MINISTRY UPDATE DECEMBER.2008

To view my ministry update letter for supporters of the ministry, click the first picture below, read it, then hit 'back' on your browser and click the second picture below and read it. If you'd like to save the images to your computer and read it that way, just right-click the image once you're viewing it large and choose 'Save Image.' Enjoy!

Dry Tears

I was at the 58conference November 7-8 that Chestnut Ridge Church put on, and I met some really cool guys from the organization Dry Tears, which they founded. The really awesome thing is, one's a senior in high school (Conner) and the other's a sophomore in college (Kyle)! I'm just so impressed that people so young are giving themselves to the work of justice (which was the theme of the conference, inspired by Isaiah 58).

Dry Tears is about providing one of the basic human needs that so many needlessly die from being without: water. Of earth's 6 and a half billion people, over 1 billion don't have access to clean drinking water. That's just rediculous. Most of the people who die from water-borne illnesses are children. Conner and Kyle heard about this stunning situation and were moved to action, but I think one of the details (the one for which they named their organization) is what caused them to really become passionate about the work that needs to be done. The terribly sad fact is, some children in this world are so dehydrated that their bodies can't produce the moisture needed to form tears. They cry but nothing comes out. Think about the last time you had a good cry. There's something healing in the saline moisture on your face, yes? There's some evidence that you've come through something; you wipe your eyes, and you begin to be restored. But these children sit in the dust and wail, dry as a bone, being killed from the inside out. Unbelievable.

Check out their website (I've added it to the JUSTICE section to the right) and get involved.

Drawer Geeks Jr.

So I've officially missed a WHOLE month of blogging (October 2008), not even keeping up with my meager 3-a-month average. It stinks too, 'cause I feel like I have a lot to write about. I hope to make more regular writing a part of some changes to my routine that will bring some more balance to my life. I help with a lot of events in the ministry, and while I find great joy in doing those things, engaging in the creative is something molded into us by the finger of the Creator God, and I think if we don't take time for it we'll be less peaceful and more stressed.

In keeping with that sentiment, then, I've recently become part of a little community of artists (all of them more worthy to bear that title than I) mostly from Huntington University, a Christian liberal arts school my sister Colleen attends in Indiana. She asked me and my brother Christopher, who lives in Knoxville, TN to be part of it as well, and there may be others in it who aren't at Huntington. They call it Drawer Geeks Jr., apparently as an unofficial shoot-off from 'the real' Drawer Geeks. We have a theme every couple weeks, and that's basically all the structure there is to it. Yesterday I turned in my first effort for the theme WITCH. Here it is (I created it in a free program called Seashore):I'm really a fan of artistic collaboration. I've done it with half a dozen people in songwriting, and even being a small part of a community like Drawer Geeks Jr. really helps sharpen your own skill and to see all the infinite directions a creative mind can stylistically take. Plus it's just fun to do something like this for the heck of it, not for any grade or specific evaluation! I've added a link to the blog where my sister posts everyone's creations; check it out, there's some amazing stuff there.

MINISTRY UPDATE SEPTEMBER.2008

Here's my newest ministry update letter for those who support the ministry through finances or prayer (but anybody can read it!).

Click on each picture to read it or download it.

ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE

This is an awesome tour coming up with Derek Webb and others. We tried to get them to come to Morgantown, but it didn't work out unfortunately.

I just love the title: ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE. It's really neat because at so.zo (the coffeeshop/cereal bar I help with), those are the very three words we use in a little business card holder that says: 'SO.ZO SUPPORTS...' and then those three words are listed, and underneath that is the appropriate business card of the person who oversees each of those areas of so.zo's mission (I'm under the MUSIC one).

Kind of the byline for the tour is using is: 'HOPEFUL*INSPIRED*INVOLVED' and again, this is really clever marketing because it speaks to and corresponds with the roots of the three ideas of art, music, and justice. (And of course it's more than just clever marketing because these artists are really committed to what they're purporting to be.)

A slogan for the tour is: 'ADD TO THE BEAUTY, SEEK JUSTICE & GIVE GOD PRAISE.' I think each of us could adopt this as a life vision in some way. Think about how you're living or not living out each of these mantras.

The tour is partnering with two wonderful organizations: International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry. Check out the websites, see if you can swing coming to a tour date, and think about getting involved.

...hmm...

We're still alive... New post coming soon.

Sarah's haircut

My baby done cut her hair!

