Listen at Your Own Risk

Hey guys. Since I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Casting Crowns, I got a copy of the new material that is on their new CD, Until the Whole World Hears. This CD encompasses why I fell in love with the group in the first place. There are only 2 songs on the CD that I tend to skip over when I am listening for my own pleasure. Those are the title cut, Until the Whole World Hears, and what seems to be the only other up-tempo song on the album, Holy One. Both of these are great tunes, but I usually just can't wait to get to the next song.

The main reason I love this record is that it is another great worship record like I feel Lifesong was. In fact, last week I was driving home from my mother's house after some hard work and found myself so in to the worship experience I had my eyes closed, singing out. Did I mention I was driving too? Luckily Cassi called my cell phone within about 20 seconds of that.

Cassi and I had the pleasure of sharing 2 of my favorite songs on this record with our small group this past Sunday. Both of the songs, Blessed Redeemer, and Glorious Day talk about the sacrifice that Jesus made as he was marched to His death. The imagery is breath taking. In fact, I had to have Cassi finish reading the lyrics to our small group as I was choked up. Megan Garrett, keyboardist and vocalist for Casting Crowns, even got choked up at their Nashville concert during a song titled Mercy. This song is a great ballad that says, "Your Mercy saved me, mercy made me whole." It says that we are sinners and in desperate need of mercy, which we are given.

I also got to share the song, Always Enough with a friend that had been through some incredibly tough times over the past few years. They say that the music of Casting Crowns literally saved their life. This particular song was a comfort also. It captured me from the first line. "In a dry and weary land, Lord You are the rain." When we cannot rely on the world, family, peers, or anyone else, God is always enough for us.

There are a few more great mid tempo and slow songs on this record that are worth listening to. I love all but 2 of the songs those 2 still get a "like" from me.

If you want an album that is full of cool riffs and sounds "poppy", this one may not be for you. If you like music to take you to a high plateau where you can get lost in the worship, dance in the presence, and bask in the message, there is not a better album than this one.

If you are listening to this while you drive your car, please listen at your own risk.

Peace

P.S. The album drops today. Do yourself a favor or someone else having a hard time. Go buy it! This one is going to change and save more lives.

Never Give Up Your Dreams. Never? Really?!?

These people all had a dream in the 70's. 9 of them are millionaires and 2 are billionaires. Dreams are important for success. One of my favorite passage in the Bible is Proverbs 28:18.

Abraham was told that he would be the father of multitudes. His descendants would outnumber the stars. The Messiah would come from his bloodline. He and his descendants would be given the land which is now known as Israel. His wife Sarah was barren and both of them were old. He and Sarah wanted all that was promised from God. They wanted it so much that they tried to help God fulfill the prophecies. Genesis 16 has more info on this part.

The part I am interested in is after Abraham was given what he and Sarah wanted and were promised. When God promises you something how can you not feel a sense of entitlement? Their dreams were realized. They had their son. God asked Abraham to give up his dreams, his destiny, and turn it back over, as a burnt offering to God. An interesting thing about a burnt offering as opposed to a regular sacrifice is that the sacrifice is fully consumed by the fire. There is nothing left to bury or that would have any value. Rather than hold on to his dreams he trusted God with it. He was willing to give it back completely.

Through our recent past people have asked why I am willing to walk away and leave my dreams right when it seems I am in the midst of them being reality. They see me playing for Casting Crowns, Avalon, Michael English, Buddy Jewel, and our band, The Daniel Doss Band, being on a major label as me on the edge of my personal dreams becoming a reality. The truth is, if God asked me to sell everything I have and leave music forever I would. I am not exactly sure how I would function, but it would make me dependent on God that much more. I tell the ones who ask me that I am not walking away from music, I am walking with God. He knows the plans He has for me and that is exactly where I want to be. Jeremiah 29:11 is a great passage to live in.

