California

This week I am in the land in which I was birthed. California, as usual, is treating us great and the weather is perfect. We are only here for a few days but are managing to zigzag up and down the state getting very little sleep and squeezing in a few rock shows while were at it. We have been presented with many technical challenges as is always the case when we fly but we've been able to overcome them and have some good shows. I love coming back here but it is always so strange now. I grew up here and know the state very well so it is very odd to come back as a visitor. It still feels somewhat like home because it always will but i actually almost feel out of place now sometimes when i come. Next week we start our fall tour which will be a lot of work and I'm fighting trying to get over a cold. I hope we have enough time to recover before the craziness starts. I have a couple more days to spend here in my favorite state and then I get to head home and be with my 2 favorite girls. Hopefully I'll be able to post some more interesting topics and thoughts soon.

Still Here

Hey,
don't worry I haven't given up on this blog yet.I've been in pennsylvania these last couple weeks and without good access to the world wide web. It has been a great time to relax and enjoy watching the beautiful fall colors slowly come to fruition. There are few places that rival the beauty fall like PA. Maine is rumored to have amazing fall colors and I will see it first hand this weekend. I leave tomorrow at 6am to head to the airport and off to Maine for probably less than 20 hours. I will then finaly head home for about 3 days until I am off once again to my home state of California for a few days. It's been a busy summer and the fall is no different. It's been nice to have this time to relax and refresh a bit before things get crazy again. I'm really looking forward to the holidays when things slow down a bit. I'll try to post some more soon about the things I've been reading and learning. Now I must return to my family and enjoy them as much as I can for a few more hours before I leave.

Good bye Washington

Today is somewhat sad because we are leaving the beautiful and idyllic getaway that we have been at for almost 2 weeks. We have had a great time here and the guys have even managed to begin work on somke great new songs. Things are sounding good. So it is with a bit of sadness that we leave but i also feel renewed and ready to take on what lies ahead for the rest of the year. It won't be too hard at first since mer and Jess are heading to Pennsylvania for another week off to rest and enjoy family and hopefully cooler weather. I hear that it has finaly rained in Nashville and cooled off a bit so hopefully by the time we return the weather will be bearable. I think after this week I am really looking forward to the fall and all it has to bring. We will be on a tour with our good friend Jason Gray and it should be a great show. I think we were all feeling a bit road weary before we came up here but are now a bit renewed and ready to pick up the fight where we left off. Now the time has come to bid adieu to this place until next time. We love you winthrop.

To live well

As I reflect on this week I feel renewed and encouraged. The irony is that this week I had an encounter with pain and although it hurt, as pain does, it was good. I found that pain and suffering can bring peace. It's in our pain and suffering that we are perfected and strengthend. We are so afraid to face our fears and problems because of the threat of pain. However, it is only when we allow ourselves to feel the pain and sufering and confront our demons that we can begin our recovery. I think many of us have been handicapped by the notion in the church that as Chritians we aren't supposed to feel pain or suffer. Often we are led to believe that we are to always be happy and filled with joy. The problem is that we live in a fallen world. The reality is that there will always be pain and suffering. We can't avoid it, the question is how do we deal with it. Do we bury it and pretend like we don't have problems and everything is fine? Or are we brave enough to be honest and admit that we hurt and that we struggle?

This issue is something I've thought about for awhile but never really done anything with it. Authenticity is something I've always desired but my fear of confronting and feeling the pain in my life has kept me from it. This week I had an experience with the pain of my life and it was a revelation. Was it hard? yes. Was it worth it? absolutely. Accepting the pain and being willing to walk in it allows me to know and accept who I really am. It's only when I'm willing to be broken and deal with it head on that I can live authenticly and be able to give myself away, my true self. When this happens there can be true intimacy with my wife, my friends, my family and everyone in my life.

I'm sure I will have more to say on all this in the future but I'm just flushing out what I have learned and felt this week. I'm on a journey and can only pray for courage to face my life with honesty and to live more authentically with those in my life.

