New Beginnings

I can't get this new Misty Edwards song out of my head, that says, "Did you learn to love? Is what You will will ask me. Did you learn to love? Not about my ministry. Did you learn to love? Not about my money."

2011. One of the best years of my life. Yes, still in the same situations, but I've found myself, my voice, and my mission. I can lose what few assets I own, but they can never take my purpose.

I've traveled, gotten healthy, made new friends, learned a bit of salsa [long story ;-) ], some aikido, continued biking and tkd, and am taking up Spanish again. Saw Buddy Guy, went to Kansas City, spent time camping at the beautiful Silver Falls, and went to the coast. The two trips to Seattle were incredible and helped inspire a new productive side of creativity for me. And I got closure for questions and struggles that had hindered my relationship with God for a while. Cool stuff, huh?

Yeah, okay, the head shave was a bit drastic, but it really doesn't seem that important in the grand scheme of things right now. I still like the look as do others, though my Mom thought it looked like a skinhead at first. Yep, scary bald me I am now. But now my head is cold, I need my beanie.

Finally got the two songs out that were started four years ago. Whether or not they do well, the important thing is that they're out. They say, put yourself out there, then adjust as you go. Scary...yeah, buddy! New songs will be out next year, a collection which for now I'll call the Far Beyond Project. I'll have little secular projects, but this will be my main deal. The website project will have a new blog that will be more commercial and focus on helping others. Others, not me, what a concept, huh?

All the prophetic words blow my mind. I have to let that shape my thinking. My Bible reading plan is Psalm 1 over and over again. I have to accept that I'm an out-of-the-box guy and have to let God take me down out-of-the-box roads. Looking forward to quitting my 2nd job. (Never been so happy about a store closing down!) I'll work a part-time job and no, the free time is not for playing x-box, but I will be busier than ever, making music, promoting, writing and doing cool stuff like travelling. And you bet I'll be praying, not because I'm so good at prayer, but because I'm putting myself in a vulnerable position where I need Him to come through.

Still haunted by the images from Nefarious, this issue of social justice motivates me. I think others are driven by this as well and it'll be interesting to see what creative ideas will spring forth from different sources. Hmmm, if we thought yesterdays battles were tough, get ready, this is outright war...

And so I continually ask myself like Misty's song, did I learn to love? And I'm not talking about a needy type of attraction feeling people call "love" that drains you (I don't think love would keep you from your purpose) or even needy "worship", but something that truly gives to others and to God. This subject would take too long to explain, save that for another blog. Maybe I haven't totally learned, but I think I'm in the process right now. Yeah, more process, oh boy!

My taekwondo teacher teaches the process well: you can only sit out if you get hurt, if you're tired you SUCK IT UP!

2011 was just glimpse and preparation. Strap on your seatbelts for 2012. Have a great new year!

Christmas

Can't say I'm really into Christmas. Don't really hate it, it's just another part of my environment while I get through my own life. I just don't see spending lots of money on gifts, when me and others I know don't have a lot of extra money to spare. And it's really the thought that counts anyway.

Spent most of it working on and reading up on music biz, blog stuff, etc. Have two songs out, but that's just the beginning.

For some reason I just want it to be done so I can get back into the groove. As much as I enjoy wobbling around, I want to get back to healthy. I just feel better all around when I'm healthy and productive. There are endless things to do and dreams to pursue and me sitting there watching Die Hard for two hours eating fatty foods just isn't that productive.

For being influenced by a book called Four-hour work week, I sure am busy with my time these days. I don't think I can go back either. In 2012 my goal is to pursue dreams or die trying.

Merry Christmas all!

Morning Mist after the Dark Night

As I take the drive home from work it's one of those times I feel contemplative and not headbanging to German metal, but rather Loreena McKennitt's Dark Night of the Soul plays on the stereo. At least now I can say I understand what the song is talking about, having read the book and Song of Solomon and gone through some things myself.

