Let’s Get This Party Started, 50th Anniversary

The picture tells a story: a marriage license, divorce papers, and a marriage license.

Forty-seven years ago today, Sherri and I stumbled into a little country church with a marriage license, attempting to do something no one wanted us to do: get married again. We had no idea what was about to happen. We were selfish kids who needed to grow up and didn’t know how. That night, we got married, and Jesus invaded our hearts. We started a journey that has brought us to today. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve made it this far with a lot of help from everyone, especially from God, our kids, our families, and our friends.

This year is the first time we’ve decided to include all our years of marriage together. Today, we are celebrating 50 years of marriage. Why we didn’t do this sooner? I don’t know.

Today, we start a new journey, and we are in celebration mode. That’s right. Forget a one-time party. We are celebrating from here on out. Celebrating the love we share with our kids, grands, and great-grands, and our friends, from now until we leave this planet.

So don’t ask us when the party is. We are on the party bus, riding the party wagon, “gots” a seat on the celebration train, and if there’s a celebration rocket, strap us in, and we will take that baby for a ride. Join us in the celebration.

New Year, Same Me,

New Year's Resolutions That Work.

I love this time of the year. The holidays are past, and we are ready to blast into the new year and rock it. It’s like we get a new beginning, everything is fresh, we get to start over, and then come the nasty New Year’s resolutions that we know we are going to fail at. In case you haven’t heard the facts about New Year’s resolutions, here they are.

“Of Americans who make New Year's resolutions, only 9% were successful in keeping them. They’ve even found that most people toss in the towel on January 19; they are calling January 19 "Quitter's Day." How depressing is that? WOW!

Have you noticed that most New Year’s resolutions are about everything that we don’t like?

You know, the things we are failing at or the things we think we can be better at. And that’s a good thing, right?

What if this year, instead of focusing on all the wrong things in our lives, we make some resolutions about good things? WOW! How radical is that? We don’t ignore the bad things we want to change; by all means, work on those. Instead, we focus our attention and efforts on what is working in our lives. We focus on the good things.

Here is what I call my Anti-New Year’s Resolution. “I’m not going to spend my entire January focused on everything I am failing at. Instead, I will focus on what is working in my life and put most of my time and energy into making them better while working on those areas that need to be better.” It’s really just a matter of focus. Right?

Now, here is a little anti-religious explanation. Check out this verse I use it to keep me focused.

Philemon NKJV - 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

To acknowledge means to “show that one has noticed by a greeting. To address, to nod, to wave, to raise one's hat to another,” (I’m gonna tip my hat to the good things), I love that. When we see good things in our lives we should talk about it, we raise our hands and give thanks for it, and we take the time to tip our hats and acknowledge them.

For me, this has a huge impact. It changes my attitude, it changes the atmosphere around me, it changes my focus for sure. At work in the store and wherever I go I am looking for good things to acknowledge, and I hope you will too.

So how about that for a New Year’s resolution? It has changed my life, and I believe it will change yours too. I believe we will blow right past “Quitters Day” and make this a lifestyle instead of a New Year’s resolution.

I ain’t quittin’,

Jimmie

Arthur Ain’t Welcome “Round Here

My friend Bob reminded me of a conversation we had many years ago. I had forgotten the conversation long ago, but my friend Bob has a remarkable memory. We were driving together, and somehow, arthritis came up in the conversation. As we talked about it, in a very loud, forceful voice, I said, “Arthur ain’t welcome ‘round here.” And he ain’t, that’s for sure. 

Well, guess what? Arthur came ‘round and has shown up in my hands, which is not good news for a guitar player. So what do I do, quit or retire? Heck no, I'm not a quitter. I’ve sought treatment and been to a specialist, and they tell me I’ve just used my hands too much. Ya, think, like all my life. Yet, I still have this passion.

I’ve wanted to be a guitar player since I was 12 years old, and I still do. Arthur has made my hands stiff, making it hard to play some chord shapes. I’m exercising, which helps, and I’m relearning how to play the chords and other things that are now difficult differently. I mean, have you seen Keith Richards hands? If Keith can play with hands like that, then I can. 

