Larry Rossi: S.T.U.F.F.

S.T.U.F.F. is an acronym for Supernatural Talents Used For Fruitfulness.

We all have many talents in the "natural" - sometimes we even take them for granted, but when the Holy Spirit gets behind them they become supercharged, "Supernatural", and allow us to hit the "mark" with God's plan for our lives. The plan that will bring "fruit" to those around us as well as to ourselves.

This page will be a journal of sorts and will explore news as well as inspirational stories and suggestions on how to make the best of your S.T.U.F.F.

A while back I wrote this song - "Early On Our Knees" - it is a strong directive and testimonial to me (and everyone) that I (we) take the time each morning to read and meditate on the Bible and to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I admit, this was pretty foreign to me at first. I started out with just five minutes or so a day.

One day, while looking at my Bible on computer, I noticed that along with the Bible was packaged a Devotional by Oswald Chambers entitled "My Utmost For His Highest."

As I began to read this book each day (and I have now been reading it everyday for the past seven years), my spiritual life began to take shape. Even when I re-read a passage the next year (they are dated daily) I seem to get a more appropriate meaning for the current time of my life.

My devotional time that once started out at five minutes a day has really taken on a life of its own and actually continues on throughout my entire day. I now know what St. Paul meant when he said "pray without ceasing", prayer is just a friendly conversation with God and that can go on all day.

I would absolutely recommend that you begin Oswald Chambers devotional as soon as possible. It will lead you to all kinds of good STUFF.

RPM Creative Music proudly presents:


An Afternoon Concert with LARRY ROSSI


"Songs and Stories"


A wonderful collection of musical styles and moods! You will enjoy Larry's thought provoking originals, along with a few exceptional old standards, some rock, some jazz, and even the likes of Santana, the Beatles, Miles Davis and Bob Dylan to name a few. Add to this “notable” music some of Larry's down-home stories and quips and you are guaranteed a memorable afternoon of "feel good" entertainment for the whole family.

Sunday, September 14, 2008 at 4:00 P.M.


St. Charles VFW Hall

119 N. 3rd Street

St. Charles, IL 60174

Go to our Web Store now to get your tickets!

"If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:14

Ministering as opportunity surrounds us does not mean selecting our surroundings, it means being very selectly God's in any haphazard surroundings which He engineers for us. The characteristics we manifest in our immediate surroundings are indications of what we will be like in other surroundings.

The things that Jesus did were of the most menial and commonplace order, and this is an indication that it takes all God's power in me to do the most commonplace things in His way. Can I use a towel as He did? Towels and dishes and sandals, all the ordinary sordid things of our lives, reveal more quickly than anything what we are made of. It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the meanest duty as it ought to be done.

"I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you." Watch the kind of people God brings around you, and you will be humiliated to find that this is His way of revealing to you the kind of person you have been to Him. Now, He says, exhibit to that one exactly what I have shown to you.

"Oh," you say, "I will do all that when I get out into the foreign field." To talk in this way is like trying to produce the munitions of war in the trenches - you will be killed while you are doing it.

We have to go the "second mile" with God. Some of us get played out in the first ten yards, because God compels us to go where we cannot see the way, and we say - "I will wait till I get nearer the big crisis." If we do not do the running steadily in the little ways, we shall do nothing in the crisis.

God does not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)


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Successful people have one obvious trait in common: personal discipline. They are willing to do things that average people are unwilling to do.


It’s my observation that successful people express their self-discipline in six ways:


· Successful people master their moods. They live by their commitments, not their emotions. They do the right thing, even when they don’t feel like it. “A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls” (Proverbs 25:28 NLT).


· Successful people watch their words. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths: “Those who control their tongue will have a long life . . .” (Proverbs 13:3 NLT).


· Successful people restrain their reactions. How much can you take before you lose your cool? “People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrongs” (Proverbs 19:11 NLT).


· Successful people stick to their schedule. If you don’t determine how you will spend your time, you can be sure that others will decide for you! “So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days” (Ephesians 5:15-16 NLT).


· Successful people manage their money. They learn to live on less than what they make, and they invest the difference. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went: “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get” (Proverbs 21:20 NLT).


· Successful people maintain their health. That way they can accomplish more and enjoy their achievements: “Control your body and live in holiness . . .” (1 Thessalonians 4:4 NLT).


Now, where do you need to develop self-control?


The disciplines you establish today will determine your success tomorrow. But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-control. It takes a power greater than yourself. Think about this promise from the Bible: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT).


The more I accept God’s control over my life, the more self-control he gives me!

 

 

 

Originally released on cassette in 1990, "Step Into Midnight" has been digitally remixed and mastered by Tom Jancauskas of Imedia in St. Charles, IL and is now available on CD.