Peace

“Until the Whole World Hears”

It has been a couple of weeks since I have blogged, but I have come to terms that this is how life is going to be for the next 12 months. I promise I will try to get better at fitting blogging into this crazy life of mine. J I am more than happy to walk this road God is leading us down. Becoming a missionary and joining a church planting team is an enormous commitment, but I couldn’t be more thankful. We have to make the most of everyday from sun up till sun down. The days of relaxation are going to have to be over for the next 12 months to give this our all. I have recently changed my ringtone (lol) to a song that really inspires me. It is on Casting Crowns’ new album and really touches me. It is actually the title of their new album and my blog it is called “Until the Whole World Hears”. Here is the chorus just to show you why it inspires me during this time.

ready yourselves
ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
ready yourselves
ready yourselves
May the powers of darkness tremble as our praises rise
Until the whole world hears Lord we are calling out
Lifting up Your name for all to hear the sound
Like voices in the wilderness we're crying out
as the day draws near
we'll sing until the whole world hears

I am currently taking an Old Testament class in college, and it has been an amazing blessing. During this time when life is turned upside down and you are preparing to leave everyone and everything you know, it is a comforting feeling to be reminded of the sacrifices God has made for us. It makes what we feel like is a major life change seems ill in comparison to what God has sacrificed for us. I sit in class each week with 20 other students and a facilitator. I get to hear their thoughts, beliefs and hear about their relationship with the Lord if they have one, and see their eyes light up when they learn things that they did not know about our savior. I thought this is just a taste of what we will experience in an area where God is not often spoken of. To go to an area where people are not sure what to believe in and walking around with an agonizing emptiness inside, it will be amazing to see the changes in their lives when they accept Christ. Once we realize it is not about us it is about him it is an amazing feeling.

If you have been keeping up with our blog you already know that we are working in so many areas of our lives that our heads are spinning. We are meeting with ministry partners, learning French, constantly seeking God and praying, cleaning out clutter, selling unneeded items, meeting with a financial counselor, plus everyday normal life. Our biggest plan for the coming weeks is to get our house on the market by next weekend. We have been advised from our financial counselor to try the for sale by owner thing for a couple of months. If that doesn’t work then we will seek the help of a realtor. Please pray for us as there is so much to do to have the house ready.

Thinking of leaving my family is one of the hardest things I will do in my life. I have amazing Grandparents, Parents, and siblings who I will leave behind. I also have amazing in laws, nieces, and nephews who we will leave as well. This is a sacrifice we are willing to make. We have families who love us so much and we are so thankful, and we are lucky enough to have families who love the Lord so I know they will understand why we have to do this. When God is calling you to something it would be easier to look the other way and go on about your normal life, but answering that call is the right thing to do as Christ followers. My main goal is to love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength and be obedient to him. I ask you to pray for our families during this time. I pray that God will give them understanding. I know they will be a constant support in our lives no matter where we are at. To our Mothers we will be home once per year and you can come visit whenever you like. J We love you all.

I was reading a team members blog and it was talking about how we started this process 7 months ago. I cannot believe how these months have flown by. I cannot believe that I have had the blessing of visiting this country to help make plans for the coming year. It is scary and exciting all rolled into one. Even though I got to spend a week there I still cannot imagine what all God has in store for when we get there. We are trusting God through it all. Please join with us in praying for the missionaries serving in Belgium now and for the people of Belgium, please pray for us along with our teammates as we work harder than ever before to answer the call.

Matthew 28:18-20 (New International Version)

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Life In the Fast Lane!!!

Hello Everyone,
Sorry it has once again been a while, but our life has been in the fast lane since I have returned from Belgium. Bryan was out on the road with Casting Crowns, and I have been swamped trying to catch up at work, help my mom move, and I am still working toward my degree. We had a family reunion last weekend which was lots of fun and Bryan is on the road with Jacobs Road this weekend.

In the midst of normal everyday life we are constantly praying, preparing, and having weekly small group meetings with Team Belgium. I have recently started a new devotional book by Beth Moore called Voices of the Faithful, and I am loving it. It is so inspirational and starts my day off right with some words of encouragement, scripture, and prayer. It is written by 300 IMB missionaries who are currently working in the field. Since we are all called to be missionaries I would recommend it to anyone even if your mission field is not overseas. In the evenings I have been reading a book called Sister Freaks by Rebecca St.James which is about women who risked it all for God. I guess you can tell what is on my mind. The truth is I am taking the advice we received from the missionaries while we were in Belgium. One thing we heard from all of the missionaries was to know how to feed yourself, and I don’t mean food I mean spiritually. When you are in an area where Christians are literally nonexistent it can be easy to get knocked down. By keeping ourselves in the word and uplifted we will be focused and ready for the constant challenges we will be facing daily. Sometimes it can be hard in the US to stay immersed in the word, but in the US we have our church(LifePoint), Christian friends, Christian radio, and tons of Christian organizations to be a part of. We have resources and support all around us. When we are an ocean away from everyone and everything we know I want be as ready as I can be so that nothing will distract me from the work I will be there (Belgium) to do. My husband constantly says you are what you eat and he is referring to spirituality as well. It really does make sense if you know how to feed yourself then you maintain a strong relationship with our Father. When I feel closest to God no other feeling can compare. I am so blessed to have grown up in an area where I can join with others and worship our Perfect God. I can’t wait to get to Belgium to share the good news. I can’t wait to start a church where hopefully everyone will feel free to worship and get involved and build that personal relationship with God and eachother that I know so many are longing for and just do not have the resources or the knowledge on how to start it.