"As care and grief grew dim as in the mornings mist became the light There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair." As those last lyrics came I looked and saw the hazy sky in the light of the slightly foggy morning, with Mt Hood taking on a blue hue. I wouldn't mind seeing some morning mist soon. As interesting as the first part of the song is, I think I like the last part. :-)

A Productive Day

Life is very surreal these days and everything is being stretched. Let me explain my day a bit:

Woke up early and worked in a cold warehouse for a few hours listening to audio of Tim Ferris (everything he writes is uncomfortable, that's why I need to listen) and Spanish lessons, while doing martial arts conditioning from time to time.
A couple hours of sleep, then meet with Edgar Nunez for newer mentorship at a spanish-speaking tacohouse. Then workout with Jon. Then a phone conversation with a close lady friend of mine. Later after sleeping more I get up and know I need to get to work on copyrighting songs. After dinking around for a while, I finally go to my room to work. It's still hard. On my computer I dig out the prophetic word I had from presbytery around eight years ago which is speaking to my life right now as the mystery is being unlocked. Very surreal...
There is an entrepreneurial opportunity I believe that's coming...There's a decision before you to weigh out... (Quit Target or transfer, I say quit!)
I get songs ready to copyright and at least register my name in the system. Copyright steps seem like the hardest to take.

The War of Art is intense. Resistance has not died, but is taking some hard knocks. A while ago after hearing prophetic words from IHOP about climbing mountains I took inspiration from literal mountain climbers. I feel like Ed Veisters nearing the peak of Mt Everest without supplemental oxygen:

Days passed. Days of numbing cold, incessant winds, and constant work. Nights of almost no rest, sleeping in tissue-thin tents and down-filled sleeping bags. Endless hours of plodding up a vertical mountain ...until finally, I was once again three hundred feet from the top. I stared at the summit. A pattern emerged: one determined step, rest, a dozen breaths. Another singular step, rest, and more breaths. I focused on reaching closer landmarks. Each step became a goal within itself.

I took steps forward today. Dreams are slightly closer and I can sleep in peace tonight.

Holiday Focus

And so I sit here after yet another bountiful Thanksgiving meal. I can't possibly eat another yam at the moment and I just want to lie down. Is there a way to enjoy the rest while still focusing on my goals? I think so, and hope so. I think that's the challenging thing about rest is we all need it, and yet it's easy to lose momentum when you get caught up in it. Finishing up reading Mastery about martial arts and learning philosophy applied to life. Journey is better than destination type stuff. Great stuff. But I want to finish so I can start on The War of Art, which is about overcoming resistance toward goals.

Resistance comes in such subtle ways, "I'm tired after work or whatever, I'll just watch this one tv program", "I'll just have this one donut.", etc. until you realize you've been on the couch for three hours and now just want go to sleep. There are ways to trick yourself, and head the right direction instead. If I can just ride my bike around the neighborhood in the morning if nothing else. If I can work on music recording goals for just 5 minutes at the end of the day. Just take a moment to straighten shoes the way we do at the beginning of Aikido class. Force myself to make conversation with one or two relatives at Thanksgiving. Hey this stuff definitely seems to help. We're all growing and if we mess up, guess what, we can still get up and jump right back on track. Grace is great.

And so a toast to dreams to all. (Holds up wineglass)
My advice to all for the holidays is hold on to dreams like your life depended on it through the hustle and bustle and of course: be nice!

Small Leaps of Faith

People seem to be shocked by my new jedi look. C'mon guys, big deal. I have more important things going on in life than hairstyles (or lack thereof). I feel more alive than ever before these days despite my lack of sleep with everything I'm involved in. Let me explain a little bit.

It's many guy's dream to quit their boring job and go do something cool like be a rock star or start a microbrewery or become a wilderness adventure guide. Trouble is life doesn't always seem to work that easily. There are mortgages, kids, etc. But guess what, I don't have those. haha So at my second job, when my Target store closes down and offers separation pay to take the lay-off, it sounds like an opportunity to me. Yes, they are gonna try to transfer those that want to. Given the choice, I told them I'm leaning toward quitting. I've got many creative ideas in music, business, and art/media that I'm starting to pursue, but with two jobs I don't have the time or energy I need to go at it full throttle. And I still have a part-time income and benefits from UPS. It's a way to take the plunge responsibly.

In a nutshell I will be creating a type of presence on the web with whatever creative resources of mine which will minister to and teach people and in the meantime have various product for income both in the church and secular realms. I've never really put myself out there like this, but I'm studying up on marketing, networking and all that good stuff. (To really learn networking, just watch the Godfather movies.) Gotta start somewhere right. Yes, it might take some time and there will be obstacles. I could take hits and make mistakes along the way, but who said life's process would be easy.

After watching the movie Nefarious covering the horrors of sex-trafficking, I know my part very well and will work my way toward a music/justice project for the cause. This gives me even more determination when I realize it's not just about me and I can no longer just stand by. Tears toward a purpose.