While praying, I heard a voice in my heart say, “You’ll be able to do what you do for the rest of your life.” I think I’ll go with that voice and keep on playing. 

So, if you struggle with this issue, too, then let’s chat. Send me a DM, and let’s encourage one another. Because at the end of the day, Arthur Ain’t Welcome “Round Here.

Peace,

Jimmie 

Peace For The Holidays

Sherri and I have been very intentional in our attempt to make our home a place of peace and to be peacemakers. In the hope our holiday season will be stress-free and peaceful, here are a few suggestions from our house to yours.

1. Do Everything You Can To Make It Peaceful: Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

2. Pray For It & Prophesy To It: I mean, “Have a little talk with Jesus.” Then, declare/prophesy the promises of God over your home and holiday gatherings. Then, believe it and expect it.

3. Manage Your Expectations & Be Thankful: Every family has at least one weirdo, so be prepared and don’t be in denial. Why? Because you may be that weirdo!

1. Keep your expectations within reason. Don't ask too much of your family. Just the fact that you are together is a miracle all by itself. Thank God for that miracle, and be thankful.

4. Make It Easy For Others: We’ve done this for years. This year, we will host a 9:00 AM Breakfast for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Why? Then, our kids can go to all their other family dinners. Things like this create peace and don’t add to their stress.  

5. Set The Atmosphere: I put on a playlist of super-chill music, and it affects the entire house. I don’t put on blues or praise music; I just put on some chill instrumental music, which works great. Smiling and laughing is another way to affect the atmosphere. Let the joy of the Lord shine through. 

6. Be Forgiving: Forgiveness is the hallmark of the Christian experience. It is where everything with God begins. We must be astute in giving and receiving forgiveness. Christmas is all about forgiveness.  

7. Enjoy Yourselves: We have a sign at our front door that is the title of one of my songs; here is what it says. “Check Your Blues At The Door.” every moment we have together is precious. So put aside your worries and enjoy your time together. 

Peace on earth,

Jimmie & Sherri

BE THE REVIVAL

I don’t know about you, but I sense freshness in the spirit as I become more aware of the Good Things God has done and is doing in my life. 

I’ve been describing it this way lately. I’ve been praying for revival, prophecying about revival, and believing for revival for the past 47 years, and it ain’t happened yet. If we’re voting, I’m for it; how about you? In the meantime, I'm going to keep on doing all that stuff and do this while I’m waiting. I’m going to BE THE REVIVAL. 

It’s part of The Ministry of SHOWIN’ Up, right? Christ’s in us; where we go, He goes, and where He goes, stuff happens. There are people all around you who are desperately looking for answers. Many of them have been to church, and they ain’t going back. They need someone authentic and real to SHOW UP and BE JESUS. That’s the Jesus example. He had a custom of being in the synagogue and hanging out with notorious sinners. He did both, and we should include both within our intention and influence and BE THE REVIVAL. 

Here is my advice for us all. Let us magnify The Lord. Let us make Him so BIG in our lives; let us be so aware of His presence in us that everywhere we go, we see Jesus. In every situation, in the darkness, in the hard times, and in the good times. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. 

We’ve been waiting long enough; let’s BE THE REVIVAL.

Peace,

Jimmie

Why I write songs in parables, Part One

One of the most influential moments in life is when you share your own story. Your story is one of the most moving and powerful tools that you possess. The Bible is a book full of stories about people just like you and me, the good the bad, and the ugly. 

When I was writing for my album Red in 2005 I was struggling. I wanted to communicate the truths of my faith in a way that people could easily understand in a three-minute song, as a preacher it’s a great tool to have in your toolbox. How many preachers do you know that can preach a sermon in three minutes? Not many! 

When art (in the case of music) is more abstract or conceptual it allows the listener's imagination to apply the concepts to their own life experiences. I’m sure you’ve had those moments, right? You hear a song and it takes you back to a moment in time and you forever connect that song to that moment or emotion. 