On the road follow up

This week I find myself basking in God's glory and grace once again. I am very blessed to be able to spend time with my family and friends in one of the most beautiful and amazing places in washington state. We are at our anual artists retreat up in the mountains at one of the most luxurious places I'll ever get to be. This place would be a five star resort if it wasn't privately owned by some of the nicest people you would ever meet. So that is why posting has been off for a few days. I've been trying to relax and reflect and soak in everything we are lerarning up here. I will post more soon on the things that have been going on here but for now I wanted to give a quick update on one of my last posts. I asked the question of why i do what I do and tried to come up with a good reason. I wrote it at a time that was difficult and when I was tired and maybe a bit frustrated at the circumstances. We were on the road to go do a show for free 10 hours away, outside on one of the hottest days of the year. The set up was gruelling and the day was a hard one. It reinforced the question of why. What were we here for, why did we make that sacrifice? A couple days after the show we received an e-mail from the head of the radio station that brought us in to play. His e-mail was more timely and needed than he may ever know. The e-mail is as follows:

Let me tell you a story. One night, in a small city in the midwest, about 1500 people came to an outdoor amphitheatre to see a couple of new artists most, admittedly, had never seen live before. In fact, most admitted they had only heard one song on the radio from these performers at best. They came for the atmosphere, or because previous acts who had performed there were more well-known, or just because it was date night or something to do for free with the kids.

Then a shocking thing happened. The concert began. First two songs- still sitting on their hands, but starting to lean forward. Third song- now fully engaged and starting to sway. 5,6,7 songs in- riveted to the testimony and the music of this sweaty man named Jason Gray.

Fast forward ten minutes. By now everyone is wondering if the next band could possibly be as good as what they just heard. It was Friday night and the stars were out. Time for some mellow music and coffee right? The river was running deep just 20 feet behind the stage, a wedding reception was being held in white tents just down the Riverwalk. The mixture had everyone as relaxed as they could be... and then the music startled. That's right, startled. The first song was a rocking number that pushed adrenaline through the mostly middle-aged crowd and featured a low lead singers voice that was engaging and electric. This was worth staying for. It was written on every face.

Fast forward 5 minutes. The second lead singer opens his voice. Shock. Total, utter shock. People who brought friends turned with an "I told you so" look, but not matter. The newbies just stared, jaws dropped, not believing a band already impressively tight could be fronted by not just the guy with the husky voice, and accomplishment in it's own right, but this ridiculously perfect pitched second voice. For 55 more minutes they cheered the drummer, jumped with the bass player, hopped, swayed, raised their hands, pumped their fists... but they mostly just stared at the Canadian in cropped pants and a drenched white shirt.

By the end of the night the rock stars who need money, and their friend Jason had given much more than they would possibly receive that night. They absolutely, clearly pointed to Jesus, while simultaneously rocking the riverwalk crowd. In the end a tuxedoed wedding party member walked over, listened for a few minutes, bought a green t-shirt, and tossed it to his new bride.

I think a lot of lives started a new chapter that night.

Thanks for making it happen. Please give our deepest thanks to Jason and all 4 guys from the band. They traveled far and worked hard and we do not take it lightly. But man did they make some serious fans on Friday night. I literally had a guy turn to me 2 songs in to say "I'm convinced- this is my new favorite band!" They were absolutely spot on. Just fantastic.

Some great pictures are online at kxoj.com. If you need the originals let me know.

Thanks for partnering with us,
Bob

Thanks Bob for your words of encouragement and thank you to everyone who came out. Also most importantly thank you Jesus for using us even when we weren't willing.

