You Are The Sunshine

 

 

SUNSHINE ON THE LAND
          ~ David Wilcox

I went to see an old friend
Who was soon to pass away.
He said, "My life has been so good to me.
Now I still got one more day."

Now he said that as he watched the morning sun
And then he smiled my way.
Because he said that every morning,
He lived his life that way.

He said, "I am the sunshine.
You are the sunshine.
We are the sunshine.
Help me understand.
We are the sunshine on the land."

He said this day is like a life you live,
It's never here to stay,
Because your time is always runnin' by
Like the sun across the day.

But it's like lookin' at the sunshine from the earth.
The light does come and go.
But when you're lookin' at the earth shine from the sun,
It's quite a different show.
He said it's time you know.

That I am the sunshine.
You are the sunshine.
We are the sunshine.
Help me understand.
We are the sunshine on the land.

Now I'm thinkin' of the things he said.
We're walkin' toward the grave.
And I haven't lived a life like his
But I still got one more day.
Now you could say it's only flesh and bone

The life that's in your hands
But I like to think it's something more
Like the sunshine on the land.

I am the sunshine.
You are the sunshine.
We are the sunshine.
Help me understand.
We are the sunshine on the land.
We are the sunshine on the land.

ABOUT DAVID WILCOX

A warm, baritone vocal tone and poetic lyricism are combined with a unique guitar style that blends soft jazz and folk sensibilities and an intimate stage persona by singer/songwriter David Wilcox. Often compared to James Taylor and John Martyn, Wilcox has built a solid fan base for his well-crafted folk-pop tunes.

Cleveland-born Wilcox was inspired to play guitar after watching a fellow student play in a stairwell at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH. Transferring to Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC, in 1981, Wilcox began taking music seriously. Although he took four lessons with a classical guitarist, Wilcox developed most of his playing technique on his own. In addition to being inspired by Joni Mitchell to play in a variety of tunings, he designed a capo that produced an unusual sound by leaving one or more strings unaltered.

Wilcox strengthened his skills as a performer through regular appearances at an Asheville night club called McDibbs. His debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, was released in 1987 on his own label, Song of the Woods, and reissued in 1996 by Koch International; it featured scaled-down arrangements and launched Wilcox's career as a touring musician. After performing at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Wilcox signed with A&M in 1989. His first release on the label, How Did You Find Me Here, sold over 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Wilcox subsequently recorded two other studio albums for the label -- Home Again in 1991 and Big Horizon in 1994. In 1991, the label released a six-song CD, Mostly Live: An Authorized Bootleg. East Asheville Hardware, Wilcox's first album after being dropped by A&M, featured live recordings of previously unreleased tunes including a version of Chuck Brodsky's satirical song "Blow 'Em Away."

His contract with A&M ended after four albums in 1994, but Wilcox has continued to share his love of music and his explorations of personal growth. His 1997 album Turning Point recorded in the log cabin studio in the woods behind his home, represented a shift to a more controlled approach to music, while his February 1999 release, Underneath, continued to focus on his vocals and guitar playing despite the additional instrumentation of electric guitars, keyboards, and rhythm section. Although his albums have featured diverse arrangements, Wilcox continues to perform in concert as a soloist. In August 2000, What You Whispered was released. A best-of collection followed the next year, released during his successful national tour. Due to his popularity, the demand for a live album became too great and he offered Live Songs and Stories in the summer of 2002. Into the Mystery appeared in 2003, followed by a joint effort with Nance Pettit, Out Beyond Ideas, in 2005 and Vista in 2006. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

See David Wilcox Songs & Videos

Remembering The Lights

I was 15 that summer.  I had worked as a camp counselor at a Bible Camp for a couple of months.  I had a new cabin full of 10-11 year old girls every week.  Looking back, I remember long days of swimming, hiking and volleyball that ended in a bonfire every night.  We sang with energy that could only be explained by the steady flow of s'mores.

My folks wanted me to come home early to help them, which mostly just meant watching the kids while mom shopped for back-to-school and then, helping her and the little kids get everything organized.

Most evenings, I went with my friends to another camp a half hour north of us.  It was a retreat camp for families.  They had old time revival meetings every night.  I liked listening to the preaching but my favorite part was the music.

I had grown up in the Lutheran Church where the services were formal and reserved.  The old hymns were all we sang, but at the retreat camp, they sang about Jesus the way people sing about love and when they prayed, they didn't just read a prayer out of a book.  They talked to God the way I'd talk to you, like they were having a conversation and they knew God would hold up his part of the conversation by answering.

