October 4, 2011
When I was growing up I always wanted to be a firefighter or a spacemen, I once told my mother that I was going to be a policeman. When God came into my life at the age of 13 none of these dreams, that were for the legally blind very optimistic and unrealistic, they didn't seem to matter anymore. Suddenly I was faced with a new world of things I would love to do. I tried being a Missionary, I went to Dallas to change the world and came back feeling like I had done nothing. I had always been interested in Music, so I set out to be a successful musician. I started learning Guitar (even before my salvation) I got back into Piano and I even picked up the drums. I had already been writing songs, so I thought that would be a viable career. I also got into the graphic design side of things, designing powerpoints for the Sunday Service at the big church I served in so I thought that was something I could do, Maybe these were my calling and what I was going to do professionally for the rest of my life.
But when the band broke up, the show was over and my vocal/guitar/drum skills were no longer needed and playing clarinet/piano seemed like a chore I dropped out of the music scene altogether. It would have seemed my music days were over, I still had a few contacts with bands I'd met along the road but none of that seemed to matter. No, at the end of High School, I'd be going to a small Christian College to study to be a Youth Pastor who just so happened to have led worship for AWANA's and Youth Groups.
But all this time something else had been sneaking up on me, something that I never expected to have form in me. In 2008 I had published, through Tee-Publications The "Man Up" series, a short and somewhat legalistic series on authentic Manhood based on Jim George's A Man After God's Own Heart. Tee was privately owned and so I signed a contract with them and was soon writing legalistic articles that would get published by obscure journal's that no one will ever hear about. When Tee parted ways with the organization that was publishing this stuff I went back to writing for them to sell.
But Music was still there, I was still playing Guitar, still writing Lyrics, still singing in Choirs and part of me held on to a faint dream of one day making it. I wanted to find a way to incorporate my Love for music, specifically Christian Rock into my writing. My first attempt, a publications of bands that people should avoid was again legalistic and in being that way it was a failure. Then a friend suggested maybe I should review and critique Christian Music instead and give a qualified opinion based on knowledge of those Genres. So freshmen year, after we'd started 10:31 Ministries and I'd gotten over my arrogant Legalistic self I began writing reviews.
Now two years later God has taken this beyond what I thought He would, but should I be surprised? God's also changed my major from Youth Ministry to the pursuit of Pulpit (pastoral) Ministry and revealed to me and interest and skill I have for radio. God has taken the young man who wrote for fun to the young man who is given the chance to write, to influence in a positive way and to reveal the love and heart of Christ through blogs like this. I write this not to gloat but this week I was officially make a member of the altrocklive.com team as their Christian Music guy. I cannot believe where God has taken this, to the point where I even have a book in the works.
Now I'm one who believes that God puts us in certain situations for certain times in our lives. I may not be writing for Altrocklive.com or even for my own Ministry next year. But I praise God for allowing me this opportunity and now I want to ask you. What has God subtly brought to the forefront of your life? What has He moved into your life that may be as a surprise?
Now I still play guitar, write songs, play piano, clarinet, drums, lead worship and do graphic design, all these things are still a part of my life. But I am called to be a pastor, then someday and husband, a father , a friend and for now a writer and could possibly be involved in radio.
What has God moved into your life? What has He allowed you to do that you never would have seen yourself doing? How has He allowed that to work in others lives and how has He used it to impact your life? I can tell you that writing has helped to work out my salvation and theological ideals. What has God stirred in you to help you grow in your walk?
God Bless You
Jon Faulkner
10:31 Ministries
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