Random thoughts...

Thinking about giving guitar lessons starting next Jan. Hmmm...

My brother thinks I need to use an augmented chord in a new song I write.

Illinois beat UNC last night. yay! Doesn't quite make up for last April.

I agree with Z-woman on the Taco Bell thing. "how are you" just doesn't work for me. How about, "Greetings, may I take your order please?"

We definitely need a Starbucks near my office.

So... how are you..?

epic reality band -- better late than never -- matthew, me, and eric 

Visit and hang out with mom and dad and brother... check.

Christmas lights up ... check.

Closet.... uhhhhh no.

Music binders updated .... no.

oh well...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kind of a time to clean up and get ready. Thanksgiving weekend is the time for me to clean my closet, my desk, sort and file music. Basically, simplify, reset.

I'm going to let Advent be that for me. Four weeks from Sunday we will once again celebrate Jesus' coming into the world as an infant in the arms of Mary. Completely vulnerable, fully human and yet, fully God. Pretty humble, and humbling. Lord, help me to clean house and be ready for your return once again.

OK, back to clearing off my desk...

It's already next weekend, wow. Well, last weekend the Epic Reality retreat spawned a new song, "Epic" -- it's kinda like REM's "It's the End of the World as We Know It" -- well I think so :). Special thanks to Matthew Baute and Eric Struckhoff who helped me get it off the ground.

Still, the cool things that happened this week are almost innumerable. I witnessed a truly extraordinary wedding yesterday, between Joel Stein and Heather Casper (now Stein haha). It was like almost the entire St. Louis Youth Ministry community came together for one glorious celebration, a true witness to all. Oh yeah, and I got to sing with Danielle Rose, C2, St. Charles and Eric. Wow.

Last Thursday at XLT, one of the teens gave a witness at how she was touched by Christ on the retreat. How the priest brought Christ to her. And she realized her role: bring Christ to everyone. I was like :-0, yeah. Amen.

Just learned three new songs -- assist to I-tunes haha -- two from David Crowder Band's new CD and one by a guy named Jared Anderson called "Amazed". Also working on a couple KZ songs, but as a friend pointed out to me, its easier to read a book than write it. Still, with the Lord's help...

Either way, HS retreat is this weekend, ready or not :-0

Sometimes I forget to say thanks -- tonight i will not forget -- to Fran, C2, Chris, JR, Kelly, and Lisa -- thanks for making playing music more fun for me than i should be allowed. And to Bridgey, Alan, JohnS, Juice, PZ and Fr. Dan, thanks for helping me pray today.

SO... this is a test... if you read this blog ... humor me and respond to this post. I don't care what you say, but if it's really bad I'll have to remove hehe :). For fun, vote on this...

Borders or Barnes & Noble?
Burger King or Taco Bell?
Blues or Cardinals?
Dead Fish or Bonus?

If November 1 and 2 are All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively, they are most definitely days of excursions for me. On Tuesday, I led the prayer at our HS leadership day at SCL, then went to the Missionaries of Charity where I played for the kids and saw Sarah Clarke (bonus!) and then we had our retreat planning meeting at St. Clements. The 2nd was a Mass for Visitation's senior HS retreat, then Luke reloaded at Clements.

Sometimes people will say, I don't know how you do it. I say, I don't know how I'd live without it -- I always leave more energized then when I walked in.

More of the same today -- I can't wait :).