Jaime Lee Music

Bags and baggage

Jaime — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:59:12 +0000

I was just re-listening to the title track on “Release Me” the other day and recognizing that although the lyrics I wrote clearly acknowlege the fact that I’m letting my fears and failures hold me back from joyfully living out the life God designed me to lead (at least I’m not oblivious to the problem!), I’m still just ”hoping [He'll] release me,” and I’m not actively pursuing that release. Um, I’m thinking that this is an important realization – but where do I go from here?

It seems to me that everyone has baggage, and at some point, they’ll probably be motivated to unpack it and deal with the issues it represents. At that point , things can go one of two ways: people can unpack the issues, consider them, and put them right back where they came from, or people can take the battered, travel-worn issues they’ve been carrying around so long and decide to give them to someone else to carry (like I typically do when on trips with my husband…hehe). Which way do you usually choose?

More often than not, I can be found with eight suitcases, 5 carry-ons, and at least three overly large purses (at least in the intangible, emotional hang-ups sense…I don’t actually pack that much when I travel!) - and I definitely get weighed down by all that baggage (for me, the heaviest bag is the crushing sensation of not getting things right – ah, the joys of being a very imperfect perfectionist!). Trying to focus on God and all of the incredible blessings He’s bestowed on me and what I should be doing with them instead of dwelling on the many, many mistakes I make every day is an issue I’ve been carrying around with me for quite a while. All this lugging around is definitely slowing me down in my pursuit of Christ. (It’s time to find a sherpa…!)

What part of your life do you think holds you back and keeps you away from God? What have you found to be the best way to deal with your baggage? Do tell…I can use all the help I can get!

iTunes news

Jaime — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:01:48 +0000

“Release Me” is now available on iTunes (thanks Greg!!). Hope you’ll swing by and rate the album - and I would really love to hear what songs mean the most to you, and whether you were able to relate to what the album is all about. (Any and all feedback appreciated!). I’ve got all the lyrics posted here, in case you want to check them out while you’re listening.

A fresh start

Jaime — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:41:22 +0000

Like I said, normal every day stuff always gets in the way…I was all set and ready to really dig into this whole issue of music and God and life (via frequent blog postings), and it turns out that I’m just a little bit busy right at this second. My husband and I just signed papers on our new house – we’re REALLY excited to move in and get settled! (And I’ll be excited to start posting regularly once we’re all moved!) This could be the perfect chance for a fresh start, and a great opportunity to sharpen my focus on God’s incredible blessings. Stay tuned!

New Beginnings

Jaime — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:18:05 +0000

I realized recently that it’s been almost 3 years since Greg, Ralph and I (and a bunch of other amazing folks) finished our album. THREE YEARS! (That’s a long time, but it feels like it flew by in a heartbeat.) Besides the release concert we held at Sun Hills, I’ve done a fat lot of nothing, at least music-wise. I mean, I participated in the Ignition showcase (got some industry feedback – apparently I’m like a young Debbie Gibson. not exactly what I was going for.) and spent about a year searching for accompaniment musicians so I could do some local shows (this was a halfhearted effort, at best), but really, I sunk a year (+) of my life into collaborating, recording, and releasing an album that meant a LOT to me… and then just walked away from it.

That’s not to say that the last few years have been a waste – I bought a house, finished my construction management degree, got a promotion at work, fell in love and got married (highly recommend this part!!), and spent quite a bit of mental energy wrestling with why I’m so studiously avoiding God’s purpose for me when it comes to music. Seriously – it’s like when you’re in jr high, and you REALLY like this guy/girl, so of COURSE you act like they’re invisible and like you’re much too busy with all of your friends and activities, when in reality, you’re doodling their name on the inside cover of your trapper keeper (REALLY dating myself here!!), desperately, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with them. I’m doodling God’s name in my trapper keeper (true love), He calls to ask me out (opportunities to share His message through music falling from the sky), and I am too tongue-tied to form a coherent sentence so I tell my mom to take a message (making a bunch of lame excuses for why I can’t answer His “call” immediately).

[NOTE to reader: in case you haven't already figured it out, I use WAY too many over-the-top analogies, emphatic statements, smiley faces, comma clauses and parenthetical statements. I also use way too many words to make simple statements. It's a vice of mine. You may want to get used to it.]

Here’s the back story: I’ve spent a lifetime deeply involved in music ministry at church, loving every second of it, joyfully living life with Christ, but at some point I got burned out (on music, not on God!). After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve come to the conclusion that I didn’t overload on music - I lost my focus on God. My core belief in Him has never wavered, but I (without even realizing it) got too busy to study, fellowship, and just BE with Him, and I gradually became just an empty shell person who knew all the right moves. Maybe you can relate?? Or not. Either way.

So at this point, I’ve decided it’s time for a new beginning. I don’t want to be an empty shell person anymore. I’m going to chronicle my journey back to joyfulness and making joyful noises for the Lord, and hopefully you’ll enjoy reading about the successes and failures I experience along the way. I hope you’ll share your stories, too!