News: July 6th, 2011

I've been so busy the past several months and I've barely updated anything! But here's a quick rundown on the latest news:

1. Katie Heckel- Colors of Hope

We finished a new album for Katie before she headed off to Ghana, Africa for the next 15 months to live with orphans there at Rafiki Orphanage. I will be posting her new CD to Noisetrade.com soon so you can download it and leave a tip which will directly support her work there.

2. My wife and I are living in Memphis, TN for the Summer working at Service Over Self, which is an urban home repair camp. We work with youth groups from around the county who come to serve in forgotten neighborhoods like Binghampton. Repairing houses and sharing the Gospel in word and deed. I work in the kitchen and my wife Katie works in the office. We also get lots of opportunity to lead worship.

3. Matt King and I got started on a new album which will be completed this coming Fall.

4. We had a great time playing a backyard porch concert with Abbye and Jeff Pates here in Memphis. There's an community of Christians incarnating the Gospel with their very lives and we visited them with original songs. It was a beautiful evening! I'll post pictures on my facebook page soon.

5. My friends made pancakes and bacon for me this morning for a special birthday breakfast! Yep, today is my birthday, I'm 31 years old today. And I'm very excited to see what Jesus has in store in the years to come. More than ever, my heart's desire is to follow him.

There's a quick update from here. The Summer is super busy so I'll post when I can. Hope you're all having a great one too!

the Hebrew Heart

I was just searching randomly for the Hebrew idea of 'heart' a few minutes ago and ran across this:

"[The Hebrews] also saw the heart as the seat of thought whereas we see the brain as the seat of thought. To the ancient Hebrews the heart was the mind including all thoughts including emotions. When we are told to love God with all our heart (Deut 6:5) it is not speaking of an emotional love but to keep our emotions and all our thoughts working for him."

- Jeff Benner

The author goes on to describe the way the word is illustrated: with a shepherd's staff and the floor plan of a tent dwelling. The heart is the place where authority is exercised over those that dwell within it. The thoughts and emotions are shepherded and taught to submit to the person whose heart it is. Next the Scriptures command us to point that disciplined heart toward God and his service.

Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We've been talking a lot about the Holy Spirit in church lately. Reading in Galatians Paul draws the contrast between the Law (which has only the power to punish) and the Spirit (who offers new power to actually change). Our hearts (our thoughts and emotions) are to be submitted to our own authority and then our own authority is to be submitted to God's ultimate authority. The Holy Spirit can give us the ability to do this.

Back in the Recording Studio!

So much has happened in the last year, it's unbelievable. I met a girl
and we got married (that's never ever happened to me). She's
incredibly fantastic and she likes me. She even likes spicy Indian
food as much as I do. We've been living in a construction zone for the
past couple of months as we make some improvements on the house. It's
still not finished, but at least the recording studio is back in one
piece.

I've got three projects that have been waiting for attention. Tonight
I'm working on Katie Heckel's next CD. She's leaving for Ghana, Africa
in May and will be gone for 15 months! This new CD will be sold to
raise support for her work there at Rafiki Orphanage. She'll be
stopping by Friday to lay down vocals.

Next, Matt King will be in the studio at the beginning of next week.
He's a killer songwriter and vocalist/guitarist. Then lastly I'd love
to finish up the collaborative worship album some friends and I
started in December. We got 13 songs pretty much recorded but not
mixed or fleshed out with final instrumentation.

I'm excited too because my wife, Katie, is a fantastic vocalist and
musician. So I'm looking forward to her help on these projects. I
better get back to work for now. These 3 CDs are supposed to be out
before June hits. Pray for us!