Free Love-rs in Japan

Hello friends, 

Just FYI, Coldplay is giving away their new video on iTunes, starting today and running for the next week or so.  

“Lovers in Japan.”  Awesome song and video!

iTunes

Accountability Post #17 – “It sucks getting old…”

Eek… it’s been a while since I’ve jotted my personal thoughts into the fabric of the World Wide Web, or The Internets, as all of them have been called [edit: courpratly].  Apologies to certain friends that have noticed my absence…  On the plus side, while I’ve been away, I’ve written 3 (THREE) songs that I really like, made progress on my back patio, changed the course of history for a small civilization and covered The Final Countdown with big hair.

So running…

My foot still feels injured… maybe it’s not bruised after all.  I think injuries are supposed to last longer when you’re old, aren’t they???  So running hasn’t happened, but biking has!  I love my bike!  It’s so ghetto with it’s solid steel frame, mis-matched wheels, one gear, one brake and bull horn handle bars, but it’s mine, and I’ve put a lot of sweat into it (along with my good friend and brother, Drew).  My foot feels fine when I ride, so that’s my vent.

We (myself and a bunch of youth leaders) went to Skyzone this past Tuesday, and by the next morning I felt like I had just “punch danced my rage” and fallen down an eternal hillside.  I was pretty sad because I thought, “Man!  This must be what it’s like to get old!  Now I’m going to have to start saying, ‘It sucks getting old,’ and I’m just not ready for that.”  Then I went to the Jr. High program that night and saw some of the High School Student leaders we played with.  You know what?  They were sore too!  SWEET!  Hold back the waves for another year!

So Isaiah…

I’ve been sketchy here as well, and there is no excuse for this.  Can’t blame it on an injury or getting old; I’m just not waking up in the morning like I should.  Someone kick my tail for this!  The last chapters I read, though, were 25 and 26, and 25 brought tears to my eyes.  Can I quote some?

“On this mountain the Lord of host will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us.  This is our Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’”

“God, I’m waiting!  I’m getting SO OLD!  (jk)  I get tired of all this, and I really just want to see You.  Come soon.  Amen.”

I had to write a bio…

I was asked to write my bio for our church’s website, so here’s what happened.

When the Mighty Fall

Someday, the arrows of the Enemy will be shattered, and the mighty men of God will stand without fear of constant attack.
“God, be a constant support for my friends who’s shields are hung low under the weight.  Amen.” 

Inspiration begets Inspiring Things

I took a shower today (please hold your applause till the end), and while in said shower, I conjured up a melody line that I kinda liked.  Now when inspiration happens, it’s important to get it out somehow.  Writers and Mathematicians need to scribble their thoughts on napkins for some reason, but musicians are forced to find a recording device or something like it to document the idea.  (Unless, of course, they have the wherewithal to write musical notation on napkins.  Those people are nuts!)  I’ve taken to using the “memo” feature on my phone.

So, mid-shower, left with no other alternative, I’m calling desperately to my lovely (enduring) wife to grab my phone and hold it in a convenient location for me to sing (in the shower, which always sounds better) my idea out of my head.  I thanked her, and as she leaves, she laughs, “Living with a musician is so weird.”

That’s a fair statement, but really, it can’t be that different than other inspired professions, can it?

I mean, take Accountants for example.  How many times have the Accountant and his wife been driving as inspiration hits him and he yells out, “QUICK HONEY!  I’M THINKING OF A NUMBER BETWEEN 1 AND 100!!  WHAT IS IT??”

Or the Optometrist out walking her dog, “I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYES SOMETHING THAT IS ORANGE!!!  GET ME A NAPKIN!”

Or the politician… “20 questions?”  Never mind.

 

That's Inspiration!

 

Can you think of any more?

Entertainment is a matter of Perspective

Aiden (my two year-old) really likes to play drums.  Here’s a video of him playing a set we got him on his second B-Day.

He would play them constantly if we were to let him, and he sings songs he’s written while he’s playing.  When you first hear him, you would think he prefers Screamer music because his singing is pretty intense, but really, he’s just singing as loud as he needs to to hear himself over the drums.

He’s gotten pretty used to my instructing his volume – ie, when Jamie and I are trying to talk, when Josh is trying to sleep, or when we’re at church and people are around – so when we were downstairs yesterday morning cleaning (without Aiden’s help), he wrote a song for me.

“I PLAY SOFTER, DADDY!

I PLAY SOFTER, DADDY!

I PLAY SOFTER, DADDY!

WHAT YOU WANT, DADDY!”

It actually had nice rhythm and musical form, and he was definitely singing from the heart about a topic that was important to him – a practice that most musicians have lost these days.  

—

I’ve really enjoyed seeing some soccer highlights on TV the last couple days!  

I really like the Olympics and I don’t mind Baseball, but Soccer is the only sport I’ve really liked consistently over the years.  Must be my love of Culture and World Affairs…  VIVA Le FUTBOL!