28
Here’s a great compilation of live footage accompanying DC*B’s Oh, Happiness.
If you haven’t heard their Church Music album, it’s worth picking up.
On Amazon here.
Enjoy!
28
This has increased my understanding and renewed my interest in blogging. Up until now, I understood more about the underpinning technology (PHP, Myself, etc.) that powered the blog, than I did the purpose of the blog.
The purpose being of more importance.
Happy Blogging!
27
So I am trying out this Windows Live Writer tool to see if I am more motivated to update my blog through this method.
I guess we’ll see.
You can download Windows Live Writer from Microsoft: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-writer
Is anyone else using this tool to post to your blog from a Windows machine? Let me know in the comments below.
31
I recently picked up the acoustic guitar again. It is nice having an instrument that I can easily take to any room in the house if I feel creative, or inspired to sing a song of praise unto God. The big plus is I don’t need a computer, amplification or any electronics to do so. Just one-man, his guitar and his God. 
I traded in a Franken-Fender for a acoustic-only Cort Dreadnaught guitar. It has a nice tone. I am now using Elixir Polyweb Medium gague and really like the sound of the strings. http://www.elixirstrings.com/products/product_acoustic.html
I also recently took advantage of some awesome upgrade promotions from Cakewalk (which was recently purchased by Roland who makes my Juno-Stage – That I love) to upgrade from Home Studio 7 XL to Sonar Studio 8.5.2. There are some great tools (such as the SessionDrummer2, some great soft synths, etc.). My sales rep at Sweetwater recommended I stay with Sonar as opposed to trying to get into ProTools M-Powered for the value I was receiving.
Hopefully once I am a little more familiar with things, I will be able to share with you some of my progress.
10
Today I looked at the space in the Albany Times Union Center where Gatewaylive will be playing as part of Family Faith & Fun Night on April 11th 2009.
I had never been to the TUC, but I was impressed with the friendliness of the staff and the overall size of the venue.
This will be a remarkable time as it will be our second large scale performance (Last year’s Americade in Lake George being our first). We will be playing the first 45 minutes as people arrive and between the second and third periods.
Come join us on 4/11/2009 at 51 South Pearl St in Albany New York. You can call the Albany River Rats for tickets or more information (518) 487-2213. Their website is http://www.albanyriverrats.com/
09
This is my first entry into the Sunday Set-lists. This was the worship service that I led in one of our daughter works in Queensbury, NY.
Ryan ministered on ‘The Time is Now’. We had a few first time visitors as well as returning visitors. Almost everyone came to the alter at the end of service.
God has been faithful and doing great things in upstate New York. We are beginning to plan for our invite to play two 20 minute sets for ‘Family Faith Night’ for the Albany River Rats hockey game, at the Albany Times Union Center on April 11th.
We too use http://www.planningcenteronline.com to plan and coordinate our services. It has been a TREMENDOUS blessing to our ministry.
13
Sometimes while walking our path in life, we stop for a second and look forward in the direction we are heading. We look around us and realzie we are no longer where we once were, and are not yet where we are intending to go. In reality we are somewhere in the middle.
I believe most of life is lived in the middle.
We live somewhere between a yesterday and a not to distant tomorrow. But I believe the key lies in being content in the middle.
Philippeans 4:11 Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.
I am learning, albeit slowly, the joy of living in the middle. Just stopping for a moment and feeling the refreshing breeze of the Spirit of God sweep across my face as if He is saying to me “Keep going, you’re heading in the right direction”
I want to always live in that moment. The moment I am certain of His will, His calling, His purpose for my life and seeing it is being carried out in the middle of everything else.
07
One of my friends recently asked me for the link to my blog. I sent it to him and typed the confession ‘It’s just so empty’.
And that’s when the inspiration struck.
Some of us look at emptiness in a negative light. There are phrases like ‘empty nest syndrome’, ‘the glass is half-empty’, phrases that are used to express that something is lacking.
Jesus looks at emptiness as pure potential. It is the pre-requisite for doing something miraculous.
Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
People clear off the dinner table before they sit down to a warm family meal. An artist with a clean canvas to yield a masterpiece. People wipe clean their write-on boards and plot a course for a successful execution. The list goes on, but I believe the purpose of emptiness is to clear out what is not necessary, in order to see clearly the full potential for what can come.
I want to clear my mind from the doubts, fears, and perspectives of yesterday and allow it to be filled with faith for the precious promises for today.
06
Well it’s a new year, and thanks to Dan & Toby I have been hooked up with this sweet new word press blog.
Here you will find my musings on the blessings of being part of a worship team, navigating the interpersonal dynamics, and other such popular topics. If you enjoy things of a technical or geeky nature (outside the realm of music), check out my other blog http://amamusicgeek.blogspot.com/ where I infrequently post VERY nerdy topics about video gaming, databases, and my “professional” persuits.
