Yesterday morning, the pastor of David Crowder's church in Waco was electricuted during a baptism. He was reaching out to adjust a mic while standing in the baptismal and got shocked. He passed away shortly thereafter. Wow, how crazy. You can visit ajc.com, ubcwaco.com, or cnn.com for more info.

I think it's really the funny the people who have remarked on my last entry because I didn't notice I did it. Phusebox wasn't working with Safari so I couldn't post...haha, I have lots to say, but that will come soon.

Wow, tonight was so unexpected. Nathan and I were asked to lead worship for the Men's Conference at Belle Aire, and we were not sure at all what to expect. I wasn't really looking forward to it...actually I was looking past it to the three weekends of retreats we have ahead of us, but the night blew me away. We played four songs before Dean and played Salvation is Here before Vance Pitman, who is a pastor from Hope Baptist in Las Vegas...and everything went well, but the cool stuff happened afterwards when Vance talked to Nathan and I about heading out to Vegas to hang out with them and to check out their church. He said something about always looking for young worship leaders to help plant churches and stuff. It's just all so crazy because I have really been praying about wanting to be a part of a church plant, and Vance seems to be an amazing pastor to be under. I don't know what will come of this, but it just seems so crazy. He said something to the effect that he normally doesn't like bands as much as the guys that play at his church, but we were up there. What? God is so Good.

Wow, Catalyst...what an amazing two days. We heard from such amazing speakers as Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Don Miller (blue like jazz), Malcolm Gladwell, and Erwin McManus. Everything they said seemed to hit me right where I am at.
Andy talked about integrity in the first session and he talked about how to create and maintain momentum in the last one, and I wish I could just post the whole talk on here, because it is all about focusing our resources to make sure we are doing 2 or 3 things incredibly well rather than 10 or 11 things mediocre. He talked about how anything new creates momentum, so we have to keep things fresh and keep improving them in order to maintain momentum.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book a couple years ago called the Tipping Point that went on to be a huge success in the arenas of marketing and publicity and the like, but he was so good...talking about social power, and it doesn't matter how much money or resources you have, but you HAVE to be connected and be able to reach out into other social worlds in order to effectively get the word out.

Don Miller was my favorite. He was stinkin hilarious and talked exactly like he writes. Several things he said had a huge impact on me. He gave an example of something his friend Tony (the beat poet for those of you who have read blue like jazz) did when he walked into their meeting room and wrote city bus on the board and asked everyone to describe the city bus. They went on to say things like: dirty, smelly, utilitarian, crazy, loud, etc. and after that was all through he erased city bus and wrote "people" and said "this is how we think of people, as dirty, smelly, crazy, utilitarian objects, put in life to please us and to serve us. Man, that hit me hard, because how often do I look at every single person that I encounter as more important than me...every single one! We need to stop becoming friends only with people who validate our ideas and beliefs. Where are our non-believing friends? Where is our love for people?

Diversity is easy, Homogeneity takes work. -erwin mcmanus.

Come awake, from sleep arise
You were dead, now come to life
Wake up, Wake up, open your eyes
Reach from the grave into the light
Bring us back to life

-David Crowder*Band "Come Awake"

I just love that...

coldplay is amazing and put on an amazing show. after the disappointment of the b-ham show being postponed, I was able to get lawn seats from my roommate to tonights show at starwood. we had amazing seats. dead center, right behind the seats. they were beautiful and they put on what could very possibly be the best show i have ever been to. i want to be chris martin.

so yeah, coldplay in b-ham postponed...word on the street is that is will be moved the march...what the crap?

why the heck does everything on phusebox run together on my new powerbook!

it is on its way to my house. finally.

Benjamin
Son of the right hand : Hebrew


You have great self-confidence and a charming personality which attracts many friends and admirers. Your innate sense of personal power and ability to lead are ideally suited to positions of authority. Being so versatile and seeing the big picture your ambitions are high and much is usually expected of you. With patience and tenacity you will certainly fulfill the great potential you have for success.

photo from rachael

wow, God is so good. tonight went amazingly well and it was awesome to see the youth finally really getting in to worship and getting excited. it is now 5 in the morning and we just got finished doing the load out, and i am going to go crash. more to come later (including pictures).

so i just finished putting my new ikea bed together, and i found it surprisingly easy to put together, so i figured i would make fun of nathan a bit because he had a lot of trouble with his bed.

yah, well i was on the last step and i realized i had done step 2 backwards, so i went back and turned around the beams and screwed them back in only to realize that i had put one of the beams in the entirely wrong place, so i had to go back again and change everything around. but i did finish it. and it is beautiful.

the moral of the story: never decide to mock your friends until you are completely finished.

left my fear by the side of the road
hear you speak and won't let go
fall to my knees as i lift my hands to pray
got every reason to be here again
the Father's love draws me in
and all my eyes wanna see is a glimpse of You.


