Memo From the Mann

I'm often asked which song from an album is your favorite. It's impossible to assign one as your dearest, or most loved ...but as of this moment, if I had to speak of only one, It'd be Wonderful Counselor. It was inspired by Isaiah 9:6. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Ever...

Hope Love Joy Peace was released ten years ago on November 17, 2015. It's a 10-track collection, that was inspired by the Advent season 2013. Itr blends Americana, and folk-rock influences with spiritual themes. It reflects a period of personal transition for me, as I was adjusting to my mother's change of residence, to her heavenly home. It was a season of change, a moment of growth, and the real...

The opening track to this week's featured album (P.O.P.) is 'Rejoice (O Come Emmanuel).' This would have to be in my top ten songs to play, perform and or worship with in a live setting.  One of the true tenets of my top ten, is whether the song and or arrangement holds up on a solo acoustic guitar rendering, and then also with the full band, and this song does it sweetly, it swings either way. I...

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6 P.O.P. (Prince of Peace) was released on November 12, 2013, and it remains a popular fixture throughout my 'Winter Run' every single year. As we approach Thanksgiving and the season of anticipation, I...

When I'm feeling down when my energy's flat, I've learned to turn to God in prayer, which in return leads me to worship and praise, which inevitably corrects my arc. “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” ~ Revelation 4:11 This is a live solo performance from Evensong on November 06, 2...

Over the next few weeks you’ll no doubt start to see O’ Come popping up on the landscape of your favorite social network and streaming platform. It’s a new Christmas offering, but what with the blurred lines of advertising and the rush to beat the competition these days, there doesn’t seem to be traditional calendar seasons anymore. That being the case, management expressed that I should plan on h...

The quest to live a loving and compassionate life can be challenging at times. Each day’s opportunities and barriers are different, but the power of love is unmatched, and therein lies the journey. Yes we have dark days, but love will see us through them. This song follows the peaceful path of a loving believer, a believer with a child’s mindset where anything is possible. You have the freedom to...

The Consequence was released on November 8, 2016, coinciding with Election Day in the United States. This release date was intentionally chosen to reflect themes of personal responsibility and civic engagement, as Mann aimed to inspire listeners to "sway the consequence" through love and participation. The album featured 12 tracks that blend Americana, folk-rock, and roots influences, continuing t...

My wife adores the idea that I will watch out for her, that I will provide for her, and that I will always love her. That’s not to say that she isn’t an individual of intelligence, substance, and compassion, but one of her greatest gifts to me, was her relationship with the child that resides inside of her. It’s opened the door for me to re-introduce my grown self, to little Eddy. My daughter, whe...

Have you ever found yourself correcting others under your breath? How about out loud? Have you found yourself being an elitist ... feeling superior because of your standing in the community, or your education? Well in the interest of being honest, I was brought up in Philadelphia, PA ...where when it comes to sports everybody seems to believe that they are better coaches, managers, GM’s and owners...

A lack of faith will diminish our vision, it will gum-up our thinking, and it will no doubt cost us our understanding. As the hymn writer wrote, “I once was blind, but now can see.” What shines there before the believer, is completely missing from the lost. Darkness will overcome your human efforts to see. (The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ~ John 1:5). Only t...

Though the mirror reveals an honest reflection of what it sees, our eyes are not always capable of capturing the image clearly. There could be a myriad of obstacles getting in the way of us seeing the truth, but we need to somehow reconcile that. We often need some kind of help in stepping back and getting a better or more honest perspective on ourselves and our life. Distance, both physically and...

Let’s talk about faith, or our lack of it today. Let’s step back and look at how we’ve been dealing with the latest stumbling blocks along our journey. One thing’s for sure, we’re always handling a problem, just getting over one, or on the cusp of a new one ...that’s life. So before jumping into our response to the current, or next problem, let me share a nugget of wisdom from my father. It goes l...

Following in someone’s footsteps requires some intention, and it also requires commitment. Our following is an apprenticeship of sorts. Committing to becoming an apprentice means a time of work and study; a time of developing and refining one’s skills; a time now (of work) that is set aside for a future endeavor (rewards). Mark 1:16–18 (NIV): Jesus Calls His First Disciples 16 As Jesus walked besi...

I have two daughters, two very different daughters. Sure they share some family traits, (and certainly our family culture), but they also have personalities that can sometimes be surprisingly dissimilar... but regardless of their differing personas, I love them both the same. Through their lives they have both found their own distinct ways of challenging my patience, my faith... and my fatherhood....

More than twenty-six hundred years ago, the prophet wrote of the countries leaders as being ignorant to the peoples needs and led by their own personal gain. When I read that I can’t help but feel that we haven’t grown much, that we haven’t learned much, that we haven’t made a dent in correcting the plans of darkness. Regardless of how you want to politically spin this, we are living in a world th...

Recently we arrived at our southern dwelling only to find that the bulwark protecting our driveway had been damaged. Someone had driven into it, done significant damage, and then driven away without so much as a note left behind. I found myself upset and disappointed that someone would not care enough to own up to their actions. It wasn’t the carelessness that caused the accident that upset me, be...

One of my domestic responsibilities is to open up the house each morning. I’m undeniably an early riser, so taking care of such a thing seems natural. Admittedly, I get an energy bump when I lift the shades and or spread the curtains to reveal a bright sunny day. On those special days I want to expose as much beauty as possible, so I work at making sure we get as much exposure as is available. In...

In today's scripture we hear God saying,” I came, I called, and you didn’t respond. It wasn’t because I didn’t have the power. I knocked on the door and no one answered.” Wow, he must have been so disappointed that he was unable to reach his people. Lord, help us to listen for you, to listen for your calling, for your knock on the door, and strengthen us to respond in kind. Pray on, ~ E.M. Song: G...

Jesus spent thirty years in preparation for his ministry. A ministry that only lasted three years, and by this world’s measurements would have been deemed a failure. He failed to reach his chosen audience, and at the time of his death only had about a hundred and twenty disciples that were hidden away in an attic somewhere. Faith is not about our standing in the world’s community, it’s about where...

Are you currently in God’s shadow waiting for the revelation as to what your ministry is, and when it will happen? Jesus waited thirty years to begin his work. The arrow needed to be polished, and sharpened, it needed to be attended to. Relish this time with God, listen for his guidance, study his word, and look forward to being anointed by the Holy Spirit, and commissioned  for his purposes. Pray...

We have become so quick at questioning God, that we often do it without thinking. We speak, text, and use whatever media is available to complain, critique, and cry-out about whatever is not going the way we think it should. We do this more and more freely, without ever considering the hands of the one who is truly in control. We don’t have the capacity to think on his level, so maybe it shouldn’t...

I know someone who doesn’t do well under extreme conditions. They don’t generally do well in stressful times. I think we all know a person, or person(s) that are not good under pressure. Maybe it’s our friend in the mirror. Whether God gets us out, or carries us through, what matters is that he cares, and he’s with us ...and we can trust him. Pray on, ~ E.M. Song: Trust (Album: God Jul)

The world is filled with attractive and intriguing idols, and they’re all promising to bring us joy and contentment. But the emptiness we feel inside, that empty space, cannot be filled with any of these worldly things. The empty puzzle space can only be filled with the missing puzzle piece. Only the perfect piece will bring the puzzle perfect peace. When the world only provides short term answers...

We have freedom from this world’s clutches, from this world’s nagging, from this world’s value system... we have freedom in Jesus, and he’s not hiding from us... in fact he’s crying out for us to come to him, to embrace him, to be free! Open your heart and allow him to free you from the entanglements of this world, from the trappings of this world... and join the heavenly chorus singing, “we are f...