Church Bells and the attacks to happiness

Church Bellsby: Gungor
Let church bells ringlet children singeven if they don't know whylet them singwhy drown their joystifle their voicejust because you've lost yoursmay all jaded hearts be healed.Amen.
Let all men dancelift up their handseven if they are naivelet them danceyou've seen it allyou watch them fallwash off your face and danceMay all weary heartsbe filled with hopeAmen.

This is such a simple song with such powerful lyrics. It is liturgy that speaks to how fragile our happiness is. So fragile that someone else's happiness seems to chip at it. We start to invent excuses as to why the other happy individual is unjustly or undeservedly happy.
In "The Help" I watched a Southern Belle do everything she could to drown the happiness of another lady for no founded reason at all. It was so sad and ugly. The naive target of her jealousy was none the wiser and only made the situation worse by trying to be friendly and cordial. Strange how that was only received by an already bitter heart as disingenuous.
I felt that way a long time ago. When popularity was so ... popular. I'd try to be friendly and interested in the goings-on of other folks in different cliques only to be met with an often cold shoulder and odd glances. It saddened me then and it saddens me now as I think about it. See, every now and then, I still feel that way. And yet I pray, even for myself as I pray for others, that someday soon, all jaded hearts are healed and that the weary hearts would be filled with hope.
Amen.

Concert / "Event"

Two nights ago, Rachel and I had the privilege of attending one of David
Crowder Band's last concerts ever (as they are disbanding). Honestly just the fact that we were able to go was pretty amazing to start with, and someday I may tell that story as well.

Three artists opened up for DCB including John Mark McMillan (songwriter for current contemporary church standard "How He Loves"), Chris August (think "7 Times 70" or "Starry Night"), and Gungor ("Beautiful Things" was Grammy nominated).

McMillan presented a very raw style that was a little un- comfortable at first - mostly because

I had no clue what to expect. Also, his vocals were very difficult to understand. Still, his band definitely kept things very lively with some awesome riffs and mad skills on all parts. I look forward to getting to know more of his music.

Chris August provided not only a pleasant break from the bigger band by leading us in worship with himself, a guitar, and one light, but he also provided the comic relief for the evening. He actually performed solo twice - each time before and after Gungor. His music was definitely worshipful though it sparked of some of the more popular solo artists of my days. I couldn't help

but think of Michael W. Smith or Chris Tomlin as he played! Still, he was a lot of fun and his songs were very well received (probably because of the air time the stations provided as well as their proliferation among contemporary churches).

Gungor was the surprise of the evening for me. More and more I am trying to expand my musical interests beyond Third Day (though the boys still rank #1 in my book). I've grown to enjoy Bebo Norman, Andrew Petersen, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, and this summer - David Crowder Band. Yes, I know that I may have picked up on those folks awfully late in the game, but still - I'm here and thankful. I might have jumped on the Gungor bandwagon just in the nick of time... This "collective," as they call themselves, is comprised of a wife/husband duo and several other instrumentalists/vocalists who did not appear. Instead, they had a cellist/beatboxer named Kevin Olusola (KO). Besides being out-of-this world talented, the lyrics penetrated the soul and reminded us of our weary and weak state and the fact the only Jesus Christ has to capacity to restore us and make us worthy of sharing God's company. I encourage you to look them up.

Now this was my first (and more than likely last) DCB concert, and like I mentioned, they are disbanding - for some admirable reasons - and I will not have another opportunity before their last show in Atlanta. Being the last chance I would have to see them live, I was very thankful that we had an opportunity after the event to shake their hands and thank them personally for their ministry and for sharing their talents. For that was exactly what we witnessed over the course of the evening - ministry coupled with talent. It was so refreshing and exciting. It made me want to get out my guitar and sing out (which is what I did tonight with the kids - that was even more refreshing and exciting!) God used DCB music to sustain me during my recent Afghan tour and I was blessed to share a couple of their songs with the chapel service I was leading, so I am thankful that I had that opportunity to see them.

Why I Love Thursdays This Deployment

Wake up, shower, work, work, work, work, eat, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, eat, work, work, scho...(usually school is an impossibility), sleep.

