Wednesday, December 30, 2009

It has been far too long...

It is now nearly the end of 2009. I recently sent out my Christmas letter to family and a few friends. Here it is, in its entirety:

2009 has been a busy year for me! I began the year still working at FedEx Office in Turlock, and leading worship for the CGCC college group and Sunday mornings at Denair Friends Church. In January the worship band I led played at a Jr. High/High School retreat in the mountains. It was a great time to become closer as friends, and we had a wonderful time with the Lord there also. We ended up recording a few songs after we came back, which was a lot of fun. We also got a chance to play a few more times outside of our normal college group gig, and we always had a great time.
I was fortunate enough to get out on a few hikes this year including Half Dome and the Hetch Hetchy area in Yosemite, and Mt. Tallac (overlooking Tahoe). I also got a bit of time outdoors at the annual Donner Lake family reunion, though most of that was spent on the golf course... Not that I am complaining. I was lucky enough to be a part of two weddings of close friends this summer, and both of those experiences were wonderful.
In July I began transitioning out of my role in the band and college group, with the intention of being completely finished within 2 months. In August I traveled to Cambodia for two weeks. It was by far the best experience of my life. I made new friends on the trip, and experienced amazing things. It definitely changed me in good ways, and I would love to go back someday. I made an effort on that trip to not say no to anything... I was able to experience more and do things that made me a bit uncomfortable (in a good way).
Shortly after I came back I was offered a position at a Friends church plant in downtown Sacramento and I decided to say yes to that. Inside of two months I moved in with Kristin and Andrew in Elk Grove, transferred to a position at a FedEx Office near their home, and began working with the church plant downtown. It has been a crazy time of transition. It was very hard to leave people and situations in Turlock, but I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to. I was able to spend Thanksgiving with wonderful friends in Turlock, and my cousin John was even able to join me. My mom and dad will be joining us here this Christmas, and I am very excited! I am sure things will continue to change in the new year, and I am eager to see what God has in store. I hope your Christmas is amazing, and that your new year is full of wonderful times with good people and the Lord.



Anyways, that's how my year went. Hopefully this year I will be more consistent about my blogging. Peace!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

so long sweet summer

I stumbled upon you and gratefully basked in your rays
So long sweet summer
I fell into you
Now you're gracefully falling away


So it's the end of summer. I haven't blogged since the beginning of summer... It was a busy and amazing time! Some highlights:

* Being in the weddings of close friends; Jeremy and Shandra's wedding, and Matt's wedding. I had a great time with the rest of the wedding parties and with the couples. Also, d.j.ing Mike's wedding was great too!
* Two weeks in Cambodia; absolutely a wonderful experience! So much to process... Easily the best thing I have ever done in my life.
* Hiking; Half Dome and Hetch Hetchy on back-to-back weekends, Mt. Tallac for my birthday. Swimming in the mountains was amazingly cold and fun.
* Seeing my parents and Grandma at Donner Lake... Meant a lot more this year with all that's been going on with my parents.

I have two Sundays left at c.g.c.c.... Change is afoot! I almost broke down while playing Sunday night; it's going to be tough not to have that outlet anymore. I got a job offer at Midtown Friends... And I want to do it. I am currently looking for another job in that area, so I can support myself. And that's about it! Go team.

Monday, May 25, 2009

i feel old

Friday: 2.5 hours of basketball.
Saturday: 1.5 hours at the driving range, 3.5 hours of swimming, .75 hours of basketball.


I am sore. I am also a quarter-century old. Goshdangit!
I watched Star Trek last night; it was entertaining, but I still miss the ST:TNG cast and crew.


Tonight should be pretty kick-back. I am working a short shift (but at holiday pay rate!) and then we are bbq'ing chicken and corn on the cob... I need to finish The Shining (the old/good version!) tonight too.


People have had pretty positive reactions to the EP, which has been awesome. We are looking into recording another one. Potential songs include Louder Than The Mob, Already There, It Is Well With My Soul, In The Secret, Famous One, and maybe others...? Any suggestions?

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

thank you Jesus

Our EP is done! I am happy with it, and I am excited to share it with people. Here's hoping it means something to other people as much as it does to me.


myspace.com/cgccband


Spread the Word!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

take up your cross

I don't know if I can actually put this into words... But basically I didn't until recently really grasp the passage found in Matthew 16 and Luke 9, about Jesus telling us that "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me". For some reason I never equated that cross that He tells us to take up with the cross that He carried on His own back and died on. I always thought of our crosses as an abstract idea, and not something monumental. But in reality... Jesus is asking us to basically pick up the same cross that He did; a cross that leads to pain and death. Granted, for most of us it will NEVER even compare to the pain and suffering that He went through, but it is the same idea. When we choose the Father, we choose the possibility of immense suffering... But we also choose the guarantee that after that, we have Life.

