One of the best ways to get important information to sink deeper into our lives is by the “sharing of ideas” with each other.  In this section, I’ll be giving reviews on books, bringing up significant issues, asking relevant questions, and commenting on things worthy of thought and discussion.  Feel free to add your insights and comments.  May God cause His truth to permeate our lives and transform us into His likeness.

It is essential to understand and pursue good character and integrity as those who influence others through our art and our very lives.

What is Character?

Character encompasses the collection of traits that define a person. These attributes can span various domains such as the physical, emotional, mental, and moral. Together, they serve as a framework through which others perceive us, determining whether we are seen as having “good” or “poor” character.

The Importance of Good Character

A person characterized by good qualities displays honesty, helpfulness, and respect for others. Such individuals are often viewed as reliable and trustworthy, making their presence uplifting and inspiring. The moral and personality traits that contribute to good character act as guiding principles, directing behavior in a way that is aligned with ethical standards.

Examples of Positive Character Traits

• Integrity: Upholding strong moral principles.
• Courage: The ability to confront fear or adversity.
• Trustworthiness: Being honest, reliable, and loyal.
• Respect and Courtesy: Treating others with kindness and consideration.
• Responsibility: Holding oneself accountable and demonstrating diligence and self-control.
• Fairness: Acting with justice and without prejudice.

What Is Integrity?

Integrity represents a commitment to honesty and maintaining consistent moral principles. It is a trait marked by the ability to do the right thing, even when no one is observing. Integrity demands a convergence of one’s actions, values, and character, reinforcing reliability and ethical behavior. Integrity isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being whole (the word actually comes from the Latin integer, meaning “intact” or “whole number”).

Key Aspects of Integrity

• Honesty & Truthfulness: Being genuine in word and deed, including self-honesty.
• Consistency: Upholding values consistently and not swaying with convenience.
• Ethical Conduct: Adhering to high moral standards of fairness and justice.
• Accountability: Owning one’s actions and their consequences.
• Courage: The resolve to do what is right, despite challenges or opposition.

The Importance of Integrity

Here is why integrity is the “glue” that holds both people and societies together:

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1. The Foundation of Trust

Trust is the currency of any relationship—whether it’s a marriage, a friendship, or a business partnership. With integrity, you see:

• Predictability – Integrity makes you predictable in a good way. People know your actions will align with your stated values.
• Efficiency – When people trust you, they don’t feel the need to “double-check” your work or second-guess your motives. This allows things to move faster and more smoothly.

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2. Inner Peace and Mental Clarity

Living a life without integrity is exhausting because it requires a lot of keeping track of what you do and say. With integrity, you see:

• Consistency: When your internal values match your external actions, you experience less cognitive dissonance.
• No “Web of Lies”: You don’t have to remember which version of a story you told to whom. Your reality is consistent, which significantly reduces stress and anxiety.

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3. Reputation and Long-term Success

In the short term, cutting corners or being dishonest might provide a “win.” However, integrity is a long-game strategy. With integrity, you see:

• The “Compound Interest” of Character: Over time, a reputation for integrity becomes your most valuable asset. It opens doors to leadership roles and high-stakes opportunities that aren’t available to those with questionable track records.
• Resilience: When you inevitably make a mistake, people are far more likely to forgive someone who has a history of honesty than someone who has a history of manipulation.

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4. Setting the Standard

Integrity is contagious. When a leader or a parent acts with integrity, it creates a “psychologically safe” environment. It signals to others that they don’t need to resort to underhanded tactics to succeed, which raises the bar for the entire group.

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Conclusion

Character and integrity are not merely abstract concepts. They are values that are lived out and permeate every interaction we have, both personally and professionally. As individuals who create and inspire through our artistic expressions and daily lives, fostering good character and unwavering integrity becomes essential not only for our development but for the positive influence we can have on others.

My hope for this Christmas is for you to be full of joy and wonder during this wonderful season! There are a number of ways to enjoy this Christmas season by listening to my music. I performed a Home Christmas Concert last year you can view on my YouTube Channel. On a previous video, you can sing-a-long to Christmas carols a while the lyrics appear on the screen. My album I Wish You a Mary Christmas includes familiar and worshipful Christmas carols. CLICK HERE to hear the songs on the album and where it’s available. You can purchase this album digitally through Gumroad – CLICK HERE. You can purchase physical CDs though our website – CLICK HERE. You can add Mary Christmas to your YouTube Playlist with this link from my Home Concert last month (CLICK HERE).

