photo number 3

if you can guess this, you get two points....

as it stands:

Nick: 1
Jerry: 1/2

I'm

getting married in 28 days


wow.
(:

photo number 2

where am I?

time for a game...

...about a year and a half ago, I did a picture game on my blog and I want to play it again... I'm going to post random pictures of things I see throughout my day... the first one to guess what it is and where it is at gets a point (must be specific) and the winner at the end of the game gets a really neat-o prize! (sorry Jenn, you can't play because you'll know them all, but I love you the most so it's okay)
okay... so here's picture number one...

one more new song posted!

"The Solid Rock" [play]

my apologies...

...to the little finch who's nest I had to dig out of the vent in my attic...
don't take it personally.

250 posts

...dang...

it's july 2008... I can't believe I'm less then two months away from my wedding day... I've been single for 28 years and now everything changes... I can't wait!

It's been quite a journey this life of mine... so much has happened.

so much has changed.

I'm so grateful for my family, good friends, my faith, a good cup of coffee, my job, my beautiful, soon-to-be wife, green grass, the sunshine, the summer months, damien rice, my brother's new lip ring... wait... sorry mom... not sure if you knew about this one.



it's been a busy season planning a wedding, working full-time, etc... I've missed the friends I've lost touch with over this season... I do want to connect with you all as soon as humanly possible... know that I think of you often.

my words for the month are:

-passion
-compassion
-selflessnes
-patience

pray with me that I can live these words...

worship endeavors...

I've recorded a new song...

I didn't write it....

but I like it so much, I recorded my own version of it...
check it out!!! (it's the first one that plays)

this is an attempt to land some more worship gigs...

it's not every year...

that you can celebrate like this...

planning a wedding...

...takes more time than I ever could have imagined!

But

it's coming together... and it's been a fun ride. My favorite part is that Jenni loves all my ideas (:
It's going to be a fun, fun weekend when it finally gets here!



mmm... can't wait to have this everyday!

I'm going to be a part of a whole new family

OKAY

I know I said footage of the proposal is coming soon, but I've been way too busy... so here is a post with no footage... but none-the-less, a post.
So, I've been leading worship around Michigan with some really solid musicians at different camps, retreats, church's, etc... and now it's been a few weeks since we've played out... I'm really beginning to realize that I need to be a worship leader... I don't really know what that means exactly.. whether that means on staff at a church, or if it means at camps and events like we've been doing...
I know that I come alive when I'm a part of this... It's so emotional for me... something happens... the stars align... everything is right within me and around me for those moments that I'm using what God has given me and inviting others into the throne room of the Almighty.
I don't know where this is all going, I just know I need to be a part of it.

a marriage proposal...

should be well planned...

Limo: check
Treasure Map: check
Roses: check
Massage: check
Manicure: check
Write her a song: check
Have her sister's in on the surprise: check
Have families waiting and cheering: check

I will post some video footage soon, but just know that it was a magical day... (:
and she said yes...

I have mice in my house...

so I've hired an exterminator...




I pay him in cat chow, litter, and good company.

his name is Ninja Turtles... thanks to Josh.

mmm...

eye game

There is something wrong with one of these pictures... can you figure out which one doesn't belong?

another week begins...

I'm confident it will be a GREAT one.

abolition

I can't believe how perverse our world is... it is so perverse that even Christians have become numb to so much of it. I can't believe what I see Christians doing, watching, saying, allowing into their lives and homes etc... it starts with one compromise which leads to another which leads to another and so on... there is no filter... and after a while we become numb to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and find ourselves slaves to sin and ensnared in something the world has told us is okay. I am beginning to have no tolerance for compromise... it has affected me so closely this week that I refuse to have it be near me... I don't want a 'middle of the road' lifestyle and am ready to call people out who are living there... I firmly believe that we Christians were called to a higher standard and we need to just flat out destroy any trace of compromise... this compromise, this perversity, this numbness within people who claim to be 'followers of Christ' has ruined my day for the last time... the results of it has thrown such a wrench into my world that I want to puke...
it's dirty, filthy, ugly sin... we need to eliminate this detrimental disease... it hurts way too much.

it's time for me to re-think

I'm pondering lately what God intended 'the church' to be... I see so much pain, heartache and grief caused by churches and people within the church causing people in ministry to say "I've had enough." I see bitterness, betrayal and hypocrisy. I see a multitude of sinners casting stones, thinking they're standing for the cause of justice... but at the cost of grace and integrity. Surely this is not what God intended... there is a place for someone to say that this is the result of a broken world and sin infesting itself among the saints, but I say there is something much deeper at the root of it all... and I think it starts with what the church is supposed to look like... I think what we now know as the church sucks to be honest with you... I think most 'Christians' have missed it... I've missed it, but now I am trying to process this and as I do, I wonder why I've been blinded for so long...I feel like I've bought into something that is 'easy'... I've dwelled in a place where I can hide if I want to... I can choose to live in my crap with no accountability and no community... and if I choose this, no one will call me out on it because it is what I choose... I need a place where someone won't let me or anyone else 'fall through'... and let me just say this: EVERYONE has crap and everyone hides their crap... I hide mine and you hide yours, so let's just give up the 'holier than thou' attitudes... let's drop the gossip about the person who gets caught and realize that if all of our hearts were x-rayed, they would ALL look identical... it's no wonder why there are people who absolutely can't stand the environment, constitutions, make-up, politics, leadership, values, laws, etc. of a church and the 'Christianity' it wants them to buy into... I'm fed up with it. I want something more... I want what God intended... I want to know God and live like Jesus... and to surround myself with people who want the same...

what happened to community? what happened to accountability? what happened to the church?

every guy should be this lucky...

well, maybe just one guy... (: