a long day ...

woke up late this morning (saw Coldplay at Sleep Train last night) ...
spent a few hours at Starbucks drinking coffee (reading Acts & Ephesians & 1st Samuel 30) ...
ate pizza ...
met with Emily and talked about the Stirring Kids ...
signed a few checks ...
responded to almost 130 emails (grateful for typing class in high school) ...
Red Robin with Matt and Erica parsons ...
life group at the Gafner's (steak & potato salad) ... I love our church ...
met with Darby Anderson about 'the Way' ...
called my wife in Sacramento ... (I miss my family) ...
watching a film about a cop who chases down bad guys with a gun ... (yep) ...
keeping up my blog reputation ...

Jesus Culture Live ...

tomorrow night, Jesus Culture is playing live at the Cascade Theater ...

if you want to come, I've got quite a few tickets for the show ... just email me at nathan@thestirring.org so we can get your name on the guest list ... then show up tomorrow night and tell them your name ... we'll get you in ... get the word out ...

it's more than just culture ... it's Jesus culture ...

the wild donkey ...

inspired by Dan's message on Sunday night, I wrote a worship song (and I threw some cardboard in the blue recycle bin) ... it's called the wild donkey ... it's from Job 38 & 39 ... here are the lyrics ... I'm hoping Jenna will let me introduce it at the Stirring this next weekend ... sorry, i can't give you the chords for copyright issues ...

verse:
Leaves are green
Trees are green
Grass is green
God loves green

pre-chorus:
who can tell the lightning where to bolt?
who can speak to the baby mountain goat?
who can tell the oceans where to break?
who can comfort the fawn while she mates?

chorus:
You let the wild donkey go free
And God, You still love me
You untied its ropes so it could go free
And God, You still love me

we've are officially done with the elephant in the church series ... greed, sex, drinking, politics, pornography and the environment ... if you missed it, listen to the podcast ... God has so much to say about this stuff ...

to our church, the Stirring ... you have been so encouraging and courageous ... you bless me and challenge me as a leader ... it's been such an amazing two years ... keep chasing Jesus ... there is so much more ... and it's just the beginning ...

august rush ...

friday night ...
just watched August Rush again with my wife ...
what a great film ...
these kind of films inspire me ...
to write songs ...
to write films ...
to start a rock band ...
to learn the cello ...

music has always been such a huge part of my life ... I always hear music ... on most days, there's a song resounding in my soul ... I hum melodies throughout the day ... and when I see a piano, I must sit down and tap them out ... music draws me to God ... music draws me to His heart ...

one of my favorite verses in Scripture talks about God singing ... "the Lord takes great delight in you, He will quiet you His love, He will rejoice over you with singing" ... Zephaniah 3:17 ...

I'll never forget an interview I saw with Bono a couple of years ago ... he was talking about music and songwriting and God ... he said, "God gives me melodies, it's my gift" ...

David writes, "God has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God" ... Psalm 40:3 ...

I'm not sure where this blog is going ... it's late ... my teeth ache ... my wife is talking to me about something, but I'm not really listening ... maybe one day, my brother Jeremy will ask me to join the Myriad ... I could wear tight pants, cowboy boots and color my hair black ... goodnight ...

Jesus is my friend ...

If you haven't seen this, you're missing out. I talked to the worship team and I think we're going to start doing this song at the Stirring. Zap!

the greatest 90's rock albums ever ...

i woke up at 9:56 am ... the best morning of my life ... i love sleeping in ... like it's my job ...

this morning, my daughters dressed up like princesses and we danced ... we danced and frolicked around the living room ... but when we dance, we must have the perfect dancing music ... most of the time it's Josh Groban or the Beach Boys, but this morning I threw on the Cranberries ... amazing dance music ... my daughters love the Cranberries ... fantastic princess dancing music ...

so, all day I've been thinking about the greatest 90's rock albums ever ... here it goes ...

#5 ... Nirvana ... Nevermind ... these guys have always been role models to me ...

#4 ... Pearl Jam ... Ten ... i memorized every song on this ablum ... the greatest album ever until Radiohead released the Bends ...

#3 ... DC Talk ... Jesus Freak ... finally, Christians had permission to be freaks ... thanks for being bold with this ablum ... i saw DC Talk on their Jesus Freak tour in San Diego ... the first Christian mosh pit ever ...

#2 ... Counting Crows ... August and Everything After ... so many high school memories ... my blue topaz ... cross country ... the cafeteria ... being duct taped to the school flag pole ...

the #1 greatest 90's rock album ever ... Radiohead ... the Bends ... i admit, I was a bit obsessed with Radiohead ... they gave me the nickname, 'Radioheadwardson' ... not cool ... i just liked the music ...