Recent Events

There’s been significant ministry throughout November: Training worship musicians through a private workshop with Cornerstone Evangelical Baptist Church; Leading worship music with the Shalom Gathering at Mount Hermon; Weekly private lessons in person and online; Being interviewed on Alden Olmsted’s Podcast regarding my songs written for Mexico Outreach; and teaching guitar at Valley Christian Schools.

Your Donations Make a Difference

It would be an honor if you would consider contributing to Heartfelt Music® Ministry, under-girding and supporting the meaningful and transformative work we are doing. CLICK HERE to make a donation. No fees will be taken out and your gift is tax-deductible since we are a nonprofit 501(c)3, no matter how much. We are so grateful for your continued prayers for our Ministry.

Home Concert November 2025

If you missed the concert I performed at my home last month online, it is available now through my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFj3zACCORA. I’m excited how this turned out with stories behind each song and sharing my music in a cozy setting. The concert is 45 minutes long with 10 original songs.

New Book Release by Lynn Fox

I wrote the Preface to this book by one of my favorite Bible School instructors Lynn Fox, Psy.D. This book is about the Presence of Intimacy, Passion, and Pleasure from a Biblical perspective. “In a world increasingly captivated by both the complexities of human connection and the search for spiritual fulfillment, it is rare to find a work that so boldly addresses the intersections of two profoundly significant aspects of our lives: sex and worship. Sex and Worship is probably one of the most provocative book titles to grace the pages of contemporary literature, yet Lynne Fox does not shy away from the challenge. Through her insightful prose, she masterfully interweaves these critical topics, creating a tapestry that speaks to both the heart and the spirit.” (from the preface) CLICK HERE to order a copy.

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Home Online Concert & Live Stream

I will be showing a new Home Online Concert this Sunday, November 9, at 5:00pm, but in addition to that, I’ll be Live Streaming a half hour before that at 4:30pm. I can chat with you, catch-up and answer questions. Click this link to join the Live Stream with me: https://youtube.com/live/-OIdJ-WnJn0. Then, at 5:00pm, click this link to watch the new Home Concert – November 2025: https://youtu.be/rFj3zACCORA

The songs I’ll be including in this Home Online Concert will be a variety of my songs from a number of different albums throughout the years. I’ll share stories behind each song and you’ll see me play and sing fresh versions of each song.

• No Greater Love
• Here to Worship
• Windows
• Cast Away
• Reap What You Sow
• Stand Firm and Be Strong
• Touch My Heart
• Hold Me
• Mary Christmas
• Time with You

Podcast: Reggie’s Mexicali Songs

Alden Olmstead has a podcast called 5 Great Questions. After I posted on my YouTube Channel a Playlist of 3 theme songs I wrote for Azusa Pacific University’s Mexico Outreach, he wanted to interview me on his podcast. I led worship music for 10 years during the week before Easter. Alden also went to Mexicali at the same time with his church group. Radically Committed, Go the Distance, and Take it to Heart were the 3 songs. We even included Ain’t Nobody. Find it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

Thanksgiving Observance

Mt. Hermon 2026 Summer Concerts

We have already selected who will be in concert for the Mount Hermon Summer Concert Series and the summer of 2026 should prove to be a summer of rich music and faith celebration. Artist/Band line-up:

• 6/20 Katinas
• 6/27 Heritage Singers
• 7/11 Nicole Nordeman
• 7/18 Phillips, Craig and Dean
• 7/25 Fernando Ortega
• 8/1 Sandi Patty

You can reserve seats by going to the Mount Hermon Summer Concert Page

Passion & Tenacity 

Autumn is here and the color of the leaves are beautiful! I hope you experience fulfillment and joy during this season. Thank you for your continued engagement with me and Heartfelt Music® Ministry. You help this ministry stay vibrant and productive.

There’s been a lot of things happening with me over the last month. I’m still developing The Complete Guitar Course with 49 lessons; I just added 30 videos of me playing and singing individual songs on YouTube so you can find specific ones for encouragement; I’m performing another Home Concert November 9th with a personal Live Stream just before it; We just had our annual Board of Directors & Officers dinner (What a joy to serve with these folks!); I’m also teaching guitar and bass classes at Valley Christian School and private lessons both online and in person. It’s a full schedule, but I still have plenty of time to be with Sherri and balance family life. I’m thankful to be doing what I’m passionate about.

On our website, there’s a section called Think About It with helpful ideas to spur us on to excellence and motivation. The recent post is a focus on Passion and Tenacity.

Genuine passion is a deep, authentic commitment to something that matters to you, characterized by focused effort, enduring commitment through challenges, and integration into your identity, rather than just a fleeting interest or a pursuit of pleasure. It involves investing significant time and energy, a willingness to make sacrifices for it, and a deep, often unspoken, internal drive.

