| [..who i am..] |
|---|
| I am trying to be the best husband to Jessica and father to Connor I can possibly be. In the daytime (and after they go to sleep) I am the Innovative Creative Arts Pastor at Powell Church in Knoxville, TN. I love songwriting, creating stupid videos, apple computers, and pie. |
| [..blogs that i read..] |
| journey to claire |
| real live preacher |
| bill wolf |
| cult of mac |
| adam mayfield |
| bob carlton |
| adam feldman |
| futility closet |
| jeph hurst |
| jason edelen |
| jon reid |
| church marketing sucks |
| kem meyer |
| anthony coppedge |
| betsy wolf |
| mark nelson |
| multi-site arts |
| [..graphic & video resources..] |
| sxc.hu |
| igniter media |
| sermon spice |
| highway video |
| worship house |
| digital juice |
| church marketing lab |
| [..music & artists..] |
| gregadkinsmusic.com |
| greg on Myspace |
| new city cafe |
| bill mallonee |
| the innocence mission |
| andrew peterson |
| andrew osenga |
| over the rhine |
| nickel creek |
| david wilcox |
| rich mullins |
| hem |
| andy gullahorn |
| jill phillips |
| arthur alligood |
| dave potts |
| [..my so called music career..] |
|
| [..52 songs in 52 weeks..] |
|
| [..where i serve..] |
| powell church |
| [..disclaimer..] |
| I am on staff at Powell Church in Knoxville, TN but the opinions, thoughts, comments, and humor on this page are solely my own. Wade in at your own risk and be warned, I'm a bit of a goofball. |
| [..my site feed..] |
| RSS |
| [..archive..] |
Safe!
Just wanted to let everyone know we're safely in Vegas. This town is ridiculous! I've never seen a place that just drips money in my life. It's a blast though! We're going to see Blue Man Group in a few hours which should be a highlight.Leavin... on a Jet Plane
Well, in the morning we're heading to Vegas so you clowns will have to hold down the fort. I've enjoyed all of the great discussion in the past week, especially on the "Can God change His mind" topic, even if it is getting a bit hostile down there... easy guys.I'll be checking and updating a few times from the road over the next month. Feel free to email me at emergingminister@aol.com or just leave comments... I read every one, I promise.
Also, if you spare a thought, keep my wife and I in your prayers as we travel and as she carries our baby (11 weeks along now... first trimester almost over!). Traveling mercies and all that.
Peace in the middle east. I'm Audi 5000.
New Reviews Up!
Three new CD reviews are up on the "Culture Reviews" Section. Ed Englerth has been kind enough to submit reviews of new records by Miranda Stone, Dave Beegle, and Sojourn. Check 'em Out!!!AWESOME new band...
You guys have to check this out! I found this new band called the Hill Valley Preservation Society.They do covers of 80s TV themes and video game music... it's really strange but awesome. You MUST download their medley of Zelda / Castlevania / Super Mario Brothers. It absolutely ROCKS. They do all kinds of other stuff in a fun way... Fraggle Rock... Muppets... Saved by the Bell... Alf... lots more. It's great!
For real.. go to the "Music" section and download "Eight bit Trilogy" and you'll be rocking out!
Long overdue...
I have finally added Jeph Hurst and Adam Feldman to the blog roll. I have also updated the blog roll on all pages of the site which hasn't always been the case. So why not check out Jeph and Adam right now! Hope it gives you guys some much deserved traffic.A little music...