Well, I seem to pretty much only blog when friends/family cut their hair lately. If not as drastic a change as Billy's recent 'follicle-length-reduction,' this is still pretty significant.

My wife, Sarah, who is known for her long, thick, beautiful dark hair, has been thinking for a long time about getting rid of some of the weight. (She and I have had a longstanding feud about who's hair is thicker, hers or mine, but really hers definitely is. I get the award for 'most volume' though!) As usual with haircuts, a little more came off than she wanted, but the cool thing about hair is that it grows. And it really does look pretty cute!

Here's the new Sarah:

Here's her 'prize' to scale (she's donating it to Locks of Love); this thing is so substantial and since it was a part of our lives for such a long time, it's almost like a dead creature:

And here's a look at the cross section. It's hard to really appreciate without seeing it person, but this is some thick hair!

So, it's sort of the end of an era. But not really. She's growing it back out.

LT 2008 newsletter

Click on each picture to read that page of the newsletter.

LT 2008 photo

I had a great summer with these people, and I just wanted to post this great photo of them. I'll write/post more about it soon...

Billy's haircut

I always enjoy it if I can take some candid photos of my friends, to catch them in a genuine moment rather than just a pose (though I think posing in a cheesy or zany way is just fine too...).

My friend and colleague Billy recently cut his hair quite short, shorter than anybody's seen it in the last 8 or 9 years. He has Shawnee Indian heritage (he actually used to be chief in his tribe, or rather, his band of his tribe), so in his early adulthood, he grew his hair out long, and it's always been one of his trademarks. Here's a shot of him from last year, looking very Native:
Last summer, Billy's mom went home to be with Jesus, and he cut his hair about mid-length in a Shawnee tradition of mourning. It definitely took all of us a while to get used to, but it could still be considered long hair, and he still looked like the Billy we had known for years. This year, for reasons not fully known to me, he decided to cut it even further, and made the full transition from a 'long-hair' to a true 'short-hair.' I'm almost used to it by now, but it really is a striking difference.

Well, I had gotten to see him over iChat with the new 'do, and then I saw him a little when he came back to Wilmington (where I am this summer) to rejoin us at the Leadership Training (LT) program. My and his good friends Jamie and Jenna, who are down here in the program with us, hadn't yet seen Billy but had only heard about his hair. Last Saturday, we and some friends who were visiting from WV went out to eat at the Little Dipper (Sarah's favorite restaurant - a great fondue place in historic downtown Wilmington), and Billy met us there. I had forgotten that the girls hadn't seen him yet, so when he passed us outside (we were already seated, and beside a window), Jamie and Jenna about flipped out. So I got my camera out, knowing I could catch some good sincere reactions, and when he came to our table I took these:Anyway, I love sincere moments like these. It really is odd to see Billy this way, but of course I know he's the same old friend. (He says it's interesting to see some differences in how people who don't know him as well act around him as opposed to how they might have if he still had long hair...)

Here's the new Billy (I like think he looks more like his dad now - in a good way!):

Sarah

My beautiful wife (also from Nags Head '06). Look how red her hair looks!

I guess I'm feeling nostalgic today.

Colleen

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of my sister, Colleen. It was taken in the summer of '06 at a beach house the fam was staying at in Nags Head, NC. There's something hilarious here I can't quite put my finger on. It's quite good when you click it and view it larger.

I just imported tons of photos from my old camera into iPhoto. It was so cool because it was like almost 800 photos from the last three or four years of my life, and they all flashed on the screen as they were importing, creating the illusion of motion occasionally. It was actually quite a poignant experience.

Donald Miller is riding his bike for Africa

I just heard about this RIDE:WELL tour on Donald Miller's website, and I thought I'd help spread a little awareness. This guy is one of the most down-to-earth authors who's a Christian (note the difference from 'Christian author') I've read. We'd love to have him come for our event on the campus of WVU in February '09, 'Another World Is Possible,' so stay tuned to see if we can get him...

MINISTRY UPDATE JUNE.2008

Here's my ministry update letter to supporters for June. Click on the picture below it view it!

florida visit

The family's visiting family in Florida this week.

