This past weekend has been phenomenal! We all arrived and turned the small sanctuary into a…well religious rock venue.  With platforms and lights, the only thing missing was a smoke machine and disco ball. Now that would have been a sight.  I was not sure what to expect with the worship that night since they aren’t into singing.  We were all amazed as by the second and third song 40 of them were singing over the music, which was pretty loud.  I gave a short little message and by the end of the night all 40 or so of them were spread out around the sanctuary on their faces crying out to God.  The walls were coming down, it was breath taking.

Saturday we started with some songs at the church and then went off into the mountains to do some high ropes courses, rock climbing, etc.  There’s nothing quite like climbing and walking across a telephone pole and jumping off a 40 foot tower on a zipline.  Through all of the activities on saturday God was unifying the group, and allowing me the blessing to get into their lives and knowing them.  These are kids who were really young when I was involved in the youth.  So I’m thankful for the opportunity to be used by God this past weekend.  That night about 50 youth from a church in Lincolnton, NC came up.  I stayed at the church til 11:45pm last night helping them set up the stage and run sound for the service the next morning.  Through that time I was able to build a relationship with their youth minister and he has invited me to go to Thailand with him in may.  I’m not sure about the costs and everything but that was a really neat gesture on his part.  Their youth group was amazing…but I won’t go all into details.

So after two amazing services this morning I’m sitting here on my sister’s computer with my amazing dog in my lap, sleeping.  I’m going to be heading out rather soon.  Destination: not telling .  It’s not Eddie’s Attic though…that’s all changed up…Oh, and my cell phone is dead. so I’m not going to be able to answer your calls for the time being.  So that’s the update for day 3. 250 miles logged, 7 hours total fo sleep since Thursday night, and one amazing God. Rock on! 

2:15pm –   I’m currently sitting in the middle of the van with my leg propped up on the arm rest in front of me.  We’re coming up on Siler City, NC which thus far appears to be consumed with cow pastures.  I’ve just spent the weekend working with a youth group near Raleigh.  It has been a weekend full of worship and challenging messages to the youth.  The more that I pour out into this generation the more my heart burdens for them.  On most Thursday nights I work with youth in Charlotte.  These kids are just starving for love and for truth.  They have experimented around with other religions, cults, and drugs.  They come, some smelling like smoke, some who have not even heard that Jesus loves them.  It is amazing to sit and watch their reactions as they hear simple gospel truths that we take for granted.  This past week we had ten give and commit their life to Christ.  How amazing it is to see God chip away at their lives and make them into the new creation for which He has promised.

                This weekend I will be speaking and leading worship at my home church.  I have such a huge burden for the youth there.  They have fallen away so far from the very truths that have and are being taught to them.  I’ve been praying about this for sometime and God has allowed me the opportunity to bring the full band up and minister to them in a new way.  The messages have been hammered into my heart and I feel that this weekend is going to be a renewal for them.  Church, join me in prayer for this weekend. 

                After this weekend I will be hitting the road.  I’ve talked with some of you how I was probably going to cancel the tour due to finances.  God has provided me more than enough money to pay for tuition and enough to hit the road for a week.  How amazing.  I only wish I could carry the full band out, or even just Matt. 

                Final thought.  It’s a narrow path.  I can’t afford to be distracted.  It’s worth it. It’s obtainable.  Long for it.  Fight for it.  Die for it. 

I watched a dvd today on the life of Keith Green.  If there is anyone that I feel that I can relate with right now, it would be him.  Hearing his friends comment about the rollercoaster ride of emotions, his boldness to be radical and do things soley for Jesus.  His quest to find truth even in opposition to mainstream Christians.  His desire to perform, his free natured spirit.  He wanted to be a star since he was young and it wasn’t until he gave everything over to Jesus and His glory that God raised him into a spotlight status. Then he dies a tragic death. I am nowhere near perfect and I don’t claim to be. You can ask anyone who knows me about how vulernable I am to get in emotional whirlwinds — but it all comes back to Jesus….eventually.  I see myself going full circle to where I was a few years ago….to the place where my only concern was being a servant.  That is where I come alive. That is where God and I walk together, hand in hand. 

The gospel is worth more than my friends, worth more than my emotional stability (or lack thereof )…it is the very core of what we were created for.  I  desire that spirit, that willingness to bring people off the streets into my home, to give away my music for free…you can’t sell the gospel.  The Christian market is so fucked up.  I would love to see Jesus come into the bookstores, and into our churches, our concerts and overturn the merchandise.  What in the world are we thinking?  How can we let this go on?  How can He choose to love us when we are making money off of His name? 

God, forgive me.  forgive us.  forgive them. 
some of you are probably more shocked by the fact i dropped the f bomb than the fact we are not living the gospel message. I know I’m not. Keith, i miss you.

“Make my life a prayer to You
I wanna do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise

I wanna shine the light You gave
Thru Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You’re really there

Chorus
Well I wanna thank You now
For being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust
And just believe what You say
Oh you’re coming again
Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let You give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave me
The love that set me free

I wanna tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairy tale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son and You’ve risen from the dead

Chorus

I wanna die and let You give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave me
The love that set me free”
      — Keith Green, Make My Life A Prayer

can anyone tell me why i agreed to play at a wedding on valentines weekend?
my heart is not in this at all, which is being reflected in the lack of confidence/ability to sing the song. (sorry erin).  the things we do for friends.

i slept all day.  which to the astonishment of everyone, results in me being nocturnal. thanks to everyone who came out to the show last night.  a lot of people left at 9 due to the unc-duke game.  my friend gary was down from iowa for the wedding, so he came and took  some photos…so that was cool of him.

spring tour may be changing up now.  nathan and i have been conversing and it may be that we put off a big southeast tour till aug/sept.  If so, this will mean I may stick to the original plan and stay out two weeks for spring break and hit some of the midwestern states (ohio, michigan, indiana, illinois, iowa, any more?) .

I also have some possible news for those out west.  If everything works out I will be flying out to Oklahoma.  From there a friend of mine and I will drive across the country to Los Angeles, California.  We haven’t got the dates worked out or anything, or the route. So if you guys have any suggestions of places to stop through and play shows, or if you have any contacts – let us know.  We see this as more of a “trusting God” trip than a making money-fame trip.  Alright, I’ve typed enough… leave your input.  cheers.

“And down the brown brick spine of some dirty blind alley
All those drain pipes are drippin’ out the last Sons Of Thunder
While off in the distance the smoke stacks
Were belching back this city’s best answer “   — Rich Mullins

Tonight I miss Rich.  He has always been my hero, my mentor…even though I’ve never really known him personally…I feel like we could identify with each other quite well.  What a beautiful image this is of God’s grace raining down upon our wretched lifes. The very best that we can give back to God will never look good in His eyes….yet it still rains.  It excites me as well to see others on campus begin to embrace his music. man, i’m getting teary-eyed.  cheers

and i had to update this…i won’t be online for the next week. erin and i have made a deal that we would both stay off the computer for this week.  so no posting for me.  also — i’m working on getting eric peters here on Wednesday the 9th.  I’m going down to Columbia to see Eric and Derek webb on tuesday the 8th.  if you want to go, give me a call.

just a quick announcement for you guys.  This Wednesday night I will be playing at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte.  Admission is $5.   8:00pm

Next Monday, February 7th you can catch me on 88.3 WGWG, “Carolina Drive” featuring moi.  You can listen online at www.wgwg.org
It’s scheduled to start at 9pm EST, and will reair on Friday the 11th at 5pm. 

Alright.  that’s all for now.  Cheers!