Anyway, back to my album Red. As I was writing one day I heard a voice in my heart that brought the answer to my struggle. “Write in parables, it was okay for Jesus and it’s okay for you.” That moment brought me so much comfort. It changed the way that I write songs and preach sermons. It made it easier for me to write and sing about the powerful concepts and principles from the Bible the same way that Jesus did, in parables. In fact, the working title for the album Red was “Parables”. 

My friend Dr. Jim Richards in his book “Heaven On Earth” which I would encourage you to read, wrote this.  “Parables convey spiritual reality by comparing natural principles listeners understand to spiritual principles they may not understand. Jesus spoke of farming, shepherding, weddings, and other common norms based on culture, morals, and values. If a listener had a repentant (teachable) heart, the stories were subconsciously adapted to spiritual truth with real-life application. While there are exceptions, parables usually only convey one or two key points which are more conceptual than behavioral.”

What? Do you mean I can communicate the truth in stories and be teaching people at the same time? The answer is a loudly shouted YES! Again from Dr. Jim RIchards speaking about how Jesus taught. “Through storytelling and intimate knowledge of God’s Word, He led people through personal transition without confrontation. He made truth simple to those who wanted it! Since the parables are principle-based, every person was allowed the freedom to hear, interpret, and apply from their own heart.” That is some liberating, and powerful stuff right there, that changed my life. 

A final FYI, Dr. Jim Richards and I wrote my most popular song together, Bad Religion. 

Peace,
Jimmie

The Hardest Places To Play the BluesPart Four: Playing Gospel/Christian Blues in a Non-Christian Venue

I want everyone to know that I am a minister. I haven’t ever tried to hide it, I’m not ashamed of it and I don’t flaunt it, and I also don’t think that it creates some kind of special privilege for me either. Most people around the world know me as “The Electric Rev,” and I like that! My music has opened the door for us to play in a lot of places where a typical minister would not be welcome. When we first started I have to say it was a little scary, for sure. It turned out that the only thing that was scary wasn’t the people at the venue, it was the religious culture that didn’t really want anything to do with anything outside of their controlled religious culture. I was that way for years. I had adopted this “us & them” mentality until I discovered that Jesus didn’t have that mindset and in fact, He came for us all and not just the religious. You know the “whosoever will let him come” thing!

I will admit that it was a journey for me, and you can read about it in detail in my book Don’t Take Your Dreams To The Grave. My discovery was, can I do what I do, (sing songs of faith) outside of the church in a way that will inspire people to connect to Jesus and not alienate them in the process? I admit I have done both and like one more than the other. I will also admit it’s a bit of a dance. Yes, I want to give my listeners the best music possible and inspire them to believe. I also know that I will not have their ears if I am not kind, gracious, loving, respectful, etc. All that fruit of the Spirit stuff.

I love the music that I play. Be it blues, gospel blues, Christian blues, southern rock, or country. I choose my songs carefully. I am always looking to find a message in the song that I can connect to, even the ones that I don’t write. Like my cover of “Honky Tonk Blues” by Hank Williams. Yes, it is a song about living the party lifestyle, yet it also has a story of redemption that is really close to the story of the lost boy in Luke 15, the prodigal son story. The boy blows all of his daddy's money and finally figures out that it wasn’t as bad at home as he thought. That will preach right there.

People will ask me, “How much persecution do you get in non-church-venues.” My answer to them is shocking when I say, “None.” And here is why: When you respect people when you are kind to people when you genuinely care and love people, everyone wants someone like that in their life, right? Don’t you? Whenever I step into a venue, I am looking to create a lasting mutually beneficial relationship with everyone. It is not a one-time shot for me. I want to create value for the venue owners, the folks working at the venue, and the people who come to hear the music. I want them to walk away shocked that I sang about the things of faith and at the end of the night they leave thinking what a great time they had. Yes, some will be uncomfortable, but that is not coming from me, that is coming from the conflict in their own hearts. I hope at the end of the concert most will leave with this one thought: “That guy sang about Jesus and I liked it.”

