A night to remember...

I couldn't put into words... raw emotion... genius creativity... great music... amazing show... please find a way to see these guys live...

MUTE MATH

It was a blast seeing so many friends out there... Glad we could experience it together...

Love and Peace,

-J

Musicians, Coffee, and The Random...

I dare call myself a musician but I certainly love a good cup of coffee... Almost as much as a great melody.

So this morning I had the privilidge of having a cup of coffee with my buddy Mike. It is obvious we have similar thoughts, passions, and maybe even callings on our life. It is also apparent we both have an incredibly difficult time staying on task.

In 1 hour our conversation went from his powerbook engulfing mine in physical stature, to the greatness of a good cup of coffee, to guitar tone, to Daniels inability to talk on the phone, to history the of the church, back to expresso beans, the intensity of the blog world, style of leadership, working to unify God's church, recent readings that were inspiring, and then ending on Daniels sometimes lack of communication (if you're out there Daniel, I am only kidding...)

I left thinking... how in the world do I EVER get a darn thing done? I must be the most insane person in the world. Life comes and goes fast and I'm so glad I get to recieve the blessing of so many different things and hope I get to offer a few blessings here and there also. But then I realized... alot of that just came from us being passionate people... I am so thankful we can go through this life with passion... I am grateful the we can have hope... I am thankful we have communities to share and experience life together in...

I ended up thinking... maybe when a couple people that are passionate about similar things get together - crazy things can happen. Maybe as the church our conversations and lives should be filled with enough passion that we find ourselves living crazy lives for God's Kingdom...

Not sure if it was the coffee, the artist mind frame, or my constant battle for focus when there is so much life going on. Not sure which one it is... could just be the ADD from my childhood...

Whichever one it is... I just hope State whoops up on Carolina tonight...

Love and Peace (even for Carolina fans),

-Jason

A new tradition...

This morning I was meeting a guy at 8:30 for breakfast and for one reason or another he didn't show... Because I have a problem with certain electronic impulses in my brain working correctly (forgetful), I figured I would wait until at least 9:00... Knowing that it is possible that I just "thought" I said 8:30 when it could have 9:00 that was the true (and highly overrated) prearranged time to meet for the partaking of an early meal together...

Since I had some time open I took out my Bible and started reading through the book of Acts. We're starting a new series at Hungry on how Jesus sent His church forward so I thought this would be a good time to seek some direction on how we can work through this book. This turned into an amazing time of stillness, of seeking, asking, wondering, and dreaming...

Then 9:07 rolled around and still no new company. By this time my inner organs often referred to as the stomach was felling grossly empty... I am thankful for this feeling because it lead to the enjoyment of one of the best Western Omelets ever produced by Pam's Farmhouse.

So there I was enjoying time alone (in a public place) with my Creator. No time constraint, no objective, no box to check.... And then the enjoyment of a meal... I think I offered God thanks the whole time I was eating... I honestly was grateful... with every bite of egg, tomatoes, peppers, toast, and goodness gracious - grits with toast... get the heck outta here... SOOOOO good!!!

Well when I was finished, as cheezy as it sounds (but I make no apologies), I felt moved. I felt as though I had spent time with my Father. I had spent time sharing my heart, seeking His, and being blessed by His peace and goodness... My soul was moved and I was compelled to mark my thoughts...

Here I am
Finally quiet again...
a place I've longed to be

There's people around
all scents and sounds...
But the One I sense is You

How do I loose the simplicity
the right has now moved to wrong
The mornings too short
and the nights they run long
But what I really need is You

You beckon with love
You calm with Your peace
You comfort the heart that's wounded

You cover with grace
So I can look in Your face...
in this time with You

And so I am moved to worship...

What a great morning... Perhaps the start of a "new tradition"...

Love and Peace,

-J

Inspired by others

So within Hungry we have this group of people that has caught a vision for this place on the other side of the planet. Their drive, passion, and work is like very little I have ever seen. They are a flat out inspiration for me and I know for many others.

All this to say, there is something to; "they will see you beautiful deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." There is something compelling about lives that are filled with hope and compassion. - for all of you who live your life this way, I say thank you... thank you for glorifying our God...

Today I find myself praying for myself and for all of God's Church, that we would be so moved by the love of God that we would be in constant action to change this place in which we live.

I praise God for allowing us to be apart of His plan to restore the world.

-Jason