Blog.

It’s been awhile since my last update, and I apologize, I’ve been pretty busy.

I took a 5 year break (thanks to Texas A&M College of Engineering) from anything remotely musical other than the A Capella quartet I traveled with and I recently realized how much I have missed having a musical outlet. If you know me (as most of you should, if you’re reading my blog) you know I’m passionate about music. From an early age, I have always had some kind of outlet for my music. I took piano lessons from age 5 till my teacher moved around age 12. It was around that time that I started drums/percussion in school, which continued through my junior year at ACU. (Including 1 year of being a music major) I picked up Guitar in 8th grade and while I have never regularly played guitar in a band, I would sometimes lead a small group praise night, or have jam sessions with a couple friends. From the time I was little, to the time I transfered to Texas A&M, there was always a reason to practice and strive to make myself better musically, whether it was a piano recital, a concert, or a percussion ensemble gig.  I didn’t realize at the time how much I had missed my music during my time at A&M until recently.

Heather and I have been attending a local church that we have decided to call home. Typical to my nature, I can’t call a church home and just sit in a ‘pew’ every Sunday. Therefore, I volunteered to help out with the worship band for Pipeline, the 18-30’s ministry of the church. They graciously invited me in and I started practicing / playing with this group as they started up this fall. In addition to Pipeline, I answered a note in the church bulletin asking for technical volunteers. I have considerable experience with audio/video/lighting and I thought I might be of some help. Over the next week, I had several conversations with the technical director (Glenn), who asked me to sit in on one of the main worship band’s rehearsals to see how they ran the technical side of the “show.” Through Glenn, I met the worship director, (Kay, who happens to be the main pastor’s wife) and through some rich conversation she finds out that I sing, and that I’m a percussionist. They were needing someone to play Auxiliary Percussion, and Kay asked me to come back the next week and “audition.” So I did. Funny how God works. I ended up auditioning every instrument I play except guitar, which was the one instrument I would have felt the most comfortable on. Long story short, the next week I was on stage singing! (Mostly harmony, some lead)

I have been singing/playing with them weekly since then, and I guess I am now one of “the band.” I went from no musical outlet to two bands and teaching guitar lessons. (1 student from Pipeline) The biggest challenge has been learning a ton of new music, which I’m still doing, and catching up on my instrumental skills. I have been asked to fill in for our pianist on Oct. 21, which is pretty nerve racking, but I’m excited about the challenge. I have a pretty large set of shoes to fill that day, as Cyndi is pretty talented.

In all of this, I have recently been thinking about past struggles with pride, and I pray constantly that I can be completely transparent and truly lead people to worship Christ. In this, I thank God for the musical talent He gave me, and I feel the responsibility to develop it and use it for His glory. If I am ever doing this for any reason other than that, I pray God removes me from the position he has put me in.

In other news, we (Me, Heather, and a couple friends) traveled 10-20 miles West of where we live to visit a couple winery’s a few weeks ago. The weather was beautiful (low 70’s), the wine was decent (it’s Virginia, our expectations weren’t very high), and the company was grand. We didn’t take many pictures, but we had a great time. The second winery (not pictured) was hosting a festival. It turns out that the owners were from Louisiana, which explained the Mardi Gras beads and the Zydeco band, complete with accordion.

I was reading up on a friend of mine who leads worship at a little church in College Station, TX, where I moved from. He’s a singer/songwriter and truly has a gift for lyrics and an unbelievable heart for the Lord. I found this post by Ross, and was overwhelmed when I read it. That is what a family looks like.

By the way, check out his music here: www.rosskingmusic.com and here: Ross’ myspace

I ran across a blog a few days ago that solidified several of my thoughts and feelings over the past few years, and with the author’s permission, I would like to share that with you.  (Matt’s blog here)

“I’m with Shane Claiborne. Forget all the stories about how Jesus made life better - by solving a debt problem or helping someone overcome some relatively mild vice. Truth is, Jesus is totally messing up my life.

If I had gotten my way 15+ years ago, I would be a wealthy, big-city litigator right now, wiling away the years in an expensive office building during the weeks and at every Cowboys game on the weekends. I’d have a big house worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’d go to a nice, clean-cut church where I’d check in every Sunday morning and otherwise do all of the things that good Christians do to make sure they can punch their ticket into heaven. And I’d listen to conservative talk radio, just to remind myself that there is no need to change the order of things: everyone is making their own choices and getting just what they deserve.

Life would be good.

But the more I read the gospels; the more I try to understand what Jesus was really all about, the more he has the audacity to come into my life and totally screw it up. He makes me think about every dollar I spend - who is benefiting from it and how? He makes me reflect on the kind of car I drive and how it affects God’s creation. He challenges me to make my children into risk-taking disciples, instead of neat, middle-class carbon copies of myself. He asks me to go places where I am uncomfortable, and to invite people into my house when I’d much rather have a quiet night alone. He intrudes on my free time and tells me to invest it the things that matter to him. He tells me that the politics that seemingly support my interests aren’t necessarily the ones that support his.

Far from being a cosmic Mr. Fix-it, Jesus is taking every priority and ambition that I ever held and - without so much as asking - turning it over like he did the tables in the temple.

But the truth is - having come to know the Jesus who messes with me at every turn - I would never go back to the old one. For all his annoying qualities, this is the Jesus that feels authentic to me. I feel like I finally am coming to know him for who he is. And in spite of all of the discomfort and downright inconvenience that he causes, I’m coming to see that the things that he is about are the things that really matter in this world.”

So, which Jesus do you know? the Sunday-make-you-feel-good Jesus that doesn’t intrude with life as you know it, or the in-your-face-always-there-whether-you-want-Him-to-be-or-not Jesus that truly changes how you live your life?

Last weekend we adventured up to Baltimore to the inner harbor to visit the aquarium. We ate at a little Italian place for lunch, watched a steel band (Caribbean style) play for a little while, but spent most of our time gazing at sharks, turtles, frogs, dolphins, and a couple of Kookaburra’s (which are one of the loudest, most obnoxious birds that I’ve ever encountered) in the Australian exhibit. The lighting wasn’t the best for pictures, but we managed to get a few. We had a great time, but our favorite aquarium is still the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. If you like fish and sea-life but can’t afford to take a trip to Belize or Austrailia to see it live, the Shedd is the next best thing.

Gallery here.