They have been CRAZY.  I’ve had two relatives die – a grandmother and great-grandmonther, both whom I’ve been pretty close to growing up. I worked ALL last week at a kids conference in Fort Walton Beach Florida called Breakaway.  I learned a valuable life lesson about grace and I got to experience first hand why it’s SO incredible.  The mere fact that when we screw up beyond all thought of redemption, we are offered the compassion, love and acceptance that we don’t deserve makes me wanna go hug someone or something. 

Then yesterday, we had our first launch team meeting for Connect Rome.  We had about 25 people show up, and others that wanted to but couldn’t.  God has really showed up in the whole launch process, even now when we’re still 6 months out from launching, he makes himself look super huge.  I look forward to the coming months to see what else he might do.  You can follow the whole process on Josh’s blog better than you probably could on mine.  

I’d like to share something that I read on Kristian’s blog this morning.  He was applying this to worship leaders, but it’s applicable to anyone who wants to be a part of adding to the kingdom that Jesus has called us to.  It is John 15:1-8 which says:

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 

If you are actively pursuing God’s calling in your life, these few verses should be your home.  We are called to not only build others up in the Lord, but also to feed our spirit with the principles that are Holy and Righteous.  We are called to be his hands and feet, but how can we when we have trouble walking on our own?  Hmmmmm.  

Times like these I really think about why God allows bad things to happen to good people.  Why someone so young?  Why place someone in a situation that will probably require them years and years of counseling?  Why to someone who has touched so many lives?     

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/TUNEIN/80521174/1005/ENTERTAINMENT

So I’m sitting in the The City listening to Paul and Austen write some music for their new project.  Between the POG Pedal, a Digital Reverb pedal, and the VOX AC30’s sweet tubes, my ears are enjoying a love they haven’t felt in a while.  

The past few days have been quite eventful.  I’m in the midst of determining a direction my life may head in, and it is stressing me out.  Balls. 

I’m reading two books right now.  I am not, but I know I am by Louie Giglio and Bono in conversation with Michka Assayas.  So far, I’ve learned that Bono almost killed his brother when they were young, and that God uses the little people to bring about his grand schemes for his glory.

What books are you reading right now? 

So I just came across this quote on Leading Smart’s blog that I have to share it with you guys.  This is a quote from Alice Cooper in the book Life on Planet Rock, page 66-67.

I was pretty much convinced all my life that there was just one God, and there was Jesus Christ, and there was the devil. You couldn’t believe in God without believing in the devil. I always tell bands that the most dangerous thing you can do is to believe in the concept of the devil or the concept of God, because you aren’t giving them full credit.

When you believe in God, you’ve got to believe in the all-powerful God. He’s not just God, he’s the all-powerful God, and he has total control over everyone’s life. The devil on the other hand, is a real character that’s trying his hardest to tear your life apart. If you believe that this is just mythology, you’re a prime target, because you know that’s exactly what Satan wants: to be a myth. But he’s not a myth, of this I’m totally convinced of that.

So here we are. We have God pulling us one way and the devil pulling us another, and we’re in the middle. We have to make a choice. And everyone, at some point in their life, has to make that choice. When people say, “How do you believe this? Why do you believe this?” I just say nothing else speaks to my heart. This doesn’t speak to my intellect, it doesn’t speak to my logic-it speaks right to my heart and right to my soul, deeper than anything I’ve ever thought of. And I totally believe it. That being said, I’m not a very good Christian. I mean, none of us are ever good Christians. That’s not the point. When you’re a Christian, it doesn’t mean you’re gonna be good, it means you’ve got a harder road to pull.

Freaking Incredible! Praise God for people who are real!