I also want to thank ALL of our ministry partners. Without you this would not be happening. So thank you, thank you, and thank you! If you are or are not joining us in this ministry please know when we move to Belgium our door will always be open. You will always be welcome to come and visit and get your hands dirty with some of the mission work we will be doing there. The financial support is huge, but if Belgium is tugging at your heart you are welcome to get on the ground once we get there and help out. I also want to say a special thanks to our friends Keith and Kerri who gave us Rosetta Stone French Version, a book on Belgium, and a heating blanket that will work overseas. Since Kerri just moved back from Luxemburg she is an amazing resource. We have so many friends that are stepping up to help in many ways so just know how much we appreciate you.

As we continue to prepare we are looking at apartments online to figure out budgets, getting our house on the market, paying off debt, getting prepared spiritually, raising support, learning French, and much more. I ask that you pray for us and the rest of our team during this intense time. It is very exciting and we are trusting God to get us there. We have an amazing Team that God has put in place. Everyone brings something different to the table, and including children we have 19 people going and one more college student who will be joining us a few months after we get there for a total of 20. I am so happy to be going with such an awesome group of adults and children.

Please remember that even though so many view Belgium and Europe as a country with everything it is one of the hardest mission fields out there. There aren't as many physical needs to be met in Belgium as in some countries, but the spritual need there is endless! We have been told this by many. People are so closed off from one another that they are a tough country to get through to. Please pray for God to start working and preparing their hearts now. Please pray for the missionaries who are currently serving in Belgium. We thank all of you for your support!

Meet the people who are making it happen

Hey guys,

I am still out on the road with Casting Crowns. Yesterday we were at a Provident Records dinner and performed with Brandon Heath, Matt Maher, Chynna and Vaughan, Phil Stacey, and Leeland. It was really neat spending time with all these artists back stage. Admittedly, I was one of those guys who had a bit of a Junior High crush on Chynna Phillips when she was with Wilson Phillips. I ended up not talking with her, fearing that I might come across as a gurm.

The tour rehearsals earlier this week were in Nashville at the Sommet Center with Casting Crowns and Matt Redman. His band sounded so good in rehearsal. Especially the opener. The keyboard player is a guy named Nathan Nockels. He was one of the guys who almost produced the DDB record for us. He does quite a bit of producing in Nashville, especially for his wife Christy Nockels. He and his wife were a group called Watermark for years.

It has been cool to meet and hang out with a lot of the artists that have been writing the lion's share of worship songs of the modern church. This is all just over the past 8 days I have been with Casting Crowns.

We are staying at a nice resort style hotel called Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel. Free tickets to the Universal theme parks. I am staying in the room today though. I have to realize that this is work for me. I need to make sure the music I play tomorrow is right on the money. If I get done later I might venture out to the park.

Chris and Amanda had their baby last night. This morning Hannah seems to be doing well. I should know soon how much longer I am on the road with Crowns. Their tour for the new album starts this coming Thursday in Albuquerque and Friday in Phoenix. By the way this new album, for me, is the Casting Crowns I fell in love with in the beginning. There is quite a bit of worship on this particular album. I have had moments of "church" sitting there learning the tunes. I find myself going between work and worship. This album drops in November and I suggest you OWN IT!

Well, gotta run. I think Cassi said she was going to try to do an update on her trip to Belgium. Not sure about when, but keep looking here for it.

Peace

A Trip With Casting Crowns

I just got back in town from a weekend with Provident recording artist, Casting Crowns. For most people who read our blog they need no introduction, but for those who are just starting to check out this Jesus thing, Casting Crowns has 4 platinum records and 2 gold records. They also have a new record being released in November I believe. They are partners with World Vision and over a year ago they had directly helped to get over 19,000+ children sponsored on a monthly basis. I am sure that number is so much higher now. Like I said this was over a year ago when I was at a World Vision night in Nashville and CC was recognized for their help.