"Step Into Midnight" is classic Rossi. For Larry, the "Step Into Midnight" is symbolic for taking a chance on the dream you have within. Once that dream is discovered, a person needs the ability and courage to take that first step into the unknown.

More subtle in some of its messages than "Your Heart", "Step Into Midnight" is nevertheless deeply heartfelt and powerfully delivered throughout. In direct contrast to the "thinkers", Larry offers up some real fun with PUSH 'EM BACK and MONEY IN MY POCKET.

Get ready to experience a wide range of exciting musical styles - definitely a "trademark" for those who know Larry's music. From the rockers STEP INTO MIDNIGHT and HURTIN' INSIDE, to the ageless wisdom of one of Larry's most requested songs, NO ARGUMENTS, PLEASE, you are sure to enjoy HIS first step into midnight.

Go to the WEB STORE to purchase your copy today!

You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone . . . . If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (CEV)


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When you’re tempted, reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group. You don’t have to broadcast it to the whole world, but you need at least one person you can honestly share your struggles with.


The Bible says, “You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone . . . . If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 CEV).


Let me be clear: If you’re losing the battle against a persistent bad habit, an addiction, or a temptation, and you’re stuck in a repeating cycle of good intention–failure–guilt, you will not get better on your own! You need the help of other people.


Some temptations are only overcome with the help of a partner who prays for you, encourages you, and holds you accountable.


God’s plan for your growth and freedom includes other Christians. Authentic, honest fellowship is the antidote to your lonely struggle against those sins that won’t budge. God says it is the only way you’re going to break free: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16, NIV).


Do you really want to be healed of that persistent temptation that keeps defeating you over and over? God’s solution is plain: Don’t repress it; confess it! Don’t conceal it; reveal it. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing.


Hiding your hurt only intensifies it. Problems grow in the dark and become bigger and bigger, but when exposed to the light of truth, they shrink. You’re only as sick as your secrets. So take off your mask, stop pretending you’re perfect, and walk into freedom.

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6 (NIV)

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Today’s guest devotional is provided by Jon Walker –


Long ago and far away I was diagnosed with clinical depression, and began the hard work of deep, lasting, in-Jesus recovery.


One day Jesus asked me, “Do you want to be healed?”


I was reading John’s book about Jesus, and he was telling me about the time he stopped with Jesus by the Sheep Gate in ancient Jerusalem. There was a pool there where people waited for a chance to be healed by one of God’s angels, but, as I read, Jesus looked over and into my eyes.


“Do you want to be healed?”


It seemed like such a ridiculous question. Of course, I want to be healed! But, then, I knew, in the way you know, what he meant.


Was I willing to do the hard work of facing painful situations, of uncovering bitterness and admitting to deep, resentful anger? Was I willing to give up my stubborn excuses that allowed me to stay the same, somehow seeing my sickness as more secure than my health?


Was I willing to give up control, let God be God, and admit that I can’t, but he can – or would I rather insist that I can, even though I can’t, holding myself in a cycle of helplessness and hopelessness?


By the pool at Sheep Gate, Jesus asked an invalid of 38 years: “Do you want to be healed?” and his question swept through the man, swept through 2,000 years, and swept into the shadows of my soul.


“Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me …” (John 5:7 NIV).


But there stood the Great Healer holding out help, acutely aware that we can’t, but God can, knowing this to be true because he was walking toward the only way to recreate us whole and healthy. He was on the road to Calvary.


The question lingers for you: Do you really want to be healed?


© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.

So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9 (NLT)



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There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life-missions. Over the years, I’ve debated whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether.


The apostle Paul teaches that we need to resist discouragement: “So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up …” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).



Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.


When we’re discouraged, we become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith.


When I’m discouraged, I’m saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because he said ….”


Ask yourself these questions:


· How do I handle failure?

· When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy?

· When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated?

· When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining?

· Do I finish what I start?

· How would I rate on persistence?


If you’re discouraged, don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy.


When an artist starts to create a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting it and hitting it, chipping away at the stone.


And that’s true of life, too: Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little-by-little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.


The fact is, great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit.

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.

"If any man come to Me, and hate not . . . he cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:26, also 27, 33

If the closest relationships of life clash with the claims of Jesus Christ, He says it must be instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person, Our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a difference between devotion to a Person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause; He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted love-slave of the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not devoted to Jesus Christ. No man on earth has this passionate love to the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Ghost has imparted it to him. We may admire Him, we may respect Him and reverence Him, but we cannot love Him. The only Lover of the Lord Jesus is the Holy Ghost, and He sheds abroad the very love of God in our hearts. Whenever the Holy Ghost sees a chance of glorifying Jesus, He will take your heart, your nerves, your whole personality, and simply make you blaze and glow with devotion to Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is stamped by 'moral spontaneous originality,' consequently the disciple is open to the same charge that Jesus Christ was, viz., that of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent to God, and the Christian must be consistent to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to hard and fast creeds. Men pour them selves into creeds, and God has to blast them out of their prejudices before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

"Listening to Larry Rossi's YOUR HEART CD is like having a conversation with a friend. I almost found myself, or the spirit in me silently responding, agreeing or just sighing along with
the author of this very honest music.

