A Place to Live
September 10, 2014
A thousand judges
But who will judge themself?
Two thousand eyes
Yet who will offer help?
A thousand tongues
To say a trillion words
To feed a million brains
That don’t know their own hearts
Who are we?
Who are you?
Are we asking the right questions?
Can we even begin a conversation in this unsafe world of rock-hard, icy surface?
Many days, in many places, safety feels impossible.
Is there a way to break through the surfacy and insignificant and to begin to swim in the deeper, better world?
Is there a way to stay there?
Even to live there?
It is difficult, surely.
For some, it seems mostly impossible.
But, there is a place.
Surely, there is a place.
It is rare.
And, it is difficult.
But once found, it is sweet and invaluable.
Impossible to let go of.
Who are you?
Who am I?
I Need You, Friend
October 2, 2012
What is this world coming to? What is this place where I found you? How is our time here gonna end? Oh, I know, I need you, friend. So, let it out, let it in. Oh, I know, I need you, friend. Let it out, let it in. Oh, I know, I need you, friend.
(This is a track off of my album that’s about to come out). Hope you enjoy 🙂
Psalm 141 (song)
March 3, 2012
Oh Lord, I call
I call to you
Come quickly, Lord
I’m callin you, I’m callin you
Lord, hear me now, I call to you
I lift my voice
I’m callin you, I’m callin you
May my prayer be set before you
I lift up my hands in the evening in my room
Oh, set a guard over my mouth
To keep my head so I can hear your words come down
Lord, evil men are all around
Help me to know the hollowness of sin’s sweet sound
May my prayer be set before you
I lift up my hands in the evening in my room
May my prayer be set before you
I lift up my hands in the evening in my room
Oh, keep
keep my eyes
keep my eyes fixed on you sovereign lord my refuge
Oh, keep
keep my eyes
keep my eyes fixed on you sovereign lord my refuge
May my prayer be set before you
I lift up my hands in the evening in my room
It’s a fast town..
March 2, 2012
It’s a fast town
And it’s forgetful
But when it remembers
The elderly resound
With a chorus
That soars
Over the latest
Lick it’s found
The speedy.. pause
And the quick.. confound
What is really good
Is to slow down
Poetry Shared
January 14, 2012
poetry shared
though underprepared
beautif’ly cares
for the heart that is there
poetry shared
for life in it’s care
for hearts that are there
for hearts to repair
the love that is there
was once unaware
once unaware
till words of spacious care
once unaware
once unaware
once unaware
to be met
once
and again
and again
and again and again
no sight to it’s end
till then
to see where he stands
out of sight
from where he began
A Vision for Today
January 1, 2012
One day
One minute
One moment
One hour
Reminded of a love that gives beyond it’s power
Reminded of the simplicity of goodness, the difficulty of relinquishing pride, and the stark difference of relenting to humility.
The simplicity of love
Sacrificing selfishness
And taking the opportunity to bless
One moment to give.. the next to accept
One day
One minute
One moment
One hour
Album
February 3, 2011
I’m really glad to announce that I’m recording a solo album with the help of my friend Nate Vaughan http://natevaughan.blogspot.com/ who is producing the project. We’re really excited about it. http://natevaughan.blogspot.com/2010/10/preview-of-nate-miller.html
From left to right, Nate Vaughan letting his hair down, drummer Mike Lindsay, and Bassist Brian Song
Nate and I became better friends this summer and soon thereafter talked about making a recording. Nate had been working on Anna Su’s album http://annasumusic.com/track/over-ourselves at the time and, after hearing their work, I immediately agreed to move forward.
This fall, we spent two months planning out the project in detail and spent November and December recording blueprint tracks. We were then able to begin the actual recording process last week when we tracked drums and bass.
The album will consist of nine songs that I wrote between 2006-2010. I’m excited about this next step and really grateful for all of the support I’ve been given to this point. Nate V. has done an amazing job in bringing this to reality and I am really really grateful for him. Not to mention the guys and girl who have already helped me begin recording and only been paid in pizza thus far.
Nate, Brian (enjoying a slice of his pay), and Nate
We are raising funds in the form of donations. Will you consider helping us make this project happen? If you are interested in contributing you can follow this link: http://natemilleralbum.blogspot.com/ Its pretty simple to use and a contribution of any amount will earn you a free CD and a lifetime of thanks from me.
Here are two of my original demo versions of songs that will be on the album.