That is the gist of my typical day over here. Not Thursdays. Now, before I explain why I love Thursdays over here so much I must dispel any notions that my joy on Thursdays comes in any way from the cultural tendencies of this area. See, Thursday to a Muslim in an Islamic Republic is like Friday nights in America. Friday is their Djuma, or holy day, and so there is no work on Fridays (for the most part). Therefore, Thursday nights usually involve a lot of excitement among the Afghans. There are rumors of what they do, but I'd rather you do your own research rather than listen to my conjecture - needless to say, most of the rumors are not very flattering.

I digress.

So then, why is Thursday of such significance to me? Because for a few hours I am able to escape work, school, and my B-Hut (which I don't see much of) and worship the Lord at practice for the Chapel praise team.

The group of singers and musicians is dynamic and diverse but the music is wonderful, the fellowship is second-to-none, and the ability to play as loud as I want and sing however I want to praise God is without equal to me. I can't do that anywhere - not in my B-Hut (the walls are merely 3/8" plywood that seem to amplify rather than dampen sound) and not in my office (the office is truly occupied like, 17 hours a day sometimes). The Chapel on the other hand, provides a place where I can finally get back to music and open, uninterrupted praise.

Sundays are good too (when we actually foster praise and worship) - but it is occasionally too difficult standing on that platform to force that "performer" mentality out of my mind, and I seem to sometimes lose track as to why I'm really serving to begin with. Instead, Thursday practice is a judgment-free, worship-filled event with only the hours of the practice to contain our praise.

Hooded Sweatshirt

Every once in a while, an article of clothing comes along that is of very little consequence at the time but ultimately becomes a cherished item.  That is the case with regards to a gray hooded sweatshirt that we bought at a small local dive in Northern Canada.  We were driving through the Yukon Territory on our way to Alaska when we stopped to stretch our legs at a small diner/gas station at one of many continental divides throughout North America.  The sweatshirt was hanging and seemed like a fitting purchase to remember our trip as it not only bore the embroidered logo of the place we had stopped but would also keep me a little warmer considering the more northern latitudes we were entering.  So, I bought the shirt, put it on and we went on our way.  That was the summer of 2003 and seven years later the sweatshirt is still keeping me warm and casual.

You may have seen the above picture in the slideshow on the right but there is really a lot more to the story that meets the eye.  Yes, I'm in the photo with Rachel (my wife) and I am wearing what I now call my "concert shirt" - the aforementioned sweatshirt.  From the picture you can tell that we were probably at a concert and we left with a few souvenirs.  This is all true.  What is not shown is that it is a Third Day concert - the first one ever in Fairbanks, AK and the second one ever in the entire state (the Anchorage show was two days earlier).  We bought front row tickets the minute they went on sale without knowing we would be hosting the band themselves for a base tour on the eve of the concert.  The tour went well and it was a real blessing to give back to a group of men who have given us so much.  The pick, drumstick and program with guitar chords to "Cry Out to Jesus" were tokens of appreciation from the band that we'll always cherish.

The sweatshirt has accompanied me to several other concerts including Jeremy Camp, Bebo Norman and the Music Boat.  I wish I could hear the stories of those days and nights from the sweatshirt firsthand - I imagine it would have a slightly different perspective.

In Him,

Groovy tunes to surf by - Pandora

http://www.pandora.com/

I know that I am a little late in the game with this but I've got to say that Pandora rocks my world! Just put in your favorite artist and it automatically creates a streaming radio station perfectly atuned to the stylings and message of said artist.  Try it out - you'll get hooked!

A prayer for the last mile. . .

"Flood" by Jars of Clay was first recorded on their self-titled debut album in 1995.  I've been listening to this song for years but it wasn't until today that the lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks.  They penetrated my heart and they have become a prayer for my final mile in this marathon of a deployment. 

Flood
Jars of Clay

Rain, rain on my face
It hasn't stopped raining for days
My world is a flood
Slowly I become one with the mud
Chorus:
But if I can't swim after forty days
And my mind is crushed by the thrashing waves
Lift me up so high that I cannot fall
Lift me up
Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Downpour on my soul
Splashing in the ocean, I'm losing control
Dark sky all around
I can't feel my feet touching the ground
[Chorus]

Calm the storms that drench my eyes
Dry the streams still flowing
Cast down all the waves of sin
And guilt that overthrow me
[Chorus]

Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Guitar!

