tis the season.....

I got the opportunity to meet an extraordinary man the other day. Despite some obvious physical setbacks and a very uncertain future, This man Bob was able to join us in singing some of the songs of the season. He and his wife Evelyn had decorated their house to the hilt, with a Christmas tree in every room and snow villages, lights and decor second to none.

I'm glad we took the time to go and meet this wonderful couple and receive the blessing that we did. Too often we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and think ourselves too busy to give, and I mean in the truest sense of the word.

I'm convinced that if we listen hard enough we can hear the still small voice calling us to "lay down our lives...." No, not necessarily a physical gesture but maybe putting the brakes on for a few minutes, laying aside our schedules and agendas and thinking of others and discovering that we truly will receive far more in return.

Merry Christmas

in the flow....

Jack

Assisted Living

So here we are, fulfilling a promise I made a couple of years ago when my parents went to be with Jesus. Some of their better times in the last few years of their lives were spent at Peachtree Village in Commerce, Georgia. Today we went and did a program for the wonderful residents there and had a great time.

Just a thought about "Assisted Living". Don't we all need it when it boils right on down? Where we get in trouble is when we think we know it all or can do it all, when the Bible promises us that when we are weak, He is strong.

Anyway, we went in with guns blazing and gave them a pretty eclectic program that went something like this:

Cover Me by Healing Flow

I Can See Clearly Now

Glorious Day by Casting Crowns

In the Garden (Watermark arr. with There is None Like you by Lenny LeBlanc)

Christmas Carol Medley (O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Angels we Have heard on High)

First Born by Healing Flow

Silent Night

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

My buddy Greg Roesch, Outreach Pastor of Walk on Water Church (Bowhunter #1) gave a great meditation on Luke 2.

We had a chance to greet the people, including our friend Ms. Dollie Jarrett, Ms. Margaret Brand (mother of one of my mother's best friends, Ellen Smith) Activity Director Morgan Shubert (a former student of mine) and a host of others. Maybe we can go back sometime and do this again.

Our first recording project is finished and in the copying/packaging phase this week. We hope to pick up our first copies on Friday.

Peace on ya! Merry Christmas!

In the flow.....

Jack

I'm thankful

Things I'm thankful for today.....

1. I have a God who loves me.

2. I have a fantastic wife and a great marriage

3. I have great kids (and a great grandkid)

4. I have a loving church family and a Pastor who is truly a shepherd

5. I have Healing Flow, a ministry made up of family members and friends whose passion is to lead people into the Presence of Almighty God.

6. I have family and friends who love me in spite of my faults

7. I have a great job and I serve great customers.

There is a lot to be thankful for today. It's a beautiful day. Love to all of you and Happy Thanksgiving!

My view from a deerstand

yea, I know...it's been a while since I posted here.

A little quiet time in the deer stand, and some random thoughts, if I may....

My dad used to say that he felt closest to God when he was in the woods, hunting. I'm fairly new at this but I am learning the secret that he tried to explain to me years ago. Going hunting, being in the quiet in the still of the night before the sun comes up is more than just a quest for the kill (obvious in that I have yet to kill anything but time so far). It is a time to focus, to listen, to enjoy God's creation in a different context, and to recharge the batteries for the next round of life experiences that are on the way.

People don't always understand fishing, either, in that catching fish is not necessarily the point. Going is not just the what, it's the why as well. (Don't get me started with what, how and why, that is a whole 'nuther day).

Do I appreciate the sport of it? Oh yeah, bowhunting is a trick in and of itself, and in my opinion a much more level playing field than with a high powered rifle. I am well prepared to send Bambi to her eternal reward if she ever gets anywhere near my part of the woods, too. But I share my Dad's love of the peace (and quiet) that passes all understanding.

ok, back to work.....

in the flow,

Jack

Think Outside of the Box

Me and Myles cooling out at Starbucks

A moment of your time, if you please....

What is normal, anyway? Why do some people insist on routine? Why do we expect things to stay pretty much the same, even though while we were not paying attention, the world kept spinning around last night?

As much as I like things to go smoothly, it just never seems to work out that way....and why? When we get stuck in traffic and our schedule gets changed, then we hear of a terrible storm or accident that we avoided, or have a chance encounter with someone that otherwise wouldn't have occurred, do we ever stop and thank God that He knows exactly what we need?