Because we live in a post-Christian culture we have to start communicating with people as if they have no previous knowledge of the things of God or church culture. If at the end of my concert, they walk away knowing one thing, then I’ve done a good job. What is the one thing? That God is good, always.

Peace,

Jimmie

P.S. Leave a comment below and share with me your toughest place to do what you do!

The Hardest Places I’ve Played the Blues Part Three: A Homeless Encampment

“Under a bridge near the river is where I met him. He camps there and calls it home. In his eyes, I saw the struggle of a life castaway. He said my name is Sinner, I’ve got no place else to go.” These words are from a song on my new album Far Enough titled “My Name Is Sinner.” Although the man (I named Sinner) doesn’t exist, the location and the people that I met under the bridge are very real.

For the past few years, I’ve been invited to be part of an event called “The Worship Wagon,” whose mission is to do a church service for the homeless and feed them all dinner. The venue is under a bridge at 1st & Grand Street in Kansas City, near the Missouri River. It was the people I met there that inspired me to write this song.

As I looked into their eyes I could only imagine the pain they’ve experienced that brought them to this place. It was like their eyes were screaming at me, “What are you going to do about me?” Homelessness is a complex issue that needs a host of us working to find a solution and bring assistance to those who desire help within this community.

Every time I am invited to play under the bridge I feel a weight. I guess a better way to describe it is I feel a responsibility to be blatantly honest and as kind as possible. As I select my songs for the event, I look for songs that allow me to speak openly and honestly about what I know can help us all. Please notice what I said, “What I know can help US all.” I cannot help but include myself among those who need help… and really be honest, can you? Because if I am, to be honest, I must first know and admit that I am just as messed up as everybody else. We all live on this planet that we broke, (I’m being honest now). We can blame God, the devil, our parents, the government, and everyone else we can think of. But in the words of the U.S. President from Independence, MO: “The Buck Stops Here.”

So, what is the answer to all of our problems? Is it a happy gospel blues or Christian blues song? Well, maybe it depends on the messages in the songs, right? There is only one answer to all of our problems, love! Love is the answer that God chooses, so that has to be my choice as well. After mankind (that’s us) sold out the planet and told God that we no longer trusted Him, we tried to hide from Him and started blaming everyone else. Then He came up with a plan that only God could come up with. His plan wasn’t I’m going to punish them, they will get what they deserve. It wasn’t I’m going to curse them, be mean and angry to them. He would have none of that. His plan was then and is now, I’m going to love them.

Jesus came to this planet to show us the Love of God. He took upon Himself all of our sins, pain, and sickness and defeated every enemy so that we could know The Love of God for ourselves. He saved me from myself.

Peace,

Jimmie

P.S. Leave a comment below and share with me your toughest place to do what you do!

The Hardest Places I’ve Played the Blues Part Two: On Death Row

It was the most chaotic place I have ever been. It was cold and dark; the dark gray block walls echoed every whisper and scream, and you could feel evil in the air. As the chaplain opened the door, we walked in and he said, “This is death row.” These men are all condemned to die.

It was the first time this prison had allowed someone from the outside, like me, to visit death row. With my old 1946 Martin D-18 guitar in hand, we walked into the cellblock and I started singing Christmas songs. Christmas Songs, really? Yes, it was Christmas in prison. Whether you know it or not, Christmastime in prison is the hardest time of the year. All of the emotions of being locked up in that place, separated from friends and family come crashing in at this time of the year. Rather than being “merry and bright” it is “sorrow and darkness.”

As I came to the first death row cell I searched for the right song to sing. I passed on several of my gospel blues and Christian blues songs, struggling to find just the right one to play for this condemned man.

What I was looking for was a song that “I” was deeply connected to, a song that I was passionate about, at this moment in time. Then these words started coming out of my mouth about another man condemned to death: “One man hung, two men died, third man rose to righteous life, cursed is the man on a tree, death for him, life for me, death for him life for me.” The song I was singing was my song “Exchange.” It’s about the tremendous exchange that took place on The Cross, when the sinless son of God, Jesus, was condemned to die for us all.

