I answered my own question (see previous post)

Actually in my mind it wasn’t really a question. I simply asked it to offer pause and thought to all who read my thought here… all four of you. I figured maybe it could generate some good conversation for youth, friends, roommates or even strangers. For me the answer lies in a bit of scripture that I have kept close to my heart for many years now.

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

2 Corinthians 3: 2-3

Thinking about all this also reminded me of some words from the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (‘cause he is way cooler than I).

“If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk to long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize; that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards; that is not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.”

We all do lots of different things for lots of different reasons, but I hope we each come to a place where we end up simply living our lives out of a genuine response to the Living Christ in our midst. 

Hopefully Jesus is paying attention...

Last night I asked a friend a question and it has been plaguing me ever since. So... I figured I would post it here and let everyone weigh in on it.

Why live the life,  walk the road, set the example and invest so much in other people if all they do is say "well thats just insert name here. They're like super human or something."?

If noone else takes convictions and callings seriously I hope it adds up some time or another. It's not an eternal game of bingo. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven is now. Why is everyone else waiting? 

I've started my new job(s)...

...and here is kinda what it looks like for now...

Guitars in picture are owned by Andrew Peterson, Andy Osenga, Mark Wagner,  Andy Gullahorn and myself. 

And a day out at Soundcheck with Robert Pierre gearing up for the iShine fall tour.

In The Presence of the Lord

Eric Clapton, pretty much my favorite as many of you know, wrote a song called “Presence of the Lord” that he recorded and played in the Blind Faith days. I recently found out He admits that the song isn’t really all that “spiritual” as he put it. Instead the song is about the feeling he got when he first visited Hurtwood Edge, a house that became his first real home in Surrey.

The chorus says

“I have finally found a place to live.

Just like I never could before.

And I know I don’t have much to give

But soon I’ll open any door.

Everybody knows the secret,

Everybody knows the score.

I have finally found a place to live

In the presence of the Lord.”

No matter what Clapton meant by it, today it spoke to me about finding the comfort of home in the presence of God and God alone. Rob Bell reminds us that all ground is Holy Ground, but sometimes we just need to be reminded like Moses was. And Andrew Peterson sings, “Love is just another word for home”.  Amen and amen, however there is a comfort and homeliness of really living in to what God has “called” or “made” you to do.

Since leaving my home of 18 years to go to college back in the day I have lived a lot of places; dorm rooms, apartments, friends couches, in my car (not really but you can imagine, right?!), and it recently ended with the purchase of a rockin’ house. Each place has seen me doing many different things…all ministry related but varied and different. I have loved every minute of it and wonderful things have come my way at each stop.

But now…Now is a time I have longed and prayed for since the awkwardness of spending that first night in the dorm room away from everything I had ever known. I finally feel like I am coming Home. Around every corner the past few weeks I have found affirmation that I am not crazy and the things I feel God calling me to do are not bogus or stupid. These confirmations have come in lots of shapes and sizes. My house is finally starting to feel like a home, and I am enjoying seeing visions I had when I bought the place come to life. God is teaching me lots about gratitude and appreciation daily. Plus to top it all off… I feel more comfortable in my skin now than I think I ever have.

God is so faithful and as I open doors and uncover secrets, I am abiding in the presence of the Lord and I am home!

Deep thoughts from the Recording Studio

Old school dudes follow old school rules and make old school tunes...and you will like it because it's awesome! That's it. The end.

Picture of the Day

This is how my extremely, ridiculously talented friend Mark Trussell makes me feel when he plays guitar...

The journey continues...

Today is a day of celebration. All the graduation parties have been attended, all the food eaten (Andrew Hinson wins the party food award), and everyone has finally graduated. It's bitter sweet really. 

Last night my small group (all seniors) celebrated together with a joint party at the church. Tons of people came by to share, celebrate, and tell them how much they are loved. There were pictures of the journey to this point scattered all over the place and a slide show on all the tvs. Favorite songs were pumping out of the sound system, and great friends, coaches and teachers were coming and going all night. It was really cool. 

However, my favorite part was a small, quiet time of sharing together in the prayer chapel after everyone else had gone. We talked about taking the things we have learned from one another with us as we all begin new journeys. We looked at Matthew Chapter 13 where Jesus shares a turning point with His friends in the upper room. After an intimate time Jesus tells his disciples that he has shown them things so they will know how to act in service to each other. Then he basically says "So do it!" 

I hope over the last three years I have shown my small group friends a good way to serve, walk, and experience life together that they can take with them in to this next journey. I also hope they continue to serve the new people they meet like I have seen them serve each other and like Jesus teaches us to serve.