A Change of Season – Thankful Thursday

One of the biggest lessons I’ve been learning over the past ten years or so is that life is made up of seasons. 14 months ago my young family entered the most challenging season we’ve experienced when my position with a music publisher was deleted.

It has been quite the ride.

We prayed. We fasted. We dreamed. We wept. We fought. We loved. We doubted. We believed. I published my first book and ran my first half marathon. I became a writer of children’s music for my former employer.

I met lots of interesting people and acquired a gold Starbucks card. I wrote over 40 resumes and experienced the frustration of many online job applications. I was inspired by my kids, loved by my wife, and humbled by amazing friends.

And the season ends.

My introduction to DaVita was last October at a healthcare conference. It was there that I met a recruiter from Colorado who would eventually recommend me for a position here in Brentwood. A couple of interviews later and I got the job. I begin my position as an IT Business Consultant in early August.

And the season begins …

My gratitude list for the week:

1. A fantastic employment opportunity and the excitement that has come with it
2. Friends who have loved us so well throughout this process
3. My wife, who never stopped believing in me
4. A beautiful wedding and a biblical challenge
5. My sweet Blue Eyes and the opportunity to baptize her
6. Canoes and water and air conditioning
7. Playing music with friends for a good cause
8. Did I mention that I have a job?

Playing for Rob Still’s Sozo Festival Fundraiser

My good friend Rob Still is hosting a house concert and webcast as a fundraiser for his upcoming European mission trip, which will include the Sozo Festival. The concert is TODAY from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. I’ll be playing as well as Jeremy Drinkwine, a host of others, and of course, Rob himself.

Come on out. It’s sure to be a good time. If you can’t make it in person, join us online.

See Rob’s site for more information.

 

Thankful Thursday

I’ve been recovering from my long weekend of worship leading this week and transporting my kids to swimming lessons to give Lara a slight relief of her daily routine and give her some time alone in the home. My thankful list:

• An amazing week with friends and family in the great outdoors
• The amazing folks at Judson Baptist Church for a VBS done well
• Priests and Rectors and my expanding church music horizons
• An arrangement of mine, picked up and live at LifeWayWorship.com
• New possibilities
• Another child, another swimmer!

Sunday Setlist for June 25-26, 2011

This blog post is part of the Sunday Setlist blog carnival.

I’m wrapping up a busy weekend of worship leading. I was booked for this Sunday at Christ Community Church (McMinnville, TN) a few weeks ago and then was asked to fill in at my home church last Saturday night.

It was suggested that I keep it simple for the Saturday night service (our smallest service). The instrumentation was two acoustic guitars, bass guitar, percussion, and Aynsley Martingdale on backing vocals. I really enjoy these types of acoustic settings.

Sunday morning at McMinnville, we had a full band including two background singers. Special kudos to Karlton Scott for playing drums / perc for both churches. The two services had different time constraints, but I drew from the following set for both.

• A New Hallelujah (Baloche, Smith, Smith) – I like Michael W. Smith‘s version just fine, but since I don’t normally have an African children’s choir at my disposal, I refer to Paul Baloche’s version.
• Everlasting Arms (Hoffman, Riggs, Showalter) – This is my arrangement of “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” with a new chorus. “You can keep this world and its charms. I’ll be leaning on the everlasting arms.”
• Ancient Words (Lynn DeShazo)
• How Great is Our God (Cash, Reeves, Tomlin)– It’s really, really hard to go wrong with this one.
• What Would I Have Done? (Black, Hughes, Johnson) – a lesser known (but fantastic!) song from Bethel Church in Redding, CA
• Deep in Love With You (Black, Smith, Smith) – Very intimate song and was so nice during the acoustic set
• Revelation Song (Jennie Lee Riddle) – Another great staple for worship leading.

Thankful Thursday

I don’t care what the calendar says, it is indeed summer in Middle Tennessee. My morning runs are having to get early to beat the heat. This morning I ran in the 6:00 hour and it was still too hot. I love the long summer days, but hope for some relief soon. In the waiting, I choose to be grateful. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week.

• Reuniting with an old acquaintance and a new friend with lots of insights to share
• Six strings, teachers, and a chance to be at the table
• Singing in my home church
• A new opportunity
• A good friend

Stay cool!

I Can Do Most Anything – The Songwriter’s Notebook

I’m finally back with another Songwriter’s Notebook post. I’ve been waiting a while for this one. Back in the fall, I had a conversation with a children’s music editor. It went something like this:

Hey, you write songs, don’t you?

[nod] Um-hmm

I’m working on a project and am having the hardest time finding a song for preschoolers.

Now apart from my own children’s lullabies, I had never written children’s music before. But I do like to fancy myself a songwriter. And sometimes it helps to have an assignment. We spoke a little longer and she informed me exactly what she needed: a movement song for preschooler’s that would fit within an overall theme of “follow the leader.” Basically, something that would get the “wiggles” out before lesson time. I told her that I would give it some thought.

The result of this exercise is a call-and-response song called “I Can Do Most Anything.” I wrote it last fall, but was kept from letting you hear it until it came out. Well, it’s out now in the latest TeamKID curriculum Follow the Leader. Below, you can see both the original “reference” recording as well as listen to the final studio version.

Before:

After:

Sunday Setlist – May 29, 2011

This post is part of the Sunday Setlist Blog Carnival.

Memorial Day weekend had me headed up McMinnville, TN way to lead worship for Christ Community. How pleasantly surprised my drummer and I were when we stepped out of our car. “There are no cicadas here!” Karlton said in response to the throbbing sensation in our ears otherwise known as silence. Sure enough. Neither a chirp or a carcass.

There were some other good points of the day too [ha!]. I was able to bring the husband and wife team of Steve and Brenda Morley, in addition to my faithful drummer Karlton Scott, and Jeff Wilson on bass. Steve plays keyboards and his wife plays … “hippie winds.” On this day, that meant penny whistle. (I’ve also known her to play Native American flute and various recorders). Steve also played melodica. Between Brenda’s whistle and Karlton’s marching snare cadence, it wasn’t quite fife and drum, but pretty darn close. Very nice for Memorial Day Sunday. Here’s what we did:

• A New Hallelujah (Smith, Smith, & Baloche). I used Paul Baloche’s recording for reference and took some liberties with the lyric for Memorial Day (e.g. “the nation” for “the nations” and “America sings a new song” for “All the world sings a new song”).
• Your Love Never Fails (McClarney & Skinner).
• God of this City (Boyd, McCann, Jordan, Comfort, Kernaghan, and Bleakley). Again, tried to focus it on McMinnville and the USA by changing the lyric “You’re the King of these people” to “You’re the King of our people.”
• Come Thou Fountain (Riggs & Pubic Domain). This is my arrangement and the reason I brought Brenda. Most of the song was a simple trio with melodica, whistle, and myself. Turned out very nice, if I do say so myself.

Hope you had a great one!