The heat is on

Ok, seriously, I'm done with summer. Bring on the cool fall air. This summer has been insufferably hot here in Nashvegas. I haven't even been home for most of it but it seems nearly impossible to escape the heat when here. It's not just nashville either, it's been scorching all over the U.S. this summer. The difference here though is how unusually dry it has been. In some areas here we are 2 feet below the average yearly rainfall. Unfortunately me and Jess picked the wrong summer to try and plant our first garden in the backyard. No rain and little time at home to water it spelled certain doom.

Summer time for us in the band usually means a lot of outdoor shows including festivals. We go into it expecting the heat and less than ideal playing conditions. This year though was one for the books. It has been so miserably hot. Yesterday was one of the worst so far. We had a show in Tulsa, OK and the heat was unrelenting and fierce. The show itself was good and we surprisingly had a great crowd but we were all drenched in sweat and exhausted from the sun and humidity. It always seems much harder to keep a good positive attitude when you are miserable from the heat too.

The good news is that fall is just around the corner. Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the changing colors and the cooler air. I start to feel more alive in the fall. The start of football season and hockey doesn't hurt either. It's also the most festive time of year and with all the holidays it's a very family centered time. I like the cooler weather because you can always put more clothes on when it's cold but there is only so much you can take off when it's hot.

This week we are off to Washington state where it promises to be much more bearable weather and where we will get to relax with our record label family. After that me and the family are headed to Pennsylvania where it should be gloriously cool. Hopefully if all goes as expected we will miss the final days of this torturous heat in Nashville and come back to some splendid fall weather. I only have to survive 2 more days here. Until then I will be eagerly waiting for the best time of year.

On the road again

Here I am, once again, trapped in this metal box hurtling down some interstate road with nothing to do and plenty of time to do it. Why have I chosen this vagabond life? Maybe it has chosen me or maybe I was chosen for it. I’ve spent way too much of my life over the past decade sitting, as I am now, watching the world go by and what is left of my youth. I must be crazy, why else would I choose such a life? There must be more that makes this all worth it, makes an 18hour drive mean something. It surely isn’t financial gain because that would make me pretty stupid. Could it be my sense of adventure and desire to see the world? Maybe, in the beginning, but the world has been seen and adventures had and yet I’m still here, sitting in this van. What is it that would possess someone like myself to spend an incredile 9 full months worth of sitting in a van over the last 10 years? Part of me mourns that fact when I think about it. That’s a lot of time spent away from family, friends, life.

What’s it all worth? My life, and the lives of those I’ve been called to serve. There is fulfillment in a life of purpose. To do what you are made for, although hard sometimes, is the most fulfilling life there is. I was made to help bring a clear message of hope to a hurting world. I have to believe that by my obedience in something as small as sitting in a van for endless hours will ultimately be redeemed and used to change a life at the end of the road.

So, I will continue to sit and watch the world go by. When I get so bored I can hardly stand it, I will try to remember why I’m here after all and do my best to return thanks.

Ifake

So would anyone want an Iphone and only pay half? Oh yeah it also has more features and works with any cell phone service anywhere in the world. Anyone? Ok so what if it isn’t exactly an Iphone but you can’t tell the difference unless you were told? Ok maybe not electronics how about some adidas gear or should I say odidoss. Here’s the scoop, right now in China there are literally thousands of factories and company’s whose sole purpose is to copy as exactly as they can many popular products and then selling them for more than half the price of the original. In the recent issue of one of my favorite mags (Popular Science), where I get up to date on geekdom, there is a great article on this topic. In the past the Chinese were getting their hands on the hottest new products and figured out how to make them the same but way cheaper. The problem with this is that the Chinese knockoffs were far inferior and would either not last or were full of safety issues. You may have heard recently about numerous mass recalls that have happened to many Chinese companies because of problems with their products. It seems that just recently, however, the Chinese have gotten better at their engineering and many of their knockoffs are even better than the original. The Iphone copy, called the minione, is a good example. The fact that the Chinese are making exact copies of these products is not making the original manufacturers very happy. There have been many legal battles to try and stop many of these companies but it seems it is very hard to shut them down completely and there are many legal loopholes they get through. Many times these copy products were so identical the original manufacturers couldn’t even tell the difference and were even servicing the fakes under their warranty. This is good reason to be careful buying products online or from a non-reputable dealer because it may not be what you think it is. I think competition in the marketplace is good and it helps lower prices for us consumers. However, I also think that stealing intellectual property is just as bad as stealing the actual product and reselling it. It wouldn’t be bad if they were making similar products that were a bit different and hopefully better but they are manufacturing the identical product and simply changing the label. The problem is that this won’t stop because people buy the imitations because they are cheaper. I think we have a responsibility as consumers to make ethical purchases to the best of our knowledge. The only way to really stop the problem is to stop the demand. The Chinese government has been trying to stop this problem but it is a bit behind the game. Recently the head of their Food and Drug Administration was sentenced to death and executed. He was taking bribes from Chinese drug companies who were manufacturing imitation drugs, which ended up killing people. That’s how serious the problem has become in the extreme. Most of the cases are not that bad but it is costing companies billions of dollars and it is having a direct impact on the American economy.

