Recent Blog Posts
Here's some stuff I've been thinking about lately...
Are You Hungry For Hope?
I love how the new year brings with it an automatic dose of optimism. The whole world breathes a collective sigh of relief that, “Yes, this year will be better than the last.” It’s a time of looking ahead, of making plans, and going after new dreams. It feels like hope.
But I’m curious what holds me back. Because even as I sit here at my desk, with piles of to-do lists filled with things I can be working on—all of which will be very beneficial to me—I find myself more often than not paralyzed. A writer’s block, of sorts. It’s a feeling that my phone must have right before it completely loses its charge. The gas tank is nearing E, and the sputtering is so deafening I think I’m gonna take a nap.
It all comes down to where I place my hope.
Dancing Guy
While driving down a super, busy street (Mack Hatcher here in Franklin), I passed a man who was out for his daily walk. But he wasn’t just walking.
When he got ready to leave the house this morning, he chose his favorite yellow ball cap, white cut-off sleeved t-shirt, and jogging shorts. He put on his headphones, attached not to an iPod, but a bulky CD player, and threw in his happy music. I knew it was happy music because he wasn’t just walking, this guy was dancing as he walked. He had arm gestures and everything. He twirled, gestured, back-stepped, and bounced, almost like he was two-steppin while moving forward. It was awesome. It was joyful. And it was uninhibited. I couldn’t take my eyes of the guy in my rear-view mirror as I passed him.
I want to be like the dancing guy. I want to put on my happy music and dance while I walk. But somewhere down the line, I learned that people laugh at people like that. People point fingers and stare at people like that. But, sadly, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a guy who looked happier and more confident than the dancing guy. And he made me smile. People who just walk or jog down the street don’t make me smile. But I smiled because I was proud that there is still someone left in this world that lives out of his heart, and isn’t controlled by fear of what people might think about him. Because that is truly how I want to live, regardless of how few examples I might have.
Dance even though no one hears the music in your heart.
Christmas Tour Journal – Entry #13
click here for tour dates & invite video
Entry #13 – Wednesday 12/21 -
I’m sitting here in Starbucks in Port St. Lucie, Florida…just hours away from the final concert on my 2011 Hope of Christmas Tour. It’s been an unbelievable experience. I’ve met so many awesome people. Sung a ton. Driven thousands of miles. And tried super hard to not eat all the sweets that get thrown at me. It helps that I’ve jogged more than I intended! 
The thing that is a bit strange right now is the idea of something good ENDING. It’s going to be over. And honestly, I don’t know what’s next. There’s a part of me that thinks if I just stay here in Florida or Minnesota or Omaha, then I can remain in this place of awesomeness. I was journaling this morning about joy. And how when I experience great joy, my normal response is to want to keep experiencing it — like making plans to experience it again — or finding someway to hold onto some of the current joy, just in case none shows up tomorrow.
I’m so much like the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness, starving and complaining. Until God finally provided manna from the sky to meet their desire for food. His promise was that He’d provide only enough for each day. But that He’d provide tomorrow’s food…tomorrow. I, like our distant relatives, want to hoard and squander whatever I can…just to have enough joy for tomorrow. Then I hear God say, “Enjoy today…be fully present and bathe in gratitude…but don’t miss out on the joy I have for you tomorrow, simply because you’re so focused on yesterday’s joy.” With that, I can say “Thank you, Lord for an amazing experience. I will be forever grateful. I’m blessed beyond measure. Even still, I can’t wait to see what you have for me…”
A Life Lived With Hope: Olivia Lueken
My experience last Friday night in Jasper, Indiana celebrating HOPE with Olivia Lueken and her family was something I won’t forget for a long while. The incredible story of this young woman’s desire to live her life as a humongous ray of hope, in spite of her debilitating disease, is so inspiring.
What started as a conversation with her dad about possibly stopping by their house sometime…turned into a concert for several hundred people at the beautiful Jasper Community Arts Center (and their Bösendorfer Grand piano!). The crowd was amazingly engaged…we laughed and cried together…and celebrated God, each other, as well as Olivia.
The fact that Olivia loves my music is unbelievably meaningful to me. To think that my words and melodies could bring an ounce of joy to Olivia’s life is such an honor. To think that something I do could somehow lighten the load one person has to carry…is humbling…and keeps me moving forward on this path God has me on.
So to Olivia I say, “Thank you for letting my music into your heart! I long for the day when we will no longer be imprisoned by this wretched bag of bones our souls have to drag around. You are proof that life is not what happens to you, but rather, how you choose to respond to it. The fact that you choose hope, encourages me to keep choosing it as well.”
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Christmas Tour Huge Success
Thank you so much to everybody who came out during the month of December to my HOPE of CHRISTMAS tour. What a blast! Over the course of the month, I drove 4800 miles and sang more than I ever have. I’m thankful to God for answering all your prayers for my safety and physical well-being. It was fun to get back to places where I’ve been before, and hear people singing along with some of my tunes (amazing!). I enjoyed going into new places like the PS Collective in Omaha where people had pizza and drinks during my show. I loved getting back to Tiburon, Inc. in Omaha, and speaking to them about how to survive the holidays. The concert in prison (with pre-concert pizza feast) was out of this world. Loved doing a house concert at the Anderson’s on my birthday, followed by a huge buffet of sweets. I did enjoy going for a run in Port St. Lucie, FL, until I got lost…and ended up going 11 miles. I also loved a couple free days I built into the schedule to hang out at the beach in South Florida. I loved getting to spend awesome time with my wonderful family, and see old friends all along the way. I’m a deeply blessed man.
Check out my Christmas Tour Journal, including a music video I made on the road…HERE!
So, what’s next? Let’s figure it out together! Let me know if you’d like to talk about doing a concert somewhere near you.
“You Are” Officially A Hit!
Thank you to all the radio stations & listeners who took a chance on my music and played “You Are” from my Christmas CD! I always have said that chart position doesn’t matter, but when the tune hit #8 on the national radio chart (CMW Inspirational), I couldn’t help but feel encouraged and thrilled that people were getting to hear this song. It was a great Christmas gift. You can listen to the song, and the rest of the album, HERE.
I wrote this song to be an exciting description of who Jesus is…Light to the world, Love to a heart, and Hope for today. Thanks to Tim Brown my co-writer and amazing producer, and to Wendell Gafford who has worked tirelessly to tell radio stations around the country about my music.
New “Pilgrim” Book Released
I’m excited to announce the release of the new “Pilgrim” book. And yes, it’s a bit of a companion piece to my Pilgrim Man CD project. I guess I’m pretty serious about this whole “Life is a journey” thing… Right?! This inspirational fable, set in a Norwegian mountain village, is about rising above the day-to-day grind to find a way of life full of meaning and significance. It is about rising what other people think to become the person you have dreamed you could be. It is about making a connection with the Source in order to receive life, and then giving it away to everyone around you. (Please click on the cover for more info!)