I finally bit the bullet and shelled out some cash for a guitar. It only took me four months to realize that borrowing someone else's or using the severely substandard axe in the MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) room just wouldn't cut it. So, last week as I was coming back from a pre-construction meeting, I bought the pictured guitar at Camp Phoenix. It is a decent guitar made by an unknown company, but it serves its purpose well. The vendor said it was his last guitar and that it was for sale for $120. Of course, just about everything in this country is negotiable and I was able to walk away with this guitar for only $80 after making a few obvious observations devaluing the instrument. She may not be a Martin or a Taylor, but I am very thankful to finally have my own to bring a taste of home into my room.

Now if I could just find a way to get the rest of the church band over here. . . . .

In Him,

David

"Revelation" - Third Day

Also linked from: Mark Lee's blog here!

The album "Time" set a Christian Rock standard in 1999. Since then, I've handed out several copies to spark interest in the longtime Atlanta-based Third Day to much success. The boys from Georgia have had many successes since including a couple Grammy's and an anthem that helped console this country during Hurricane Katrina ("Cry Out to Jesus"). They put out a two-volume "Best of. . ." set in "Chronology" that could have easily capped off their careers, and yet they pressed on in their unique calling. Then came "Revelation".

Mac answers the question that has been on so many fans' minds of late in the very first track. The writing seemed to be on the wall:
1. Third Day had garnered plenty of hardware and made their impression in Christian music equaled by only a few.
2. Mac Powell started a "side" deal with David Nasser ("Glory Revealed")
3. "Chronology Vols I and II" sufficiently covered their discography from 10 years of rock
4. As though it were a requirement in the Christian music world, Third Day finally released a Christmas album with "Christmas Offerings", though it is awesome and not just another campy holiday music cut like so many offer
5. Brad Avery, one of the lead guitarists, left the band about a year ago

And the question was, "Will Third Day split up for Mac to go do the solo thing?"

And the answer: "This is who I am" Even though they had made plenty of public statements that nothing was going to happen other than more great music, this finally set everyone straight. Third Day is a rock band. A really great rock band. And "Revelation" is a great album.

I'm not going to go so far and say it beats "Time", but it is definitely growing on me more and more every time I listen. There are a few tracks that will surely help sustain my faith through an impending deployment - "Born Again" and "Call My Name". The latter can be heard here in a great live acoustic recording. All in all, this is a "must have" for anyone that likes Southern Rock or needs a lift during a rough day. It was tough to see Brad go, but the band, now just four guys, has been blessed with the privilege of continuing in their mission to provide an atmosphere of worship to anyone who will listen. Oh, and they can really play!

The Hannah Dance

Introducing The Hannah Dance! Enjoy.

God Bless!

Seven Years

Seven's the number man. Seven years of marriage as of today. First off, thanks to Alyse for the awesome Happy Bananaversary card. She is my unofficial third sister from H.S. and she never forgets a birthday, holiday, special event, childbirth, whatever. Thanks also to my sister, Katy, who sent Rachel a Mother's Day card - almost a full week early! That rocks! It's certainly a much better record than I have at remembering important dates.

As for marriage, it rocks also. It's not always easy though. Even tonight was a challenge. Our evening was cut short because Hannah had to be in bed by a certain time or else she reaches "critical mass". Critical mass for a child is very similar to critical mass in the physical world. Basically, once they get past the point that they would have easily gone down, they start crying. Now they can't go to sleep because it's loud, because they're crying. Since they can't go to sleep they just get more and more tired, so they cry louder and longer. Etcetera etcetera etcetera and so on and so forth - you know how the rest of the evening goes.

I've found none of our children to be an exception to this and it certainly was a wise maneuver to come home from our date and prevent this from happening tonight. So, we spent the rest of the evening watching Jeremy Camp Unplugged on the wall.