Everyone has their own form of expression and style in communicating truth and art, and Larry seems to have found his niche'. This CD has elements of the old and new and communicates on a different frequency from a lot of the stuff one hears today.

Honestly, I was especially touched by the opening track which further invited me into the remainder of the album. I enjoy finding music now and then that is definitely off the beaten path.

YOUR HEART is such an album. If you'd like to hear something that is real and uncommon these days and hear the voice of a friend, then check out YOUR HEART by Larry Rossi."

---Phil Keaggy

Note: YOUR HEART is available now, go to the ORDER CD! page to get your copy today!

Many think this time of year has the special qualities that bring out the best in people.
Neighbors shovel-out neighbors. Giving to the needy is more substantial. There is a strong
possibility that messages about the "true meaning" are being spoken in more tones and more places than the whispers of the faithful. Connection?

Somewhere in the middle of the conversation this past week I had with Larry Rossi, a fellow parishioner of the St. Charles Congregational Church on La Fox Road where for 19 years he had been choir director. He also has been band director at St. Patrick's School in
St. Charles the past 18 years. We were talking about that same kind of transaction when someone of strong and abiding faith connects with another person who may be seeking
with a message that offers a fresh consideration, an explanation, an open door, so to speak, to catch the spirit. A connection.

Be assured that Larry Rossi, who just released a compact disc featuring his own music, does not think of himself in terms that might be considered lofty or self-promoting. That's
the line of demarcation that is the curious place that a serious, talented and purpose-driven musician must consider when beginning to hold up and distribute his product. In this case, the product is "Your Heart" with 13 of Larry's songs, the result of a long process of creating music that is close to his heart yet meant for others, lots of others, to hear.

He is surrounded by lots of friends and supporters who know him, learn from him, support him and listen to him for inspiration.

Were you one of his students when he taught for 20 years at RPM Music School in St. Charles? Tom Jancauskas was when he was in junior high school. Now Larry learns from
him during the work at IMEDIA, Tom's studio where the mixing and mastering was done for the CD. "We each learn something new during each encounter," Larry said.

The notes on the CD reveal many of the talented local musicians that Larry urges deserve recognition. Consider the talents of Jeff Shurts of St. Charles, who Larry highlights while describing the background touches contributed as vocalist, keyboarder and mandolin player.

Mary Lou O'Brien Fischer of Wheaton is backing as a vocalist, at one point harmonizing with herself on three levels. Larry says she has the essence of "all the Eagles, Aretha, Barbara!"

Dave Sills, another St. Charles resident, also provides backing vocals. He's got three CDs of his own and is heard on WXRT. There's also Dave Ramont of St. Charles on electric guitar. He has his own Clayhead Records company and is involved in recording his own music. Larry says he is a wonderful songwriter.

There's St. Charles resident Elly Slater on piano, his colleague from the Congregational Church music department -- a mainstay there for 50 years -- and this banker guy Bob Hoge of Valley Community Bank, who chimes in on the accordion from time to time to "spice things up."

Note, of course, the giving spirit that prompts Larry to insist on crediting his fellow musicians. Connection?

At this point in the interview it became clear to me that although there is an entire Web site of commentary on "Your Heart," I needed to listen to the real thing. I telephoned the individual I knew to be his most enthusiastic supporter, who, in fact, had encouraged me to pursue yet another of her people, "following a dream" as she puts it.

Hello, Rose "Slats" Grobnik, aka Lambert, from St. Charles answered and we made a quick deal to work out the shuttle that brought me the CD on loan from across the river.

Now it becomes my job to tell you about the music. I had heard Larry's music at
Ragamuffin Coffee House in St. Charles and knew it to be inspiring, entertaining and just something special. Larry acknowledges there's a touch of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, as I infer there is the same touch of one ordinary person who has been touched with the gift to share a passion with another. Passion for peace, passion for redemption and, in Larry's
vision, passion for his lord.

That's the thing about Larry. He really means it. It's best you listen for yourself. There might be a connection in the wind.

 

 

 

It has been a long time coming (for me) but the CD is finally finished and ready for purchase! I feel very fortunate to be able to share this music with all of you.

Please check out the "Reviews" and then head on over to the "WEB STORE" to get your copy today.