A tenacious person is someone who is determined, persistent, and does not give up easily when pursuing a goal. They are resilient in the face of obstacles, with a strong work ethic and the resolve to see things through, even when they are difficult or progress is slow.

How about you? What are you passionate and tenacious about? Our website post goes into more detail.

You can hear the audio for any song on eight of my albums on our YouTube Channel by clicking on the album here:

Encore (8 Songs/Videos)

Instrumental Guitar, Volume II (10 songs/videos)

Heartfelt Worship (17 songs/videos)

I Wish You a Mary Christmas (10 songs/videos)

Here & Now (10 songs/videos)

Instrumental Guitar, Volume I (10 songs/videos)

Intimacy (20 songs/videos)

Heartfelt Celebration (20 songs/videos)

Now, you can also watch me play any of 30 individual songs on our YouTube Channel. You can also watch and listen to the whole playlist. I hope these songs uplift you today!

Reggie’s Songs Playlist
Abundant Sunshine
Ain’t Nobody
Celebrate
Draw Near to God
Filled with You
Freedom’s Challenge
Getting Stronger
Go the Distance
God’s Love Medley
Here & Now
I Can Laugh Now
I Can’t See the Future
I Lift My Love to You
I’ll Worship with My Life
Isaiah 12:2
Jesus Lives in Me
Lord I’m Yours
Morning Come Lately
My Prayer for You
Partly Cloudy
Peace
Radically Committed
Remember
Ruminate on Grace
Seasons
Slow Me Down
Stephanie
Take a Stand
Worthy & So Wonderful
You Will Make a Way

A student asked me the other day, “I am so excited about playing guitar right now, but how do I keep this enthusiasm? Will I still be this excited in 15 years?” On the spot, I mentioned a few things I find compelling to encourage enthusiasm: Getting a new guitar or equipment (motivational); Watching a favorite guitar player (inspirational); Teaching someone else guitar (challenging). Yet reflecting on his question further, I find there are two character qualities that will help you stay committed to guitar (or anything) for the long haul: passion and tenacity.
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Passion

Genuine passion is a deep, authentic commitment to something that matters to you, characterized by focused effort, enduring commitment through challenges, and integration into your identity, rather than just a fleeting interest or a pursuit of pleasure. It involves investing significant time and energy, a willingness to “suffer” or make sacrifices for it, and a deep, often unspoken, internal drive.

The true meaning of passion is a powerful, persistent, and intense emotional drive toward a self-defining activity (like playing guitar, singing, or songwriting) that is deeply aligned with your personal values. It is a strong inclination to invest time and energy into something you love, not for external rewards, but because the pursuit itself brings immense joy and fulfillment.
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Key Characteristics of Passion:

• Authentic Engagement: You are deeply involved and committed to the activity, not just passively interested.
• Commitment Through Difficulty: You are willing to persist through struggles, setbacks, and discomfort because the activity holds deep personal value.
• Investment of Time & Energy: You willingly invest significant time and energy into it, often losing track of time while doing it.
• Part of Your Identity: The activity becomes a self-defining trait; you are no longer just someone who does it, but a guitarist, a songwriter, a vocalist, etc.
• Internal Drive: Your motivation stems from an internal place, a desire to do the work itself rather than just for potential rewards or recognition.
• Focus on the Work Itself: Genuine passion is about the love for the process and the act of doing, not just the concept or the idea of success.
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Tenacity

A tenacious person is someone who is determined, persistent, and does not give up easily when pursuing a goal. They are resilient in the face of obstacles, with a strong work ethic and the resolve to see things through, even when they are difficult or progress is slow.

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Key Characteristics of Tenacity:

• Determination and persistence: A tenacious person shows persistent determination to achieve their goals, even when things get tough.
• Resilience: They are able to handle setbacks and don’t get easily discouraged by challenges.
• Strong resolve: They have a firm purpose and are unlikely to give up on their beliefs or objectives.
• Motivation: They are often self-motivated and focused on the long-term outcome.
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How to recognize if you have Passion & Tenacity:

• Look at actions, not just words: See if your behavior shows a willingness to push through difficulties for the thing you claim to be passionate about.
• Notice the details: You might pay attention to nuances others overlook in your chosen activity (guitar, songwriting, singing, etc.).
• Ask yourself if you’d do it for no reward: True passion & tenacity often show up even when there’s no immediate reward or appreciation from others.

Praying for You

It’s my prayer that you would experience the Lord directing your hearts into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. You can enjoy my song My Prayer for You on my YouTube channel by video or just audio. It’s the last song on my Intimacy Album (check out HearNow.com). Also, if you’re interested in learning the song on guitar, the music notation and guitar tab is available at Gumroad.com. Purchasing the physical album or digital album are also available. No matter what life throws at you, I hope you are encouraged and experience the joy of the Lord!