That probably doesn't make sense, because even in my head it's still a bit convoluted. One thing I am certain of; tonight's set is righteous, and should be a lot of fun!

  • Everything That Has Breath
  • I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
  • Holy Is The Lord
  • Pour Out My Heart
  • Arms Of Love
  • It Is Well With My Soul

So a pretty old-school set, but with some new twists. Funky "It Is Well" here we come! Oh, and then we talk about male sexuality. Go team?

Saturday, May 9, 2009

you don't know me

so i adore ben folds (he is in my top 5 of all-time favorite artists) and i think regina spektor is one of the best singer-songwriters currently making music... and the song they did together, "you don't know me" is awesome. anyways, i finally watched the video for it, and it is funny crap. youtube that badboy right here.

today i have band practice for a couple hours, then i am going to my uncle's church with the oakdale fam. i am excited! he is sharing a sermon that he has been working on for quite awhile; how God's message of love has been spread through secular music in the last few decades. it should be interesting!

now i am off to do the stanky leg. word.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

two songs

There are two songs I have been listening to on repeat the last two days - "Save Yourself" by Sensefield, and "Samson" by Regina Spektor. Both have interesting things to say about love and sex. I highly recommend listening to both of them, if you have not before.


It's fascinating to me how Tim (pastor at Denair Friends Church, where I play Sunday mornings) and Jeremiah (college pastor at cgcc/Crossroads Church where I play Sunday nights) end up speaking on issues that complement each other. The last few weeks, Jeremiah has been talking about establishing an identity in Christ that is truly your own; tearing down the identity that has been constructed through parents and other influences, and determining your own personal faith and belief. That was a good series, and then Tim has followed it up the last two weeks with a series on becoming a true disciple of Christ. It has been a good one-two punch! You all should be jealous. I get to listen to two very transparent and real guys share the Word nearly every weekend.


Anyways, check out the cgcc band on myspace for EP updates; the music should be up within a week, with streaming and a link to actually download everything. In the meantime, be sad that Derrick is going to Canada. According to E.O., you shouldn't visit your girlfriend on Mother's Day unless you already have a child with her. Thank you for your ever-illuminating wisdom, Eric.

current music things

So tonight I received our second mix of our EP... So far, it's good. Very good. I am excited to share it with people!! When I listen to it, I actually feel like a guitarist.
As a band (and more specifically, Andrew and I), we have set our sights on taking older songs and songs that we have become tired of playing, and giving them new life. This makes it not only fun for us to play, but it is great to have songs that people are already accustomed to singing and connecting with. Some of the songs that we have already reworked include Open The Eyes of My Heart, Famous One, In the Secret, Pour Out My Heart, and It Is Well With My Soul. Not all of them have extreme changes (though some do), but now we get to rock out some more! We are currently working on All Who Are Thirsty, Shout To The Lord, and I Could Sing of Your Love Forever.
Sunday nights set was pretty great... In The Secret, Light the Fire Again, Already There, Hungry, and Overwhelmed. I ended up not even singing more than half the time... I just rocked out in the back; especially during Overwhelmed. Holy crap that song hits my heart every time we play it!
What song does that to you?

Monday, April 13, 2009

things i want to do

things i want to do soon:
go hiking.
see my parents and kristin/andrew.
visit ej in slo.
spend some quality time with drew.
participate in bay to breakers.

things i want to do sometime this year:
go down south and see matt, mikkele, and kristen.
record more music.
find a new job.

things i want to do someday:
pay off my debt.
work at a job i truly enjoy.
fall in love.
live somewhere else.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

a mirror is so much harder to hold

i really respect the group of musicians i am playing with right now at cgcc. last sunday we practiced before church, and it was intense. there were 8 of us playing (out of the normal 9) and of those 8, 5 had recently returned from an emotionally and physically draining retreat. however, when we began to practice, none of that mattered. there was only 1-4 other people in the room, but all of us played our butts off. we ended with "How Great Is Our God" and it was soooo good... i don't even remember how it sounded, but i know that we allowed God to do his thing, and it was spectacular. we ended that song a cappella, and it absolutely killed me. with a practice like that, we were quite ready to let God do His work during the actual church service too, and He did. the music was good, and Jeremiah's talk was intense. so go team!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

a plain morning

it really frustrates me when i have friends or family that are going through tough times, or are even just having a bad day. i hate that i am too far away to do anything, and that i am limited to being a voice on the end of a phone call or even just a text. i promise, despite my insistence that i am cold and heartless, i do care.