all i need is You
all i need is You, Lord
is You, Lord

one more day and it's not the same
Your spirit calls my heart to sing
drawn to the voice of my Saviour once again
where'd my soul be without Your Son
gave His life to save the earth
rest in the thought that You're watching over me

all i need is You
all i need is You, Lord
is You, Lord
all i need is You
all i need is You, Lord
is You

You hold the universe
You hold everyone on earth
You hold the universe
You hold, yeah You hold

-------

That sums it all up, my hearts cry. Whenever i feel my focus start to slip away, the Father's love draws me in. The past couple days have been fun, and God is showing me that his plans are not always my plans and his ways are not my ways. Even though it may be a while before things turn out like i hope they will (and that may never happen), I know that God is moving and alive here and speaking into our hearts through it all...and in the end thats what matters...him being glorified above all. Above the plans and the issues and the emotions, that everything points back to him. And it does, and it feels right.

we have been officially moved into the lodge (that's what our house was called) for almost a week now, and it is really awesome. everyone needs to come by and check it out sometime or come to one of the many cookouts that we will be having in the future. we just got our internet a couple days ago, and i have no idea what i did in life without internet...i just know i was really bored this past week.

several people came over tonight and we grilled some hamburgers and played sorry (the board game) until about 8 and then we went to see finding steve cunningham, which they were really good. i hadn't been to a show in a really really long time, and they rocked it hard (they still need to find a singer though).

anyways, everyone needs to go see my new favorite band hillsong united play next week (16th) at rocketown. it's free and is really cool worship stuff. let me know if there is anything i can be praying for you guys about.

"you are the way, the truth, and the life, I'll live by faith and not by sight for you...we're living all for you"
-"One Way" Hillsong United

In my heart, in my heart, there's a fire burning
A passion deep within my soul
Not slowing down, not growing cold
An unquenchable flame that keeps burning brighter
A love that's blazing like the sun
For who You are and what You've done

And as the fire is raging on
So Your praise becomes my song

The whole earth
Is filled with Your glory, Lord
Angels and men adore
Creation longs for what's in store
(Mountains bow and oceans roar)
May You be
Honored and glorified
Exalted and lifted high
Here at Your feet I lay my life

From the ends of the earth
To the heights of Heaven
Your glory, Lord, is far and wide
Through history You reign on high

From the depths of the sea
To the mountain's summit
Your power, Lord, it knows no bounds
A higher love cannot be found

So let the universe proclaim
Your great power and Your great name

don't wanna stand here and shout your praise
and walk away and forget your name
i stand for you if it's all i do
cause there is nothing compared to you
cause all i want in this lifetime is you
and all i want in this whole world is you

tell the world that Jesus lives
tell the world that...tell the world that
tell the world that He died for them
tell the world that He lives again

no longer i but Christ in me
cause it's the truth that set me free
how could this world be a better place
but by Thy mercy,by Thy grace

cause all i want in this lifetime is You...and all i want in this whole world is You

tell the world that Jesus lives
tell the world that...tell the world that
tell the world that He died for them
tell the world that He lives again

Come on, come on, we'll tell the world about you

we are heading to 722 tomorrow, which we have been planning for a while now. rachel, justin, amy, becca, and monica are all accompanying me, and it should be a blast. my car is finally fixed, and i will be picking that up tomorrow as well. they ended up having to put in a whole new AC system, so yeah, a lot of cash, but God is good and he always provides. seek rest in Him.

more quotes from willy wonka:

"i'm eatable, but that my children is called cannibalism and is in fact frown upon in most societies"

"and here is our puppet burn center...it's kind of a recent addition."

"i always thought a veruca was a wart you got on the bottom of your foot"

"don't touch that squirrel's nuts, it's makes him crazy"

"the best kind of prize is a SURprise!"

I have had such a good time hanging out with my friends lately, fun times.

"goodmorning starshine, the earth says hello!"
-Willy Wonka

last night was amazing. i went to see charlie and the chocolate factory at midnight with justin, rachel, monica, and jonathan. we ended up seeing at the imax, and let me just tell you something. i LOVE that movie. it was so good, i could not stop laughing the whole time...and david crowder would like that movie too because there are lots of squirrels. the movie is completely different from the first one and more like the book, so you have to go in expecting that, but everyone needs to go see it...i am definitely going again.

photo from rachael

i guess to explain my last entry, for those of you who are not following the tour, Lance took back the yellow jersey and got second place for the stage. he was 2:38 behind the leader (Voigt) today and he actually beat Voigt by 30 minutes. He is 0:38 up on Rasmussen. Lance should be up near the front for the next 3 or 4 days because they are all mountain stages and thats where he excels.

the past week has held some bank account scares, hanging out with friends, and going to auburntown...which Rachel and i decided was scary at night because of the possibilities of serial killers lurking in the shadows of the wooden ship. we really are city people.

Lance + Alps = wow