I just saw IMOGEN HEAP in concert last night...................................................That about wraps up all the words I can find to tell how amazing it was.  Lets just say I couldnt even really sing along cause I was so in awe of the wonderous music playing in my ear! 

Oh what a dream it would be to just have 10 minutes of her time to talk to her about her songwriting!!

Marriage

IN THREE DAYS I WILL BE MARRIED!

I really cant believe it.  I am very excited to live my life with someone so amazing.  Ive never experienced love in this way and yes I do recommend it.  We have our apt ready and waiting for when we return which is also something I am looking forward to!  I am very thankful for the blessings that God has bestowed on Ann and I.

Life as we know it is changing for the better...

Addiction

Sacrifice

 These are just two words that have been going through my mind the last week.  Like I said in my other entry I just got back from a Leadership Summit I went to all last weekend.  What an honor to be asked by your church to attend this meeting because they believe you are a true leader in the church!  However, this is where life must change.  Jim Collins, Andy Stanley, Bono, Wayne Cordiero, Asish Nanda, Bill Hybels, and other great speakers keep flushing into my ear like a wave of inspiration!  I can be God's leader, No... I CHOOSE to be God's leader.  This is where sacrifice comes in.  I have looked at my life and I am unhappy with parts of it. 

Yes I am addicted, the first step.  Especially now that its been a week without it, my addrenaline is taking over and the pain has started.  Never did I think I would be in a position to fight adiction.  No its not drugs or anything harmful I wont say what it is but I feel I can honor God better without it in my life.  Another point of view is how can I be on stage leading God's people and people who dont know God closer to him when I am at a stand still and not moving?  I can't.  I have to participate as well.  I am nothing without God and he has blessed me so much.  I think its time to take some pain and actually be able to call myself a Christian.  Did I really think life was gonna be easy?  I think I have finally opened my eyes for the first time. 

From this I know I will be a better leader and I will honor Ann as well.  To see her happy and to hear that she is proud of me energizes me.  However, I cant do this alone.  If you have taken the time to read this please do one more thing for me.  Pray for me and this battle.  I know theres no way I can do it alone.  God deserves much better from me.  There is nothing I want more than to be the best person I can be. 

I want to be more like God.

Bono and God

Alright I know it takes me years to update this thing but that's what happens when your planning a wedding, working two jobs, in charge of putting together and maintaining a youth band at your church, doing the regular worship at church, playing in a band, helping others in 2 other bands, socializing, and still spending time with the fiance so I don't get in trouble.  Anyways I took off work the entire second half of this week to go to a Leadership Conference held at Willow Creek.  My church couldn't afford to fly 32 people to the conference so we are watching it in VA at a church where its shipped to us via satellite.  Anyways some amazing people have shared incredible information that has really touched me in a business and spiritual way.  I really believe that if I start to practice this info that I can be a great leader. 

Well to get to the juicy stuff.  Yesterday they had an interview with Bill Hybels and Bono (for those of you who live in a hole he's the singer of U2).  Now there's always been rumors that they sang of a Christian message but no one could place it as a fact.  Well I am here today to say YES it is a fact.  This man is freaking unbelievable!  Who in history has ever been this famous and as humble as he is?  "If this is the way that the world is, then we must overthrow it", "Celebrity is just a currency and instead of keeping it, I choose to cash it in and do what I can".  Those are just some of what he had said.  He did talk about the rock star life but his main objective was to talk about the AIDS dilemma and how we as Christians have failed to step up.  How we need to use our assets better cause Aids and "stupid poverty" are fixable problems that are neglected by the world.  It's been a long time since I have seen such pure passion about anything, but Bono really has a true passion for the poor and feels that he has been given a gift from God to help these people.  It was so inspiring!  To see someone of that stature and what they are doing with their life instead of just being an ordinary celebrity.  I am truly in awe shock of Bono.  My respect for him has unimaginatively soared.

Finally an update

Ive noticed as well as you probably that I am really bad at updating this thing ever since I left college.  Anyways life is going quite increadible I must say!  I have a couple jobs going right now one that pays a lot better than the other, but none the less I enjoy both.  Last night I just recorded a new song I wrote with a friend.  Made history cause it was the first song recorded in my new studio!  Yea thats right I have my own studio and its freaking amazing!  Im gettng to do a lot of playing as well at church and various places.  Someone hit me with a smack a week ago and asked me to not play for 6 weeks to go through a bible study thats pretty important.  However my fiance and I talked it through and said we can just go through it ourselves cause the praise team leader said for the next few weeks she needs me.  I love those words, that im needed.  I sometimes have to hear them.  Anyways back on track, the next few weeks I get to play the grand piano, lead worship, play backup synth/keys, and play bass!  How much more amazing can it get?  yea i didnt think it could haha.  The church im going to is so amazing.  If they offered me a job i would snatch it up that day and quit my other ones.  The pastor is amazing and the people are just increadible.  Ann and I are both so involved now and growing like crazy.  I love to watch her learn and grow, there is nothing that could make me happier.

Anyways we set a day!!  Woohoo.  October 13, 2007.   Yea it may be a long way off, but at least were not rushing into things.  Were not making stupid decisions and we are getting to know each other before we get married.  We have plenty of time to plan and do marriage counseling and just learn about each other every day.  Truthfully I fall more in love with her every single day.  Shes the most amazing person that has ever come in to my life.  God has truely blessed me.  As for the wedding we are planning to get married on the beach during sunrise.  That way when we have our reception we will be having breakfast food (which Ann is a breakfast food fiend).  I just thought that was cool cause its so different.  Also were gona have the main song for our wedding be a Postal Service song!!  Oh man they're so good.  So mark your calendars and prepare for an amazingly awesome wedding!  Woohoo