Seven Second Chances

So my friend and band mate Brandon recently shared this story on his blog on facebook...I think it's straight up awesome and so I want to share it with all of you...So here it is, word for word...He speaks wisely in this...
God works folks...Period.


"Seven Second Chances" -Brandon McCarrell

"Do you believe in second chances? I sure do... but do you believe in getting seven chances at something? Ya, sounds totally ridiculous right? Most people do not get even a second chance at things such as school, a job, a relationship, even life. But that is the topic of me writing this... LIFE.

God gave humanity Life through Adam and Eve and let it prosper, but we have also seen his awesome power take many lives away... For some reason I don't think he wants to do that with mine.

As most of you know I have been... in a way... blessed with numerous medical issues. Now, do not get the wrong impression that I like all that has gone on in my life because believe me 25 major operations, hundreds of procedures, and countless tests is not something I would wish on anyone, because it is not fun at all. But these obstacles have molded me into the person I am today. Through others I know I am meticulous, caring, I persevere, work hard, am loyal, and love family and friends etc... through all of this though; forcing me to grow up fast, and make hard decisions has only brought me closer to God, or at least given me a deeper understanding of the importance of Faith in ones life.

Above, as I listed a short summary of what I have been through I left out one detail... the second, third, forth, fifth, sixth... chances... not at a job or some worldly experience, but Life. No not a life in Christ, but actual, breathing, heart beating Life. For those of you who do not know already, this past week I had another run-in with my body trying to stop working... On Wednesday I went in for one of my routine, every 4 month IV Iron infusions, but things did not go as smoothly as they normally do. The doctors wanted to try a new drug that they could administer over a 3 hour period one time... not the 2 one hour treatments I normally get. So as things were going normally, I then felt a burning in my ankles and had some joint pain... Knowing the joint pain was normal I blew it off... Then I Blacked Out... About halfway in I had an Adverse Reaction to the medication and my body seized... As I came to with six doctors around me I was then given a heavy dose of Benedryll... At this point I feel great, well that was the meds talking... My parents were called and my dad was able to be by my side! An hour later as I was about to get the Ok to head home... I started to feel weird and Blacked Out again, but not seizing. I was then induced with a huge amount of steroids to stabilize my bodies reaction the the IV Iron... After the second attack, my mother then was able to come up and sit with me and talk to the doctors. After waiting it out another hour... had been there from 8:30-3pm already I was feeling Ok, able to walk, and was good to go home.

I am not writing this so you guys will be like... Oh Crap, and feel guilty or pity for me... not at all... but more because I amazed myself...

That day I was supposed to have band practice with my two bands and the next day, Thursday, I was supposed to have Fitness Class, 2 other classes, then work. Now, some would have taken the rest of the week off to recover... because every joint in my body was stiff and sore, I have felt dizzy since then, and am on steroids till this Tuesday... so, it would have been understandable... But somehow I did not care what had just happened... I mustered enough energy to get through the band practices, fitness class, and 3 shows with my bands this weekend!

Some may see this as being stubborn, or thinking of others before myself, but I feel like I recover faster if I stay active or keep my mind off of what happened... Also, it was just only a few days ago that I truly understood how Lucky I was to walk out of there.

I was told by a friend that, "God wants you here for some reason, you may not know yet, but not everyone would have made it through half of the things you have been through." This is the reason I think I did not cancel anything this week, or just sit on my butt and relax... God has given me another chance at Life... at making a difference in someone else's life through my testimony, my struggles, my music, or even just how I live my life... And I want to do this to the fullest of my ability.

Because not everyone gets "Seven Second Chances"

They're On The Bottom Of The Ocean Floor....

Wow...Got put in my place tonight...This past weekend hasn't been the best, but whatever, we all have a bad day here and there...Tonight I realized how much I have been thinking about myself, even in the past few days...In a bad way...Selfishness is the main theme I can think of for the last little bit...Today all I could think about was myself and I pretty much threw a pity party without even realizing it...I thought I deserved more than what I had...

First of all I deserve nothing, which is why grace is flat out so amazing...

It's nuts how much we stop loving ourselves and believe lies for so long...It's crazy how we think we are supposed to be happy/joyful/peaceful/excited/etc...And then we feel guilty when we get these things...What a lie...Jesus shed his blood so we don't have to...We have such a small obscure view of God and grace...We try to put it all in a box and then get mad at God when he doesn't fit into it...

I love how when you pray and really feel like you have no business talking to God, that he brings forth words from your mouth that seem to be the perfect words for the time...

All I could think of tonight was this song...It was the song that really impacted me when I first became a Christian five years ago...I will always hold a place for this song...




The Mistakes I've made
That cause pain
I could have done without
All my selfish thought
All my pride
The things I hide
You have forgot about

They’re all behind you
They’ll never find you
There on the ocean floor
You sins are forgotten
They’re on the bottom
Of the ocean floor

My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They’re not a pretty sight to see
But they're wiped away
By a mighty, mighty wave
A mighty, mighty wave

Your sins are erased
And they are no more
They’re out on the ocean floor

Take them away
To return no more
Take them away
To the ocean floor

Your sins are erased
There are no more
They’re out on the ocean floor

::Audio Adrenaline::
::"Ocean Floor"::



"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
Philippians 2:3