The tabernacle was a huge log A-Frame with two floors.  It was built into a hill.  The meeting place was on ground level and there was a big cafeteria in the basement.  It wasn't anything special ... just a plain building in the middle of the woods, but when the services started, it was God's House.  You could feel electricity in the air. 

People spoke in tongues.  I'd never heard that before.  In fact, the first time I heard it, it scared me!  I got over being scared.  I still didn't know what to think though, so I watched the people around me.  I was so curious, I even prayed with my eyes open, anxious to see what would happen next!  People I had grown up with, acted different in that tabernacle in the woods, and I really didn't understand, but I wanted to, so I watched.

One night, during the praise part of the service, a man stood up and read from the Second Chapter of Acts:

And it shall be in the last days, God says,

That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind;

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

And your young men shall see visions,

And your old men shall dream dreams ...
I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit ... 

And I will grant wonders in the sky above,

And signs on the earth beneath ...
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.


I watched as the words flowed over the people in the room, like a wave.

I don't remember what the speaker talked about, but I do remember that signs and wonders in the sky was a recurring theme.  The service ended and we began to file out of the building but as people walked out the door, we heard gasping and "Praise the Lord" and "Oh my goodness" and one man said, "Surely, on this night, God is making His presence known".  We hurried outside, anxious to see what all the excitement was about ...

The sky was alive with bright, dancing northern lights!  They weren't the typical blue or green, but bright red!  Instead of just being in the Northern half of the sky, they were all around us!  They seemed to be coming from directly above us, like water being drizzled over an invisible dome in the sky! 

I don't know what anyone else was thinking at that moment.  I heard a few people whispering, a few praying and from somewhere, I heard faint music but I was completely mesmerized by the lights in the sky.  They felt personal.  They felt like a love letter from God Almighty.  It was red like the blood of Jesus, and it was alive and flowing over everything I could see, from one horizon to the other.  I have no idea how long I stood there, looking up, but when my neck got tired, I went and leaned against a big rock and kept watching the sky.

I have always loved LIGHT ... LIGHT speaks to me.  LIGHT inspires me.  I like watching LIGHT dance in the shadows of leaves.  I like the way LIGHT plays in the waves and sparkles in the snow.  I like the way LIGHT photographs.  I like the way those big candle power beams announce grand openings.  I like sparks of LIGHT in fireworks.  I like seeing the LIGHT of sunrise or sunset on someone's face.

My kid's great - great grandfather wrote a poem about LIGHT ...


God Said Let Their Be Light

When our way leads through the shadow
Let us always bear in mind
That the shadow owes it's being
To the light that shines behind.

When whatever shade beclouds us,
We may feel that all is right
Indubitably knowing 
That the shadow proves the light. 


I had never seen a sky like that before or since, but many times, when I have faced a really tough challenge or carried an especially heavy burden, I'd think about the night that God filled the sky with signs and wonders, and know that everything is going to be all right.

You Should See The Way It Feels To Me

YOU SHOULD SEE THE WAY IT FEELS TO ME
          ~ David Wilcox

It might look to you like nothing much to see
But you should see the way it feels to me
Here's the sidewalk I used to ride my bike
Down this little slope, down my little mountain
Start by the driveway spinning up to speed
Careful on the gravel 'cause it's nasty on the knees
Watch out for the branches on that apple tree
Soar down to the corner



Well I guess it's not as high as I remember
It might not be a mountain after all
But it was hard enough to climb
And steep enough to coast
Long enough to satisfy
And fast enough to boast



It may look to you like nothing much to see
But you should see the way it feels to me



Here's the tree house, I used to spend my night
Up this little tree, way up in my mansion
Jump to the first branch, walk it upside down
Careful of your grip 'cause it's a long way to the ground
Better get a handhold before you look around
You can see into forever



Well I guess it's not as high as I remember
It might not be a mansion after all
But it was hard enough to climb
And safe enough to sleep
Big enough to satisfy
And home enough for me



It may look to you like nothing much to see
But you should see the way it feels to me



Here's the old man who used to be the child
So long ago, not so very long though
Look at the memory, think of all those years
Looking through the sparkle of the sunlight in the tears
Better take another look before you disappear
You can see across your lifetime



So I look at where I've come and where I'm going
I will never be the greatest after all
But it was hard enough to climb
To get to where I've been
Love enough to satisfy
And life enough to live



I make look to you like nothing much to be
But you should see the way it feels to me
You should see the way it feels to me

Just Wondering

 

Have you ever wondered why you feel the way you do?  Have you questioned an idea you always thought was true?  Was your answer, "Well, that's the way it's always been ..." or "That's just the way it is." 

Are you sure?