I guess the moral of the story is be careful what you buy and cheaper is not always better maybe. I’m a huge fan of great cheap deals but not on cheap products that were made from stolen ideas. Here's the link to the full Popular Science article

Belfast

I have been richly blessed in my life. I have had the great privilege to experience God’s work in numerous ways in many amazing different places. This last week was certainly no exception. Last week I found myself once again in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As I grew up I always dreamed and fantasized about traveling to the land of my ancestors that magical isle so full of history and culture, Ireland. Now, here I was for the 3rd time living the dream. This 3rd trip did not include much sightseeing but it involved an historic event that I am honored to have taken part in. This trip was once again a “work” trip with Downhere. We had been invited by our dear friend Philip Simpson to come and open for Chris Tomlin at the largest music venue in Northern Ireland. There is a lot of history with Philip and us. He took a chance on us 3 years ago by bringing us over to play a couple shows and it turned into a great relationship. The first time Philip brought us to Belfast to show us around he drove us by the Odyssey arena and said, “Hey guys one day you will come back and play in there.” We rolled our eyes and thought aww what a nice, crazy Irishman. What we didn’t know then but know now was that Philip was a man of faith and vision who would actually make it happen. There were many obstacles that came in the way to making this happen which you can read about here.

A lot of people are amazed at how God worked through this test of faith and rightly so. The thing that strikes me most though is not the circumstances that allowed this show to happen but the fact that this event could even happen in that city now. The fact that 3,500 Christians came together to worship God, in a public venue in Northern Ireland is a true miracle. Less than 10 years ago that idea would be unheard of. Not only that it would have been dangerous. You may well know about the troubles Northern Ireland has gone through in the last 30 years or so.This beautiful country was split nearly in half between Nationalists, who were mostly Roman Catholic and Unionists or Loyalists who were predominately Protestant.Ultimately the issues were political namely who was to govern Ireland, the Unionists favored British rule while the Nationalists wanted a unified independent Ireland. The sad part is that religion became the identifying difference. Men and women who allegedly worshipped the same God and Saviour suddenly became mortal enemies.Where you went to church defined which side you were on. Each side engaged in brutal violence against each other making Belfast one of the most dangerous cities in the world. In the last few years though, things have taken a turn for the better. The people of Belfast were fed up with the violence and have made huge strides towards change and unification. Things are still not perfect, by no means, but the fact that this concert took place is a huge sign that things are a long ways from where they were.

God is moving in a mighty way in Northern Ireland. He is reclaiming that place for himself slowly but surely. I can only be humbled and thankful that he was able to use the little that I have in some small way to continue to effect that change. I pray along with my brothers and sisters over there that God will continue to move and unite his people to do his will and bring Him glory in Ireland.

