This past week Jeremy (by the way you should be reading his blog, it is good stuff) asked me to play percussion on Saturday night since he could find an available drummer for the service. Obviously, I agreed (or I would not be writing this) and went to practice with the team Thursday night. Practice went well, had a few sound issues but it gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the songs and how we were going to play them. Since the team was playing with a drummer (who is pretty darn incredible) on Sunday, that was how they practiced I just sort of did my own thing. On Saturday we got together to practice without the drummer and I was a little nervous. The team had keys, bass, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, and three vocalists. That is a lot to carry with just a percussionist. After the practice I was feeling a little better. As the service began I decided to leave it in God’s hands, he could do with it as he pleased. As always that turned out to be the best decision I could have made. In my opinion the set was not lacking anything because there was not a drummer. God took care of some things. So here is the set:
Hosanna - Paul Baloche and Brenton Brown
At The Cross - Daniel Renstrom
I Am Free - Jon Egan
Our Great God - Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell
You Never Let Go - Beth Redman and Matt Redman
Wonderful Maker - Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin
My wife is really awesome and gave me the new Dave Matthews Band record on vinyl. It would be even more awesome if I could have found my record player in storage. You see our room was just too small to even think about having my record player out. Then we changed rooms and I have the perfect spot for it, but I could not find it in our storage unit. I am pretty sure it is in the far back corner, which would require me to take everything out in order to get to it. This is where my faithful subjects readers come in. I know hope that one of you purchased this album and would be willing to somehow send me a copy. I know what your thinking, “Illegal, Illegal.” I assure you it is not. That picture is my copy. I just can’t listen to it. So please help me out. I just want to hear some good music.
updated: Because I have awesome friends, I can now listen to the new Dave Matthews band record. Thanks!!
If you are wondering what is going on, Colette my wife, challenged me to grow out my beard until she can put it in ponytails. Being the sucker that I am, I agreed. Since I started people are a little confused since it is the middle of summer and crazy hot, and I have to agree. But it is too late to turn back now. Plus by the time winter comes around I will be the envy of every guy just starting their winter beard. So here is week 2, I am not sure you can see the progress though I am sure that jumping more than one week at a time we will see the progress. Happy Sunday.
I’ve been trying to figure out exactly how to say this for a couple of days, but since I am not a speaker of any kind I have found nothing. So here it goes, in short and too the point fashion.
For whatever reason the creator of the universe, he who has the power and the authority over his creation, has decided that his creation can control what he does. Sounds crazy when put like that, but it is simply called prayer. We take prayer for granted so much that we forget how much power it actually has. Now I don’t think prayer is some sort of magic potion, but I know there have been times in my life when I fought and struggled to find a solution, when I finally broke down and prayed the solution presented itself hours later. Prayers have cast out demons, healed the body, changed the hearts of people. It amazes me that sometimes God wants to do something, but is waiting for us to say the words.
This is why we purchased a video camera: to capture video that we can watch over and over while the rest of the world is bored. This is why I have my own blog: to post boring videos and to talk about things nobody really cares about but me. This is Bella Ruth doing her favorite thing: playing with Gizmo.
The last few weeks it has been hot. Too hot. Meaning our bedroom is also too hot for sleeping. The good news is there is a simple fix called a fan. You may have heard of them. Last night we finally got the fan out of the shed, cleaned it off and felt how much cooler the room was. The problem with this? Fans really bother my eyes when I am trying to fall asleep. Even on the lowest setting, my eyes itch, water, and finally start to burn. This is probably because more times than not I sleep with my eyes open. Not all the way open, just a small slit. Still very creepy, I know. But, in all of my infinite wisdom I realized I just need one of those eye cover things that rich snobby people wear in the movies. (I am sure not all who where them are rich and snobby, but in the movies they are and movies don’t lie so maybe I am wrong?) I mentioned this is Colette and lo and behold she has one that she can even find in the darkness of our room. I put it on and tasted true bliss. A cool room, the breeze from a fan and eyes that could stay open and not burn. This little work of genius will also help me look more beautiful. It has stuff that takes the puffiness out from around my eyes. I am sure to look years younger.
Once again, I was on the worship team for Bridgeway Christian Church. This weekend went really well. For whatever reason I felt like I played really well. Found my spots and didn’t interfere with the rest of the rhythm section. Oh, I guess I should mention that I was playing percussion. The set itself also seemed to be a good one. The worship team were talking about it at practice and we had several people mention they really enjoyed the set as well. So without further ado, here is the set.
Sing to the King - Billy Foote and Charles Silvester Horne
How Can I Keep From Singing - Ed Cash, Matt Redman, and Chris Tomlin
Christ The Solid Rock - William Batchelder Bradbury and Edward Mote
Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle
Only You - David Crowder, Mike Dodson, Mike Hogan, and Jason Solley
Marvelous Light - Charlie Hall
And because it made me feel good about my playing, since sometimes I feel less then satisfactory about my playing, I had a couple people mention that they enjoy my playing. That will always make you feel good.
On a spiritual level we also had a person mention that God was clearly at work during worship, helping them through some issues. This part being more important than all of the others. God working through what you are doing is simply amazing. Like I said, it was a good weekend.
Oddly enough my stats are up today, perhaps people wait until today to read my blog. It is not good enough for busy work days. Or it has something to do with the inconsistency of my posting.
Slightly annoyed at the saw right next to my bedroom window while Bella is trying to nap and the unwillingness to move the saw.
I slept wrong last night and I am sore all over.
Worship team went great, a good set and good musicians.
Colette and I watched an episode of 16 and Pregnant today. They 16 years old were mature to realize that they were not capable of raising a baby and that their baby deserved a better life. Their parents, however, thought they “were not manning up” and “dodging their responsibility.” I don’t understand their parents.
It was 108 degrees today. It is still 106 degrees outside at 5:30. I am tired of the heat. I don’t know how to make that little circle for the degrees symbol. I should learn how, then I could impress you all with my special talent… … … … ° see you now think I am cool. °°
This lady on Bridezillas just inspected her bridesmaid to make sure they looked good. Amazing they are still friends.
This might make me a bit obsessive compulsive, but I like to think that it makes me awesome. For most of Friday, at least every possible moment, I was searching online for CD artwork. After putting a large portion of my music into itunes I realized I was missing a lot of the artwork. That drives me crazy. It always has. It is also a lot of work to correct this problem, work that I never felt like I had the energy to do until now. Like I said I spent a lot of time on Friday to do this and I am almost done. (There are some albums that are just really old and never released on a label so they are a little hard to find). I am pretty excited about the completion of this task. I sit there with itunes open not even listening to music, just flipping around the album covers, basking in all of its glory.
Really I have no point in telling you all of this, but by the end of the day this is what my desktop looked like and I thought it was cool.
