feel smart again.

Check out this website. It's the site for a magazine that a guy named Will Pearson started a few years ago. Will was one of my brother's best friends in high school, and he also attends my church at home and was a mentor to me in when I was in high school. He was named one of the 30 coolest young entrepreneurs under 30 by INC. Magazine earlier this year.

Anyway, regardless of friendships, the magazine is really entertaining, and the website has some cool links and blog posts to keep you busy during times of boredom. Check it out.

Music Mondays

Monday Music Goodies::

First and foremost, let me introduce you to Matthew Perryman Jones. He's singer/songwriter from Nashville, and his album Throwing Punches in the Dark might be the best album I own. Which is saying a lot, with how much I love DMB and the old Bebo and Caedmon's albums. MPJ's music is honest, real, and somewhat raw, but his voice is awesome and something about this album just hooks you and reels you in. It's just incredible. He has two other old albums, but they're out of print, and I'm about ready to go up to Nashville to his doorstep and demand the recordings. Regardless, GET Throwing Punches in the Dark. It will be worth your while. (Hard to find info about him, but he's playing in B'ham twice in the next couple of months, including this Saturday at Workplay. Also, check out a fan site here.)

More reviews of stuff I've gotten since I returned (and right before I left):

1) Sara Bareilles (ba-rell-is) - Little Voice
Your basic girl-power piano-pop, but really good stuff. Hard to think of a comparison, though it should be really easy. Nothing too stellar on the piano, but has a really powerful, awesome voice that she highlights on "Gravity" and "Come Round Soon". 7.5/10

2) Jon McLaughlin - Indiana
Singer/songwriter in the mold of Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz, etc., except he plays piano. And he's really good at it. The album is almost too poppy for me, but there are some solid songs, including "Indiana", "Industry", and "Perfect". I think the record deal and over-production covers up the fact that Jon is a really talented guy. 8/10

3) Ari Hest - The Break-In
Ari's just incredible. Pretty low-key album, but much of that has to do with his voice. It's a real gravelly baritone that is one of the most unique voices out there today. Sure, D. Barnes and Wertz and Jon McL and whoever else are great, but it's nice to have a change-up sometimes, and Ari's voice is a perfect example of that. Great writing, basic but inspired production, and that voice make for a solid sophomore effort. Favorite song is "When and If". Also recommend his first album Someone to Tell. 8.5/10

4) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
I don't pretend to be a huge Wilco fan, or to know a lot about them or about Jeff Tweedy or whatever else. I just like their originality, willingness to take chances, and interesting songwriting. Heard a lot of positives about this album before it's release, so I picked it up, and think it's pretty good. Definitely not "experimental" like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost is Born were. It's hard for me to really classify it. To me, it's really basic stuff, but basic stuff done REALLY well. They obviously set out with a certain vision, and made it happen. Some great guitar solos, especially on "Impossible Germany". 8/10

5) Jeremy Casella - Rcvry (Recovery)
This guy is another Nashville singer/songwriter who is a member of the Square Peg Alliance (also here). The SPA is musician collective of Christian independent singer/songwriters from Nashville who often play together, play on each other's records, and just support each other. Some of my favorite artists are a part of SPA, but I had never really listened to Casella much. However, for the months leading up to its release, all I heard were GLOWING reviews of his newest album. So, being the music-buying fiend that I am, I picked it up from Itunes and was NOT disappointed. It's Nashville singer/songwriter with electronic, classical, and rock sounds thrown in. It makes for a really amazing mix of songs, the highlight for me being "The Space Between Living & Dying". This is another one of those that you really just need to get if you like to support good independent Christian artists and like great music. 9.5/10


I just realized that I have about 10 more that I've gotten recently, so I'll save those for another time.

daylight
your love is like daylight
your love is like a sharp knife
that cuts through all the pain
-Jeremy Casella

It's been a great day, by the way. The Lord is doing good work in me, and hopefully through me.

Driving a Land Rover around is really weird.

I have to start being nice and quiet in Singers...what a shame.

I love my roommates.

wcp

love, wash over a multitude of things...

Amazing the difference a little bit of time makes.

This may seem really silly to say, but it's still incredible to me how, if you earnestly ask the Lord for help, He doesn't really hesitate in giving it to you.

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and characters produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
-Romans 5:3-5

I just don't feel like the person that I was when I first got back. Those first couple of weeks, I felt...I guess "fresh" is the best word. It's not what I really mean, but after such a hard two months, it was great to be back in my old life, but CHANGED. I'm not living like that anymore. More than anything, I've been praying for the discernment and strength to figure out exactly what I was doing then, and get back to it. I'm beginning to figure it out.

Bebo Norman is probably my 3rd favorite artist of all time, and I'll always be a fan, regardless of how his music changes, just because he has "it". Or at least whatever "it" is that makes me a HUGE fan of someone's music. But, one cannot help but be a bit disappointed in him after Friday at Lakeview. I saw him play in Dothan last October with a couple of friends, and the setlist was exactly the same Friday as that show last year (besides one different song). AND, every single joke, story, speech, introduction, etc. was identical. So, I was hoping for more, and got the same. But, Monk and Neagle were not incredible, but entertaining. And Shane and Shane know how to lead some worship. Thought their band was impressive.

It's not good to be an Auburn Football fan today. But, commitment and NOT being a fair-weather fan is important. And don't boo Brandon Cox. (but hey, who wouldn't want to see Kodi run around for the rest of the year...?)

I'll have a music update soon...according to Austin, I add music on Facebook that nobody's ever heard of. And people NEED to, so I'll do some reviews.

wcp

First thing's first

My first blog...let's hope this thing gets kept up with.

I've been back in the States for 41 days. For some reason, that's insane to me. 41 days ago, I KNEW that my life was never going to be the same, and that I wasn't going to fall back into any old routines from before June 3rd. I was sure. It took about 2 days for me to start, and now, 41 days later, my life feels strangely like it did on June 2nd, without the excitement of an impending trip to Kenya. Not that my life wasn't pretty damn good before that. I was and still am blessed to have a wonderful family and girlfriend who mean absolutely everything to me. School is OK, everything else is OK. My relationship with Christ is OK... I believe a little more than I ever have, and I understand a little more than I ever have. But even writing that last sentence, I have a hard time describing in words my relationship with Him. That scares me a lot.

I have it really good, when I really think about it. Jennifer is INCREDIBLE to me, no matter whether I deserve it or not. My friends amaze me every day with their encouragement, cheerfulness, humor, and Godliness. I go to a great school and have opportunities every day that most people in the world will never have in a lifetime. I get to do what I love (sing) with people I respect and love, no matter how frustrating it is at times.

But I'm just really confused about the place I'm in right now. But, I know that all of the indecision and confusion comes down to me lacking the one and only Thing I need need. I think the main thing I'm missing is commitment. Commitment to the Word, to journaling, to learning, to praying, to just spending time with the One who deserves all my time. I am praying for guidance, direction, and strength to be committed. Your prayers are also appreciated.

I am blessed
I am blessed
I am blessed to be a witness

-wcp