Entry #13 - Wednesday 12/21 -
I'm sitting here in Starbucks in Port St. Lucie, Florida...just hours away from the final concert on my 2011 Hope of Christmas Tour. It's been an unbelievable experience. I've met so many awesome people. Sung a ton. Driven thousands of miles. And tried super hard to not eat all the sweets that get thrown at me. It helps that I've jogged more than I intended! :)
The thing that is a bit strange right now is the idea of something good ENDING. It's going to be over. And honestly, I don't know what's next. There's a part of me that thinks if I just stay here in Florida or Minnesota or Omaha, then I can remain in this place of awesomeness. I was journaling this morning about joy. And how when I experience great joy, my normal response is to want to keep experiencing it — like making plans to experience it again — or finding someway to hold onto some of the current joy, just in case none shows up tomorrow.
I'm so much like the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness, starving and complaining. Until God finally provided manna from the sky to meet their desire for food. His promise was that He'd provide only enough for each day. But that He'd provide tomorrow's food...tomorrow. I, like our distant relatives, want to hoard and squander whatever I can...just to have enough joy for tomorrow. Then I hear God say, "Enjoy today...be fully present and bathe in gratitude...but don't miss out on the joy I have for you tomorrow, simply because you're so focused on yesterday's joy." With that, I can say "Thank you, Lord for an amazing experience. I will be forever grateful. I'm blessed beyond measure. Even still, I can't wait to see what you have for me..."
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Entry #12 - Tuesday 12/20- I was blown away by the crowd Sunday night at Palatka Church of God. I've seen crowds react like this on television, but never imagined that I'd be part of it in real life. They had so much passion & enthusiasm...hooting and hollering and praising...even in the middle of a couple of songs. During the bridge of "Mary, Did You Know" I thought the roof was gonna fly off. They loved me very well...and God was praised, big time. Thank you to Pastor Robin for hosting us, and to Robin Robinson and HOPE FM for bringing me in and promoting the concert so well...and for playing my music!!
Monday night was killer for me...as I got to hang out with the Palatka Samson Society guys...I'm blessed by their courage, intentionality, and authenticity. More churches need men like this willing to live this way. I must come back here sometime soon...
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Entry #11 - Sunday 12/18- After a stopover for lunch with the incredible Doug Gonterman, outside of Atlanta, I made it to Savannah to spend the night. I explored the city a bit by foot, and figured that I should've taken a tour to appreciate all the details of this interesting city that claims to be the Most Haunted. Probably because the whole city was built on top of a graveyard, I hear. Saturday I made it to Saint Augustine, FL for a great time with Jeremy Dowler and the folks at Anastasia Baptist. My song came on the heels of Pastor Dan's sermon about God's plans vs. Our plans...so when I sang "Something Good" both me and pastor were amazed how God orchestrated that. He figured I received the sermon notes ahead of time. God is so cool.
Sunday morning with Jeremy & the band at the satellite campus was awesome. First time ever to perform my song "Emmanuel (You Are With Me)" together with a band. What a joy... I was so impressed with how they had prepared. I hope to have a video of it to post sometime. Off to Palatka...
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Entry #10 - Friday 12/16- The prison concert last night was incredible! I had such a great time hanging out with a group of awesome guys who I love dearly...and who also love me back, dearly and with amazing enthusiasm! At first, it didn't look like we were going to be able to get in...the guard at the checkpoint "didn't have a memo" about us coming in to do a concert, much less bringing in food. Thanks to the Deputy Warden Simmons who came up front and vouched for our validity...out of the graciousness of his heart, let us and our 20 pizzas, in. The guys were overwhelmed by how good the pizza was. One guy said, "This is my first piece of pizza in ten years!" Amazing. They were so grateful. The concert went great - about 200 guys showed up...and were very attentive and respectful, and engaged. Sometimes you don't know what you're gonna get...but this night was special. I'm grateful.
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Entry #9 - Wednesday 12/14 - Well, I made it back to Nashville to end the first leg of the Hope of Christmas Tour...and it's been awesome to unpack, sleep in my own bed, see a few friends, do laundry, etc. Still, I've got some HOPE to dump on people here in Nashville, so I'm grateful that Brook Hollow Baptist and Pastor Tom Gholson had me over for a Sunday night concert. I appreciate the chance to be able to invite some of my local friends over to see me in action. I loved having the cutest kids come up and help out with "Jingle Bell Swing." And also loved having a couple guys who used to be in my prison small group attend the concert as well. Speaking of prison, tomorrow night I'll be putting on a concert for the guys still inside. They requested a pizza party beforehand, so I'll be bringing out 20 pizzas and some cokes and cookies (that my friend Chris & his daughters are making)!
If you haven't heard my version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" featuring the guys from my Friday morning Bible study here it is...
