There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Our natural state as humans is to be self-oriented. Completely. It seems right to want things our way; easy to demand that we are happy; acceptable to chase our own desires. It’s easy to think of this on a large scale and not realize how often I buy into this way of thinking, too.

The life of gratitude exists only when we realize that everything is grace. When that happens, gratitude changes from being a simple feeling to an action, which is portrayed in the way we live life.

His grace is so much farther-reaching than we realize. It is our salvation. It is the grass which livens the air with the scent of summer. It is the people around you, who you have done miles with, who you can communicate to without words. It is the lessening of sin, and a redemption from its consequences when we fall.

All of this, and it can be lost sight of easily. If I’m not careful. It becomes hard when the stuff of life grinds up against you like metal on metal. When relationships become askew. When you don’t get the appreciation you had secretly hoped for and expected. When you are tired; when it’s hard to put forth effort.

How deep the Father’s love for us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!…In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.(1 john 3:1; 4:10)

When everything else is out of focus, what else can we say but thank you? I desire the kind of heart that can cause me to live this way…and it can only be given by the Giver of everything.

Tomorrow, I will probably wake up - head first. I want to wake up heart first. Tomorrow is a gift. I want my eyes to open to the hand of God, who is lovingly giving every person, object, and blessing in my life.

Don’t let me become too prideful to accept correction. Don’t let me become to distracted to miss your grace and love in everything around me.

Over the course of this last semester, myself and some friends recorded an EP of some songs I’ve written. It was kind of crazy. It was a blast. I’m not sure a giant amount of people will want to listen to it, but some of my friends will I think. That’s good enough for me. It’s so good to have people that encourage you to do something you love to do, to dream bigger; that what you’re doing is a good thing.

A lot of this music is just about what God’s done and who he is in my life. Any talent I have has been given by one much wiser. Making this helped me see how important it is that everything I do points back to him.

Thanks to anyone who encouraged my songwriting a long time ago, or recently, or listened to me play a song, or asked me to play music with them. And then there’s everyone who helped me actually make this. They are amazing! Couldn’t have done it without them. They’re great people… I couldn’t mean that more.

Well, here it is. http://tylerstitt.bandcamp.com/