Author: scot phegley

Not so long into this summer, I was given the most glorious picture of how we were meant to live. I was granted this experience which held such beautiful instruction and exhortation for my heart. All that I am given is not for me. How many times will I have to encounter this deep truth before I give myself over to live in it? My hope and prayer is that I would begin to reflect and tell this truth with my actions. Even if my powers and abilities to do so are ever so small.

If you are one who is close to me. Hold me accountable. Say to me, “Take action. Cease hoarding! Share with those with whom you can!”

I am going to switch topics on you a little bit. Just yesterday evening a group of friends, some new and some old, and I were discussing the story of Hosea. I love the story of Hosea. This wild and scandalous tale of how Hosea, the prophet of Israel, takes for a wife the ever-wandering, unfaithful Gomer. It is quite a story. I will not do it justice to retell it. Find some time. Pour something you enjoy sipping. Read it.

As providence would have it, I happened upon an old and simple recording of a song that I wrote after spending some time reading and considering this old story. In that spirit of sharing…

No. 16 | This past Saturday evening I had the opportunity to share songs with some friends, some old ones, and some new.  We had a wonderful evening together.  As I consider the time, I am grateful for so many things.  

I love to share the songs but must admit that I am a bit out of practice.  I will leave those details for another time or personal conversations.  Everything went well, better than I had hoped. I am just aware that I am a bit rusty after not being able to share them live for a while. I am still getting my stage legs back, I suppose.

I awoke on this particular Saturday morning considering that I would that evening be standing before a room of people expected to share a wagonload of songs.  The thought made me a little nervous.  

At the very next moment, I asked myself the question.  How did I end up here?  When I reach for the guitar in that room, how will I have ended up in that place?  That is when the writing started.  What a wonderful and heart encouraging experience.  I encourage everyone to take pad and paper, smartphone notepad, or similar; and to engage in such an exercise. 

If Jewell hadn’t married Molly.   

If Maxine hadn’t married Herbert. 

If the US had not dropped the big bombs on Japan to end the war.

If my mom hadn’t taken piano lessons as a little girl. 

Continue reading “The Path to Here and Now”

No. 15 | I woke up this morning thinking about aligning stars.  I went to bed thinking about sharing songs.  I spent yesterday evening with a few old friends listening to some wonderfully gifted unknown-to-me songwriters here in town.  It was an evening lit with magic and sincere sharing of hearts and stories and the songs that intertwine them.   

The experience stirred up within me tremendous gratefulness for life, for the life I have been given, the story in which I have been cast as player, and all that has unfolded thus far.  Were I to let you peek inside, you would see that as a songwriter I have known a fair amount of disappointment.  In the very next moment, were you to ask me what in my life I would go back and change, I would answer “not a thing”.   

There is more story to be told here for certain. There is more story for me here to work out. The summary is simply that for whatever reason, for much of my life, the songs have been mostly just for me. That sounds to me selfish as I put it down, but up until very recently, I could not imagine how they might emerge from the everyday business and demands of my life as I have known it. Even today, I have to doubt my doubts concerning these things.

Continue reading “Aligning Stars”