Dave

Cali Isabella

I would like to introduce you to the sweetest thing around, Ms. Cali Isabella Lewis. This wonderful person enterd our world on May 25, 2007 and has blessed us more than we could imagine possible. Cali is the fullfillment of a dream that I have had for a very long time. For some reason one of my biggest goals in life and greatest desires was to have a family. Specifically i had a desire to have a little girl. The bond between father and daughter is a beautiful thing and something I always prayed for. So, I could not have been more excited when we found out that we were going to be having this sweet beautiful girl. I feel like God had promised me the desires of my heart and he fulfilled them, let alone the fact that he gave me the most amazing wife too. Cali's name literally means God's beautiful promise. She is everything I dreamed and prayed for and I can only thank God for the blessing he has bestowed. I am humbled to be given such a precious gift and pray God will give his wisdom and grace to raise her up in His ways. I'm sure Cali will make an appearance in many of the posts to come.

Is this my blog?

Ladies and Gentleman, this is the moment I know you all have been waiting so long for. I seem to have taken a wrong turn a couple years back and was lost in the blogosphere somewhere. I'm happy to say that I believe I have found my way back, at least for now. I cannot promise how long I will be here but I will do my best. I've decided that there is a lot going on in my life now and some of it may even be interesting to someone. The biggest thing right now is the addition to our family of our beautiful daughter Cali Isabella. I thought that if anything it would be nice to have something for her to read some day and see that her father was at least good for something. So I will give this another go. My wife has a lot to do with it too. She seems to think that maybe I have something to say about the world and when the wife speaks it's usually a good idea to listen. Well here's to another round of online communication. It will be interesting to see if anyone ever even sees this anymore ha. Here we go.

Vertigo

Jess and I
Posted by Hello

african flags
Posted by Hello

U2
Posted by Hello

Hello, hello, I'm at a place called vertigo! Vertigo tour 2005 that is. It was definitely worth the 7 hour drive one way to not just see, but to really experience this show. A U2 show is so much more than just a rock band playing good songs. It really is a moving and inspirational experience. The reason U2 are so good and so widely accepted is because they are about something. They write songs that connect with people on a basic level. They also aim to inspire people to make a difference in the world. They aren't always 100% correct but they are extremely passionate about what they believe in. Bono and others in the group have what I believe is a true faith in God and many of their songs and actions flow from this. Their work in trying to end extreme poverty and hunger in Africa and other third world nations is highly comendable. I left the show last night inspired to want to make a diference in the lives of people who are hurting and need our help. Bono and U2 have been a strong voice for those people and have taken it upon themselves to rally troops to fight these crises.

As for the show itself and the trip, it was nearly perfect. We left early tuesday morning and drove straight to Chicago. Traffic was great until we hit the black hole of hell which is Chicago traffic. We decided to make a stop at Ikea because there isn't one near us and we love it there. It was about 30 miles out of the way but we had plenty of time and didn't think it would be a problem. Or so we thought. It took us over an hour to get back to the arena from Ikea which caused some serious stress on my part. I was worried we wouldn't make it in time to meet the girl we were buying the tickets from. My fears were relieved though when we found out the girl was stuck in traffic as well and it worked out perfectly that we both arrived at the arena at the same time. We paid the girl and then pinched ourselves to make sure we weren't hallucinating. We really were there in Chicago and about to watch the greatest band in the world do their thing. Our seats were not ideal but we could see everything ok. The only negative was that the sound was not so good at our seats but the show itself was spectacular. They did indeed film the live DVD that night so there were lots of extra lighting effects. The thing that i connected with most and enjoyed the most was when Bono talked about the Africa crises like i mentioned before. This show definitely gets a huge 4 thumbs up from me and my wife. We would love to go again and have better seats but I'm not so sure that lightning will strike twice for us. If you have the chance to see this tour definitely take it. Here is a link to some more reviews of the show if you care. u2tours.com

