The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight gets the “Best Summer Movie” title in my book! Amazing movie and Heath Ledger’s best role ever!

And the midnight showing was very cool…the movie sold out all 24 screens on Barrett Parkway at midnight! I saw a lot of friends there, but it was packed! And when we were leaving, with only one way out and an annoying light at the end of it, it was just as hard to get out as it is at a Braves game!

Go see the Dark Knight…well worth it!

Summer Movies So Far…

I wrote a post back in May about my anticipated movies of the summer. The sad thing is that I’ve only seen two of the five that are on that list and are out now. A lot of the movies that have come out this summer have gotten bad reviews and that has steered me from going to see movies like Indiana Jones and the Happening. I still really want to see Iron Man and Hancock.

But I’m hoping that I’ll see the number one movie of the summer tonight: The Dark Knight. I’ve always been really into Batman since I was like two. I love what Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins and having Christian Bale as Batman was all part of making the best Batman movie to date in my opinion. I think the Dark Knight will be even better than Batman Begins!

I’ve never been to a midnight showing for a movie yet, but I am excited about it tonight! I’ve got my candy ready to go and plan on taking a nap this evening! I’m sure it’ll be an adventure and I’m looking forward to it!

The Church Player

This week, I’ve felt like a church player (like I’m “playing” the church).

Yeah, I know that sounds weird. Let me explain…

1. On Sunday I wasn’t at Oak Leaf because I played at Piedmont Church in Macon.
2. I’ve been at Oak Leaf doing my regular stuff in the office this week.
3. I’ve been leading worship for Keystone Baptist Church’s backyard bible club-type kids camp this week. I used to lead worship for the kids at Roswell Street, so it’s crazy doing that again with kids!
4. I sat in on some meetings and hung out with this guy and this guy at West Ridge Church today…fun guys and I enjoy learning about what they do in service programming, music and production.
5. I played at Mountain Lake Church’s summer student service, Fuze, tonight. I love hanging out with those kids ever since we met most of them at camp in June.

Therefore, I am involved in five different churches so far this week. It’s been really cool being a part of different groups with the same goal!

Goals and Dreams

We’ve all got em.

Some are very attainable…but I call those goals. Some are ridiculously out of reach…that’s what I call a dream.

We’ve got to have a balance of both. I don’t want to have so many goals, that I’m just always shooting low and never reaching for the stars. But I also don’t want to have so many dreams, that I never achieve anything and reach what I’m trying to get. We’ve got to have attainable goals and impossible dreams.

My goal is to travel around a lot with a band. My dream is to travel as part of Carrie Underwood’s band (no relation to the dream I had the other night about Carrie Underwood).

What are yours?

“Passion Church”?

It’s what all the Christian students around Atlanta are talking about.

Louie Giglio & Chris Tomlin’s “Passion Church.”

For those of you who haven’t heard, Chris Tomlin has announced that he is leaving his home church, Austin Stone Community Church, to start a church in Atlanta with Louie Giglio. Although there aren’t a lot of details about it out right now, Louie has mentioned a few things about it on his podcast.

Here is what I know:
Louie Giglio went to Hillsong Church for a conference a while back. While there, he was amazed with how well they did church and was blown away that no one did church that well back in the U.S.. He started tossing around the idea of starting a church back here that is done well, like Hillsong. Apparently, he was able to get Chris Tomlin on board, as well as Nathan and Christy Nockels (formerly Watermark) and Matt Redman (whom I’ve heard has already bought a house in the ATL). I’ve heard that all the Passion team is pretty much all in as well.

Why did they decide Atlanta? Passion headquarters is here (well Alpharetta technically) and it is one of the fastest growing cities in the country.

What about similar churches in the area, like the North Point churches, led by Giglio’s good friend, Andy Stanley? I’m not sure…but I think this church will even be very different from churches stlyed like North Point and it’s campuses. Will thinks that it will actually be a plant from Buckhead Church…who knows?

As far as when they start, where it will be and other details are still unknown. But apparently, it is happening.

As someone living it Atlanta, this makes me very excited. I have always enjoyed the Passion Conferences, Louie and those worship leaders. I think most Christian college students (and really, all students and younger adults) will be very excited about it and will attend this church. It will be a crazy thing to see a church plant have such success in numbers at the initial launch! I hope that this church will not be full of Christians. I think that Passion has done a great job of engaging Christians, and I think this church will give them more of an opportunity to engage the unbelievers. One thing that being at Oak Leaf and North Point has taught me is how important it is to not be someone who comes, takes and eat without giving back to the church, financially and in service. I hope that this “Passion Church” is not full of people that come and take, without giving back and actually becoming a part of the church by volunteering and contributing.