We collect information our whole lives about ourselves, us people (the people we know), those people (the people we don't know), and the world, in general.  Some of those ideas were just someone else's opinion and we adopted it as our own, but it was still just an opinion.  Some of our best ideas, we dreamed up, all by ourselves ... when we were 8 or 9 or 10 years old! 

It's funny when you think of it.  Would any of us do anything a 8, 9 or 10 year old told us to do? 

Of course not! 

And yet, we "grown ups" operate everyday on the silly ideas we gathered when we were 8, 9 and 10 years old!!!  Those old beliefs and ideas influence the way we act, the way we talk and the way we think ...

 

But what if we got it wrong?

I wonder how many times I let that little child tell me what to do?  If I could do it, maybe other people do it too? 

It certainly explains a lot. 

 

Your Words Have Power

 

 

Feeling Our Words
Words Have Weight

Words carry energy and this gives language its power and its potential to heal or hurt. Most of us can remember a time that someone sent a word our way, and it stuck with us. It may have been the first time we received a truly accurate compliment, or the time a friend or sibling called us a name, but either way it stuck. This experience reminds us that what we say has weight and power and that being conscious means being aware of how we use words.

The more conscious we become, the more we deepen our relationship to the words we use so that we speak from a place of actually feeling what we are saying. We begin to recognize that words are not abstract, disconnected entities used only to convey meaning; they are powerful transmitters of feeling. For the next few days, you might want to practice noticing how the words you say and hear affect your body and your emotional state. Notice how the different communication styles of the people in your life make you feel. Also, watch closely to see how your own words come out and what affect they have on the people around you.

You may notice that when we speak quickly, without thinking, or rush to get our ideas across, our words don't carry the same power as when we speak slowly and confidently, allowing those receiving our words time and space to take them in. When we carefully listen to others before we speak, our words have more integrity, and when we take time to center ourselves before speaking, we truly begin to harness the power of speech. Then our words can be intelligent messengers of healing and light, transmitting deep and positive feelings to those who receive them.

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Your words have the power to curse or bless
yourself and the people around you.

You choose.

If what you want to change your world,
you have to change the way you communicate with it.

Your universe is quietly waiting
to see what you will do.

Will you change your world,
or has the world already changed you?

You choose.

Today, I Will Make A Difference

Today I Will Make a Difference
                                           by Max Lucado


Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts.
A person is the product of his thoughts.
I want to be happy and hopeful.
Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful.
I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances.
I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip.
Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark.
Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me.
Time is a precious commodity.
I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom.
I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant.
I will drink each minute as though it is my last.
When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever.
While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving.
Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me.
Even though my life is scarred with mistakes,
I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures.
I will admit them. I will correct them.
I will press on. Victoriously.
No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble…
I will get up. It’s OK to fail… I will rise again.
Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love.
My spouse, my children, my family, my friends ...
A man (woman) can own the world but be poor for the lack of love.
A man (woman) can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships.
Today I will spend at least five minutes
with the significant people in my world.
Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening.
Five undiluted minutes ...

Today ... I will make a difference.

(From Shaped by God)







There are so many things going on in my everyday,
chores and a to-do list that doesn't seem to end,
letters to write and cards to send,
phone calls to make ...
I have a couple of thing worrying me.
Nothing big and nothing that won't take care of itself.
There has been good news,
upcoming celebrations, funny things, happy moments,
goofy stories that you really would have to have been there ...
Life!
With it's ups and downs, twists and turns,
lessons and blessings,
I wouldn't trade a single minute, good or bad,
because every minute brought me to right here and right now!
Today!
... and today, one way or another, no matter what,
Lord willing and the creek down rise ... 
I will make a difference!



(P.S.  You can make a difference too, if you want to)

Wild Women Do !!!

 

Instead of wasting too much time looking back and asking
"What if ..."
What would happen
if we looked ahead and ask the same question ...
"What if ..."


I like this song's chorus:

Wild women do
And they don't regret it
Wild women show
What they're goin' through
Wild women do
What you think they'll never
What you only dream about
Wild women do!





WILD is knowing WHO you are,
no matter what life throws at you,
no matter where you are or who you're with,

no matter who is or isn't watching.

WILD is not being afraid to color outside the lines
or break a few rules.
WILD is asking the hard questions.
WILD is finding the right answers.

WILD is being free to grow your own dreams
and making them come true.

WILD WOMEN
are a force to be reckoned with,
each a phenomenon of strength and courage
with the scars to prove it.

WILD is taking the road less traveled.
WILD is knowing and doing what it takes.
WILD is taking care of you first
and the rest of your world after that.