30:. Its Go Time … Sunday

So, here’s the deal. Today at the ball game, which was a lot of fun by the way, Eric and Lukey went down with ankle injuries. Luke’s was pretty hardcore and Eric’s sucks too. Please be praying for them. What does that mean for Sunday? They were both playing electric for Tsunami and RE. That means we’re down to a three-piece. Ed, Theo and I. Its gonna be a long Sunday. Its definitely gonna be a challenge, but i’m excited about it. I was quite stressed earlier, but then my word came knocking. Be disciplined about how you deal with things Chris. My instinct was to be annoyed and upset that this happened, and to get all huffy about it. But i’m not going to let my flesh takeover. I’m excited about tomorrow, even though it won’t be the easiest Sunday ever, i’m excited to see how God will stretch me tomorrow. Please pray for my patience and that I can be a leader after His heart. I want to find joy in all that I’m doing. I’ll let you know how it went ….

Music Suggestion of the Day

North Point – North Point Live: Louder Than Creation => This is the new live record from North Point Church down in Georgia. This is a very well put together effort. It is mixed extremely well, and i wish we sounded that great every week. There are a couple new Todd Fields songs on there that are sick. They’re really doin it.

21:. Cold Face or Way Too Much Free Time

So, i’ve been on break from school. Definitely a nice gift for the holidays. Anyways, i got bored last night and decided it was time to shave. I haven’t shaved since June. So enjoy this montage of the process….

The Beginning

17:. Traffic Tirade (or To the Right, To the Right)

So, i recently started working in a small shopping village known in the ILM as Mayfaire. Its a very lovely shopping experience if you’ve been there. The aesthetics of the buildings and streets are very quaint and just plain enjoyable. However, there aren’t too many driving passages through there.
There are two things i have begun to notice since i’ve started working there …..
1. When I need to get to work on-time, it appears as if the entire city of Wilmington is A) heading to mayfaire as well or B) completely against me getting to work on-time and will do anything, such as stopping their car completely (as in get out and walk around) or maybe even staring at a green light through two cycles. Seriously people.

2. People do not understand the concept of a four-way stop. Is this really that hard, or did everyone just skip out for chicken fingers and bowling the day they went over this in driving school? I mean, i have yet to experience a 4-way stop and it go as it is supposed to. Correct me if i am wrong, but the deal is you pull up, and the person the farthest to the right goes first, then it goes around the circle. Or, if you all show up at the same time, someone initiates and everyone follows suit. Sounds easy? Almost too easy. Maybe that is the deal, its just too easy for people to understand ….. nah. The fact is people hate sitting still in a car, especially at a stop sign in a shopping village, so they decided to do what they want, scoundrels i say.

What i’m trying to say is this, please, for goodness and patience’s sake, lets just try to strive to be better drivers.
Or at least, lets not be idiots.

Music Suggestion of the Day: Anberlin – Never Take Friendship Personal: My brother just got back from college, and he’s been listening to these guys. I’ve been around him a lot, so i’ve been listening along. All their songs remind me of sick workout tracks, and i dig their energy.

12:. Pouring Over Pages

So, sometimes in life, you will encounter things that hit you in such a way that you can’t help but express your heart. For some, that means dancing until you can’t stand. For others, drawing until your mind goes blank. This is a gift given to us by God, simply creativity. Creativity is something that is useful in most places, but for me, it is an essential element of what I want to do with my life. Writing music and being in the context of a community striving to bring the church to a stagnant world leaves me at a place where i can’t really have enough creativity.These things i was talking about earlier could be anything from a book you read, to a sentence heard in passing, to maybe a touch from a loved one.

Today, i came across a record by Brooke Fraser, www.brookefraser.com. Now for those who don’t know Brooke, check out her site. She is an incredibly talented singer, writer, and musician. She is a believer that has a grasp on what it looks like to take her personal walk and express what God is doing in her heart with her songs in a beautifully fluid way. Its not forced. Its not a formula. Its life. This is a rare thing now a days. I feel like i hear so much superfluous fluff and useless junk in songs now today that sometimes it feels like the world has forgotten how to emote.

As i listened to these songs, these confessions and thoughts of this young woman, i could sense a familiar feeling welling up inside my soul. Song after song, this thing inside me just grew and grew, to the point where i feel like i could barely stand it. Her music was causing my heart to stir so intently that i almost couldn’t listen at times because i was so distracted by the thoughts floating around in my head. Lately, i feel like i’ve tried to be too formulaic in my song writing. I’ve been too focused on questions like, “is this singable for most people?” or “could this song apply to almost anyone?”, that i’ve forgotten how my heart just longs to pour over pages. I try to sit here and allow it to flow, but i find that i have to reteach myself to just write. To just express. To just feel. I pray that i can allow His spirit to just overflow through mine and remind me what it is like to just let my heart speak.

Creativity is an incredible gift that i don’t praise God for enough. He is creativity. He is that color of that leaf that you can’t quite explain with words. He’s that back-beat in a song that just moves your very core. He’s that perfect sunset that you could imagine if you took the rest of your life. Our God is the most amazing painter, the most unique musician, the most poetic writer ever. With that said, the fact that he is “The Author of Our Faith” breathes new life into what i can see my story becoming. What does that mean about your story?

Music Suggestion of the Day:

Brooke Fraser – Albertine: I mean, i can’t say much more. You can feel her sing these songs. The music behind her is amazing. Its a great pop record that allows us a glimpse of what a life chasing after God looks like. Enjoy.