John Eldridge's book Wild at Heart talks about the dreams God puts in a man's heart and how we refuse to take the risks we were made to take in life and instead live a comfortable, bored lifestyle paying the bills and getting by, which sucks the life out of us rather than living by faith. Again I'm not talking about being stupid like leaving your family and job, I'm talking about a more responsible type of risk that involves prayer and guidance. Changes in life for me is happening very fast, both internally and from outward circumstances. Do you ever get that NOW moment happening in your spirit?

There's a scene in the movie Fight Club where Tyler Durden sticks a gun to the head of a convenient store clerk and rather than rob him he asks him why he took biology classes. The guy tells him he wanted to become a veterinarian, but there's too much school. Tyler then tells him he better be on his way to becoming a veterinarian when he comes back in 6 six weeks. When Norton later asks why he would do such a thing, Tyler says tomorrow morning that guy is going to be the happiest man on Earth.

Perhaps many of us could use a Tyler-gun-in-the-head moment. I know I needed one.

Hippie to hipster

What happens when a melancholy type who normally keeps to himself starts learning to interact with society around him while not compromising his own ideals? People around get surprised sometimes, and yet it makes total sense to the individual, meaning me of course. Introverted hippie to mildly social hipster. How? The answer: beer.

Okay, just kidding. I'm on a train to Seattle on vacation. Not exactly new territory, but a cheap getaway. I've recently managed to put together the track to Far Beyond, which needs a few tweaks here and there, but I'm pretty pleased at how it's come out. I have a few other songs in the works as well. These are my dreams and fortunately I'm still in a position where I can fulfill them if I set my mind to it. I've had some epiphanies about myself lately, and the process is still going on, but I feel right about things. That there's no way to go but forward.

I also shaved my head and dyed my gotee (though people don't seem to notice that with the shock of the head). And I'm pleased with the result.
I really like the beatnik look, and others seem to like it as well. The ladies think it looks interesting, and now it gives me even more of an excuse to play with their long hair when I say I have to, because I don't have any now.
Everywhere I go people who know me that haven't seen yet are in shock. And while the attention is fun, sometimes I just wear my beanie when I want a break.

So here I am awaiting arrival. What to do in Seattle with my brother? Not sure, but maybe a wild night of fried fish brought from Pike Place or maybe a ramen house or oyster soup at Elliots. I guess I'll find out huh?

Climbing Blind

Fits well into the whole mountain climbing theme. It's a great movie that can be watched on hulu or checked out at the library.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnR2dpLnS14

High Elevation

I finally a bit of time have some time to write, since I didn't work this morning, though I do work my other job later.

I'm not sure what to write, except sum up my adventures, though that is a bit surfacy, but write a bit of what's going on with me, though lots of internal and hard to write out. I'll see what I can do...

This week, took some time away to go to Silver Falls. I wanted to do a Survivorman thing, though it wasn't exactly wild, and I wasn't exactly eating bugs or fighting bears, but Silver Falls is one of my favorite places to go. Biking, hiking, photographing. Twas nice even in cloudy weather.

Also recently started taking Aikido over summer, giving my knuckles and feet and much needed break from Taekwondo, and trying to learn things like falling, grappling, etc, a completely different side. The type of thing you see Steven Seagal do, but ever so slower and awkward. Fun stuff.

Last night I went to the Blues Festival to see Buddy Guy. When I arrived my friend texted that the gates closed as it packed out. I resisted the urge to text back a certain four letter word. Disappointed, we biked the Hawthorne Bridge to go hang out, but then ended up finding a great spot where we could hear the music and see the side of the stage from afar. It actually ended up being nice not to be packed like sardines on the grass. We were just chilling on bikes on a summer evening over the Waterfront looking at the boats while Buddy Guy wailed as usual. Twas awesome. How Portlandia, huh.

I ended up being later than intended to the event, partly by my ineptness at using Light Rail, but I also got involved in a couple long discussions at my work involving God and a few other things. I've made some decent friendships and relationships the last few years from both work and church. Some Christians, some very much not so Christian, but for some reason enjoy my company. And I don't fully comprehend it all, because I seem to develop rather peculiar relations with others as I myself grow in many ways.

