#1 The Swell Season “Strict Joy” – This group is really known for the movie that “made them famous” a little indie flick called “Once”. This album is as fresh as the first time we heard these awkward crooners find themselves in the film. There is something magic that happens when these two peoples voice join together. Here is a small sample:

2. Wolfmother “Cosmic Egg” – This is a band that should be a classic band from the 70’s. In face when I heard their first album I wondered how I could have missed this classic band. The way the vocals mesh with the guitar effects is magical. The new album “Cosmic Egg” is a wonderland of sounds and emotions. Here is an acoustic sneak:

3. Butterfly Boucher – “Scary Fragile” – It was years ago when I first heard Butterfly.I was on tour at the time and her album”Flutterby” had just come out and was my constant soundtrack on the road. 5 years later her music has transformed and is absolutely killer. Here is a sneak:

4. Civil Twilight “Civil Twilight” – Okay so this album has been out for a few months, but it still has not gotten old. It is just a great album and if you have not heard it…go buy it on iTunes. Currently it is 5.99 (for limited time).

Technorati Tags: Civil Twilight, Butterfly Boucher, Wolfmother, The Swell Season, New Music

Technorati Tags: Caedmon’s Call, Climb On, Derek Webb

Last night Amy Grant was part of a taping called ‘Holiday Notes From Home’. Here are a few pictures from the event. It was a fun event with Amy, Take 6 and the Military band.

Enjoy…

Technorati Tags: Amy Grant, Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Holiday Notes From Home

Last week the awesome place that I work part time had their big event called ‘Rally For Rocketown‘. It was a great event that raised money for Rocketown. This year former NFL coach Tony Dungy was the keynote speaker. Also in attendance Titans coach Jeff Fisher, Martina McBride, Vince Gill and Michael W. Smith. After the event Tony Dungy came by Rocketown and checked out the facility.

Here are a few photos from the event.

To find out more about Rocketown visit the awesome website.

Technorati Tags: Rally For Rocketown, Tony Dungy, Jeff Fisher, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Nashville, Rocketown

If we look up the word in the dictionary we get varying degrees of definitions:

1 : punishment
2 obsolete : instruction
3 : a field of study
4 : training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
5 a : control gained by enforcing obedience or order b : orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior c :self-control
6 : a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity

Could we as people not come up two different words for punishment and training?  Because we associate the word mostly with punishment the good aspects of having discipline are often overlooked or neglected. I started thinking about this last night as I was reading through a Henri Nouwen book called “The Way Of The Heart: Connecting with God through prayer, wisdom, and silence”. In the chapter I was reading Nouwen was talking about solitude and how we should use it to our advantage, but it takes discipline. He stated ”

But a real discipline never remains vague or general. It is as concrete and specific as daily life itself.

I stopped reading and started thinking about that quote. How many times have I said I want to do something, but do not lay out a plan to achieve what I want to do. I want to lose weight, learn a new skill,save more money, etc…all these lofty ideas but no bearing behind them. My want for these things is not concrete because I have not made it so. I have not planned out more than speaking.

Tonight I am thinking more about what it means to be concrete and specific with what I want to accomplish. How setting goals requires discipline and my goals can not be laid on a foundation of vague.

Technorati Tags: Discipline

When

Tonight Donald Miller did an in-store event in Murfreesboro, TN. It was in conjunction with his latest book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”.

When Don arrived a group of kids were singing patriot songs in front of the store and made it hard to hear. There were jokes about throwing books and yelling shut up, but everyone kept commenting on how cute the kids were so they were left alone. Don answered questions while the kids sang and people huddled around close to hear. Once the kids got through with the PA system it was wheeled over and they let Don use it. I guess we all rank lower than cute kids, but I do know parents get nasty when their kids don’t get proper attention…I guess to keep the parents from rioting our group was last on the list.

Once Don got the PA system he read ch.2 and ch.3 from his book. People laughed and it was funny so they had the right. (see below for Don reading ch.3)

With questions and reading it lasted about an hour in all. Afterwards he signed books. I bought a copy of the book even though I had a manuscript. I want to be able to mark up the book and make notes. It is a truly great book that everyone should own. In fact you can buy it from amazon.com

It was a fun way to spend part of a Thursday night. It was interesting to hear insights about reading, writing, Political thoughts,publishing thoughts, and other random topics.

Here are a few pictures from the night:

Video:

Technorati Tags: Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

I read a great quote today from a little known classic book called “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, I hope that it defines me but I know too often it does not.

“There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” “I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed  as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Too often I don’t practice the impossible. There are times that I even wonder what that looks like. Can I even imagine the impossible? All the wonders of the world are at my fingertips and I just need to practice the impossible.

Here is to practicing the impossible and everything that wonder holds for our earth worn souls.

