MEMORY RESIDUE

At the Foot of the Cross (Live)

Written the week following the week when I wrote "Waiting," I poured out "At the Foot of the Cross." Sometimes you write the song, and sometimes the song writes you. This one is the latter. I remember sitting writing this song, and it just kind of poured out - I think I wrote the song in about 5 minutes, but the song was two tough weeks in the making. I remember not sharing it with anyone for a while, because it felt so personal. It still feels personal, but redemptive and hope filled. It's always a blessing to sing it, and in this concert, I was blessed to have my wife sing it. At the Foot [...]

By Joel|2018-01-23T05:35:29+00:00January 23rd, 2018|DGRA, In The Margin, Music|

Waiting (Live)

It's one of the most meaningful things to me to be able to recollect and perform songs that I've performed for years, and this one is one of my favorites. It's rare to have recording of the song's intro also, so it was fun to catch it on tape, as well as having my wife take the lead with me. I hope you enjoy this little snapshot of my life and music. Waiting By Joel Bidderman Verse: This road is dusty And it’s getting to my eyes So that I can’t see where I’m going Or even the time But I’ll trust in You Though it feels hurtin’ to me And though I can’t see Verse [...]

By Joel|2018-01-24T22:31:40+00:00January 9th, 2018|DGRA, In The Margin, Memoirs, Music, Perseverance, prayer, Story|

Stillness

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 “Let us be silent, that we may hear the whisper of God.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson A rhythm of grace (a life-giving spiritual practice) for me has been the practice of stillness: being still; stopping; resting. It's interesting how counter-intuitive it seems to our culture right now, doesn't it? Being someone who grew up in a generation that spanned a progression from analog to digital, I remember when life moved 25-45 mph, telephones were attached to the wall, photos were shared by waiting for the film developer to call you letting you [...]

By Joel|2019-05-16T05:24:33+00:00December 30th, 2017|Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

Breath Prayer: a powerful little practice

A practice that I was introduced to years ago, that I have been revisiting lately, has been a prayer practice called "Breath Prayer." It’s pretty simple: a breath prayer is a short prayer that you pray throughout the day (usually inside yourself), and is short enough that you can pray it in the length of the cadence of your breath. The breath prayer is a way that many throughout history have put the following scriptures into practice: "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall always be in my mouth." - Psalm 34:1 "Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 A traditional active prayer is what has been called the Jesus prayer: "Lord [...]

By Joel|2021-07-28T21:56:28+00:00November 9th, 2017|Prayers and Blessings, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

Memoirs of a Visitor

At the Foot of the Cross (Live)

Waiting (Live)

Stillness

Breath Prayer: a powerful little practice