Melisa and I were at Starbucks last week in Ft. Collins, and we saw the Radiohead album on the music rack. We didn't have their latest CD, "Rainbows in Rainbows", so we grabbed it. I cracked it open tonite and listened to it on the way home, and was pretty disappointed. Radiohead has forgotten how to be melodic. I mean, there are some seriously cool moments on the record, but it's not something I can rock out to. It's more like background music, or a soundtrack for some movie or the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Labels: Music

Sixpence fans, take notice. Leight and Matt are getting the band back together!!

Check it out, here.

Well, the view from our room this morning was much more spectacular than yesterday, because the sun is shining at 8,000 ft in Estes Park.



Not bad, eh? The Estes photo-blog is here.

We enjoyed getting together with friends and family last night as all arrived. Today, Sheri, Melisa and I drove down to town and enjoyed lunch, and visited the Stanley Hotel. This hotel was built by Freeland Stanley of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company that was famous for their "Stanley Steamer" automobile. Here are a couple of shots.








It's a beautiful hotel. View the whole set of photos on my Flickr account here.

I also met a new friend from Zambia today. He's the gentleman on the right in the photo below. He came all the way from Africa to cold and blustery Colorado to worship with his brothers and sisters from North America. He's a really great guy who really loves the Lord, and I look forward to talking to him more.



I apologize to the gentleman on the left. I cannot remember your name at the moment.

Labels: Estes Park

We just got to the lodge at YMCA of the Rockies, and it is SNOWING! It is a winter wonderland out there. Flashy John and I put up the VM banner, and let's just say that I'm not used to this kind of weather any more!!

Labels: Estes Park

Here's the view from our hotel room in Ft. Collins this morning. The picture doesn't do it justice, but we got a layer of fluffy snow last night and it's just beautiful. The snow is also blanketing out the Rockies in the background, which were just gorgeous when we flew into Denver last night.

Melisa as layered up enough to climb Mt. Everest as she left for her EPX08 staff meeting. She's not used to this cold, having grown up in SoCal. My Midwestern blood is still thicker than hers, but I'm become pretty wimpy after living on the west coast for seven years, too. Right now I'm snug in the hotel room blogging on a pretty nice Wi-Fi connection, and listening to David Crowder Band and reading Psalm 63. We'll head up the mountain at 10:30 to get registration and the sound system all ready to go for the start of the event tonight.


Psalm 63
I've been stuck on one particular Psalm for about two weeks, and I just have been mulling it over and over, and praying it out a lot. I've been in a bit of a dry season, and this Psalm has been an oasis to my soul. Here are some of my notes from my study this morning.

• God you are my God. (v 1a)
  
  --> In our lives we must acknowledge God in our daily routines, our life decisions, in thought, deed, and relationships. And God is a personal God. Not only is he OUR God, he is MY God, and he knows me.....he knows you.
  
  
  
• I search for you. I thirst for you like someone in a dry, empty land where there is now water. (v 1b)
  
  --> In seasons of dryness fruitlessness, hopeless causes, in times of feeling distant from God we must - search, seek, struggle, reach, listen, strain, claw-and-scratch, for Him. We must cast aside all unnecessary weight. When a man is stranded in the desert, about to die from thirst, he cares little about the pack he is carrying, or the treasures he lugs, he only cares to get a drink and casts of the heavy weight that only holds him back from his life-saving water.
  
  
  
• I have seen You in the Temple, and have seen Your stength and glory. (v 2)
  
  --> Remember the things that God has one. Let those things, and the glory of God documented in the Word of God INSPIRE us to seek for God. In remembering the sweet taste of a cool drink of water do we hasten our walk toward the source. Let the remembrance of the sweet taste of God's love and the Holy Spirit quicken our hearts to seek him, to search for him, to not be content with staying in the desert. It's not that the journey out of the desert is easy, nor is it short. But you never get out of what you won't leave.
  
  
• Because you love is better than life, I will praise you. I will praise you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in prayer to your name. (v 3-4)
  
  --> The words, "...all the days of my life..." come jumping out of the page to me this morning. David was a worshiper in all seasons. Sometimes it was worship in laments, sometimes in anger, sometimes in jubilant praise! But it was "all the days" of David's life, and it should be ours. Can I worship in spirit and in truth when I am in the desert? Am I that mature? Most of the time, no. But I can try, and make more effort, and ask God for his grace that is sufficient (as Paul wrote). Praise is something we should do every day of our life if just to acknowledge that God is God, and we are not. But if we understand the depth of God's love for us, even in the desert, we are compelled to do it in response to that love.

Labels: Christian Life, Mediation, Wonder, Worship Leading

In Early January hundreds of worship leaders all over the United States (and the world) converge on a little town in Colorado to worship together, fellowship, and spend time with God. Melisa and I will be packing up our winter coats and gloves (once we find them...they've been in storage for a year) and flying to Denver.

Melisa is part of the event staff, so she has been extra-busy for the last couple of weeks (she also coordinated a wedding). I told her to take an evening off last night, and I forced her to put on her slippers and curl up in her comfy chair to watch Dance Wars, and fall asleep early. She made it through Dance Wars, but at 10pm, I noticed that she had slipped away to the bedroom and was fast asleep. She needed a good nite's rest.


I'm hoping for some rest at Estes myself, the type of rest we call "resting in the Lord". I am on a new journey in my faith as of late, and I am looking forward to a week that is dedicated to seeking Him. Not only do we need to rest our bodies, but we need rest for our souls, for our hearts. The world is constantly bombarding us with all sorts of garbage, it will be nice to be in a secluded place surrounded by brothers and sisters with the same mindset.

I'm also just looking forward to seeing my sister, and friends from all over the country, especially my buddy, Jason. It's going to be fun.

Labels: Worship Leading