My prayers are with Louie, Chris, Matt, Nathan and Christy, their families, and the Passion team as they pursue God’s calling in planting this church.

Because Lists Are Fun…

• I decided not to upgrade my iPhone to the new 3G one. Something about selling my phone that I got for $600 (with the $100 rebate) for $100 makes me sick. I might still do it later, but I’ll have to get over this and having to pay ten more dollars a month for the data plan. However, I am enjoying the 2.0 software so far…minus the few little bugs…
• The Twitterific App is my favorite on the iPhone right now, and I’m a little disappointed in the Facebook App…you can’t see write on other people’s walls or pictures. Anybody else have a favorite yet?
• I got some new music from Derek Webb and my friend, Micah Dalton, this week. Both are available at NoiseTrade.com, where you can choose how much you want to pay for CD’s. I chipped in a couple of bucks to support these guys and I suggest you do the same.
• I also got Aslyn’s old album on iTunes this week. She was a camp counselor the past two years at First Baptist Woodstock camp, so we got to hang out with her some and listen to her put on a show for the late night. She rocks! Go grab her old album here or her new EP bundle on her MySpace.
• Hannah and I are going on a date tonight. I think we’re going to go to the new H&M at Atlantic Station afterwards too!
• I’m playing at this church on Sunday. I’m really excited about meeting some new people and checking out what’s going on down in Macon.
• MovieFest is this Sunday night at the Chick-fil-A in Cartersville! I’m excited about watching I am Legend outside at night with some awesome students! Be there with a chair and some friends at 8!

God’s Got My Back

This blog follows up on what was mentioned the other day in my video blog, so be sure to check it out before reading this…

One thing I’ve been struggling with lately is how often I’ll get booked. I really feel like this is the path that God is leading me down and where He wants me to go. I know He’ll give me opportunities to do it…but it’s a little scary when it’s my source of income right now. Each week I’m wondering if I’ll be able have somewhere to play and be able to make ends meet at the end of the month.

It’s a hard thing when someone like me tries to live off of playing at churches and leading worship for various events. I don’t do it because I’m all about the money. I don’t even do it because it’s good money. I don’t do it only because I love music so much. I do it because I know it’s what God wants me to do. I was working another job in ministry until God started showing me my heart. My heart is playing music for His glory and doing it wherever I can and however much I can.

It’s very scary thing for me to do. I’m stepping out a limb not knowing how it’s all going to work, but I know it’s where God wants me right now…and He’s confirming that. The past three Sundays I’ve had opportunities to play music. I got booked this upcoming Sunday just a couple of days ago. I am starting to get booked in August and September. God is giving me opportunities…even if they are last minute

How stupid am I? If He cares for the birds, isn’t He going to take care of me? God’s got my back!

I’m seeing His faithfulness to provide and it fires me up! Thank you, Lord!

Ok, Ok…I Was Kidding…Kinda…

Although Megan was the only one to respond to my last blog, I have heard a few of y’all a little concerned.

Hannah understands that I have a little mini-crush on Carrie. I understand that she has a little mini-crush on Jude Law (she’s going to kill me for saying that…). Nothing serious by any means.

Besides, if Michael can talk about Angelina Jolie’s lips in church in front of Jennie, I am allowed to have a little thing for Carrie.

But if Ian was serious when he put this on his Twitter this morning…

…I might have to kill someone…

I Had The Best Dream In My Life…

It happened this morning. I woke up a little early and drifted back to sleep and it happened.

I was at some event that Carrie Underwood was at singing, but I didn’t get to meet her with my friends because I had to go play somewhere else at the same event. I find out later on that when my friends met Carrie, they told her about me and how I have a big crush on her and how my dream is to be able to play in her band one day. She then decided to swing by and hear me play a little. Then she went back to my friends and got my phone number!

I found all of this out when Carrie called me later that night! Carrie Underwood called me! And we talked forever and then decided that we needed to go out on a date. It was about this time that I started waking up and realizing it was a dream. I tried to make myself go back to sleep so I could keep dreaming! This was the best dream I’d ever had! It couldn’t be ending! I had to at least make it to our date to see how it went!

The dream wasn’t really going anywhere…it was clear that I wasn’t going to make it to our date. I had to stand Carrie up on our first date in my dreams!

Ironically, Hannah called me right afrer I woke up…

Video Blog - God Showing Me My Heart

I decided to record a video blog today to discuss some stuff…so here it is!