As for my relations with God, I suppose some would say it's held firm, though I don't always feel that way. God is so much a part of my life, I just don't go around fasting and singing everywhere I go now. Sometime it seems like the "radical Christian" lifestyle can become an escape mechanism, almost like consuming oneself with hobbies, TV, video games or even drugs. I believe in spending time at the prayer room, but get out and enjoy life as well. It took a while to come to that conclusion. Things I'd questioned when really they were things I needed to go through to get to where I am now.

I'd learned much through books and life, and as strange as it is, through eastern martial arts philosophy such as "pain is your friend", respect authority and elders, get up when down no matter what life throws at you, overcoming, be humble and courteous to others in confidence and strength, and lots of good stuff like that. I discuss these types of things with my Pastor and other Christians, and I say hey, despite the eastern mysticism, look at the fruit. I didn't learn this stuff in church, or maybe they tried, but it didn't take. Seemed like much emphasized was pray and worship all the time, live holy, convert everybody and have revivals. But as much as I tried that way of thinking for years it didn't seem to work.

There were also a couple books that helped give answers, one being Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, where it speaks on how to make a better life story, conflicts, victories and all. The other was Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. The conference type teachings of being a "radical hardcore Christian" seem very surfacy, compared to real meat like this. But really this type of book I think appeals more as we get older. Here's a good way to explain the concepts in the book of how God interacts with us. There's a scene in the movie Ray, where Ray Charles is becoming blind as a boy and he stumbles around the room feeling alone and crying for his mother, while she's actually there watching in silence, but does nothing, because she knew that he had to learn to get along. In the same way, God hides from us, and we mature. We base less on charismatic experiences. As sins and vices prevail much of the time, we become much more reliant upon grace than our own attempts at right living. Maybe they should write a book called "Seven ways to get burned and mature." I wonder how well that would sell.

I wish I'd learned much of all this back in my twenties, but maybe experience was the best teacher. Climbing in the higher parts of the mountains, I can look back with quite a view. My story turned out very different than expected. But hey life is happening, and it will be continue to be interesting, because I really don't know what's next.

Seattle

Okay, so now that the Osama is dead, do we still have to take off our shoes at the airport? Okay, fine, I guess they still do what they gotta do. But at least trains you don't have to go through all that. I'm on one right now and trains beats planes anytime.

Had vacation time so I figured, hey why not go travel. But as I'm on a budget, Seattle isn't far and my brother is a student/teacher at the University of Washington. Considered biking it, but then thought about how extremely long it is to drive there. Okay, maybe I can leave that project to the pros this time. I did bike to North Vancouver the other day, and also Clackamas Town Center and that's hardcore enough for me for now.

Spent the first couple days of vacation catching up on friends. Then Wednesday took the train to Seattle. Taken the drive a couple times in the past, but these days gas is too expensive and it's hard on my old Plymouth. The train is a first for me actually, but after this I might do this again with other places.

So Jair met me down by King Station and we hung out downtown by Pioneer Square then Pike Place. Great scene at the bay. This place makes me think of Portland and Seaside wrapped into one and shot into the future a few years. And I thought Portland had a lot of Starbucks. There's one on every corner here, you can't get away. Don't these people drink anything else? That and these teahouses are around.

Caught a bus to University Street which is the area by his school that he hangs out in. Had some top-of-the-line ramen at Samurai Noodle. I don't know how I'll ever go back to cup'o'noodles again now.

The next day, while he was at school I had a bagel and pastry at Grateful Bread Bakery, worked out a bit, then hung out with the laptop looking for spots to hit. Then after hitting Top Pot Doughnuts, took the bus to see UofW. After exploring the library, saw Jair a bit and he showed me some of the campus. We saw a huge study hall, which reminded me of the scene of Indiana Jones blazing in on a motorcycle. Also saw the world's largest book opened to a giant picture of masked natives doing some kind dance. After that went back downtown with a plan while Jair stayed and had a blast studying.

Finally got to see Pike Place open and busy. As great as fish football is, what really impressed me was the street musician. She was a black girl with a guitar that sang with so much soul that people around were completely captivated. I can't even remember her name, but this was quality stuff, better than your average street musician. I don't know, there was just something about her. Dropped a buck then continued exploring. I had a mission: oysters were calling to me.

Finally found myself sitting at the bar at Elliots for happy hour. The oysters were good, but the oyster stew was out of this world and though I haven't actually had the soup nazi's awesome soup I bet this would definitely compete. I have had quite a few memorable soups through the years: Cheddar pepper crab at Hawthorne Fish House in Portland, Hot Pot City by PSU, clam chowder at Camp 18 on the way to Seaside, real Ramen just this week. But of course when something is this good all you can think is that it's the best you've ever had. I soon got another cup before leaving.

