And the Series Continues

So...no more Mozart. Haha! This is just hilarious. We have had the worst luck with pets ever since we've tried to have one. They all turn out to be either crazy, undisciplined, or just plain stupid. I thought we were done after we gave Mozart (a $300 dog!!!!!!!) away to someone ignorant enough to take him. But I get a call from my wife not too long ago asking me if we could have another cat. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth...Behold. Her name is Wednesday....and....I don't know what else to say. She seems sweet, well behaved. She's a cat so she's clean, goes in the litter box every time. But I'm not getting attached to this animal. She was free, which is good. Rescued by a humane society, so that leaves plenty of crazy room in her brain, but so far she's doing very well. We'll see.

A New New Addition

So...no more gunner. He was getting a little too aggressive in the house. Literally attacking us every 5 minutes. So we put him outside to be an outdoor cat...Needless to say, he hasn't come back. Oh well. Our new addition is a little guy about 6 pounds. He is a pure bred miniature doberman pincher and we named him Mozart. He's a mess. He's got a sweet heart though. Hes' just now starting to learn how to go number 2 on the puppy pad...he's had number 1 down for a while. He's still in the puppy stages, but he's growing fast. He'll probably get to be about 10 pounds and pretty tall and lean. Looking forward to not having to throw him out as well.

New Addition

To make it public, Kim and I have a new addition to our household. His name is Gunner. We've had him for about 2 1/2 weeks now, and he's a mess. I picked him up on the way home from work after stopping by the farmer supply store to pick up some things. He was sitting in the corner of a cage that was on the ground next to the door. Above the cage, a sign read, "FREE KITTENS!", and I could not stop myself. I'm normally not a cat person...at all. I think they're prissy, selfish, "I'll poop in your shoes if you don't buy me the kind of food I want" kind of creatures. But Gunner has grown to be a pleasure to have in the house. He's black with gray stripes, has green eyes, and all he wants to do is play! Kim and I look like we've been run through briers! He's getting bigger and stronger now, so we have to tell him to stop most of the time now. But even regarding my past with cats, I can say that I wouldn't mind having him around for a few more years.

Acappella is currently in the process of recording the new album! I'm actually waiting for my turn to record as I write this. But Keith has done a great job with writing the songs and portraying the word of God with music. I can say that it's going to be one of my favorite albums this company has produced. It should be ready before the summer ends. Keep us in your prayers!

Latest News!

Again, I appologize for the lack of any kind of post over the last few...months. Things have been pretty busy in the Acappella Company. Thank all of you for your support in my transition to this ministry. God is really blessing and working in all of our lives and we have a blast doing it! So, down to business. As some of you already know, over two weeks ago, I took my boss and his wife, Keith and Sharon Lancaster, out to dinner to ask for their daughter's, Kim, hand in marriage (yikes!). Needless to say, the night went great. After enjoying a rosemary infused olive oil marinated New York strip, this wonderful couple granted me permission to ask Kim to marry me. That very same night, in her own studio, I got down on one knee and popped the question (with the ring in hand, of course). I've never been so happy in my entire life, and I thank God for this wonderful woman that He has given me, and for the prayers that have gone up on our behalf. I'm looking forward to our future marriage, and furthur getting to know my future in-laws. To those who I will be seeing soon; May God bless you and keep you under His wing of protection and grace so that you may fully experience the love, joy, and freedom we all share in His son, Jesus Christ.

Ecuador Journal

We’re a little over the halfway mark into our Northwest tour, and we’re staying in Portland, Oregon for the next couple of days. The Lord is really blessing the tour.

For the tour, I packed a few different books to read and work through. My bible, a devotional book, Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, and the Field Manual partnered with it. But in a last minute decision, I decided to grab my journal from the Compassion trip to Ecuador. Whenever Acappella performs, we bring Compassion International materials to further help with getting children sponsored through that organization. But ever since we got back from Ecuador, we’ve found a new passion for this sponsorship program. We’ve seen first-hand what Compassion does in the lives of children, not only in Ecuador, but around the world. Zac George speaks with fire in his voice during our concert about how important a small $32 a month is to save a life. As for me, I wanted to share the journal entries I recorded while on the trip.

Some quick background information: The journal is actually an itinerary that has a section set aside for journaling. There were guide questions that were suggested for first timers that have never seen a third-world country before. I’ve been to St. Vincent (the island), and Honduras for a few years. I had already seen and worked in the conditions. And the Lord was leading me away from the guide they had set for us.