Are we sensitive enough to His Spirit when He whispers "This is the way, walk in it!" and do we watch for the signs of His influence, or do we curse the very roadblocks and detours that may have been set up just for us?

Lately I find myself praying, "Lord, open doors that no man can shut and shut doors that no man can open". Think about that for a minute. Are you ready for that one or do you find yourself pushing on the door that says pull, fussing all along that you are about to be late.

Let's think a little outside the box and see what adventures may await on the other side of normal. Let's get a little lost in the zone where we aren't quite as comfortable. Let's visit the Shabat of praise and live in that higher plane. If we truly want the supernatural to operate in our lives, lets not try to make it "normal" or explainable, or comprehendable, and see where it takes us.

Worth a try? (on a Monday morning, what do we have to lose?)

in the flow

Jack

Joy

Pastor Perry Burgess of Walk on Water World Outreach Church

Awesome message today by Pastor Angie Burgess at Walk on Water Church. Joy...."The Joy of the Lord is my strength". Some awesome examples of Joy today:

Roy Looney, who lost his wife of 50 years to cancer finding joy and a soul mate and announcing it to the church. Happiness is contagious, Roy.

The worship today was fantastic. People are learning how to worship and finding that "In His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore".

Altar call today...obvious joy breaking out all over several people who responded, including new people. You could get used to this, right?

My Pastor, Perry Burgess is an encourager, a man who lives out his faith in front of me daily, who loves the Lord with all his heart. When he was watching his wife, Angie deliver the message today, the happiness inside of him kept bubbling over and he couldn't help but smile.

I say make somebody happy everyday, even if it is yourself.

I needed this message today. Thanks Angie for your obedience, Perry for your trust in me, Healing Flow for your awesome heart for worship, and Walk on Water church for taking this journey with us. Anyone in Northeast Georgia who is looking for a church that thinks outside the box needs to come out and experience the difference. 217 Sandy Creek Road in Commerce Georgia.

Today's set list:

Hosanna by Paul Baloche

Our God by Chris Tomlin

Glorious Day by Casting Crowns

The More I Seek You by Keri Jobe

Gotta Have Faith by Healing Flow

This blog is networked with Worship leaders all over the country on Fred McKinnon's website on The Sunday Set Lists. Check it out by clicking here

in the flow,

jack

Walkin on Water

Pastor Perry Burgess of Walk on Water World Outreach Church

Walk on Water ministries has been a faith operation from the start. I remember when the ministry was birthed and a great commissioning service at the Lighthouse in Monroe with Sam Chand and others. I was blessed to be able to lead worship on Thursday nights when the church was on Clarks Bridge road in Gainesville and the freedom we experienced there. As a matter of fact, the first original songs started right there and the beginnings of what we call "Healing Flow", the place in worship where God moves, the original praise in which our Lord inhabits, and where the lines which define worship and intercession blur.

We were there the night the Athens Mission Church began, leading worship downtown in a little church hall that filled up so quickly, and people who were hungry not only for the free food, but also for the encouragement and direction that our Pastor brings on a regular basis. We continued to come on Sunday nights with our friends and our team to join the Pastor in his groundbreaking ministry to the street people of Athens. When the call came to come to the new building for the next phase we jumped at the opportunity and continued for a year and a half. To see the Pastor's generosity and his heart for the homeless and the street people of Athens inspires you to want to do more.

So the fine people of Athens, especially the landlords in our shopping center decide that they don't like the church housing from 50-75 people an night and feeding as many as 150. The homeless church of Athens ironically homeless. What to do? Where do we go?

We are in Commerce, making the best of it at 217 Sandy Creek road in a converted garage, and God is moving. This Sunday, July 3, we will have a team from the Lighthouse church and Side Walk Sunday School, with a cookout afterwards. Free to all. Come and see what the Lord is doing and join by faith as we continue to Walk on Water!

This weeks set list:

Friend of God by Michael Gungor and Israel Houghton

Open the Eyes of My Heart (a classic)

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) by Casting Crowns

Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin

Revelation Song by Jennie Riddle

This is a part of a worship leaders network led by Fred McKinnon called Sunday Set List

Check it out and see what worship teams all over the country are doing by clicking THIS LINK

in the flow.....

Jack

Father's Day

My third Fathers Day without a father. Memories....