Beautiful Day

I’m a pretty laid back guy but every now and then I’m prone to do something wildly spontaneous. Case in point: this week as I was being lazy and surfing the net I decided to surf on over to ebay just for fun. I started looking up various things which I wouldn’t buy but in doing so I was passing time nicely. Then I came up with a great idea, which doesn’t happen too often, so I thought I outta run with it. Just for kicks I decided to see what tickets to the U2 tour were going for. Now let me quickly give some background here, I would consider myself a pretty big U2 fan, not in a crazy, pathetic way but in a healthy, admiring way. I actually cut my visit home in California short once just so I could fly back and see U2 play. So as you can imagine I was quite disappointed about not being able to get to go to this latest tour. That is of course until I found ebay.

To my utter surprise and delight I was able to find 2 decent tickets to tomorrow nights show in Chicago for cheaper than what the face value of the ticket is. I just bought these tickets last night and tomorrow, bright and early, me and my lovely wife will be driving 8 hours to Chicago to see the greatest band in the world put on the best live show there is. To say we are excited is an understatement. So I will have to give a detailed update of the trip and the show. It is sure to be an adventure and a great memory. It is my wife’s first time seeing them and my second. I think it is almost more fun to get something like this at the last minute that is completely unexpected than to know about it for months. There are two other cool things about all this, first it is going to be Bonos birthday tomorrow which should be fun and second, they are going to b filming the tour dvd that night. All we have to do now is wait a few months and buy the dvd and we can relieve the night over and over. It a little weird actually because this will be the third major concert that I’ve been to where they were filming the dvd. I guess I have a knack for being at the right place at the right time. Well I’m off to get ready for the big event but I will report back soon.

Show and Tell

Well my head is quickly swelling with a copious amount of fresh knowledge. Ok maybe it’s not from new knowledge maybe it’s the resurgence of my allergies since spring has arrived in full force. Either way I can give you an update on my insane reading challenge now. I didn’t think it was all that insane when I came up with it but that seems to be what everyone’s opinion is that I hear from. Be that as it may I will continue on undaunted by the skepticism. As of today which is about 2 weeks since the start of the lunacy I have successfully completed reading 6 books which is right on course. The good news is that for the rest of May I will be quite free to do more reading than deemed safe for such a small brain. We are fortunate enough in the band to enjoy a month off of the road to catch up or catch a glimpse of normal life. So other than a couple weddings at the end of the month I am free to read until I’m sick in the head.

I’ll give a quick run down of the current titles completed and maybe a brief description of them. I don’t want to go into exhaustive detail about each one because you probably really don’t care. I will try to just highlight some key issues in each book unless there is more that I feel the need to share. Hopefully I can be a little more current too in updating this blog so I can just write about 1 book at a time instead of 6 at once.

All right, the first book I read I’ve already blogged about which was The Last Days. The next two books I read were authored by the same writer named Thomas Cahill. They were The Gifts of the Jews and How the Irish Saved Civilization. Cahill is an historian but writes about religious movements. I can’t really tell specifically where he stands on his personal faith but he definitely sheds some interesting new light on the past. The Gifts of the Jews is a book which shows the development of the Jewish peoples as depicted in the Old Testament. This book was great at giving me a better general idea of how things progressed in a chronological way. It also developed the cultural events that were occurring during those times and how that shaped and influenced the way the Jews lived and the decisions they made. Cahill carefully shows how many of the ideas and values that we hold today came directly from the Jews. In the book How the Irish Saved Civilization, Cahill shows how the Irish went from a very warlike and barbaric group of peoples with no faith to a nation revitalized by the gospel and now known as the "isle of saints and scholars". It was the many Irish priests and monks who saved much of the ancient literature that we now have today. They devoted their lives to making hand written copies of thousands of manuscripts so that they could survive. Many barbarian groups were trying to destroy these documents and would have been completely successful had it not been for the Irish. So next time you read Homer or Plato or even your Bible, make sure you think of the Irish.

