The Plunge

This weekend I am in Dixon, TN for FBCSmyrna’s middle school retreat The Plunge. We are having a killer time up here. I will make sure I post some pictures of the set we created largely with pipe and drape, black staging, trussing, and LED lights. It looks great in here. David McCaman and the Plungers are rockin’, Michael Bayne is bringin’ the heat, and I am producing with Crutch. I have discovered running lyrics is freakin’ tough. As a result of this weekend I am so much more grateful for the people that serve and do it when I lead. Even though it’s tough I have enjoyed the view from the back of the room. It’s incredibly inspiring to sit back in the booth and watch middle school students and leaders worshipping our Lord. God is moving here and its awesome to be right smack dab in the middle of it.

Recently…

… I have been doing things. Some of them are:

-going throught the updated version of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It’s amazingly insightful and challenging.

-doing the dishes more.

-rockin’ a new doo.

wait, there’s more…

that’s a mullet. the new doo has been nicknamed the Euro Mull-hawk. Thanks Micah Huebner.

-writing some great tunes with Micah through email and Twitter direct messages.

-listening to Hillsong London’s album “Hail to the King.” Freakin’ good.

-watching some DSLR cameras on eBay. Should be getting one soon. Can’t wait!

-riding with no music in my car so as to try to write new tons of new tunes.

-thinking and praying about transferring to Belmont University.

-and NOT blogging.

Currently working on that last one. Cheers.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Any Dr. Seuss fans out there? This is by far my favorite Seuss book. Yes, more awesome than Cat in the Hat. Yes, more awesome than Green Eggs and Ham. I had a teacher in at Carter High School in Knoxville, TN named Mr. Uselton aka US the BUS aka THE GREATEST TEACHER ALIVE. He taught Chemistry and was so awesome that I took Chemistry I and II (I know, right?). I had his class on Dr. Seuss Day two years in a row. He sat on top of his desk, slammed a huge Dr. Seuss hat, and read the entire book to us. I know it’s long, but it’s AWESOME. Enjoy.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations! Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’ t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Best Sesame Street Episode EVER

What Are You Playing Tonight?

The band and I are leading at Direct Connect and Crave at FBCSmyrna tonight. Our set list is:

Happy Day – Tim Hughes

Love Came Down – Ben Canteleon

Came To My Rescue – United

From the Inside Out – United

Anyone else leading worship at a midweek service tonight?

What are you playing?

The Integrity Conference

…was RIDICULOUS.

I mean I was bummed when I heard Lincoln wasn’t going to be there, but that was me being super selfish.

I will post in the next day or two a few things I took away from the conference.

PhotoBlog: This Evening

My roomate and a couple of friends were studying for an Aerospace something or other they have tomorrow morning so the downstairs was on lockdown tonight. I was getting a little cabin fever upstairs in my room so I decided to get out of the house for a bit. Here is the extent of my evening from about 8PM-10PM via pictures.

Yes. That says Jolly. Perfectly describes Brandon’s face here.

Lasagna was for dinner. Really good.

Home security device.

My baby. Gibson SJ-150. Les Paul Studio in the case. It would suffice to say I am a Gibson man.

Greg (pronounced Jee-Reg).

Val-town.

C-Payne.

This is dangerous by the way.

Home sweet home.

Well there you go. I wrote a new song while I was at Starbucks that I am really excited about using at FBCSmyrna. I drank two cups of Pike Place Roast. It was good to have some ME time.

What have you done recently for some ME time?

Praying For Parking Spots

I did it everyday last week. On the way to MTSU’s campus I would say a short request something like “Lord, I am running late. If I going to make it to class on time I am going to need you to come through for me.”

HE DID.

Five times last week. Twice on Thursday. By the second time on Thursday I just started laughing uncontrollably and was overcome with joy that I am in a relationship with a LIVING God that hears everything I pray. Knows every need. Even the seemingly insignificant ones.

It was a cool reminder.

I really don’t think I was doing it to test the Lord. I was just basking in the awesomeness of answered prayer.

I want to feel that everyday.

Thank You, Jesus.

PEOPLE

I completely forgot to post an answer to the “Where Am I?” post.

I was in the KUC on campus at MTSU.

There are a TON of people everywhere on campus and EVERYONE is different. I love it.

Since I work at a church I get to be around awesome people chasing after the heart of God all the time. Don’t get it twisted I LOVE that. They stretch me and challenge me constantly.

But there is just something I love about walking around campus (and being at my other job at Starbucks) and seeing people on the complete opposite side of the spectrum than me. I get tired of hanging out with Christians all the time.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I cherish the times I  talk with my Christians brothers and sisters about how awesome our Saviour is or just fleshing out things going on in our walks with the Lord. BUT there is just something different when I talk to my neighbors (Drew and Garrett) about football or carry permits for handguns or their party stories until 3AM while they smoke and cuss and drink BR (beer).

Most of the time we just talk about junk that doesn’t matter at all and just laugh. I LOVE IT.

I have peaked their interest in the church, and they are excited about coming to check out a place where “a guy like me can work.” I guess it’s the tattoos.

I am praying that I could be a light to these guys (and their GFs Sarah and Becca) and that their interest would be sparked and that they would long to know the God that SO loves them.

Jesus, shine on me so I can shine Your light to my neighbors. Amen.

World’s Youngest Preacher

I am about to roll out the door to History 2010, and I run across this. It is going to be a great day. My chest is sore from laughing.