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Entry #8 - Tues 12/13 - I have to admit, it's super great to be home for a couple of days. I figured out that I've driven about 2600 miles over the past couple of weeks. While it's been amazing, there's nothing like being at home in your own bed, with everything just the way you like it.My visit to Omaha last week was...I can't keep saying amazing, can I? It was very special. Thursday with Mark Mathia & his family at lunch...and then speaking at his company, Tiburon, to a roomful of his employees about "How To Survive the Holidays." I loved how willing the group was to interact with such honesty and even, compassion for each other. A great place. I'm so proud of my friend Mark and the environment he's created there. The next morning, I got to have breakfast with my college choir director, Dr. Richard Palmer, and catch up on the past, um, 23 years or so... Really meaningful time with him. Music connected us in the first place, and now my music has reconnected us after all these years. Amazing how God works.
Friday evening's concert was a blast. Thank you to Eric Watne for hosting & promoting the event there at the PSCollective, a quite cool venue with an amazing sound system and a great staff. So many people from my past showed up...kind of like "A Christmas Carol," but in a good way. We had a blast singing (& dancing) together. Thank you so much, Omaha friends, for coming up and celebrating the Hope of Christmas together, and making me feel so loved. You make me want to come back...
P.S. I'm posting my 5 Christmas Audio Devotionals on my facebook page this week, if you're interested!
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Entry #7 - Mon 12/12 - After some fantastic time with family last Tuesday, I took off for Iowa on Wednesday, with a stop in my birthplace of Albert Lea, MN. I can't remember ever having been there as a grown-up...so I wanted to see the place. It looks like a beautiful little town, perched on a hill overlooking a nice lake. This day, it was cold, snowy and icy. But my goal was still accomplished. Conveniently two days after my birthday, I wanted to find where I was born: Naeve Hospital. Someone asked what does "naeve" mean...I figured it was the name of someone who gave a bunch of money to the hospital. But according to Mirriam-Webster it is a: mole, or birthmark. Birthmark seems quite appropriate since that's the place, ahem...Mark was birthed. HA!Oddly enough...the snow disappeared on my drive into Iowa.
Wonderful time at Echo Hill Presbyterian that night - beautiful building, awesome people, great pastor...and a chance to see my old college friend Noelle, her parents, her husband, and their new baby girl, Emily! Next up, the place I went to high school and college, Omaha, Nebraska!!
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Entry #6 - Sun 12/11 - So much is happening so quickly that it's difficult to process it all. It's like my joy bucket just keeps getting more and more joy dumped into it... Kinda like the amount of snow in MN! Brief observations: I'm tired, but I'm not tired of anything. Every day is like an adventure--not sure what's gonna happen, but I know it's gonna be something good (cue music...). A lot of what I'm experiencing feels very surreal, like it's a dream. Cause I have had many, many dreams where I'm doing the things that I'm getting to do these days. I want to be careful not to slip into simply "isn't this amazing" mode...and forget my responsibilities in the midst of all that's happening. Things like: take care of my physical health by getting rest, taking care of my voice (avoiding a ton a caffeine, sugar, warming up before singing...), and staying grounded spiritually (checking in continually with God with gratitude and a reminder of His love for me regardless of what I do or don't do, or even what other people think about me). More than singing a few songs, I feel that my job is to bring love and life everywhere I go. I can't do that when I'm not taking care of myself and doing those things. So there's a few of my personal thoughts.Last Monday was my birthday. Yep, finally turned 30! HA! Spent great time with my parents (and yes, I ate at Perkins: the world's greatest restaurant several times in MN). And Monday evening, Pat & Ray Anderson hosted just about 30 people for a house concert around their living room grand piano. We had a great time. People were so interested and interactive. And they sang the proper parts when asked!! Then at the end, we all indulged in some amazing desserts Pat had prepared. (Ok, I realize that I blew one of my goals of less sugar...but hey, it was my birthday!!) Together with conversation, meeting old and making new friends, and a ton of love, my birthday was golden.
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Entry #5 - Wed 12/7 - Sunday night was so much fun. I've never laughed so much in a concert before. I was asked to do a concert for the Christmas banquet for Salem Road Covenant in Rochester out at Ironwood Springs Ranch. It's probably not a big surprise that I never quite know what I'm getting into when I go some place. But there was something about this event that I couldn't foresee. I was getting ready in the dressing room/shower stall and I could hear the group doing their post-dinner game out in the room I was going to play in. All I could hear what uproarious laughter...so I couldn't wait to go out and join in the fun. This group was amazing. Once we got going, and they figured out that they could have fun...they let loose. As exemplified by this video during my very serious version of Jingle Bells. To me, laughter is a sign of healthy community. A place where people can let go and be whoever and however they want to be. That may be crying, laughing, clapping, dancing, or even sitting there processing the whole thing with your eyes closed. As Marlo Thomas once said, "Free to be you and me!" Funny enough, the man who sat off to the side, soaking in most of the show with his eyes closed, was the first to stand up at the end...and the first to shake my hand and tell me a warm, joyous, "Thank You!" I'm grateful to Tom & Connie Reinhart for inviting me to be a part of a very special evening. And to Jennifer Naatz-Smith for the amazing job she did singing "Mary, Did You Know" with me. Salem Road...I'll gladly come to any party you throw! You put the MERRY in Christmas!---------------------------------------------------------------
Entry #4 - Tues 12/6 - I am so completely overwhelmed by an amazing weekend. I seriously don't even know where to start. I've had an amazing week in Rochester. Time with my parents, sister, and my dad's cousin & wife, and my mom's cousin and her two friends was particularly special. I'm also thrilled to call Rochester Covenant Church my home away from home church. I love how authentic they are all...and loving...and full of life. I was able to sing for their Sunday morning services - and loved playing with their praise band, especially on "I Will Praise Him Still." Let me back up - the Christmas Tour 2011 (cause there WILL be one in 2012!) kicked off Friday night at UTurn - a place I love because of how they reach out to the homeless, the addicted, the recently released from jail...you name it, there's a place for us there. Please support UTurn however you can! We need to keep places like this, and Rich Bontrager & the Journey Church that runs it, going. They are reaching people most churches aren't able to.