Oh yeah, marriage. Let's put it this way - I don't always understand the emotions and exchanges we go through as a couple; I do know this though, we are always stronger on the other side. God somehow takes crazy nights like tonight and turns them around - completely obliterating the notion that we were all just accidents, spawned from primordial soup millions of years ago. No, His plan is perfect - so perfect that we (in our imperfection) can in no way grasp it or even come close to predicting the next move. So, in light of that, this evening was perfect. My plans were not, and He still has great things in store - even though the evening is nearly over!

God bless ya'll!
David

Gratitude

"The foundation of gratitude is the expectation of nothing."  The first time I heard this oft-quoted proverb was in Tennessee from a Major who works at the ANG Base I was temporarily serving at.  It really hit me like a ton of bricks, and daily it rings more and more true.  A very obvious example in my life stems from my guitar playing.  For the last year, I've been toting my acoustic guitar to choir practices and sunday morning services in the hopes that a few of the pieces would go well with a six-string.   Over the course of the last 12 months I was able to help out in this area while also honing my skills.  Considering I am still on the low end of a pretty steep learning curve, I think I won out more than the church in this arrangement, as several of the arrangements have really challenged me and forced me to improve.  Thankfully, though, they haven't kicked me out of the band or asked me to leave the guitar at home (yet).  Well, a week ago we presented our Christmas concert as a choir and I was blessed to play guitar as well on just 1 of many great pieces.  I truly expected absolutely nothing out of this service other than the joy of praising the Lord and a little satisfaction in (hopefully) a job well done.  The choir however, saw things differently.  Unbeknownst to me (and I think all the other musicians) the entire choir had pooled together some money to buy each and every one of us a gift certificate for a local restaurant.  It was a surprise, it was humbling, and it was a blessing. 

I've received a bunch of accolades in my life - most of them were hard-fought and specifically sought, usually for the purpose of retaining a position or gaining a higher one.  This sign of appreciation/gift however, will stand out for a long time to me.  I think I can say, honestly, that it was the first time that I truly, truly, truly expected nothing at all, and was blessed with an expression of gratitude.  It really meant a lot to me and I learned a valuable lesson from the event.  With Christmas 2007 almost completely in my "rear-view mirror" (we'll have had "Christmas" three times by the time it's all said and done), I look back at the gifts that have meant the most to me - all of them, without a doubt are the ones I didn't expect at all.  They were the ones I was most thankful for, the ones that showed the most graciousness from the giver.

 I agree with that Major.  The foundation of gratitude is the expectation of nothing.  Another way of looking at it is to say that we should give for the sake of giving, not for the anticipation of the reward; that comes from faith.  God bless you all in this season of giving.  In the end, I pray that you receive the perfect gift, Jesus Christ, who was sent to reunite us with our creator.  His birth, death, burial, and resurrection fulfilled the law that had enslaved us for millenia.  Do you want to be free?  He holds the key.  Merry Christmas!

Third Day / Jars of Clay / Rome, GA

We had the privilege of going to the first show for the Christmas Offerings tour with Third Day and Jars of Clay last night in Rome, GA.  It was a blast (of course) and we met up some friends from TN to make it even more fun!  6th row on stage left was perfect - Rachel had the aisle in case she started going into contractions; thankfully that didn't happen and we got to see the whole show.  The baby did get pretty excited, especially with the bass drum the JoC lead singer bangs like its nobody's business! 

OK, it seems important to provide a more critical review than just "It rocked!", especially considering this was our fifth full-fledged Third Day concert.  So here it is:  All in all, the audience was deeply ministered to - as is the case at every Third Day event.  It is impossible to walk away from these guys, whether they are singing or playing or just chilling by the pool and not be ministered to.  I've had more time with them than most fans (in and out of the concert hall) and I can speak of this as fact.  The concert on Thursday night, though had some glitches.  I believe that they were almost completely due to two factors: 1. it was the first night of the show 2. the Forum in Rome, GA looks older than me.  Number 1 seemed to be the apparent reason for most of the problems.  For instance, the words during one of the songs were completely out of synch after the first couple verses.  The soundguy, to his credit, worked feverishly to get the right words up on the screen, however it was at times a little distracting.  Additionally, Brad Avery's awesome story about the adoption of their fourth daughter was followed by a complete darkout that seemed to contribute to an out-of-synch intro between him and the keyboardist.  During Little Drummer Boy, by Jars of Clay (and this may be my own audible deficiency), the lead singer took to the xylaphone like it was nobody's business, yet for some reason, I couldn't hear it save my life!  Nonetheless, the crowd loved the song and got to its feet by the end.  I think the oddest flub of the evening was when Mac tried to direct the follow spot over to Mark Lee so that he could be introduced.  Instead of following the lead's directions, the spot stayed focused (I think on Brad) and just sat there.  Mac had to tell the dude about four times before he started pointing to the operator and waving the light over to Mark.  It definitely disrupted a bit of the concert flow. 