We're working on a CD here at the church that is a picture of all of the music outlets in the church... morning worship, evening worship, our college group, our seniors, our high school group, and those within the church who write. It should be out in September. I just finished the first mixdown session and thought I'd post my contribution to the project for everyone.Listen to "Little"
Musicians:
Greg Adkins - Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Danny Rosenbalm - Electric guitars
Scott Bradford - Drums
Sandy Garrett - Bass
John Sailers - Pedal Steel
Light Blogging Ahead
Hi everyone. It's now been a solid 3 months I've had this blog up and going and I have been overwhelmed with all of the great conversation, friends made, deep thoughts, and all around good times. All of you who frequent here are among the most interesting people I know... I wish we could all get together sometime! I figured the blog would attract a few readers (mainly people I knew who felt sorry for me, like my mother and wife) but in just 3 months, we've already received nearly 5000 visits (of course, 4900 of those is just me hitting "reload reload reload reload")The next month is going to be crazy for me. My mother comes into town to stay with Jessica and I on June 19th - 22nd. Then on the 23rd, we leave for 2 1/2 weeks out west for our family vacation. The day after we get back (July 10th) we leave for Birmingham to go to a wedding, come back for church on the 13th of July, then leave on the morning of the 14th for a week of church camp in Illinois. So, until about July 20th or so, I'm out of commission.
I will attempt to post a couple of times from the road but it might not be anything more than pictures or an update on how things are going. However, when we get back, I should have my blogging juices flowing in overdrive... times of refreshing tend to do that.
But, I'll leave you guys with a few questions that have been on my mind for the past few days.
1. Why is "The purpose driven Life" making me so annoyed. Have any of you read it? It's all "correct" stuff but man, it's a chore to read and I find Rick Warren to be very annoying... it's like "Hey, I've got it all figured out. Be like me and you're all set!"
2. Why on EARTH to pregnant women get so SICK??? Jessica has been throwing up twice a day EVERY DAY for 2 weeks with no end in sight. We have a running joke as we look forward to our trip. Just this morning I was telling her. "Honey, two weeks from today, you'll be puking in San Francisco! And three weeks from today, you'll be puking at Old Faithful! Hooray!"
3. I love the discussion we had about can God change His mind. I love that we seem to have all agreed that this is a mystery of God and we'll ask Him when we see Him. This is a relief... one less thing for me to worry about figuring out.
4. MTV is crap and horrible and I hate that their overriding message to teenagers is "Hey, smoke weed and have lots of sex because this is normal and is what everyone does". HOWEVER... if anyone saw the MTV movie awards, their parody of the Matrix Reloaded was really really funny. Will Ferrell as the Architect was unreal (he just kept saying "ergo... vis a vis... ergo...". Also the real guy who played the Keymaker dropping "what's a happanin, hoht stuff?" on the two chicks a-la "Sixteen Candles / Long Duck Dong" was classic.
5. I liked Bruce Almighty more than I thought I would. I was not offended and those who were really need to get over it. However, what does everyone think of the "Be the Miracle" slogan that came out of the film? I can see good and bad.... discuss. (on a side note, I feel really sorry for the pastor of the church in South Carolina whose church has the same phone number as God in the film. The pastor's name? Bruce.)
6. I would highly recommend the new Steven Delapolous (I probably spelled that wrong) album. He's the former frontman from Burlap To Cashmere. Very good. I would not recommend the new Jewel album. Weird.
7. Go to homestar runner and watch Teen Girl Squad #3 cartoon. You will find yourself walking around all day saying things like "MSG'D" and "My blood hurts" and best of all, "Posssuuuuummmmsssss".
8. There are some in my church who say, you cannot go to heaven unless you have been baptized. Our churches (Christian Churches / Church of Christ) generally holds to this theology... you must be baptized to be saved. I disagree in that (1) God alone decides who gets in... not us. (2) the thief on the cross wasn't baptized but Jesus promises Him just the same. Many in our leadership agree with me, some feel that you must. I feel that you definitely SHOULD, but if for some reason you don't, God is big enough to deal with that. What brought about our debate is good people who in other congregations in faith decided to be sprinkled... that's what they were told they should do, it was important and meaningful to them... now we're telling them it didn't count and they gotta get dunked to which they say... hang on, didn't I already do this? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
9. Where's a good place for dinner in Monterey, CA?
Well, that ought to keep you yahoos busy while I'm out. Be good folks! I'll be checking in and might post a little but for the most part, until July 20th, I'M OUT!
