2009 Favorites

It’s hard to believe that 2009 is almost over. Although this week seems to be dragging by as I await our Christmas vacation, 2009 has really flown by, as all years seem to pass quicker and quicker as you get closer to 30.  Here’s a quick meaningless list of some of my favorite “things” from 2009.

Favorite Books

• Worship Matters
  •  Great book on multiple aspects for a worship leader
• Ender’s Game
  •  I’m not a huge SciFi fan, but this book is awesome and I sped through it in no time at all.

Favorite Movie

• There Will Be Blood
  • obviously not a new movie, but just saw it for the first time this year and loved it. The soundtrack was just as awesome.
  • I used to watch movies all the time, but didn’t see many at all this year.

Favorite Video Game

• NCAA Football 2010
  • really, is there ever a better game each year than NCAA Football?

Favorite New Music

• Peter Bradley Adams
  • Traces and Leavetaking are 2 fantastic albums. One came out this year, and the other had been out, but I just started listening to him this year.
• Mindy Smith
  • Stupid Love is a good bit different from her older stuff, but I’ve really started to like it a lot.
• Works Progress Administration
  • Glen Phillips rarely puts out anything bad, and combined with Sean Watkins and Luke Bulla, this album is awesome.

Favorite New Worship Tunes

• Hallelujah To My King – Paul Baloche
  • Paul Baloche’s stuff isn’t nearly as popular nationwide as the Hillsong stuff, but his stuff shouldn’t be overlooked just because it isn’t as flashy musically. Lyrically, this song stands above just about any other song sung today.
  •  ”Oh how great the kindness our God has shown. We were strangers, now we’re called His own. His grace has welcomed the sinner home tender mercies, lead us to The Throne. Hallelujah, what a savior, I owe everything to Him.”
• Because of Your Love – Phil Wickham
  • Because of your cross my debt is paid, because of your blood, my sins are washed away.
  • I’ve always loved Phil Wickham, and his new album is great.

Favorite Scriptures

• Ephesians 2:4-10
  • But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Yes, I’m still alive!!!!

In all honesty, I do not think that there has ever been a 2 month span where I have been busier or played more music than I have in the past 2 months. I don’t want to complain because God has been so good to our family. If every month was like these last 2 months, I could easily do just music full time. BUT I love what I do at the bank, and I love when I have opportunities to play music. However, problems begin to arise when I say yes to every opportunity and begin saying no to family and sanity.

With Ashley being in school full-time, I’ve felt the need to say yes to every opportunity to provide for our family. However, as much fun as I’ve had playing music and doing the things I’ve done the past 2 months, there hasn’t been much time to enjoy life or my wife.

So, starting in January, I will be saying “no” a lot more, and “yes” a lot less. I will trust for God to continue to provide for our family. I know without a doubt that He will always provide.