I ended up filling in for them because their bass player and his wife are expecting a child any day. They just needed me to fill in on some dates and help them get ready for the upcoming tour. We start tour rehearsals in Nashville tomorrow, Sunday the 6th. I need to be learning 8 additional Casting Crowns songs from the new album. I like what I have heard from it so far.

So, I will post a few picture from my trip.

Waiting on bus

Bus waiting on me

Back stage area

Crew setting up

Empty seats

Getting some of the details worked out

On stage

Peace!

Tuesday in Brussels and Home Base

Cassi and the team are going on a prayer-walk today through Brussels. They also plan on surveying more of the city to find out more of where we can move and make an impact. They also plan to engage people today by starting conversations. They hope to find out about society, the community, their spirituality (as we call it in America). I hope that today will be a fruitful day there. They are 7 hours ahead of us here in the central time zone so there day is mostly over by now.

At home: This past Friday was our first meeting with LifePoint members to talk about being financial partners. That went well. Sean and Shonna Harrison, and another LifePoint couple (name withheld-I did not ask them if they cared if people new they were sponsoring us) have come on board. I have also had 2 conversations in the last two days and had interest from both of those. So, in the last five days it looks like we have gotten our first 4 monthly sponsors. God can work fast.

Please continue to pray for the team in Belgium for safety and clarity. Also, pray for me. I am putting the finishing touches on the Casting Crowns music I am learning. I leave tomorrow afternoon for a stint with them.

Peace

5 Out of 6 Ain't Bad, Or is it?

I have not been doing much of a "normal" life over the last month and a half. It has been the busiest season I have had in a LONG while. That is good in the fact it means I am working. I will be writing a series about my time on the road with artists such as Buddy Jewel, Avalon, Michael English, Daniel Doss Band, and Casting Crowns.

Five of the last six weeks I have been traveling the country. I have seen some of the most beautiful scenes in nature and on earth. My job allows me to see THE most breath taking thing on earth week after week. The Mona Lisa, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, et. all pale in comparison. I am in front of thousands of people who 1.) recognize who created them, 2.) recognize their position in relation to Him, and 3.) return the ONLY thing they have back to Him in the form of praise. Have you ever really watched people worship? It is truly amazing. Maybe just to me and that is why God chose me to "stand and deliver" on stage.

Cassi has been busy holding down the full-time job and the house while I have been gone. This is the first Saturday we have had together in 6 weeks. We are going to Morton's Steak House tonight on someone else's dime. That is the best way to go!

We both are happy I am home now for at least a few weeks. The Casting Crowns shows are coming up soon. Pray for Chris and his wife that these last few months go smooth. I have already been called up and put on notice once for a slight scare.

Look here in the future for more Belgium updates and road reports.

Peace

Dates with Casting Crowns

I received some dates that I will be performing with Casting Crowns. Chris Huffman, the bass player for Casting Crowns, is taking a short leave for his 2nd child to be born. I will be filling in for him while he is out. As of right now that is looking like September 3-5.

The shows will be in St. Paul, MN, Kansas City, MO, and New Braunfels, TX respectively. Come out and check them out if you can.

Casting Crowns tour dates information can be found here.

We keep on runnin'

We have put on many miles and spent many hours in a vehicle over the last week. We drove from Nashville to Fresno non-stop, except for gas, restroom and food. We had 3 shows opening up for Casting Crowns. The shows went well. Daniel blogged about some of it and will be blogging about some of our misfortunes and how we had to rely on God to physically step in and take care of certain issues.

I did get the chance to see my aunt and uncle on my dad's side of the family. It has been a few years. I want to tell them thanks for coming out. It meant a lot.

Here is a pic of us with Casting Crowns (minus Andy, he was breaking down his drums)

This is a picture of Crowns from backstage

Peace

First show with Casting Crowns

There was a little trouble with the electricity. That put the day about 2 hours behind from a technical standpoint. We ended up getting a sound check in about 20-23 minutes. It was just enough to get through a show.

The actual set went well. We added "Lord Reign" for this weekend. We had not performed that one in front of anyone before (except for the CD release). I really love the message and the feel in that song.

Casting Crowns did a great job tonight. The people who showed up loved it too. They got some new lights and a backdrop that they did not have on their recent tour. Tonight was the first night they had used it. It was all new LEDs. They we VERY cool.

Big thanks to Adventure Christian Church for the hospitality.

We have to get up early to get down the road tomorrow. Gotta run.

Peace