Technorati Tags: Impossible, Lewis Carroll, Alice in wonderland

So I have a nasty little secret…okay not really nasty and not really secret but I LOVE ‘Glee’. I can’t help myself. Normally I don’t watch comedies and tend to reserve tv time for things more like Fringe, Lost and Flashforward, but Glee is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows. Maybe it has something to do with the amazing music. I am a sucker for a good musical. Too many times I have cleaned the house with the soundtrack of Wicked, Rent, Phantom Of The Opera or Hairspray turned way too loud. Now I get to add Glee to that mix. Each week they release songs from the show and these are just great tracks!

Another great thing about Glee is the humor. It is so awkwardly funny that you can’t help but cringe and bust out laughing at the same time. Each cast member was cast so perfectly — it really is like they are just a high school glee club that is learning to work together.

In case you have been living under a rock and not sure what glee is here is a quick break summary / break down:

The series follows an optimistic teacher, WILL SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison), who – against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach – attempts to save McKinley High’s Glee Club from obscurity, while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. It’s a tall order when the brightest stars of the group include KURT (Chris Colfer), a soprano who hits a high note in fashion; MERCEDES (Amber Riley), a larger-than-life diva with a voice to match; ARTIE (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who rocks and rolls; and TINA (Jenna Ushkowitz), a punk rocker who hides behind her stutter and blue hair extensions.

Will’s only hope lies with two true talents: RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele), a self-proclaimed star who is convinced that MySpace and show choir and are her tickets to fame; and FINN HUDSON (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks who must protect his reputation from his holier-than-thou girlfriend and “Cheerios” head cheerleader, QUINN (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant football teammate, PUCK (Mark Salling).

Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, but his only ally is fellow teacher and germaphobe EMMA PILLSBURY (Jayma Mays). Everyone else around him thinks he’s nuts – from his tough-as-nails wife TERRI SCHUESTER (Jessalyn Gilsig) to McKinley’s scheming cheerleading coach SUE SYLVESTER (Jane Lynch) – but he’s out to prove them wrong.

Really that does not do the show justice. Here are a few of my favorite highlights:

• Slushies in the face
• Celibacy club president/head cheerleader is pregnant
• Will’s wife is faking a pregnancy and trying to get head cheerleaders baby
• Great music
• Emma is a major germaphobe…break out the gloves
• Put a ring on it on the football field
• Great music
• Kurt and his dad
• Finn being such a good guy
• OTC medicine
• Sue
• Oh yeah…. great music

Now see if you had been watching the show you would have been smiling while reading those. Do yourself a favor and watch Glee — TONIGHT on Fox or check it out on Hulu.

A crazy sample of the music you will here:

This made me love this song more than the original Journey version!

When the most awesome Kristin Chenoweth was on Glee.

Technorati Tags: Glee, Fox, Kristin Chenoweth, Gleek

Driving home from work today I knew I needed a music boost so I put on Sara Groves. Sara’s music has become a soundtrack to my life. Those days that are great and the days that are not. The lyrics speak to parts of me that only music can find and help express.

I decided to take the windy road home tonight and soak up some beautiful music. As I was winding through the back roads the sun started to peak through the white mass of clouds. The breeze came to life and the leaves started dancing along the river bank. I grabbed my iPhone and snapped a few pictures of the beauty.

As I was driving these roads I was listening to the song ‘Add To The Beauty’ by Sara Groves. The lyrics bounced around in my head and they came to a new life.

We come with beautiful secrets
We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls
We come to every new morning
With possibilities only we can hold, that only we can hold

Redemption comes in strange place, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That’s burning up inside

It comes in small inspirations
It brings redemption to life and work
To our lives and our work

It comes in loving community
It comes in helping a soul find it’s worth

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That’s burning up inside

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful
This is grace, an invitation

The open road and nature calls to the best of who I am. No matter how long the day, how worn out I am, how much I long to crawl into bed, how tomorrow brings me to my knees — it is about adding to the beauty. That windy road called to the best of me and inspired me to hope for more.

As this day has wound down and is already in the new I want to remember to seek a better story. To accept the invitation to see redemption. My hope is that we all take this journey together. After all … it is the only one worth taking.

Technorati Tags: Jesus, Story, Sara Groves

For several weeks I have not gotten solid sleep. Some nights getting 2 or 4 hours while others I manage to squeak out 6 — my mind has been in constant think mode. I wake up in the middle of the night panicked and need to make to-do lists. I wake up overwhelmed by how much work I have for the next day. I wake up wondering what I am supposed to be doing with my life because surely this is not it. Even in my dreams my brain is active — my dreams are vivid and full of life, action, suspense and busyness.

I try journaling and reading my Bible before bed hoping that will help, but no matter what I do I can not seem to rest right now.

All this thinking made my mind wander to a verse. A very well known verse about resting. Matthew 11: 28-2 MSG

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Unforced rhythms of grace….that has got to be the most comforting way to invite someone into rest. Come with me and “flow”. Come with me and “breathe easy”. Experience who I am. Such an open and inviting invitation.

As I lay my head down to sleep tonight I am praying this Celtic blessing:

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

I would love to know how you find rest when things are crazy either in your life or in your head. What calms you down?

Technorati Tags: Rest, Jesus, Peace