I would have loved to share a few more Father's Days with my dad. I find myself doing things like he would have, and saying to myself, "I look like my dad". Problem is, when working with my hands, I'm not nearly as creative as he was. I would love to share my love for bowhunting with my dad, and find what he said was true, about spending time in the deer stand talking with the Lord. In fact, last year I hunted out of his last deer stand, in sight of his final resting place. I would love for my dad to have gotten the chance to meet my grandson, Myles, who lights up my life when he sees me and calls me PeePaw.

We did spend the evening with Myles and all those old folks he lives with (my son Christopher and his lovely wife Angie, who once again came through with the required banana pudding) and Angie's parents, our good friends and now family Jerry and Cathy. Good times. Myles doesn't want us to leave, and told his PeePaw and GMa "I go in your car?". After teaching for 30 years I know many high school students who can't form such a complete sentence.

Daniel made it home from his first week of med school, but spent the majority of his time studying. Highlights of his week included his first encounter with a cadaver and realizing he wasn't in Kansas anymore. Hannah is being a good sport and even helps him study. Really. The one with the biggest adjustment here is the dog. Annie doesn't quite understand.

New material for the band is going to be more of a challenge now, but we are working on the Casting Crowns tune "Glorious Day" (Living He Loved Me). It's gonna be a keeper, fo sho.

Sunday's Set List

Meet With Me....Ten Shekel Shirt

Breath of God....Healing Flow

Call My Name...Third Day

Freedom Reigns...Jason Upton

Altar call today included a hymn medley (kinda in the Lindell Cooley, Brownsville Revival Style) with What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Leave It There, When the Roll is Called Up Yonder, and How Great Thou Art. A little bit of a stretch for us, but it reassures all the older folk that come to church that hang in there with us through Third Day and Lifehouse and Casting Crowns.

This blog and many others like it are a part of the Sunday Set lists at Fred McKinnon's website. Check out what other Worship leaders are doing here

Speaking of Brownsville, 16 years since THAT Father's Day if I am counting correctly. Has it been that long?

in the flow....

jack

Time flies

We moved Daniel into an apartment in Atlanta yesterday. Frances and I are about to be empty nesters for the first time this week. Where did the time go? We enjoyed meeting Ben, his new room mate and Kevin and Lorie, Ben's parents. We seem to have an amazing amount in common, starting with the Love we all share for the Lord, and for our kids.

Walk on Water church is operating now in the big city of Commerce, Georgia, my home town, and we are having some great services. We even had a taste of camp meeting this morning as some spontaneous old school praise broke out....such as When I Think of His Goodness, Look What the Lord Has Done, Enemies Camp and such. What fun!

The rest of the worship set this morning:

Holy is the Lord by Chris Tomlin

Treasure by Healing Flow

Mighty to Save by Hillsongs

Your Love is Extravagant by Darrell Evans

Grace Flow Down by Chris Tomlin

Check out other worship teams and set lists on the Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com

Here's an original about time....

Time by Jack Balthazor (ASCAP)

Copyright 2009 Healing Flow Music (ASCAP)

Time is but a vapor

Here today, gone tomorrow

Life is so fragile

breakable, changeable

Never ending, yet sudden

Eternity unstoppable

Stops by to remind us

What is man that Thou art mindful of him?

I want to be in Your Presence, Lord

I want to live in Your time and place

You know no boundaries

Your love knows no limits

A day is like a thousand years

a thousand years is like a day

Got a minute?

Gotta Have Faith

Happy Mother's Day, Frances. (#1 Grandson Myles)

Natural Disasters, Wars and rumors of wars, Osama Bin Laden taken down, Financial disaster, and just about everyone I know facing the toughest times of their lives. Who ya gonna call, Ghostbusters?

In the midst of it all, I keep feeling deep in my Spirit man that God is about to show up and show out. The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous. Everything I put my hand to will prosper (not just a scripture but also in my fortune cookie last week). Let not your heart be troubled.

So I'm sitting there, playing on my new Martin Guitar and loving it when this phrase comes up in my Spirit, "Gotta have Faith". All of the sudden faith scriptures start coming to mind and I start writing it all down. Then I start to speak faith and testify. Before you know it, a song is born. Southern Rock and Roll (quasi Lynyrd Skynyrd) style and too good to have come from me. Thank you Lord for giving me a song like this. You are too good to me. We will be debuting this song within the next week....speaking of which.....