We are so grateful for your generosity!

We have received $390 through the Amplify the Sound of Hope fundraising opportunity. With this, we were able to purchase a year of MOOZ, which enables us to upgrade training musicians online (MOOZ is like ZOOM for musicians). We’ve already started it with new students and they love it. Mentoring students wonderfully enables us to spread hope. Since part of the funds we need to operate are from donations, we are not able to upgrade our website at this time. If you would like to help out financially with either a one time gift, monthly gift, or yearly gift, visit our Donation Page for more information. Thank you!

My Prayer for You Music Video

We need to have our hearts anchored in a way that gives us undeniable stability through it all. In 2 Thessalonians 3:5, Paul tells us that the two things that give our hearts a strong foundation are “the love of God” and “the steadfastness of Christ.” I was reading though the Bible and came across this verse and thought, “What a wonderful prayer for my family and friends.” Watch my backyard performance of My Prayer for You on my YouTube channel. Sherri has beautifully designed our backyard.

Reggie’s Complete Guitar Course

As I mentioned at the beginning of the summer, I’m creating a world class guitar training course, equipping people young and old with the tools to master guitar playing and dramatically impact contemporary culture for good. These dynamic lessons take guitarists from beginner to advanced. The 49 lessons are “spiral” in that they go in order and build on each other. They work best by taking them in order. Yet, you can start at any level and continue from there. It will take a few more months to complete.

Lesson Tips – Think About It

Take a look at some very helpful tips for students regarding Goals & Objectives, Discipline & Desire, and Practicing & Rehearsing. As you pursue guitar playing and look forward to getting better, it’s important to define goals and objectives. In order to keep your motivation and initiative thriving from lesson to lesson, it is essential to keep a balance between discipline and desire. Thinking about the frequency of your practicing is helpful to improve your skill.

Coming Events

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As you pursue guitar playing and look forward to getting better, it’s important to define goals and objectives. Here’s a closer look at what they are and how they can practically help you improve.

Goals are broad, long-term statements of what you intend to achieve, providing a general direction or vision, while objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) actions taken to reach those goals. Objectives break down a larger goal into smaller, actionable steps, allowing for progress tracking and successful completion of the overall aim.

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Goals

• Broad and Visionary: Goals are like the destination on a map, outlining the ultimate aim without detailing the route.
• Long-Term: They represent a larger outcome or ideal that is often achieved over an extended period.
• Intangible and Abstract: Goals are often conceptual and can be more difficult to quantify directly.
• Focus on the “What”: They describe what you want to achieve.
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Objectives

• Specific and Measurable: Objectives are concrete targets that can be defined with numbers or clear, tangible indicators.
• Short-Term and Tactical: They are the specific, smaller steps that are completed within a shorter time frame.
• SMART: Effective objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
• Focus on the How and When: They describe how you will achieve the goal and by when.

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How They Work Together

1. Set a Goal: Start with a broad, overarching goal.

2. Define Objectives: Break the goal into smaller, specific, and measurable objectives.

3. Track Progress: Use the objectives to track progress and make adjustments as needed.

4. Achieve the Goal: By accomplishing the individual objectives, you move closer to achieving the main goal.

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Example with Health

Goal:
– To improve your physical health.

Objectives:
– Exercise for 30 minutes every day for the next month.
– Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
– Drink 8 glasses of water per day.

Example with Guitar

Goal:
– To improve your ability to play chords.

Objectives:
– Practice chords for 20 minutes every day for the next month.
– Play through 4 different chord progressions while changing chords quickly.
– Learn at least 10 new chords a week.

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In order to keep your motivation and initiative thriving from lesson to lesson, it is essential to keep a balance between discipline and desire.  Discipline is the “I will” aspect of our commitment toward learning something.  Desire is the “I want” aspect of our commitment toward learning something.  Inspired to play guitar, we get the desire and say “I want to learn that cool instrument.”  Then we embark on a journey to learn the guitar and try to be disciplined saying, “I will do what it takes to get better on the instrument.”  You must have both of these to be effective in your training (I will and I want).  You can have the I want to play all day long, but without the I will, you will never actually learn to play.  You may have the I will, but without the I want, practicing gets dull and isn’t very fun.
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When you practice, remember why you started in the first place and get your desire ramped up.  Then let your discipline kick in and take the time necessary to make noticeable progress.  You will find more creativity and satisfaction in your playing as you keep both discipline and desire strong and in balance.