I am the husband of one and the father of nine. I was created to sing, to worship, to encourage, and to be steady. I am the Owner & Executive Director of Trinity Arts Center, a multi-disciplinary Arts Center in Eastern Tennessee, and the President of Trinity Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on funding arts education and performance. I've been involved with four music projects in my life -- Hot Pink Turtle, Spin Radio, Stand Like Stone, and of course, Jamin Rathbun.
In 2013, I added my Twitter feed to this site (below). To view the old content, just scroll down past the Twitter timeline. To keep in the loop on new posts, thoughts, and updates, just follow me on Twitter using the button below. Thanks!
Tweets by @jaminrathbun
stuff
I don't know who Todd is but... his Monday Morning Insight blog has, as the name indicates, some worthwhile insight.
This blog is, essentially, a collection of current events, special interest stories, humorous articles, and a variety of content delivered to (and from the perspective of) those involved in ministry. Again, I don't know who Todd is but -- he has a certain sarcasm-with-a-smile style to his writing that makes me like him. He seems to post every day and, although I don't always dig every post, there's enough there to keep him on my daily RSS feed list.
bible
My Testimony... I almost delayed this another day because it seems so daunting to write down a summary of your salvation but -- here goes. I'll do my best to be brief.
I was raised in a Christian home and knew all about Christian things. I knew a lot of songs about the bible and I could quote a Biblical reference or two. When I was 7 or 8 years old, I remember being at church in Springfield, MO at South Side Baptist for the evening service. I was sitting way up toward the front on the right side of the sanctuary. I don't remember anything about the sermon or anything about the music. I don't remember any particular call to action from the pastor or worship leader. I just remember sliding back and forth in my seat trying to get up the nerve to stand up and walk toward the alter at the front of the church. Eventually, after sliding my way close enough to the aisle, I got up, went forward, and was quickly surrounded by my Mom and Aunt Karen who coached me in a little prayer and voila -- I was saved.
Over the next 7 or 8 years... I was a good enough kid, surrounded by primarily positive influences until, when I was around 14 years old, we moved to Kansas City. There, I hooked up with a couple of friends that introduced me to the standard vices that every Mom and Dad hope their kid doesn't get into. Over the next four years -- I gradually developed some bad habits and a knack for playing the Christian game while living under an entirely different standard. I smoked a few times, starting chewing tobacco, experimented with sex, pornography, and alcohol. Looking back, I have no idea what got into me. I don't remember making a choice. Just, at some point, I headed down the wrong path and let my nature get the best of me.
Anyway -- long story short... I went to college in Maryville, MO and met a Christian friend named Jeff Bishop. One night, He and I talked about our beliefs, and our faith, and our parents, and our lives and I realized that I couldn't say that I was saved and mean it. I couldn't confess myself as a follower of Christ or His representative. I don't remember all the details about what I was thinking but...
I knew that much of my life was a lie and I wanted it to be something else. I knew all the stories about salvation and redemption and forgiveness and I wanted it too. More importantly... I knew that I needed it.
And so, that night after I went back to my dorm room, I asked Jesus to save me and to change me -- and he did.
As I side note here -- I used to think that my salvation wasn't very dramatic. I wasn't delivered from heroin and I wasn't a prostitute or a drug dealer. I never killed anyone but... now that I think back -- the change in me after I accepted Christ was dramatic. I immediately quit using immature and crude language. I quit dabbling with sex. I started reading my bible, in fact, I think I read it four times over the next two years. I started writing music and poems. I started looking for my place in the church and in the world. I did a lot of things differently. It wasn't like I had arrived but, this time, God was definitely changing me.
Skip by the next 13 years of marriage, children, music, and life and I'm only recently getting around to part of what this site is about... learning to be what God made me. Learning to play the role He designed for me, without focusing on where it's going or what it means (or how much it pays) but to just be faithful to do it. I am a fool for taking this long to figure that out.
Philippians 3:12-16
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not yet consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
So... I'm just forgetting (but trying to learn from) what is behind and moving ahead toward what God is calling me to. Right now, that is this web site, some new music, and the discipline of hiding God's Word in my heart. I hope you will come along for the ride. = )
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not yet consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
There you have it. As always, thanks for stopping by.
© 2006-2010 Jamin Rathbun & Superdink.com. All rights reserved.
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