build a family. Brenda Ramsey, a beautiful girl from Mobile (whom I’d met in September, 1983, at a chapel service while with Truth), was “the one” I wanted to marry. I also knew that ministry was in my future. So, a college education was a necessity for all of this to happen. With help from Roger Breland, I enrolled in what was then called Mobile College in the fall of 1985. Not only would I be taking on a four-year degree, but Mobile, Alabama became my new home.

I graduated in 1989 with honors. Brenda was by my side, and by that time, Josh and Betsy were toddlers. We were as poor as could be, but I had a full scholarship and student loans didn’t bog us down after graduation. We would struggle financially for a few more years until I co-wrote a little song named Ancient of Days with Gary Sadler in the summer of 1991.

I visited the campus yesterday, barely recognizing the hallways and buildings through which I traversed for four years. I was a religion major and a music minor, so the trails I made over my tenure there were restricted mostly to a small cluster of classrooms and labs. I was reminded how I adapted to school-life quickly back then–my future depended on it! Memories were stirred as I walked around with my son, Josh, and niece, Megan (currently a student).

Some may ask me, “Why did you need college degree to be a songwriter?” I know it’s possible to make it without one. But the richness of my studies in theology, writing and practical ministry have prepared me to be a better artist in the church. I am dedicated to serving God’s people as a minister as well as a musician.

My days at Mobile College, now the University of Mobile, are a rich part of who I am. I would love to sow back into the students there someday, if at all possible. I am proud to be a graduate of U of M!

I was blessed to be featured as an alumni in the Spring 2011 issue of the University of Mobile Magazine. Check it out!

I took my daily walk yesterday and, while enjoying the exercise, I listened to the new CD that Glen Campbell just released called “Ghost on the Canvas.” I was drawn to a stand-out song on the CD called “It’s Your Amazing Grace.” The final lyric caught my attention as these words trailed out at the end of the song: “…Your amazing grace keeps us together.”

Because of our familiarity with the old hymn, the phrase “amazing grace” can sail right over our heads if we’re not careful. But if we stop to ponder the word grace–unmerited or unearned favor–we are again drawn to this incredible, “amazing” offer of redemption from God: He buys us back out of slavery into fellowship with Himself through the blood of His Son. We are arrogant to think that, as sinful humans, we could ever uphold our part of this amazing offer of grace through our own wit or strength. It is only by His work–His invitation, sacrifice, forgiveness and justification–that our salvation is even possible. No human effort could ever bring about this salvation; no human effort could ever maintain it.

When I take a walk, it would be ludicrous to suppose that my exercise regime is the reason my heart beats. Rather, my walking is a conscious effort to cooperate with God to keep my heart healthy. It is only by the grace of God (the beat keeper) that my heart pumps blood and my lungs breathe. So, we should be very careful to distinguish between God’s grace and our cooperation as followers of Christ. He leads the dance. The New Living Translation version of Ephesians 2:9 aptly states: “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Truly, it is only God’s grace that glues together the relationship between God and man. I am only a humble, cooperative servant who, in obedience, walks one foot in front of the other toward God’s call. I believe that God holds onto us and not the reverse. Likewise, I also believe that we must, as James 4:8 states: “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded (NIV).” We must repent from sin and draw near to Him; that is our part in this dance of Grace.

I was blessed recently by reading this profound statement: “The cross is the sign that God has solved all the world’s problems without requiring a single human being to do a single religious thing.”

I thank God for fresh air, time alone with Him, and the exercise I get while walking the loop around my neighborhood. I especially thank God for the words that caught my ear on the new Glen Campbell CD, reminding me that His amazing grace is what keeps our relationship together…He’s holding onto me!

While reading the online version of the Wall Street Journal last week, I came across a life-changing article. Steve Jobs, who has been at the helm of Apple Inc twice–and started two companies, NeXT and Pixar in between–gave a commencement address in 2005 at Stanford University. In the speech, he made several observations about life that I want to highlight. I believe it is always wise to listen to a person who has looked death in the eye, and has come back from the encounter as a sober messenger with lessons learned. Jobs, just last week, stepped down as CEO of Apple for medical reasons. Here is a bullet version of his main points from the address and, in numbers, what I took away from it..

Connect the dots

1. Sometimes our failures and difficulties lead us to where we are ultimately meant to be.
2. Know when to let go of things that seem right and honorable for someone else in exchange for what you know is the right path for you.
3. God has a future and a hope for everyone.