 You know what, though, most of these issues really pointed to one thing: This was a live show!  It was not Milli Vanilli and things happen when musicians actually peform rather than pretend.  I hope that noone gets too offended by this post, as it is written, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17).  The concert definitely rocked, regardless, and I'm anxiously awaiting the Spring tour dates so I can scoop up some tix for a few close by shows.  God Bless!

We are all over the place!

Rachel's in Missouri, the kids are in Georgia and I'm in Alabama - at home.  I got back this morning after the awesome Third Day/Jars of Clay concert we went to last night (check out my "Reviews" page for more info).  I finished a correspondence class today after taking the fifth and final test - PTL!  I turned in a term paper and book review for one of my grad courses.  Now I just have three exams and one more term paper to finish the semester.  It wouldn't be too bad except that I'll be working 12-hour days for the next two weeks straight.  Hmm.  I guess that's life, just like the tides, ebbing and flowing, over and over again.  We have a lot of exciting events coming up including the birth of our third child, the Christmas holidays (and substantial mental, physical and emotional break that will come with it for me) and a five week class that I was selected for that will hopefully make me a better officer.  I'll let you know how that works out.  Please pray for us as we continue to tackle life at breakneck pace!  Peace!

Guitar Hero

Just like the real thing - only completely different!  On my business trip to TN, I became wonderfully familiar with Guitar Hero, for Playstation.  In short, It ROCKED!!  I've got to say though, the "expert" level is totally beyond me!  We unlocked all of the 40 songs in Guitar Hero - 2 (I think) on the "medium" level and that was still pretty difficult.  Anyway, it can be quite a workout, though not as much as the Nintendo WII seems to be.  It's really more of a workout for the fingers on the frets - those buttons can build up some serious callouses.   Anyway, I would not recommend buying a PS-2 just to get this game, but I'd definitely recommend hanging out with friends who've already got it!

Instruments in worship or not?

I wandered on to an interesting post tonight after watching a dismal performance by Auburn in Athens as they got trounced by UGA.  The article is here, and it speaks of the unscriptural act of using instruments in worship - likening those who do, to the Pharisees.  So, I checked out another site to see the opposing argument and found this article supporting the act.  I've already forwarded my opinions and scriptural discoveries to the author(s) of the first article mentioned, but I am more interested in what you think.  Is instrumental worship a help or hindrance?  Is it a blessing or blasphemy?  Why?  If you are willing, put your hermeneutical skills to the test and let us know what you believe!   God Bless!

Chronology: Volume One

Chronology: Volume One, Third Day

If you have never listened to Third Day before, this is a great starter disc - especially, if you don't care about buying out their entire collection.  Some of it is terrific!  The best aspect, hands down, is the fact that both Volume One and Volume Two come with a DVD of early performances and shows when they were just out of high school!  It's pretty crazy to see how they've changed!  It's also amazing to see that God never has changed - the music they made then was incredible!  Sure, they've gotten better as artists, but the painting hasn't changed much.  This is a great thing, as a lot of artists try to "paint" different images in the hopes of reaching a different crowd (or a different wallet).  Third Day has never seemed to do this.  God is using them in some mighty ways and I look forward to Chronology Volume Three to come out in another ten years!  Thanks, Brad, David, Mac, Mark, Tai, and everyone else who makes their ministry possible!