My beloved Aunt Betty and Uncle Kermit (my dad's sister and her husband) live in Brooksville, FL and we all hadn't seen her for a few years and her health's been a little worse in the last couple years, so we decided to come stay near the amazing natural attraction Weeki Wachee Springs (we're right on the Weeki Wachee River with a little dock behind our house and canoe; there are manatee in the water [I touched one!]), which is close to Brooksville, and we've been going over every couple days and seeing them. There are also lots of cousins and newer second (and third!) cousins we've been getting to see. (I'm pictured above with Eric, Aunt Betty's youngest son and my cousin, at the Rising Sun Café, a really neat little coffeehouse in downtown Brooksville; you can see the original tin ceiling and the brick wall behind us).

My mom's dad ('Papa') and her sister Claudia also live in Orlando, a couple hours away, so we're going to see them today too. It's been a great trip so far and it's awesome to be with the whole family.

Here's Aunt Betty and me in our element.

Sarah and I will be getting back to Wilmington, NC on Friday night, where we'll be till August 3rd for the Leadership Training (LT) program we're helping to staff. More on that in my upcoming ministry update letter!

so.zo comics

Just wanted you to be aware of a cool artistic offering my friend Ryan Huffman has been keeping up with for some time now: so.zo comics (I put a link to it in my 'music, lit. & the arts' list). Our coffeeshop/cereal bar on High Street is called so.zo, and Ryan's created this little strip as an homage to it and the people who are in and out of there a lot. A lot of the jokes are a little inside, but I think anyone can enjoy the humor and the great art (all composed within Microsoft Paint amazingly!).

monthly post

I'm sitting with my wife at one my favorite Morgantown restaurants/music venues, Black Bear Burritos (notice how the door to the street behind me says 'GOOD LUCK' as you go back out into the world...)! It was a beautiful evening and we decided to walk from our apartment in South Park around downtown. We considered a couple places first, but inevitably came back to Black Bear. I used to always get the 'Double Wide,' which is just a big burrito with steak (or chicken), rice, black beans, onions and all kinds of other good stuff, topped with barbecue sauce. Mmm! But they took it off the menu a while back (though you can still order it if you want, they saved the recipe), and I've since gotten stuck on the Bear Trap, a little wrap with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and this really, really good dressing: honey mayo. I'm halfway done with one right now!

Anywho, I thought I'd try and get back in the swing of things (AGAIN) with this blog. I don't mind not blogging everyday (it can be time-consuming, especially for me, the slowest person on earth), but I hate when good thoughts strike me and I let them pass by. I need to get one of those Moleskine notebooks that slide right into your pocket like my friend Billy has (he blogs a lot more frequently than me, check it out).

I just wrote a new song this week! I'm a little concerned about copyright so I won't post it here (though I know I posted another song of mine recently, oh well...), but I thought I'd mention it because it started in a dream. Yeah, isn't that cool? I had this dream about a month ago that I was leading music at a big church (much like mine, but different) and I had a really long cord to my guitar so I walked out into the congregation and looked toward the stage with them. They were all raising their hands to God, and there was no band or anything on stage, it was all dark, but there was some ambient music. And all of a sudden everyone sang out: 'Be-hold! Be-hold!' It was really moving to hear all the voices in unison.

I woke up and was afraid I'd forget the melody so I wrote the notes into a document on my phone and went back to sleep. I didn't do anything with until this week, and all of a sudden the song came to life! I used the 'behold, behold' part in the pre-chorus. And I looked up some Scripture with 'behold' in it and came across a lot of end-times stuff in Revelation ('Behold! I come like a thief...' 'Behold! I am coming soon...). I love Revelation 21 as well, where he says, 'I am making everything new!' and how there will be no more mourning or suffering or pain or death; all our tears will be wiped away. And so I looked at other inspirational and mysterious Scripture about the end, like in 1 Corinthians 15 where it mentions that 'in the twinkling of an eye' we will all be changed, and in 1 Thessalonians 4 where it describes that those of us who are still alive when the Lord comes back will meet him in the air. Awe-inspiring stuff! So the song is basically about the Christian's great joy in looking forward to that.

I'll record it someday...

MARCH.08 MINISTRY LETTER

Please click on each of the below thumbnails to view my current ministry update letter!

Vote for Judge Drew Crislip!

My stepdad is running for office! He's the family court judge for Harrison County (after this election, he'll be working with another family court judge to jointly cover both Harrison and Doddridge counties), and after years of serving his position by appointment from the governor, the law changed and in 2002 he had to run for his office for the first time (he ran unopposed then).