The other seven will have to remain mysteriously unknown unless you e-mail me personally.. I might be willing to tell you more. But you can check out all of my songs here: https://freerefills.wordpress.com/words/ . All of the songs that will be on the album, except for one, can be found on this site.
Meredith, Brian, and Nate V.
Nate and Mike
Nate
Love to Change
January 2, 2010
New song here.
My heart is beating out. In line for change. And waiting for you. There’s love in every sound. In love to change. And beating for you. And hiding all you say in every word. I love to follow. In every little love. In every game. Its beating for you. My heart has laid it all. And wants to play. And beating for you. Its writing every song in words you know. And beating for you. And let it all breathe out. Every change. To stay with you forever. We now have everything. Everything. I’m breathing for you.
Ageless Words to a New Tune
December 1, 2009
In recent years, one of my favorite things has become sitting at a piano with a book of old songs with amazing words and singing a new tune to the lyrics (since my fingers aren’t trained to play most music as it’s written 🙂 ) I recently got to do this at Jono’s as he let me use their house and piano when they were out of town.
Here’s the result: Awake, Arise, Lift Up Your Voice (click on title to hear)
(words by Christopher Smart 1722-1771)
Awake, arise, lift up your voice,
let Easter music swell;
rejoice in Christ, again rejoice
and on his praises dwell.
Oh, with what gladness and surprise
the saints their Savior greet;
nor will they trust their ears and eyes
but by his hands and feet,
those hands of liberal love indeed
in infinite degree,
those feet still free to move and bleed
for millions and for me.
His enemies had sealed the stone
as Pilate gave them leave,
lest dead and friendless and alone
he should their skill deceive.
O Dead arise! O Friendless stand
by seraphim adored!
O Solitude again command
your host from heaven restored!
The Last Six Months
December 16, 2008
As I sit in Portland, Oregon here on an early Tuesday morning, unable to sleep being too scared that I won’t wake up for my airport Taxi that is coming at 5 AM.. breath.. I can’t help but be thankful for the past six months.
In the spring of this year, I was in a job that I loathed. But even worse, in my soul, I was in a state of anger. It wasn’t incessant. But it was bad.
I thank God for the friends that helped to awaken me to the fact that it was alright to say.. “this is not right” and “something needs to be done.” Isn’t it amazing how we can put our anger on the back burner? How we can ignore it because there are responsibilities that are more important and require our attention more than what makes us pissy? How true this is of so many things in our lives.
I thank God for the friends that helped to push me towards peace, love, and healing. And, indeed, that is what has been happening these past six months. I went to Argentina and spent time with family and friends. Playing, eating healthy (-er than I was previously 🙂 — I have a terrible diet), taking naps, walks, watching The Office, etc. I felt the push from God to explore the questions: “what am I here for? what am i here on this earth to do? what did you make me for? what are my gifts and how do you want me to use them? how do you want me to be?”
After Argentina, I was given an opportunity to live with my friend Jason
everydayj.com in Austin, Texas. I slept in his recording studio where I had countless hours to experiment with recording and songwriting and do all of the other aforementioned things. I remember being at an outdoor coffee bar during one of my first weeks there, looking around, seeing artsy people everywhere–not people in suits–which gave me a tangible vision of how I seemed to fit more there. I remember first telling people my story in Austin and expecting them to look at me like I was some kind of 
fool.. “you quit your job and are doing what exactly? You don’t even know what you’re doing?” Instead, they reacted with genuine excitement when they heard me say “I quit my job in June and I’m trying to figure out what I’m doing with my life, how I want to be as a person, and am experimenting with songwriting/recording.” I went to Austin saying that I would be experimenting with songwriting. Through people’s reactions and through realizing that I loved the process of writing and recording so much that I didn’t care what people thought, I left Austin with the confidence to remove the word “experimenting” from my previous introduction.
So after three great months in Texas, I left for the full Oregon air to be with
my buddy Jon-Paul who’s also at a crossroads. We’ve been facing more logistical challenges in our time here. But its amazing to see, through the joys and frustrations, how we grow as friends. And I really believe that we can grow or wither in all of our circumstances. I pray that I might be one who helps my friends and even strangers to grow. I’m not naive to think that everyone will do that for me. But I also know that it is essential to immerse myself in friendships with those who want to see me grow.
I thank God for these past six months. For the friends and their gifts of love and grace 
and sacrifice. For the experiences. And for the freedom to have built up a little bit of savings that would allow me this time to slow down and begin to concentrate on what is important.
What are you thinking?
FreeRefills 