Was gonna meet up with Jair for maybe a college concert, but it didn't work out that way. He really needed the studying, and once I stumbled into the Seattle Art Museum there was no getting me out for hours. It happened to be a free event night and the arty crowds and freaks were here out of the woodwork. Coming in I hear pulsing beats playing as four white Ford Taurus are displayed in the air with lights on sticks sticking out blinking and dancing to the music. The place was a huge with a gallery on so many different genres, I hadn't seen anything it. Traditional renaissance, Greco-Roman, Egyptian, traditional Christian, German abstact, Asian, Native American, photgraphy, glasswork, porclain, and many many more each with a room devoted to it. Among other things I saw an original Jackson-Pollock, some ancient sculpture from B.C., some work which I was amazed to hear was done by high-schoolers and middle-schoolers around the area, and a performance of the Seattle Girl's Choir.

Afterwards I met up with Jair again and we went back and had steaks brought from home. And after having to get up super early here I am on a train again.

I been to Seattle a few times, but usually with groups and not with enough time to really explore. Seeing it this time really blew me away. It's a city of creative minds who truly know who they are, apply themselves, and seem to know how to turn that creativity into wealth. While corporate mall scenes aren't my style, this city downtown individualizes the yuppie scene like our own NW 23rd, but taken to a large scale. And though it seems so much money is spent on status symbols that can compete with New York and LA, I'm still none-less impressed.

I recently got a new camera, a Sony 12.1 megapixel, and it's much more compact than my old one and great for travel. So here's what I took. Enjoy.

Scene at the bay

Study at UofW

World's Largest Book

Oyster Stew

Me and Jackson Pollock

Art by highschoolers and middleschoolers

Car Display

Mountain-climbing

Perhaps Ed Veisters is the real most interesting man in the world. Climbed Mount Everest five times, without supplemental oxygen. Also made an appearance in the movie Vertical Limit and the IMAX film Everest and wrote a book about K2.

I find inspiration here for symbolic mountains of my own, but here's what Ed has to say about the real deal. When first he tried Everest he had to turn back, because of weather. Here he describes his first successful climb to the summit:


It was twenty degrees below zero. The unforgiving Tibetan wind whipped around me, covering the footprints of my passage - a constant reminder of the challenges that lay ahead amid the rock and snow. I scanned ahead, following the outline that defined the massive shard of glistening crystal. Everest. It stood taunting me once again, spectacular crown sharply defined in the ethereal sky.

...
(snip)

Now, after years of preparation, I was back at base camp and ready: well trained, prepared, focused. I'd visualized that final stretch of the summit ridge over and over. The summit had shadowed my dreams, my thoughts, everything. It would be the most difficult part, I knew. When climbing that high without supplemental oxygen, time races on while forward movement is slowed to a crawl.

Days passed. Days of numbing cold, incessant winds, and constant work. Nights of almost no rest, sleeping in tissue-thin tents and down-filled sleeping bags. Endless hours of plodding up a vertical mountain ...until finally, I was once again three hundred feet from the top. I stared at the summit. A pattern emerged: one determined step, rest, a dozen breaths. Another singular step, rest, and more breaths. I focused on reaching closer landmarks. Each step became a goal within itself. And then almost miraculously it seemed, I reached the top.

Ed Veisturs

The Journey not the Destination

My blog, my blog, whatever happened to my blog? Well, I guess I got busy with life, and when I have so much on my place I can't always do everything. And I just don't feel the need these days to ramble on so much to the world about myself and my little issues. But you know, I do want to keep up writing, though I wish I was more prolific, and that I had more exciting stories to tell. Like the Don Equis beer guy, the most interesting man in the world. But hey my mom never had a tattoo that said "Son" and my blood doesn't smell like cologne. I'm not Hemingway safariing in Africa or Humphrey Bogart boating the Ulanga river in a movie, or Neil Peart the drummer and lyricist for the legendary band Rush who chronicled adventures bicyling through Camaroon. Or J R R Tolkien and C S Lewis hanging out at Oxford and creating entire imaginary worlds from their genius minds and stories blessing the lives of people around the world, from which they are still making movies.