1. Walk on Water World Outreach Church. Our Sunday morning home base. Across from the mall in Athens, Georgia in the old Wall Mart Shopping Center. If you have been thinking about visiting you better come this week. Earth shaking annoucement this Sunday. Fasten Your seat belts and put your tray tables in the upright position.

2. Atlanta Dragway, Commerce Georgia. The Southern Nationals. This years outreach at the back gate in the campground features Full Circle and James Dew on Friday night and your very own Healing Flow on Saturday Night. Mind blowing Christian Rock and Roll, Free food, and Street witnessing. Hard core Christianity. You gotta be there! Saturday May 14 6 p.m. right after the big boys run. Program note, we can't possible turn the music up high enough to compete with Top Fuel and or Funny Cars, they absolutely shake the ground when they run.

Well there you have it. Other HFM news include the first CD is just about done, with some final tweeks and minor surgery going on in Nashville. It will be done, oh yes, it will.

We have secured the right to record People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield to be featured on the second CD, called Songs and Stories, and on the fast track for a fall or winter release. For all you lovers of the "Train Song", we will work on it while we can, Daniel is headed to Med School.

Love you guys. Pray for HF, Pastors Perry and Angie Burgess and the whole Walk on Water family.

in the flow...

Jack

Train Song

Train a child up in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. BSV (Balthazor Standard Version).

Can I brag on my kid a little? My son Daniel is an anointed Worship leader and keyboardist. He operates in the flow of the Holy Spirit and makes his old man proud. Both of my kids are devoted Christian young men with callings on their lives and I get a real kick out of ministering with them.

Daniel does a version of an old and well recorded tune called People Get Ready. I always say it was writted by the Rev. Curtis Mayfield. It has a cult following around our church (Walk on Water ministries) and our Pastor, Perry Burgess is as obsessed with it as anybody. He requests this tune often, sometimes by saying "Daniel, time to fire up the train" or something like that.

Daniel is in the process of applying to Graduate School to study Physical Therapy. It is a very competitive field and spots in school are not easy to come by. Pray for him as he goes through this and that God's will for him will come to pass. There are some really incredible opportunities out there for him and we hope for the best.

This weeks set list:

My Savior Loves, My Savior Lives by Aaron Shust

Made To Worship by Chris Tomlin

You are My Praise by Healing Flow

People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield

We Fall Down by Chris Tomlin

This blog is occasionally (yes, not regularly enough) a part of the Sunday Set lists on TheWorshipCommunity.com go there and check out what other worship teams are doing.

http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-140/

in the flow

jack

Unplugged, yet plugged in.....

What a busy week for Healing Flow. Last Sunday, morning at Walk on Water, evening service at Eastanolee Baptist Church, Wednesday night at the Potters House......and Sunday morning rolls around.....boom.

OK, all of the sudden the ladies are feeling less than perky. So Daniel and I move on to plan B and let Frances and Hannah take care of each other. While loading for the Plan B, Kenny calls in as well. On to Plan C and its only 9:30 in the a.m.

Let me say first of all that leading worship with my son is really not a shabby plan C. I get a real kick out of ministering with my son and I have a great appreciation for his gifts and talents, he is an anointed worship leader. We arrived late, set up quickly and just started to drift through our list of unplugged tunes to see what intrigued us. Before you knew it we had a plan and it looked like this:

Meet With Me Lamont Hiebert/Ten Sheckel Shirt

Madly Passion

Treasure Healing Flow

Sweep Me Away Charlie Hall

Your Love Oh Lord Third Day (well, a lot of people, but you know...)

So there you are, banging away on your classic 70's vintage Alvarez guitar when suddenly yhe Lord shows up. Boom, your unplugged set is now PLUGGED IN. Thank you Lord for taking control and moving in our service. There was an undeniable flow in the Spirit which is where we always want to be. There is where the songs of Healing Flow are birthed....There is where we want to be....in His Presence.

have a good week everybody

in the flow....

jack

Sunday Set lists published weekly at

http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-137-march-06-2011/

You Can't Get the Holy Spirit from Watching Carol Burnett

A little random, perhaps? A blast from the past, all you old Visions fans? Or a reality check on a Tuesday afternoon?