This year, though, he's got some people running against him, so he's had to start the long, exhausting, expensive road of campaigning. He asked me to help with a TV commercial and radio spot. Jonny Haring filmed and edited the above commercial, and I recorded a radio spot at home with my recording equipment (I've also did the little jingle I wrote for him, which will be played during the intro to his website, which I haven't heard if that's ready for revealing yet), but I can't figure out how to post it.

So if you live in Harrison or Doddridge County, vote for Drew! He's a fair, totally uncorrupted judge who has no hidden agenda and only, always seeks the best choice, as hard as it may be in each situation. He holds himself accountable to God and to his own conscience.

My older bro, Christopher, designed Drew's campaign logo:

Only Dreamed Of

I thought since I hadn't blogged in a while I could share something I wrote about a while ago. I was searching through my old e-mails and came across the explanation for and lyrics to a song I wrote just over a year ago (I can't believe it's been that long!). It's a song I'm really proud of, so I thought I'd share it! My thoughts about it are long, so prepare yourselves...

The ‘seed’ that started the was something a friend said during a prayer. He said to God something like, ‘If you love us even close to how much I love my children, that’s a lot, and we know you love us even more.’ It made me realize that all we have to compare God against is ourselves. We can ‘imagine’ that he loves us more than we love our own children, but it’s hard for us to ‘know’ that. The truth is, our love for our children and anyone else we say we ‘love’ is like hating them compared to how God loves us, but we can’t quite grasp that.

The problem is that we fail those we love, all the time, and God never fails us. Even if it were possible to not fail those we love our entire lives, at the end we fail them by dying. We can never promise to ‘always be there’ for someone because our fragile lives could end at any moment. To experience true love, we need someone who is not bound by death. That’s what was so amazing about Jesus’ resurrection. He truly was with them, ‘to the very end of the age.’ And that’s what makes it almost arrogant or at least naïve of us to suppose that our love or our efforts for others (without giving them Christ) mean anything, even if we sacrifice our own life, for ‘if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.’ Death eventually thwarts all our efforts unless we have been given life eternal from the only One who has conquered death.

I had most of the song finished except verse 3 and I was looking for a way to wrap it up. Then another friend mentioned the ‘unexpected’ theme of the art show coming up and I realized that’s what I’d been writing about: how unexpected it was for Jesus to rise from the dead. How this is what we had hoped for, had dreamed of, but didn’t see it coming. So I made verse 3 first person, trying to capture how a lifeless person feels when, out of the clear blue sky, Jesus comes knocking at their door. The final ‘Nobody could’ statement contrasts with the other ones, showing them to be false and the only real statement of the human condition to be ‘I am in desperate need of someone to love me like I desire, but fail, to love others.’

So here's the lyrics to the song. Someday I'll record it and get it onto my myspace.

ONLY DREAMED OF

VERSE 1:
A father knows how much he loves his children
He can feel it in the gritting of his teeth
When one of them falls and he’s not there to catch him
And he knows there will be other times like these
But he thinks, ‘Nobody could care for them like I do’

A mother cries when she thinks of her daughter
She can feel her in the beating in her chest
A failing heart that will not beat much longer
She will go and leave her just like all the rest
Still she says, ‘Nobody could give to her like I do’

CHORUS 1:
Could we ever even wrap our heads around
A love that never goes away?
Do we have a single slightest notion of
A person who will always stay
And give the kind of love we’ve only dreamed of?

VERSE 2:
An architect walks past the demolition
Of a building he once poured himself into
With saddest eyes, he still recalls the vision
But he knows there’s nothing now that he can do
He sighs, ‘Nobody could know this place like I do’

A soldier bleeds and falters in the battle
As he draws his dying breath, he feels content
He grips the flag with all the life left in him
He thinks of the nation for which it was spent
He whispers, ‘Nobody could love her the way I do’

CHORUS 2:
Is there anyone to build a home for us
That will not crumble to the ground?
Can we find a warrior to fight for us
Whose body never will be laid down?

VERSE 3:
I hear the bell and wonder who it could be
There is no one coming ‘round here anymore
I pull the latch, and to my knees I’m falling
I did not expect to see you at my door
And I say, ‘Nobody could need you the way I do
Nobody should ever be far from you'

CHORUS 1

Nobody could need you the way I do
Nobody should ever be far from you

screaming session

Just some fun for all you lovers of the ludicrous, you samplers of the silly, you collectors of the crazy.