Insight

I appreciate the insight I receive from other people I'm working with and studying with. After moving here in January I've realized how much I miss my family and close friends. They've been the sounding board through the recent season in my life.

And I miss them a great deal. I'm thankful for new friendships that are emerging during this season of new things....

Have you ever had someone in your life that could always cause you to think? They had a gift to pull the best out of you?

I'm beginning to see, I'm slow at this, how fortunate I am to have you these new friends during this time of transition in my life. We would call this gift, insight.

Insight is defined as the act or outcome of grasping the inward or hidden nature of things or of perceiving in an intuitive manner. The Bible calls this wisdom and their are loads of verses you can read from the Proverbs alone regarding wisdom.

Take a minute today and thank someone who is a soundboard for you. Thanks to my friends who are willing to speak into my life.

Guitar surgery and guitar players

I love playing my Guild D-30 guitar. The guitar is in surgery right now getting some much needed attention after moving to the driest environment on the planet. Thankfully, it will be safely within arms reach in the next couple of days.

At thirty I realize a couple of things about music now,

1.Playing the guitar is a lot of fun and it's therapeutic.

2.I've always wanted to learn how to play lead guitar, but rhythm is where my strengths lie. I'm cool with that....

3.I hope to learn to play lead guitar like some of my friends Justin Ostrander, Jake Eyler or Holohan I really do nothing that unique to pull all the incredible tone out of the guitar like these guys do. But I'm learning.

Musically I'm trying to listen to some new bands. For instance, Carrie and I heard the band Vampire Weekend on SNL. Amazing band. Fun name. Great music. Really crazy stuff.

Tonight I was reading up on all things acoustic guitar and heard about a guy named Andy McKee. You have to check this video out. It is incredible. If you are a fan of Phil Keaggy you will love this. Videos like this, inspire me to learn and show me that I'm a pleeb musically.

Gospel Music

There's Power in the Blood
I'll Fly Away
When We All Get to Heaven
How Great Thou Art
Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

There is the order for senior's day tomorrow. Good to go, let's do this thing.

Songs like this give me hope that one day we will return to writing songs that endure for the church about the power of the gospel, hope and faith.

Do you remember when O Brother Where Art Thou? came out a few years ago. The movie was great, but the music was incredible and inspired thousands to remember how powerful acoustic (bluegrass) music is connecting our hearts to our minds.

Well, senior's day won't be that kind of experience, but I'm thankful that I get to play music with my friend Chris. And I'm thankful as well that it reminds me of where I came from and paints a picture of where I think faith leads us.

Viva La Vida

I'm a huge fan of Coldplay and I was excited to read this article this evening.

Brian Eno is a great producer and pulls greatness out of each project he directs. And by the way, he is at the helm of their new project. If you enjoy great guitar work and still enjoy listening to whole albums of music and not individual tracks. Pre-order this sucka as soon as you can.

Leading worship

I'm leading worship for Senior's Day on Wednesday. It's been awhile since I've done this. I'm thinking that this maybe the time to bust out some good ole gospel medleys and all.

Any suggestions for the event? I'm listening if anyone has suggestions.

Spring Game Craziness

Last week while awaiting the shuttle from Phoenix to Prescott, I watched the Florida spring game at Dick Clark's in Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor.

Florida is a great program. They have the returning Heisman winner and a boatload of talent. They are fast and really good on offense. Tim Tebow played with a 102 fever. Pretty incredible, really good coach and crazy fans. All of these things impressed me, but then I checked huskerpedia and saw this article.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3346892

If you thought college football fans were nuts you were right.

Go Huskers!

No country for old men

I recently enjoyed watching No Country for Old Men. I'm going to cautiously recommend this movie knowing that some people will automatically not watch it for the same reason we avoid most stuff that challenges us, but regardless.

This movie was great. I enjoyed the barrenness of the film which was shot entirely in Texas. I just flew over the area in which it was filmed on my way back from Kansas and the landscape begs for a movie of desperation to be shot there. I remember hiking in on the edge of West Texas and New Mexico over ten years ago. The land is vast and empty. I thought the land is as much a character as the actor is in the film.

The villain/psycho killer (Javier Bardem) was a crazy glue sniffing type of character who was also fairly moral, strangely enough. He's chasing down an everyday guy (Josh Brolin) who stumbles upon a boatload of heroin and money while hunting one day. (Woody Harrelson) shows up in a fairly comical arrogant role and then is humbled while in pursuit of Bardem's character.

The sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) weathered as ever and wise, is sadly comical and he steals the screen with his believability as well. He is hot on the trail and is slowly piecing all of the elements together, but is always a step behind if you know what I mean.

The pace of this film was great and I enjoyed this film way more than I thought I would. It was a pleasant surprise. It reminded me of the best parts of westerns and the best parts of thrillers that I've enjoyed as well.

The Coen brothers have made other thought provoking films such as Fargo and O Brother Where Art Thou?, they have an uncanny ability to make difficult characters likable. For those who are fans of The Usual Suspects or Boon dock Saints you should enjoy this film. If you dislike dramas that are dark stay away from this film and rent Live Free or Die Hard. Although you will dislike No Country for it's heavier story and content. I think it deals with the subjects of greed, malice and vengeance as honestly as any movie I've seen.

Giddy up. I'm watching Once with Carrie tonight. I hope it lives up to the hype.