Concert Friends

It's really cool when you go to a concert and end up meeting new friends!  I remember my second Third Day show ever, at Hills Alive in South Dakota.  That was over six years ago and our family is still in touch with the folks we met and spent most of our time with at that concert!  In fact, we're going to share Thanksgiving dinner with them this year.  God is so awesome!  Today, I'm going to visit a church in Knoxville after having met some really nice folks at the Jeremy Camp concert.  They invited me and of course, I wasn't doing anything else, so I'm off to visit them at their church this morning.   One friend I had met at the Third Day concert in Alaska was particularly excited to be there - she had flown all the way from Germany for a company trip and now she was standing next to me and my wife on the front row.  She tried all night long to catch one of the many picks that Mac, Brad, Tai and Mark throw out at the crowd, to no avail.  Well, I caught one (or picked it up, or something) and gave it to her.  Voila - friend!  It's that easy, folks.  God Bless!

Welcome India!

That now makes visitors from two new countries in a week!  I'm happy to see that the world is starting to notice our happy little community.  

On Friday, after work, I went to the club with some co-workers up here and watched the first half of "Transformers" - GO AIR FORCE!  Then I chilled at a co-worker's home with another friend (all of our wives were out of town) and we had an acoustic jam session.  It was groovy. . . One of the dudes left and I was introduced to Guitar Hero: 80's for PlayStation.  I have to admit, I've never been a big fan of video games.  This game, however, ROCKED!  I had a blast - even though real skills at the guitar are next to useless to do well in this game.  Good rythem helps, as does hand - eye coordination, like any video game.

Today I vegged out in the rental car - a totally sweet blue PT Cruiser.  Yes, I vegged out in the rental for over 7 hours!  I explored all over the Smokies and hit Cades Cove and Clingman's Dome.  There was a brief intermission at a classy little dive - Mel's Diner - but most of the day was spent listening to Channel 66 on satellite radio (Spirit) and enjoying the essence of fall in Tennessee.  You might say, "But Dave, Tennessee's not really Alaska, is it?", as if to say it's not pretty enough.  Yes, you are right - Tennessee is not Alaska, thankfully.  I'm not sure I would have enjoyed my drive nearly as much at 30-below today.  I certainly wouldn't have made the mile hike up and back at Clingman's Dome to the observation tower.  Anyway, you naysayers can sit back and pretend your day spent watching college football was more rewarding than the half tank I spent cruising the Appalachians in fall.  You just do that. . .

Anyway, this blog entry is getting too long, so I'm going to cut it short.  Besides, my clam chowder is getting cold, the french bread is getting stale and Panera closes in 50 minutes.  God bless!

Jeremy Camp, Knoxville, TN

Last night I went to see Jeremy Camp in concert, with opening act: Mainstay. Both were awesome! I got in line at the ticket office (tix were on will call) about 15 minutes before they opened. By the time I got my tickets, I was pretty far back in line - stretching out in to the parking lot. It was pretty windy also and the line grew very long as the doors opened twenty minutes late! Anyway, being alone makes it easy to squeeze in with a group at a general admission concert and that's exactly what happened! So, I sat just left of center, in the third row! It was sweet! I think the best part was the second set, when Jeremy sang with his wife, who is also coming out with an album. Overall, it was an awesome experience. I've got a few more concerts coming up and I'll be sure to post on those as well. Additionally, I've decided that it's probably time I start a page dedicated to my favorite band: Third Day. I've got a bunch of great stories from the last ten years about this band and I can't wait to share some of them with you.

Six years and counting

Sadly, the cruise had to end at some time. It was a glorious time, though - full of midnight mexican buffets, chocolate melting cake (wow), gallons of Coca-Cola (to make the drink card worthwhile), a very bumpy bike ride down a 2,000' descent over 8.5 miles, tons of awesome music, and lots of time with my favorite human bean in the whole world - my wife.

Speaking of, today marks not only the end of a great vacation, but the beginning of our seventh year of marriage. Six years ago, our wedding was the last event of an extremely busy two days. On Friday I was commissioned into the Air Force and we attended the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. On Saturday, I was party to a massive 3-hr+ graduation while Rachel started getting ready. That afternoon we got hitched in front of about 250 of our closest friends and family members. It was definitely a whirlwind, but well worth it. She has complemented me in ways I never anticipated over the last six years and I am certainly a MUCH better man for knowing her.

On a side note, I would like to thank my brother for posting the last entry - I was not able to post from the cruise, but he was more than willing to help me out. So, yes, he is the coolest person in the world.