On February 5th our church is having a baptism service.  I can already tell you what songs we’re going to sing.  Why?  Because I’ve known since mid-November.  Honestly, I could tell you right what we’re going to sing on Easter.

Last night at village (Resonate’s small group) I realized something:

Many of the students I spend time with don’t have the best family life.  So… Christmas was a stress.  Holiday gatherings were drama, and the last three weeks have been anything but energizing and refreshing and hopeful.  It’s reminded them of where they used to be.  It’s reminded them of what they never want to go back to.  It’s no fun to sleep on a couch for three weeks because your bedroom was turned into storage space. 

Being home, for some, felt like darkness. 

In college my work study job was to lead worship in chapel.  They paid me to sing a few songs a few times a month during our mandatory chapel before the presenter presented.  I took great pride in this job.  I don’t think everyone took great pride in coming to chapel.  I usually wanted to tell the perfect story or merge two songs together seamlessly or sing a hymn in an attempt to get my professors to close their eyes in worship. Most of it never worked. 

One week after chapel, Dr. Harris, my Old Testament professor told me he wanted me to stand for the entirety of his class.  He said if he has to stand while I sing, I should have to stand while he teaches.  It was in the middle of class when he told me this. 

If God does not raise up inspired leaders who can guide people into worship with authority and compassion, then the experience of worship will be nearly impossible.  This is the reason for the leadership gifts of the Spirit. -Richard Foster

Worship leaders who are called out by God must not be shy about their leadership.  People need to be lead into the presence of God // From outer courts, to inner courts, and finally into the Holy of Holies.  God anoints leaders to bring people through this progression into worship. 

It took me 4 years to get comfortable with the title Worship Pastor.  Just last week I told someone that’s “what I do”, “I’m a Worship Pastor in a church”, and it felt weird.  But it’s true, it’s what I do, who I am even, and I’ve been gifted according to Ephesians 4 to do so, and do so to the best of my human musical and vocal and leadership ability. 

Sometimes I think about my dog Henry.  How he sits around the house wishing someone would pet him and hang out with him.  He brings his tennis ball and sets it on my lap, hoping I’ll go out and throw it across the yard 200 hundred times.  I ignore him.  It’s cold out there. 

Saturday I turned 29.  Amy threw me a coffee and dessert party Friday night.  We hung christmas lights on the deck and sat out until the stars were bright, eating homemade goodness, drinking the fine wine, talking about life, and hopes, and the kind if people we want to be me when we get older.

Funny thing: Everyone in my church thinks I’m so old. Everyone outside of my church thinks I’m so young.

People start churches for lots of reasons.  Here’s why we started ours.

A couple weeks ago I had the great joy of shooting Katie and Tyrone’s wedding. The burning hot Bakersfield sun was bright over head, but the day and the couple were beautiful even still. 

Here are some of my favorite shots of their bridal party.

Writing the largest check of your life is easy when you’re make the right decision. 

For a little over two years Amy and I have been dreaming of buying a house.  I’ve lived in 5 different places in my 5 years in Pullman, and she’s lived in 4 in 4 years.  One move a year is not the life you want to live.  It’s bad on the arteries.

So, Amy and I bought a house.  As of today anyway.  But we’ve lived in the house for three months already (I’ll explain later) and in the meantime we made some changes.