Monday, March 9, 2009

bullet points

- EJ's dad had a scan a couple weeks ago, and he is cancer-free!!!
- tomorrow we record cello, and maybe start on some vocals. that's all we have left to record!
- i went to a conference last friday with jeremiah, steve, and tim. it was good times, and i got quite a bit out of it.
- i hate when girls wear purity rings. it confuses me, because i can't tell if they are married or not, then i just give up.
- chocolate chip muffins are awesome.
- i am excited to see matt and mikkele again, at least in july if not sooner.
- someone trashed the friend's church saturday night/sunday morning. those people suck.
- i hate human pride and selfishness, especially in a church setting!
- it's almost time to hike.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

a reflection on our winter retreat gig

So I have had a couple days to digest last weekend's gig at Camp Chinquapin. Some things I have determined or want to remember:
1) The right people were there. Our 2.5 hour jam on Sunday night would have been tough with more or different people there.
2) My band is not full of actors. We don't really act much different in church, the bar, or just at home. Maybe that's bad in some ways, but I think the honesty is key.
3) It has been a long time since I have cried, and even longer since something spiritual made me cry.
4) This band can do powerful things, if we can keep it together and get the opportunities.
5) This weekend reinforced my antisocial image.
6) I swear I felt a string break during Sunday night's set, but it never did... Thank you Jesus!
7) I called my mom on Monday night to tell her about all that happened, and I started crying again.
8) The Sunday night set/cigar break was one of the best nights I have ever had in my life. Ever.
9) Card games are enough to keep me occupied for hours if I am playing with the right people.
10) It doesn't matter what song you are playing as long as it is in the right spirit.
11) Getting my feet washed by people who are basically strangers is intense... and so humbling.
12) Seeing people dance and mosh to music you are playing is one of the coolest dang things ever.
13) I will never be able to put into words all the emotions and memories I got out of this last weekend.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

sometimes i am a man?

i just got done replacing my radiator hose... i did it about 6 months ago also. hopefully this time it works! i always feel a bit more masculine after i do any sort of work on my car. unfortunately, i don't know how to do much. i feel like i am a bit of a failure as a man because i am rather vehicle-inept. that and i am not very financially stable. so i guess besides that i feel alright about myself... but those two things are apparently keeping the love of my life away. for shame!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

what my blog is saying

this is what my blog has been saying lately:

impromptu high school reunion

last night was john borba's birthday show in sacramento. it was weird. here's a list of some of the people from my past that i saw at the show: anthony, ian, crazy joe, tommy, sarah fry, brittni barger, candice teague, darren gelsi, matt borba, and more. i took meshe, michelle, and derrick with me so it was kind of weird to have my turlock-life and hanford-life intermingled.
at one point i just got weirded out and hung with my cgcc people in the actual venue room because i just couldn't socialize anymore for a bit. being there with those people definitely brought back a lot of memories though. i miss playing actual shows so much... going crazy and playing original music was such an emotional release, i miss that intensity. i am beginning to find a place in my worship music where i have that same experience, and it is wonderful.
i wonder if everyone has something like that, that they have such a passion for. i don't hear about it from a lot of people; is it there, and just untapped, or do some people just not have a passion like that...?

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

swm iso nothing

Last night I hung out with the DeWitt's and J.Wiley. We had a blast at dinner, then us boys went out to a hick bar in Atwater. I had a couple weird moments, one when I realized I was sitting at a table with one friend who is divorced and has a kid, the other who is married and pulls in about twice as much income as I do... And I realized I am getting old. That and hanging out with a married couple can make a single person feel darn lonely!

Then I realized I love being single and not having to deal with the responsibilities of a relationship. I would have to give up stuff in order to spend time with a significant other, and that would most likely mean cutting back on the time I spend playing music... Screw that!

So basically being single is a stupid double-edged sword.

Go team!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

just an update i guess

Christmas was spent in Idaho, and I love my parents. New Year's Eve was busy... A bbq at Tommy and Leah's with Wiley and Jayden, Jeremy and Shandra... Then band practice for an hour and a half, then to Speakeasy for a bit, then to Meshe's.
The opening to "Is There A Ghost" by Band of Horses is one of my favorite beginnings to any song ever.
I still work at Kinko's... That sucks, but I have been fortunate to have a job that is willing to work around my busy church/music schedule. Last Sunday night we had a group of 150 to play to, and it rocked. It was a great set (Open the Eyes of My Heart, Not To Us, Always Good, We Are Hungry, Overwhelmed, Let My Words Be Few) and we rocked it pretty hard. I think a lot of the people were not used to people actually going crazy while playing in church, but we had a great time. We have been blessed to have opportunities to play elsewhere now, and we are all excited to see what happens. Wednesday night we played for the high school group we are going to the retreat with, and it was by far the most intense 4-song set I have ever played. We went bowling afterwards and I was too drained to do much. Work at DFC is still... it's still there. There are great moments, and some really frustrating ones.
I am still trying to figure out when/where to go back to school... I am pretty sure I will go back for my bachelor's in social justice before I get my masters, but it's tough to get the money together because I suck at being financially responsible. I have contemplated moving to Sacramento or Boise, but I am not sure.
nazi-Matt came up here right before Thanksgiving, and Ronnie came up a couple days ago; it was great to see both of them!!
Bowling is fun, even when you suck at it.
Have fun with life!