I know I’ve been pretty non-existent around here.  If you follow me over on facebook you know that we recently experienced a very tragic loss in our community and in our church family.  Our worship minister, and former youth minister who baptized my children, went to be home with our Lord after a terrible head on collision on April 22nd.

There really are no words that adequately explain what kind of person Josh was.  He was the very definition of a God-fearing Man.  He was very active in many different projects, all to further the message.

One of those projects being a Christian Band by the name of the 3 Years Til September.  Their fire and talent was something that you didn’t see or hear everyday.  Just a few days before the accident, they announced that they were looking to raise money to record their first EP–something that Josh wholeheartedly believed in.  Not to be famous–but to get the message of our God out.

And then the unspeakable happened.

I do not normally do this–but I wanted to share this with you all.  The following was copied from Nick Rowland’s post, one of the 3 Years Til September band members–I know it’s long, but it’s worth the read.  Definitely shows how God is present in everything we do.

“Twenty eight days ago we embarked on a mission to produce our first EP CD. Josh was the leading force on this idea. I heard him say several times in regards to faith, “What are you doing right now that would be doomed to failure without God’s intervention?” This project felt that way. To be completely honest, I was nervous about the embarrassment if we did not reach our goal, and asking people for money did not help the matter either. Josh was not afraid, he always had a confidence about him that was not as concerned as much about the views of others as he was motivated by the cause. As a band we had recorded several songs in the past. Usually by the time we were able to hit the studio again, we pretty much had abandoned the previous songs due to new and better music. We had decided to push a kickstarter promotion to raise funds to finish the current CD and produce the first 1000 copies. This summer was to be a summer of goals. Camps were lined up, festivals had been entered, Kickstarter was launched, licensing was purchased, CD was in the works, we were staging ourselves for whatever God had in store. The band had never been about focusing on making it big, it was about making what we did count in a big way. We always said we did this whole thing backwards; marriage, kids, mortgage, car payments, band. We had to plan things out. Although not always easy, we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Two weeks ago we had our first long practice in months. It was a Sunday night that I will remember the rest of my life. We practiced, recorded some new songs, planned for the future, and just enjoyed the night. I left that evening with Josh in the recliner, Megan spralled out on his lap, thinking, “What a pair.” None of us were prepared for what was to come.

As the events of the next day unfolded, the band was the last thing any of us wanted to think about. We ached for the family. I don’t know how else to describe it. The thought of continuing on without him was unimaginable. How could we even consider moving forward with this project. Just let it slip through the cracks and quietly surrender. Isn’t that how many of us operate in life? As soon as were dealt a blow we feel like we have a valid excuse to quit. Well, the last couple weeks we’ve been challenged as a church to continue on the works, dreams, and ministry that Josh had. We’ve also been led to honor this life that touched so many of ours.

About a year ago we purchased a handheld recorder. We used this to critique our songs and remember ideas for the next practice. Josh spent a lot of time with this recorder. He always admitted that with most things in his life, he was pretty laid back, but with the band he was very type A. On Wednesday night I picked up the recorder from the basement. We had recorded a song on it the night before the accident. This was the song he wrote that was played at the funeral. As I scrolled through the recordings I found multiple tracks of Josh’s guitar parts. Some to songs we had been working on the last couple months, and some were brand new. As I sat in the dark I could feel him like he was sitting next to me just strumming away. I couldn’t believe what he had left for us on that recorder. Basically he had finished his part of the cd. I truly believe there is a reason we have these recordings. The more I thought about having them, the more I was convicted that we needed to do something with them.

After much prayer and discussion with family and friends, we’ve decided to see this thing through. Josh was always pushing us and I know he still is today. I’m not sure what will happen with the band, but I do know what we can still do with this dream. If you haven’t seen our kickstarter page, please check it out. Kickstarter is an “all or nothing” campaign. We either hit our goal or don’t, and receive nothing. This time were asking for your support for not only Josh’s dream, but for his family. All sales from this CD will go to the “daddies girls” account established for Josh’s children. We understand that some may think this is an attempt to gain sympathy, but we’ve learned from a great man to be convicted by the cause. Please share this and help us to support this family that has touched so many hearts, and to finish this dream.”

They are so close to their goal–but they only have 34 more hours to get there!  Josh, who was only 32, left behind his wife and 3 young children.  All proceeds from the sales of the EP will go directly back to them.  Help us help out a deserving family and help to fulfill Josh’s dream!

Click the link to pledge–you can use your Amazon account for the payment–so easy!

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Thank you for your support and patience as I finished this product! A Tragic Loss and a Way to Help is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

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