The next book I read was Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport. This book was given to me by a friend who works for the publisher and the title caught my attention right away. It is written by the president of Fuller Theological Seminary Richard J Mouw. I thought Mouw did a great job of making the controversial subject of Calvinism relatable to the 21^st century in a tactful and loving way. It is obvious when reading it that Mouw has come to his beliefs by struggling with them and being open to all the ideas and possibilities. He doesn’t tow the familiar party line in the Calvinist camp. He challenges Calvinists to examine themselves and be sure that at their core they are acting in Christ’s love and grace. I thought he made some great points and I appreciated his insights.

The last book I read was The Ragamuffin Gospel. The book was just good for my soul. Brennan Manning’s aim in this book is to make you understand just how intense and complete is God’s love for us. Brennan is shockingly honest and frank with the reader in exposing how human he is. The point is we are all human and sinners but God is bigger than our sin. He shows how important it is to embrace the unconditional love of God. He also shows that once we embrace this love and accept that we are all fallen people we can view others differently. We can view them the way Christ does and hopefully love them the way he did. We can see that beneath the arrogance and anger of an individual is someone who is hurting and in need of the Saviors love just like us. We really aren’t too different from one another after all. This book is highly recommended if you haven’t fully grasped this concept yet. I know I needed to hear it.

Well that catches you up on my reading journey. If you read this whole post you were on a bit of a journey as well. This reading challenge has been a great experience so far. It seems that the more I read the more my eyes are slowly opened and I start to see the world in a new way. I also realize each day just how much I don’t know. What I do know is that God is sovereign and changing me everyday with his perfect love.

Who am I?

Do you ever feel like you live life as an actor, going through the day as if on stage an needing to perform for those around you? Why is that? What is it about other people that makes us feel like we have to live up to some unknown standard which really doesn't even exist? We say we don't care what anybody says or thinks about us but inside we know that's a lie. We live in a culture that tells us in a million different ways that we have to look a certain way or act like this guy if we want to fit in, but we know that's not really us. So what do we do? Put on a great show, of course, because we all know the show must go on.

So why is it so hard to just be ourselves, the good and the bad? I believe the reasons are many but would argue that it is perpetuated by a vicious cycle. Initially, I believe we all have a desperate longing to be loved and accepted. It is our desire to be loved that gets this ball rolling and when that desire is rejected, or even perceived to be, it takes an ugly turn. When we present our "true" self to someone and are not accepted we are left hurt and wondering what went wrong. If it is perceived that they are rejecting us, we would assume that in order to gain acceptance we would have to change. Once this change occurs we will be accepted and will have achieved our goal. However, we are still left unfulfilled, why? When trying to gain this acceptance we are giving up part of who we really are. The person who is accepted is not really who we truly are. The desire still remains for true acceptance and the cycle continues as we keep trying to adapt our personalities and likes to fit in better or be valued more.

Here's the problem, we're chasing our tails. We're going after the wrong thing and we can't even see it because we are so intent about catching that darn tail. Now here's the truth, in this case less is truly so much more. Millions of people cheering your name because they think your swell is not going to fulfill you, but there is One who will. The love of Christ is the only thing in this world that can give you what you're chasing after. The irony is that it's chasing after you but you're too busy putting on the show to see the real masterpiece. If only we could just give up the act and lay all our cards on the table. The truth will set you free and the truth is that Christ is so completely in love with you. His raging love is unstoppable. He knows what the real you is like with all your faults as well as the gifts which he gave you. The love and acceptance that he gives is not conditioned on what we do but only on what He's done. That is why His love is perfect and completely fulfilling, because we don't have to do anything. We can give up the act and rest easy in his love and grace.

