The reach- could relate to a lot of things

I reach out into the darkness hoping to grab on to something.
A word, a gesture, a feeling.
I want to understand ; to grasp true meaning.
I know what it is, but do I know why?
I play the part of the calm ,cool,and collected.
But I pray that I will not be rejected.
What is the purpose?
What is the part I must play?
I am here and ready for the lights to be lowered and the music to begin.
Nervously I read over the lines that were written by conformity.
Should I play this part?
Or should I throw down the script of life and act from the heart?
This cliche act of rebellion is seen all the time.
In hearts of angst filled youth time after time.
But this is different.
It is organic and new.
A script that has never been written.
It is my very own.
I turn through its pages
Memories are shown and remembered
This new script is a step into the unknown.
So hold out your hands and reach for this new part.
God is using it He's known of it from the start.
Let go of the old and grab onto the new
Because He, the father has a great work to do through you
Amen

Ode to My House "sorta cheesy"

When water runs through the baseboards, It sounds like they are being hit with the business end of a baseball bat.

The kitchen always smells like the south, with comfort food galore

Deer on the wall , puppy dog on the floor.

Good music, long campfire nights.

In this house many have laughed , yelled, screamed, and cried

It is a protector from the world , a shelter indeed.

It is my strong-place. More than just a pile of bricks and mortar. This house is family

Good occasions and bad ones too, friends and family know they can come and seek safety underneath the Cauthen Roof. 

A new band for you!

I am constantly searching for good tunes to get my feet moving and to evoke true emotion. This band has done just that. Lord Huron is a fresh indie band that uses catchy hooks and haunting melodies to bring you to a place of deep contemplation. Their lyrics ring true in such songs like She lit a Fire. "She lit fire and now she's in my every thought".A wave of sound rushes over you in songs like The Ghost on that Shore. As a musician I am drawn to their music for its simplicity. It is simple yet elegant and smooth. They can tell a story in a song ,and make you feel as if the song was about your own circumstance. So sit back and enjoy these videos!

She Lit a Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJLjzk7DmeM

The Stranger 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rzME0DSARE

A prayer for the broken

Guard your heart for what's said to be true!
Then may a wellspring of life burst forth from you.
Sins in the past , sins of the future.
Only with the Christ may you endure.
We have all fallen into the muck and mire .
And can not climb out without his Hand.
Run from complacency
Seek that which is holy.
Run to the refuge of His Word
And run to the refuge of his love.
The darkness is here but not for long
On with redemption
Sing sweet the redemption song!
You can let go of this bondage and cast it down
"If grace was an ocean we all would drown"
Amen

Hunting

      I sat here and tried to write about the great tradition of hunting , but I couldn't. There are so many different emotions that come to my mind. Often times people find hunting to be a barbaric activity. Hunting is much more than that. It is a father and son bonding in the woods. It is man or boy working out life's problems at the base of Sycamore. It is the pure unadulterated experience of being one with nature and our creator. We as "hunters" go to the woods to find a deeper meaning in life. To come back different than we were before. As a boy I can remember watching the sun come over the hills and seeing how the world awakens. As a hunter you become much more attuned to life and its little idiosyncrasies.  It is a time where a man can go and leave his life behind to focus his mind and ask the questions he never thought to ask before. A great example of this is Helio Collective Searching for West. You will enjoy every second of it. 

http://vimeo.com/47989207 

Peter Bradley Adams

http://vimeo.com/25365650

The place of Healing

Driving down old dirt roads.

Keeping ahead of the sun and roosters crow.

Walking through fields together we went. 

Down to the old river, old grave yard , old cattle fence.

Up the hills we walked searching for the light .

Still feeling the chill of a cold , cold Virginia night.

The cows look up with a smile on their face.

Knowing that this land is my saving grace.

A quiet escape from the land I once knew.

Soft rays of sun wash away the tears on my face,oh that morning dew. 

It is my place of healing where I can wash my pain away in its great flowing river 

The river that divides the past and the present. 

Where I can walk its hills and remember the past but look on toward the future. 

The past is a dangerous thing. It can grab hold of you like the river and drag you down. 

Or it can hold you softly like the warmth of the houses pot belly stove .

I have always been drawn to open country. 

It sends me on a walkabout to examine life and myself.

It soothes my restless soul. 

It puts my mind at peace and helps me work out the hard things in life.

I can go there and be still in the presence of God. 

I will for the rest of this year at least , live 45 minutes away from what was my true childhood. 

 I live 2 hours away for what is my present and hopeful future. 

The Land in VA

Land behind the old Cornett Homestead.

The New River alongside the land