It’s a moment I will never forget. Connection to your passion is so important in communicating from your heart to the hearts of others. Yes, I sang a gospel blues or Christian blues song. Yet, I was invested not only in the message of The Cross, but I was also personally invested in the song because of my own personal experience. I know what it is like to be condemned and I know what it is like to be free, and for that, I will be forever grateful to the One who saved me from myself.

Peace,

Jimmie

PS, send me an email and share your stories!

The Hardest Places I’ve Played the Blues Part One: In Church

“You can’t play the blues in church, that’s devil’s music.” That’s what they told me. Yet, for the past 23 years, that’s one of the places where I have played the blues. Here’s a little back story.

When I first came to faith, one of the first things that happened was that our pastor at the time took me aside and told me, “You’ve got to quit playing that devil music,” and I did. For the next 20 years, I didn't play any blues or any rock and roll because that was devil music. No “gospel blues” or “Christian blues” were allowed either because those genres were also considered to be devil music. For those 20 years of my life, I played only southern gospel and choruses that I called “7-Eleven,” you know seven words, repeated 11 times or more.

Until one day I came to know the truth that there are only two types of music, and it is not the devil's music and the church's music, it’s good music and bad music. Suddenly, the chains of my “Bad Religion” were broken and I was free to play the music that I knew was in my heart. So I started playing and what I found was amazing.

A pastor here in Kansas City called me and said, “I want you to come to our church and do a blues concert on Sunday morning,” my response was, “You’re crazy.” I came up with all kinds of excuses and he shot all of them down. Finally, he said, “Trust me,” and I said, “Okay.” I put together a band with a full horn section, we rehearsed and were ready to play some red-hot blues on Sunday morning in church. Now some people would have dialed it back to make it more acceptable with the church crowd, but I don’t roll that way. An old preacher friend of mine told me this: “If it doesn’t burn in you, it won’t burn in them.” So like it or not there it was, red-hot and loud.

There were 1,000+ people there that morning and I was nervous as all get out. What happened next was so incredible. As we proceeded to rock the church house with some smokin’ blues, the church folks shouted, danced, clapped, and bought every CD we had. It was amazing. Many of them said, “I don’t like the blues, but I like the blues that you play.”

You can call it what you want, the blues, blues rock, gospel blues, Christian blues, or whatever, and if it’s good music from the heart, people will connect to it. Most of all, be true to who you are, and don’t allow people, the market, the music industry, and yes, even the church to stop the creativity that God put in you.

For me, I discovered a way to express my creativity (love of music) and faith (love for Jesus) through my music and preaching. And yes, I hope that the music I create is good music and gives honor to the one who “saved me from myself.”

Peace,

Jimmie

P.S. Send me an email and let me know your toughest place to play.

Transformation Tour 2022 Updates

Winfield Correctional Center, Winfield Kansas, Saturday, May 28, 2022 

We had a tremendous event last Saturday as the men were all fed BBQ, we played music and ministered to them. I shared a message of hope, restoration, and faith in Jesus, with many responding. Then we gave all of them books and signed almost all of them. The men received it all with thanks and gratefulness. It was an amazing event.

A young inmate who spoke with me was recently transferred from another prison. (The prison we gave 1350 books to. The books were included in their 2021 Christmas packages that we also helped fund.) He told me he had 5 kids and was being released in a few weeks. He had read our “Granny Paid For Our Divorce” book. He said “I read the book and thought. These people were all messed up and if they could overcome their past mistakes, with God's help I can too!” And that is why we do what we do.  

One of the men we have known for a long time told us this. He said, “he had been locked up for 22 years and is being released in 9 months.” Can you imagine how much the world has changed in 22 years? He is a strong believer and has family who are helping him upon his release. If you would be praying for him and the seed that we together have sown into the lives of these men. That they yield to the love of Jesus and see their lives transformed in every way.    

