I Don't Need To Bark In Order To Be Heard

As a writer I hate walking into a bookstore. Part of me wants to find something interesting to connect with, some new writer that will affect my life like Anne Lamott or Eugene Peterson. All the covers plead for me to judge their contents by their prettiness. Truth is, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. But instead of discovering beautiful new literary connections, I get bowled over by the silence. Like leafing through page after page of a dating service notebook filled with women last named A-G. So much muted potential, prettied-up with a fancy exterior. Mostly, it’s the overwhelming silence of all those unsold books that is so deafening to me. And I really want to be one more of the unsold authors stacked on those disorganized shelves? What could possibly be wrong with me?

All those words on all those pages. All those hours spent by someone somewhere, hoping their efforts would have some value. All those months waiting for a publisher to pick up their manuscript. All those hours wondering if that publisher will ever do anything to promote their dang book, or if it will just get lost in the shuffle of their better-selling, celebrity-driven, ghost-written titles.

It’s very similar to going into a record store and seeing all those unsold CDs just sitting there, patiently waiting for someone to give them a chance. So much unnoticed music. At the same time, there are so many artists that sell a ton of records. So many authors who sell a ton of books. And still, so many artists and authors who have personally affected me. I’m grateful they chose to throw their heart down the chute of creativity so that I could have my life changed by their expressions.

Read more »

Four Overwhelming Weeks

Four weeks since the Chicago 1/2 Marathon. I can't believe it's already been a month since I was in Chicago to run the big race...not to mention the release of my CD. It's been an exciting month! I'm blown away by the tremendous response people are giving the project - saying all kinds of nice things about the songs. I hope it's encouraging, inspiring, and ultimately life-giving. Here's a bit of a recap of the last month...

Sept. 12 - Chicago 1/2 Marathon - had a blast. I indeed did prove that "Impossible is Nothing" by accomplishing something I had considered impossible only 12 weeks earlier.
Sept. 14 - PILGRIM MAN CD released - I celebrated by watching the Twins beat the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago with my friend Dennis Rizo.
Sept. 16 - Fall softball season starts. Awesome. Continues on Thursdays & Mondays into November.
Sept. 17 - CD Release Party (Nashville) - A fantastic gathering of friends from throughout my years here in Music City. Finger foods and beverages. I shared a handful of new songs - a couple live, and a couple on CD. Ended with a great prayer time, thanks to the amazing Brenda Boswell, who has been a beautiful source of encouragement to me ever since we met in 1994.

Sept. 19 - My first stop on the Pilgrim Man Fall 2010 Tour - Roanoke, VA. Had a blast at Vinton Baptist Church with Chris, Bill, and my good friends the Perrington's. Sang in their two AM services, then did a concert that evening. Had a blast - so thankful for the opportunity to meet these great people - and share my songs & stories with them.
Sept. 26th - Outdoor picnic concert at Brook Hollow Baptist Church in West Nashville - thanks to my friend, JR Davis and their Pastor Tom.
Oct. 3rd - Music at my own church!! Church of the Redeemer - Nashville. I love my church - there's such a great, loving, non-pretentious spirit. I'm thrilled to get to serve the body with music, together with the other awesome musicians and our leader, Jennifer Martin.
Oct. 6th - Interview with KFSI Rochester, MN - my new favorite radio station - to promote my concert this weekend. They've been playing my song "Pilgrim Man" for a while, and it's extra special because my parents & a ton of friends live there and get to hear it!

Oct. 10th - Great day at Rochester Covenant Church - two AM services - and big concert that evening. Blew me away to get to sing with their church choir on "Pilgrim Man" and "This World Is Not My Home." Had great help in the concert from Pat, Will & Shannon from the church on BGVs. Had a bunch of family and friends show up, and even surprise me - including a couple I went to college with in Nebraska and hadn't seen for 22 years. They saw a poster for the concert my dad put up in a shop and decided to come and bring their boys. Awesome.

So what's ahead? God only knows. I hope to make it back to the Midwest a few more times this fall, including Omaha, Iowa, Missouri, and even Minnesota again. I'll keep you posted. If you know somewhere I could come sing, let's make it happen.

Thanks for all your love & support. It's all for God & you.

Post Run Recap From Chicago

Man...I did it. What an amazing experience. On the eve of my CD release, I recorded some thoughts from the race. I'm so grateful to everyone who has been cheering me on. We're all on a great journey -and we need each other to keep going!

I'm Answering the Call To Adventure

My friend Danny ran with me!!

I was #948 in the Franklin Classic this past Monday morning. Nobody special—just another guy in the crowd. One of a thousand others who braved the early morning start time and the physical challenge of the race. We started as a giant clump of anticipation, and after the starting gun, spread out like a giant amoeba on a long, long road. Heads bounced up and down around me, and little kids raced by. I kept saying to myself, “Hold back, pace yourself, pace yourself.” More kids zoomed past by me. The run was actually quite fun—the energy high all around me. But the best part was at the end, as complete strangers cheered as I crossed the finish line…my first race. My practice race. See, I've never been a runner—actually more of an anti-runner. Running was the one thing that I put into the "impossible" category. I've tried running before, but was always met with way too much back and knee pain. Not to mention the "L" word—laziness.

But earlier this summer I felt something developing inside of me. It was a desire for an adventure—something really big, something crazy, maybe even a little dangerous. Then a friend told me about the Chicago Half Marathon he was running on September 12th and my heart jumped. That was it. My adventure: running a half marathon.

So I've been training all summer—running nearly 250 miles through all this crazy heat we've been experiencing. This has unquestionably been the most physically challenging experience of my life. But so much of the battle has been in my head. The "I can't" or the "I won't be able to" or "That's impossible" or "I need to stop…" There have been some really tough days—I've cried, I've winced. And some really great days—goosebump-inducing runs and even tears of joy shed. I've developed strength and confidence I never knew I had. I've lost weight! And I've uncovered some amazing camaraderie among other runners.

Read more »

It's Strange To Release A CD

I'm hesitant to even write about this. But it's such a strange thing to do to complete and release a CD. Especially when it's something I've been dreaming about doing for 17 years. After all those years of seriously wondering if I'm completely crazy...and even being told by some people that I am... there's a bit of a feeling of redemption in the completion of this project.  And I'm so happy that early reports from people who have heard some of it are very positive.

So what's the point? This is for all the people who are wondering if they are crazy, as well. You're not. But that doesn't necessarily mean that your dreams are going to come true, or in the way you hope they will. Or in your desired timeframe. But I can promise you this: If you don't give up, and continue working towards your goal, seeking wisdom from people who know more than you, you will find yourself going places and doing things that you never imagined.

There are a lot of people who want to make a CD who need to really work on finding their own unique voice. They need to take a lot of lessons, and learn how to write better songs. And they need to tell an engaging story, something that other people will want to hear. That's when you'll be met with an audience at an unexpected time. No audience is concerned about perfection, but they are looking for passion and authenticity.

Read more »