I know...its been a while, and i apologize. things have been pretty crazy. Personally and professionally, but I just wanted to let everyone know that i'm back and things are good. I'll fill you all in more on what's happened the last several months in a later post, but for now, wanted to let you all know about something very exciting! i'm actually about to release a new CD! Yep, its been three years since the last full project and i'm so pumped about this one! It is actually a Christmas CD, but it has a fresh new spin on it. It is traditional songs that you will love, but I had to add a little flair to 'em! There are some new arrangements, and i even wrote some chorus' to several of them. I really think that is is an album that you will want to listen to all year long! of course, i am a little biased, but i really think that! ;-)
I just wanted to let everyone know about a special promotion that i am having for this CD. It will actually not be available until November 2, but if you purchase a copy before then, you can get it for just $10! It will normally retain for $15, so that is a huge discount, but only until November 1st!
Anyway, thank you all for your support. I would love to get this album out into as many hands as possible, so please help! Spread the word! Thanks to you all and keep checking back. i will write more about the personal journey later! Love to you all!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
I'm wrestling today...
So I've been wrestling with Grace the last couple of days. Not so much with Grace that God has given to me, but my obligation to give that same grace to others. I think I'm pretty good about giving grace in easy times...but those hard times, the challenging times...the times when I feel the need for justice to outweigh anything else...well I usually fail miserably then. And the thing is, that I know better. I know that I'm supposed to give grace simply because I deserved justice for my sins and I was given grace and it's because of that, that I'm called...implored...to give that same grace to others.
And yet I do fail. All the time. And more grace is given. And so I must give more. Lord help me...
And yet I do fail. All the time. And more grace is given. And so I must give more. Lord help me...
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
So I was truly overcome wih emotion today. I was driving to Knoxville to guitar center ( one of my favorite stores) and the Lord laid a buddy of mine on my heart. I couldn't shake him, so I texted him to see how he was and sure enough, he was havin a really rough go. We couldn't talk for long, but I was struck by how much God is in love with us as his kids. He cared so much for my friend, that he wanted me to text him just to let him know that he (God) was thinking about him (my friend). And it's like that for all of us. I was struck by how much he cares for all of us and wants us to know how much loves us desperately. He longs for communion with you! He has GOOD thoughts about you! He has GOOD plans for you! He is CRAZY about you, his son and daughter.
Lift up your head, oh weary traveler...keep your gaze fixed upon him.
Lift up your head, oh weary traveler...keep your gaze fixed upon him.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Jayell Road pt. 2
So my hands are almost frozen right now. Rodney and I have been shooting since 7:45 this morning and it's COLD! But it has been so cool to do this. As we speak, the nicest lady who lives here on this farm is making us a cup of hot chocolate. Amazing. So here are some pix for you:
Rodney checking out the scene:
Rodney getting the camera set:
It was an amazing time and the farm was awesome and the owners were just amazing people. I can't wait to get it all cut and edited and put together. Be looking for this movie next year. And be checking back here for me updates!
Rodney checking out the scene:
Rodney getting the camera set:
It was an amazing time and the farm was awesome and the owners were just amazing people. I can't wait to get it all cut and edited and put together. Be looking for this movie next year. And be checking back here for me updates!
Jayell road
I'm up early this morning to help my buddy Rodney shoot his movie...it's gonna be a good one. I'll post some photos from the shoot, so check back!
Monday, September 7, 2009
That crazy Key...
I couldn't have made this up if I wanted to...
So some of you may remember last month the story that I told you about my key and how I had lost it and what God told me in the process...well...it happened again...
So I had left the house to go work out and had finished and come home. I was getting out of my car and I saw that I had some travel mugs (I love travel mugs!) that needed to be washed. So grabbed them in one arm and in the other hand I had my little key there and an empty starbucks (I love starbucks...I love coffee...) cup that I was going to throw away in our big green trash container that you have to take out to the street every week.
Now as far as trash containers go, ours is pretty normal...its green...we put our trash in it...it stinks...nothing special about it. So I'm walking over to our big green trash container with my starbucks cup and Key in hand. For about 2 seconds, the thought flashed through my mind "what if I drop my Key in the trash?" but I quickly dismissed that thought because I felt like I had a pretty good grip on it and besides, who on earth would throw away their car key?
So I open the lid and then promptly procede to throw both my used and empty Starbucks cup AND my key into our completely normal and 2/3 of the way full, big green trash container.
Hm.
I have to be completely honest. The first word that came out of my mouth, wasn't very Christlike.
But then I did what anyone in my position would have to do...I began taking out the trash. And that is when I began to realize that what I thought was a completely normal green trash container, was actually something special. I don't quite know how to describe the aroma that was emmanating from the container, but Fierce is a good place to start. And as I'm pulling bags of rotten garbage and soggy pizza boxes out the trash container, I am desperately hoping that somehow, someway that my Key has gotten stuck on something maybe halfway down, so that i can gingerly reach in and pull it out. But with each passing moldy banana peel and empty Starbucks cup (do I really drink that much coffee??) my hope of not having to go all the way to the bottom quickly diminished.
And finally...there it was. Nestled in a pool of putrid trash water with chunks floating in it. And as I reach down to the bottom of our trash container, I was hit in the face with an odor that reminded me of the great smoking mountain of trash that i witnessed in the Phillipine Islands...Unbelievable.
I grab my Key and as I'm putting the pizza boxes and bags of garbage back in the trash container, I say out loud, "Well God...what was the point of that one?"
As I was coming into the house, trying not to gag as I relived what I had just experienced, I felt the still small voice of God begin to speak to my heart. And this was what He reminded me...