Jobs says, “…you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

The Importance of Loss and Love

1. When we face rejection or failure, especially from something or someone very important to us, it may help us launch into a direction that we may have never before considered.

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

2. Love what you do.

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

Finding Life in Death

1. If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

2. Its okay to make life corrections–to start over, even in the middle of life.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

3. Time is limited–don’t waste it.
4. Live your own life, not someone else’s.

“Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

In Conclusion…

1. Stay hungry.
2. Stay foolish.

“When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation…It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: ‘Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.’ It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.”

Gary Sadler and I were working on our new project in his studio last Thursday when he reminded me that 20 years ago, around August 15th, we wrote “Ancient of Days.” Little did we know then that the song would change our lives.

As I look back, I am grateful for the opportunity to follow my heart. I have always done what I loved, and being a songwriter has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life. The song changed my life and that of my family (photo: Gary and Debra Sadler with Brenda and I at a favorite Franklin, TN eatery).

Below is an excerpt from an article written 8 years ago by Debra Akins about the writing of “Ancient of Days.” Thanks Gary! This tune has linked us for life and opened up a floodgate of great songs, some of which will be released real soon.

It’s been 12 years since songwriters Jamie Harvill and Gary Sadler wrote “Ancient of Days,” one of the most celebrated worship songs performed in congregations around the world today. And while these two songwriters have gone on to pen and record numerous worship standards, both collectively and individually, it was this song that became the catalyst that helped catapult their careers to international levels. Harvill still wonders at the magnitude such a moment of inspiration can have – both on the songwriter and on those who are impacted by hearing the song.

“It has gone far beyond my wildest dreams,” says Harvill. “I have been blessed to visit many foreign countries and have heard it performed in several languages. It is truly a gift from God. I feel like the proverbial lizard in the king’s palace. It has opened many otherwise closed doors for me. Through this song, God gave Gary and me an opportunity to begin our careers and to go on to write many more songs of worship, but no matter how many others I write, I will always be recognized as the co-writer of ‘Ancient of Days.’”

Harvill and Sadler brought their families together in the spring and summer of 1991, converging at Harvill’s small rental house in Mobile, Alabama. With four children and four adults crammed into a two-bedroom, 1-bathroom house, the two songwriters were somehow able to write together in a small bedroom Harvill had converted into a studio.

“Our inspiration was Daniel 7:22,” Harvill explains. “Daniel’s vision includes the ‘Ancient of Days,’ and that His kingdom shall not pass away. We loved the heavenly, worshipful imagery.”

Sadler had already come up with the song’s title and a basic verse melody. Harvill had been listening at the time to a South African writer and performer named Johnny Klegg, and had begun to imitate some of Klegg’s ethnic drum patterns just for fun. Some of those same sounds became the direction the two writers took when they began to put together the pieces of “Ancient of Days.” Harvill credits worship pioneer and friend Gerrit Gustafson for championing the song and ultimately pitching it to Integrity Music.

“Gary and I had never had a song recorded on a national label before,” Harvill shares. “When it made the list for Ron Kenoly’s Lift Him Up album, we were ecstatic. When we realized that it would include a bass, flute and percussion solo, making the song last more than seven minutes, we knew that God was up to something big!”

Harvill, who wrote his first poems as a child, crafted his very first song, “Albatross,” when he was 13 years old. Growing up in Southern California, he claims he wasn’t great at sports, but learned early on through church plays and school choruses that he was interested in music. Playing guitar, singing and writing songs became second nature to him.

After Harvill and Sadler completed “Ancient of Days” in the spring/summer of 1991, Kenoly’s live recording was scheduled to take place in
Virginia Beach that October. Harvill brought his parents and family along with him to the event, and remembers the night vividly.

“When the song was being performed, I remember looking over at my mother, who has since passed away, and seeing the look of wonder in her eyes,” says Harvill. “I knew at that moment my folks realized that all of the loud garage band practices, music lessons and never-ending requests for guitar gear became worth it in an instant. That night was the beginning of my songwriting career.”

After moving to the Nashville area a few years ago, Harvill gets together with Sadler every week to write. While their musical styles vary, they both write music and lyrics and have formed a collaborative partnership that has produced a collection of songs they plan to record on their own CD that they hope to complete by mid-2004.

“Gary and I are known mostly as songwriters,” says Harvill, “but we are also musicians, singers and ministers. We are going to do it all by ourselves if that’s what it takes to create music and share it with the church. I know God has anointed our partnership.”