You have to watch this commercial
This is one of the coolest ads of all time. Before you watch it, you must know that everything in this ad is real, no computer generated effects at all. It took 606 takes to get it exactly right... yes, 606. It's an ad for the new Honda Accord (which I have no personal interest in fyi). Check the ad out right here. Then, read this article about how they made it. Very cool.Can God change His mind?
Okay... that last entry caused quite a stir of comments... some in agreement... some calling for me to be burned at the heretic's stake! (jk Adam). Let's discuss this here... Can God change His mind?Some would say, absolutely not, because to do so would be a sign of imperfection on His part. There are a lot of theological thoughts here that make sense, and I understand them and to a point even agree with them.
But then I'm torn... Let's look at Exodus:
"The Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let me alone that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.' Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, 'O Lord, why does your anger burn against Your people whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth?' Turn from Your burning anger and change your mind aboud doing harm to Your people. remember Abraham, issac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give it to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'
So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.'"
Okay, so what's the verdict? Does God change his mind? Or, is this an example of the consequences of sin (the Israelites) being defrayed because of a mediator? I'd love to hear thoughts.
Eyes Wide Open: Episode Three
We had an interesting discussion this morning I thought I'd throw around here. We talked about Moses praying to God to not abandon or give up on the Israelites and God changing his mind. What an amazing thought... one man wrestling with God begging him to change his mind and hey, He does. There was a girl sick in our church on the brink of death about a year and a half ago and as she was near death, most people were praying "God, we trust you... your will be done" but the girl's dad was telling us this morning that there was one guy who would always pray "God, if it's your will that this girl is to die, then we ask you to change your mind." Not many people pray that way.
Someone else mentioned the idea that to pray "Your will be done" is almost meaningless because it's going to be done, whether you want it to or not. I don't agree with this because just saying "your will be done" is an act of submission to that will or surrender which is both very very difficult to mean but at the same time very important to do.
But again, how often do we look at God like his mind is made up about things. It was good to be reminded that God can be swayed by the prayers of only one person.
Experience Music?
Those of you who have visited the Experience Music Project in Seattle... if I only have one day in Seattle, should I go?
Random thoughts
1. Pregnancy is difficult for women. I know, newsflash, but wow... Jessica is struggling to find anything to eat, sick all the time, and we're tired of it. They say after 12 weeks, this will end and then the fun part starts... man, I hope so for her sake. I feel so completely helpless to do anything. We started out praying every night for a healthy baby and now we pray that maybe, just maybe, the next day some kind of food will sound okay to her so she can eat something.
2. Ultrasound is amazing. We were able to do an early ultrasound to see the baby's heartbeat. Even at 8 weeks, it was unbelievably cool. I think we might be giving birth to a seahorse, but at least that little heart is pumping away!
3. There is nothing on TV in the summertime. I suppose this is a good thing, but since all we can do is sit around because Jessica feels so bad, we really notice that TV in the summer sucks. We've been watching massive amounts of TLC (trading spaces... while you were out... robot wars... for better or for worse...). Speaking of Trading Spaces, how do you get on this show? I figure if I could get one of my rooms done by the show, it would up the resale value of my home by a good $10,000 just for the hipness factor. I gotta get signed up for that.
4. Sorry for the long delay in blogging. I've been really overwhelmed with work related stuff the past few weeks and it has just taken it's toll on me. I've been burning the candle at both ends which has left me wanting to get away from the computer as much as possible. I do have some plans for updates though so bear with me. Thanks for sticking around, especially you Jared! Sorry for stealing your Matrix quiz. I figured hey, there's something I can throw on the page with GRAPHICS. Oooooh. Graphics.
5. I get to preach in church this coming Sunday morning. Not really my bag and I'm not great at talking to such a diverse and mixed group (think 20% old folks, 60% families, 20% young adults/high schoolers) but I'm sure it will be alright. I have to speak on worship and seeing as how I'm the worship minister, this SHOULD be easy, but ahhh... nothing is ever easy now is it. I'll keep you posted throughout the week with how it's going and maybe you folks can help me with some ideas.