Please read

So here is my second foray into the blogosphere. I'm still not totally used to this but that's ok right? I went to the library last week to find some books to read while we are home this week. While I was there I decided to give myself a little challenge, throw down the gauntlet if you will. The challenge I came up with was to attempt to read 50 books by the end of August. That's roughly 3 months, which turns out to be about 3 books a week. I haven't specified what types of books or how long just 50.The main reason I've challenged myself is because I won't do it if i don't. I do love to read and I already read quite a bit, but I think with a little extra motivation I can read a lot more and who knows maybe even learn something. A little eductation never hurts right? Another possible perk to all this is that it just might actually make me turn the stupid TV off.

So I've already jumped head first into my challenge, eager to impress myself, and finished my first book. Though I must admit, it wasn't exactly a work of scholarship or anything, but it was fun to read and perhaps a good kickstart. It was a book titled The Last Days by Joel C. Rosenberg. This book was a sequel to a book called The Last Jihad, which I read last summer. I really enjoyed that one so I was interested in reading this one too. Now I know what you may be thinking, Dave your not really the type of guy who likes to read those hyped up eschatology books which spell out the doom and gloom of the world. You're right I'm not, in fact I pretty much refuse to read the Left Behind series. It just feels too much like bad propaganda for bad theology to me rather than a well written story with Christian themes. This book is different though, Rosenberg does a good job of writing an intense action packed story with great detail. He is also able to very subtly slip in the gospel message by making it plausible in the story. He isn't being overt and trying to hit the reader over the head in a blunt way about the gospel or speaking in "chritianese". Instead he has been very creative and tactful. He has written an interesting story that engages the reader even if they have no faith because it is a story anyone can relate to. Then he very subtly works the gospel into the story in a creative and believable way that makes sense to the reader.

I haven't read too many books that can do this without being in your face and over the top. I think that is a flaw in too many Christian fiction writers, they want to write the gospel in there so bad but they completely give up all creativity to do it. The result of this is another cheesy story with unbelievable characters and in implausible situations. God calls us to be excellent in all we do and this most certainly includes the arts and writing. We need writers who will use the creative minds that God has gifted them with and write inspiring stories that are relevant and original. We need to be setting the standard for excellence in writing as Christians, not mimicking pop culture. So I applaud Mr. Rosenberg on a job well done and hope to see more Christian authors doing the same soon.

My next book to read will be on a more educational level and non fiction. I will fill you in when I finish it, which should be soon. 49 more books to go and counting. You're welcome to join me in this endeavor as well. I throw out the same challenge to you. If you choose not to accept it than maybe at least you will read this blog and perhaps a book or 2 when you can. Until next time happy reading.

p.s. Joel Rosenberg has a very informative blog on events happening in the middle east and around the world, so check it out here Joels blog.

I surrender!

Ok so i give up. I'm finaly writing a blog. I've fought this for quite a while because honestly i thought a blog may be a waste of my time, and maybe it will be, but i figure it can't hurt and i certainly don't want to be the last guy to do one. I know that doesn't sound like the most noble reason to start a blog but it is the most honest one i have right now. So what can you expect from this blog and what the heck is Fika? Well let me answer the second question first as it directly relates to the other. I was in Sweden last summer with the band i work for (downhere) and i was introduced to a great tradition they have called Fika (pronounced fee ka). Even the swedes had a difficult time fully explaining what it was but basically it is having a light snack such as coffee and biscuits but the key ingredient is good conversation. So what i hope to present on this blog are some good conversation points which in turn others can respond to if they feel so inclined. I'll also be writing about the many experiences i have daily while either on the road with the band or at home or any number of places. Hopefully the posts here will inspire more good Fika. I think we've lost that a lot in the american culture. It's too easy to stay at home and watch tv than to go and have a cup of coffee and just talk with our friends or even heaven forbid a stranger. I think good conversations with others is quite healthy and can lead to a greater impact on society and culture when we can encourage each other and challenge each other on different ideas. This is how growth happens, iron sharpens iron. So here's to many more posts and hopefully something on here will be somewhat stimulating and interesting. I guess if nothing else my parents will get a kick out of it so that's not all bad right? Ok so until next time enjoy some good fika.