He reminded me that there are going to be times in our lives where we are going to have to go through some of the stinkiest, smelliest things to actually get that something that is extremely important to us. But if we will stay focused, and keep our eyes focused on Him and not on the trash around us, He will bring us through those moments with that which matters the most in our grasp.
Keep your eyes on Him my friend. He is the Key...
So some of you may remember last month the story that I told you about my key and how I had lost it and what God told me in the process...well...it happened again...
So I had left the house to go work out and had finished and come home. I was getting out of my car and I saw that I had some travel mugs (I love travel mugs!) that needed to be washed. So grabbed them in one arm and in the other hand I had my little key there and an empty starbucks (I love starbucks...I love coffee...) cup that I was going to throw away in our big green trash container that you have to take out to the street every week.
Now as far as trash containers go, ours is pretty normal...its green...we put our trash in it...it stinks...nothing special about it. So I'm walking over to our big green trash container with my starbucks cup and Key in hand. For about 2 seconds, the thought flashed through my mind "what if I drop my Key in the trash?" but I quickly dismissed that thought because I felt like I had a pretty good grip on it and besides, who on earth would throw away their car key?
So I open the lid and then promptly procede to throw both my used and empty Starbucks cup AND my key into our completely normal and 2/3 of the way full, big green trash container.
Hm.
I have to be completely honest. The first word that came out of my mouth, wasn't very Christlike.
But then I did what anyone in my position would have to do...I began taking out the trash. And that is when I began to realize that what I thought was a completely normal green trash container, was actually something special. I don't quite know how to describe the aroma that was emmanating from the container, but Fierce is a good place to start. And as I'm pulling bags of rotten garbage and soggy pizza boxes out the trash container, I am desperately hoping that somehow, someway that my Key has gotten stuck on something maybe halfway down, so that i can gingerly reach in and pull it out. But with each passing moldy banana peel and empty Starbucks cup (do I really drink that much coffee??) my hope of not having to go all the way to the bottom quickly diminished.
And finally...there it was. Nestled in a pool of putrid trash water with chunks floating in it. And as I reach down to the bottom of our trash container, I was hit in the face with an odor that reminded me of the great smoking mountain of trash that i witnessed in the Phillipine Islands...Unbelievable.
I grab my Key and as I'm putting the pizza boxes and bags of garbage back in the trash container, I say out loud, "Well God...what was the point of that one?"
As I was coming into the house, trying not to gag as I relived what I had just experienced, I felt the still small voice of God begin to speak to my heart. And this was what He reminded me...
He reminded me that there are going to be times in our lives where we are going to have to go through some of the stinkiest, smelliest things to actually get that something that is extremely important to us. But if we will stay focused, and keep our eyes focused on Him and not on the trash around us, He will bring us through those moments with that which matters the most in our grasp.
Keep your eyes on Him my friend. He is the Key...
A little nugget...
So those of you who aren't sports fans are going to laugh at me, but i was just sitting here watching a little sportscenter and i heard one of the commentators make this comment:
"Sports requires such a great mindset, and a focus to be great..."
Now before I get going, I want to just let you know that I'm not really gonna hold anything back here. Without really going into details, I want to be honest. I am going through some really, really difficult stuff right now. And even though I can't share what the stuff is, the simple fact is that this is probably one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I don't really understand what it is that God is doing with me and I feel like I am alone. There have been some pretty big hurts that have happened in my life and the one thing that I keep hearing myself say is "I just don't understand..."
Do you remember that verse that says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding...." (proverbs 3:5) well...after hearing the Sportscenter guy say what he said, I began ro realize a little better what this verse means. It really isn't about understanding at all...its about the FOCUS of your understanding. If all I ever focus on is how much I don't understand and how much things hurt and how none of anything makes any sense, then of course I will be hurt and bothered and upset...But if I will MAKE myself focus on what I DO understand...that God is a loving God (John 3:16)...that He has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11)...that He is my protector and place of safety (Proverbs 18:10), then and ONLY then will this life be what God has promised - ABUNDANT (John 10:10)
In other words...it has to be an act of your will to make yourself focus on the Lord. Make yourself focus on His promises. Hey, I'm in your shoes ok? I KNOW how hard it is to make yourself do that...to ignore how much your heart is breaking. To forget about the pain and the hurt...I'm IN it right now! But our Life as Christians requires such a great mindset, and a focus to be great.
Keep your eyes up my friend...
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
Romans 12:2
"Sports requires such a great mindset, and a focus to be great..."
Now before I get going, I want to just let you know that I'm not really gonna hold anything back here. Without really going into details, I want to be honest. I am going through some really, really difficult stuff right now. And even though I can't share what the stuff is, the simple fact is that this is probably one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I don't really understand what it is that God is doing with me and I feel like I am alone. There have been some pretty big hurts that have happened in my life and the one thing that I keep hearing myself say is "I just don't understand..."
Do you remember that verse that says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding...." (proverbs 3:5) well...after hearing the Sportscenter guy say what he said, I began ro realize a little better what this verse means. It really isn't about understanding at all...its about the FOCUS of your understanding. If all I ever focus on is how much I don't understand and how much things hurt and how none of anything makes any sense, then of course I will be hurt and bothered and upset...But if I will MAKE myself focus on what I DO understand...that God is a loving God (John 3:16)...that He has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11)...that He is my protector and place of safety (Proverbs 18:10), then and ONLY then will this life be what God has promised - ABUNDANT (John 10:10)
In other words...it has to be an act of your will to make yourself focus on the Lord. Make yourself focus on His promises. Hey, I'm in your shoes ok? I KNOW how hard it is to make yourself do that...to ignore how much your heart is breaking. To forget about the pain and the hurt...I'm IN it right now! But our Life as Christians requires such a great mindset, and a focus to be great.
Keep your eyes up my friend...
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
Romans 12:2
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