I have been to other countries which was great, but that's not the norm. I hung out in Kansas City recently mostly sitting in a prayer room. Adventure for me is riding a bike around town or to work, and being wild for me is trying sake for the first time at the sushi bar. I have a couple Christian tats and geeky Elvish tat. I rock out on the guitar...at church. I did once go to a Motorhead concert using earplugs, drinking a waterbottle, and not even wearing leather.

I recently read a book by Donald Miller called "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years". In that he talks about how we need to make better stories with our lives. And the struggles we have are merely conflicts within a great story that God is writing for us. In the book he says, "Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust rather than a master storyteller."

Like most people change and overcoming obstacles is difficult. I tend to get frustrated with others who are stuck in a rut, but who am I to judge as others don't necessarily understand my own difficulties. The days continue to move forward, and I have to examine myself if I'm moving forward along with time, or coasting and just getting by.

I also picked up this book called No Boundaries all about adventuring the great outdoors and what it does within us. It makes me think of the prophetic word I had in Kansas City last year about overcoming mountains. The book had a story of a mountain climber who as he approached the summit every slow inch was an effort. But hey no matter how slow, he was moving forward, one step at a time toward the summit.

The tediousness of practicing Taekwondo in the garage or in class is hardly action movie material. The theme of real martial arts is overcoming yourself, and learning to respect others, not beating others. Whether from my reading from martial arts philosophy to Christian classics or what God is telling me in my own life, there seems to be a theme that the journey is greater than the destination. I'm not Chuck Norris, only Josh slightly less clutsy than before. We as humans can tend to avoid pain and risks and yet pain and risks is what moves us forward.

The church's move to Vancouver was hard to grasp at first. As with many things in life, God's promises are always true, they just don't always come about in the way I want them to. But hey guess what, a new house of prayer has been birthed. It's hardly 24/7, but hey it's begun. We have one weekly meeting and then me and others have taken shifts, mostly by ourselves. To be honest we don't know much about what we're doing, but there's lots of great resources such as Ihop and Mike Bickle's site that we're learning from. I don't understand it all, but felt led to play on Saturday morning. Yes, gas is pricy and I live in Portland/Gresham. But hey, I no longer have to go to Kansas City to experience the house of prayer, and I can hang out with friends and leaders in church who are becoming like-minded in hunger and vision. I've searched for a long time and as strange is it is this house of prayer is home.

Here's to moving forward, one slow step at a time.

Back in Kansas City

Well, here I am in Kansas City once again. I've been here a few times and it's always in wintertime at the beginning of the year. Is there a summer in KC? To me it's like Narnia when I come here, always winter and never Christmas.

Pretty typical for the House of Prayer, which is good. Didn't see any awakening meetings, but I see a lot of focus in the prayer room, particularly more on the nightwatch. Fine by me, long revival meetings wear me out. I do enjoy the renewal stuff, but I'm just fine going to the prayer room, taking communion, enjoying the music, worshiping or praying or reading a good book.

I try to read a spiritual book when I come here, and the one I ended up reading this time was Dark Night of the Soul by St John of the Cross. Heard about it years ago from Pastor and then went through some experiences of my own. I recently got a CD by Canadian Celtic singer Loreena Mckennitt which happened to have a song based on the Dark Night. Was intrigued so I ended up buying the book at the bookstore. A bit heavier than my usual reading, but thought I'd try it. Little did I know how St John of the Cross would be able to speak directly to my life once I started. Thanks John, there's nothing like having someone claw at your inner faults and show them right in front of you. Hey that's what friends are for. Yeah, okay. So as intense as it is, it's powerful for those who's been at the Christian life for a while and is going through things and questioning.

After eating gelati in the cold by firepits that you couldn't get close to I went to a great set with Audra Lynn and then Jaye Thomas kicking off the nightwatch. The atmosphere was electric. Jaye Thomas brings such a fresh soul sound for IHOP and having such unity in multi-racial worship is an incredible thing to feel. Ended up staying till 4 in the morning. The nightwatch is better than I remember it. The sets are just as good as the daysets. When the interns and nightwatch crew comes in at midnight there's such an energy that kicks it off. I got back from a Sada Rogers midnight set just now. Sada Rogers is your basic old-school IHOP/Vineyard and does it really well. Not a lot of technology or cool laser sounds, just good solid worship, and I'm glad I got the chance to catch one her sets before leaving.

Been a great trip. Tomorrow morning is my flight back. Bye KC, Y'all come back now ya hear!