the skillman sessions

Well, fall has come and with it, a wide and vast array of activities for my family. It has been so fun, but time-consuming. I have thought many times about writing a post for this blog, and it is the thought that counts, right? In actuality, since this is my first blog, I sometimes have trouble deciding on a direction for the blog. Do I write about music only? My family? Current events and my opinions concerning them? I am working on a post about Boundaries and their importance on my life. I guess I will focus on things I am passionate about. It may evolve, but that will be my measuring stick for now.

One thing I wanted to tell you about is the skillman sessions. It is a collection of songs produced by Skillman Bible Church, a lovely little church in Dallas where my husband and I have been members for many years.  We have so many musically talented folks at our church that we felt compelled by the Lord to make this album. Some are original works, some are covers by other artists, some are public domain, and they were all made with great love.  James Johnson, the owner of Noisevault Studios, has had a vision to make an album for the church since his studio opened. Under the direction of Josh Bleeker, the elder over worship at the time of recording, they made that dream a reality.

When Josh approached me about contributing on this album, I didn’t want to do it. I had always wanted to record something, but thought it was too expensive, difficult, and scary. But thankfully, everything came together and I was able to participate in this amazing project.  I’m so glad I did. I am very proud of this collection of very different styles from very talented people. God used it to encourage me to continue this journey of recording songs, and it has resulted in great joy and satisfaction.

“The Time Has Come” is the song I contributed to the skillman sessions. It is about addiction. I have never personally struggled with addiction, but have loved addicts my whole life.  The song touches on the pain that comes with watching a loved one continually chose the “dark friend” as top priority instead of you over and over again.  And there is an underlying admonition to the addict that it is possible to stand up and take control of your life with God’s help. I firmly believe that.  By realizing you are powerless over the addiction, help is possible.  Before counseling, I was your typical enabler, co-dependent, and people pleaser. I still struggle with it at times. And this song is a good reminder for me as well.  The addict has to want to change. I cannot continually attempt to control things in hopes of making the change happen. No one can do it but the addict. No one. That is between the addict and God.  Believe me, I have tried and failed many, many times.  There is such a freedom that comes with letting go. So it falls on me to “break the chains” of co-dependency as well.

I have been blessed with close friends who have also dealt with similar difficulties, and those relationships are very dear to me. We can support each other in dealing with co-dependency.  However, I remember being afraid to speak of addiction for fear of embarrassment and shame.  It was extremely lonely and lead to a bout with clinical depression that has since been treated.  If you, dear reader, find yourself lonely in your dealings with these issues, I am happy to lend an ear.  Unfortunately, it is more prevalent than you can imagine. You are not alone.  Or if you are dealing with addiction, it is NOT hopeless. You can get help, but you have to do the work. The responsibility is yours, but there are many people that can help you along the way.

Here is the skillman sessions in its entirety. I hope you enjoy it. Also, stayed tuned for news on the possibility of the skillman sessions 2!

Skillman Sessions: Credits & Copyrights