My old friend Corky wrote a song talking about T.V. and it's ability to take us away from what is important. The TV Blues was a fun little tune, with a message that rings true 30 years later. "The best way to kill some time is to read God's Word. So please Lord, deliver me from my TV set". I was reminded of this last night when I noticed that Terry Ross, Missions Pastor for Grace Fellowship and former lead singer of Visions had Carol Burnett Show listed on his facebook page. Facebook...now there's an addiction for you.....Terry, forgive me for this but I cracked up when I read that. And yes, folks....don't worry about Pastor Terry Ross, he is most definately Spirit filled and walking with the Lord.

I wrote a song a couple of years ago called Treasure which is based on the scripture that says "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". As a worship leader in a missions church, where a great number of our congregation come for the free food and a place to spend the night, I am always concerned at the attitude toward worship that many people have. Worshipping God together is a privilege and an honor and leading others into His Presence is an awesome responsibility. Sunday morning I heard His Spirit within me say, " If you do what you have always done, you will always get what you've always gotten." I encouraged our congregation to go after God and see what happens. If we are looking for a free meal, to satisfy our flesh, for our ears to get tickled, that can surely happen, but what if our treasure, our real reward is to be in His Presence and to drink from the river of life and feast on His word?

I'm so glad we had this time, together, just to have a laugh and sing a song. Seems we just get started, and before you know it, comes the time we have to say, so long.....

In the flow,

Jack

This weeks set list at Walk on Water Church:

Path of Life by Healing Flow
Our God by Chris Tomlin
Trading My Sorrows by Darrell Evans
Amazed by Jared Anderson

to see what other worship bands are singing this week go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

here's a link

http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-135

Walk

We are the praise team for a unique ministry in Athens called Walk on Water. Pastor Perry Burgess named his ministry after the story told in the book of Matthew where Peter steps out of the boat to walk to Jesus.

Faith, a daunting proposition at best.

On Sunday, a guest speaker, Pastor Lee Peters of Monroe, GA spoke on the subject: Walk. We want to know what is going to happen, how it is all going to come out before we step out. It rarely works out that way, huh?

Many of my friends and family members are facing obstacles and situations that seem insurmountable. We always try to encourage them to "have faith". Easier said than done. We say "believe" and step back in judgement when the results say something different from what we think should happen. And then there is the old "Why do bad things happen to good people" conundrum.

So we walk by faith, not by sight. or do we?

God knows the end from the beginning. He's not nervous. He just wants to know if we trust Him. We are promised that He will not put on us more than we can bear. Sometimes I wish He wouldn't have such a high opinion of me, and I really do have a pretty good life going for myself. So when it's time for me to step out of the boat, will I be found faithful?

This week was great for us, musically. Keith Franks, my old friend and wingman was with us to add his skills on lead guitar and harmonica. Always a pleasure to have him with us and he is welcome anytime. The set list this week:

Hosanna by Paul Baloche
Forever by Chris Tomlin
Jesus Paid it All (traditional, Chris Tomlin arrangement)
Amazing Love (You Are My King)
Healing Flow by Jack Balthazor

to see what others are singing visit the Sunday Set Lists at www.theworshipcommunity.com


We also did a reprise of the Train Song (People Get Ready) with Keith on harmonica so they could record it for the church website http://www.walkonwaterathens.com/. Check out the site, it's brand new.

Let's all take a step this week and see how water walking works for us.

In the flow,

Jack

btw, check out Jessica Patrick's new blog I'm All Out of Milk. Well written...well done.

Life after the holidays

OK here's your update:

Hey Yall, Watch This! update: After a couple of sleepless nights, and a failed trip to the deer stand, I finally sucked up my pride and went to the doctor. Chest x-rays revealed bruised ribs and after another you are not getting any younger speech I have started the healing process.

but I did buy another boogie board......hehehehehe

Sunday morning was a whole other test of my patience, which in my highly medicated state was running pretty thin. My faithful guitar amp decided to start acting up, causing me to run direct into the system. The monitors at Walk on Water are on the ends of the stage and I am in the middle, meaning I couldn't hear too well. Of course my amazing team took up the slack and everything went fine. Here's the set

Praise Your Name by Healing Flow

Healer by a lot of different people depending on whose story you believe

Our God by Chris Tomlin

Revelation Song by Gateway Worship (Kari Jobe)

Last holiday day for me today, working at home before I hit the road tomorrow hot and heavy.

People are asking for the video of the boogie board incident....we will just have to see 'bout that.

in the flow

jack

btw, have you checked out the new look at www.healingflowmusic.com?