TJ McCormick

Summer 1976, I was a little clepto. I had a 1776-1976 belt buckle in my pocket and tried to make a dive to the exit, when some old retired cop turned security guard grabbed my arm, and I was taken to Lakewood’s LA County detention center. So many other things I had done to break God’s heart (and my mom’s), but that was the state of my heart.

Fast forward to the fall of 1977. I had knee surgery and was quite a celebrity at my school. Full leg cast, fiberglass, and I could still get around pretty good. My sister and brother-in-law invited me to what I thought was a Catholic altar boy retreat, but as it turned out, it was my wakeup call.

 

I got out of the car and walked into the building. I was met by a young girl who gave me a big hug and told me, “I love you!” Little did I know, I had walked into a Charismatic Catholic retreat named, “Youth Encounter Spirit.” Not consciously, but I had been prepared for this weekend by a number of spirit-filled Catholics and Protestants who had been praying for me.

 

When we got around to the altar call (a Catholic altar call!), Jesus and I had already been talking. I saw a man standing, as it were, at the door of my heart. I said to Him, “NO! You don’t need to knock!” And before His hand reached my door, I had opened it wide. What happened next, words could not express, but I felt a stunning, permeating joy that I could not explain.

 

The same mother whom I gave so much grief to, sat in the audience on the final day. I looked her straight in the eyes, and told her, “Mom, I love you.” I’m sure she wanted to know what pills I had taken, but it was pure Holy Spirit love.

 

The following years were not perfect by any means. I go back to 1 John 1:8, “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Made many mistakes, and shared lots of victories with brothers, sisters and the LORD. But I am getting weaker nowadays, and God has given me the gift of time. I use it to write bible lyric songs, and while my body is getting slower, my mind is on Holy Spirit overdrive! I have made so many virtual music friends over this past decade, and I’m glad to share what God has given me with anyone who wants to hear.

 

I offer a sporadic podcast called “Sing God’z Word”, when a new song pops into my brain and I try to make lyrical and musical sense out of it. I hope to get back into the realm of live music, LORD willing. But my passion to create song lists of scripture memory tools keeps going.