“Well, it’s already Monday April 24th and I’ve just had breakfast. The coffee is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!!!! I’m already on my second cup! As I journal, I won’t be answering any particular questions that have been asked in this section of the booklet. I don’t want to be limited, and I feel that God is already speaking to me outside of the given questions above. Speak to me, O God. I want to hear you.”

“Monday, April 24th

Breakfast:

One of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had! I’ve finished up my first plate and opened up my Bible. I love to randomly turn to a page and start reading blind, and see what word of God comes. Today, however, I had a little help. My bookmark ribbon thingy was placed inside. When I opened to the mark, my eyes fell on Luke 14:25, “The Cost of Being a Disciple.” I’ve always been a guy that doesn’t need much to get by, but lately, God has really blessed me with scholarships, great friends, and plenty of learning opportunities. But when the Lord led me to Acappella, He asked me to drop all of that. Now I live in a house with 3 other guys that I’m still trying to get to know, an air mattress is the only furniture I have, and whenever I eat at home, it’s a balanced diet of hot pockets, chili, or pancakes. Quite a change. But I tell you what, I’ve never been so happy. It’s a small price to pay to follow Jesus. Now, God has led me to Ecuador, and it is here that He expects me to be an example. So Lord, help my broken Spanish, help my bowels, and help me be the man you want me to be this week.

Before Dinner:

Every time I leave the country, I always find one thing: The essence of people is the same around the world. Of course language and cultural barriers are there, but joy, love, sadness, trust, anger, nervousness, and all the other emotions are always present. Today while talking to (or attempting) people of all ages, most of their words were unfamiliar to me. But their smiles, laughs, facial expressions, and gestures were clear. I almost don’t hear the language anymore. I try to listen for words I’ve learned, or phrases I can understand, but mostly, I watch and read beneath their words. And God always provides a way for us to communicate.”

“Tuesday, April 25th

After lunch:

A new day filled with new adventures and opportunities, like I knew it would be. Today, I ate breakfast with Point of Grace, a group I grew up listening to. In my music career, I’ve met artists “bigger” than me, and I’ve almost always become star-struck. Today, (or this entire week) however, has been different. I am no longer awed at the talent before me, but rather awed at the God at work within them. There are several artists here. Independent, and groups, and they all are here with me in Ecuador doing the will of God. Their talent and love for music is one of the reasons they are here, but their faith in Jesus is the greatest reason. God has called us to be here; to explore his creation, to transcend language and cultural boundaries, and to minister to all the little children of the world.”

“Wednesday, April 26th

Before Dinner:

I was reminded of a story told to me by one of the Compassion staff. He was in India and the pastor of the local church had planned to give a 2 hour lecture on the history of that church. “He had blueprints, and notes, and everything,” he said. The Compassion workers expressed that they wanted to play with the children. “But you can’t even speak the language!” the man said. The staff looked at the man and said, “We speak kid.”

Today, we visited a project where another native language was primarily spoken. So therefore, verbally communicating was out of the question. But when one of the kids grabbed my arm, I slung him up in the air, turned full circle, and set him where he started. After a look of startlement, or even fear, a HUGE smile glowed. I was immediately turned into a jungle gym. At first, it was this little boy only, but other kids quickly spotted the action. 2, 3,4, and sometimes 5 kids were on my arms at one time. We resembled the big swings at Six Flags. Patty cake, jump rope, magic tricks, and tickle fights were also involved. And I was again reminded of how the human spirit is the same around the world.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When He had placed His hands on them, He went from there.”

Matthew 19:14”

Ecuador touched me. And I hope that you will take the opportunity, if given to you, to leave your world, and dive into another, and let yourself be used for a greater purpose than paying bills or keeping up with your favorite football team. This world needs Jesus. Not just America, but the entire world. Do everything you can to see that they meet Him. Give to your missionary fund if your church has one. Plan a mission trip to Honduras, or group up with other churches that are already going. Become missionaries. Move to Africa if the Lord is calling you. There is a cost of being a disciple, and you can’t be a disciple without paying it. But it is better for a man to forfeit the world and keep his soul than it is for a man to gain the world and lose his faith. God knows no earthly boundaries. So if He’s calling you, step over those imaginary lines and let the Lord use you to expand His kingdom.