The concert was filled with many beautiful moments -- in particular the time when we opened the mic to let people come up and share who they are thankful for...and then to light a candle for them...and that led into "Precious Memories," of course. Very meaningful. It seems like people come to my concerts to feel something deep...and to be given a chance to express something in front of others...just only seemed right. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. And can't believe that people are allowing these songs to find such a deep place in their hearts...what a honor.---------------------------------------------------------------
Entry #3 - Fri 12/2 - Well, we finally made it to December. It's been a great week hanging out with my parents and some friends here in Rochester, MN. I'm thankful to have a 2nd home here in this town...and to have a church like Rochester Covenant with leadership that I respect...and LIKE! I'll be singing there Sunday morning. But TONIGHT's the big kick-off of the tour. It's opening night at UTURN Event Center. I'm very excited. I've been preparing a long time for this and I'm anxious to share some of the crazy ideas from my brain with the people who will be there. I have a handful of family showing up and some friends I haven't seen for a long while, too. While I want everything to be amazing, I think I need to just chill out and let God do what he's gonna go. I usually end up enjoying it a ton, and I'm sure tonight will be a blast for me. I do believe that Christmas is about magnifying the HOPE of the gospel...and if the gospel isn't HOPE...then I'm done. To me, the gospel says, no matter how dark or dreary is your story, God is wanting to step into it, and bring light, love, and life into it. Emmanuel...you are with us. Amen!---------------------------------------------------------------
Entry #2 - Mon 11/28 - had a great tapas dinner with Greta from high school last night - and then a really good time over breakfast at Moody Bible Institute with their head of national programming Denny Nugent--really great conversation. Oddly enough, Denny and I met probably 14-15 years ago. He was the GM of a country station in Cleveland, OH and they came to Nashville to shoot their promo commercials. I was hired (along with a fake wife) to talk & laugh about how great & funny their morning show guy was...like they just caught us on the street and asked our opinion. On the topic of radio: It's easy to think about how much radio airplay helps baby artists like me...to get my music heard around the country would help open so many doors. But still there's only so much room on the air for artists -- and most research says that listeners want to hear songs they know from artists they know. Still, I can't be distracted by "what might be"...especially since I have an amazing month planned coming face to face with people and getting to share my songs with them...there's nothing better than that for me. I have to leave certain things in God's hands...like who likes me or doesn't like me. Or doesn't like me, yet.
Made it to my folk's house in Rochester, MN--awesome. Nothing like being with your creators.
current radio single being promoted: "You Are" from Christmas
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Entry #1 - Sun 11/27 - left nashville 8am for beginning of 1st annual Christmas tour. wow. can't believe it's happening. i feel so blessed. when God's has His hand on something you just know it. the lack of kicking and screaming to get something done (which i'm well familiar with)…is evident.lunch: hardee's turkey burger - very tasty. must make sure i don't eat a lot of crap while traveling.
ton of traffic: everyone was going home i guess.
music listened to: really enjoying michael buble's new christmas project
book listened to: started jon krakauer's "under the banner of heaven" - so far, pretty frightening.
sermons heard: stan mitchell - new wineskins pt 4 & 5. great stuff.
spent a lot of time practicing my own songs. have to make sure i know all the lyrics! also want to make sure that i'm not killing my voice every night i'm singing. i battle this in my mind: wanting to leave it all out on the field…but still needing to sing the following night. i feel like i'm about to run another 1/2 marathon like i did last year. i've been training, but i've never done a tour like this before, so i'm a bit uncertain how it's all going to play out. my friend chris gave me some good advice that i adapted: i'm not defined by the high notes i hit or don't hit…
lesson: it's not the end of the world to be imperfect. amen.
spending the night in chicago, perhaps my favorite city in the whole world. going to have dinner with my great friend since high school, greta. can't wait to see the decorations & lights on michigan avenue. more blessedness. more to come....
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