Again, thank you for your gifts that make events like this possible. We couldn’t do it without you.

The First Fuzz Pedal

It first happen in 1960 during the recording of Marty Robbin’s classic hit “Don’t Worry About Me”. Here’s the story about the first fuzz pedal creator, Glenn Snoddy.

“In 1960, Snoddy inadvertently discovered the fuzz pedal effect while working on a session for Robbins. In the middle of the song “Don’t Worry,” Grady Martin’s bass guitar started making a distorted sound because the transformer in the amplifier blew up. Snoddy later constructed a guitar pedal that would replicate the fuzz tone, which would later become a crucial element in what is now known as “The Nashville Sound.” The effect became massively influential in rock music.” [1].

When covering “Don’t Worry About Me” on my album “This is Blues Country” I tried on all the tracks to stay true to the original melodies. When it came to “Don’t Worry About Me” I had to stay true to original fuzz sound during the solo. So I actually stacked two fuzz pedals on the track. I used the first pedal I ever owned. My parents bought it for me for Christmas in the late 1960’s, UMI Buzz Tone then stacked on top of that my Keeley Electric Mud making for one huge fuzzy mess of tone.

Glenn Snoddy passed away recently at the age of 96. His contribution to rock & roll music is still being heard today. Every time you here a fuzzed out guitar it’s because of him.

Here is a link to my cover of “Don’t Worry About Me”.

Peace,
Jimmie

Transformed

Dear Friends,

I received this yesterday from one of the chaplains who is hosting one of the events on The Transformation Tour.

“Jimmie a huge thank you to you and the team for all of the planning, logistics, work, financing, travel, prayer, etc. etc. etc. that has gone into this huge undertaking. We anxiously look forward to everyone being here at ECF. God bless you all.”

Dale L. Bailey, Chaplain
ECF Spiritual Life Center
Ellsworth, Kansas

I was awaken in the middle of the night thinking about this email and praying for the men. I had a vision of the impact of the power of The Holy Spirit on their lives as they hear The Gospel. The impact of transformation was happening in their hearts. I saw mothers, sons, daughters, marriages, homes, families, radically transformed, because of a moment when these men were in prison and Jesus visited them.

Would you to join us in this story of transformation? We are a halfway to meeting our budget of $14,000.00. You can be the hero that sends us, would you be so bold as to give a gift and make it possible for us to reach these who will perish if we don’t reach them.

Many, many thanks,
Jimmie 

The Biggest Victory EVER!!!

Our identity is the biggest victory ever. Many times the Bible asks this question, “who are you?”. They asked Jesus, John the Baptist and others this question.  It is the root of all temptation and until you settle what you are going to believe about you, you will never really experience all that is already yours in Jesus.

The fall of man wasn’t about his disobedience it was about what he did or didn’t believe about himself. If he would have fully believed that he was already “created in the image of God” he would have never fell for the lies of the subtle serpent.

Jesus’ temptation was all around His identity. “If you are the son of God” do this or that. The devil was trying to get Jesus to prove His identity by His performance. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been trapped by that one. After all it’s by faith we are born again and made a new creature.

Our identities are always set from an outside source. God made us that way hoping we would choose Him and allow Him to define us. Now that we have believed the Gospel and been made a new creature we must renew our minds to the truth about our new identity in Jesus. Nothing is more important.

My friend, Pastor Clint Byars has  written a blog to help us all believe the truth about who we really are. Here is a link. I would encourage you to bookmark this page and read it often. Get these New Testament truths into you heart, meditate on them, write them down, do anything you can to renew your mind to the truth that you are “In Christ”

Dream Acceleration

Watch Sermon Video

Dream Acceleration,

You have a dream, right? Do be afraid, it’s okay! Is there something you can do to accelerate your dream? The answer to that is yes. In this message I will reveal one of the greatest principles to get your dreams in high gear.

Enjoy,

Jimmie

PS, I have three other messages in this series, click here.