Comin' Home

I apologize for the long-time-no-post. Been kinda...busy...with...things. Acappella is getting ready to embark on a northwest tour that will last about 3 weeks. Therefore, I took a little trip back home. After a "Marathon Monday" rehearsal (as we've been calling it), Kim Lancaster (my girlfriend!) and I hit the road to stay in Birmingham for a couple of days. Those of you who live away from you're hometown know what it's like to come home. You feel more comfortable with your surroundings because you grew up around them. You associate particular sights and sounds with memories from your high school or college days. You can't help but tell stories about, "One time my buddies and I..." you fill in the blank. You finally get to eat the foods you grew up eating (sweet tea and chocolate cake always tastes better when your mother makes it, right?). It's a good feeling to step back into the world from which you came. One of the times I feel most comfortable is when I'm out on the offroad trails, parked on a bluff, sitting on top of my truck looking down at my stomping grounds. I know every hill, rock, and tree. I know what mud holes are safe to drive through, and others that would swallow a Hummer. I know where the river runs and all the good camping spots. I know the best places to cast a line and how to get to the closest Waffle House! There is nothing like coming home. We are familiar with it, therefore we gravitate towards it. Perhaps that's why we have an issue with control. We make plans for ourselves so we know what to expect. We're gonna go to that college, major in this area, graduate in this year, find a job working for that company, have this many kids, and so on. As I've posted before, we have to learn to become vulnerable to the plans God has for us, because His are ultimately best. And God knows what it's like to step into unfamiliar territory. Jesus was sent to embrace the worldly flesh of man; to endure illness, hunger, thirst, cuts, scrapes, bruises, beatings, torture, and ultimately death. Take the scene in the Garden for example. Jesus pleaded with His Father to let there be another way. Jesus didn't want to die...go figure. Who would? Jesus had not experienced death before. If this was familiar territory to Him, if He had done what He did a thousand times, He probably would have waltzed right in there and gotten it over with. But the extent of His fearfulness, vulnerability, and uncertainty forced Him to pray until sweat dripped like blood from every pore on His body. Jesus knows what it's like to be away from home. Jesus also knows what it's like to come home because He was risen and returned to the Father, and now sits at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven. And the Father is calling. He's calling for the rest of His children to come home, and to share the world that has been prepared for us since the beginning of time, where there is welcome, and mercy, and grace. He is calling for us to know Him, and grasp how wide, and long, and high, and deep is His love for us. And to become men and women after His own heart, because home is where the heart is. And when God is in your heart, and you are in His, you're home.

Risk

I'm sure most of you have heard of the board game, "RISK." I've never had the chance to play, but I've heard stories of friends playing a single game that lasted for days. The object is to conquer the world using your little army pieces...I think even small weapons like cannons are involved (that actually shoot!). I could be wrong, but there is one element of the game that is absolutely necessary to attain your goal...Risk. You have to take chances in order to earn the right to control a peice of land on the board...and ultimately, the world.

During our pre-concert devotional, Jordan House shared his longing to become more "hard-core" in his faith--a feeling that was shared among us. We all want to grow closer to the Lord and have Him mold us and shape us into the men He wants us to be. But what we fail to consider is that a longing to grow means we accept the risk of being vulnerable to His plan. "Vulnerable?" you may ask. "We should be joyful and jumping at the chance to follow the Lord and His plan." God's plan is good, yes. But it requires us to be ready and willing to be stripped of the plans that we've had for ourselves, which could be very painful. I brought up a concept that I read in Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. John shared that his favorite painting is a scene where four calvary soldiers are riding back towards enemy lines to rescue a fallen comrade.

"In the foreground, the stranded soldier is being swept up onto the back of the horse of his bunkmate, while the other two are providing rifle cover...God began to speak to me about the painting and my role in it. You cannot be the man who rescues...until you are the man without a horse, the man who needs rescuing."

God's calling to us is to make disciples of all nations. God calls us to minister to His people using our unique gifts. But God also calls us to suffer. Not because He's a bully, but because He can use our sufferings to better minister to His people. All of us want to be men and women of God, but most of us don't want to bleed like one. You know the call of God in your life. It may be that you turn down a corporate job offer with a great salary, and go join a local ministry. It may mean you break off a relationship...or even an engagement that leaves you feeling empty and knowing there's more to life than some boy or girl smothering you. It may, like me, mean you leave a great Christian university with a full-tuition scholarship, move to Nahsville, and use the incredible tool of music to minister to and change the hearts of fellow believers and non-believers. Some of you are where God wants you...praise God! I have no doubts that you've had to suffer to get there, though. The rest of you who can hear the call of God in your lives...whether it's a quiet purr, or a loud roar...Go. Answer Him by becoming vulnerable to His plan. Drop the plans you've made for yourselves and follow Christ. Don't be like the rich, young ruler who turns and walks away, sad, because he had great wealth. Be like the fishermen who immediately dropped their nets and followed Him. You'll bleed...oh yes. That's part of it. But trust me...it's worth it.