I wrote a blog about one of my best friends a few weeks ago. This blog is for my new friend that got jealous that he didn’t have a blog written about him…here you go buddy!
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When he listens to music, he’s seeing, feeling, touching
more than lyrics and melodies. He 
can sense the blessing on the people
performing. One day we were watching an a cappella group on youtube. They were
awesome and in my mind I thought, “wow, they’re good�, but he exclaims, “oh my
gosh!� followed by a belly-laugh and then he said, while still chuckling, “they
have SUCH an anointing!� It’s
visible when music touches his soul.
When he speaks, people listen. More than that, you can feel
how he ushers in the power of God simply by opening his mouth. And while he
speaks, you can hear a pin drop.
Even though he is often quiet and not out seeking attention,
he is hilarious. His silence almost makes you appreciate him and what he says or does
when he says or does it…it’s obvious he’s not going to just through out a crappy joke just
to get a rise out of people. This is not to say that he’s not a sharp shooter,
ready to shoot from the hip.
And when he listens, you know he cares and he’s actually
being attentive to what you’re saying. He understands the power in truly being with people. I often make stupid jokes
or say things that make absolutely no sense. When he asks for clarification and
I respond “oh never mind…it was stupid�, he stops me and makes me restate or refine
what I was saying…because he wants people to be heard.
It’s been great getting to know my new friend. I’ve been
able to see the love of God flow out of him. But what brought him to this point
is quite spectacular and profound. It makes him who he is. It has molded him
and it has been a process of being conformed into Christ’s image.
My friend, Tim Carlson, used to be locked up. Now, not in a state pen or
even your local jail…but he used to be confined to a cell. It must have been the coolest thing to see, you know, the day that he
busted out of the cell and his chains! It was like he was in a grave, and he
was brought to life. He realized that his Savior went down to the grave to
acquire the keys of death for him to come out of his and live…truly live.
No more would my friend look to things of this world to
cope. To numb pain. To just survive.
He found something new to live for. Something that lasts.
Something that brings peace and joy. Something to strive for.
My friend makes me proud. When you see him live his life,
you see it’s not because he has to.
Sure he has strong convictions for living and living with a passion and a
purpose. But 
he lives exclusively because he knows, because he knows, because
he knows that he’s loved. That he can live because of a gift he was freely
given. That he has the Most Powerful Thing in the world living in side him,
which is the hope of glory.
Tim-o-tee…it’s been a privilege to get to know you, to see
you live under the authority and love of your Creator. You encourage those
around you just because you are who you are. You are steady and constant. I see
you as confident of who you are in Christ. And man, “you have such an anointing!� (imagine
me belly-laughing just then…). You are a powerful presence. You will lead and
love with such powerful strength. You have a voice, and your voice comes from
more than your words…people hear the word of God through you simply by how you choose to live. It will bring those around you to know what it means to
be a person of virtue, zeal, and love. Thanks for your grace and patience.
Oh, and thanks for being my friend…
These lyrics remind me of you:
Dress us up in the blood of a son
Who opened up his veins so that we
Could overcome hell and the grave
In the power of his love
He showed us how it’s done
And he still does
‘Cause the love of God is stronger than
the power of death.
Bless you BIG, brother!
