A good couple of days

So it's been a good couple of days.

Yesterday was a great Sabbath (actually resting and enjoying it), which ended with a question/answer time with Stuart Greeves (the director of the Nightwatch (12am-6am time at IHOP)). Something came out of that question/answer time that kind of cleared the muddle that I've been swimming in since I got here. . . it's still stewing in me . . . but it's a word that is starting to change the way I think about things, both here and at home.

Yeah. More on that later, I'm sure . . . as I said, it's still stewing.

Then today was just good. There was an all-approved-musician meeting where Mike spoke to us about lots of crazy stuff that I can't relate here.

And tonight's set (I played from 2am-4am) was awesome. At least it was awesome on stage. . . I couldn't really tell what the response from the people in the prayer room was. Anyway, we got back into the debriefing room and it was just silent. No one could think of anything to say. But we couldn't make ourselves get up or break the silence. It was crazy.

Dad, thank You for clarity and wisdom and understanding
. . . at least what You've given me so far . . . :)
Please give me more . . .
. . . help me understand more about You every day.
Give me the grace to keep searching after You
and the wisdom to understand what You show me.
I love You. Help me to love You more
and understand Your love for me.
Help me to put You above all of my other dreams and desires.
Above all, help me to really know Christ, and Him crucified.
I love You.
So be it.

Fun Times at a big house

So we just got back from the home of one of the guys in my apartment. . . his family lives nearby. His family of 12 brothers and sisters. Soon to be 13. His family with a large house.

It was fun.

I'm amazed the youngest kids were able to sleep with us making as much noise as we were.

Apparently, this is a weekly event, so yea! 

Oh yeah, we ate at Chipotle's, which was also awesome. Yea for monster-sized burritos.

Nothing to say . . .

It's been a somewhat uneventful day . . . sort of.

Stuff happened. It was cool.

Oh yeah, it snowed, and was really cold.

Nothing terribly exciting, though.

Yeah. Brain not working.

It's sleepy time.

So that was fun . . .

So Stuart Greeves(director of the Nightwatch and Fire-In-The-Night) is a hoss on bass . . . he got "the funk", if you know what I'm sayin' . . . which makes it difficult for very non-funky me trying to figure out what the progression is . . . :)

But it was actually really good. I was a little more comfortable tonight, so that helped, and I wasn't a complete stranger to everyone in the group, which also helped.

Anyway, it was good. So . . . yeah. We'll see when I get to play next. I was just filling in the past two nights. So . . . yeah . . . i don't really have a lot to say.

I'm tired . . . I haven't really slept well the last two nights . . . it's probably the 6:30am-right-before-bed-time-Cheez-It-and-Oreos-and-milk-time snack, giving me lovely acid reflux. Yea!

So . . . yeah . . .

OK,  bye.

Dad, thank You for Your love for me

and for Your grace in letting me have

gifts and talents that I enjoy using.

Thank You for Oreos and Cheez-its.

I really like them.

Even when I eat too many and they give me acid reflux.

I suppose I should thank you for acid reflux, too . . . since

that's probably supposed to let me know that I shouldn't

eat that late at night/morning.

Oh well. You rock. You're cool.

Yeah. I'm tired. I love You.

So be it.

Ready. FIRE! Aim.

So I got to play acoustic tonight during the 12am-2am set . . . which was fun and all.

It was like learning to play with Pastor Chris all over again. :)

 . . . as in having to figure out the style of a particular person's keyboarding, all while having to figure out in a few minutes where to plug in my acoustic rig, work the Aviom system and transpose every song on the fly . . . oh yeah, and learn 5 new songs in one set. :)

So that was fun, and I get to do it tomorrow at 4am. Yea! Hopefully I won't be as nervous this time.

Dad, thank you for the opportunity to serve

in a way that I love. It definitely helps with the monotony. :)

Dad, I love You. Help me to honor You with my praise

and to catch more of a glimpse of You in the process.

Thanks, Dad.

So be it.

Crazy Death-Metal-Indian-Techno Worship

OK . . . so if you have access to the IHOP prayer room video feed . . . you HAVE to watch this.

Misty Edward's team did this absolutely ridiculously amazing bit that absolutely rocked out the place.

I was astonished.

I was astounded.

It was a crazy mix of techno/hardcore/metal/indian. And it was awesome. I could feel lots of people rolling over in their graves, though. This would never EVER happen in most churches.

It was at the 10pm set on April 8. Scroll ahead to about 1:07 on the video. It's amazing.

I had a strange vision in the middle of it (it lasts about 30 minutes) of Jesus head-banging to it. I hope that's not sacrilegious.

Sick day

So I guess God wanted to me to have a full Sabbath day . . .

I woke up this morning, did my audition . . . (guitar and piano went well, I think, but since I was sick, vocals were no-so-beuno) . . . and then promptly went back to sleep for another 4 hours or so . . . woke up, and still felt horrible . . . so I "called in sick" to my prayer room time, and went to bed again. . . for another 4-5 hours or so.

I had to get up, though, even though I didn't go to the prayer room, so I don't mess my sleep schedule body clock thing up. Yeah. 

So basically, I've been either asleep or alone today . . . which has been kinda nice.

Dad, thank You for forcing rest on me sometimes

Especially since I forget to actually use the Sabbaths

to really rest.

Anyway, thank You.

I love You.

So be it.