Summer Sensations

This Sunday was my last one at Twin Cities for a while. I'll be leading worship at a church in Vacaville called Covenant Community for the next couple of months. The plan is to drive down on Sunday, lead worship with their group and then practice for the next week after services. Although I'm not looking forward to being away from my family (immediate and church) on Sundays this has been orchestrated by God and is a blessing all the way around. Not only will I be leading worship (which I love to do) and getting paid for it but I'll also be building a team that will be more equipped with an understanding of worship. It's so great to see God working in ways that benefit so many at the same time.

My prayer is that everyone at CC in Vacaville, my family and even Twin Cities would be blessed by this endeavor and I feel very confident it will be a stretching experience for us all. This is only for a season and when I come back I'll be back in the saddle and ready to ride! I'm finding more and more that ventures that benefit more than yourself are far more fulfilling in accomplishing the greater good of others. My goal is to focus on finding the needs of others and meeting those needs as a humble servant of the Lord.

Making the big move

We're preparing to move to another house across town this week. With the way the real estate market has gone this is really the best option for us right now. It's actually a good thing since we found a larger house with more property and for less each month! Saturday is the big day when all the furniture gets moved so we're moving boxes over a little at a time until then.

Moving is never fun but it is nice to have a change once in a while. I enjoy new things and breaking out of the old mold occasionally. I'm really excited because this new house has more room for playing music and recording. The house I'm in only has a garage and it gets pretty cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Now I'll be inside all year round with complete climate control........ahhhhh creature comforts. I'll try to post some photos when I get a chance.

Living Beyond Yourself

I often wonder why so many people seem to be content with where they are right now. I don't mean that they're happy, lots of individuals feel unhappy most of the time. I mean that even though we all have dreams and passions that start at an early age very few seem to be able to make those dreams come true. It used to seem that those people were special somehow, gifted with abilities that others just don't possess. Lately I started realizing that it has more to do with our decisions and our attitude than any gifts or abilities we think we might have.

Each of us were created in the image of God with all His creative imagination inside of us. The world uses this imagination to deceive people and manipulate the minds of those who don't know the truth. Even religion can be deceptive and used as a way to control people's thoughts and actions. John 8:32 says "And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free". When we understand the truth of what's inside us all we can start to tap into the imagination of the creator of the universe and truly see our dreams come true. The key is understanding why we've been given such a gift.

Our gifts are not given to us for ourselves but are to be used to help our brothers and sisters in their need. If we all really used our abilities to help each other then the world would know the love of Christ through our actions and not just a sermon from the pulpit. Instead of bigger churches maybe we need more housing for the homeless. How about giving up your St@rbuck$ for a month and donating it to starving children. Maybe all of our resources in America should be used to help people in real ways that genuinely make a difference. When was the last time you helped someone when it wasn't convenient? Why does our culture center itself around convenience when all that brings is dissatisfaction?

I'm making a choice to live beyond myself. I don't expect to be perfect just less selfish and more centered on the needs of others. What I've been given is not for my own gain but for the world to benefit from. Nothing is going to change my dream and passion, to shed light in the darkness, to love the unlovely, to comfort the hurting and provide for those in need. It's not easy when you're surrounded by mediocrity and compromise. I challenge you to do the same. It really is worth it and the rewards are out of this world......

Tech For Country Folk

This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. Almost reminds me of some clients I work with :P I know we all can't be tech savvy so here's to those who refuse to enter the 21st century.

Teaching Guitar

It's been great being able to teach guitar part time for the last few weeks at Auburn Music Center. I knew this year was going to bring some changes and so far they're not looking like really bad changes. Teaching has always been a passion of mine and mixed with music works out quite well. Besides it stretches me to learn more myself especially in the area of theory and sight reading. The best part is being able to pour into others and see them make progress. I'm looking forward to building up my student base and see what happens next. Right now I'll just take it one day at a time.